Donald Trump’s tariff threats and insistence that Canada become the 51st state have put the issue of national sovereignty firmly on the agenda. It seems obvious that one of the clearest routes to protect Canada now and in the future is to reduce our economic dependence on the United States. One idea that’s been floated is a plan to build an oil pipeline from Alberta to Atlantic Canada. We speak with Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, who says what Canada needs is an east-west electricity grid. <from Feb 2025>

Canada needs an east-west electricity grid, not another oil pipeline (encore)

Most liars care enough about the truth to try to conceal it. But simply not caring either way is a different vice, one that American philosopher Harry Frankfurt defined as bullshitting. An example would be President Trump claiming the U.S. has a trade deficit with Canada without having any idea whether that’s true or false. Tim Kenyon examines the motivations behind Trump’s relentless bullshitting in an article published Feb 25. Tim Kenyon is a professor in the humanities department at Brock University and he joins us today on the podcast. <from Mar 2025>

How Trump's b******t fits into pattern of authoritarian political speech (encore)

A series of anti-trans measures and unscientific definitions of gender are amongst the flurry of executive orders issued by the U.S. president. In addition, Trump signed an executive order intended to bar transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.  Here in Canada, trans people and especially trans youth are facing mounting efforts by conservatives to dismantle the rights and progress they have achieved, and putting them at risk of harm. Travers is a professor of sociology at SFU, and the author of The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) Are Creating a Gender Revolution. They speak with Lorraine Chisholm. <from Feb 2025>

 Attack on trans rights across Canada puts youth at risk (encore)

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim chose a day-long summit last month organized by the pro-business coalition Save Our Streets to make a major announcement about housing. He said that he intends to reject any new supportive housing projects proposed in the city of Vancouver and pledged to address what he called the hyper concentration of services in the Downtown Eastside. Peter Waldkirch is with the organization Abundant Housing Vancouver. He joins me today to talk about Ken Sim’s recent pronouncements and what they mean for the housing crisis in Vancouver. <from Feb 2025>

Vancouver mayor to close door on provincial funding for supportive housing (encore)

A new interpretive letter on the Canada Health Act says primary health care services provided by qualified non-physician practitioners must be covered by provincial and territorial plans. However, the letter left the whole area of virtual care unresolved. Dr. Danyaal Raza is a family physician with Unity Health Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, and an Assistant Professor with the University of Toronto. He joins us to speak about the letter. <from Jan 2025>

Dr. Danyaal Raza on non-physician professionals billing the public system (encore)

In January, the Supreme Court of Canada announced that it would hear a challenge to Quebec’s secularism law that prohibits certain public sector workers from wearing religious symbols while performing their duties. Those challenging the law argue that the law imposes discriminatory treatment, mainly on Muslim women. They hope this case will give the Court the opportunity to set parameters around the use of the notwithstanding clause. We speak with Natasha Bakht, professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. <from Feb 2025>

Supreme Court to hear challenge to Quebec's secularism law (encore)

Last week, Amazon announced that it will lay off all its workers at seven warehouses, fulfillment centres and sorting stations in Quebec. Almost 2000 workers will lose their jobs, 1,700 of which are permanent positions. After a two-year effort, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Laval had unionized with the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux last May. Amazon claims that its decision to close the Quebec operations was not because of the worker’s successful unionization. The union disagrees. We talk with Adam Donald King, assistant professor in the Labour Studies Program at the University of Manitoba. <from Feb 2025>

Amazon lays off nearly 2000 workers in Quebec following unionizing drive (encore)

On March 22, Independent Jewish Voices Vancouver hosted two Israeli war resisters as part of a nationwide Refuseniks tour. , Einat Gerlitz and Tal Mitnick  have been sharing their stories across Canada, shedding light on their public decision to refuse military service in protest of the occupation and the genocide in Gaza. They were joined by physician and author Dr. Gabor Maté. In this episode, we bring you excerpts from last Saturday night’s event at the Peretz Centre in Vancouver. <from Mar 2025>

Israeli youth on tour in Canada speak about their refusal to serve with IDF (encore)

The BC Civil Liberties Association along with three individual plaintiffs have filed a lawsuit against the City of Vancouver to challenge the city’s daytime ban on outdoor sheltering. They say this ban is cruel, dehumanizing, and deadly. They will be arguing that it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Lorraine Chisholm speaks about the case with BCCLA Executive Director Liza Hughes. <from Feb 2025>

Court challenge to Vancouver's daytime ban on outdoor sheltering (encore)

A new book published this month provides an in-depth look into the devastating policies of the Ford government across a wide range of public policy issues: from health care to labour and Indigenous lands. Against the People was co-authored by Brian Evans and Carlo Fanelli. Ryan Kelpin is one of more than 20 contributors to the book. He joins us to talk about Doug Ford’s radical restructuring of municipal governments. <from Feb 2025>

Ryan Kelpin on the book Against the People: How Ford Nation is Dismantling Ontario (encore)

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

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