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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In the latest episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott talk money. More specifically, why so many millennials are struggling with it. Our guest is insolvency trustee Ted Michalos, whose Ontario firm releases an annual “Joe Debtor” study that takes stock of how many Canadians are filing for bankruptcy every year. The bottom line? In 2022, nearly half of those people were millennials. Also on the podcast: We run down some of the great local journalism produced by our Village Media reporters this week — and give a special shoutout to a minor hockey team in Sault Ste. Marie that epitomizes the spirit of March Madness.

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On the latest episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott welcome back deputy editor Charlie Pinkerton from The Trillium — a new Village Media website dedicated to covering the Ontario legislature. Charlie has the latest on the Ford government’s plans to overhaul how combat sports are operated in the province. He also explains where things stand on the Premier’s daughter’s now-infamous stag-and-doe, and whether the Integrity Commissioner will launch an official investigation. Also on the program: a new editor joins the Village team.

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This week on Inside the Village: The kids don’t think we’ll be alright. New research out of Lakehead University reveals that the climate crisis is having a massive impact on the mental health of young Canadians. Nearly half (48 per cent) think humanity is doomed, almost three-quarters (73 per cent) find the future frightening, and 39 per cent say they are hesitant to have children. Dr. Ellen Field, who co-authored the research paper, joins us to talk about the survey’s eye-opening findings. Also on the program: some progress on bail reform, Indigo refuses to pay a ransom, and the skyrocketing cost of new ambulances.

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This week on Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott cover a lot of ground. The Trillium — Village Media’s new website covering all things Queen’s Park — has hit the legislature running, breaking a few big stories already. The feds have banned TitTok from all government-issued devices, and other levels of government are following suit. And should the NHL ban Russian hockey players while the war in Ukraine rages on? One legendary goalie certainly thinks so.

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