Echo Essentials Podcast

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by candidates on this program are their own and are not necessarily those of North Bay Echo, its hosts, producers, or sponsors. Sponsors had no input on guest selection or interview questions, and sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. All registered candidates for the 2026 North Bay municipal election were invited to participate, and no candidate paid to appear. Statements made by candidates have not been independently verified.

In this special election series of Echo Essentials, North Bay council candidates Johanne Brousseau, Glen Langlois and Tanya Vrebosch sit down for an in-depth conversation about their priorities, experience, and ideas for the city ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

The discussion covers some of the biggest issues facing North Bay, including the new arena build, council co-operation, and holding elected officials accountable for their campaign promises. 

Polls open for online voting on October 15, 2026 at 10 A.M. and close on October 26, 2026 at 8 P.M.

0:00 Introductions
3:27 Meet the Candidates
10:40 Previous Council Term
23:29 The New Arena Build 
39:06 Council Working Together
49:45 Accountability and Keeping Promises
1:04:00 Closing Remarks

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by candidates on this program are their own and are not necessarily those of North Bay Echo, its hosts, producers, or sponsors. Sponsors had no input on guest selection or interview questions, and sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. All registered candidates for the 2026 North Bay municipal election were invited to participate, and no candidate paid to appear. Statements made by candidates have not been independently verified.

In this special election series of Echo Essentials, North Bay council candidates Jordaan Allison, Caroline Corbett and Dave Mendicino sit down for an in-depth conversation about their priorities, experience, and ideas for the city ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

The discussion covers some of the biggest issues facing North Bay, including the previous council term, what they are hearing from voters, housing and affordability and education in our community.

Polls open for online voting on October 15, 2026 at 10 A.M. and close on October 26, 2026 at 8 P.M.

0:00 Introductions
3:20 Meet the Candidates
10:00 Previous Council Term
21:01 Bringing in Data to Make Informed Decisions
31:38 Housing
45:20 What are Voters Saying?
54:45 Near North District School Board and Education
1:08:00 Closing Remarks

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by candidates on this program are their own and are not necessarily those of North Bay Echo, its hosts, producers, or sponsors. Sponsors had no input on guest selection or interview questions, and sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. All registered candidates for the 2026 North Bay municipal election were invited to participate, and no candidate paid to appear. Statements made by candidates have not been independently verified.

In this special election series of Echo Essentials, North Bay council candidates Sara Inch, Chris Mayne and Mike Taylor sit down for an in-depth conversation about their priorities, experience, and ideas for the city ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

The discussion covers some of the biggest issues facing North Bay, including the housing crisis and addiction in the community, the city budget, and PFAS.

Polls open for online voting on October 15, 2026 at 10 A.M. and close on October 26, 2026 at 8 P.M.



0:00 Introductions
3:20 Meet the Candidates
8:30 City Budget
34:05 Housing
50:30 PFAS
1:05:00 Closing Remarks

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by candidates on this program are their own and are not necessarily those of North Bay Echo, its hosts, producers, or sponsors. Sponsors had no input on guest selection or interview questions, and sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. All registered candidates for the 2026 North Bay municipal election were invited to participate, and no candidate paid to appear. Statements made by candidates have not been independently verified.

In this special election series of Echo Essentials, North Bay council candidates Johanna Kristolaitis, Eric Morgan and Bill Vrebosch sit down for an in-depth conversation about their priorities, experience, and ideas for the city ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

The discussion covers some of the biggest issues facing North Bay, including the previous council term, accessibility issues in the city and how they can be improved, accountability from councillors, and how to improve our image to the decision makers at the provincial level.

Polls open for online voting on October 15, 2026 at 10 A.M. and close on October 26, 2026 at 8 P.M.

0:00 Introductions
3:38 Meet the Candidates
12:24 The Last Term of Council
22:57 Accessibility in the City
35:41 Accountability
55:45 Budgets
1:07:00 How to Improve our Image as a City at the Provincial Level
1:13:10 Closing Remarks

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by candidates on this program are their own and are not necessarily those of North Bay Echo, its hosts, producers, or sponsors. Sponsors had no input on guest selection or interview questions, and sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. All registered candidates for the 2026 North Bay municipal election were invited to participate, and no candidate paid to appear. Statements made by candidates have not been independently verified.

In this special election series of Echo Essentials, North Bay council candidates Mark King, Justine Mallah and Randall Tilander sit down for an in-depth conversation about their priorities, experience, and ideas for the city ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

The discussion covers some of the biggest issues facing North Bay, including the previous council term, Vision 2027, how to get a council to work together, and affordability and housing.

Polls open for online voting on October 15, 2026 at 10 A.M. and close on October 26, 2026 at 8 P.M.

0:00 Introductions
3:55 Meet the Candidates
15:12 The Last Term of Council
29:30 Vision 2027
39:30 How to Get Council to Work Together
1:03:00 Supporting Students in Post Secondary
1:10:00 Affordability and Housing
1:27:00 Closing Remarks

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by candidates on this program are their own and are not necessarily those of North Bay Echo, its hosts, producers, or sponsors. Sponsors had no input on guest selection or interview questions, and sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. All registered candidates for the 2026 North Bay municipal election were invited to participate, and no candidate paid to appear. Statements made by candidates have not been independently verified.

