The Big Story

By Frequency Podcast Network

What's The Big Story about?

An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.

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The Big Story episodes:

04.26.2024
A conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
After an announcement at a Honda plant in Alliston, Ontario that will bring billions in new electric vehicle investment, the Prime Minister sat down with The Big Story to chat in-depth about the climate crisis, the future of electric vehicles...
04.25.2024
How secure is Canada's Arctic?
Recently the department of defence announced a plan to pour billions of dollars into Northern security. And there's no doubt that in a changing world the Arctic region has become more important, for Canada and our allies, as well as...
04.24.2024
Can virtual health care save a collapsing system?
Most of us had a virtual health care appointment sometime during the pandemic. Those of us that didn't have almost certainly encountered virtual care of some form or another—whether that's a follow-up phone call from your doctor, or post-surgery instructions...
04.23.2024
These days, something's always burning: A fire season preview
Today, evacuation alerts for several communities in BC and Alberta are in effect. You may not have noticed, because there are always evacuation alerts in effect now, and there are always fires burning, some of them out of control. When...
04.22.2024
Paydirt E1: It's not easy being green
In 2022, the Doug Ford government opened parts of Ontario’s protected Greenbelt for housing development, touching off a massive political scandal. But long before that, tensions over the green space outside of Toronto had been quietly simmering for nearly two...
04.20.2024
Island Crime S6 E1: Soft
On Saturday's we normally drop the newest episode of In this Economy?! in the feed, but this week we wanted to spotlight another Frequency Podcast Network production that we thought you'd enjoy. Here's the first episode of the sixth season...
04.19.2024
How the cops cracked the $24M Pearson gold heist
This is one that even the police say will be a Netflix miniseries someday. On April 17, 2023, more than $20 million in gold was stolen from Pearson airport in Toronto. Nobody was hurt, and the crooks got away. It...
04.18.2024
Can Canada really build 3.9 million homes by 2031?
By far the biggest part of the federal budget is an ambitious plan that the Liberal government claims will not only hit the targeted estimate of homes Canada needs, but will blow right past it. You'd be forgiven some skepticism,...
04.17.2024
What the federal budget means for you
In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's budget announcement, the federal government has been hammering a message that this document would make life more affordable for Canadians. Does it accomplish that? What's in here that will matter to your wallet...
04.16.2024
Could Naheed Nenshi cause an NDP divorce?
The former Calgary mayor is beloved by many in the province. He might well be the favourite in the race to succeed Rachel Notley as leader of the Alberta NDP. But he's never really been involved with the party, and...
04.15.2024
It's raining in the Arctic. That's ... not good.
It can be easy, given our changing climate, not to worry much about events that aren't extreme. It's not flooding? No hurricanes or heat waves or wildfires? Just a little rain?! Well, we can live with that. And maybe we...
04.14.2024
Paydirt: The Inside Story of Ontario’s Greenbelt Scandal
It was one of the strangest scandals in recent Canadian history, located right at the spot where the housing crisis collides with the climate crisis. From allegations of political corruption and RCMP investigations to endangered species and Las Vegas...
04.13.2024
Die?! In This Economy?!
More and more Canadians are struggling to afford the costs associated with the death of a loved one. In Newfoundland, a recent news report reveals bodies are piling up in a freezer outside of a morgue for this reason. Jordan...
04.12.2024
What have we actually learned about foreign election interference?
Over the past few weeks, there have been hundreds of questions, plenty of notes and briefings, dozens of hours of testimony (including from the Prime Minister himself) and no shortage of references to classified intelligence—all this during an inquiry aiming...
04.11.2024
Canada is deporting thousands of migrants, despite a pledge to let them stay
In 2021 the federal government vowed to create a pathway to allow thousands of migrants to remain the country. Instead, deportation levels the past two years are higher than they've been in more than a decade. And we've spent more...
04.10.2024
What’s behind a rise in dog attacks?
Recent weeks have seen gruesome and tragic incidents in both Toronto and Edmonton involving dogs attacking children, leaving one child dead and another with life-changing injuries. Those stories are backed by numbers from many Canadian cities—including Toronto and Edmonton—showing...
04.09.2024
Has a serial killer walked free for decades?
In a 12-month span from 1990-1991, three teenaged girls were murdered in Victoria, BC. All three had been sex trafficked and were working on what was then the city's "stroll" where sex workers solicited clients. All three were found separately,...
04.08.2024
Why is competition so hard to find in Canada?
In response to sky-high grocery costs, Canada's Competition Bureau recently issued a report calling for more competition in the sector. That call was echoed by the federal government, who had hoped to lure a foreign chain, such as Germany's Aldi,...
04.06.2024
In This Economy: How to handle RRSPs in an affordability crisis
Should I put my savings into an RRSP? If I do that, will I pay less taxes? What happens if I want to access that money before I retire? These are just a few of the RRSP-related questions we've received...
04.05.2024
We can clone your pet now. So what's next?
Do you miss that beloved cat or dog that passed away? Good news! For only tens of thousands of dollars, and probably a few failed attempts, you can have an identical genetic replacement. Years ago Barbara Streisand made news for...
04.04.2024
A landfill, four victims and a trial with questions to answer
It's a case that sparked protests, made national headlines and may have swung a provincial election. And it's about to head to trial. You probably know it best for the fight over whether or not police would search Winnipeg's Prairie...
04.03.2024
What does the carbon price increase actually mean for you?
It can be confusing. Depending on which party you listen to, the carbon tax—or "price on pollution"—will either cost you or save you money. And both sides are using accurate information, just differently. But what isn't debatable is that the government's...
04.02.2024
Why nothing works with anything else
You know how your iPhone uses a different charging cable than your friend's Android? Well, imagine you've just bought a $50,000 tractor ... that only works with parts from the company you bought it from. Or an expensive printer that...
04.01.2024
Are Canada's maple syrup taps running dry?
Maple syrup isn't just a staple of Canadian culture. It's big business, especially in Quebec, where the sugary liquid is so vital to the economy that the province keeps a special syrup reserve on hand to control price fluctuations. Except that...
03.30.2024
Learn Something?! From This Economy?!
Frozen bank accounts, financial chaos, job loss, poverty. Those are all things Gonzalo witnessed while living through the largest foreign default in world history. Other than putting our current financial crisis into perspective, he wants to know if there’s anything...
