CANADALAND

Canada’s  Assisted Human Reproduction Act made it illegal to pay a woman to donate her eggs in Canada. The goal was to avoid incentivizing women to donate their eggs without fully understanding the risks of the procedure. But loopholes and a lax regulatory system have let a “grey market” prosper.

In her investigation Gemma Boothroyd spent months meeting egg donors, doctors, researchers, lawyers — the long list of people working, often unseen, to make a baby for intended parents.

Host: Gemma Boothroyd

Credits: Gemma Boothroyd (Reporter), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact checking by Lucie Laumonier   

Additional music by Audio Network

More information:

• What 53 Egg Donors Said They Wish They Knew…
• Alana Cattapan’s research team’s work on egg donors in Canada 
• Canadian assisted reproductive technologies registry CARTR PLUS annual report 
• The Human Egg Trade | The Walrus
• The Business of Egg Transactions and Need for Improved Regulation of the Fertility Industry in Canada | Alberta Law Review 
• Egg donor self-reports of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: severity by trigger type, oocytes retrieved, and prior history - PMC
• First prosecution under Assisted Human Reproduction Act ends in conviction - PMC

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.

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

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

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Canadian newsrooms are hesitant to embrace A.I. but new tools offer the potential to revolutionize workflows and expand the capacity of individual journalists. Rather than a threat to journalism, Kevin Newman joins Julian Abraham to explain why A.I. should be viewed as an opportunity for newsrooms to create new business models and do more in-depth reporting.  

Host: Julian Abraham

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Kevin Newman

Photo: igovar igovar

Additional music by Audio Network

Students and new-to-audio reporters: Canadaland is launching another year of our Audio Journalism Fellowship! 

If you’re a journalism student or audio storyteller looking to gain some invaluable experience, this is a really unique opportunity. Find out more:

https://www.labs.canadaland.com/ 

Further reading: 

• Journalists pushing AI into newsrooms are practicing terrible journalism - Halifax Examiner
• The way I briefed myself six months ago is now laughably obsolete - Alex Panetta [Substack]
• AskLaura.ai - AI Fact Checking
• ABC will trial using AI for journalism. What are the risks and benefits? - The Conversation
• AI in Canadian newsrooms: media engaging cautiously - J-Source
• Empowering newsrooms with AI and advanced technologies - Reuters 
• Opinion | The Star tried something with AI it had never done before. Then, we pumped the brakes. Here's why - Toronto Star
• The New York Times Got Caught Using AI Hallucinations in Its Reporting | The Walrus
• Iran Is Trolling Us and We’re Not Doing Anything About It - The New York Times
• ‘Horrendous’ Toronto police scandal allegations linked to Ryan Wedding cocaine case in new Project South documents - Toronto Star  

Sponsors:

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.

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.

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

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

A new strictly Canadian social media platform is promising a friendlier alternative, but is it too Canadian to succeed? 

Gander Social launched on Canada Day with an ambitious plan to “fix” social media with a bot-free, less divisive approach that includes moderation based on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

But, do people really want social media that “makes them smile”? 

Host: Julian Abraham

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Kevin Newman

Additional music by Audio Network

Image Credit: Cedric Fauntleroy

Students and new-to-audio reporters: Canadaland is launching another year of our Audio Journalism Fellowship! 

If you’re a journalism student or audio storyteller looking to gain some invaluable experience, this is a really unique opportunity. Find out more:

https://www.labs.canadaland.com/ 

Further reading: 

• Canadian social-media platform Gander officially launches this week, promising data sovereignty - The Globe and Mail
• Investor Outlook: Gander Social expands with Canadian data focus [Bloomberg]
• - Arlene Dickinson and Amber Mac sever ties with Gander Social | BetaKit 
• Luke Lebrun Thread [Bluesky]
• Welcome to the Mark Carney major projects sweepstakes - The Globe and Mail
• The Biggest Tell That Something Was Written by AI - The Atlantic  

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.

BetterHelp:  Visit BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

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

 Fifty years ago, Alberta had a chance to build one of the greatest sovereign wealth funds in the world. It could have been a trillion-dollar province.

This episode, host Sam traces the full story of the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund: the booms, the busts, and the mistakes made along the way. How did the richest province in Canadian history end up with almost nothing saved? 

And now that Mark Carney is trying to build something similar for the whole country, does Ottawa actually know what it's doing, or is it about to make the same mistakes all over again?

