Surrey mayoral candidate Troy Van Vliet joins Steven Malkowich on Ship of Fools for a detailed conversation about taxes, housing, public safety and what he believes needs to change at Surrey City Hall.

This first episode focuses on the hard questions behind the campaign promises.

Steven pushes Troy on his 0% tax increase pledge: how long would it last, what would have to be cut, and where would the savings come from?

They also break down Troy’s Real Ownership proposal and what a rent-to-own pathway could actually look like for a younger Surrey resident trying to get into the housing market.

From there, the conversation turns to some of Surrey’s most serious issues: extortion, policing, the toxic drug supply and public safety. Troy explains what he believes a mayor can realistically do and where municipal government has limits.

They also discuss schools, development, the pressures created by Surrey’s rapid growth, the experience Troy brings from the private sector, and the scrutiny that comes with running for mayor as a developer and first-time candidate.

With Surrey voters heading to the polls on October 17, this is a substantive look at the policies Troy Van Vliet is putting forward and the questions voters may want answered before making their decision.

In this episode:

• Troy Van Vliet’s 0% tax increase pledge
• City Hall spending and potential cuts
• Housing affordability and Real Ownership
• Surrey policing and public safety
• Extortion targeting local businesses
• The toxic drug supply
• Surrey schools and infrastructure
• Growth and development
• Why Troy is running for mayor
• What he says he would change at City Hall

Ship of Fools Podcast with Steven Malkowich
Where Wit Meets Wisdom

Learn More about the Surrey Now Slate Here

Delta mayoral candidate Dylan Kruger joins Steven Malkowich on Ship of Fools ahead of the October 17 municipal election for a candid conversation about the future of Delta—and one of B.C.'s most controversial infrastructure projects.

At the centre of the discussion is the George Massey Tunnel replacement, now estimated at approximately $8.5 billion. Kruger has been one of its most vocal municipal critics, describing the escalating cost and handling of the project as a government “boondoggle” and calling for greater accountability.

But this conversation goes well beyond the tunnel.

Steven and Dylan talk about why municipal elections have such a direct impact on everyday life, the traffic and freight congestion Delta residents deal with, the contradiction between climate goals and vehicles idling for years at one of the region's worst bottlenecks, and what taxpayers should expect when major public projects dramatically exceed their original budgets.

They also look at the North Shore Wastewater Treatment Plant, another Metro Vancouver infrastructure project whose cost has climbed into the billions, and ask a larger question: Why do massive public projects keep becoming dramatically more expensive—and who is ultimately accountable?

Dylan also discusses his East Ladner roots, becoming Delta's youngest councillor when he was first elected in 2018, his decision to run for mayor with One Delta, and what he believes needs to change at Delta City Hall.

With Delta voters heading to the polls on October 17, 2026, this is a timely conversation about infrastructure, affordability, government spending and the direction of one of Metro Vancouver's fastest-changing communities.

In this episode:

• Why Dylan Kruger is running for Mayor of Delta
• The 2026 Delta municipal election
• The $8.5-billion Massey Tunnel replacement
• Traffic, trucks and congestion through the Massey corridor
• Government accountability and infrastructure spending
• The North Shore wastewater treatment plant cost escalation
• Affordability and municipal taxes
• What Kruger wants to change at Delta City Hall
• What municipal, provincial and federal governments should be doing differently

Ship of Fools Podcast with Steven Malkowich
Where Wit Meets Wisdom

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Learn More about One Delta Here

Carl Valentine came to Vancouver as a 20-year-old from Oldham in 1979 — and went on to become one of the most important figures in this city’s soccer history.

The Whitecaps and Canada Soccer legend joins Steven Malkowich for a fun, wide-ranging conversation about the career that took him from earning £16 a week in England to winning the 1979 Soccer Bowl, playing for West Brom, returning to Vancouver with the 86ers, winning four straight championships and representing Canada at the 1986 World Cup.

Carl talks about growing up around Manchester, watching George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, moving across the world at 20, becoming Canadian, helping send Canada to its first World Cup, and what it was like walking onto the field in Mexico against France and Michel Platini.

They also get into what Canada’s 2026 World Cup run meant to him, how much soccer has grown in this country, his role with the Whitecaps today, and why the club still matters so much to Vancouver.

It’s a great conversation about soccer, opportunity, community and how a young player from Oldham became part of Vancouver’s identity.

🎙️ Guest: Carl Valentine
🎧 Host: Steven Malkowich
⚽ Vancouver Whitecaps & Canada Soccer legend

Ship of Fools Podcast — Where Wit Meets Wisdom.

SFU political science professor Anil Hira returns to Ship of Fools for a plain-English breakdown of how the American political system actually works — and why Canadians so often misunderstand it.

Who really holds the power in the United States? The president? Congress? The Senate? The courts? The states?

Anil draws on his years working in Washington, including time on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. State Department, to explain how decisions actually get made and why the system can look very different from Canada’s.

