The Jim Richards Show

Mark takes your calls. Plus - Do you have any sympathy for Ontario public servants being forced back into the office full-time next week?

Mark doesn’t think so. Plus – What is the future of AI?   GUESTS: Gitane DeSilva- President GD Strategic, former Consul General of Canada in Chicago and CEO of Canada Energy Regulator and Alberta’s Deputy Minister International and Inter-governmental relations Robert Sawyer - Hugo and Nebula Award winning SF writer, whose novel Flashforward was made into a popular TV series

Mark Towhey in for Jim Richards, this hour featured whisky expert Stuart Brown on what bottles pair with hope or heartbreak, how U.S. liquor bans are reshaping the market, and what whisky lovers can expect in 2026, followed by Matt Cauz on Canada’s surprising new struggle to stay competitive in junior hockey. Economist Moshe Lander then unpacked whether Star Trek’s philosophy can actua...

Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richards, and this hour starts with Mark tackling Toronto’s debate over high‑visibility police cars with TPA President Clayton Campbell, explored how the Toronto Zoo helps animals handle Canada’s seasons, and dug into Sylvain Charlebois’ research on whether dynamic pricing and loyalty programs are secretly costing shoppers more. Listeners wrapped the hou...

Mark Towhey digs in with Gaving Tighe, Senior Partner with Gardiner Roberts LLP, into revising the Crominal Code to outlaw intimidation and harassment. And Candy Ho HR Expert, Chair of Canadian Education and Research Institute for Counselling and a faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University breaks down the effects of the new wage transparency law that takes effect January 1, 2026. 

Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richards and asks John Wright, CEO of Canada Pulse Insight if the Conservatives are now the party of the working class. Daniel Lauzon from Food For Now, shares his story about feeding those in his own backyard of Etobicoke. Jeff Chatteron from Checkmate Public Affairs, shares how to adapt to a crisis at work. And Brian Lilley explains why he thinks Liberal policies have d...

Mark Towhey brings back the discussion on Barrie’s bold high‑visibility police‑car redesign—talking with former TPS cop Mark Mendelson—and opens the phones on whether police uniforms, gear, and presentation have become too aggressive for a profession built mostly on trust, not combat. The hour then shifts to callers debating Ontario’s new pay‑transparency laws taking effect...

Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richard, and the final hour of today's show opened with podcasting leader Amanda Cupido, who shared the story of selling her podcast company, what the deal means for her future with The Walrus, and whether anyone who  isn’t  Joe Rogan can still make real money in podcasting. She also dug into the big question facing the industry: what radio can learn from...

Mark Towhey is in for Jim Richards and the hour opened with Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Research and co-author of a number of books — discussing the themes of his new book Breaking Point, exploring the widening divides in Canada—urban vs. rural, east vs. west, young vs. old—and whether anything still binds the country together. Listeners then weighed in on a provocative questio...

It is time for the Airing of Grievances Plus – Some feel good stories ahead of the holidays  

How did we as a country fare during a tumultuous year? Plus – The meaning of human connection over the holidays   GUESTS: Moshe Lander - economics professor at Concordia University Pete Bombaci - Founder and CEO of GenWell Mubin Shaikh - former undercover for CSIS and the RCMP in terrorism related investigations

Jim talks to the founder. Plus – The Year in Toronto Sports   GUESTS: Ryan Donais - Founder of Tiny Tiny Homes Bruce Arthur - Toronto Star columnist Jen Kirsch - dating expert

Jim hosts the return of The Draft Plus – How often are you supposed to wash a bra? GUESTS: Scott Reid - CTV Political Commentator and advisor to a number of Prime Ministers, premiers and political leaders Tim Powers - Chairman of Summa Strategies

Cats, chairs and even more. Plus - Jim’s thoughts on the Skate Canada story

Why fake videos after major news events are spreading online. Plus – Wrapping paper vs. Gift bags.   GUEST: Carmi Levy - tech expert

How many Bobs and Dorises are out there? Plus – Remembering Rob Reiner  

Jim talks to a youth addiction expert Plus – The Voice of the Maple Leafs joins the show   GUEST: Joe Bowen - The Voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs Dr. Shawn Kelly - pediatrician and addiction specialist  

Jim talks to a broadcaster there Plus - Jim’s thoughts on Trump’s response to the killing of Rob Reiner   GUESTS: Lisa Raitt - Former Federal Cabinet Minister Archie Arenson - Drive announcer at MIX FM in Australia  

Why you should always go to one Plus - Should drivers have to be retested every few years?   GUEST: Kevin Donovan - Chief Investigative Reporter for the Toronto Star

Should the US commentator be weighing in on Canadian healthcare? Plus – Are these Christmas movies or not? GUESTS: Lisa Raitt - Former Federal Cabinet Minister Mike Wilner - Toronto Star columnist and host of the podcast Deep Left Field  

Jim weighs in on the floor crossing Plus - 33 weeks? Give me a break   GUEST: John Wright - veteran pollster and head of the polling firm Canada Pulse Insights     

Jim gets to the bottom of a very important debate Plus – Are you in a Christmas Arm Race? GUESTS: Aurel Braun - professor of international relations and political science at U of T John Tory Jr. - aviation expert Jeff Marek - host of The Sheet

From ‘Baby Shark’ to ‘Skinamarink’, Jim breaks down why they can annoy us so much Plus – Was this meet-cute actually creepy?

GUESTS: Amanda Galbraith - co-founder and partner at reputation management company Oyster Group and host of Free For All Fridays Melody Jackson - Executive Director of the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish Tim Hudak - Former leader of the Ontario Conservatives now a Partner with Counsel Public Affairs, one of Canada’s leading public affairs agencies

GUESTS: Scott Reid - CTV Political Commentator and advisor to a number of Prime Ministers, premiers and political leadersGeorge Ruiter - trade show manager at Outset Media Jerry Agar