On today's episode of The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Laurent Carbonneau. Laurent Carbonneau is the Director of Policy and Research at the Council of Canadian Innovators. He previously worked in federal politics in legislative, policy and issues management roles for a senior MP and in the NDP leader’s office as well as on a national central campaign. Laurent Carbonneau talks about Prime Minister Mark Carney's mandate letter to the whole Cabinet. Together Brian and Laurent explore the recognition that our weak productivity is a huge risk, strengthening Canada's strategic trade and security relationships, crafting a defence industrial policy and reinvest in security and integrating Canada's economy and making it more competitive. They also touch on making Canada a global destination for top talent.

Brian interviews Donna Besel. Donna is the author of “The Unravelling” a brave, riveting telling of the destruction caused by sexual assault within a family, and the physical, psychological, emotional, financial, and legal tolls survivors often shoulder. It’s the antithesis of why a wedding should be memorable. In 1992, at a sister’s nuptials, Donna Besel’s family members discovered that their father, Jock Tod, had molested their youngest sister. After this disclosure, the other five sisters admitted their father had assaulted them when they were younger and had been doing so for years. Despite there being enough evidence to charge their father, the lengthy prosecution rocked Besel's family and deeply divided their small rural community. Donna Besel offers an honest portrayal of the years-long police process from disclosure to prosecution that offers readers greater insight into the challenges victims face and the remarkable strength and resilience required to obtain some measure of justice.

To wrap up the show, Brian shares an interview he recently had with Julia Vellucci for "Voices Behind the Mic", a special program which recently aired on Sauga 960 AM.

Brian interviews Journalist Kathleen Lippa. Kathleen has written "Arctic Predator: The Crimes of Edward Horne Against Children in Canada's North". After years of research, Kathleen has written about the shocking crimes of trusted teacher Ed Horne who wrought lasting damage on Inuit communities in Canada’s Arctic. In the 1970s, a young schoolteacher from British Columbia was becoming the darling of the Northwest Territories education department with his dynamic teaching style. He was learning to speak the local language, Inuktitut, something few outsiders did. He also claimed to be Indigenous — a claim that would later prove to be false. In truth, Edward Horne was a pedophile who sexually abused his male students.

To wrap up the show, Brian shares an interview he recently had with Julia Vellucci for "Voices Behind the Mic", a special program which recently aired on Sauga 960 AM.

Brian interviews John Ruffolo. John is Founder & Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity. He says: now that 6 months of elections (US, Ontario, Canada) are now over, I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted. I would hope that the post-election ranting and cheer-leading end so we could get down to business with what really matters to Canada. Like I have repeatedly said many times, the shenanigans in the White House are a distraction and red herring for Canada. So, let’s focus in on what we can control. Canada needs to focus its energy on supporting entrepreneurs to unleash them to help bring Canada back on track and lead us through a rocky period what will ideally be a path for a longer term sustainable and prosperous future where Canada controls its own destiny. We need to build or rebuild critical industries and have sovereignty over them including data, communications, energy, food, health, and defense. We will have to rely less on imports and substitute where we can with domestic players. We will need to diversify our markets in which we export to and whether you like it or not, the US will remain a very large part of the puzzle.

Brian welcomes on two guests.

Tim Welsh is author of "Ley Lines". This book is a fascinating exploration around the mythos of the gold rush and southern Canada’s— and the world’s—fascination with the North. Set in the waning days of the Klondike Gold Rush, Ley Lines begins in the mythical boom town of Sawdust City, Yukon Territory. Luckless prospector Steve Ladle has accepted an unusual job offer: accompany a local con artist to the unconquered top of a nearby mountain. There, the duo finds a seven-foot human ear, floating in a halo of light. This mysterious discovery briefly upends Sawdust City's fading fortunes, attracting a crowd of gawkers and acolytes, while inadvertently setting in motion a series of events that brings about the town's ruin.

