Ryan & Lisa: The Podcast

The BC Greens have found another local candidate in David Evans, who will face off with against BC NDP incumbent Dana Lajeunesse for the role of MLA in the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding.

Plus, the RCMP's Cst. Derek Chaloner joins with de Rock update froa Tour m the road on this rainy day. CFAX Santas Anonymous executive director Christine Hewitt-Goodsir also joins. 

The Society of Saint Vincent De Paul Vancouver Island is kicking off its Hearts for Homes campaign, ramping up to a gala event on Saturday aiming to raise $300,000 to support local housing programs. Executive director Derek Pace joins for more.

Exports dominated much of the campaigning yesterday from party leaders, with the BC Conservatives promising to double energy exports and the BC NDP promising to do the same with critical minerals. Meanwhile, the BC Greens made a pledge to lift the freeze on $10 a day childcare spaces. How does this all fit into this campaign season? UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest shares his take. 

The fifth annual South Island Powwow is happening tomorrow on National Truth and Reconciliation Day at Royal Athletic Park, running from 10 a.m. til 7 p.m. It’s an event that recognizes survivors of the residential school system, the Sixties Scoop and the children who never made it home from these institutions. And it’s also an event celebrating Indigenous cultures, community and resiliency with cultural performances, guests speakers and vendors. Songhees councillor and member of the South Island Powwow Committee Eugene Sam joins. 

BC NDP incumbent Diana Gibson is running for re-election in Oak Bay-Gordon Head, and this time will face off against a former MLA who held the riding, Andrew Weaver, who is now under the banner of CentreBC. Meanwhile, the BC Conservatives have nominated business and real estate developer Stan Sipos as their contender. Diana Gibson joins to talk about her pitch to voters, and how this double election season is shaking out.

The Department of National Defence's Chief Petty Officer Gordon Durham catches up with us on the Tour de Rock route as riders continue raising funds in support of children with cancer. 

The BC Greens have named their candidate for Victoria Beacon-Hill, the very riding former leader Sonia Furstenau contested and lost in 2024.What’s different this time around? We meet litigator Raj Sahota. 

Our double-election coverage continues with a turn to the West Shore, as Colwood incumbent Doug Kobyashi has been door-knocking to make his pitch for re-election as mayor. He joins now to talk it through.

It’s also time to turn to Victoria incumbent Marianne Alto and what she’s promising voters should she be re-elected. 

A Canadian woman who has lived in the states for years says she was detained and questioned about illegally voting in American elections on her way back from Tsawwassen B.C. As the relationship between the U.S. and Canada is becoming more sensitive, so too is the boarder. Immigration lawyer Len Saunders says he’s received three calls of people with similar experiences, and he’s joining us now to talk about the issue.

Josh Waltman from the Nanaimo RCMP catches up with us on the Tour de Rock route, revealling some things you might not know about how riders prepare. 

The BC Conservatives have a new interim leader in Lorne Doerkson, with the party saying he’ll stick around in the role after the election if he becomes premier. Meanwhile, a new Angus Reid poll is showing an eight-point lead for the conservatives after the election call, with much of the electorate still uncertain. Lorne Doerkson joins. 

You may know him as a long-time TV broadcast legislative reporter, but now Richard Zussman is taking the plunge into provincial politics himself as the BC NDP candidate for Saanich South. Candidates are still being announced for ridings in the capital region, and we’re going to do our best to give everyone an opportunity to come on ahead of election day. Richard Zussman joins. 

Business owner Lyall Atkinson is once again making his pitch to Victoria voters for why he should be mayor and he joins. 

Plus, Food Day Canada vice-chair Paul Stewart joins to share what you need to know about this weekend's Harvest Table event at Keating Farm. 

Cst. Luna Lafontine with VicPD checks in with us for the Tour de Rock route.

As we race towards local elections, one of the long-term issues the peninsula has been grappling with looks like it won’t be resolved neatly before new councils take over. Earlier this month, Sidney council has again not decided to share a $9+ million CRD borrowing bylaw for a proposed regional rec centre in Central Saanich. Central Saanich Councillor Niall Paltiel is not running again, but he’s been serving as the chair of the Peninsula Recreation Commission throughout this.

The Nanaimo Cath Lab and Patient Tower was an election promise in 2024, but two years later we’re heading back to the polls without this complete. Last we checked in; the Regional District of Nanaimo was fronting some of the funds and Island Health had opened the requests for proposals for a concept plan for the campus. Fair Care Alliance chair Donna Hais joins for more, ahead of an event they are hosting later today focused on local governments’ changing role in healthcare.

