Wes Regan, Green politician, urbanist, opinion leader and high-level policy-maker public servant dropped by to converse about a major area of mutual interest: the threats posed by the growth of modern conspiracy theory.

This week our political panel discussed the Justin Neufeld scandal in which a BC Liberal volunteer was cut from the party over social media posts comparing Black Lives Matter to the Nazis. Urbanist and public health expert Wes Regan represented the Greens; arts impresario, poet and Derrida scholar Jeremy Stewart represented the Ecosocialists; Sam Schechter, Douglas College communications instructor represented the NDP; Nathan Giede Prince George citizen columnist and radio host represented the BC Conservatives and Ryan Campbell, construction project manager and long-time Fair Vote Canada director represented the BC Liberals. The panel delved into questions of how changing ideas of labour and democracy are remaking our political parties at the grassroots level.

June 15th's Missing Peter Gzowski in Prince George features Meaghan Cursons, Executive Director of the Cumberland Forest, talking about the economic, social and ecological evolution of a post-mining town and efforts to democratize land use and remediation. Then we have the second part of our epistemology of authoritarianism series with OCAD University's Eileen Wennekers and Institute for the Humanities at Simon Fraser University's Samir Gandesha who make some interesting comparisons between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi.

James Douglas is the first returning guest on my CFUR show. He and his partner in many things, Danette Boucher give the final interview on Barkerville Historic Site's dive into virtual public history and the Zoom platform at the end of the program. They are preceded by Social Work MA candidate Juls Budau on Northern BC's overdose crisis and the need for a safe drug supply and then by journalist and opinion leader Jordan Tucker on Prince George's Black Lives Matter and police reform solidarity protests. 

Our June 1st, 2020 show features Albany-based food security and racial justice activist James Surano on the policing crisis in the United States, followed by Victoria Councilor Ben Isitt on a Vancouver Island initiative to keep key new government "emergency" programs post-Covid. 

This is the first of our monthly political panels on Missing Peter Gzowski in Prince George. It is a deliberate tribute to the Dalton Camp-Eric Kierans-Stephen Lewis panel of the 1980s, from the world before talking points, back when people demonstrated their loyalty to their party not just by praising it when it was right but criticizing it when it was wrong. Kierans and Camp epitomized that old school loyalty that made them challenge their leaders from time to time.  We have a very clever and loyal bunch on this panel: 

Sam Schechter former North Vancouver city councillor, communications instructor at Douglas College, former BC NDP staffer, member of the party’s oversight committee.

Jeremy Stewart arts impresario, poet, PhD candidate at Lancashire University, former BC Ecosocialist Communications chair and communications and outreach director for the White Rock Business improvement association.

Wes Regan former Green candidate and federal party director, environmental activist, urban studies commentator and population health expert for the BC government.

Nathan Giede former BC Conservative Party candidate, CFIS radio show host, Prince George Citizen columnist and copier salesman.

Ryan Campbell former BC Liberal riding association director, long-time Fair Vote Canada national director, co-founder of Liberals for Fair Voting and construction sector project manager

I had to move hundreds of pounds of furniture and books this weekend and tired myself right out.  So, I went to my trusty show archives and found a whole hour just of Sean Frackowiak doing his very witty entertainment column. Sit back and enjoy. Regular current affairs programming will return next week.

We finished our interview with Dimitri Lascaris and then had a long, curiosity-driven discussion about how fascist and authoritarian movements figure out what is and is not true. Prepare to have your vocabulary expanded in party two.

Today's show has a pretty deep dive into forty-three years of Star Wars material, which kind of crowds out the dynamic Green Party of Canada leadership contender, Dimitri Lascaris, who will, consequently, be back.

I am proud of this show. Each of the interviews saw Covid-19 as a jumping-off point for thinking more deeply about major issues in our society, from bereavement, death and loss to no-fault insurance schemes to cosplaying the industrial working class.  Rebecca, Echo and Ingrid are all sharp interview subjects I'm eager to speak with again.