Ship of Fools Podcast with host Steven Malkowich

Comedian Rachel Schaefer joins Ship of Fools for a funny and honest conversation about life as a working Canadian comic. Rachel has been featured on Just For Laughs, CBC Gem’s The New Wave of Standup , SiriusXM Comedy Club, Stop Podcasting Yourself , and Roast Battle Canada. She’s also known as an undefeated Vancouver Roast Battle Champion, which makes her the perfect guest to talk about writing s...

Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West joins Ship of Fools Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about leadership, municipal politics, BC politics, and what makes PoCo one of the most distinct communities in Metro Vancouver. Brad shares his background, how he first got involved in public service, and the path that eventually led him to becoming Mayor of Port Coquitlam. Steven and Brad discuss the realit...

Former BC Conservative leader John Rustad joins Ship of Fools for a thoughtful, good-faith conversation about British Columbia, leadership, Indigenous land issues, resource development, and what comes next for B.C. politics. This episode goes beyond the headlines. John shares more about his upbringing in northern B.C., his background in forestry and business, and the experiences that shaped his pa...

The FIFA World Cup is coming to Vancouver — but what kind of legacy will it leave behind? In this episode of Ship of Fools, Steven sits down with Ray Goldenchild, Vancouver soccer coach and founder of Orix Soccer Academy, for a thoughtful conversation about the World Cup, local soccer, youth development, public spending, and real community impact. Ray is a lifelong soccer advocate who believes maj...

Can Vancouver be fixed? In this episode of Ship of Fools, Steven sits down with Wes Regan for a thoughtful and hopeful conversation about Vancouver, public planning, government policy, community development, and what it really takes to build better cities. Wes Regan is a Senior Policy Lead with Vancouver Coastal Health and a PhD Candidate at UBC’s School of Community and Regional Planning. His wor...

In this episode of Ship of Fools , Steven sits down with Jimmy Crescenzo , founder of the East End Boys Club , for a powerful conversation about East Vancouver, mentorship, education, and what it really means to show up for young people. Jimmy shares his roots in East Van, his background as an actor and teacher, and the community gaps he saw that pushed him to create something bigger than the clas...

In this episode of Ship of Fools , Steven sits down with Dr. Laurel Weldon , Dean of Simon Fraser University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, for a thoughtful conversation about democracy, women’s rights, public life, and why the social sciences matter. Dr. Weldon shares her journey from growing up in the Lower Mainland to studying at SFU, UBC, and the University of Pittsburgh, building an a...

Sage “The Wolf” Johnson is fighting for more than wins. He’s fighting for his future, his name, and a shot at the 2028 Olympics. In this episode of Ship of Fools Podcast , Sage opens up about the personal challenges that shaped him, the reality of growing up with obstacles, and what it takes to keep pushing toward elite-level boxing when nothing comes easy. This conversation goes deeper than the s...

Surrey is heading into a major municipal election in 2026, and voters are beginning to ask who is ready to lead one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities. In this episode of Ship of Fools Podcast , Steven sits down with Troy Van Vliet , candidate for Mayor of Surrey, for a personal and practical conversation about who he is, why he is running, and what kind of leadership he believes Surrey needs next...

British Columbians are feeling squeezed — by housing costs, taxes, government spending, red tape, and a growing sense that common sense has left the building. In this episode of Ship of Fools Podcast , Steven Malkowich sits down with Jordan Bateman , Vice-President of Communications and Marketing at the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association , former B.C. Director of the Canadian Taxpa...

Graham Clark joins Ship of Fools for a funny, thoughtful conversation about building a real comedy career in Canada. From stand-up and writing to podcasting, festivals, and the Vancouver comedy scene, this episode explores what it actually takes to make a life in comedy while living next door to the massive U.S. entertainment machine. We talk about how Graham got started, what Canada gives comedia...

Could fear over B.C. land claims already be hitting property values? Steven speaks with Jason Upton, President of Aedis Appraisals, about the Cowichan ruling, appraisals, lending risk, and how public perception may be affecting homeowners, buyers, and property values across British Columbia.

Steven Malkowich is joined by returning guest Dr. Aaron Hoffman, Professor of Political Science at Simon Fraser University, for a timely breakdown of the escalating Iran crisis. Dr. Hoffman is an expert on terrorism, counter-terrorism, US foreign policy, and other international security issues. They examine what is actually happening, what may be political theatre, and what the public should be pa...

