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With a brand new theme song and team, Midweek returned to the CKCU-FM airwaves this week to kick off its Winter 2026 season.

Reporters arrived bright and early in Midweek’s newsroom located at Richcraft Hall and hit the ground running on their same-day stories. Scripts were printed and packaged with minutes to spare before air time, and excitement was high.

Our hosts Marley Bradfield and Laura Gillis guided listeners through a series of interviews, docs, and more that covered local issues as well as arts and culture events in Ottawa.

This week’s show featured many stories related to Ottawa’s transit service. Samantha Carrillo Brito interviewed local filmmaker Gio Petti about his new documentary “The Train to Nowhere” where they discussed the LRT Line 2’s past and present. Maia Tustonic also contributed two separate interviews: one with Alto’s Peter Paz about Canada’s first high-speed train project, and another with Free Transit Ottawa’s Donald Swartz about OC Transpo’s proposed fare hike.

Hockey was another popular topic this week: Marley Bradfield spoke with Jean-Francois Plante, the Ottawa Charge’s media and community relations manager to talk about the Charge’s final game before the Olympic send-off, while Alea St.Jacques spoke with Stephen Spence of Ottawa Pride Hockey to discuss the significance of the television series “Heated Rivalry” for queer athletes.

In addition to the variety of recorded content produced, we also successfully produced TWO live tape talks! Leia Fourney discussed the importance of third spaces for Korean-Canadians, featuring interviews with a local photographer and hip-hop artist, while Jadie Leung gave an informative explainer about carbon monoxide poisoning in light of the Ontario Fire Code’s new regulations.

We even had a live interview with Carleton Political Science and Political Economy PhD student Josée Lalonde to discuss Premier Doug Ford’s involvement with Canadian defense manufacturer Roshel’s contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Some of our reporters also kept our listeners up to date on various community and arts events taking place across the city, including an erasure poetry event, a music fundraiser for the Ottawa Humane Society, Ottawa’s DJ scene, and the premiere of a new sci-fi musical taking place at the Gladstone Theatre.

While the beginning of the day was filled with a bit of initial panic, our reporters felt relief and more confident knowing that their first show was a success.

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It’s a wrap—almost!

Our final Midweek of the season walked before it could run. Reporter Zoe Pierce spoke to one of the leaders of a movement movement—”designed walking,” which combines route planning with storytelling, and social interaction.

Then, the fallout of a racist act of vandalism at a grocery store in Ottawa’s Chinatown. Midweek’s Colson Swinarchin sat down with the head of the neighbourhood’s BIA to discuss how hateful acts hurt us all.

In happier happenings, Pierce joined hosts Marilyn Madlion and Matthew Garwolinski to break down Carleton University’s historic women’s basketball win in Brazil this past weekend. The Ravens were undefeated through their entire International University Sports Federation three-on-three Basketball University World Cup run, becoming the first Canadian team to take home the gold.

In other student news, Swinarchin returned with the head of a environmental activist group, which is getting young people involved with climate action through its annual summit at Carleton this weekend.

Reporter Allison Young gave us the latest on Ottawa’s plans to bid on a private landfill in the east end from Capital Ward councillor Shawn Menard. Following a more than two-hour closed session council meeting, councillors voted to approve the bid just after the show ended.

In an arts update, Midweek’s Clarisa Gonzalez joined our hosts in studio to break down how a local arts organization is challenging artistic ideals with more representative depictions of the human form.

Going back to city hall, reporter Julie Chadwick had more on a simple ask from Ottawa’s finest. Firefighters are asking for just over $50,000 to put a washer and dryer in every fire station—something advocates say would greatly reduce their high risk of cancers and other occupational illnesses.

In our last reporter deep-dive of the fall term, Madlion shone a light on a recent rash of kidnappings in Nigeria. Hundreds of schoolchildren and staff have been taken in recent weeks by a to-be-named extremist group.

Taking things back to Ottawa, Midweek’s Hannah Daramola dove into the pile of clothes forming at the Carleton University Women’s Centre ahead of a winter gear swap.

And in what might be a genuine first for the program, Garwolinski rounded out the season with an honest-to-goodness nature documentary about Ottawa’s raven-haired (and feathered, and beaked, and taloned) residents.

Midweek will return with an all-new production crew in January.

