The Matt Brown Podcast

November 14, 2026

Hello London. I’m Matt Brown and this is The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too.

As a leading voice for London’s business community, Chamber of Commerce CEO Graham Henderson is keenly aware of council’s make-up and he watches the decisions they make very carefully.

Back in September, the Chamber surveyed candidates running for city council, but the exercise wasn’t just a snapshot in time.

Since the election, the Chamber has been examining the successful candidates’ survey responses alongside the commitments they made on the campaign trail, including statements on their websites and during debates.

Graham says this analysis paints a pretty clear picture of what this new council is going to be focused on.

We have a lot of ground to cover over the next 25 or so minutes. So, let’s go!

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For details: [email protected]

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) lineup

Local independent journalism bringing you new content every day.

Find our editorial standards and policies here.

Meet the Londoners who team up to send you a new feature every weekday:

* Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt BrownSPONSORED BY HAMILTON ROAD BIA

* Tuesday - City Tours with Cedric Richards SPONSORED BY LONDON BICYCLE CAFÉ

* Wednesday - City Hall Notes by Mike DonachieSPONSORED BY SPERO LAW

* Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup by Diana TamblynSPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN LONDON

* Friday - Reflections with Steve CordesSPONSORED BY OLD EAST VILLAGE BIA

Also on Fridays: the local news ROUNDUP.

At least every other Saturday: The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE.

If you’ve been following what we’ve been up to here at The Loon you’ll know that we are bringing together London voices to deliver fresh content each weekday. Through podcasts, articles, video features, and in-depth analysis, we cover the civic decisions, local issues, arts and culture, and community stories that matter most.

Thank you to those of you who have already taken out a paid subscription to support this work. If that’s not you just yet, you can help too. A subscription to The Loon gives you more than news - it gives you the insight to understand your city better while helping sustain independent local journalism for the future. If you’re not in a position to take out a paid subscription, that’s okay too. We’re glad you’re here with us. And, everyone - you can help by following and sharing The Loon, far and wide - with your family, neighbours, colleagues and friends.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

November 7, 2026

Hello London. I’m Matt Brown, and this is The Matt Brown Podcast, brought to you by London Ontario Online News. It’s the show is about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. The topic today? Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week, November 1 to 7, 2026.

Every year, communities across Ontario recognize the first week of November as an opportunity to raise awareness around carbon monoxide poisoning. Why? The fact of the matter is CO poisoning can and does cause deaths here in Ontario and across Canada.

As the awareness week comes to a close, I am sharing a conversation I had with Deputy Fire Chief Matt Hepditch in late October. One of his key messages for all of us is that there was a change in the Ontario Fire Code that came into effect on January 1, 2026. Specifically, there needs to be a working carbon monoxide detector on every floor in your home.

Questions? need more information?

You can contact: the London Fire Department.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

(Your Logo and Link Here)

For details: [email protected]

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) lineup

Local independent journalism bringing you new content every day.

Find our editorial standards and policies here.

Meet the Londoners who team up to send you a new feature every weekday:

* Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt BrownSPONSORED BY HAMILTON ROAD BIA

* Tuesday - City Tours with Cedric Richards SPONSORED BY LONDON BICYCLE CAFÉ

* Wednesday - City Hall Notes by Mike DonachieSPONSORED BY SPERO LAW

* Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup by Diana TamblynSPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN LONDON

* Friday - Reflections with Steve CordesSPONSORED BY OLD EAST VILLAGE BIA

Also on Fridays: the local news ROUNDUP.

At least every other Saturday: The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE.

If you’ve been following what we’ve been up to here at The Loon you’ll know that we are bringing together London voices to deliver fresh content each weekday. Through podcasts, articles, video features, and in-depth analysis, we cover the civic decisions, local issues, arts and culture, and community stories that matter most.

Thank you to those of you who have already taken out a paid subscription to support this work. If that’s not you just yet, you can help too. A subscription to The Loon gives you more than news - it gives you the insight to understand your city better while helping sustain independent local journalism for the future. If you’re not in a position to take out a paid subscription, that’s okay too. We’re glad you’re here with us. And, everyone - you can help by following and sharing The Loon, far and wide - with your family, neighbours, colleagues and friends.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

October 31, 2026

Hello London - I’m Matt Brown and this is The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too.