Steven and Anil also get into:

• Trump and the current Canada-U.S. tariff fight
• What a U.S. president can — and cannot — do on his own
• Why Congress and the Senate matter so much
• The role of the courts, states and local governments
• Why the Electoral College confuses so many Canadians
• What Canadians consistently get wrong about American politics
• The upcoming U.S. midterms and why control of Congress matters
• Anil’s book The Great Disruption and what Trump, Brexit and populism still tell us seven years later
• Whether Canada is developing some of the same political pressures

This is not a political science lecture. It’s a practical conversation about Trump, tariffs, power and the American system Canadians hear about every day — but may not understand nearly as well as we think.

🎙️ Guest: Professor Anil Hira, Simon Fraser University
🎧 Host: Steven Malkowich

Ship of Fools Podcast — Where Wit Meets Wisdom.

Comedian and former radio host Alex Carr joins Steven Malkowich for a funny, wide-ranging conversation about the strange career path that took him from fast food, hotel work and used-car sales to radio and stand-up comedy.

Alex talks about selling cable door-to-door in Detroit, working at X92.9, CFOX and 102.1 The Edge, finding comedy material in everyday life, Vancouver’s stand-up scene, crowd work and whether Canadian comedians can actually make a living doing comedy.

They also get into the changing radio business, B.C. politics, David Eby, wildfires, Trump, Canada-U.S. tariffs and whether political comedy still lands with Canadian audiences.

It’s less of an interview and more of a great conversation about comedy, careers and somehow ending up exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Ship of Fools Podcast — Where Wit Meets Wisdom.

The 2026 World Cup is over, Canada made a historic run, and Vancouver hosted seven matches — but after the crowds, ticket prices, public spending and hype, what did the city actually get from it?

Ray Goldenchild returns to Ship of Fools to give his post-World Cup verdict.

Steven and Ray unpack Canada’s run to the knockout stage, Vancouver’s World Cup experience, ticket affordability, FIFA politics and controversy, the spectacle surrounding the tournament, and some of the biggest moments on the pitch.

Then they get to the question that matters long after the final whistle: did the World Cup actually leave Canadian soccer better off?

Ray also talks about the importance of grassroots development through Orix Community Sports Club and what needs to happen next if Canada wants the momentum to last.

Was it worth it for Vancouver? Listen and decide for yourself.

Ship of Fools — Where Wit Meets Wisdom.

Making people laugh for a living sounds fun. Actually building a career doing it? That’s the hard part.

Vancouver comedian Niki Mohrdar joins Ship of Fools Podcast for a funny, candid conversation about finding her voice, getting started in stand-up and what it really takes to make a living in Canadian comedy.

Niki has performed with Just For Laughs Vancouver, appeared on OUTtv’s Killjoy Comedy and Just For Laughs Originals, and is featured in the new season of CBC Gem’s The New Wave of Standup. She also co-hosts Pillow Talk, a live comedy show with Cass Furman.

We get into the Vancouver comedy scene, the rooms and comedians that shaped her, how her style has evolved, the realities of being a working comic in Canada, and why choosing a career built around making strangers laugh can be equal parts rewarding, ridiculous and difficult.

And because this is Ship of Fools Podcast, the conversation goes wherever it wants to go.

Funny, loose and occasionally insightful — Where Wit Meets Wisdom.

Ship of Fools Podcast with Niki Mohrdar.

What can police legally demand from you at a B.C. roadblock? How reliable are roadside tests for alcohol, cannabis and prescription medications? And when does an e-bike or scooter legally become a motor vehicle?

B.C. driving lawyer Kyla Lee joins Ship of Fools to explain what drivers are required to do when stopped, what rights they still have and where roadside enforcement can become legally questionable.

Kyla breaks down breathalyzer demands, drug testing, false or misleading readings and the consequences of refusing—or being unable—to provide a sample. She also explains how Charter rights apply behind the wheel, including Section 1 and the limits governments can place on individual rights in the name of public safety.

The conversation then turns to the growing confusion around e-bikes and e-scooters in British Columbia. What is actually legal, where can they be ridden and who is responsible when riders, drivers and pedestrians are competing for space on roads, sidewalks and bike lanes?

A practical and timely conversation about the driving laws every British Columbian should understand.

This episode is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.

What is driving the frustration, distrust and political fatigue being felt across British Columbia?

Mo Amir, host of This Is VANCOLOUR, joins Steven Malkowich to examine the mood of the province heading into the fall. They discuss the pressure facing the B.C. NDP, what new leadership could mean for the B.C. Conservatives, and whether the province is experiencing a genuine political realignment or simply a new version of the same frustrations.

They also get into Vancouver, Surrey, Coquitlam and Metro Vancouver politics, the decline of traditional local media, differences between regions of B.C., younger people’s growing “why bother?” attitude, and whether populism reflects healthy skepticism or grievance politics.

A wide-ranging conversation about why trust is eroding—and what that means for the future of B.C. politics.

British Columbians are paying more—but are they getting better government?

Carson Binda of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation returns to Ship of Fools for a candid conversation about government waste, weak accountability and the growing disconnect between public spending and actual results.

We break down the B.C. government’s spending record, municipal mismanagement, what nurses are really asking for, whether taxpayers are being used to protect developers, and the costly political dysfunction surrounding Surrey policing and controversial land purchases.

A lively discussion about political theatre, misplaced priorities and who ultimately pays when government decisions go wrong.