CANADALAND

As Canada inches closer to China to escape the US's “global swagger,” do we even know who we're dealing with?

As Canada inches closer to China’s “global swagger” to escape the US's orbit, do we even know who we're dealing with? This week, Noor sits down with Jonathan Cheng, The Wall Street Journal's China Bureau Chief, a Canadian who's been based in Beijing since 2019,  to get an inside look at China's current confidence, its trade posture, and what Beijing actually thinks of Canada.

Also, Xav Trudeau's "electric" halftime show in Ottawa, a Conservative MP names her grandchild Charlie Kirk, Danielle Smith's refer-referendum, cabinet shuffle rumours, and the controversial surveillance bill that made Signal threaten to leave Canada entirely.

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: Jonathan Cheng

Background reading:

• China’s Foreign Minister to visit Canada for the first time in 10 years - The Globe and Mail
• A ‘red line’: Chinese embassy condemns Canadian MP’s visit to Taiwan
• China and India among ‘main perpetrators’ of foreign interference, Canada’s spy agency reports - Toronto Star
• Nissan eyes exporting Chinese-made electric cars to Canada - Financial Post
• Ottawa working to get Canadian companies selling goods on Chinese platforms - National - Global News
• Ottawa working to get Canadian companies selling goods on Chinese platforms - National - Global News

Sponsors: 

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Did you know we have a monthly supporter exclusive show?

Off The Record is our monthly call in show and this Thursday, you can call in and chat with Sam Konnert about your favourite story. We’re asking the question:

What’s the story that everyone in your community talks about? The one that just never dies.

Was it a drunk uncle? Did your classmate get arrested? A rumour that stuck? Maybe your community helped out an individual in need!

Just something that, if you bring it up, people go: “oh yeah… that!”

Call in is this Thursday, May 28, from 4:30-6:30 Eastern Time

If you want to catch up on all the great episodes of Off The Record you’ve missed, become a supporter at canadaland.com/join.

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to Canadaland.com/join

Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

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Ebola. Hantavirus. Here we go again. Tracking outbreaks to see if they are going to spread across the world. Triggering fear: virus, epidemic, pandemic. And a flood of headlines. The locations, the numbers, the details change but the gist of the message is always the same. Keep the disease away from us. 

But today we meet someone who heard the news of an Ebola outbreak and ran straight at it. Into the hot zone. To the epicentre, to a village in what was then Zaire 30 years ago. Her five weeks living and reporting from that bush hospital resulted in her documentary film Ebola: Inside an Outbreak. The film earned her Emmy for outstanding investigative journalism. Her name is Ric Bienstock and she’s here with her firsthand account of the Ebola virus, how people live and die with it, what it means as a global health challenge, and whether or not this virus is something that Canadians need to fear.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Additional music by Audio Network

Fact checking by Julian Abraham

More information:

• No Ebola cases in Canada and no new hantavirus cases, chief public health officer says - CBC News

• Good Soup Productions - Website

Sponsors: 

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.ca

oxio: Head over to canadaland.oxio.ca and use code CANADALAND for your first month free! 

Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.

Can’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to canadaland.com/join

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Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served. Find out more at canadaland.com/live 

Not a supporter yet? It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to canadaland.com/join

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CBC is pausing its production of an elaborate “prank show” led by Indigenous creators after outrage online. 

Critics say “Northland Tales” is political activism that has no place on the national broadcaster.

But Ryan McMahon joins San Grewal to explain why pranking is fair game, even on the CBC, and why it would be a shame if the show gets cancelled. 

Host: San Grewal

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Ryan McMahon

Further reading: 

• CBC pausing production on satirical Indigenous show | CBC News
• LILLEY: CBC hits pause on show targeting RCMP and conservatives - Toronto Sun 
• CBC called out for role in prank interviews of Kamloops residential school grave critics -CBC News
• CBC-funded prank show’s deceptive tactics raise fraud and legal concerns: Lawyer - The Hub
• 'I'm sick to my stomach': Retired RCMP officer details humiliating experience with CBC prank show 
• Taxpayer-funded mockumentary exposed; most legacy media steer clear of graves dissidents - The Rewrite [Substack]
• Hundreds gather to celebrate Murray Sinclair's legacy with round dance in Winnipeg | CBC News  

Sponsors:

oxio: Head over to canadaland.oxio.ca and use code CANADALAND for your first month free! 

Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today.  Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.ca

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to canadaland.com/join

Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served. Find out more at canadaland.com/live

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nate Erskine-Smith lost his bid for nomination for the Ontario Liberals in Scarborough Southwest, putting his plans for leadership in question. He’s alleging serious voting irregularities, and that the Ontario Liberal establishment has it in for him. 

Meanwhile, the Toronto Star publishes a curious Editor’s Note, retracting a statement from the PMO that Carney did not in fact endorse Erskine-Smith, despite the video being posted online. 