London’s 2026 Municipal Election is behind us. Western’s Director of Urban Policy and Local Government, Dr. Martin Horak, watches every election at every level closely and London’s 2026 municipal election was no exception.

We have a lot of ground to cover over the next 25 or so minutes. So, let’s go!

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

(Your Logo and Link Here)

For details: [email protected]

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) lineup

Local independent journalism bringing you new content every day.

Find our editorial standards and policies here.

Meet the Londoners who team up to send you a new feature every weekday:

* Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt BrownSPONSORED BY HAMILTON ROAD BIA

* Tuesday - City Tours with Cedric Richards SPONSORED BY LONDON BICYCLE CAFÉ

* Wednesday - City Hall Notes by Mike DonachieSPONSORED BY SPERO LAW

* Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup by Diana TamblynSPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN LONDON

* Friday - Reflections with Steve CordesSPONSORED BY OLD EAST VILLAGE BIA

Also on Fridays: the local news ROUNDUP.

At least every other Saturday: The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE.

If you’ve been following what we’ve been up to here at The Loon you’ll know that we are bringing together London voices to deliver fresh content each weekday. Through podcasts, articles, video features, and in-depth analysis, we cover the civic decisions, local issues, arts and culture, and community stories that matter most.

Thank you to those of you who have already taken out a paid subscription to support this work. If that’s not you just yet, you can help too. A subscription to The Loon gives you more than news - it gives you the insight to understand your city better while helping sustain independent local journalism for the future. If you’re not in a position to take out a paid subscription, that’s okay too. We’re glad you’re here with us. And, everyone - you can help by following and sharing The Loon, far and wide - with your family, neighbours, colleagues and friends.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

October 24, 2026

Hello London — I’m Matt Brown and this is The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too.

We have a good show for you today.

The election is now just 2 days away. Graham Henderson is joining us today to give us the Chamber’s take on where he and his membership think candidates need to focus to move London forward

He joins with me in the studio.

So, let’s go!

London Chamber of Commerce Candidate Survey

As London prepares for the 2026 Municipal Election, the London Chamber of Commerce invited candidates to share their perspectives on issues affecting London’s business community, economic growth and the future of our city.

Explore the responses below to learn more about where candidates stand on the issues that matter to London’s businesses and residents. You can read it here.

Note: My conversation with Graham Henderson was recorded on the afternoon of October 22, just under 24 hours before this announcement from the Josh Morgan Campaign.

I’m including a link to an article that Alessio Donnini wrote for CBC News:

* Morgan pitches $10M downtown fund, expanded office-to-housing program ahead of election.

There is still time to check out what the candidates in your Ward have to say

Rogers Television is broadcasting each of them regularly as election day approaches. The Loon was thrilled to partner with the Urban League this year.

We wrote many of the questions asked at these meetings and helped promote the events, too. For a grassroots, not-for-profit, volunteer-led organization, the Urban League of London has really gone above and beyond with this initiative. You can learn more about these meetings here.

* All 14 Ward All-Candidate Meetings are available on the Rogers tv YouTube channel and are running regularly on Rogers tv.

* Ward 1

* Ward 2

* Ward 3

* Ward 4

* Ward 5

* Ward 6

* Ward 7

* Ward 8

* Ward 9

* Ward 10

* Ward 11

* Ward 12

* Ward 13

* Ward 14

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

(Your Logo and Link Here)

For details: [email protected]

Check out the Rogers tv Mayoral Debate

Moderator Christine Taleski masterfully moderated this 90-minute debate and The Loon developed and asked the questions. You can catch the entire 90 minute debate regularly on Rogers tv or watch it on Rogers tv’s YouTube Channel here.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) lineup

Local independent journalism bringing you new content every day.

Find our editorial standards and policies here.