The BC Conservatives say they’re changing party rules to allow interim leader Lorne Dorkeson to remain party leader if he becomes premier in this election. Meanwhile, CentreBC saw a mass influx, then exodus, leaving now party leader Elenore Sturko as the sole incumbent with the party, and they’ve just announced they’re running former BC Green leader Andrew Weaver in Oak Bay-Gordon Head.  Current BC Green Leader Emily Lowan will run in Saanich North and the Islands as Rob Botterell steps away. Amid all this fallout Premier Eby is defending his decision to call an election, citing the trade war and refuting the idea that he is taking advantage of the chaos in the conservative party by justification of the duration of the instability. Royal Roads professor of communications and culture David Black joins. 

Plus, David Arthur Johnston, who is known by many as the man who’s taken an oath against handling or using money, will be on the ballot this year in Victoria’s election.

Ryan & Lisa catch you up on everything you need to know about this double election season after Premier Eby made the snap call yesterday. 

Plus, Paméla Thiffeault, a Tour de Rock rider with the West Shore RCMP, calls us from the road. 

In political fallout, after Eby made the snap election call we saw some big waves in the opposition parties. Seven of the incumbents that had left the BC Conservatives for Centre BC, now returning to the conservative party under Lorne Doerkson. This comes after Peter Milobar was named the leader of the CentreBC party on Friday, usurping Mike Bernier in an agreement with the now-forever unnamed Peter party. Elenore Sturko, the sole incumbent left with the CentreBC party, was named leader by the executive yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, we’re in the process of working through meeting the candidates for Victoria Mayor, and our next name on the ballot is professional researcher and historian Christopher Hanna.

Plus, this snap election call is facing significant scrutiny, as the premier has cited the existential moment of the trade war as demanding a new mandate. Premier David Eby joins to walk us through the logic behind this decision.

The leader of the BC Greens says this snap election is costly, unwanted and isn’t in the interest of British Columbians. Emily Lowan also joins to share her thoughts.

Ryan & Lisa keep you updated on local wildfire news and high-stakes political developments as they explore the top stories of the day. 

Island District Operational Communications Centre dispatcher Jordan Koster catches up with us on her Tour de Rock journey. 

After significant push-back, the federal government has decided to drop the idea of exempting certain major projects from Species at Risk Act protections. But some environmental groups are still concerned Carney’s government will dodge these protections through other means, such as exemptions through the Building Canada Act. Susie Washington-Smyth with the Saturna Island Marine Research and Education Society oversees their Whale Sighting Network, and she joins to discuss endangered Southern Resident Killer whales.

Today is officially the first day of Fall, which means its time to celebrate the changing of the seasons with the latest information from Vancouver Island’s favourite meteorologist. CTV Vancouver Island’s Josh Classen is joins with the forecast.  

We’re reaching out to meet all of the candidates for mayor in Victoria’s municipal election, and Gregoor Miller is the latest to chat with us today.

The government press releases are coming in quick and the BC Conservative interim leader has cancelled his press conference expected today, citing expectations of a snap. Speculation over the prospect of an imminent provincial election is hot right now, but could it all be a big bluff from Premier Eby? CTV Vancouver Legislative reporter Rob Buffam has the latest.

Plus, CFAX Santas Anonymous executive director Christine Hewitt-Goodsir joins for a Kids Count! update. 

With Steve in for Ryan this morning, Steve and Lisa dig into developing news and laugh about the joyful stories you might have missed, including a fat bear contest. 

Tour de Rock has kicked off, and to start off the week we catch up with Greg Beatty from Port Alice BC Emergency Health Services to hear why he's riding. 

The Maritime Museum of BC has launched a new Western Canada Heritage Vessel Registry with an inaugural cohort of registrant vessels announced. This registry aims to factually document and highlight heritage vessels of Western Canada, and if you have an old boat you might want to look into the process to get it on there. Robert Allan is a member of the Western Canada Heritage Vessel Registry Committee, and he’s been part of this since the start.

Plus, it's a big time for the Victoria Royals as the team ranks third in the CHL pre-season rankings. Remy Zanotto, Play-by-Play voice for the Victoria Royals, joins. 

We also discuss the big story in B.C. politics with Vancouver Sun legislative reporter Alec Lazenby: fallout as Kerry Lynne-Findlay resigns from the BC Conservative leadership. 