In this special election series of Echo Essentials, North Bay council candidates Dave Dale, Nathaniel Lachance and Lana Mitchell sit down for an in-depth conversation about their priorities, experience, and ideas for the city ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

The discussion covers some of the biggest issues facing North Bay, including housing and affordability, city spending, transparency and accountability, economic development, leadership at City Hall, arts and culture, and the future of community spaces such as the West Ferris Arena.

The candidates also respond to questions about the previous term of Council, public trust, and what they believe needs to change moving forward.

Polls open for online voting on October 15, 2026 at 10 A.M. and close on October 26, 2026 at 8 P.M.

0:00 Introductions
3:57 Meet the Candidates
15:00 DNSSAB
30:00 Accountability and Council Structure
46:20 PFAS
1:02:00 Closing Remarks

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by candidates on this program are their own and are not necessarily those of North Bay Echo, its hosts, producers, or sponsors. Sponsors had no input on guest selection or interview questions, and sponsorship does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. All registered candidates for the 2026 North Bay municipal election were invited to participate, and no candidate paid to appear. Statements made by candidates have not been independently verified.

In this special election series of Echo Essentials, North Bay mayoral candidates Connor Currie, Maggie Horsfield and Jamie Lowery sit down for an in-depth conversation about their priorities, experience, and vision for the city ahead of the 2026 municipal election.

The discussion covers some of the biggest issues facing North Bay, including housing and affordability, city spending, transparency and accountability, economic development, leadership at City Hall, arts and culture, and the future of community spaces such as the West Ferris Arena.

The candidates also respond to questions about the previous term of council, public trust, the mayor’s expense controversy, and what they believe needs to change moving forward. It’s a wide-ranging conversation designed to give voters a closer look at how each candidate approaches the challenges and opportunities facing North Bay.

Polls open for online voting on October 15th 2026 at 10 A.M. and close on October 26th 2026 at 8 P.M

0:00 Introductions
3:50 Meet the Candidates
12:48 Is Mayor a Full Time Job?
21:40 Leadership as Mayor
47:30 Housing and Affordability
56:06 Cassellholme and Castle Arms
1:13:20 Credit Card and Expenses
1:36:00 Leading Council as Mayor
1:45:19 Arts and Culture in North Bay
1:54:30 West Ferris Arena
2:06:00 Closing Remarks

In this episode of Echo Essentials, we take a closer look at a new piece of local tech that could change the way people shop for groceries.

Eric Dion, co-founder of Gofer.Run, joins the show to talk about the launch of the locally developed app designed to help consumers save money by comparing grocery prices and planning smarter shopping trips. Instead of guessing where the best deals are, the app scans flyers and store listings to help users map out the most cost-effective grocery run.

Eric shares the story behind the idea, how the app was built by a North Bay team, and what it was like bringing the project from concept to launch. We also talk about how the technology works, the role of AI in the platform, privacy considerations, and how users can customize their search radius to find the best prices available.

0:00 – Introducing the Gofer.Run App
6:42 – The Idea Behind the Platform
15:18 – How the App Finds the Best Grocery Deals
27:03 – AI, Privacy & Building the Technology
39:47 – What’s Next for Gofer.Run

On this episode of Echo Essentials, we take a closer look at snowmobile season in North Bay and Northern Ontario and what it really means for our region.

We’re joined by Shawn Flindall from the North Bay Snowmobile Club to talk about Snowmobile Safety Week, the realities of riding in ever-changing winter conditions, and the responsibility that comes with operating high-performance machines on community trail systems.

We also break down the bigger picture. Snowmobiling is not just a hobby. It represents billions of dollars in economic activity across Ontario and plays a major role in supporting small businesses, hotels, restaurants, and rural communities throughout the winter months.

But with that opportunity comes challenge. From trespassing concerns on private land to the cost and volunteer effort required to maintain thousands of kilometres of trails, the future of organized snowmobiling depends on cooperation, respect, and safety.

0:00 Intro
12:15 Snowmobile Safety Week Explained
27:06 The $5 Billion Snowmobile Industry
33:51Trespassing & Private Land Concerns
48:13 How Long Will the Season Last?

In this episode of Echo Essentials, we break down what’s behind North Bay’s banner year for housing development.

With 242 new dwelling units approved in 2025, more than double from 2024, we sit down with Councillor Justine Mallah and Beverley Hillier from Planning and Building Services to unpack what drove the surge.

We also take a look at the continuing development of the waterfront area and what the future holds for 2026 and beyond.



5:27 – 242 New Units: Breaking Down North Bay’s 2025 Housing Surge
12:31 – “Building Up, Not Out”
17:25 – Repurposing Schools Into Affordable Housing
50:15 – How City Funding & Grant Applications Actually Work