The Big Story

Enjoy this special feed drop of Bite Back with Abbey Sharp. In today’s episode of Bite Back with Abbey Sharp, I’m joined by Canadian actor, podcaster, and cystic fibrosis advocate Jeremie Saunders, host of the hit show SickBoy. Building on his lived experience with CF, Jeremie has built a platform that breaks stigma and opens up real conversations about what it means to live well with chronic illness. Together, we talk about the disorienting reality of rapid body changes — whether from medication, illness, or simply moving through different stages of life — and how to navigate these shifts with compassion and grace. This conversation goes beyond chronic disease, offering lessons that resonate with anyone who’s ever struggled with body image, identity, or change.

Here’s a run down of what we discussed in today’s episode:

Introduction
Life With Cystic Fibrosis
Food Challenges With Cystic Fibrosis
Trikafta and the Metabolic Shift
Becoming a Stranger in Your Own Body
Body Changes, CF, and the Rise of #SkinnyTok
Diet Culture Temptations and Disordered Eating
When Wellness Culture Gets It Wrong
Why “Natural” Isn’t a Moral Flex
Humour as a Tool for Coping With Chronic Illness
Self-Compassion Through Body Changes
Gratitude, Growth, and Moving Forward
Check in with today’s amazing guest:

Podcast: Sickboy
Instagram: @jeremiesaunders
Youtube: /sickboymedia
Disclaimer: The content in this episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is never a substitute for medical advice. If you’re struggling with with your mental or physical health, please work one on one with a health care provider.

If you have heard yourself in our discussion today, and are looking for support, contact the free NEDIC helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or go to eatingdisorderhope.com.

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We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

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One by one, companies are mandating their employees to kiss their hybrid work-from-home model goodbye and head back into the office. But what once was before the pandemic rocked society's work-life balance, is no longer, and companies need to take the extra mile to ensure their offices pose as a productive workspace for their employees to thrive in.

Host of In This Economy!? Mike Eppel speaks to Sarah Bramley, Senior VP, Workplace Advisory for Colliers Canada. She co-authored a recent report that detailed the relationship between a great office space and increased productivity.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To post-secondary or to not post-secondary?

The back and forth for almost 40% of Canadians who feel unsure whether or not higher education is worth their time and money.

A recent Ipsos survey for CourseCompare, a data-based platform on Canadian post-secondary information, revealed that their Gen Z respondents felt the most confused about the value of post-secondary education, with 46% saying they were unsure about what good a degree or diploma could do for them.

And besides the numbers, an overall pendulum swing in sentiment towards higher education is also driving uncertainty towards staying in school. Couple that with high tuition prices, changing student visa legislation, and AI's role, and the pendulum just keeps on swinging.

Host Pooja Handa speaks to Robert Furtado, the CEO of CourseCompare to discuss their Return on Education index, a database that categorizes which degrees and diplomas give you the best return on investment. The two also talk about what skills you need to protect yourself from the current volatile job market.

You can learn more about CourseCompare here:

https://www.coursecompare.ca/
https://www.coursecompare.ca/roe-index/

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been a busy start to the fall sitting of Parliament.

Ahead of the end of its first week back, long-time minister Chrystia Freeland announced she decided to leave her cabinet post at Transport, while the Prime Minister announced her appointment as a new special envoy to Ukraine. Meanwhile the Ottawa confirmed its budget will be coming November 4th, with a substantial deficit attached.

Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with Tyler Meredith, a former economic advisor to the government, about Freeland’s departure and legacy, and what to expect in the delayed fiscal plan.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There are growing calls from some federal and provincial politicians for the Carney government to abolish Canada’s temporary foreign worker program, claiming companies are using the it to find cheaper labour. The push came after the job numbers for August showed tens of thousands of losses and a high unemployment rate for young Canadians.

But the government is pushing back, saying TFW use is in significant decline and the program is needed. So what’s really happening with Canada’s job market and are foreign workers to blame?

Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with McGill economics professor Fabian Lange to find out. 

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The denouncement of political violence has never been louder than right now in America, but the gap that positions itself between the country's opposing political ideologies has simultaneously never been wider.

In the wake of Charlie Kirk's death, Americans and the world at large, have become reminded, once again, just how severe the reality of political violence has become. Death threats towards politicians, the notorious acts of January 6, and calculated assassinations of influential public figures - to name a few.

But what about Canada? How sensitive are we to political violence? And what can be done to further distance our reality from that of America's?

Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Justin Ling, a freelance journalist and author of the Bug-eyed and Shameless newsletter to do a pulse check of where things stand on this side of the border, and how Canadians can take matters into their own hands to prevent further widening the political polarization gap.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Federal politicians are back in their seats in the House of Commons today, to kick start the fall sitting of Parliament.

It's expected to be a jam packed agenda for the next few months, as the federal government continues to try and stickhandle the tariff war with the US, put together a balancing act budget, releases a new housing plan, and unveils new trade and climate strategies. All this as the opposition parties sort out lingering leadership questions.

Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams who breaks down the challenges and political risks facing the Carney government.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The name Terry Fox is synonymous with courage, perseverance and promise. After losing his leg at just 18 years old, his run across Canada inspired generations to come – and to date, has raised over $900 million for cancer research. His journey was deeply rooted in wanting to do more, by raising awareness and to help others see strength, not weakness. These same sentiments were true for George Hincks and Marshall McDougall, two Canadian men who both had a leg amputated as a result of injuries sustained in World War I. Their hike across our nation is a story you may not have heard - but once you do, you will never forget.

Host Melanie Ng speaks with Eric Story, the author of a feature about George Hincks and Marshall McDougall. Eric is an adjunct professor at Wilfrid Laurier University and a postdoctoral fellow at Western University.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

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One of Earth's closest planetary neighbours could be harbouring life of its own.

That's the finding concluded from what a rock sample, collected by NASA's Perseverance Mars rover, obtained during its time out there. Researchers say that a biosignature was potentially found within the sample, indicating a sign of past or current life on the planet.

Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks to Dr. Mariek Schmidt, a professor at Brock University, and one of the several Canadian researches a part of NASA's team to discuss how her and the team made the discovery, and how it compares to how life on our planet began.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Being its victim stings pretty bad, but is the hurt worth a criminal record?

One - or several - speed camera vandals took to the streets of Toronto this past week, making their mark and message on radar technology loud and clear, damaging 16 over the span of one night. And not to mention, the vandals' most sacred target, the Parkside Drive camera that was vandalized 7 times in less than a year.

Ontario's Premier denounced the radar technology, calling it a cash grab, and saying he wants them gone from cities. However, safety advocates are sounding the alarm on Ford's comments, calling them dangerous and out of touch.

Although dozens of citizens took to social media to share their gratitude for the vandals' Robin Hood-esque style, it begs the question of how far can criminal activity be mimicked and celebrated before it goes too far?

Host Richard Southern speaks to Jacqueline Helfgott, a criminology and forensics professor at Seattle University to break down the intersection of media, crime, and notoriety that perpetrates what she calls 'copy-cat crime'.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected]

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.