Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron

Canada’s Prime Minister is preparing to provide world leaders with general details into Canada’s defense spending targets, and how soon our country will be able to meet those requirements. Vassy Kapelos digs deeper with Dave Perry, who is the President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Meantime, the rumour mill is swirling about Chrystia Freeland’s future as the country’s Finance Minister,...

Japan has introduced a tourism tax for Mount Fuji, charging visitors between $12 and $16 after complaints of overcrowding and pollution began to rise. Here in Canada, we have a handful of high-demand tourist destinations, such as Niagara Falls and the Bay of Fundy. Do you think a ‘Tourism Tax’, in this country, is a good idea? Would it actually drive more tourists away from Canada? Kristy Cameron...

Prime Minister Trudeau is getting blasted by American politicians, as Canada once again fails to reach its annual NATO spending targets. How is it impacting our country’s global status? Will it further weaken trade relations with other countries? Vassy Kapelos chats with Jeffrey Kroeker of Massey LLP in Hour 1. He specializes in Business Law for both international and domestic clients. Meanwhile,...

Which sectors of the community should the speed camera fines be invested in? According to recent data from the City of Ottawa, a brand-new speed camera on King Edward at St. Patrick is the busiest in Canada’s Capital, racking up at least $1.3 million in fines from the start of March until the end of May. Most of that money is going towards road safety, a reality that Rideau-Vanier councillor Steph...

Vassy Kapelos is back from vacation! And by the sound of things, the level of unrest within the U.S. Democratic Party is just as unstable as the day she left. Today, President Biden is defending his 2024 campaign, while others inside the party tent continue to raise concerns about the campaign’s direction. We dig deeper with Brian Stelter, a Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair. Meantime, the Pri...

Kristy Cameron has reappeared after a relaxing out-of-town trip, and just in time for what could be an ugly Summer strike at the LCBO. Nearly 10,000 workers have hit the picket lines across Ontario, even though online sales are still operational. As we sit here right now, is the LCBO a provincewide necessity? Could this labour dispute change that narrative? We dig deeper with Dan Malleck, a Profes...

Tim Powers is filling in for Vassy Kapelos today, as she continues to soak in the sun and put the world of politics on the backburner. And as France prepares to put a bow on the final preparations for this year’s Summer Olympics, things are getting very nasty. President Emmanuel Macron has officially refused the resignation of the country’s Prime Minister, asking him to stay on a temporary basis a...

Chris Holski is filling in for the vacationing Kristy Cameron. And as the Chief Newsanchor for CTV Ottawa, tonight marks the last time you will hear Graham Richardson’s voice. Don’t worry, he’s just making a career change, albeit a significant one. He reflects on his broadcasting media journey ahead of his final suppertime newscast. Meantime, an LCBO strike is looming large this Summer, with the o...

We have plenty of items on the debate menu to devour and discuss, as Scott Reid fills in for Amanda Galbraith on Free For All Fridays. First of all, U.K. voters have made a huge statement, kicking the Tories out of Parliament and ending Rishi Sunak’s short stint as Britain’s Prime Minister. As for U.S. President and Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden, he insists that he’s not going anywhere and he w...

Andrew Pinsent is filling in for Kristy Cameron this afternoon. Several times on this talk-radio program, we have talked about reinventing the workweek wheel. The most common revision that people are calling for is the 4-day model, with the idea of an extended weekend dancing in our heads. But what about a 6-day workweek? Effective this month, it’s happening in Greece, as a handful of workplace se...

Robin Gill is filling in for the vacationing Vassy Kapelos. After leaving a jaw-dropping path of destruction in Jamaica and the Eastern Caribbean, Hurricane Beryl is now roaring towards Mexico. We check in with Canadian newlyweds Jeff and Amanda Cain, who are currently stranded in Jamaica and crossing their fingers for a flight home. Later in today’s program, we also check in on the ongoing relief...

You have tons of online shopping destinations to browse through on the Internet. You can buy books and clothes online. And yes, you can even buy used cars online. However, there is growing caution on the notion of buying brand-new vehicles, and the risks associated with picking your next car without a simple test drive. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with driving columnist Lorraine Sommerfeld in Hour...

Robin Gill is back in the hosting chair, filling in for Vassy Kapelos. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was expected to make his annual trip to the Calgary Stampede this week – except that isn’t going to happen in 2024. And with the Liberals under siege in the Canada-wide polls, that might be in the party’s best interests, as the Red Team can’t afford to watch another fortress crumble. Nik Nanos of N...