In this episode, Steven sits down with Ryan Mitton of CFIB to talk about the growing pressure on small businesses in British Columbia and across Canada. They discuss red tape, taxes, labour shortages, retail crime, the rising cost of doing business, and why many entrepreneurs feel like the system is working against them. Ryan shares his perspective from the policy side, what CFIB is hearing from b...

In this episode, we sit down with Carson Binda from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation to break down the latest British Columbia budget — focusing on the numbers, not the political spin. We unpack the projected $13.3 billion deficit, rising provincial debt, and what increasing interest costs mean for taxpayers. We also discuss recent tax changes, major infrastructure delays like the George Massey T...

What does it take to build a fighter? In this episode of Ship of Fools Podcast , we sit down with Sage Johnson and Oneal Mendoza for a conversation about boxing, discipline, resilience, and the work required to rise in the sport. Sage Johnson is a rising boxer out of Surrey, BC, and Oneal Mendoza is the coach behind Mendoza Boxing Club. Together, they talk about the mindset needed to compete, the...

Canada has a shortage of doctors — yet internationally trained physicians often face years of barriers before they can practice medicine. In this episode of Ship of Fools Podcast – Where Wit Meets Wisdom , we sit down with Dr. Raghav Saini , an orthopedic surgeon practicing in Surrey, British Columbia. Dr. Saini shares his remarkable journey from graduating at Government Medical College Amritsar i...

British Columbia is 95% Crown land. So what happens when court rulings and government agreements begin reshaping who has authority over it? In this episode of Ship of Fools, Steven sits down with Warren Mirko, Executive Director of the Public Land Use Society (PLUS), to examine the rapidly evolving legal and political landscape surrounding land governance in BC. We break down: • The recent Musquea...

What does policing in Surrey actually look like in 2026? In this episode, Sgt. Tige Pollock of the Surrey Police Service joins us for a candid, non-partisan conversation about crime trends, gang activity, homelessness, and the transition from RCMP contract policing to Surrey’s municipal police force. We discuss what has changed operationally since SPS became the police of jurisdiction, how regiona...

BC politics feels increasingly unstable — but is it chaos or strategy? Investigative journalist Bob Mackin, publisher of theBreaker.news, joins Ship of Fools for a candid, fact-driven conversation about what’s unfolding in British Columbia politics. We break down: • The BC NDP under David Eby • The BC Conservative leadership race and internal factions • The rise of CentreBC and vote fragmentation...

Manny Sobral returns to the podcast to talk about Rumble at the Rock 2026 , one of the most anticipated Olympic-style amateur boxing events in Western Canada, and the continued growth of Buckskin Gloves . We get into what makes Olympic-style boxing so compelling, how amateur fighters develop through events like this, and why community-driven fight nights matter more than ever. Rumble at the Rock 2...

Comedian Simon King joins the Ship of Fools Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about comedy, politics, culture, and what it means to stay human in uncomfortable times. Simon’s work lives where wit meets wisdom —using humor to explore fear, bigotry, accountability, and the quieter tensions shaping how we talk to one another today. When comedians take on heavy subjects, what’s the real job of the...

Follow Ship of Fools Podcast on Spotify for expert conversations on politics, power, and culture. In this episode of Ship of Fools Podcast , we welcome back Dr. Aaron Hoffman , a political scientist and Professor of Political Science at Simon Fraser University , for a clear-eyed discussion of one of the most unsettling political moments in recent history. We examine the national controversy surrou...

Canada is experiencing a period of political uncertainty — particularly in British Columbia — and it raises deeper questions about who we are and where we’re headed. In this episode of Ship of Fools , we’re joined by Dr. Sanjay Jeram , a Political Science professor at Simon Fraser University whose research focuses on nationalism, immigration, political culture, and territorial politics. We discuss...

In this episode of Ship of Fools , we speak with Thomas Isaac , Chair of the Aboriginal Law Group at Cassels , to explain the legal foundations and governance implications of the Cowichan Tribes land title case in British Columbia. This conversation is not about headlines, appeals, or political reaction. It is a clear, structured discussion of how Aboriginal title functions under Canadian law, why...