Host: Sam Konnert

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Annie Tuba (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Photo Credit: @ABDanielleSmith

Guests: Trevor Tombe, Keith Brownsey

Background reading:

• Alberta government expects $100 payouts to arrive within 2 weeks of applications – Global News
• The Canada Strong Fund isn’t a sovereign wealth fund — and that’s OK – Policy Options
• Canada’s new sovereign wealth fund is ambitious, but its design raises questions – The Conversation
• Alberta's fund a cautionary tale for Carney's national sovereign wealth fund – National Post
• Alberta’s oil inheritance is being pilfered (by Albertans) – The Globe and Mail

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

See less carts go abandoned and more sales go ‘CHA CHING’ with Shopify and their Shop Pay button.  Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.ca

Did you know we have a monthly supporter-exclusive show? 

Last week, on Off the Record, Sam Konnert asked Jesse Brown all about the state of the company and where we're going in 2026. Also, why did Jesse cave to the union's demands in contract bargaining?

If you want to hear that (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.

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

Do you know someone who should work at Canadaland? Well, our audio journalism fellowship is back this fall, and applications are open from now til the end of June. We’re looking for a couple of recent grads or working journalists who want to move into the world of audio journalism. Find out more or apply by going to labs.canadaland.com 

Make sure you’re up to date on our upcoming events by going to canadaland.com/live!

Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow us @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram and @Canadaland_Media on TikTok!

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

Investigative reporter Laura Robinson and Senator Marilou McPhedran were accused of faking government documents. The RCMP were called in followed quickly by the Senate Ethics Committee. 

Several weeks ago that committee finally handed down their verdict. For years Robinson could say little about the case. But today she brings the whole story to Canadaland. The story of her part in an operation to save the lives of hundreds of Afghan footballers.

Further Reading:

• A Canadian senator helped save Afghan women. The immigration department called police on her — The Toronto Star
• Did Canada Betray Afghanistan’s Female Soccer Players? — The Walrus
• Canadian senator sent documents to Afghan family that weren’t authentic, Ottawa says — The Globe & Mail

Host: Bruce Thorson

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact checking by: Julian Abraham

Additional music by: Audio Network

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.

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.

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

BetterHelp: Visit https://betterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.

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

Find out more about the our Audio Journalism Fellowship programme at https://labs.canadaland.com

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

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

You might not be super familiar with the name Corus Entertainment, but you definitely know their work: Global News, Teletoon, YTV, Treehouse, Showcase etc. Since 1987 Corus has dominated Canadian media across TV and radio, but just last month (June 2026) they reported a $36.5-million loss in the third quarter! With yet another Canadian legacy media company, Corus Entertainment, at risk of being taken over by a private company, we’re lamenting the state of ownership across Canadian media, and what it means for the future of bingeable true crime. 

Disclosure: At one point, host San Grewal refers to the $500 million deal that the government reached with Google through the Online News Act. Canadaland does receive money through this payout. Details can be found here:

https://cjc-ccj.ca/en/funding-recipients/

Host: San Grewal

Credits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), imogen sayers (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Publisher)

Guest: Morgan Campbell

Additional music by Audio Network

Further reading: 

• Quebecor pushes for debt discount as it seeks to acquire Corus Entertainment - Globe and Mail
• CORUS ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES RECAPITALIZATION TRANSACTION - Corus Ent
• Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2026-103 - CRTC
• Corus lenders revisit a well-worn restructuring path - Globe and Mail
• Corus reports $36.5-million loss in third quarter as revenue falls - The Globe and Mail
• Some analysts are now saying Global’s owner is headed for bankruptcy — can Corus be saved? - Toronto Star
• Corus announces recapitalization deal as it seeks relief from its debt burden - Toronto Star  

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 at https://douglas.ca/canadaland

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

Squarespace: Check out https://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.

Learn more about our Audio Fellowship programme at https://labs.canadaland.com

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.  

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

Today we’re talking about Canadaland the company the show.

Where is Canadaland going in 2026? CBS, CNN, maybe The Rivoli? 

CanCon jokes aside, today Sam sits down with Jesse to talk all about the state of Canadaland. We have a new collective bargaining agreement, we have a new Journalistic Standards and Practices document, we have new hosts coming on board.

And what new shows are we working on?

All this and more. Wait for it.

Host: Sam Konnert

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer), Tony Wang (Executive Producer), Jesse Brown (Publisher)

Guests: Jesse Brown

Photo: Canadaland

Additional music by Audio Network

Find out more about Canadaland’s Audio Journalism Fellowship programme at https://labs.canadaland.com

This show is available exclusively to Canadaland supporters. To become one, go to https://canadaland.com/join/. You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

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

It's hard not to be swept up into the overflowing joy and national pride gripping millions across the country, as Canada’s men’s national soccer team plays on the world’s largest stage, and it’s certainly an accomplishment that deserves a huge celebration. But as the economic benefits promised by FIFA don’t seem to be meeting reality, we have to ask: are the good vibes really worth the financial risk?

