The Decibel

The populations of Vancouver and Toronto have doubled in the past 50 years, but in certain neighbourhoods of those cities, populations have declined by as much as 40 per cent.

The Globe’s architecture critic Alex Bozikovic explains why neighbourhoods have lost so many residents, what that means for the areas, and how it might present a solution to the housing crises.

This episode’s headline has been updated to clarify that the cities discussed are two of Canada’s biggest, not the biggest, as previously published.

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Amidst the news about Canada’s strained and struggling healthcare system, there is a bright spot. The Globe and Mail published a series recently about volunteers filling in the gaps, called Care Between the Lines – about the volunteers who take a patient-first approach in a system that can often be isolating.

Today, we’re bringing you a few of those stories of the volunteers getting rural Canadians to medical appointments, helping families in a pediatric hospital and getting seniors out for a bike ride.

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Albertans will go to the polls to vote in a referendum on October 19. By now, everyone knows about the question on whether Alberta should stay in Canada, or hold another referendum on whether to separate. But there are, in fact, nine other proposals Albertans are being asked to vote on.

Matthew Scace is a staff reporter for The Globe based in Calgary. He’s on the show to explain what else Albertans are being asked to vote on, and what those results could mean for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government.

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Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is on the front lines of Canada’s trade war with the U.S.. The city lies just a few kilometres away from the U.S., across a river from a city with the same name in Michigan. Its core economic industry is steel, which has been hit with U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs.

The Globe and Mail’s staff reporter, Patrick White, recently went to ‘The Soo’ to see how the residents are faring after layoff notices and previous years of economic hardship.

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The law governing income tax in Canada is as complex as the legislation is thick – it’s over 3,000 pages long. All of this complexity isn’t just a nuisance for taxpayers. It can cost people and businesses money if they are unaware of deductions or exemptions, or if they have to hire help to make sure they are compliant.

Chris Wilson-Smith looked into how the Income Tax Act became a Frankenstein’s monster, as one tax expert put it. Chris is on the show to explain why politicians keep adding to the income tax code but can’t seem to simplify it.

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A secret meeting with Republican strategists near an airport hanger, and talks of access to Alberta water and royalties from oil. These are some of the revelations from a Globe investigation looking into some separatists courting American support in their pursuit of independence.

Carrie Tait, a reporter in the Globe’s Calgary bureau, Globe investigative Grant Robertson and Globe international correspondent, Nathan VanderKlippe are behind the investigation. Carrie and Grant are on the show to explain what they’ve learned.

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Quebec is facing a fractured political landscape ahead of its election today, with no single party polling higher than 30 per cent in the run-up to the election. And there are important issues hanging over the campaign, from separatism to spending issues to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Today, The Globe and Mail’s Quebec correspondent, Maura Forrest, explains why the province’s parties have failed to inspire voters and how a party with less than 30 per cent support might end up forming a majority government.

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Hockey Night in Canada is considered a Canadian cultural institution. For almost 75 years, it was broadcast on the CBC, accessible to any Canadian who wanted to tune in. But earlier this year, CBC and Sportsnet, which owns the rights to air NHL games in Canada, ended their partnership.

Now, the CBC is trying to rebuild a new version of the show without the NHL, and people are left wondering what is lost for Canadians when only people who can afford a Sportsnet subscription can access Saturday night NHL games.

Simon Houpt covers sports media and the business of sport for The Globe. He is on the show to explain the big business of broadcasting NHL games in Canada, and what this means for Canadian identity.

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In the trade war between the U.S. and Canada, alcohol has been a bargaining chip on both sides of the border. Early in 2025, Canadian premiers pulled U.S. booze off of Canadian shelves. Then, last month, the Trump administration slapped a 50-per-cent duty on hundreds of Canadian goods including beer, wine, cider and most spirits. Notably, the U.S. cited the provincial shelf bans as justification for their tariffs. And now, the U.S. has implemented an outright ban on that same list of alcohol products.

Jennifer Robson, an associate professor of political management at Carleton University, will explain why booze has become a focal point amid continuing trade tensions.

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Officers at the Regina Police Service begin an internal investigation of one of their colleagues, and turn up a case larger and more complex than they could have imagined. Sgt. Alana Heiliger begins to identify patterns in an officer’s use of police databases, and a notebook filled with names and cryptic notations provides valuable clues.

In Her Defence: Breach of Trust is a seven-part original podcast series from The Globe and Mail. The show is made by Kasia Mychajlowycz and Jana G. Pruden. Sound mixing is by Dave Crosbie, with additional recording by Amber Bracken. The show’s theme song is “Black Horses” by Birdbelly. Show art by Celeste Woods.

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