Then, he speaks with George Matuvi, author of "The War as I Saw It". George brings us into the world of a young boy living through a war he doesn’t understand. As violence drives his family from their home in the mountains to the streets of Zimbabwe’s towns and then cities, the author shares his family’s story with honesty, composure and a touch of humour. Interspersed within this tale of flight, hardship and the eventual return to rebuild, Matuvi shares stories of his life as a child, from making soccer balls out of discarded plastic bags to the tales his father told around the fire at night, adding depth and joy to his portrait of a family struggling with displacement. "The War as I Saw It" is not a tragedy, though there were many tragedies during the war, it is a story of love, of strength in difficulty and of the ingenuity of one family as they cope with forces beyond their control.

Brian interviews two different guests.

Catherine Bush, a master of Canadian eco-fiction, poses trenchant questions about humanity’s reaction to the ongoing influence of climate-based disaster, investigates relationships between the human and more-than-human, and explores a world where touch and intimacy are both desirable and fraught. Her blistering new book of short fiction "Skin" presents an extraordinary exploration of intimacy. "Skin" is a moving look at survival and tenderness in a world threatened by cascading crises.

The recipient of numerous conservation awards, Jeanne McRight initiated an amendment to Mississauga’s Encroachment By-Law, allowing residents to create habitat gardens on city boulevards, and in 2019 founded Mississauga’s exciting new not-for-profit organization Blooming Boulevards. She is currently busy as Blooming Boulevards' President and Chair. Six years later, 350 new pollinator gardens connect our city’s boulevards, parks, and public spaces, with thousands of volunteers involved in the organization’s programs, a website with a worldwide reach, and passionate participants who claim that their gardens have changed their lives.

Brian interviews George Minakakis. George is the Founder and CEO of Inception Retail Group Inc., an advisory firm serving consumer-facing businesses across industries, from traditional retail to healthcare. George Minakakis helps senior executives craft next-generation strategies, foster innovation, and develop their organizations into Human - AI First Companies. In addition to leading the firm, George Minakakis is the author of four books, keynote speaker and a prolific commenter on and writer about current events. George Minakakis talks about Canada’s relationship with the US, how trade and our tariff situation is upending the economy more than companies and people are prepared for, how Daniele Smith is harming Alberta and Canada, how AI will change everything and how people and companies need to respond to all that is going on.

Brian interviews Jeff Mahon. Jeff is Director of StrategyCorp’s Geopolitical and International Business Advisory. He is also an Executive in Residence at the Canada West Foundation. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Director at Global Affairs Canada’s China Division, was Nunavut’s Chief Negotiator for the Canadian Free Trade Agreement negotiations, and ran his own import and export brokerage company. Jeff Mahon talks about Canada’s relationship with China. Given trade issues, human rights concerns, and the potential for issues between China and Taiwan, and the charged atmosphere between the US and China, this is a very topical issue. We discuss several articles he has written about Canada as we are reckoning with big changes in the world.

Brian interviews James Cairns. James is a professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, Law and Social Justice at Wilfrid Laurier University, where his courses and research focus on political theory and social movements. Drawing on social research, pop culture and literature, as well as on his experience as an activist, father and teacher, James Cairns explores the ecological crisis, Trump's return to power amid the so-called crisis of democracy, his own struggle with addiction and other moments of truth facing us today. In a series of insightful essays that move deftly between personal, theoretical and historical approaches he considers not only what makes something a crisis, but also how to navigate the effect of these destabilizing times on ourselves, on our families and on the world. James Cairns talks about his book: "In Crisis, On Crisis" which is about how we deal with the personal and society crises in our life.

Brian interviews Paula Manuel. A Registered Nurse for 40 years, Paula Manuel has cared for children from 23 weeks (premature infants) to 104 years old. She is a resource on how to optimize the well-being of nurses. Paula has been a direct care clinician, award winning leader and recognized by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario for an Award of Merit, lifetime achievement, and a few days ago excellence in lifelong advocacy for her colleagues, patients, and communities in the nursing profession. This week it's nursing week and Paula shares her experiences.