10/3: Canada Covered

The Winter Olympics in Beijing are set to kick off next week, with Canadian athletes looking to match their medal haul from South Korea in 2018. But what goes into making an Olympian. A lot of training and a lot of money. Postmedia national sportswriter Dan Barnes joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss how Canada’s Olympians are funded, how successful the Own the Podium program has been, and how we’re...

When Canada appears at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing in early February, there won’t be a delegation of diplomats and politicians cheering them on. Canada is among a number of Western nations following through on a diplomatic boycott of the games over China’s record of human rights abuses. The move is the latest in a series of tensions with the global superpower. Tas...

Facing rising COVID 19 cases in the Omicron wave, and public frustration with those choosing not to get vaccinated, Quebec premier Francois Legault announced what amount to a tax on those who don’t roll up their sleeves. The move comes as hospitals fill up, and politicians are concerned the health system will be overwhelmed in the coming weeks. But it has not been without controversy. National Pos...

Amid rising cases of the Omicron variant, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced renewed restrictions to try to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. These latest moves were met with stiff criticism, notably the switch to online learning for students to start the new year. National Post columnist Randall Denley joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the new restrictions, why they were controversial, and wheth...

After NHLers sat out the winter Olympics in South Korea four years ago, there was a lot of hype surrounding their return next month in Beijing. But rising COVID-19 cases in the league, and the postponement of games forced the league and the players association to pull the plug on the professionals’ Olympic plans. Postmedia national sports writer Rob Longley joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss how b...

2021 was an eventful year in Canadian politics. On top of COVID-19 and a federal election, we had a new cabinet, a scandal in the armed forces, and heightened tensions with China. And that’s not even the half of it. Tasha Kheiriddin, a columnist for the National Post and principal with Navigator Ltd, joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the biggest stories of the year, who were some of the big winne...

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic was hitting Canada, Saskatchewan was rocked by a huge spike in overdose deaths, driven by the appearance of fentanyl in the drug supply. At the same time, the province has also been grappling with the highest rates of HIV infection in Canada. Zak Vescera from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss what communities are being hardest hit by this c...

The word capitalism evokes strong feelings in some, not all of them positive. But the guiding values behind the notion — freer markets and innovation — have been integral in societies stretching back millennia. National Post politics editor Mick Higgins joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the history of capitalism, why it gets a bad rap, and how it can be a force for good. Background reading: The C...

While Canada is still contending with the delta variant, attention has shifted to Omicron. While there is some suggestion cases of it could be milder than past variants, there are indications it is much more transmissible, and researchers are still studying how serious it actually is. National Post Health Reporter Sharon Kirkey joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss what we’ve learned about Omicron, w...

As countries around the world move to limit fossil fuel use and reduce carbon emissions, coal is an obvious target. Despite efforts in Canada to reduce its own coal use, the world is a way off from moving past coal as a way to generate heat and electricity. Financial Post reporter Bianca Bharti joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why coal use is up, and some of the obstacles to achieving a coal pha...

The dismissal of misconduct charges against Calgary police officers have some calling for changes to how cases are investigated. The case follows another incident in which the Crown opted not to lay charges against an officer after a prisoner at the arrest processing unit was injured. Calgary Herald reporter Bill Kaufmann joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss these incidents, what advocates are calli...

As the world scrambles to contain and study the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, Canada has reported its first few cases.  As of Monday morning, there were two confirmed cases and four possible instances of Omicron in Ontario, discovered after the federal government announced a travel ban from several countries in Africa where the variant has spread more widely.  Ottawa Citizen Health Reporter Eli...

One of Canada’s most well-known environmental activists, known for spouting off against governments of all stripes and our use of fossil fuels, is back in the news again for comments he made. Critics have accused David Suzuki of condoning or inciting ecoterrorism when he suggested we could see pipelines blown up because people are frustrated by the government’s action on climate change. National P...

The devastation of flooding in B.C. is on a scale unlike anything Canada has ever seen. Major infrastructure has been destroyed, supply chains have been cut off and ecological systems have been disrupted. National Post columnist Terry Glavin joins Dave Breckenridge to discuss how the disaster showed gaps in the province’s emergency preparedness, why B.C. may not be through the worst of it, and why...

Facing scrutiny amid a massive sexual misconduct scandal, the Canadian Forces will be reviewing how it trains and interacts with foreign military personnel after it was revealed officials met with a unit with ties to neo-Nazis. The review was sparked after concerns were raised by Jewish groups of the alleged involvement of Canadian troops training with a battalion in Ukraine with links to Neo-Nazi...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an emissions cap for Canada's oil and gas sector as he looks for the country to get to net-zero by 2050. But what does that mean for Alberta's oil patch as big players plan their own transition to net-zero, and does it set up another political battle between Alberta and Ottawa? Calgary Herald, Business Columnist, Chris Varcoe, joins Dave Breakenridge to disc...

A campaign is underway to honour a Canadian veteran with the country's highest military medal for his actions in Afghanistan 15 years ago. Jesse Larochelle saved a platoon of his comrades outside Kandahar but his heroics took a horrible, physical and emotional toll on him.  Senior National Post features writer Joe O'Connor joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss what happened in October 2006 when Jesse...

Heather Stefanson is the first woman to be premier in the history of Manitoba, after winning the Progressive Conservative leadership race after the departure of Brian Pallister.  But her victory is being challenged by runner-up Shelly Glover, who says there were irregularities in the vote and she is the rightful premier.  Winnipeg Sun columnist Josh Aldrich joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss some...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled his newest cabinet last week, and there were some new faces in prominent positions, and some surprise demotions. Melanie Joly and Anita Anand were among a number of women promoted to senior positions, while embattled Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Mark Garneau were among key demotions as the Liberals get set to return to the House of Commons in a few week...

The hockey world has been rocked by allegations that the Chicago Blackhawks failed to adequately address the sexual assault of a player by a video coach during the 2010 Stanley Cup season. Former first-round draft pick Kyle Beach revealed himself to be the player at the centre of a lawsuit against the club and an internal investigation launched by the team. National Post sports columnist Scott Sti...

Rogers is perhaps best known from your cellphone bill or the radio station you listen to, or its role as part owners of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. But at the heart of it is a family, one that is engaged in a fight over the future of one of Canada’s biggest telecommunications firms. Barbara Shecter, a business correspondent for the Financial Post and National Post joins Dave Breakenridge to...

Canadians will have a nationally standardized vaccine passport for international travel, the prime minister announced last week. The documents will be based on provincial data after provinces have rolled out similar documents for use at restaurants and events. National Post political reporter Ryan Tumilty joins Dave to discuss why the feds opted to let the provinces continue with their own passpor...

Albertans voting in municipal elections had three provincial initiatives on the ballot. Key among those was a referendum on equalization. The Alberta government has been pushing for equalization reform for quite some time, but there are questions about whether the referendum does anything. National Post reporter Tyler Dawson joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss why the debate isn’t a simple yes or n...

Last week, nearly a month after winning a third mandate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced when the government would be getting back to work. The PM said he would name a new cabinet before the end of October and that parliament would resume in late November. On Thursday, Dave Breakenridge sat down with National Post political reporter Brian Platt to discuss some of the big priorities for thi...

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are back in Canada after more than 1,000 days detained in China. Their release highlighted the tense relationship between Canada and China, and also it impacts our politics and our economy. National Post reporter Tom Blackwell joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the state of Canada-China affairs, the political fallout in Canada, and the fate of another Canadian lan...