Meet the Londoners who team up to send you a new feature every weekday:

* Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt BrownSPONSORED BY HAMILTON ROAD BIA

* Tuesday - City Tours with Cedric Richards SPONSORED BY LONDON BICYCLE CAFÉ

* Wednesday - City Hall Notes by Mike DonachieSPONSORED BY SPERO LAW

* Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup by Diana TamblynSPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN LONDON

* Friday - Reflections with Steve CordesSPONSORED BY OLD EAST VILLAGE BIA

Also on Fridays: the local news ROUNDUP.At least every other Saturday: The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE.

If you’ve been following what we’ve been up to here at The Loon you’ll know that we are bringing together London voices to deliver fresh content each weekday. Through podcasts, articles, video features, and in-depth analysis, we cover the civic decisions, local issues, arts and culture, and community stories that matter most.

Thank you to those of you who have already taken out a paid subscription to support this work. If that’s not you just yet, you can help too. A subscription to The Loon gives you more than news - it gives you the insight to understand your city better while helping sustain independent local journalism for the future. If you’re not in a position to take out a paid subscription, that’s okay too. We’re glad you’re here with us. And, everyone - you can help by following and sharing The Loon, far and wide - with your family, neighbours, colleagues and friends.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

Hello London — I’m Matt Brown and this is The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too.

We have a good show for you today. London Free Press City Hall Reporter Jack Moulton is joining us to talk about all things municipal election.

Jack has been covering London City Hall over at The London Free Press for the past three years, and you can bet he’s been following the municipal election very closely.

The election, of course, is right around the corner and Jack’s going to spend the next 30 minutes or so helping us get a better sense of what’s happening with the Ward Races. We’re going to take a close look at the mayoral race too.

There’s lots of material to cover and Jack’s here with me in the studio, right now.

So, let’s go.

The Urban League’s 14 All Candidate Meetings Now Available for Viewing

Rogers Television is broadcasting each of them regularly as election day approaches. The Loon was thrilled to partner with the Urban League this year.

We wrote many of the questions asked at these meetings we and helped promote the events, too. For a grass roots, not-for-profit, volunteer led organization, the Urban League of London has really gone above and beyond with this initiative. You can learn more about these meetings here.

* All 14 Ward All-Candidate Meetings are available on the Rogers tv YouTube channel and are running regularly on Rogers tv.

* Ward 1

* Ward 2

* Ward 3

* Ward 4

* Ward 5

* Ward 6

* Ward 7

* Ward 8

* Ward 9

* Ward 10

* Ward 11

* Ward 12

* Ward 13

* Ward 14

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

(Your Logo and Link Here)

For details: [email protected]

Rogers tv Mayoral Debate

Moderator Christine Taleski masterfully moderated this 90 minute debate and The Loon developed and asked the questions. you can catch the entire 90 minute debate regularly on Rogers tv or watch it on Rogers tv’s YouTube Channel here.

Mike Donachie published a comprehensive list of all mayoral debates in his most recent “Buckle Up”. You can catch it here.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) lineup

Local independent journalism bringing you new content every day.

Find our editorial standards and policies here.

Meet the Londoners who team up to send you a new feature every weekday:

* Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt BrownSPONSORED BY HAMILTON ROAD BIA

* Tuesday - City Tours with Cedric RichardsSPONSORED BY LONDON BICYCLE CAFÉ

* Wednesday - City Hall Notes by Mike DonachieSPONSORED BY SPERO LAW

* Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup by Diana TamblynSPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN LONDON

* Friday - Reflections with Steve CordesSPONSORED BY OLD EAST VILLAGE BIA

* Also on Fridays: the local news ROUNDUP.

* Every other Saturday: The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE.

If you’ve been following what we’ve been up to here at The Loon you’ll know that we are bringing together London voices to deliver fresh content each weekday. Through podcasts, articles, video features, and in-depth analysis, we cover the civic decisions, local issues, arts and culture, and community stories that matter most.

