The Decibel

Canada’s largest Chinatown has been under siege for over a century: first by race riots, then by poverty and most recently by the threat of development. We’re telling the story of why Chinatown, Vancouver, is one of Canada’s most resilient neighbourhoods, forced to evolve and adapt in the face of horrific racism. The future of Chinatowns everywhere should be in the hands of the people who live, work and find community there. So what does the future hold for a neighbourhood constantly in flux?

This episode of The Globe and Mail’s City Space podcast is available to stream wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week, a group of First-Nations leaders called for the Thunder Bay Police Service to be disbanded for the second time – following charges against high ranking members of the service and board, and several reports accusing the police service of racism, discrimination and misconduct, specifically in the cases involving Indigenous people.

The Globe’s Willow Fiddler has been covering this story and is on the show to explain the problems with the Thunder Bay Police Service, and what led to this call for the service to be disbanded.

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The government in Hong Kong recently voted to pass a new national security law, referred to as Article 23. It includes seven new offences related to sedition, treason and state secrets, and is expected to have a chilling effect on protest. A number of countries, including Canada, denounced the law before it was passed, saying it’s too broad and risks undermining human rights.

James Griffiths, The Globe’s Asia Correspondent, is on the show to discuss Article 23 – what it is, how it’s affecting people in Hong Kong and who is most at risk.

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The Israel-Hamas war is continuing in Gaza, but tension extends to another Palestinian territory, the West Bank. Five hundred Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers or security forces, according to local authorities, and at least nine Israelis have been killed, according to the United Nations. The West Bank is also home to farmland where olive, fig and lemon trees grow. Since Oct. 7, Israeli settlements have expanded and some Palestinian farmers say they’ve lost access to agricultural land.

Nathan VanderKlippe, the Globe’s international correspondent, tells us what’s been happening on West Bank farmlands for the past six months and how this is increasing tensions in the region.

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When the federal government released their 2024 budget last week, they changed the capital gains tax for the first time in a quarter-century. The tax is set to bring in $19.3-billion dollars, and the government says it’ll only impact the wealthiest of Canadians. But many are disputing that.

Salmaan Farooqui, a personal finance reporter with the Globe’s Report on Business, is on the show to tell us about the basics of capital gains and how this tax might affect Canadians.

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On Wednesday, Kristian Firth became the first person in over a century held in contempt of Parliament and ordered to answer MP questions. It all has to do with the ArriveCan app, which his company, GC Strategies, was awarded millions of dollars to help develop.

An Auditor-General’s report estimates the app cost taxpayers $59.5 million and most of the work was outsourced to companies like GC strategies. Why the app cost so much and who got that money has come under scrutiny.

Bill Curry, the Globe’s Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, is on the show to tell us about what’s been going on with ArriveCan and what we learned from Kristian Firth’s historic appearance at the House of Commons.

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With nearly one billion eligible voters, India is the world’s biggest democracy. Beginning April 19, with voting staggered over six weeks, they will decide their leader for the next five years. Narendra Modi aims to consolidate power with his third term as prime minister, as a coalition opposition looks to unseat him.

Sanjay Ruparelia is an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and Jarislowsky Democracy Chair explains why India’s elections matter for democracy – and the balance of power for the rest of the world.

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The 2024 Canadian federal budget has been unveiled, with a particular focus on affordability and housing this year. But the 430 page plan covers a wide gamut of other spending details – from defence, tax hikes, generational fairness and much more. Making sense of it all can be overwhelming.

We’ll cover all the key points of this year’s budget and explain how it will affect your wallet and financial prospects. A team of Globe and Mail journalists – senior political reporter Marieke Walsh, real estate reporter Rachelle Younglai, Report on Business reporter Mark Rendell and personal finance expert Rob Carrick – join The Decibel to explain what you need to know.

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There are an estimated 650,000 cases of dementia in Canada right now. The last 20 years of research into the treatment of Alzheimer’s have been, as one expert put it, “agonizing.” But a new drug was approved in the United States and is being tested in Canada to see if it can delay or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms. And it’s giving researchers and patients some hope that a breakthrough could be on the way.

Kelly Grant, health reporter for The Globe, has been looking at this drug more closely. She’s on the show today to tell us what these trials mean for patients and the future of Alzheimer’s research.

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The Globe and Mail’s City Space podcast takes on the big issues, questions and stories of urban living. What makes a city function? Why was it built that way? How will it change in a tech-powered society? 

This episode takes a look at the unhoused and encampment crisis in many cities and towns in Canada. In Halifax, the homeless population has tripled in the last three years. Emergency shelters aren’t enough, and building new housing takes time. Real fixes will require money and policy solutions. The city finds itself caught in the middle – between those who just want the problem to disappear and those trying to find long-term answers. 

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