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We’ve reached the final third! 

Veterans were top of mind and top of show this week. 

On Remembrance Day, reporter Matthew Garwolinski visited the Canadian War Museum and host Holly Joth-Smith attended Carleton University’s Remembrance Day ceremony. Both heard stories of family connections, wartime valour, and why we honour the occasion.

Zoe Pierce then sat down with the head of Carleton University’s College of Humanities, Shane Hawkins, to discuss the University of Ottawa’s recently-suspended honours program in Greek and Roman studies, and whether the same could happen at Carleton. 

Midweek’s Allie Cruzado joined Joth-Smith and co-host Alex Scott in studio to talk about how two recent typhoons are hitting close to home for Filipinos, in Ottawa and Manila alike. 

Reporter Marilyn Madlion spoke to a local Black entrepreneur about how the closure of one business during the COVID-19 pandemic spawned a hub for Ottawa’s Black community and its artisans.

Pierce returned with the success of a recent musical fundraiser for youth mental health, and its planned second iteration next year. Also in fundraising, Cruzado dropped into the United Way’s garage sale at Carleton, with money set for various causes across Eastern Ontario. 

Joth-Smith wasn’t the only host to attend an event this week––Scott attended Ottawa’s climate change preparation panel and took listeners through what they need to know about the city’s mitigation plans and how they can prepare for extreme weather events.

With the Minoshkite Indigenous Music and Arts Festival back for a third year this week, reporter Clarisa Gonzalez had more on what makes it an important part of Ottawa’s cultural landscape. 

Scott then presented his interview with one of the leaders of a cycling advocacy group protesting provincial Bill 60. The legislation is aimed at building new homes and infrastructure more quickly, but has drawn heavy criticism for measures making it easier to evict tenants and harder to build bike lanes, among other issues.

Closing out the show and completed just in time, Joth-Smith and Pierce joined forces for an interview with Sky News Africa journalist, Yousra Elbagir, ahead of her talk at Carleton. Elbagir will give Carleton’s annual Peter Stursburg Foreign Correspondent Lecture on Nov. 13, addressing selective empathy for Sudan. 

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We’ve reached the final third! 

Veterans were top of mind and top of show this week.

On Remembrance Day, reporter Matthew Garwolinski visited the Canadian War Museum and host Holly Joth-Smith attended Carleton University’s Remembrance Day ceremony. Both heard stories of family connections, wartime valour, and why we honour the occasion.

Zoe Pierce then sat down with the head of Carleton University’s College of Humanities, Shane Hawkins, to discuss the University of Ottawa’s recently-suspended honours program in Greek and Roman studies, and whether the same could happen at Carleton. 

Midweek’s Allie Cruzado joined Joth-Smith and co-host Alex Scott in studio to talk about how two recent typhoons are hitting close to home for Filipinos, in Ottawa and Manila alike. 

Reporter Marilyn Madlion spoke to a local Black entrepreneur about how the closure of one business during the COVID-19 pandemic spawned a hub for Ottawa’s Black community and its artisans.

Pierce returned with the success of a recent musical fundraiser for youth mental health, and its planned second iteration next year. Also in fundraising, Cruzado dropped into the United Way’s garage sale at Carleton, with money set for various causes across Eastern Ontario. 

Joth-Smith wasn’t the only host to attend an event this week––Scott attended Ottawa’s climate change preparation panel and took listeners through what they need to know about the city’s mitigation plans and how they can prepare for extreme weather events.

With the Minoshkite Indigenous Music and Arts Festival back for a third year this week, reporter Clarisa Gonzalez had more on what makes it an important part of Ottawa’s cultural landscape. 

Scott then presented his interview with one of the leaders of a cycling advocacy group protesting provincial Bill 60. The legislation is aimed at building new homes and infrastructure more quickly, but has drawn heavy criticism for measures making it easier to evict tenants and harder to build bike lanes, among other issues.

Closing out the show and completed just in time, Joth-Smith and Pierce joined forces for an interview with Sky News Africa journalist, Yousra Elbagir, ahead of her talk at Carleton. Elbagir will give Carleton’s annual Peter Stursburg Foreign Correspondent Lecture on Nov. 13, addressing selective empathy for Sudan. 

As we wrapped our show, one Midweek reporter made a startling discovery: four people wearing the same outfit!

