The 2020 Network

This is the third and final episode in a three-part series on cities in Canada. So far, we’ve tackled how cities fit within the constitution and explored progressive visions for city life in the 21st century.   We talk about cities all the time. Not that they get the critical, detailed coverage and attention they deserve; but talk about cities and life within them is common. Mostly complaining. Bu...

On December 1, Canada 2020 launched the results of a one-year project of research and convening to establish a practical policy agenda for building wealth and well-being in smaller, rural, and remote communities across Canada.  This special edition podcast is from the launch of this report, “A post-pandemic policy agenda for rural and smaller Canadian communities”, featuring a conversation with Ca...

Around the world, more than 4 billion people live in cities. That’s just over 50 percent of the global population. The United Nations projects that by 2050, it will be 68 percent. In Canada, 82 percent of people live in urban areas and that number is on the rise, too.  Alongside the growth in urbanization is growth in the number of problems cities and their residents face. The list is long and get...

This is the first in a three-episode series on cities in Canada. In 1911, 45 percent of people lived in cities in this country. By 2021, that number had risen to 82 percent–and growing. The growth of cities in Canada has been painful. Today, they face significant challenges including housing policy, policing, and public transit. And yet, they get far less attention than other orders of government...

Anti-trans hate and violence is on the rise in Canada and the United States. Indeed, 2021 was the most violent year for trans people on record worldwide. Online and offline, trans people face growing threats driven in large part by right wing extremists and their enablers in the media and politics, as well as those who remain silent. Tackling this hate and violence requires a combination of commun...

In 2021, Frances Haugen leaked tens of thousands of internal documents to the Wall Street Journal and testified before the US Senate on the vital challenge of ensuring that the biggest social media companies don’t put profits before public welfare and safety. Now, she's devoted her life to advocating for a reformed social media ecosystem that protects the wellbeing, trust, and health of its users...

The labour movement is having a moment. Both in the United States and in Canada, unions have won breakthroughs at workplaces including Amazon, Starbucks, Medieval Times, and Blizzard alongside union drives at Staples, Indigo, and WestJet. While union rates in both countries are low, particularly in the private sector, recent momentum offers an opportunity for a resurgence. And while management and...

In a pluralist society, individuals and groups each have their own preferences, interests, and goals. Together they compete, cooperate, intersect, and diverge in public and private spaces, shaping the world and how we live together. Like it or not, industry plays a central role in that process – and can’t help but be drawn into the politics of the day in public and not-so-public ways. Beyond advoc...

In May of 2022, Indigenous leaders from across sectors came together with Canada 2020 to reflect on the importance of economic reconciliation to their communities, and to demonstrate the unquestionable value of Indigenous economic leadership, stewardship, and innovation.  This special edition podcast is a featured conversation from that summit, with insights from Mark Podlasly, Director of Economi...

Threats and harassment directed at journalists in Canada are on the rise. A vicious coordinated campaign of hate targeted at a handful of women, especially racialized women, in recent weeks stands out as particularly troubling. As the far-right continues to organize and grow in the country, and as cynical politicians and media elites fan the flames, the implications of these campaigns press beyond...

The crisis in healthcare across the country has opened the door for "reform." In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford is pushing "innovation." In recent days, he’s taken that message to Atlantic Canada, too. But what does "innovation" mean? It could mean further starving the public system of the resources it needs. It could mean privatisation. It could mean introducing a two-track system. Supporters of a st...

Artificial intelligence is embedded in our daily lives whether we notice it or not. It shapes how we live, work, and play. Shopping, gaming, healthcare, cybersecurity, travelling, social media, policing, war and plenty of other facets of contemporary life feature AI technology – and there’s more on the way. And while discussions of AI tend towards questions about sentience – and robot overlords th...

The agriculture sector is a significant global source of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2019, the United Nations suggested eating less meat was a key step in lowering such emissions – especially beef. But while the sector contributes to climate change, it is also an essential component of our food security, biodiversity, and meeting daily nutritional needs. Understanding how beef consumption fits in...

In February, 2021, we took a deep breath and mixed things up by checking in with one of our favourite comedians as we celebrated our 40th episode. At the time, we’d been in the pandemic for a year. Now, we’ve been at it for over two years and we’re approaching 70 episodes. So, what better time to check back in with one of our best-loved guests. Last time, we asked “How are you doing?” It would be...

After two seasons of conversations about our increasingly risky world, @Risk is taking a break.  For our final episode of @Risk, we’re looking back on conversations with risk experts on the role risk plays in our bigger picture. Join Jodi for our final look back on the series with evolutionary biologist and professor Carl Bergstrom; journalist and advocate Nana aba Duncan; author and expert on psy...

After two seasons of conversations about our increasingly risky world, @Risk is taking a break. But before that, we want to look back on some of our favourite conversations through this series. In this episode of @Risk, we’re looking at risk in the world of art. Join Jodi for a look back at conversations with the brains behind all sorts of creative work: journalist and fashion entrepreneur Jeanne...

The pandemic isn’t over. Someday, it will be. But we aren’t there yet. We are, however, at a critical juncture – a fork in the road at which we can choose another path forward. Today, we ought to be devoting much of our attention to an analysis of how we can rebuild or remake our social, political, and economic institutions in ways that serve us more effectively, sustainably, and equitably.  Rebui...

After two seasons of conversations about our increasingly risky world, @Risk is taking a break. But before that, we want to look back on some of our favourite conversations through this series.  In this episode of @Risk, we reflect on something we’re all extremely familiar with: our health at risk. Jodi looks back on conversations with health reporter and columnist for the Globe and Mail, André Pi...

In the first year of the pandemic, police-reported hate crimes rose by 37 percent. That’s from a recent Statistics Canada report that recorded 2,669 incidents in 2020 – the highest number since such data became available in 2009. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. No one who has been paying attention to the rise in hateful rhetoric, threats, and the growing mobilization of white supremacists...

After two seasons of conversations about our increasingly risky world, @Risk is taking a break. But before that, we want to look back on some of our favourite conversations through this series.  In this episode of @Risk, we revisit conversations with cybersecurity expert Shuman Ghosemajumder, Olympic athlete and doctor Hayley Wickenheiser, our 18th prime minister, the Right Honorable Brian Mulrone...

In the United States, a leaked draft opinion on the constitutional right to abortion has put those who support choice on high-alert. The constitutional protection of that right is at risk, putting the well-being and lives of millions in the path of peril as the country tilts ever further towards Christian theocracy.  As news of the U.S. leak circulated, many in Canada took notice and raised questi...

On this episode of @ Risk, Jodi Butts is joined by Mark Podlasy (Nlaka’pamux Nation), the Director of Economic Policy and Initiatives at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, to discuss how the righting of our nation’s greatest shame can help address one of the world’s top catastrophic risks.

There’s nothing like coming home after a long trip. It makes us appreciate wherever home is, but also opens up our eyes to some of the ways it could be, well, better. This week on No Second Chances, host Kate Graham lands back in Canada for the last episode of the season. She talks with Dr. Susan Franceschet, a professor of political science at the University of Calgary, and the incredible Marci...

Artificial intelligence is shaping healthcare in Canada and around the world. The role of AI in delivering care will evolve and, indeed, grow. As a series of tools, it offers opportunities for patients and practitioners; yet, as with any technology, it comes with risks. As with any tool, AI will only be as good as those who create and operate it. Given who we are – and our track record – that ough...

On this episode of @Risk, Jodi Butts is joined by the Chair of the largest academic department of family medicine in the world at the University of Toronto, Dr. Danielle Martin, to discuss why it’s so hard to find a family doc and what we can do to fix that.