03.29.2024
TBS Listener Feedback: Objectivity, Pornography and Bagged Milk
It's time again for us to dip into our trove of listener emails and voicemails and share with you some of our favourite pieces of feedback we received over the past month or so. A special thanks to everyone who's taken...
03.28.2024
Ontario's government fought public workers for years. And lost billions.
In November 2019, months before the pandemic made heroes of public sector workers like teachers and (especially) nurses, Ontario's government passed Bill 124, attempting to cap their pay increases at one percent for the next three years. It didn't go...
03.27.2024
How the government investigates "greenwashing" complaints
You may not know which ads meet the definition of greenwashing—but you know the type of ads in that discussion. Big corporations assuring you of how much they do for the environment, how sustainable their practices are and how much...
03.26.2024
How Loblaw became Canada's "company store"
You have to work pretty hard, in most of the country, to avoid spending money with a Loblaw-owned business. From its origins in groceries to market dominance there, the ubiquity of Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix, and everything from finance...
03.25.2024
How AI takes workplace surveillance to another level
We all know that companies track what we do on work devices. If, for example, you're listening to this show right now on a company phone or laptop, your boss could probably find that out, assuming they wanted to.But he’s...
03.23.2024
In This Economy: How subscription fees spiraled out of control
Netflix. Disney+. Prime. Apple TV+. Spotify. Newspapers. Magazines. Video games. Substacks. A secret caller (hint: you know him!) has a minor subscription addiction and needs help getting his spending under control. Jordan asks Barry Hertz, Deputy Arts Editor and Film...
03.22.2024
The past, present and perilous future of bagged milk in Canada
It's a Canadian institution. Or at least, a piece of Canadian culture. OK, fine, it's an interesting quirk that visitors to Eastern and Atlantic Canada are often flummoxed by, but residents have lived with all their lives. Until, perhaps, one...
03.21.2024
Measles are back. How worried should we be?
Canada has already seen more cases of measles in 2024 than in all of 2023. And rates of the disease in Europe and the United States are also rising. Meanwhile, vaccine uptake for the MMR shot, which protects against measles,...
03.20.2024
Why has Canada's program brought zero Gazans to safety?
When announced in December, it seemed like a new immigration program would allow Canadians with extended family in Gaza to finally bring them to safety. More than three months later, not a single person has arrived in the country. And it's...
03.19.2024
Explaining the ArriveCan scandal
You might have used the app during the pandemic. It may have saved you time at the airport. It may have cost you an unnecessary quarantine. Either way, even if you never downloaded it, you paid for it. Tens of millions...
03.18.2024
Women are gambling, too. Why don't we see them?
With the rise in both legality and popularity of gambling, it can seem like images of both winners and losers are everywhere. Images of men, that is. Take a look at gambling advertising on TV, or even promotions offering help...
03.17.2024
Are smartphones the new cigarettes?
Not too long ago, cigarettes were everywhere. Lighting up in a restaurant, on a flight, or even in a doctor’s office was just part of the smoky fabric of Canadian life. Until it wasn’t. Now smartphones are the constant thing we...
03.16.2024
Change Jobs?! In This Economy?!
Cody wants to find a new job, in a new industry, but doesn't have the qualifications listed on the job postings he's seeing. Alan feels trapped in his current job by an unstable and unpredictable market. They both want to...
03.15.2024
Can you still trust Google's search results?
If you've tried to use Google to research a purchase recently, you've probably encountered—right at the top of the rankings—a whole lot of extremely similar Best Of lists published by familiar brands, even trusted names like Forbes, Popular Science or...
03.14.2024
What we do (and don't) know about the mass killing of an Ottawa family
On March 6th, six people, including four children, were killed in their home in Barrhaven ,O.N., a suburb of Ottawa. The man accused of committing the alleged mass murder shared a home with the family. The killing has left their...
03.13.2024
So, where's Kate Middleton?
Officially known as Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton has not been seen in months, aside from a quick glimpse in a dark car. Officially, she's recovering after undergoing abdominal surgery. Unofficially, if you follow the conspiracy theories, she's somewhere...
03.12.2024
Culture Cancelled: Are Canada's festivals destined to disappear?
Last week, Juste Pour Rire announced that it would not hold Just For Laughs festivals in Montreal and Toronto in 2024, and that it was entering creditor protection. Toronto has already seen the cancellation of its Taste of The Danforth...
03.11.2024
How are other countries dealing with the housing crisis?
Canada is not the only country in the world experiencing skyrocketing costs and a shortage of available housing options. Across the world nations are coming up with creative solutions to deal with their own housing crises. There’s no silver bullet for...
03.09.2024
Get Divorced?! In This Economy?!
Olivia is going through a divorce. And while it has been amicable, splitting assets feels impossible, especially when it comes to the home they share. Jordan talks to Eva Sachs, the financial expert at The Modern Divorce, a Toronto company...
03.08.2024
Could we learn to talk to whales?
There’s a chance that one day, we humans could have a conversation with whales. Seriously. Scientists are working on a way to make it happen. If technology does eventually allow us to talk to these majestic mammals, what should we say?...
03.07.2024
The crisis in Haiti, explained
Haiti is in the grip of a deepening crisis. Armed gangs are expanding their control of the Caribbean nation through increasingly violent attacks. A state of emergency was declared on Sunday after gangs raided two prisons, freeing thousands of inmates. Hours...
03.06.2024
Has the battle over Ottawa’s carbon pricing reached a boiling point?
In some parts of Canada, carbon pricing is a four-letter word. Now, one province is taking a dramatic stand against the federal government’s carbon levy. Saskatchewan’s government says it’s refusing to remit carbon tax funds to Ottawa. “This is a decision that...
03.05.2024
Is ultra-low cost air travel doomed to fail in Canada?
Lynx Air is no more. The ultralow-cost airline abruptly announced its exit from Canadian skies just ahead of busy March Break travel. Customers were left scrambling to make new – and likely more expensive – bookings. The company now joins a growing...
03.04.2024
Why dynamic pricing isn’t off the menu entirely
Last week, it came out that Wendy’s was considering using dynamic pricing, which sparked concern that would mean increased prices during peak hours. Immediately, the company was met with a deluge of criticism and they reversed their decision. While dynamic pricing...
03.02.2024
Pay for Heating?! In This Economy?!
Matt is struggling to keep up with the cost of heating his home. And he's not alone, Canadians are reporting higher energy consumption costs across the country. Jordan calls Violet Kopperson, a registered energy advisor from the Windfall Ecology Centre, to...

