The Decibel

The 50-per-cent tariffs from the U.S. that came into effect on Aug. 22 are hitting a long list of goods — everything from cosmetics and toiletries, to electronics, clothing, and chemicals. For Canadian small businesses selling to the U.S., the levies are having a big impact already; a 50-per-cent tariff means that, for example, a wedding dress that costs $1,000 will now cost $1,500 overnight.

A survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business this summer, found that 40 per cent of its members would be affected by the tariffs; some expect to lose at least half of their revenue. Today, we hear from small business owners across Canada to get a sense of how they’re getting caught up between the U.S. tariffs and Canadian countertariffs.

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The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing number of people have started devoting their vacations to intensive workshops, where they can pick up new skills or hone a craft.

Toronto-based audio journalist and frequent Decibel producer Allie Graham recently looked into the phenomenon of “skillcations” to find out how people across the country are spending their vacations in the pursuit of hobbies.

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A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $21-billion in 2021 and is projected to more than quadruple by 2031. As more hopeful parents turn toward services like in-vitro fertilization – or IVF – and surrogacy to conceive, Globe investigative journalist Kathryn Blaze Baum worries they may not know exactly what they’re signing up for.

Today, Baum shares her first-hand story and reporting into the fertility industry in her new book, In Fertility: The Story of a Miracle and the Big Business Behind It. Kathryn will explain what it’s like to navigate assisted reproductive technology, its high costs financially and emotionally, and what she thinks needs to change about how Canada handles fertility.

This episode originally aired April 6, 2026.

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The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S.

Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump. How the U.S. was planning on dealing with the auto industry was one of the reasons the trade deal between the two countries fell apart over the weekend.

So today, The Globe’s economics reporter, Mark Rendell, explains why trade discussions focus so heavily on the auto industry, what impact the tariffs have had, and what it means for a sector that is already struggling.

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The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect.

On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, and all manner of other things are facing tariffs of 15, 25 or even 50 per cent.

Jason Kirby, from The Globe’s Report on Business, tells us how Canada is striking back in this latest front of the trade war.

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After trade talks broke down between Ottawa and Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 50-per-cent tariffs on $28-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed to retaliate with dollar-for-dollar countertariffs, which are set to take effect after Labour Day. On Monday, President Trump announced the U.S. would also be doubling its tariffs on Canadian auto parts and steel to 50 per cent come Jan. 1, 2027.

As the trade war escalates and deepens, Canadian businesses — already struggling under existing levies — are bracing for even more pain as uncertainty becomes the norm.

Today, the Globe’s capital markets reporter, Jameson Berkow, is here. He’ll tell us what he’s hearing from business leaders, how these new levies and countertariffs will impact Canada’s economy, and how businesses are preparing for a lengthy trade war.

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Plasma is the golden fluid part of the blood and it’s used to make life-saving medications for people with immune deficiencies. In Canada, plasma donors were historically volunteers, for the most part. While paid donation was legal in some provinces, it wasn’t especially common.

But in 2022, Canadian Blood Services partnered with Grifols, a Spanish company, to expand paid plasma donation. Now, they operate 17 sites across six provinces. After the deaths of two donors in the past year, however, Health Canada has been examining the company’s procedures. Earlier this month, Grifols announced they were pausing operations.

Chris Hannay covers the business of health for The Globe. Today, he’s here to talk about what we know about Grifols’ temporary closure, what we’ve learned about the deaths, and what this all means for Canada’s access to plasma-based medication.

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The first episode of Skinny Inc. was all about the science behind GLP-1s, and the second episode was about the business, from the pharmaceutical companies who make GLP-1s to the insurance plans that may or may not cover it.

Today, we’re exploring how the so-called “Ozempic era,” affects people’s mental health.

First, business owner Maiyhet Burton tells us how using a GLP-1 has helped her body image. Globe health reporter Kelly Grant details how experts are split on the effect of GLP-1s on weight stigma, and psychotherapist Zoë Bisbing explains how the body positive movement helps her clients.

Plus, Tigress Osborn, executive director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance on why the popularity of GLP-1s shows how far we have to go with anti-fat discrimination, and Ary Mahraj and Emily Donahue from the National Eating Disorder Information Centre tell us how people with eating disorders may be impacted by the constant discussions about weight loss.

Finally, Dr. Stephen Glazer, Medical Director for the Bariatric Surgical Program at Humber River Hospital in Toronto on how weight stigma can be internalized.

This episode is the third of a three-part series. It originally aired March 9, 2026.

You can contact the National Eating Disorders Information Centre at their toll-free helpline at 1-866-NEDIC-20 or visit their website.

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Canadians braced for new tariffs on Wednesday. Instead, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would hold off on 50 per cent tariffs for three more days because a “good” trade deal was in the works.

The details of the tentative trade deal remain murky. But Prime Minister Mark Carney is insisting that progress is being made and met with his cabinet and Canada’s premiers on Wednesday afternoon. 

Whatever the deal entails, the Prime Minister faces a difficult balancing act politically. The Globe’s senior political reporter, Marieke Walsh, explains all the different groups Carney must answer to in this fraught moment and what impact this could have on his political career.

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New research from the University of Regina and the University of Alberta provides evidence that Russian content farms and right-wing U.S. influencers are targeting Alberta’s upcoming referendum. Some foreign actors are trying to foment discord in Canada, while others overtly try to persuade Canadians to join the separatist cause. 

Grant Robertson is an investigative reporter with The Globe. He explains how these campaigns work, what messages these foreign actors are pushing and how ready Alberta – and Canada – are to fight back against them. 

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