Echo Essentials Podcast

What hit Samuel de Champlain Provincial Park wasn’t a tornado. It was something else...

In this eye-opening episode of Echo Essentials, Chris Piekarski sits down for a call with Dr. David Sills, Director of the Northern Tornadoes Project, to talk about the storm that devastated part of Highway 17 East of North Bay, and how his team investigates extreme weather events across Ontario and Canada.

Dr. Sills also discusses how how downbursts differ from tornadoes, the science behind tree patterns, drone mapping, and the real reason why Ontario (not the Prairies) is now Canada's tornado hotspot. Chris also inquires if there is a direct correlation to the surge in storms in the province and climate change.

OUTLoud North Bay has been creating safe, affirming spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ youth for the past several years. In this week's episode, Chris Piekarski sits down with founder Seth Compton and volunteer Riley Ong to talk about their surprise invitation to meet the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward in Toronto — and the life-changing work that led to it.

The episode also discuss the emotional moment when Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor was brought to tears during her visit to OUTLoud's space, Riley's ascension into being a student leader at Canadore College, the mental health crises facing queer youth and how OUTLoud is committed to saving lives.

When a freak storm ripped through Bonfield, Ontario, no one was ready for what came next: 100+ damaged roadways, families stranded in parks, trees smashing into vehicles, and a state of emergency declared at 4 a.m.

In this episode of Echo Essentials, we sit down with Mayor Narry Paquette and Deputy Mayor Jason Corbett just days after the disaster. They walk Chris and Dave through how emergency response was mobilized in the middle of the night, and why small-town collaboration might be the secret to resilience. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor also outline what needs to happen next — from rebuilding roads to lobbying for funding at the provincial level.

00:00 – Intro
03:15 – How it all began: Late-night warnings & first emergency calls
09:40 – “We declared a state of emergency at 4 a.m.” — timeline breakdown
13:10 – Camping during chaos: A tree crashes on Deputy Mayor’s vehicle
17:40 – Over 100 road issues logged, crews deployed before midnight
22:00 – First responders bulldozing through fallen trees
25:30 – Community support: Neighbouring towns and private companies step in!
29:10 – Financial cost
33:00 – Provincial help, paperwork prep, and recovery planning
37:20 – Reflections on leadership, resilience, and lessons from 2008
41:00 – Final thoughts

Is North Bay doing enough to address its housing crisis? In this episode of Echo Essentials, City Councillor Justine Mallah opens up about the city's growing housing challenges—from affordability and zoning to the human impact on renters and first-time buyers.

She breaks down what City Hall is doing, the roadblocks in the way, and why transparency and collaboration are key to making progress.

00:00 – Intro
05:00 – The housing issue North Bay can’t ignore
10:00 – What the city is doing now
15:00 – Barriers to real progress: funding, zoning & red tape
20:00 – Council dynamics and political will
25:00 – Justine’s personal drive and values
30:00 – Community voices and public input
35:00 – Rental markets, development pressure, and downtown impacts
40:00 – What collaboration across sectors could look like
45:00 – Balancing urgent needs with long-term vision
50:00 – What Justine wishes more residents understood

What if kindness wasn’t just a feel-good gesture—but a psychological superpower?

In this special Kindness Week episode of Echo Essentials Dr. Andrew Weeks explores the neuroscience and social psychology behind compassion.

From community programs to deeply personal moments, this episode asks: Can kindness really change the way we live together?

In this episode of Echo Essentials, we sit down with Dr. Carol Zimbalatti, Medical Officer of Health/Health Executive for the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, to unpack the alarming resurgence of measles across Ontario and Canada — including confirmed cases in North Bay for the first time since 1995.

Whether you're a parent, educator, healthcare worker, or just someone trying to make sense of the headlines, this episode cuts through the noise with facts, compassion, and clarity. Measles isn’t just a relic illness from the past — it’s a present-day threat with real consequences. Join our co-hosts, Chris and Dave to find out what’s at stake, what you can do, and how protecting your community can start with making one key decision.

