Jon Liedtke joined The Gene Valaitis Show on Niagara's 610 CKTB to discuss the controversial divestment by Stellantis from the NextStar Energy battery plant in Windsor, Ontario to LG Energy Solutions.

During the segment, Liedtke and Valaitis explored several critical points regarding the state of the Canadian automotive industry:

The "$100" Stake Sale: Stellantis liquidated its 49% stake in the brand-new $6 billion joint venture for a mere $100, despite having already invested $1 billion in "cold hard cash" into the project.

Corporate Retreat vs. Pivot: While local investment agencies characterized the move as a "strategic pivot" for operational certainty, Liedtke argued it was a "corporate withdrawal" intended to escape future liabilities and debt.

A National Pattern: Liedtke noted that Stellantis is reportedly pursuing a similar strategy in Indiana with its Samsung StarPlus venture, indicating a broader move away from direct ownership of battery manufacturing.

The Subsidy Shift: The discussion highlighted how the EV transition has faltered as government subsidies have changed, specifically noting the loss of the Biden-era subsidies following political shifts in the United States.

The Chinese EV Threat: They discussed the entry of inexpensive Chinese EVs into the Canadian market, noting that while they offer advanced technology like integrated drones and "hot" designs, they raise severe national security concerns and labor issues due to the use of slave labor in China.


Industry in Decline: Valaitis pointed out that Ontario's conventional car production has plummeted from 3.5 million units annually to 1.5 million, leading to significant layoffs in hubs like Oshawa.

Jon Liedtke joined The Gene Valaitis Show on Niagara's 610 CKTB to discuss: In the fast-moving world of international diplomacy, sometimes the biggest headlines are written in 280 characters or less. 610 CKTB's veteran host Gene Valaitis & Jon Liedtke unpacked a week of unprecedented social media activity from President Donald Trump.

 From racially charged AI-generated imagery superimposing the Obamas onto primates, to sudden threats against the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the conversation dives deep into the "repost-and-retreat" tactics defining Trump's rhetoric. Is it a calculated distraction from the ongoing Epstein file revelations, or a dangerous new shift in Canada-U.S. relations?

Gene Valaitis and Jon Liedtke discuss Canadian unity amid Alberta secessionists "treasonously" seeking $500 billion in U.S. financing to exit confederation, comparable to the "Russian pretext" of manufactured regional grievances & security umbrellas. The conversation warns that if the federal union fails, the resulting economic "cardiac arrest" would devastate the country’s manufacturing heartland, shifting Canada’s status from a sovereign partner to a mere "resource colony" for a predatory U.S. administration.

In this episode, 610CKTB's Gene Valaitis welcomes Jon Liedtke to discuss the "horror movie" currently unfolding across the North American political landscape. From civil unrest in the United States to leadership uncertainty in Canada, the two dive into the systemic instability defining the current era.

From the gentlemanly "Whiskey War" to a nightmarish era of "might makes right," the rules of Arctic diplomacy have shattered. As the U.S. eyes Greenland and Canada contemplates a "Taliban-style" defense strategy, Jon Liedtke argues we are woefully unprepared for an asymmetric future where being an ally is now conditional.

President Trump’s statecraft is driven more by Hollywood plotlines than intelligence briefings. From the annexation of Greenland to "The Purge"-style crime policies, the "Binger-in-Chief" treats the world as a cinematic set. U.S. policy has become a dangerous feedback loop of movie tropes and "Central Casting" optics, leaving the nation trapped in a high-stakes narrative most never bought tickets for.

100 years ago today, while families slept and dreamed of eggnog and wrapping paper, the Windsor-Detroit riverfront was anything but peaceful. It was Christmas week, 1925, and the frozen river had become the "Windsor-Detroit funnel"—the epicenter of a global black market for alcohol.

In a recent segment, Jon Liedtke joined Gene Valaitis on 610CKTB to discuss his article, Rumrunner’s Christmas: When a frozen Detroit River ran on Whiskey-fueled Studebakers.

It’s the story of how a frozen river, a legal loophole, souped-up vehicles, and Canadian whiskey kept the Roaring Twenties roaring in the United States, how Windsor was a silent co-founding partner of Las Vegas, and how "The Big Flip" occurred, switching Canada from the supplier of whiskey to the gatekeepers of American alcohol due to retaliatory tariffs & actions.

