Closer Look

Nearly six years ago, the Trudeau government banned more than 2,000 makes and models of assault-style firearms, including the notorious AR-15.

The legislative change raised the obvious question: If a person purchased one of those guns back when they were legal, what are they supposed to do with it now?

The answer took years to materialize, but the promised federal buyback program is now live. Gun owners have until March 31 to declare their interest in receiving compensation in exchange for their firearms — and by the end of the year, it will be a Criminal Code offence to own any of the listed models.

It’s a controversial initiative, to say the least, with many critics adamant that the buyback won’t do a thing to actually lower gun crime in this country, which is fuelled largely by illegal weapons smuggled into Canada from the United States. Some provinces — and many Ontario police forces — are refusing to even participate in the program.

Our guest on tonight’s episode of Closer Look is a man who spends more time than most researching gun laws: Noah Schwartz, a professor of political science at the University of the Fraser Valley, and author of the book Targeted: Citizenship, Advocacy and Gun Control in Canada.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

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Back in 2018, now-Premier Doug Ford campaigned on a promise to end “hallway healthcare.” Eight years later, not much has changed.

According to the latest available data, an average of nearly 1,400 Ontario hospital patients per day were treated in “unconventional spaces” — which includes not only hallways, but closets, cafeterias and even bathrooms.

But there is one thing that has suddenly changed: the Ford government’s willingness to publicly disclose the latest data on hallway healthcare. For years, that metric was included in an annual report released by Ontario Health, the agency that oversees the province’s health-care system. Not anymore.

One emergency room physician called the change “complete and utter malpractice in terms of public accountability and transparency,” while NDP health critic France Gélinas said it’s clear the Ford government has “decided hiding this data is easier than fixing the problems.”

Joining us on tonight’s Closer Look to explain the change is the journalist who broke the story: Sneh Duggal, deputy editor of The Trillium, Village Media’s bureau at Queen’s Park.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

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Last month, Rogers asked Canadians everywhere to donate their old hockey jerseys for a unique display of national pride and unity. They wanted a wide variety of colours and logos from coast to coast — from Timbits to beer leagues and everything in between.

Cameron Lizotte took over from there.

A former OHL hockey player who traded his skates for fashion design, the Sudbury native was handpicked to slice up the donations and transform them into five one-of-a-kind jerseys. His final creations — The Great Canadian Jerseys — were unveiled just in time for the Winter Olympics.

Lizotte is our guest on tonight’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

New research might help explain why some Ontario teenagers are feeling so distressed these days.

The study, published in the journal Addiction, analyzed data from more than 35,000 students in grades seven through 12 — and found that symptoms of depression and anxiety nearly tripled over the past decade, from 10.7 per cent in 2013 to 27.4 per cent in 2023.

At the same time, researchers also found that youth who used cannabis 40 or more times a year reported an 18 per cent higher prevalence of psychological distress in 2023.

Does that mean cannabis use is contributing to youth mental health problems? Or are some teens turning to the drug to help cope with those problems?

Our guest on tonight’s Closer Look podcast is André McDonald, a post-doctoral fellow at McMaster University and the lead author of the study.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Donald Trump’s tariffs have forced Canada to take a hard look in the mirror. Simply put, a national economy based around U.S. dependency is no longer viable.

Is it also time to rethink how we deliver postsecondary education in Canada? A new report says yes — and that the necessary changes must be “urgent and coordinated.”

Released back in October by the Royal Bank of Canada, the report calls for a “postsecondary pivot” to advance national goals, including a focus on defence and space exploration, artificial intelligence and major energy projects.

Some of the notable proposals include retraining auto workers for the shipbuilding and space sectors, teaching AI skills across all academic disciplines, and positioning Canada as NATO’s “firefighting nation.”

On tonight's episode of Closer Look, we revisit our interview with Jackie Pichette, director of skills policy for RBC Thought Leadership.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Four stars? More like five-alarm fire.

‘Heated Rivalry’ is about as hot as a TV show can get, reaching huge audiences and critical acclaim across the globe.

Filmed in Guelph, Hamilton, Dundas and Toronto, the made-in-Canada Crave series has also been quite a boon for local tourism, as fans of the show flock to visit some of the sites where the show was shot — including Dundurn Castle and the Sleeman Centre, home of the Guelph Storm.

Joining us on tonight’s episode of Closer Look to talk about the hit show — and the many hometown connections — is reporter Taylor Pace, one of our colleagues at GuelphToday.

You can read her latest Heated Rivalry feature story HERE.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

No matter how you crunch the numbers, the answer comes out the same: Ontario hospitals are desperate for more money.

Last week, the Ontario Hospital Association told the Ford government that the sector is facing a structural deficit of $1-billion — a situation that requires not only more money this year, but a predictable, multi-year funding plan.

A separate report says the problem is actually much worse. Released this week by the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, the report says the provincial government would need to increase core funding by $3.2 billion in order to match per capita hospital spending in other provinces.

A spokesperson for Health Minister Sylvia Jones called the union's interpretation “misguided.”

“Ontario is proud to have one of the largest publicly funded health-care systems in the world, with the largest health-care workforce in Canada, and we continue to make record investments in our health-care system, including investing $91.5 billion this year alone, a $30 billion increase since 2018,” the spokesperson said.

Michael Hurley, president of Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, is our guest on tonight’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Imagine a world where every weekend is a long weekend.

For Joe O’Connor, it’s no pipe dream. He’s been pushing the concept of a four-day workweek for a long time — and he’s convinced plenty of organizations to embrace his vision and reap the rewards.

To be clear, O’Connor is not advocating that people squeeze 40 hours of work into four days. Instead, he is trumpeting the many benefits of a 32-hour workweek.

Not convinced? Check out his new book, co-authored by journalist Jared Lindzon: Do More in Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek.

O’Connor is our guest on tonight’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

Eight years ago, the entire country mourned alongside the tight-knit community of Humboldt, Saskatchewan.

A bus carrying the local junior hockey team — the Humboldt Broncos — collided with a transport truck on April 6, 2018, killing 16 people and injuring 13 others.

Last week, Netflix released a teaser about a new fictional series that sounds eerily familiar: a team in a working-class town where hockey is everything — until a bus crash kills a group of young players and their coach.

The show’s concept doesn’t sit well with a lot of people, including some who lost loved ones in the Humboldt crash. One of the family members speaking out is Scott Thomas, whose 18-year-old son, Evan, was among the players who died.

Thomas is our guest on tonight’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott

For residents of northern Ontario, it’s always tempting to poke fun at how people in southern Ontario react to a heavy dumping of snow.

But the huge storm that hit the GTA this weekend was no laughing matter. The onslaught broke all kinds of weather records — including in Toronto, where Sunday’s total snowfall (46.2 cm) smashed the previous single-day high of 39.9 cm.

How bad was it? In Burlington, a city councillor took to social media today to tell local high school students that if they break out a shovel, their digging would count toward their mandatory volunteer hours.

Joining us on tonight’s episode of Closer Look is a person who has spent her career examining the forecast: Kim MacDonald, a longtime national host at The Weather Network.

Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Fresh episodes drop every Monday to Friday at 7 p.m. right in your local news feed — and on the show’s dedicated website: closerlookpodcast.ca. Of course, you can also find us wherever you get your favourite podcasts.

Want to be the first to know when a new episode lands? Sign up for our free nightly newsletter, which delivers the latest Closer Look straight to your email inbox. You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Have something to say? Please reach out. Our email address is [email protected].

Reach out to Frisco and Scott