Closer Look

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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Welcome to The Trillium, your go-to source for Queen’s Park headlines. Launched this week by Village Media, The Trillium is a comprehensive news and information website devoted exclusively to in-depth, insider coverage of politics and policy at the Ontario Legislature. Editor-in-Chief Jessica Smith Cross and Deputy Editor Charlie Pinkerton join the podcast to talk about how it all came together — in lightning-quick fashion — and what readers can expect from this talented team of journalists. You can check out their work at TheTrillium.ca.

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Remember Ryan Willis? He joined Inside the Village last year to talk about his pet project: the Trent University Sasquatch Society, whose members spend their spare time searching for Bigfoot. Ryan is back on the podcast — with some big news. No, he hasn’t found Sasquatch yet, but he’s definitely found something. Tune in to find out what. Also on the podcast: some big wins for Village Media’s talented team of journalists.

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 On this episode: an exclusive interview with Juliette Lamour, the 18-year-old university student who came forward Friday morning to claim one of the largest jackpots in Lotto 6/49 history.

After weeks of rumours, the Sault Ste. Marie resident finally revealed herself as the $48-million winner of the Jan. 7 Gold Ball draw.  

At 18, she is Ontario’s youngest winner of such a massive jackpot. In fact, her lucky ticket was the first she’d ever purchased.  In her only sit-down interview, Lamour tells Inside the Village the amazing full story: what motivated her to buy that ticket, the precise moment her life changed forever, and what she plans to do with such an enormous amount of money. 

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In the latest episode of Inside the Village, the guys sit down with Noah Irvine, a soon-to-be 23-year-old who, after the deaths of his mom and dad, spent years fighting for improvements to the way Canada’s health-care system deals with mental illness and addictions. He has written letters — lots of them — to politicians of all stripes in the hopes of revamping a broken system. And now he has written a book: Learning to Live: From the Loss of My Parents to Mental Health Advocate…In other news, we finally have an email address: [email protected]. Reach out anytime.

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On this episode of Inside the Village, the unthinkable happens: Frisco and Scott’s guest had to cancel at the last minute. But the show must go on. Thankfully, there was still lots to talk about: A record-setting fentanyl bust in Sault Ste. Marie. An Orillia man asking to die by assisted suicide — not because of a physical ailment, but because he feels hopeless and doesn’t want to carry on. Plus, we cover Scott’s Air Canada woes, rising interest rates, the soaring cost of groceries, and Health Canada’s new alcohol consumption recommendations. Cheers to our first episode without a guest.

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 In recent weeks, sophisticated computer hackers have infiltrated some high-profile targets, including Scouts Canada, the LCBO, and even SickKids Hospital. In Sault Ste. Marie, a ransomware attack forced the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board to send kids home early for the Christmas holidays. Why are cyberattacks on the rise? What steps can organizations do to protect themselves? Why do you still insist on using 1234 as your password? On this week’s episode, Scott and Frisco talk to Sai Huda, a best-selling author and founder of CyberCatch, a leading online security firm.

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