With the federal election happening, a front-page news story from here in the 905 is not getting much attention.

The Toronto Star for the past week has published a series of articles on abuse and inhumane conditions at Maplehurst Correctional Facility in Milton. The facility is an Ontario-owned and operated jail, where most inmates are charged with crimes and are awaiting their day in court to have the charges proven in a court of law. It is important to highlight that the majority of these inmates are still considered innocent in the eyes of the law.

The stories have focused on conditions in which the facility is over capacity, leading to overcrowding in cells. Toilets are backed up for weeks on end, leading to inmates being forced to use noodle cups instead. Lack of basic needs like toilet paper abounds. And one inmate reported a rash on their body, due to not being able to shower regularly. The big standout issue, though, is the reporting of the use of the Institutional Crisis Intervention Unit, the Riot Squad, to strip search and punish inmates in December of 2023.

We reached out to the investigative reporter who is covering this story to come on and talk about this in depth. Joining Joel today is Brendan Kennedy from the Toronto Star, to discuss how this happened at Maplehurst, what led to this culture and what is being done or not done to address the issue.

Brendan's journalism can be found here:

Ontario's Jails are Deadlier than Ever - and This One is Worst in Every Respect

She thought leaving her nephew in jail would help him get clean. His fatal

overdose raises hard questions about how drugs get inside

‘Welcome to Wong-tanamo Bay’: Maplehurst jail officials conspired to ‘cover up’ mass strip-search of inmates, court document alleges

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It feels like we were settled on the case for vaccinations after COVID-19.

Their efficacy and safety are reliable. And they are the best way to prevent public health outbreaks of preventable diseases.

We all remember the pandemic, lockdowns, and the toll that all took on us. So why are we seeing a resurgence of measles in Peel region, along with other areas of the province? Outbreaks of measles are being reported by public health agencies, predominantly amongst unvaccinated populations.

Public Health agencies are putting out the warning for all people to get their vaccinations updated. However, could more be done? What are the consequences if we don't take the necessary actions?

To talk about why a vaccination campaign is so important, as well as what Peel region is doing to get ahead of this situation, we invited to the podcast Alvin Tedjo, Mississauga Councillor, as well as Jill Promoli, a vaccination advocate.

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Just when we think we're out, they pull us back in. Back into election season that is folks!

Less than a month out of the Ontario provincial election, Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a federal election for April 28th.

Last year, the idea of a federal election struck terror in the hearts of Liberals across the country. However, in only a month, Mark Carney has flipped the script on Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. The Liberal Party is leading in the polls and the idea of a fourth term is not out of the question.

All of this is based on one question of who is best to deal with American President Donald Trumps, threats against Canada? We here in the 905 are only an hour away from the American border, which puts us on the front line of this unprecedented period in Canadian-American relations. So what do we do now?

Well to talk about this moment, I sit down with a long-time friend of the podcast Laura Babcock. Laura is the host of The O-show and President of the Powergroup.

The O-Show

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It is impossible to not hear a story from your city, town or neighbourhood about a car theft. You can find doorbell cameras of thieves stealing cars right out of a driveway in the middle of the night. Or you can hear stories of cars being stolen in mall parking lots. Auto thefts are an organized, big business in Ontario.

Pressure is on for definitive action to be taken on auto thefts in Canada. Police have been saying stricter penalties are required to send a message of deterrence to criminals. To make sure that criminals pay the price when they are arrested and to truly break up these organized crime rings.

In Halton, Chief of Police Steve Tanner issued a statement in February stating clearly that the federal government needed to implement tougher penalties for those found guilty of auto thefts. Will that be enough to put an end to this scourge in the 905 and Ontario? To find out, Chief Tanner joins the podcast to talk about this and give us the facts.

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Since taking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Canada with on-again-off-again tariffs. Canada has in turn replied with reciprocal tariffs on American products.

We are entering into an unprecedented period of antagonism between Canada and the United States. What was once the most prosperous trading relationship in the history of the world is being dismantled arbitrarily by the American government.