Ryan & Lisa, Mornings on CFAX 1070: Friday, September 18th, 2026

Could British Columbia be headed for a snap election? We kick off the show with Jon Roe from the Angus Reid Institute as new polling suggests many British Columbians feel politically homeless. Then, with the annual Terry Fox Run happening Sunday at Mile Zero, we catch up with organizer Darren Wark, Terry's cousin, to talk about the legacy, inspiration, and community spirit behind one of Canada's most meaningful events.

We also dive into the latest turmoil inside BC's Conservative Party with Canadian Press legislative reporter Wolfgang Depner, and explore Canada's growing relationship with the European Union with UVic political science professor Amy Verdun, including what it could mean for our future and potential fallout with the United States. 

Plus, it's Friday Food Vibes! We spotlight some delicious Vancouver Island adventures, including Painter's Palate in Campbell River, Smalltoberfest in Sidney, and the Soundbite Food Truck & Music Festival in Langford.

Politics, community, world affairs, and great local food. It's all on today's edition of Ryan & Lisa, Mornings on CFAX 1070. 

Listen live weekdays from 6-9 on iHeartRadio or watch us on CTV, Crave and YouTube.

A new TV series called “Crew Girl,” shows so many of the marine sport highlights we know locally. This is not an exhaustive list, but we’ve got cameos with the Selkirk Waterfront, Hamsterly Beach, the BC Aviation Museum and Fickle Fig Farm Market, Sidney’s Marina, Royal Roads University and more. The series is centred on the protagonist’s story of joining a dysfunctional all boys crew, and showrunner and co-creator Vivian Lin joins to talk about it!

Back to school is in full swing and we’re even starting to approach the Thanksgiving season, so let’s start checking in on some of the organizations providing food and social support to people in our community. Mustard Seed executive director Treska Watson joins.

With the news of more Iran-backed Houthi-rebels red-sea Island hopping and Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure significantly damaged, AP is now reporting Saudi Arabia is now running low on missile interceptors and is turning to allies for help, including France, Britain, Pakistan and Europe. It seems we’re always asking the same question, even as the conflict in the middle east grows and changes every day. How could we see the fighting end? SFU adjunct professor Robert Springborg is tuned into the politics of the region and he joins to discuss.

The feds have announced $500,000 of support for feasibility and technical studies on light rail between Vic West and Langford. Now that the federal government is involved, what changes? Liberal MP Stephanie McLean joins for more. 

A series of rallies all over this coast have supported MP Gord Johns’ push for the feds to review the funding they provide to BC Ferries, and today we’re expecting one at the BC Legislature. BC Ferries has confirmed to us that unless they get new revenue, we can expect fares to increase “well in excess,” of 30 per cent starting as soon as 2028. What do we need to know? NDP Courtenay-Alberni MP Gord Johns joins. 

As the local election season ramps up, we’re inviting all of the candidates for Victoria’s Mayor to introduce themselves to us. Candidate Bruce McGuigan is centering his campaign on collaboration with the public, safety, transportation and affordable housing; also pledging to pursue the goal of making homelessness rare, brief and non-reoccurring. He joins for a meet-the-Canada chat. 

Transportation safety issues and traffic solutions drive much of Ryan & Lisa's conversation today as listeners call in. 

Prime Minister Carney is pitching private investors managing Canada’s four largest airports for set lease periods, keeping transport with Transport Canada. He says this would free up federal funding to reinvest in smaller regional airports to ultimately reduce the price of travelling to those destinations. Let’s get an advocate perspective now. Air Passenger Rights founder Gábor Lukács joins. 

A B.C. supreme court ruling found the provincial government isn’t authorized to make internationally trained medical graduates practice in underserved areas like rural communities. This news comes as a hospital in Vancouver is rolling out on-site 3D printing of custom splints for injury, a first in North America. Meanwhile, e-scooter safety remains at issue. Health minister Ravi Kahlon joins. 

As local election season heats up, we’re going to invite all the mayoral candidates for the City of Victoria on to meet each of them individually. Today, we meet businessman Mike Harris who is pitching a fresh start for Victoria, with a platform that includes launching a “ independent organizational and value-for-money review.”

Gasbuddy showing average prices in Victoria have dipped ever so slightly, but still nowhere close to what it was before the spike that started with September.  This comes as Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been attacking critical oil infrastructure and islands along Red Sea shipping routes, with Saudi Arabia saying a major pipeline route that dodges the Strait of Hormuz will be out of service for weeks. What can we do about the situation? Canadians for Affordable Energy president Dan McTeague joins.