Cross Country Checkup

We rewind to May 1994, when Ontario was on the brink of a major shift in LGBTQ+ rights. Days before the legislature debated a bill to grant same‑sex couples full legal recognition, Canadians called Cross Country Checkup to weigh in. This archive episode reveals how the country was thinking, arguing and evolving — and what it tells us about how far we’ve come.

This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in where we ask whether private menopause clinics are providing necessary treatments or promoting a two tier system? Private options are popping up across the country while many women face long wait-lists to find the right care.

As we mark Mother's Day this weekend, ICYMI digs back into the archives from a show that aired on Mother's Day back 1988. Many young women at the time were pushing back against the idea that they -- like their mothers -- would be at home with the kids and managing the household. Callers weighed in on the question: do all women eventually become their mothers?

Manitoba could become the first place in the world to ban AI chatbots for kids. While Australia has banned social media for youth under 16, Manitoba says regulation would include AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude. We hear from experts, parents and young people about what they think of the idea.

A new Ipsos survey found that 1 in 3 women will have to wait for more than 2 years to find effective treatment for menopause. To fill that need, private menopause clinics are popping up across the country. We hear from patients and practitioners about the rise of these private options in a country known for public healthcare.

This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in where we ask whether a career in the trades, or a university degree is the way to go in 2026. The federal government wants to hire 100-thousand trades workers. Want some advice for the young person in your life? Our experts weigh-in on where the job market of tomorrow is headed.

The deadline to collect signatures has passed for the Stay Free Alberta petition. The leaders of the separatist movement say they have the support to force a referendum, but a court injunction may stop the process. Should Alberta hold a vote on separating from Canada? From separatists to federalists -- we hear the answer to that question from every possible perspective.

The federal government says it will hire 100-thousand tradespeople to help build it's promised infrastructure projects. Canadians are twice as likely to advise young people to go into the trades -- but is the right call? We'll hear the arguments for both, as well as the advice of a career councillor.

It was ten years ago this week that a wildfire started raging southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. It would lead the largest wildfire evacuation in Canadian history. On ICYMI, from Checkup's show on May 8th, 2016, we hear from two evacuees shortly after they left the their homes behind.

This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in on sports betting ads. Former Canadian Olympian Bruce Kidd wants sports betting ads banned…but the Canadian Gaming Association says this will make things worse. Should they be completely banned? We'll hear from both sides of the debate.