Jon Liedtke joins 610 CKTB's Gene Valaitis to discuss the December 14, 2025 targeted terrorist attack at a “Chanukah by the Sea” celebration in Bondi Beach, Australia, that resulted in the murder of fifteen Jewish people, including a 10-year-old child and an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor.

The perpetrators—an ISIS-radicalized father and son—exploited severe systemic failures within Australia’s security apparatus. Despite the son being on a national security watchlist since 2019 and the pair recently visiting a known jihadist hub in the Philippines, the father maintained a legal firearms license for six weapons under the same roof as the son. This disconnect between intelligence databases and gun registries allowed a high-risk household to remain armed, leading to a daylight mass-execution that sent shockwaves through the global Jewish community and the world more broadly.

While the tragedy highlights a breakdown in security, it also brought forward acts of profound heroism and communal resilience. 

Ahmed Al Ahmed, a Syrian refugee and local shop owner, risked his life to tackle one of the shooters, sustaining multiple injuries while successfully disarming the attacker. This act of cross-community bravery stands in stark contrast to the hate that fueled the massacre. 

Boris and Sofia Gurman, 69 and 61 respectively, attempted to prevent one of the terrorists from opening fire on a highway. After several minutes of struggling back and forth, the terrorist overpowered them, regained his weapon, and shot the two of them, with both dying.

May their memories be blessings.

In Windsor, Ontario, the local Jewish community mirrored this resilience by proceeding with its annual riverfront Hanukkah lighting under heavy police protection. Supported by local officials, the event served as a necessary act of defiance against a backdrop of increasing threats and a refusal to allow international terror to silence local Jewish life.

The Bondi massacre serves as a dire warning for Canada, where antisemitism has reached record levels. According to B’nai Brith Canada, 2024 saw 6,219 reported incidents—an average of 17 per day and a 124% increase since 2022. This surge includes a nationwide pattern of violence, from the firebombing of synagogues in Montreal to repeated shootings at Jewish schools in Toronto. 

As Australia moves to close its legislative and security gaps, Canada faces its own reckoning regarding the normalization of hate and the radicalization occurring within its borders. The escalating data suggests that without urgent, decisive intervention and improved security protocols, the risks to the Canadian Jewish community remain at an all-time high.

Why does Canada’s cannabis landscape look like a "patchwork quilt"? I recently joined the Gene Valaitis Show on 610CKTB to unpack the legal tug-of-war defining the industry.

Based on my latest article, we discussed the vital distinction between Federal Paramountcy and Provincial Restrictiveness. I explained how Ottawa built the legal "floor" (decriminalization), while provinces constructed the "walls"—creating a reality where business rules and home-grow rights change dramatically across borders.

We explored the friction between public health and market access, citing insights from industry experts like sociologist Andrew Hathaway and lawyer Trina Fraser. Whether it’s the confusion around consumption lounges or the ban on home cultivation in certain provinces, we break down why this complexity is a constitutional feature, not a flaw.

Listen to the full interview below to learn how to navigate Canada’s regulatory maze

Jon Liedtke joins The Gene Valaitis Show on Niagara’s 610CKTB to discuss the ongoing debate about speed cameras in Ontario and whether they are truly about road safety or merely a revenue generating tool.
Many residents and even politicians, have long viewed them as a the latter and simply a cash grab. This perspective has been reinforced by the recent focus on “lost revenues” -millions of dollars that have disappeared from municipal coffers – rather than any measurable decline in road safety concerns since the cameras’ status changed. Conversely, some who support the cameras argue that objecting to them is essentially arguing for the right to break the law without consequence.

Adding a layer of unintended political irony to the conversation is the Ford government’s recent track record on signage and decals. The speed camera issue is now part of a “three-run streak” of high-profile “flubs” involving materials that were either too big, didn’t stick, or didn’t reflect properly. This includes the gas-pump anti-carbon tax stickers which couldn’t stick, license plates that couldn’t be read at night by police (or anyone), and the current problem with speed camera signs being too large for some municipalities’ existing street poles, prompting the provincial government to pay – at our collective expense – to replace the poles.

This series of public failures related to basic administrative materials has resulted in “bad optics” for the government. The irony is particularly sharp given the Premier’s background as a former CEO of a labels company. While these mistakes may not reflect poorly on the overall governance, they certainly hurt the public image of a “competent businessman,” as he is seen to be failing in a realm where he should be a “master of the universe”.