The Big Story

An Ebola outbreak spreading rapidly through the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa poses a "very high" risk to the country, according to World Health Organization officials-- with both cases and deaths in the hundreds. As officials try to contain the disease, their job has been made harder by deep cuts to international aid across the globe-- and especially from the United States. H...

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show "In This Economy?!" You've likely heard a lot about crypto currencies. Now, there's something called "stablecoin". Think of it as the next wave of digital payment systems. But, how does it work? Who controls it? And is it something that consumers need to pay attention to for everyday banking? In today's episode of "In This Economy?!", co-host Mike Ep...

Plus: NATO ministers meet in Sweden, Ebola outbreak update, 12 Canadian activists have arrived in Turkey after being deported from Israel, Stephen Colbert's farewell, and is Eurovision a good fit for Canada. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Eurovision's director, Martin Green, has opened the doors for Canada to enter the Olympics of pop music. Historically, contestants of the music contest must be full members of the European Broadcast Union - Canada currently sits as an associate member. But so does Australia, yet they've been in on the action for more than 10 years. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Karen Fricker, professor of dramatic a...

Plus: Prime Minister Mark Carney condemns Israel's treatment of activists over an intercepted aid flotilla, generic versions of Ozempic are set to hit pharmacy shelves this week, Canada's first-ever PWHL championship goes to Montreal, and what's next for Tumbler Ridge? We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstory...

It's been a little over three months since the small eastern British Columbian town of Tumbler Ridge was rocked after a shooter opened fire at the local secondary school. Eight people were killed and dozens were injured. In the weeks that followed, a number of lawsuits and investigations have ensued, as well as plans to demolish and rebuild the school where the shooting took place. Host Caryn Ceol...

Plus: WHO officials speak on the Ebola outbreak, takeaways from U.S. primaries, Carney is in B.C., Quebec's Premier returns from France, and who controls your water? Ontario's privatization push. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

The Ontario government is eyeing a shift in its water management operations. It's a move Premier Ford insists is nothing like what the Harris government did back in 2000, when seven people died and thousands fell ill after E. Coli was found in Walkerton's water drinking supply. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Meera Karunananthan, assistant professor at Carleton University to discuss Ontario's Water an...

Plus: The World Health Organization is warning about an Ebola outbreak in two African countries, the U.S. has called off military action against Iran, Three Canadian police officers have been arrested in Barcelona, allergy season in Canada is expected to be worse than previous years, and is Canada ready for another wildfire season? We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for futu...

At least 100 people were forced from their homes last week due to an evacuation order in an area of Woodlands County, southeast of Whitecourt, Alberta, thanks to a fast moving wildfire. It's becoming an increasingly common story in the province-- and across the country-- a decade after devastating fires wiped out Fort McMurray. And as Canada heads into this year's wildfire season, can we expect a...

A recent report from Statistics Canada says our country hit a new fertility rating law in 2024, with over half of women aged 20 to 49 childless. Without immigration, the rate needed to maintain a steady population is 2.1 children per woman, but in Canada, it's now 1.25- below the 1.3 line that experts describe as "ultra-low". Host Catherine Jette is speaking with journalist Cara Stern from the Mis...

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show "In This Economy?!" "The K-shaped economy." From housing, to productivity, to wages, it's a phrase you hear more and more often these days. But what exactly does it mean? And how is it effecting your wallet? In this episode of In This Economy?!, co-host Kris Kris McCusker is speaking to economist Jim Stanford, director of the Centre for Future Work,...

Plus: The Prime Minister speaks alongside the Premier of Alberta, Donald Trump returns to the U.S., the price of gas is rising, Drake drops three new albums, and smart glasses: the good, the bad, and the unregulated. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Have you ever came across a person wearing glasses in public and thought: "Are they filming me?" With the rise of smart glasses - glasses with cameras and AI technology embedded within them - the concern of privacy has become more prominent. And not only whether or not you're being filmed, but what happens with the content once it's captured. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks with technology lawyer Ritesh...

Plus: Honda suspends plans for a new Canadian plant, Trump's Beijing visit, the country's springtime real estate market showed signs of slowing sales, and who will headline the first-ever World Cup Final halftime show. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

US President Trump is in China for the second half of this week, talking all things trade, alliance and geopolitics. It comes at a delicate time for the President, as approval rating continue to plummet following a rise in the cost of living as a result of the war in Iran. In tow was a slew of some of the country's most powerful executives, including Elon Musk, Tim Cook, and Larry Fink to name a f...

Plus: Trump lands in Beijing, King Charles throne speech, the Artemis II crew meets Carney, an American coffee giant is coming to Canada, and integrating Indigenous healthcare could solve Manitoba's HIV crisis. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Manitoba's Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Brent Roussin, declared a public health emergency over the rise in HIV rates, which have steadily increased since 2019. The province saw close to 330 new cases in 2025 - almost four time the rate of new cases 7 years ago. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Michelle Monkman, interim CEO of Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin (KIM), to discuss why the province's heal...

Plus: Deadline day for the 2026 census, British PM faces resignation calls, Donald Trump visits Beijing, more sanctions against Russia, and what the Alberta data leak can teach us about separatists. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca  Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Experts are calling it the largest data breach in Canadian history, sparking fears for the safety of all Canadians - everyone from public figures to victims of domestic abuse. Both the RCMP and Elections Alberta are investigating after Elections Alberta said a pro-separation group had un-authorized access to a separatist party's copy of the electors list - containing the personal information of ne...

Plus: Iran has responded to the U.S. proposal to end the war, a new poll finds the federal Liberals are leading over the opposition Conservatives, the 2026 census deadline is tomorrow, the FIFA world cup is just over a month away, and what's the state of Canada's bilingualism? We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through email at hello@the...

It's been decades since Canada implemented an official bilingualism policy nation wide-- but the history of our two official languages in Canada goes back much further. And following a recent Macleans article questioning the validity of official bilingualism, the question remains: what is the state of bilingualism in Canada? Host Catherine Jette speaks with Dr. Luisa Veronis, Research Chair in Imm...

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show "In This Economy?!" During the course of a year that saw heavy flight delays and cancellations, crowded airports and rising ticket prices and baggage fees, airlines in North America still managed to deliver stand-out passenger experiences. The JD power 2026 North America airline satisfaction study shows the overall satisfaction rate up 8 points (on a...

The April jobs report is not good for Canadians trying to get a job, the Pentagon has released it's first batch of U.F.O. files, the voice of nature around the world, Sir David Attenborough, is celebrating his 100th birthday, and politics on the pitch: geopolitical tensions shaping the world cup. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Throug...

As Canada gears up for soccer's most exciting time, we can't help but notice the dark cloud that looms over the World Cup. The current geopolitical reality on the global scale - whether it's the Iran-US/Israel war, the violent fallout after the death of Mexican drug lord El Mencho, immigration crackdowns throughout the US - has stirred real safety concerns for the more than 100 games across the th...