Closer Look

On this week’s episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott burn a little airtime talking about the wildfires scorching across Canada — the most damaging forest fire season of the century, according to the federal government. Like everything else, the fires have fanned the flames of political rhetoric, with some provincial leaders a lot less willing than others to admit the role of climate change in this unprecedented summer. For a voice of reason, we turn to Eric Kennedy, a professor of disaster and emergency management at York University. Also on the podcast: a tiny bar in Guelph, a huge scoop from The Trillium at Queen’s Park, and a Canadian golf victory for the ages.

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On this week’s episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott take a closer look at new Health Canada guidelines that will see warning messages added to individual cigarettes — not just the pack. Smokers will now be reminded, by the butt, that there is “poison in every puff” and that their nasty habit “may lead to impotence.” If that’s not enough motivation to quit, nothing will be. But do warnings like this actually make a difference? We ask Rob Cunningham, a lawyer and senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society. Also on the podcast: The latest on the doctor shortage plaguing northern Ontario, and a sweet deal for the owners of a posh Sudbury golf course. Let’s tee it up.

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A doctor shortage forced the emergency department in small-town Thessalon, Ont., to lock its doors for 48 hours. After “exhausting all options,” the North Shore Health Network said it had no choice but shut the place down for two full days — leaving locals with nowhere to go in case of emergency. Sadly, the situation in Thessalon is not unique. Rural communities across Ontario are struggling to staff their hospitals. This week on Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott speak with Tim Vine, the CEO of the North Shore Health Network, to find out how things got so dire — and if there’s a cure in sight. Also on the podcast: a touching reunion between a firefighter and a man he saved 10 years earlier.

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Frisco and Scott are back for another week of Inside the Village with a special guest: Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development. The timing couldn’t be better, as there is plenty of political deal-making to talk about — including the massive electric-vehicle battery plant coming to St. Thomas, Ont. A veteran politician who served as mayor of North Bay before making the jump to Queen’s Park, Fedeli also shares some behind-the-scenes stories about his close relationship with Premier Doug Ford — the “800-pound gorilla,” as he calls him. If you’re a political junkie, this is the episode for you. Also on the podcast: a happy ending for a missing 11-year-old girl in Sault Ste. Marie.

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Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot was laid to rest earlier this week in Orillia. With almost 4 million albums sold, 16 Juno Awards and four #1 hits, Lightfoot left an indelible mark not only on the music industry, but on his beloved hometown of Orillia. This week, Frisco and Scott talk to two friends who knew Lighfoot very well: Pam Carter, from the Mariposa Folk Foundation, and Karen Hilfman Millson, the retired United Church minister who was the officiant a Lighfoot’s private funeral — at his request. The legend lives on, and always will.

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The NHL playoffs are underway, and who better to talk about hockey than Ron MacLean? The iconic host of Hockey Night in Canada joins Frisco and Scott for a wide-ranging conversation that touches on everything, from the Leafs’ Stanley Cup chances, to the rapid growth of legal sports gambling, to the state of his relationship with former on-air partner Don Cherry. MacLean also sheds some light on his future at HNIC. You definitely don’t want to miss this special episode. Also on the podcast: The Georgetown Boys, pizza scammers and a diabetic cat named Demon.

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This weekend, the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II will officially be crowned King of England when his coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey. King Charles’ wife, Camilla, will also be crowned Queen Consort. The ceremony will be jam-packed with all the pomp and circumstance one would expect. Royal watcher Patricia Treble tells Scott and Frisco what to expect — and why Canadians shouldn’t give up on the monarchy just yet. Also on the podcast: How a landmark deal between Village Media and Black Press Media will help strengthen local news across Canada.

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Frisco and Scott celebrate the one-year anniversary of the podcast with a brief trip down memory lane. Then it’s on to more serious news: a looming court challenge over a Ford government bill that paves the way for some elderly hospital patients to be moved to long-term care facilities that they don’t choose — and if they refuse to leave, they’ll be charged $400 per day. Our guest is lawyer Steven Shrybman, who represents one of two public health advocacy groups that have launched a Charter challenge of the “More Beds, Better Care Act.” Also on the show: some big victories for Village Media.

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On the latest episode of Inside the Village, Scott and Frisco dig into a scary story that continues to generate headlines. Suzana Thayer, a grandmother of six from Barrie, Ont., has been languishing in an overseas prison for seven months, accused of smuggling cocaine into Hong Kong. But as her daughter explains in this week’s podcast, it’s clear that Suzana is the victim of a sophisticated online romance scam — for the second time in her life. Fighting to prove her mom’s innocence, Angela Thayer says a man lured her mother to Ethiopia, had a suitcase full of clothes delivered to her hotel room, and booked her a ticket for Hong Kong. When she landed, customs agents discovered cocaine inside some of the buttons of the clothing. Thayer is speaking out because she wants to warn others about the dangers of online romance scams.

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Grab some peanuts and cracker jacks! Frisco and Scott spend this special episode of Inside the Village celebrating the return of baseball just in time for the Blue Jays’ home opener on April 11. Frisco is a huge Tigers fan, Scott cheers for the Jays, and our guest Matt Betts is host of the Canadian Baseball Network Podcast. He breaks it all down for us: the Jays’ chances at a World Series berth, the new pitch clock, and how he handles fan mail. Also on the podcast: our weekly look at some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario news sites.

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