Thank you to those of you who have already taken out a paid subscription to support this work. If that’s not you just yet, you can help too. A subscription to The Loon gives you more than news - it gives you the insight to understand your city better while helping sustain independent local journalism for the future. If you’re not in a position to take out a paid subscription, that’s okay too. We’re glad you’re here with us. And, everyone - you can help by following and sharing The Loon, far and wide - with your family, neighbours, colleagues and friends.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

The Matt Brown Podcast, September 26, 2026

Hello London - I’m Matt Brown and you’re listening to The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things London, and maybe some other stuff too and it’s brought to you by London Ontario Online News. That’s The Loon For Short. It’s a good show for you today - Bob Smith and Christine Taleski are joining us to provide analysis of the Rogers tv Mayoral Debate.

Rogers tv organized and hosted a Mayoral Debate. It’s the only televised debate open to all candidates running in the citywide race and it’s airing regularly on Rogers tv between now and election day.

The debate was a full 90 minutes, 9 of the 12 candidates running for mayor attended and it was masterfully moderated by Christine Taleski. You can watch it here.

London Ontario Online News was invited to write and ask the questions at the debate. This episode of the podcast is an abridged audio version of Newsmakers, that’s the a show I host for Rogers tv.

As I said off the top, Christine Taleski and Bob Smith, two veteran journalists who have decades of experience reporting on Municipal Elections and analyzing debates, are here today to provide their insight and analysis on the Mayoral Debate.

So, Let’s go.

The Urban League Hosted 14 all candidate meetings:

* You can learn more about these meeting here. Missed the date or can’t make the meeting? Rogers tv will be broadcasting each of them regularly as election day approaches. You can find them on Rogers tv’s YouTube channel, too. The Loon was thrilled to partner with the Urban League this year - we wrote many of the questions and we’ve been helping to promote the events. For a grass roots, not-for-profit, volunteer led organization, they really have gone above and beyond with this initiative.

* Within the next little bit, all 14 Ward All Candidate Meetings will be posted on the Rogers tv YouTube channel. Here are the ward meetings you can watch right now:

* Ward 1

* Ward 2

* Ward 4

* Ward 6

* Ward 8

* Ward 9

* Ward 10

* Ward 11

* Ward 12

* Ward 13

* Ward 14

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE

(Your Logo and Link Here)

For details: [email protected]

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) lineup

New content every day.

We’ve teamed up to send you a new feature every weekday:

* Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt BrownSPONSORED BY HAMILTON ROAD BIA

* Tuesday - Ward Tours with Cedric Richards SPONSORED BY LONDON BICYCLE CAFÉ

* Wednesday - City Hall Notes by Mike DonachieSPONSORED BY SPERO LAW

* Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup by Diana TamblynSPONSORED BY DOWNTOWN LONDON

* Friday - Reflections with Steve CordesSPONSORED BY OLD EAST VILLAGE BIA

Also on Fridays: the local news ROUNDUP.

* Every other Saturday: The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE.

If you’ve been following what we’ve been up to here at The Loon you’ll know that we are bringing together London voices to deliver fresh content each weekday. Through podcasts, articles, video features, and in-depth analysis, we cover the civic decisions, local issues, arts and culture, and community stories that matter most.

Thank you to those of you who have already taken out a paid subscription to support this work. If that’s not you just yet, you can help too. A subscription to The Loon gives you more than news - it gives you the insight to understand your city better while helping sustain independent local journalism for the future. If you’re not in a position to take out a paid subscription, that’s okay too. We’re glad you’re here with us. And, everyone - you can help by following and sharing The Loon, far and wide - with your family, neighbours, colleagues and friends.

The Loon (London Ontario Online News) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

Hello London - I’m Matt Brown and you’re listening to The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things London, and maybe some other stuff too. It’s brought to you by London Ontario Online News. That’s The Loon for short.

It’s a good show today. Diana Tamblyn, a co-owner here at The Loon and our Arts and Culture editor, joins me for a conversation with Forest City Film Festival Executive Director Ethan Hickey. He’s going to tell us all about the upcoming 11th annual film festival that is launching, today.

