The 519 Podcast

Among the most troubling statistics to come out of Ontario in 2022 was the number of people who died in fires.  In fact, the number was the highest we have seen in two decades. And it had been growing for years, leading up to 2022.  From 2010 to 2019,  Ontario saw around 75 to 100 fire-related deaths each year. Then, when COVID-19 hit, people started spending a lot more time at home.  And we start...

It’s a murder that people still talk about over 100 years later - one that some blamed on one of the most infamous serial killers we’ve ever known. The gruesome crime happened in the small town of Listowel in 1894 - and has become a part of local legend. On this episode of ‘The 519 Podcast’ we look at the Murder of Jessie Keith and the time Jack the Ripper was thought to be in Ontario.

In 1966, then 12-year-old Rob Freeman saw the unthinkable, a UFO. While he was initially laughed at when he told friends and family, he was validated the next day by the Sarnia Observer. “It’s a Balloon… It’s a Meteor…. No, it’s a UFO!” was the headline for a story that included roughly 200 other witnesses being referenced in the article.  On this episode of the 519 Podcast we look at the Rob’s UF...

In November of 2022, the Windsor Police Service’s Major Crimes Unit was recognized for solving a 48-year-old cold case murder. It was the gruesome killing of six-year-old Ljubica Topic, which stumped investigators at the time.  It led to a hectic investigation that, unfortunately, did not turn up many promising leads.  As time passed, it became what’s known as a ‘cold case’ that would haunt invest...

Over the last decade, a startling number of horror stories have come out of the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre. Inmates assaulted by guards, inmates murdered by other inmates, drug overdoses, and outrageously awful living conditions.  And what makes it worse is that these aren’t little known events. They’ve been reported on heavily over the last several years. There have been lawsuits that have...

The late Joe Egan of Sarnia was like so many Canadian men of his generation. The Second World War meant that young men would need to volunteer to take up arms against the facist threat of the Nazis. When Canada called, Joe Egan answered. He served on a navy ship in the Atlantic. With German U-Boats patrolling the ocean, looking for merchant ships and navy ships to torpedo, the risk of death was a...

There are some stories that are so startling you’d think they would make it beyond their county’s limits.  If you grew up around Woodstock, you’ve probably heard of the Topping family. The Topping farmhouse was on Lot Eight on Cuthbert Road, Concession Six just south of Sweaburg in Southwest-Oxford. And it was in that farmhouse that Timothy Topping massacred his family on a chilly winter morning....

In May 2003, Walter Zepeda was put through a seven day exorcism that ended in his death. This happened in London, Ontario.   The exorcism was carried out  by his father, Diego Zepeda-Cordera, as well as his mother, Ana Mejia-Lopez, and family friend, Alex Osegueda. Allwere members of the now shuttered Pentacostal Missionary Church of Christ. They tied Walter down in the basement of their family’s...

On the second annual Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the 519 Podcast speaks with Indigenous leaders in our communities. What does the day mean to them? How does Canada continue with reconciliation? How can reconciliation help all of us?

The morning of August 26, 2021 was like most mornings in the town of Wheatley Ontario.  Kids were getting ready for another day of summer, people headed off to work, and it was a fairly normal day.  Until it wasn’t.  The calm of that summer day in the Lake Erie town was shattered when an explosion rocked a section of the downtown.  On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we present  ‘Rising from the R...

It’s a first in Ontario. A cow manure powered garbage truck has hit the streets of Hensall, Ontario, a small town in Huron County.  These carbon negative garbage trucks are a part of a 6 month pilot program run by Bluewater Recycling and Enbridge. If all goes well, manure powered garbage trucks could be a mainstay in our municipalities. And potentially well beyond.  In this episode of the 519 Podc...

Long wait times, understaffing and underfunding in hospitals we’ve seen before, but ER closures and this level of surgical cancellations is completely new. We are in the middle of a healthcare crisis, and experts say it might not get better any time soon. The 519 Podcast looks at what’s going on inside our healthcare systems and asks experts about solutions that could solve some of the issues.