Consumer advocates are waving every single red flag in plain view, as the looming dangers of a ‘100 percent cashless society’ creep closer and closer to Canada’s doorstep. In fact, they fear we are already sleepwalking into that reality. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Omar Fares, a Lecturer in Retail Management at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Ted Rogers Program. Looking back to your days as...

Robin Gill is filling in for Vassy Kapelos, who is taking full advantage of her summer vacation. In Hour 1, we shift gears to European politics, as far-right parties make big gains within Europe’s Parliament. Carleton University NPSIA professor Elliott Tepper digs deeper as the show progresses. Meanwhile in America, the U.S. Supreme Court has concluded that the country’s President has immunity for...

In previous years, we’ve talked about alternatives to Canada Day fireworks, with LED lighting and drones among the headlining Plan B solutions. Is it time to ban private fireworks shows? Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Ken McMullen, who is an Alberta-based Fire Chief and the President of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. Over in Ontario, fireworks are going off at Queen’s Park after P.C. MP...

Guest host Scott Reid breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. We also take a trip down Canadiana Avenue, as the country prepares to celebrate Confederation on Monday. In Hour 2, we shift gears to a disastrous debate performance by U.S. President Joe Biden. Here to weigh in on that are Sabrina Grover of NorthStar Public Affairs and Chris Day of Winston Wilmont. They...

In the world of 2024, it’s no secret that food waste has evolved into a major problem. Garbage waste, of any kind, is on full display at Ottawa’s landfill. According to the experts, a lot of today’s dilemmas are invisible to most Canadians, largely because our food system is so invisible to us. How can we fight against this never-ending battle? Kristy Cameron chats with Heather McLeod-Kilmurray, w...

Vassy Kapelos is back in the big chair ahead of tonight’s pivotal U.S. Presidential Debate. Who has the most pressure on their shoulders: Joe Biden or Donald Trump? Plus, what exactly is at stake this evening? We debate and discuss as the show rolls on. Meantime, the feds are talking a big game when it comes to protecting Canadian auto workers, as they aim to promote a level playing field. Are the...

An Ottawa man is facing charges after allegedly uttering threats towards an Ottawa city councillor. It’s another discouraging moment for today’s world leaders, as Canadian politicians are slowly being pushed to their breaking point. Rideau-Vanier councillor Stephanie Plante joins the show in Hour 1. Meantime, puppy mills are officially illegal in Ontario after the Ford government’s recent legislat...

It’s an historic moment on the Vassy Kapelos Show today, as Daily Debrief panelist Tim Powers upgrades his resume to fill-in host. And as we gear up for Thursday’s pivotal U.S. Presidential Debate, are we about to witness a make-or-break moment in this year’s campaign? We ask the experts as the show rolls on. In Hour 1, we also delve into a Summer Economic Outlook with Dawn Desjardins, a Chief Eco...

As of right now, 126 bird species have been essentially ‘lost’ to science, and researchers are wondering if some of these species have gone with the dinosaurs. In an effort to uncover the truth, the American Bird Conservancy has teamed up with BirdLife International for a mega-collaboration, and they need your help! That story is coming up in Hour 2. As for the Trudeau Liberals, they might be doin...

Graham Richardson is filling in for Vassy Kapelos this afternoon. And within a 24-hour period, Justin Trudeau’s worst fear has come true, as Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives claimed a Liberal stronghold in Toronto. Has Monday’s byelection changed the entire landscape of Canada’s present-day government? Vassy Kapelos drops by to explain further in Hour 1. Later in the program, John Wright from Maru...

According to Counterpoint, a technology market research firm, nearly 100,000 ‘dumb phones’ were sold across Canada in 2023. That is a remarkable 25 percent increase from similar sales in 2022. Is this big comeback a one-off trend, or are ‘simple smartphones’ here to stay? Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Jose Briones, who is a longtime reviewer of minimalistic tech devices. Meantime, the City of Ot...

Vassy Kapelos is back in the hosting chair, as the Canada Day pre-party officially begins. As for the Trudeau Liberals, they are hoping to keep the party going in Toronto, as the Red Team is in serious jeopardy of losing a normally sealed-tight riding. We preview tonight’s pivotal byelection throughout the show. Later in Hour 1, you’ll hear Vassy’s exclusive 1-on-1 conversation with NATO Secretary...