What's The Big Story about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Big Story episodes:

A conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

How secure is Canada's Arctic?

Can virtual health care save a collapsing system?

These days, something's always burning: A fire season preview

Paydirt E1: It's not easy being green

Island Crime S6 E1: Soft

How the cops cracked the $24M Pearson gold heist

Can Canada really build 3.9 million homes by 2031?

What the federal budget means for you

Could Naheed Nenshi cause an NDP divorce?

It's raining in the Arctic. That's ... not good.

Paydirt: The Inside Story of Ontario’s Greenbelt Scandal

Die?! In This Economy?!

What have we actually learned about foreign election interference?

Canada is deporting thousands of migrants, despite a pledge to let them stay

What’s behind a rise in dog attacks?

Has a serial killer walked free for decades?

Why is competition so hard to find in Canada?

In This Economy: How to handle RRSPs in an affordability crisis

We can clone your pet now. So what's next?

A landfill, four victims and a trial with questions to answer

What does the carbon price increase actually mean for you?

Why nothing works with anything else

Are Canada's maple syrup taps running dry?

Learn Something?! From This Economy?!

TBS Listener Feedback: Objectivity, Pornography and Bagged Milk

Ontario's government fought public workers for years. And lost billions.

How the government investigates "greenwashing" complaints

How Loblaw became Canada's "company store"

How AI takes workplace surveillance to another level

In This Economy: How subscription fees spiraled out of control

The past, present and perilous future of bagged milk in Canada

Measles are back. How worried should we be?

Why has Canada's program brought zero Gazans to safety?

Explaining the ArriveCan scandal

Women are gambling, too. Why don't we see them?

Are smartphones the new cigarettes?

Change Jobs?! In This Economy?!

Can you still trust Google's search results?

What we do (and don't) know about the mass killing of an Ottawa family

So, where's Kate Middleton?

Culture Cancelled: Are Canada's festivals destined to disappear?

How are other countries dealing with the housing crisis?

Get Divorced?! In This Economy?!

Could we learn to talk to whales?

The crisis in Haiti, explained

Has the battle over Ottawa’s carbon pricing reached a boiling point?

Is ultra-low cost air travel doomed to fail in Canada?

Why dynamic pricing isn’t off the menu entirely

Pay for Heating?! In This Economy?!