In Part 1 of “The Windsor Spree Killer: From Horric to Surreal” we took a look at Matthew Charles Lamb and the fateful day he became Canada’s first spree killer.  But, his story didn't end with his arrest. It continued in directions that are really quite unbelievable.  Sitting in his holding cell and awaiting trial, there were really only two options for Matthew Lamb. Execution, or life in prison....

When you think of spree killings, mass murders, and mass shootings, your first thought may be that it’s just another day in the news. While they have become a far too frequent occurrence south of the border, and they are significantly more rare in Canada, they have happened here. It’s a phenomenon that we’ve begrudgingly had to accept, and an image we’ve somehow developed a stomach for.  But in 19...

In 1913, one of the largest storms to ever hit the Great Lakes claimed the lives of over 250 people, while sinking 12 ships. The storm was so massive, it is now referred to by climatologists as a ‘weather bomb’, an extremely rare occurrence. On this episode of the 519 Podcast we examine the Great Storm of 1913 and take a look at the death and destruction that came along with it.

When a teenaged cashier at the grocery store makes a mistake, just about everyone would be outraged if the customer began yelling at them and berating them. And yet, so many of us stand by and say nothing when a coach or parent yells at a teenager who is umpiring or refereeing their child's soccer, hockey, or baseball game.  Why do we accept what amounts to verbal abuse of young people, simply bec...

You can't sit down to watch a sporting event without seeing them. Countless commercials, and even studio segments, promoting betting on the games. Were we too hasty when allowing single game betting in Canada? What are the downsides? On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we explore the new reality of sport gambling in Canada and what it all means. This episode is hosted by Craig Needles.

In 1881, London’s Thames River was the scene of, what was at the time, one of Canada’s worst maritime disasters when the "Victoria" sank in the river. Despite happening in the 1800’s, the news of the incident spread around the world, in newspapers such as the New York Times and outlets as far away as Australia.  It became what is now known as the Victoria Steamboat Disaster, causing the deaths of...

In part two of The Steven Truscott Saga and the Woman Who Set Things Right,- the 519 Podcast looks at Truscott's life between the time he left prison and his conviction being overturned.   Truscott and his family endured isolation and until, finally, justice prevailed.   We also look at the movie, "Marlene", about Truscott's wife and her determination to clear his name.

Most Canadians know the name Steven Truscott. Convicted of raping and murdering Lynne Harper at the age of 14, Truscott spent the next decade behind bars and nearly 50 years being considered guilty of the crime by both the justice system and most people in the country. However, Truscott was not guilty. In this episode of The 519 podcast, we present The Steven Truscott Saga and the Woman Who Set Th...

A recent story out of Norfolk County told of a woman who was charged with animal cruelty after investigators found 27 dogs, 5 cats, 3 horses, two donkeys, 1 pig, and 1 guinea pig at her home The story was startling and, for some, likely conjured up images of a real life Cruella DeVille.  But when you take a closer look at stories like these - ones that involve what we often call ‘animal hoarding’...

They’re perhaps the 519’s most famous, or infamous, family. Whether it’s from books, movies, TV or elsewhere, just about everyone in the area knows something about the Black Donnellys.  On this two part series, the 519 Podcast examines their story, including how the massacre of the Lucan area family happened and whether this was 'Vigilante Justice or Violent Anarchy.'

They’re perhaps the 519’s most famous, or infamous, family. Whether it’s from books, movies, TV or elsewhere, just about everyone in the area knows something about the Black Donnellys.  On this two part series, the 519 Podcast examines their story, including how the massacre of the Lucan area family happened and whether this was 'Vigilante Justice or Violent Anarchy.'

During the last two years, there have been two things that Canadians could count on: the next wave of COVID-19, and being potential targets of scammers and fraudsters.  The calls and texts can come once a day, maybe twice, or they could be scattered across weeks. But they always come.  Fraudulent phone calls are out of control, and it’s no surprise that they’ve been costing Canadian’s millions of...

Most Canadians know the name Labatt. The name immediately brings up images of brown bottles of cold beer.  But there are also a lot of Canadians who are unaware that the one-time head of Labatt Breweries was once the victim of what was then the most famous kidnapping in Canadian history.  On this episode of The 519 Podcast, we look at the 1934 kidnapping near Sarnia of John Sackville Labatt, the 5...