Then, a Toronto Star freelance columnist criticizes the Star’s reporting, and has her column pulled. What is happening? 

Barbara Patrocinio of iPolitics joins San Grewal to sort through the chaos. 

Host: San Grewal

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Barbara Patrocinio

Further reading: 

• Liberal party under fire as more questions raised about Nate Erskine-Smith’s nomination fight - Toronto Star
• Why the Liberal nomination controversy could be an 'unhelpful distraction' for a party looking to rebuild | CBC News
• Supriya Dwivedi on Real Talk with Ryan Jesperson [YouTube]
• Supriya Dwivedi Thread [X/Twitter]
• Erskine-Smith appeals Ontario Liberal nomination loss, alleging ‘irregularities’ | Power & Politics [YouTube]
• Ontario running out of time to pass bill to deal with misbehaving municipal politicians, critics warn | CBC News
• Blind side: Why World Cup economic impact on Vancouver, Toronto may never be known | Globalnews.ca     

Sponsors:

Squarespace: Check out Squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

Taskrabbit: Get fifteen dollars off your first task RIGHT NOW with promo code CANADALAND at Taskrabbit.ca  or with the Taskrabbit app

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to canadaland.com/join

Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served. Find out more at canadaland.com/live

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to turn Canada into a defence powerhouse — and venture capital is racing to cash in. Host Sam Konnert talks to defence experts and industry insiders about the new military-tech gold rush, and asks: can Silicon Valley mentality fix Canada’s stagnant defence sector, or are we scaling up its worst instincts?

CORRECTION: at the 26 minute mark, the reporter mistakenly says Christiane Fox was questioned by Conservative MP Damien Kurek before the public accounts committee. In reality, Fox was questioned by Conservative MP Ned Kuruc.

Host: Sam Konnert

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: Philippe Lagassé, Samuel Witherspoon, Hugo Hodgett

Background reading:

• Prime Minister Carney launches Canada’s first Defence Industrial Strategy to strengthen security, create prosperity, and reinforce strategic autonomy
• Defence tech upstart Dominion Dynamics takes aim at the U.S. giants supplying Canada – The Logic
• The defence-tech gold rush is testing the limits of venture capital – The Logic
• Canada's $1-trillion defence commitment: whose future are we defending? – The Hill Times
• Meet Eliot Pence, the man turning Canada’s defence procurement upside down – Be Giant
• Deputy minister says she was 'advancing diversity' when she hired acquaintance – Ottawa Citizen

Sponsors: 

Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz mobile and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadaland

Did you know we have a monthly supporter exclusive show? 

Last Thursday on Off The Record, we talked about Social media — what you love and hate. 

As journalists, we are pretty terminally online, so we wanted to know how you balance social media with real life, and you gave us lots of insight. Check it out, if you haven’t already!

To listen to that episode (or if you want to catch up on all the great episodes of Off The Record you’ve missed!) become a supporter at canadaland.com/join.

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to Canadaland.com/join

Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7 pm at the Al Green Theatre. Doors open at 6 pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first-come, first-served.

Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elaine Dewar was tough. Contrary. The reporter who wrote an article that brought upon her the wrath of billionaires. It was a piece on the Reichmann family resulting in a $102 million dollar libel case that nearly killed Toronto Life Magazine. She argued against the Bering Strait theory on migration of humans to the Americas. She ruffled feathers with her views on the origins of Covid. Questioned ties between the environmental movement and big business. 

Those are just a few of the debates she sparked through her tireless investigative works.

Elaine Dewar was debated, denounced, debunked. 

Well, they tried to debunk her. She was sued and she was spied on. She hated, as she put it, "Lying liars who lied." 

Elaine Dewar, investigative reporter and author of multiple nonfiction books. Born in Saskatchewan in 1948, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer last August, and she died weeks later. She died writing. Elaine’s publisher Dan Wells and daughter Anna Dewar Gully join us today to talk about her life and that final book, Oblivious, which chronicles the medical segregation of Indigenous people and their history as non-consensual subjects in medical experimentation.

Editor’s note: Approximately halfway through the podcast, publisher Dan Wells describes Otto Schaefer as a Nazi-trained doctor who conducted experiments on Indigenous people. While not entirely incorrect, this is something of an oversimplification of a nuanced history. Elaine Dewar gives that nuance in the book, and it’s available to read in this Toronto Star excerpt. 