What will this mean for Canada, Ontario and the 905? To discuss this we invited to the podcast Chris Emanuel, President of the Central York Chamber of Commerce as well as Terry Caddo, President of the Burlington Chamber of Commerce to talk about what lies ahead for our region, province and country in a trade war.

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We recorded this episode the Friday morning after the 2025 Ontario Election.

It was an election that didn't see the dynamic at Queen's Park change all that much. Doug Ford and the Ontario PC returned with a third majority mandate, Marit Stiles and the NDP returned to the official opposition, and the Ontario Liberals returned as the third-place party.

The biggest shock of the night was the fact that Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie failed to win not just her seat in Mississauga but any seat in Peel region. A fact that flew in the face of the promise she made to Ontario Liberals when they elected her as leader. That she would be able to win the 905 region handily.

What does this failure mean for the party's future and Bonnie Crombie, and what can we expect going forward? To answer some of these questions and more, we invited Theresa Lubowitz back to the podcast. A former communications staffer for Kathleen Wynne and the Ontario Liberal Party, to give her insight on the path forward.

What is the Future of the Ontario Liberal Party?

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We are into the final week of this Ontario election.

It seems that people are finally starting to check in to the fact that we are having one, and we're starting to see some change in the polls. But is it enough to change the government? What happens if nothing changes? What would happen to Bonnie Crombie or Marit Stiles's leadership? Both made promises to their members but are they going to be able to deliver this election?

We invited back to the podcast Ahmad Elbayoumi, from Policorner.ca. Ahmad has been covering the Ontario election in detail and we welcome him to talk about what's at stake for the various parties this election day. And what might come after all the ballots are counted?

Policorner.ca

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As this Ontario Election moves, the polls slowly shift away from Doug Ford's Ontario PC. Is there time for the opposition parties to capitalize on this trend? Or will the opposition once again split the vote?

That's the risk in our first-past-the-post system. Without the anti-Ford vote coalescing around one party or leader at the moment, those who want a change in government are forced to consider strategic voting. The question is, does this work? Well, one person is hoping it will.

JB Burrows of TikTok fame has created a website to help progressive voters make the best strategic vote in their riding this election. His website Smartvoting.ca aims to let voters know which party is best positioned to unseat the incumbent Ontario PC choice. Will it work? Well, we sit down and talk with him today to find out.

https://smartvoting.ca/

Our Episode on the London Municipal Ranked Ballot Election

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As the Ontario Election moves a long, we seem to drifting further and further away from the issues that were prominent in our provincial dialogue only a few months ago.

Housing, development fees, homelessness. These were the things that we were covering in previous episodes. The matters which were front and centre for many 905ers. Going so far as to potentially invoke the notwithstanding clause to deal with encampments in cities. So why isn’t this the top issue of this election?

What is it that our municipalities are looking to hear from the party leaders that will help them deal with the supposed top issue of Ontario? To talk about that we invited on to the podcast Jonathan Scott, Councillor for Bradford West-Gwillimbury. To hear from the municipal government perspective about what a provincial government ought to be doing.

It takes money and time to do this podcast. We love doing what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can so we can keep improving and paying the bills.You can become a monthly or yearly patron on our website at 905er.ca.

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Nicholas Paul: sound editing.The Quadrafonics: fantastic opening and closing tunes!

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It has been a whirlwind 2025, and we're only through January.

Trudeau resigned, sparking a Liberal Leadership race, and most recently, as this podcast is being recorded, President Donald Trump is imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, sparking a trade war in North America.

In the shadow of all of this, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has decided to call an election. Citing the need for a strong mandate from the Ontario people to deal with Donald Trump. Despite the fact, that he has an overwhelming majority already. There has never been a greater level of uncertainty in our provincial politics at this time.

We wanted to take a moment and get a lay of the land for what is going to be a wild 27 days in Ontario.

Sabrina Nanji of the QPObserver joins us to talk about the provincial election. Why it's happening and whether this gamble on the part of Doug Ford is going to blow up in his face? Can Bonnie Crombie and Marit Stiles take advantage of this to win government?

You can read Sabrina Nanji's fantastic work here: QPobserver.ca

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