In this episode, Ethan Hickey talks about the, now more than a decade old, Forest City Film Festival. Ethan is serving his first year as the festival’s executive director and he’s been connected to the festival in various ways since 2019.

This year’s festival has a program launch party set for 5pm today (Thursday, September 3rd). It’s being held at Museum London, it’s open to the public and you don’t want to miss it because Ethan and his team will be announcing the full slate of films - all 144 of them - that will be playing over the festival’s 11 day schedule.

The festival officially kicks off on Thursday, October 15th at the Goodwill Industries building on Horton with a gala event that includes an Impact Award presentation recognizing a London celebrity that has made it big not just here at home in Canada, but across North America and internationally.

The festival offers a full line up of films, speakers and industry events. This is a festival that showcases films that have a strong tie to the Southwestern Ontario region, whether that’s a core member of the film team from the area like the director, producer, lead actor, or sound designer, or the film was shot in the region, or features a regional story. In fact, the Forest City Film Festival’s mission is building, broadening, and bettering the film culture of Southwestern Ontario.

Since 2016, the festival has introduced London audiences to the best features, shorts, documentaries and animation from the region. This year, the festival will wrap up with an awards event at Wolf Performance Hall, presented in partnership with Film London.

Ethan is here to tell us all about it.

So, let’s go!

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

Hello, London.

We've done several episode about London's downtown. After all, a city's downtown is it's calling card to the world. On this episode Brent Hodson, the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Downtown London Business Association, is joining the show to give us an update about all things Downtown London.

Also, I have another announcement to make. (No, it's still not that :) If you are a regular listener, you might have noticed that this show has taken a bit of a summer hiatus. Partly because much of the content comes from Newsmakers, the show I host for Rogers Television, which is also taking a summer break. And, partly because I’ve been working with some business partners on a start up. Stick around to the end of this episode - I’m excited to tell you all about it!

Thanks for listening. MB

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

Today is July 16, 2026. It's 7:45am and I am on the 11th storey of a high rise down by the forks of the Thames. I'm looking south facing and can barely see the Normal School Tower over in over in Wortley Village - which, as the crow flies, is just under a kilometre away. Smoke from wild fires raging in Quebec and Northern Ontario has drifted south and has blanketed London, much of South Western Ontario and beyond. At just over a half a century years old, this is something I can't recall in past decades, not at least to this scale. Maybe you can, but this feels different to me.

All outdoor city programming was cancelled last night and Rock the Park shut down around 9pm, too. Last August, Dr. Carol Dyck joined this podcast for our 3rd episode to talk about climate change, and what London City Council is (or isn't) doing about it. (Side note: we get to refer to Carol as Dr. these days because she earned that distinction this spring - congratulations Dr. Dyck!).

The information she shared on that episode, just under a year ago today, is just as relevant today as it was in 2025, perhaps more so. As London and all municipalities approach the 2026 municipal election scheduled for this fall, I wonder if climate change will enter the debates in ward races and the city wide race too. I also wonder how this event is affecting the election on the ground. Are candidates going door to door? If they are, will residents be willing to open their doors and step outside to chat in this smoke? Of course municipalities can't address big issues like this on their own, but they do have a role to play. What do you think?

Thanks for listening, and be safe, London.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe

Dr. Martin Horak is here to talk about the municipal election. Martin is an expert in Urban Politics and a professor at Western University.

He was also a member of the London City Council Resourcing Taskforce, which that saw the current members of city council vote for a significant raise from just under $70,000 now to $94,000 as a starting point for the new term of council, coming in this November. By the end of this coming 4 year term, the salaries are projected to top out around $105,000 for a city councillor in the final year of next term. If you’re the deputy mayor or budget chair, both appointments by the mayor, you’ll be making approximately $113,000.00 and if you’re the mayor, you’ll be making just a touch over $180,000.

Martin is joining us today to talk about that raise, current council's record setting 23.5% tax increase, ward boundary changes, bus rapid transit, the incumbent advantage, other city wide issues, ward races and the Mayoral campaign, too.

Get full access to The Loon (London Ontario Online News) at www.readtheloon.com/subscribe