The Decibel

On June 7, the 91-year-old Canadian business magnate Frank Stronach was arrested and charged with sexual assault. On June 26, more charges were brought against him. He’s facing 13 criminal charges from 10 complainants.

News of the charges stirred memories for Vancouver – and New York-based writer Jane Boon. In 1986, when she was a 19-year-old student that had a scholarship from Magna, she had an encounter with Mr. Stronach. While she is not one of the complainants, Boon has been wrestling with the meaning of that night ever since.

Today on the show, the Globe’s transportation reporter Eric Atkins tells us about Frank Stronach and the criminal charges he’s facing. Then, Jane Boon talks about her experiences with him, and how she reflects on that night, more than three decades later.

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There’s a conversation happening amongst parents that is drumming up a lot of controversy. It’s around the idea of gentle parenting, which is a catch-all term that generally refers to parents who try to stay calm, place a lot of importance on their child’s emotions and show a lot of physical affection.

Dr. Alice Davidson is a professor of developmental psychology at Rollins College, and is one of the few academics to have actually studied gentle parenting. She shares what she has found out.

This episode originally aired on January 9, 2024.

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Last week, the federal government ended a 32-year ban on commercial cod fishing off the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. It reverses a policy decision that devastated the province and led to one of the biggest mass layoffs in Canadian history. While the reversal may seem like a reason to celebrate, some people in the industry are criticizing the news.

Dr. George Rose, a fisheries scientist at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, has been studying the Northern cod population since the 1980s. Though he’s optimistic about the eventual return of the industry, he warns how this decision could undo decades of work.

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Since October 7th, antisemitic incidents in Canada have been on the rise. Toronto Police Deputy Chief Robert Johnson said that nearly half of all hate crimes so far in 2024 have been antisemitic. In a single week in May, a girls’ school in Toronto was shot at, bullets were found outside a Montreal Jewish school inside a synagogue, and a Vancouver synagogue was set on fire. While no one was hurt, it left Canadian Jews feeling unsettled. And over the Canada Day weekend, two synagogues in Toronto were vandalized.

Ellin Bessner is an investigative journalist who hosts the Canadian Jewish News’ daily podcast, The CJN Daily. She’s on the show to talk about how Jewish Canadians have been affected by this rise in antisemitism.

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A year after the death of prominent Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, questions remain about who he really was. His murder sparked international tension between the Canadian and Indian governments and this past spring the RCMP charged four Indian nationals with his murder. To those who knew him, Nijjar was a community leader and family man but the Indian government has called him a murderous terrorist.

Globe reporters Nancy Macdonald and Greg Mercer spent months speaking with members of Nijjar’s Surrey B.C. community as well as those who knew him in India. They join the show to discuss what they found about Nijjar’s enigmatic life.

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Justin Trudeau and the Liberals appear to be in big trouble. Following a stunning loss in the Toronto-St. Paul’s by-election to the Conservatives – a riding they’ve held handily for the last 30 years – the federal government is at risk of losing big in the next federal election, currently set for October 2025. As the Liberals grapple with where to go from here, Prime Minister Trudeau also faces questions about whether he’s still the best leader for the party.

John Ibbitson is a reporter and columnist in The Globe’s Ottawa bureau and has been covering federal politics for decades. He joins the show to discuss the Liberal’s potential summer strategy, how it compares to the Conservative’s approach and any signs of Trudeau’s resignation.

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The U.K.’s Conservative Party is in deep trouble. Britons are heading for a general election on July 4 and polls indicate the ruling Tories are headed for electoral disaster. From Brexit, to COVID and betting scandals, financial panic, and a nation-wide joke involving a head of lettuce – voters appear ready to oust the deeply unpopular party led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Paul Waldie, The Globe’s Europe correspondent, explains the stakes of the U.K. election and why a seismic change is looking likely in British politics.

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Over the weekend, the Alberta NDP elected former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi to lead the party into the 2027 provincial election. With membership numbers at an all-time high, the future looks bright for the provincial party. But Nenshi will face many challenges before meeting Danielle Smith in the next election – including trying to unite the party while considering whether to sever ties with the federal NDP.

Kelly Cryderman is a columnist and reporter with The Globe. She joins the show to break down what’s ahead for the provincial party and what conflicts lie ahead with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.

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For the first time in almost a century, North America’s busiest border crossing – between Detroit and Windsor – is expanding. The Gordie Howe International Bridge is finally connected after six years of construction and a slew of delays, cost increases and political woes. The bridge is expected to improve trade between Canada and the U.S., while bolstering Windsor’s economic revitalization.

The Globe’s national science reporter, Ivan Semeniuk, joins the show to discuss the bridge’s progress, what its economic effects will be and why the bridge is more than just a physical connection.

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It’s hard making friends as an adult. Time to build new relationships becomes scarce. And despite many ways to keep in contact, people are lonelier than ever – new data from Statistics Canada shows that 47 per cent of Canadians feel lonely always, often, or some of the time.

Zosia Bielski is a national reporter for the Globe and Mail whose work often examines relationships. She’s on the show to talk about how adults seeking friends are turning to apps and speed dating events to make platonic connections.

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