Host: San Grewal

Credits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), imogen sayers (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Publisher)

Guest: Morgan Campbell

Further reading: 

• https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-fifa-world-cup-contracts-toronto-vancouver-host-cities/
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fifa-world-cup-benefits-vancouver-bc-9.7225612
• https://macleans.ca/economy/the-world-cup-is-an-economic-sinkhole/
• https://financialpost.com/news/is-world-cup-boon-for-canada-economy
• https://torontolife.com/real-estate/hotel-world-cup-2026-tax-tourism/
• https://globalnews.ca/news/11940798/stubhub-world-cup-ticket-complaint-investigation-bc/
• Revealed: 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup awarded — The Guardian

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 at https://douglas.ca/canadaland

Fizz: Visit https://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 https://shopify.ca

Learn more about our Audio Fellowship programme at https://labs.canadaland.com

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.  

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

An Iraqi man, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, is at the center of a major U.S. terrorism case. Federal prosecutors allege he helped coordinate nearly 20 attacks across Europe and North America as an operative of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In a recorded conversation cited in the criminal complaint, Al-Saadi allegedly claimed members of his network carried out two attacks in Canada, including the shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto and an attack on a synagogue.

Host Noor Azrieh speaks with terrorism and intelligence expert Dr. Jessica Davis, former CSIS strategic analyst and president of Insight Threat Intelligence, about what we actually know, how state-backed proxy networks and terrorist financing operate, and whether there is credible evidence linking recent attacks on Canadian soil to Iran.

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Annie Tuba (Producer), Imogen Sayers (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guest: Jessica Davis

Photo: FBI

Background reading:

• CSIS increases operation to combat Iranian state-directed activity, warns of continued threats – The Globe and Mail
• Could this one man have been behind terrorist attacks on Jewish communities across Europe? – The Guardian
• 'Who's paying for this?': Toronto police believe youth hired for gun crimes such as U.S. consulate shooting – CBC News
• Are Iranian 'sleeper cells' a threat to Canadians? Here’s what intelligence experts say – CBC News
• United States of America v. Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi 

Sponsors: 

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

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

Did you know we have a monthly supporter exclusive show? 

Next month on Off The Record, we’re bringing you something different: Sam Konnert interviews Jesse Brown following up on what he told us 6 months ago. Did he keep his promises?

That will be coming out Thursday, July 2. Stay tuned!

If you want to hear that (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.

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

Do you know someone who should work at Canadaland? Well, our audio journalism fellowship is back this fall and applications are open from now til the end of June. We’re looking for a couple of recent grads or working journalists who want to move into the world of audio journalism. Find out more or apply by going to labs.canadaland.com 

Make sure you’re up to date on our upcoming events by going to canadaland.com/live!

Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow us @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram and @Canadaland_Media on TikTok!

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

From Upton Sinclair to modern day animal activists, going undercover has been a staple of animal cruelty reporting. But in Ontario, a court recently ruled that it might be illegal to get that footage, that reporting, in the first place — you can no longer take a job under false pretences on farms in Ontario.

 Why do animal rights activists believe they should have a right to lie?

What do farmers and other agriculture business owners have to hide? 

And if it's illegal to lie to go undercover on a farm - is ALL undercover reporting now illegal?

Further Reading:

• Ontario’s top court restores agriculture law parts targeting animal rights activists — The Canadian Press
• Opinion | Meat eaters and animal lovers should be appalled by ag-gag court ruling — The Toronto Star
• Decisions of the Court of Appeal: Animal Justice v. Ontario — Court of Appeal for Ontario
• W5: Alleged animal abuse at an Ontario pig farm — CTV
• Canadian Beef Industry — 2021 Census of Agriculture
• Ontario Court of Appeal Reinstates Ag Gag Law, Silencing Farm Whistleblowers — Animal Justice
• Beef Farmers Welcome Ontario Court of Appeal’s Decision to Provide Clarity on the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act — Beef Farmers of Ontario

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer & Senior Production Supervisor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editing & Production), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact checking by: Julian Abraham

Additional music by: Audio Network

Photo: Aviva Lessard

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.

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

BetterHelp: Visit https://betterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.

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.

Find out more about our live events at https://canadaland.com/live

Find out more about the our Audio Journalism Fellowship programme at https://labs.canadaland.com

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

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