10/3: Canada Covered

National sports writer Dan Barnes joins the show to discuss Canada's prospects at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where the team aims to surpass their Tokyo medal haul, highlighting strengths in swimming and track while exploring potential medal contenders and anticipating a more traditional Olympic experience post-COVID.

Background reading: Gold, silver or bronze? The Canadian hopefuls to bring home medals from Paris

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A break in the city's main water pipe has left Calgary under severe restrictions for over two weeks, raising concerns about water usage and the potential impact on the city's premier summer festival, the Stampede. Calgary Herald reporter Scott Strasser joins Dave Breakenridge to discuss the cause of the pipe failure, how the city is handling the situation, and whether there is a risk of the taps running dry.

Background reading: 'The show will go on': Stampede to move forward, with water-saving contingencies in effect

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Ottawa has been rocked by the fallout from a parliamentary report that suggests MPs have been witting or semi-witting participants in foreign interference.

The report, released June 3, also implies one instance of an MP providing privileged information to a foreign operative.

National Post politics reporter Ryan Tumilty joins the show to discuss what we’ve learned about the report, the reaction in parliament, and whether we’ll eventually see any of the MPs’ names released.

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Julia Peterson, a reporter with the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, discusses the recently released RCMP review of the 2022 mass stabbings in Saskatchewan's James Smith Cree Nation, which examined the force's handling of the incidents and the arrest of the perpetrator, the recommendations made, and whether this review, alongside two coroner’s inquests, provides closure to the community.

Background reading: RCMP's review of JSCN mass stabbing finds no 'missing link' in police response, makes 36 recommendations

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For many, the death of notorious killer Robert Pickton marks the end of a dark chapter in Canadian history, but for others, it leaves justice and closure out of reach, as Vancouver Sun reporter Lori Culbert discusses with Dave Breakenridge.

Background reading: B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton viciously attacked in prison, clinging to life

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Several years of dry conditions have Alberta facing a potential drought not seen in a generation, with tinder-dry grasslands and forests threatening farms, the water supply, and raising fears about fires, prompting officials to take measures to mitigate water shortages, Tyler Dawson discusses why Alberta is so dry and what officials are doing to try to mitigate any water shortages.

Background reading: Alberta’s drought shaping up to be ‘worse than we saw in the 1920s, 1930s’

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The parents of a young University of Victoria student who died from a fatal overdose in a university residence are seeking answers and changes, citing concerns about the handling of the 911 call and the delay in administering Naloxone. Vancouver Sun reporter Lori Culbert discusses the events surrounding the student's death, the perceived systemic failures, and the responses from the university and provincial government.

Background reading: B.C. promising changes after preventable overdose death of University of Victoria student

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Nearly 50 years after two teen girls and two women were killed in the Calgary area, RCMP in Alberta say they’ve identified the man responsible. 

Police say Gary Allen Srery entered Canada after a violent past in the U.S. and committed the killings. He died while serving a sentence for rape in Idaho.  

Edmonton Journal courts and crime reporter Jonny Wakefield and Calgary Herald reporter Steven Wilhelm join the podcast to discuss the murders, how police used genetic genealogy to link Srery to the crimes, why police say there could be more victims, and what the break in the case means to families.  

Background reading: RCMP link Calgary murders to American suspected serial killer who died in prison; believe there are more victims

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In the UK or Australia, political leaders often lose their positions during party crises. However, in Canada, it's typically the voters who decide a leader's fate. National Post columnist Tristin Hopper speaks with Dave Breakenridge about why Canadian parties tend to stick with struggling leaders and the implications for Justin Trudeau amid declining polls.

Background reading: Why Canadian prime ministers always stay well past their expiration date

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The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, a major Canadian infrastructure project, cleared a significant hurdle despite numerous delays and legal challenges. Now federally owned, the project aims to transport bitumen from Alberta to the west coast. Calgary Herald columnist Chris Varcoe discusses with Dave Breakenridge the economic implications for Canada and Alberta, the project's troubled progress, and its impact on future infrastructure projects.

Background reading:Varcoe: 'We landed the plane': Inside the story of turbulence and triumph to complete the Trans Mountain expansion

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