Mornings with Simi

B.C. business owner scammed: Jenell Parsons, founder of The Pie Hole, fell victim to a phishing scam impersonating a BC Lions representative. Fake vendor invitation: In June, Parsons received a convincing email, supposedly from the BC Lions VP of operations, inviting her to be a vendor at the team’s home opener. Guest: Jenell Parsons, Founder and President, The Pie Hole. Learn more about your ad c...

B.C. Government Eases Development Fee Rules to Spur Housing Builds Key change: Developers now pay 25% of development fees at permit approval and 75% upon building occupancy — instead of full payment upfront. Extended timeline: Builders will now have 4 years (up from 2) to pay development charges. Goal is to ease financial pressure amid high construction costs and interest rates. Guest: Anne McMull...

Can Robots and pre-fab construction fix our housing problem? Vancouver-based company Intelligent City uses industrial robots and mass-timber techniques to prefabricate floor and wall sections of multi-storey buildings. Components are built in a Delta, B.C. factory, then flat-packed and shipped to the building site for fast assembly. Guest: OD Kreig, President, Intelligent City Learn more about you...

The Benefits of Meditation go beyond just the meditator! Guest: Mariah Schug, Associate Professor of Psychology and Gender, Women, and Sexuality at Widener University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Red light therapy (RLT) uses low-level wavelengths of light to influence biological processes — a concept known as photobiomodulation. It was originally used in dermatology for early skin cancer treatment, but is now all the rage for a number of purported health benefits. Guest: Dr Zakia Rahman, Dermatologist, Stanford Medicine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Egg freezing (oocyte preservation) was once a medical procedure for patients facing infertility due to illness or surgery. In 2012, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) declared it “non-experimental,” making elective or social egg freezing more mainstream. Now widely used by Canadians seeking to delay parenthood for personal, career, or relationship reasons. Guest: Dr. Prati Sharm...

A suspected meteotsunami hit lake superior! What even is that? Alaskan fishing fleets are catching a huge proportion of BC-bound salmon Why do orcas share their prey with humans? Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill has passed. So what does that mean? MAKING CENT$ OF THE MARKET WITH LORI PINKOWSKI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We’re making cents of the Markets with Lori Pinkowski, A Senior Portfolio Manager at Canaccord Genuity. - you can contact her team at 604-695-LORI or visit their website at PINKOWSKI.CA” Call Lori and her team today at 604-695-L-O-R-I with any questions you have about investing or retirement! Or visit their website at PINKOWSKI.CA Guest: Lori Pinkowski, A Senior Portfolio Manager at Canaccord Gen...

Researchers from Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico have documented 34 cases over the past 20 years where wild orcas appeared to offer freshly caught prey to humans. These encounters involved orcas approaching swimmers, boaters, or people on shore and dropping prey within about a body-length of them. In 97% of the cases, the orcas paused after making the offering, appearing to wait for a human respon...

A 2021 report from Watershed Watch and SkeenaWild Conservation Trust shows that commercial fishers in Southeast Alaska are harvesting large numbers of B.C.-bound salmon before they reach Canadian waters. Guest: David Mills, Fisheries Advisor at Watershed watch Salmon Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Senate passed the “big, beautiful” megabill (aka the “One Big Beautiful Bill”) with a 51–50 vote, Vice President J.D. Vance casting the tie‑breaker. It follows a grueling amendment marathon. Guest: Sam Sutton, Writer at Politico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scientists are investigating unusual rapid water-level changes observed last weekend on Lake Superior near Shuniah, just east of Thunder Bay. Residents like Alan Auld described the phenomenon as the lake “draining like a bathtub,” then suddenly surging back—leaving many in awe. Guest: Eric Anderson - associate professor at the Colorado School of Mines who has been studying meteotsunamis for over a...

It's the 4-year anniversary of the Lytton Fires. There's now a dictionary for Canadian-isms! Security heightened for Canada Day in B.C. 1 in 2 Canadians say Canada Day feels different this year. N.B. Museum set to add 1st rare owl specimen found in the province in over 100 years! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just in time for Canada Day, the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles has released its third edition, now mobile-friendly for the first time. The update, led by UBC researchers, is the dictionary’s first since 2017 and only its second since launching in 1967. The dictionary now features more than 14,500 meanings for over 12,000 uniquely Canadian words and expressions. Guest: Dr. Ste...

A new wildfire broke out near Lytton on June 30, exactly four years to the day after a devastating fire destroyed most of the village in 2021. The latest fire started near Nikaia Creek on Lytton First Nation land around 9 p.m. and quickly grew from a small blaze to approximately 2.1 hectares. Guest: Denise O’Connor, Mayor of Lytton Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada Day celebrations across B.C. are expected to draw tens of thousands of people, and this year extra security measures are being introduced. Guest: Constable Tania Visintin, VPD media relations officer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Canada Day, Petro-Canada has released the latest version of the Live by the Leaf index, the country’s first and only ongoing tracker of Canadian pride, in partnership with the Harris Poll. The data found that nearly one in two (48%) say that Canada Day holds more meaning for them this year and that sentiment is shaping how they travel, spend and celebrate. Guest: Sara Cappe - President of Harr...

The New Brunswick Museum in Saint John will soon add a Great Gray Owl specimen to its collection. This will be the first of its kind for the museum. It marks the first confirmed sighting of a Great Gray Owl in New Brunswick in more than 100 years. Guest: Greg Jongsma - New Brunswick museum's acting curator of the zoology department. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is the Minister of Internal Trade going to do about Trump’s tariffs? Guest: Anita Anand - Minister of Internal Trade of Canada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada has axed the Digital Services Tax. How will this affect trade talks with Trump moving forward? Canada is facing a significant teacher shortage, with many provinces experiencing a decrease in the number of teachers available to meet the growing demand. The B.C. government has amended regulations to allow municipalities to borrow up to 10% of their annual revenue without holding a public vote...

The B.C. government has amended regulations to allow municipalities to borrow up to 10% of their annual revenue without holding a public vote. Previously, borrowing over 5% required public approval. Guest: Ravi Kahlon - Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 27, 2025, President Donald Trump announced the immediate termination of trade negotiations with Canada, citing the country’s new Digital Services Tax as the primary reason. The Digital Services Tax, set to take effect on June 30, imposes a 3% levy on digital services revenue earned from Canadian users by companies with global revenues exceeding €750 million and Canadian revenues over $20 m...

Canada is facing a significant teacher shortage, with many provinces experiencing a decrease in the number of teachers available to meet the growing demand. Guest: Anne Whitmore - Acting President of the Surrey District Parent Advisory Committee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An explosive device went off outside Bowinn Ma’s constituency office in North Vancouver early Friday morning, June 27. The explosion happened around 4:15 a.m. and caused visible damage to the building’s front entrance. Guest: Sonia Furstenau - Former Leader of the Green Party of British Columbia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has faced several waves of flight delays due to a shortage of air traffic controllers. In mid-April, a temporary Traffic Management Initiative was put in place by Nav Canada after unplanned staff absences affected operations. Between May 21 and 23, more delays occurred as controller shortages continued, and passengers were advised to check directly with airlin...