In Canada, the policies affecting disabled people do not always follow a consistent approach. Alfiya Battalova says our narratives around disability shape our policies – and some key laws reveal a profound tension in Canada’s approach to disability rights and social responsibility. Alfiya Battalova is Assistant Professor in Justice Studies at Royal Roads University. We spoke with her in December.

How narratives about disability influence government policies (encore) 

The practice of people self-identifying as Indigenous has come into sharp focus after a number of high-profile cases of “pretendians” claiming to be Indigenous without evidence. However, far less attention has been given to Indigenous people being wrongly labelled as pretendians.  In a recent article for Policy Options, Debbie Martin argues that the rush for Indigenous identity policies at universities has led to people with legitimate claims to Indigeneity being swept up in policies that will cause lasting harm.  Debbie Martin is Inuk and a member of Nunatukavut. She is a professor in the school of health and human performance at Dalhousie University and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples’ health and well-being. We spoke in November.

Indigenous identity policies a dangerous case of institutional overreach (encore) 

The deputy mayor of Tirana, Albania says she realized one day that her city had been planned with one user in mind - an adult male who needed to get to the office as quickly as possible. She says everything about Tirana’s streets, public spaces and transport systems were designed to make his life easy. Anuela Ristani is one of the women in local government that we get to meet in Women Changing Cities, a new book by Canadian authors and urban mobility advocates Melissa and Chris Bruntlett. We spoke with Melissa Bruntlett in November.

From Paris to New Delhi, women leaders are making cities more liveable (encore) 

Judy Darcy’s memoir, Leading From the Heart, chronicles her battles as a feminist, a union leader and a politician from the 1960’s until today. Judy joined Ian Mass in November to talk about those both personal and political battles.

Judy Darcy on her new book, Leading from the Heart

The War on Cars podcast delivers news and commentary on the latest developments in the worldwide fight to undo the damage caused by cars. Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author, Doug Gordon is a TV producer, writer and safe streets advocate. Sarah and Doug are authors along with Aaron Naparstek of Life After Cars, a book that offers an overview of the societal and environmental costs of the automobile and the forces that have created our current crisis. We spoke in October.

The War on Cars podcast hosts on their new book, Life After Cars (encore) 

In the aftermath of October 7, 2023, Canada saw a rise in anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab and antisemitism that affects many areas of life and work for Canadians. So begins a report produced by the Islamophobia Research Hub at York University. The incidents documented in the report portray a climate of repression, violence and censorship across the country and throughout multiple aspects of life in Canada. We spoke with Nadia Hasan, author of the report, in early November last year.

Anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian racism on the rise in Canada (encore) 

Changes in law that bring about more equality have complex roots, but they almost always start with someone who takes a stand. A new book examines ten of the legal cases that advanced women’s rights in Canada. The stories it tells of the women who challenged the law remind us that advances in equality are hard-won and should never be taken for granted. The book is titled Women Who Woke Up The Law. We spoke with author Karin Wells in September 2025.

Karin Wells on her new book Women who Woke up the Law (encore) 

International students have long been seen as a source of extra income by Canadian universities, who charge them much higher tuition fees for the same education as domestic students. In their new book, Not Your Cash Cow, Not Your Scapegoat, the Racialization of Asian International Students Collective studied the experiences of over 145 international students from China, India and South Korea at five universities. We speak with Lori Wilkinson, professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Manitoba and a member of the collective.

Book: Not Your Cash Cow, Not Your Scapegoat

A program in BC schools that helps kids navigate gender and sexuality has become a prime target of conservative politicians.  In an article called SOGI 123: What It Is, What It Isn't, and Why the Truth Matters, author Wilbur Turner lays out the facts behind BC’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity framework. Wilbur Turner joins us in this episode.

Laying out the facts about the SOGI 123 program in BC schools

One of the consequences of the war on Iran is that it has provided the oil industry with the opportunity to engage in rampant profiteering. In the first month of the war, the Canadian oil industry made after-tax profits in excess of $6 billion dollars. If oil prices stay this high for a year, it’s on track to make $90 billion in profits. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood says that the current windfall could be Canadian oil's final boom, so the proceeds should be taxed and invested into economic diversification.

Taxing the oil industry’s massive profits resulting from the Iran war 

A progressive take on current events. Produced by an independent media collective at Vancouver Cooperative Radio.

Redeye

Shows