The Big Story

Plus: B.C. businesses can access to a billion-dollar regional emergency fund if Canada-focused tariffs go into effect next month, Canadian officials celebrate the Gordie Howe International Bridge’s upcoming opening without their U.S. counterparts on hand, Alberta’s opposition leader raises concerns over the cost of the separation referendum, the Maritimes move to create a new regional electricity...

It won't surprise you know that owning an exotic cat like a lion or tiger is illegal in B.C.-- it is in most places, and for good reason. Exotic large cat ownership has led to many preventable tragedies. But there is a middle ground of cat, of breeds much bigger than domestic cats but smaller than cheetah and other big cats, that has remained largely unregulated. Until now. Host Caryn Ceolin is sp...

Plus: The premiers agree to remove interprovincial trade barriers on alcohol sales, Canadians are feeling the pressure to keep up with artificial intelligence, the Bloc Quebecois leader’s X account is hacked, Canadian jazz legend Oliver Jones dies at 91, and a Quebec town grants rights to trees. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through...

Update since publication: The Big Story would like to formally recognize Ricardo Rey as the author and initiator of the 'Universal Declaration of Tree Rights', and La Compagnie des Papillons Bleus as its founding organisation and official institutional steward. André Desrochers helped bring the existing Declaration to local attention but did not create, author or initiate it. Ms Trépanier is a mem...

Plus: the Big Story podcast looks at why President Donald Trump is pushing for more tariffs on Canada right now, U.S. officials could be sending billions more to fund the ongoing war in Iran, Canada's "grocery code of conduct" has some glaring issues, and trade tension is now spilling onto the Gordie Howe bridge between Windsor and Detroit. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions...

Another round of 50% tariffs are coming for a number of Canadian goods, ranging from dairy, hockey sticks to hair wigs. Prime Minister Carney has since agreed to intensify negotiations in the coming weeks. US President Trump's reason for the tariffs was to address what he calls Canada's "discrimination against and unreasonable and unequal treatment of U.S. commerce". Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Jo...

Plus: An entire city in B.C. is evacuated because of a wildfire, a man has been charged after a vehicle carrying Nova Scotia’s premier had its windshield smashed, Canadians are still concerned about their vehicles getting stolen despite falling theft numbers, and what happened during a controversial lockdown at an Ontario correctional facility three years ago? We love feedback at The Big Story, as...

Almost three years ago, some 200 inmates at Maplehurst Correctional Facility in Milton, Ont. were subjected to strip searches, zip ties and pepper spray during an violent incident that lasted more than a day. Since then, multiple sentences have either been shortened or thrown out, including a first-degree murder case from 2022. The provincial ombudsman has since launched an investigation to find o...

Plus: Wildfires continue to burn in northwestern Ontario, the U.S. and Iran exchange strikes for a ninth consecutive night, Britain has a new prime minister, Spain wins the World Cup, and details on the Gordie Howe Bridge. 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 Blues...

The Gordie Howe International Bridge will open on Monday, July 27....for now. It comes as its previous opening date of June 12 was cancelled due to US President Trump demanding a new deal in exchange for the American side opening up. More than six weeks later, a new deal has been reached between Trump and Prime Minister Carney, yet no one seems to know the exact details of the deals - including th...

Enjoy this special feed drop from our sister show 'In This Economy?!' Prime Minister Mark Carney continues to get high marks from Canadians on his handling of the economy, despite the actual economic performance numbers showing that real gross domestic product has shrunk by 0.05% since he was elected, presiding over the worst first year of growth for a Prime Minister since at least 1963. However,...

Plus: Trump primetime speech, Britain will have a new PM, recommendations for a public Alzheimer's drug plan, and the World Cup wraps up this weekend. 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inf...

No, it's not a filter. The yellow-orange haze cast upon much of Southern Ontario thanks to smoke drifting in from Northwestern wildfires. Toronto was ranked as having the worst air quality in the world for most of Wednesday according to IQAir. Although conditions are expected to ease as the city heads into the weekend, was there a way to prevent it from getting this bad in the first place? And if...

Plus: The U.S. and Iran exchange strikes, Trump is set to make a primetime speech, Canadians appear to have a more positive view on China, immigration changes are now in effect, and could an 'explosive' parasite reach Canadian produce 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.soc...

Cyclospora: it's a microscopic organism found in water, but can spread to food-- especially produce. Found most commonly in wet and warm climates, it can travel into your grocery store through things like imported lettuce, raspberries, carrots, or more. And once you catch it, it causes some 'explosive' problems. Host Caryn Ceolin is speaking with Keith Warriner, a professor of food microbiology in...

Plus: the Bank of Canada holds the key interest rate at 2.25%, Toronto’s air quality is the worst of any major city in the world today, a “suspicious” fire damages Surrey City Hall, Nova Scotia premier John Hamm has died at the age of 88, and Lindsey Graham’s sister is sworn in to replace him in the U.S. Senate. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can...

It's yet another campaign promise US President Trump has seemed to loosen his commitment towards: not starting forever wars. A mission he projected to last only a few weeks has dragged into its fifth month, with a collapsed ceasefire, renewed rounds of attacks, an ambiguous Strait of Hormuz, and thousands of lives lost. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Aaron Rupar, publisher of the Public Notice newsle...

Plus: A man is killed by an ICE agent in Maine, a B.C. nurses put their picket lines on pause, a former MP is arrested for illegal firearms possession, and what factored into Canada’s decision to cut visas for students and temporary workers? 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.b...

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has made drastic cuts to the amount of student and temporary foreign worker visas issued to newcomers. Impacted by the cuts are not just school programs, but local restaurants, hotels, long-term care homes, construction sites, etc. Host Maria Kestane speaks is joined by Shilpashree Jagannathan, a freelance journalist who wrote an article on the effects...

Plus: Toronto Police is investigating a deadly shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair Festival, Disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been found guilty sexual assault and forcible confinement charges at a Montreal courthouse, U-S and Iran are both claiming they control the Strait of Hormuz, the union representing more than five-thousand Canadian auto-workers has reached a tentative deal with Ford m...

It's been more than a quarter of a century since a Canadian Prime Minister touched down on Saudi Arabian soil to meet with the country's leader. That was until PM Carney headed south from Turkey to visit the Kingdom last week. The trip is a part of Carney's quest to find new global alliances and trading partners aside from the US. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Sabine Nolke, former foreign service o...

Enjoy this special feed drop from our sister show 'In This Economy?!'. Artificial intelligence is working its way into our daily lives – and it’s probably turning up in places you hadn’t though of – like the local coffee shop. While there are many positive applications, the technology is also very expensive to run – and not just financially. And while it continues to proliferate into our workplace...

Plus: Stats Canada has released a better than expected jobs report, an investigation is underway after an Air Canada aircraft overshot the runway in Montreal, a deadly wildfire hits Spain, a warning from experts about illegal nicotine pouches, and Canada cozies to Europe with German sub pick. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us: Through em...

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $100-billion dollar contract to replace Canada's submarine fleet will be awarded to Germany and Norway, marking the largest contract of its kind in Canadian history. The choice though, goes beyond the subs themselves and sends broader signals to who Carney is eyeing to create lasting trade relations with. Host Caryn Ceolin is speaking with journalist David Pu...

Plus: Mark Carney is in Saudi Arabia, federal officials provide a wildfire update, the death toll is rising in Venezuela, and Bonnie Tyler has died. 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