The federal government’s Bill C-9 would amend the Criminal Code to address hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places. But a human rights coalition says it threatens the Charter rights and civil liberties of all people in Canada, including those communities that the government wishes to protect. We speak with Tim McSorley of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group.

Off the Map features writers with lived experience of mental health issues. The anthology includes works of creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry on a wide range of subjects. Seema Shah is a visual artist and writer, and is one of the book’s editors. Pari Mokradi is an artist and writer who contributed to the anthology. They speak with us about the book and read an excerpt of their work.

The War on Cars podcast delivers news and commentary on the latest developments in the worldwide fight to undo the damage caused by cars. Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author, Doug Gordon is a TV producer, writer and safe streets advocate. Sarah and Doug are authors along with Aaron Naparstek of Life After Cars, a book that offers an overview of the societal and environmental costs of the automobile and the forces that have created our current crisis.

On September 19, MP Jenny Kwan tabled a new private member’s bill that would close the loophole allowing Canadian arms to flow to Israel through the United States. A coalition of civil-society groups including members of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East worked side by side with MP Jenny Kwan to draft Bill C-233. WE speak with Alex Paterson, senior director of Strategy and Parliamentary Affairs with CJPME.

Vancouver voters are entering the crazy season of municipal politics with just a little more than a year until they go to the polls and decide the fate of Mayor Ken Sim and his deeply-wounded ABC party. Ian Mass joins us to talk about this looming 2026 election, the candidates who have already declared that they will run for Mayor, the upcoming potentially massive cuts at City Hall and lots more.  

The National Farmers Union says Canadians are upset about higher grocery bills, but farmers’ incomes have not kept up with inflation. The NFU points out that revenues for retail grocery companies have increased despite a decrease in the volume of food purchased by Canadians. We speak with James Hannay, policy analyst at the NFU.

For years, landowners near the Metro Vancouver incinerator in Burnaby have reported substantial deposits accumulating on their properties, requiring annual cleaning. Finally, independent testing has revealed dangerous levels of dioxins, furans, and heavy metals in this dust. We speak with Sue Maxwell, chair of Zero Waste BC.

Bob Joseph started a conversation on the Indian Act with his book, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act, which became a national bestseller. And now, he’s followed up with an essential sequel, turning the focus to the alternatives. His new book, 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government has just been launched. We speak with Bob Joseph.

Changes in law that bring about more equality have complex roots, but they almost always start with someone who takes a stand. A new book examines ten of the legal cases that advanced women’s rights in Canada. The stories it tells of the women who challenged the law remind us that advances in equality are hard-won and should never be taken for granted. The book is titled Women Who Woke Up The Law. We speak with author Karin Wells.

A new report, co-authored by Lorne Foster and Lesley Jacobs, examines consumer racial profiling of Indigenous people in Canada. The report says it is likely that racial profiling in retail environments is the most frequent form of racism experienced by Indigenous communities. The Heiltsuk Nation released the report as part of its filings for a BC Human Rights Tribunal complaint that will be heard in October. We speak with Lesley Jacobs.