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Additional music by Audio Network

Fact checking by Julian Abraham

Photo: Danielle Dewar

More information:

• Oblivious: Residential Schools, Segregated Hospitals, and the use of Indigenous Peoples as Slaves of Race Science — Biblioasis
• With weeks to live, Elaine Dewar finished her most personal book – probing settler Canadians’ obliviousness — The Globe & Mail
• Book excerpt: The complicated legacy of Otto Schaefer and Canada’s Indigenous people — The Toronto Star
• Canada’s media lawyers wage war on “libel chill” and the power of the purse — National Magazine, Canadian Bar Association
• #186 End Of The CanLit Hustle — CANADALAND
• #715 Mommy, Where Does COVID Come From? — CANADALAND

Sponsors: 

Fizz: Visit https://fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

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Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Taskrabbit: Get ahead of your to-do list with fifteen dollars off your first task at https://Taskrabbit.ca or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code canadaland.

Can’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to canadaland.com/join

Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served. Find out more at canadaland.com/live

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everyone is talking about Drake’s new album ICEMAN (except Canadian media.)

Why is Canadian media more interested in the provenance of ice blocks than the next chapter in the career of one of Canada’s biggest stars?

Drake is one of Canada’s biggest cultural exports. He represents Canada and Toronto on the global stage, and yet at home he isn’t given the same acclaim as other Canadian icons. 

Writer and Hip Hop lecturer Dalton Higgins joins to explain why Canada hasn’t fully embraced Drake.

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Andrea Varsany (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Dalton Higgins

Additional music by Audio Network

Further reading: 

• Can Drake’s New Album End Rap’s Cold Streak? - WSJ
• Drake's 'Iceman' Arrives at the Most Pivotal Moment of His Career - Boardroom
• Drake caused another stink in Toronto after smelly seats he froze in ‘Iceman’ stunt were removed from a Raptors game - Toronto Star
• Meet the family-run Ontario company behind Drake's massive ice sculpture | CBC News 
• Can Drake reconnect with Toronto, the city that once loved him, with his new ‘Iceman’ album? - Toronto Star 
• ‘It’s a real challenge,’ Food insecurity still an emergency in Toronto with food bank use on the rise, report says - NOW Toronto 
• Why some Canadians are using the census to protest against the federal government - CTV News    

Sponsors:

Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today.  Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.

Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

Squarespace: Check out Squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to Canadaland.com/join

Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inside the scoop that launched the Alberta data breach into the headlines.

How independent media broke the story of the Alberta separatists' access to voter information.

Plus, Danielle Smith visits Carney and makes progress on the Alberta MOU. Can Smith  leverage separatism to get a pipeline?

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to Canadaland.com/join

Stephen Marche will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served.

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Jeremy Appel

Further reading: 

• SCOOP: Elections Alberta investigating separatists for accessing electors list - The Orchard [Substack]
• SCOOP: Jen Gerson: Elections Alberta's massive failure could have put people in danger. I tried to warn them. - The Line [Substack]
• Opinion | I went home to the heartland of Alberta independence. Even after covering Donald Trump for 10 years, I was still terrified by what I found - Toronto Star 
• Danielle Smith says working out differences with feds key to quelling Alberta separatism | CBC News 
• Bell: Danielle Smith claims win after high-stakes sit-down with Carney | Calgary Herald
• Former human rights chief launches defamation lawsuit against Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman | CBC News 
• Editors’ Note: May 2, 2026 - New York Times 

Sponsors:

Douglas:  Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today.  Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.

Fizz: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NDP Leader Avi Lewis has a massive task ahead of him. When host Noor Azrieh last spoke with him before the leadership election, he said he had a plan. Well, how’s that working out for him? 

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: NDP Leader Avi Lewis

Background reading:

• Are you paying more than your neighbour? It could be 'surveillance pricing' – CBC News
• Provincial NDP leaders react to Avi Lewis’ ascension to federal NDP leadership – Rabble
• Sask. and federal NDP clash over stance on fossil fuels in open letter – CBC News
• Here's the 'experiment' NDP Leader Avi Lewis is trying to run in Canadian politics – CBC News

Sponsors: 

Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz mobile and its long list of added-value features. Activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadaland

And did you know we have a monthly supporter exclusive show? 

Last Thursday on Off The Record, we talked about Social media — what you love and hate. 

As journalists, we are pretty terminally online. We wanted to know how you balance social media with real life, and y’all showed up! Check it out, if you haven’t already.

To listen to that episode (or if you want to catch up on all the great episodes of Off The Record you’ve missed!) become a supporter at canadaland.com/join.

It’s our biggest sale of the year! Save 80% on a Canadaland subscription and become a supporter for only $2/month. You’ll get all of our podcasts ad-free, free access to our live events, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to Canadaland.com/join

Stephen March will be interviewing Chrystia Freeland LIVE in Toronto in the first edition of The Nuance, a live event series in partnership with the MNJCC. Join us on Sunday, May 24th at 7pm at the Al Green theatre. Doors open at 6pm. Free for Canadaland supporters, or you can become a supporter at the door for only $2 this month. Seating is first come first served.

Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.