The Decibel

On Sunday, most Canadians gain an hour of sleep as the clocks get turned back to standard time. But while most of us have gotten used to the bi-annual time change, our bodies have not. And with a growing number of experts saying the practice messes with our sleep – should Canadians stop messing with the clock?

Today, psychology professor Joseph De Koninck is here. He studies sleep at the University of Ottawa, and his recent research looks at how Daylight Savings Time impacts our circadian rhythms, what we can do to minimize the health effects the change has, and why he thinks Canada should consider staying on Standard Time year-round.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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Last weekend, Quebec passed new legislation that would impose a new contract on doctors, who have been in negotiations with the provincial government since March, 2023. Known as Bill 2, it sets out targets that Quebec doctors must meet in order to achieve the government’s health care goals, including access to primary care for all Quebeckers by January, 2027.

The catch? If doctors don’t meet these targets, they can be penalized by having up to 15 per cent of their pay clawed back.

André Picard, Globe health reporter and columnist, is on the show to break down why Bill 2 is drawing controversy, how doctors are responding to it, and what that means for patient care in Quebec.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump ended trade talks with Canada and threatened to hike tariffs on Canadian imports by another 10 per cent because of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s anti-tariff ad. Now, Trump says he doesn’t plan to meet with Carney “for a long time”, as both leaders head to Asia for trade summits and turn their attention to repairing trade relations with China.

The Globe’s chief political writer, Campbell Clark, joins the show. He’ll explain why Ford’s ad struck such a nerve, the fallout from halted U.S.-Canada trade negotiations, and the stakes for Canada as both Carney and Trump prepare to meet with President Xi Jinping.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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‘Til death do us part – that’s the promise couples make to each other when they tie the knot. But what happens in the event of a divorce? Disentangling a marriage can carry a big financial burden if the division of property, pets and assets are in the mix. Once derided as unromantic, the pre-nuptial agreement is now gaining popularity among young Canadians planning to get married.

Mariya Postelnyak, consumer affairs reporter for The Globe, talks about how pre-nups legally work in Canada, what’s included and what isn’t in agreements, and why more couples are navigating the tricky conversation before marriage.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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As Canadians, we’ve spent a lot of time over the past year talking about what it means to be Canadian and how to support our country. For some people, that looks like checking labels at the grocery store or limiting travel to the United States. But as the Globe’s film and deputy arts editor Barry Hertz argues, now is also the moment to bolster Canadian culture.

And we’re squandering it.

So today, Barry is on the show to talk about the state of the arts in Canada right now (and yes, Quebec is a different story), what the government should be doing differently, and what we stand to lose if we blow this generational opportunity to strengthen Canadian culture.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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The Toronto Blue Jays are headed to the World Series for the first time in over 30 years. It’s the third time in franchise history that Canada’s team is playing for the championship. But this monumental moment isn’t just for the diehard Jays fans – everyone can get in on the fun.

So today, we bring you The Decibel’s bandwagoner’s guide to not feeling totally lost as the Jays try to make history. Producer and lifelong fan Madeleine White will walk us through some baseball 101 – including the lingo, superstitions, weird stats, what makes this season’s team so special, and whether she thinks we’ve got a shot against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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The prices of gold and silver have been climbing quickly this fall, with both precious metals setting a new high for per-ounce price. Why is this happening?

Columnist and reporter Tim Kiladze explains how central banks, Trump and even AI factor into it.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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Last week, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre made comments about the RCMP being “despicable” on a YouTube show, accusing them of “covering up” for former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This sparked backlash from opposition parties as well as Conservatives, and earlier this week, Poilievre walked those comments back, explaining that he meant to direct his comments towards the former RCMP commissioner. Between his YouTube appearance and some recent social media activity, Globe opinion columnist Robyn Urback wonders: is Pierre Poilievre okay?

Today, Robyn is on the show to try to unpack what Poilievre has been saying, and what all this could signal about the future of his leadership — and the state of the Conservative Party.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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On Thursday, Ottawa announced incoming legislation to reform the bail system. It comes after months of pressure both in Parliament and across the country, as a surge of Canadians say they feel crime is worsening, and that the bail system is too lenient. But with overall crime down, will making our bail system stricter really make Canadians safer?

The Globe’s justice reporter, David Ebner, joins the show. He’ll explain what we know about the reforms the Liberals and Conservatives have been calling for, what the data tells us about how the system is currently operating, and the tensions in reforming bail.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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There has been a lot of talk about Canadian sovereignty ever since the election of Donald Trump. And that sovereignty talk extends to the digital realm too. Last month, nearly 70 public figures and experts sent a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney demanding he take sovereignty in the digital space more seriously. The government is currently working on that, with plans to build a sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure. These projects would have major implications for Canada’s data security and economy.

Globe business reporter Joe Castaldo and innovation reporter Pippa Norman explain why building sovereign digital companies is not as straightforward as it might seem.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]

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