In this episode, we sit down with Rick Champagne, newly appointed Mayor of East Ferris, to talk about stepping into the role, the unexpected path to the mayor’s seat, and how the community is balancing growth with identity.

From his early volunteer work to the council’s decision that led to his appointment, Champagne shares candid thoughts on local leadership, development pressure, and what comes next for East Ferris.


00:00 – Intro
08:50 – Why Rick didn’t run last election
14:20 – Inside the appointment process and council vote
19:45 – The challenges of saying yes to the mayor’s seat
25:30 – Growth in East Ferris: boom or bubble?
31:00 – Roads, housing, and the pressures of development
36:30 – What Rick hopes to accomplish as mayor
41:15 – Looking ahead: regional collaboration and community vision
46:00 – Final thoughts

Constable Merv Shantz from the North Bay Police Service joins the show to talk about Ontario’s Road Safety Week — and what it actually looks like on the streets of North Bay.

From cell phone tickets and speeding hotspots to mobility scooters and modded bikes, this episode is a crash course in how enforcement works, what’s legal (and what’s not), and how to keep yourself safer on the road.

00:00 – Intro
05:15 – “150 collisions a month?” What’s really happening in North Bay
10:30 – Radar, LIDAR, and the tech behind traffic enforcement
15:45 – Who’s more dangerous: seniors or speeders?
21:00 – Top infractions in North Bay: speeding, cell phones, scooters
26:30 – The rise of enclosed mobility scooters & what’s legal
32:00 – Bikes, e-bikes & illegal gas-powered mods
37:15 – Seatbelt myths, fake belts & why enforcement still matters
42:30 – Roadside blitzes: 20+ tickets in a day & what they reveal
47:45 – Bald tires, spring driving & real maintenance risks
53:00 – Final tips for safer driving this summer

North Bay City Councillor Jamie Lowery joins us for a deep dive into one of North Bay’s most persistent political debates: the ward system.

Why has this idea resurfaced every election for 20+ years? What’s stopping the city from even studying it? And could a customized, hybrid system finally give residents the local representation they deserve?

00:00 – Intro
01:21 – Why we’re talking about the ward system now
05:07 – 20 years of political dodging: Why no one studies it
09:19 – Jamie Lowery joins the show
13:20 – What happened behind the scenes at council
17:30 – “$50,000 killed the conversation”
21:46 – What a made-for-North-Bay ward system could look like
26:07 – Representation vs. popularity: Who’s really on council?
30:47 – How at-large voting shuts out new voices
35:00 – Who would actually design a ward system?
39:00 – Should we cut council to make it work better?
44:13 – Electing a deputy mayor — or building stronger committees?
48:15 – Growing with purpose: what’s next for North Bay
53:10 – Engaging Gen Z & the next wave of local leaders
55:00 – Wrap-up

Spring has arrived—and so have the pests. From bedbugs and carpenter ants to fat spiders and cluster flies, pest season is officially here.

Geoff Richardson from Good Riddance Pest Control joins us for a practical, sometimes squirmy, conversation about what to expect this season, how to protect your home, and why some pest problems are more emotional than physical.

Chris and Dave also discuss some of the post election updates including Poilievre's attempt to run in Alberta.

00:00 – Intro & a different kind of pest
02:00 – Creepy crawlies and personal pest trauma
04:00 – Travel tips: avoiding bedbugs after vacation
06:00 – Post-election update: Poilievre & Carney
14:20 – Meet Jeff Richardson from Good Riddance
15:30 – Spring pest season: What’s showing up now
17:30 – Raid vs. professional pest control
20:00 – Spider season & safe treatment practices
23:00 – Bedbug breakdown: signs, smells, and behavior
27:00 – Heat vs. chemicals: how pros handle infestations
34:00 – Bedbugs in apartment buildings: what landlords miss
39:00 – Environmental rules & chemical safety
42:00 – Carpenter ants: chewing walls & how to stop them
48:00 – Rodents, bats & what’s actually considered a pest
54:00 – Outro