In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on July 25, 2025, your hosts are back with three hot topics segments — and a healthy dose of concern.

Jen is increasingly worried Alberta is heading toward banana republic territory. There’s a lot of money flowing through the province right now, and much of it is funding fringe causes. One local reporter appears to be the target of amateurish surveillance, likely due to reporting that embarrassed the government. Meanwhile, separatist rhetoric is getting louder — and more detached from reality. Matt chimes in from Toronto (which Albertans love, of course) to note that while he genuinely likes Alberta, it’s still just a pretty normal Canadian province — and Albertans should understand that.

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Unsmoke Canada. Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, including giving adult smokers the information they need to choose potentially less harmful alternatives. Learn more at Unsmoke.ca.

In the second segment, Jen shares a list of reasons she’s unimpressed with the United States and sees no reason to feel bad for American officials complaining about a lack of Canadian tourists. Matt agrees — and says that Ottawa should now be taking border integrity more seriously. His advice: if you’re out fishing, maybe steer clear of U.S. waters. Like, by a lot.

This episode of The Line Podcast is also brought to you by Forestry For The Future. Canadian forestry supports 200,000 workers, generates $87 billion in annual revenue, contributes $21 billion annually to our nation's economy, and provides the products we need to build homes and drive economic growth. While trade barriers from the U.S. are siphoning jobs and investment away, Canada’s own approval processes and regulations are preventing critical projects that both prevent wildfires and boost our economic self-reliance.We can and should have programs that expand domestic wood use, advance biomass use and pulp market opportunities, and cut red tape and regulatory barriers. The government of Canada has a clear opportunity to stand up for Canadian forestry at a time of growing global uncertainty. We need real action that puts Canadians first — supporting employees and their families, securing stability for our businesses, and protecting the long-term potential of our sector and its people. To learn more, visit ForestryForTheFuture.ca.

Finally, a serious warning: one of our loved ones was recently targeted by a scammer. Thankfully, it ended safely and no money was lost — but the experience was chilling. Be on guard, and beware: as AI voice and video tools become more sophisticated, these scams are going to get much harder to spot. We share this story as a public service announcement. Be careful out there.

This episode is also brought to you by Airbnb. Last week, we talked about how the number of Airbnbs that could be homes accounts for only 0.6 per cent of Canada's housing stock. Everyone knows that you can’t solve a crisis with less than one per cent of a solution. But did you know that Airbnbs actually play a critical role in helping Canadians navigate affordability? Seventy seven per cent of Airbnb hosts say that renting their homes helps them cover the rising cost of living.

Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca and follow us on YouTube or your favourite podcast app. New episodes drop every Friday. Don’t forget to leave a nice review, and as always, like and subscribe.