In the latest episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott explore a unique idea that could help seniors across the country stay out of long-term care: a homecare company owned and operated by the very workers who provide the services. Here to talk about the compelling concept is Danielle Turpin, co-founder of Home Care Worker’s Co-operative Inc., and Dr. Simon Berge, director of the Research Centre on Co-operative Enterprises at the University of Winnipeg. Also on the show: How a North Bay brewery is helping fund Pride events—one can of lager at a time. Jason Maclennan of North Bay Pride fills our glass with all the details.

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The overdose crisis continues to rage across the country, with the latest stats revealing that toxic street drugs kill approximately 20 Canadians every single day. On the latest episode of Inside the Village, we hear from Christine Nayler, a Barrie woman who lost her son, Ryan, to poisonous drugs in 2020. Nayler recently travelled to Ottawa to advocate for Bill C-216, a NDP private member’s bill that called for a sweeping public health approach to tackling the crisis. When the bill was widely defeated in the House of Commons, Nayler did not mince words: “Every MP that voted no to bringing this bill to committee has blood on their hands, and Canadian families will have to bear the consequences.” Also on the show: The much-debated Bradford Bypass seems inevitable now that Doug Ford captured an even bigger majority in the June 2 election. But some local residents, including Bill Foster, aren’t giving up the fight quite yet.

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We’re in the final stretch of the Ontario election campaign, and one thing is certain: Not everyone thinks this podcast is worth their time. When the campaign kicked off, Inside the Village extended an open invitation to the leaders of all four major political parties. Two of them—Andrea Horwath of the NDP and Mike Schreiner of the Green Party—took us up on our offer. You can listen to both in-depth interviews on this special election edition of the podcast.

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The cost of living in Canada continues to soar at the fastest rate in decades, and the sticker shock you’re feeling at the grocery store and the gas pumps is going to get worse before it gets better. On this episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott are joined by Jean-Paul Lam, a former assistant chief economist at the Bank of Canada and now a professor of economics at the University of Waterloo. Also on the program: a big change at the iconic French River Trading Post, a nostalgic stop for countless summer travelers. Finally, we take a closer look at a deadly trend: Toronto-area street gangs branching out into rural and northern Ontario in pursuit of hefty drug profits. Antonio Nicaso, one of the world’s leading organized crime experts, tells us the story behind the story.

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In the latest episode of Inside the Village, Scott and Frisco dig into a political controversy in Sault Ste. Marie, where the provincial Liberals rejected a prominent Indigenous lawyer, Naomi Sayers, as a candidate for the provincial election—in favour of an 18-year-old who doesn’t even live in the city. We hear from Sayers, who has chosen to run as an independent. Also on the show, the war against microfibres. Tiny plastic particles are filling the Great Lakes—and our mouths—but scientists in small-town Ontario are working on a solution. Finally, we remember Katrina Blagdon, a missing Canadian army veteran from St. Catharines whose body was finally discovered after a massive search effort that united thousands of people.

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On this week’s episode of Inside the Village, we take a closer look at another hot-button election issue: climate change. Our guest is Keith Brooks from Environmental Defence, a leading climate advocacy organization. We also head to North Bay to find out why a chain-link fence has angered so many west-end residents. Stu Campaigne of BayToday.ca joins us with the full story. And finally, we go inside a Guelph laboratory where scientists are doing some especially meaningful work: using DNA to identify the remains of Canadian soldiers killed in battle decades ago. 

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In the latest episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott explore the ‘See You on the Patio’ controversy in Orillia. Editor Dave Dawson and city councillor Ted Emond join us to discuss. Stewart Reynolds became a social-media hit during the pandemic, thanks to his extremely popular Covid comedy videos. We catch up with @brittlestar to see what he’s been up to, and what’s next. And we take a closer look at the largest conservation project in Canadian history with Mike Hendren from the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

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The housing market in Ontario is off the charts right now. In the latest episode of Inside the Village, Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith try to get some clarity as to why from Tim Hudak, CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association. Also, free transportation to polling stations? One Cambridge city councilor is trying to make that happen for all residents of his community—and hopes other cities follow suit. And the city of Greater Sudbury has made a bold decision: to close all comments on its Facebook page. Ed Archer, the city’s CAO, explains why that move is long overdue.

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In this debut episode of Inside the Village, Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith dig deeper into the disappearance of Katrina Blagdon, a former Canadian soldier who suddenly vanished in St. Catharines on New Year's Eve. We speak to Katrina's mother and sister to get an update on the massive search effort to find her. Also, as the situation in Ukraine worsens, we speak with an Echo Bay, ON woman who is opening up her heart—and her home—to a mother and daughter fleeing the war-torn country. And finally, Peter Hummel of Fergus played his bagpipes outside his house every night for two years to honour healthcare workers. We talk to 'Peter Piper' about the good—and the bad—surrounding his gesture.

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