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Is it November already?

This week’s production of Midweek began with another update from Alex Scott on Ottawa’s planned $400-million renovation of Landsdowne Place, before it goes to city councillors for a vote on Friday.

Host Julie Chadwick spoke to a Carleton University sociology professor to discuss a new draft policy preventing Carleton-affiliated people and organizations from issuing collective statements on public matters—something critics say limits academic expression.

Fellow host Clarisa Gonzalez sat down with an Ottawa councillor to talk about the more than $500,000 in property tax relief councillors recent approved for 16 affordable housing properties across the city.

After, reporter Zoe Pierce took listeners through the pitter-patter of paws at the EY Centre this past weekend as Ottawa’s largest family pet show returned to town for a lucky 13th year. And taking us to the midway point, Chadwick heard from the leadership of the Sierra Club, an environmental NGO that is one of several groups pushing back against a proposed nuclear waste dump set to be built a single kilometre from the Ottawa River.

In the second half: as the city seeks to improve its nightlife, some residents are taking the chance to nudge programming in a more community-focused direction. Gonzalez gave us a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities of diversifying Ottawa’s nightlife.

Cancer may be no laughing matter, but it’s how one local charity event is raising money for research—reporter Colson Swinarchin gave us a sneak peek at this year’s Laughter For Cancer fundraiser.

Marigolds, skulls, and guitar strums—next came a recap from Matthew Garwolinski on this past weekend’s Day of the Dead celebrations in the Byward Market. When it comes to avoiding death, Hannah Daramola spoke to the chair of Carleton’s Firearm Association for some key hunting and firearms safety tips, as deer and moose season opens in Ontario.

Closing out the episode, Canada could lose its measles elimination status after nearly three decades. Allison Young spoke to a University of Ottawa professor who researches infectious disease through mathematic models about why the Pan-American Health Organization plans to vote on the matter this month.

For the sake of time, we had to leave a few stories on the cutting room floor this week—but you haven’t heard the last of those unheard items. This week’s podcast features four full additional stories—a fundraiser you’ll leaf laughing, a Lanark County artist opening her home to the public, why Carleton students love singing badly, and what we should keep top of mind this Treaties Recognition Week.

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Leading the hour, reporter Alex Scott heard the latest on the proposed $400-million upgrades to Lansdowne Park, from one of the residents leading the charge against it. Then, the launch of a new lecture series in honour of Women’s History Month—Allie Cruzado sat down with the head of The Women’s History Project ahead of the inaugural event.

Julie Chadwick was at the Ottawa Antiquarian Book Fest this past weekend to learn about the art of making books and why some people can’t get enough of that old book smell. Also in arts, Holly Joth-Smith spoke with the Centretown BIA about the end of a pilot program providing colourful spaces in Ottawa—and potentially, the start of it being a yearly affair.

Moving onto greener pastures (or thumbs), Allison Young attended the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library’s first seed giveaway of the fall to find out why native plants are vital to the Ottawa Valley and its people. Rounding out the top half, we heard from River Ward councillor Riley Brockington about the city’s unanimous decision to support its speed cameras amid provincial plans to scrap them.

In the bottom half of the hour, Midweek’s Colson Swinarchin spoke to luminary art historian Partha Mitter ahead of a lecture at Carleton University. Mitter had published similar arguments to those found in Edward Said’s landmark text, Orientalism, a year before that book took the academic world by storm.

In the spirit of the spooky season, three back-to-back stories focused on celebrations of the macabre. We started with a look at how Carleton is honouring the day after Halloween—Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead—a Latin-American holiday filled with joyful celebrations of those who have passed.

Then, a weekend trick-or-treating event showed us the more frightful side of City Hall, not to mention scaring up donations for the Ottawa Food Bank. Finally, a preview into the paranormal—we heard from Scientific Investigation of Paranormal Activity Canada, Ottawa-based ghost-hunters with a more skeptical approach to the paranormal.

And rounding out the show, we had some predictions and analysis going into game five of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. Andrew Zuber, host of the Less Than Jays podcast, talked starting pitchers and dramatic wins, leaving just enough time left to catch the game (several hours).

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Is it time for a break already?

In our last show before Fall Reading Week, Midweek’s Holly Joth-Smith opened with a look at Pride Week celebrations at Carleton University. Then, Zoe Pierce sat down with a computer science expert to discuss how and how much artificial intelligence is changing the workforce.

