The Bellwether

In the latest episode of The Bellwether, host Hermon Afowork is joined by Jesse McCormick. McCormick is a proud citizen of Canada, the Anishinabek Nation and the Oneida Nation (Wolf Clan). He serves as Senior Counsel at Pape Salter Teillet LLP, a leading First Nations-focused law firm, and as a Senior Advisor at Mokwateh, an Indigenous-led consulting firm specializing in reconciliation, governance...

We’re back with another episode of The Bellwether! This is Part 2 of our series taking a closer look at Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, better known as the “notwithstanding clause”. Host Carter Wynne is joined by Cheryl Oates, a public affairs advisor and communications specialist currently serving as Chief of Staff to British Columbia Premier David Eby. Cheryl began her...

We’re back with another episode from The Bellwether! This is Part 1 of a new series taking a closer look at Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, better known as the “notwithstanding clause.” Host Carter Wynne is joined by Pearl Eliadis, an award-winning lawyer, educator, and author. Pearl is an Associate Professor (Professional) at the Max Bell School of Public Policy and a m...

Evidence-based policymaking is often talked about, but less often unpacked. In our first episode of the year, hosts Ayeyi Ohene-Adu and Calvin Campbell examine how evidence is used or ignored in policy decisions and why this matters for effective and accountable governance. They are joined by Dr. Nick King to help navigate these complexities and what they mean for the future of policy. Associated...

In this uncut election special Isabella and Gabe discuss the finer points of political campaigning in Canada with Cheryl Oates. Cheryl draws on her extensive experience working campaigns with the NDP to give an insider's perspective on Canada's political parties during an election period.  Hosts: Gabe Blanc and Isabella Coronado Doria Producers: Gabe Blanc, Isabella Coronado Doria and Kiran Gill ...

The Bellwether is back with another longform interview! In this episode, Jacob Kates Rose sits down with Maria Popova Associate Professor of Political Science at McGill University and author of the new book Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States. Jacob and Professor Popova have a comprehensive discussion about the state of the war in Ukraine, Western involvement in the conflict...

The Bellwether is back with an exciting guest! Cameron Adams, from Gimli Manitoba, has been involved with indigenous language revitalization in his community through the creation of an app (Swampy Cree), language camps and academic research. In this episode he speaks with Seth and Isabella about his experiences with indigenous language, language advocacy, policy and reconciliation more broadly.   ...

In this first episode of the new season, we begin with the first edition of a new segment for The Bellwether called Article Spotlight. Kiran Gill, the author of the recent article from The Bell titled, “Anti-Scab Legislation is an Important Win for Organized Labour,” joins hosts Seth Bumagat and Cyrus Nagra. They discuss Kiran’s article, covering topics including the recently passed Bill C-58, 199...

The Bellwether Podcast is back! Here is a brief introduction from the new team. Stay tuned for new upcoming episodes!   Host(s): Isabella Coronado, Seth Bumagat   Managing Editor: Kiran Gill    Editor-in-Chief of The Bell: Gabriel Blanc    Audio Attribution:  https://freesound.org/people/Jauer13/sounds/660980/?attribution=1    

The fourth episode of the Bellwether features Dirk Druet, a researcher, policy adviser and former official in international peace and security at the United Nations. He is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Brian Urquhart Center for Peace Operations of the International Peace Institute and an Affiliate Researcher at McGill University’s Centre for International Peace and Security Studies. This year, he t...

Regulating the online world is as complex as the diverse content it hosts. For the third episode of the Bellwether, Max Bell School of Public Policy Students Nina Hernandez and Asha Sivarajah unpack Canada’s recently tabled Online Harms Act (C-63) - a pivotal piece of Canadian legislation aimed at regulating harmful online content. This episode, we talk with Taylor Owen, Beaverbrook Chair in Media...

For the second episode of The Bellwether, we talk to Dr. Jennifer Welsh about the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Dr. Welsh is the Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security at McGill University and teaches Global Politics and Policy Landscape at the Max Bell School of Public Policy. She recently went to Ukraine on a special mission with the Internally Displac...

For the first episode of the Bellwether, we dive into the 2023 Manitoba elections where Wab Kinew made history by becoming the first First Nations premier of a Canadian province.  In October 2023, The Manitoba New Democratic Party won a majority government beating the incumbent Progressive Conservatives. The NDP’s campaign promises focused largely on healthcare reform and improving the quality of...