Coming out of Thanksgiving weekend, Matthew Garwolinski got the latest from Ottawa’s biggest food bank on how food insecurity doesn’t break for the holidays. Then, how students are using baked goods to raise money and awareness for Palestinians—plus a candlelight vigil in remembrance.

We heard from a local Indigenous advocate on how Bill C-5 is bringing provinces together but cutting out First Nations. Rounding out the top half, Clarisa Gonzalez talked to a finalist in this year’s prestigious Sobey Art Award to learn how she translates traditional practices for an international audience.

In the bottom of the hour, Zoe Pierce rooted out Ottawa’s most insidious invader—a family of non-native shrubs —and what a set of community organizations is doing to stop it.

Next, back-to-back stories from reporter Allie Cruzado. A Korean film festival returns to Ottawa for another year, focused on bringing webcomics to the big screen—then, how Carleton’s student association is buying bottles to help students be more green.

Midweek’s Marilyn Madlion spoke with an engineering student about his app connecting other student entrepreneurs to customers. And finally, a preview into our healthcare system’s future as it becomes more private and for-profit.

It was down to the wire this week as waited for our final items to come in ahead of our noon airtime. But panic was not on anyone’s mind—not visibly, anyways. Thanks to some behind-the-scenes shuffling, our hour came and went without too many hurdles.

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Go, Ravens, Go! More on that later.

Entertainment was front and centre this week.

Reporter Julie Chadwick sat down with the great-great-great niece of Black publishing trailblazer Mary Ann Shadd Cary, at the launch of an annual lecture series in her honour. Next, Clarisa Gonzalez gave us a look at Ottawa’s newest film festival, Genre Gems, focused on twisting and subverting classic genres.

Allison Young took us inside a new program aimed at helping Canadians buy Canadian books, followed by Hannah Daramola’s story on a book fair aimed at helping Canadians buy non-Canadian books—specifically from Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula.

Hosts Zoe Pierce and Colson Swinarchin welcomed our first live guest of the season, Carleton University psychology professor Joanna Pozzulo, to talk about the school’s upcoming mental health day and advocacy award.

Kicking off the bottom half, Pierce took us onto the field at Lansdowne TD Place for Carleton’s win over the University of Ottawa in this past weekend’s Panda Game. We heard from both sides of the not-so-bitter rivalry both on and off the green.

Keeping with sports, Swinarchin then gave us a look at a less-talked-about Carleton team, as our baseball club heads to provincial championships for a shot at their first Ontario University Athletics gold.

Another less-talked-about issue: how currency exchange rates affect those getting their education abroad—Marilyn Madlion joined our hosts in-studio for a deep dive into the issues she and other international students are facing as the Nigerian naira fluctuates.

At end of the program, a colourful look at the end of Carleton’s annual butterfly show, followed by a sneak peek of a Persian film showcase on campus.

As with any live media, a changing schedule meant having to react on the fly. However, cool heads and weeks of practice got us to air at noon regardless.

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Midweek’s second show this term started with a drug awareness seminar at Carleton University—reporter Holly Joth-Smith found out about harm reduction ahead of high-risk situations. Then, Allie Cruzado took us back to yesterday’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and how a local Inuk musician is keeping throat-singing alive.

Alex Scott scouted out the state of scouting recruitment post-pandemic, with a troop from Ottawa’s west end. After, Julie Chadwick pounced on the chance to show off Ottawa’s biggest cat lovers—not to mention best-groomed cats—at the city’s annual cat show.

Back-to-back stories on safety at the Panda Game rounded out our top half. In our first in-studio reporter hit of the season, Colson Swinarchin took hosts Allison Young and Julie Chadwick through the city-wide preparations for the annual football rivalry match.

At the bottom of the hour: making Centretown safer with a proposal to ban right turns on red lights. After, a look at artificial intelligence, news influencers, and other issues in independent media from industry insiders.

The arts rounded out this week’s show, with Midweek’s Hannah Daramola taking us through how Indigenous artists and academics are coming together to keep reconciliation top of mind past Sept. 30. We had a look at an international live journalism production depicting life under constant drone surveillance in Gaza, and taking us to the hour, an upcoming panel on Indigenous art curation.

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