The Sunday Magazine

Laugh, cry, and play along as Piya squares off against Alberta country music star Brett Kissel and Redcliff, Alta. listener Gail Thompson in our monthly battle of brain games devised by Edmonton-based puzzle master, Peter Brown.

Piya heads to the prairies in the run-up to October's referendum to hear how neighbors on either side of the separation question are bridging their divide, discover how Banff National Park serves as an example of just how messy a potential provincial breakup would be, and unpacks the potential stakes of immigration questions with affected communities and Alberta's minister in charge of that file

Our understanding of common phrases doesn’t always line up with what they originally meant. Writer and humourist Eli Burnstein helps us discover the true origins behind "carpe diem," "you are what you eat," and "ignorance is bliss"... and reflects on what we can learn by putting their historical, literary and philosophical contexts back in place.

Plus: David Suzuki says he has done everything he could to protect the Earth, but fears he has fallen short. The environmental activist and broadcaster reflects on his nine decades on the planet he loves, and what he envisions for its future.

MPs head back to the House of Commons on Monday, with Canada embroiled in a trade war with the U.S. and a curious bond forming between our country and Europe. The Toronto Star's Tonda MacCharles, Politico's Nick Taylor-Vaisey and journalist and author Paul Wells break down the politics at play, both at home and abroad.

Plus: After 30 years, the WNBA is making headlines. Is it for the right reasons? Veteran WNBA journalist Tamryn Spruill reflects on how far the league has come, and what conversations surrounding players Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham say about its place in culture today.

The 20th century fascism you know is over – and a decidedly modern version is taking its place. So say Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor. The writers and activists discuss how they see today's far right defined by tech billionaires, religious fundamentalists, and ethnonationalists, and their prescription for fighting the threat this movement poses to democracies.

Plus: University of Toronto English professor Randy Boyagoda considers the future of civil discourse in higher education amid fraught campus politics.

It's been a big week in the trenches of the Canada-U.S. trade war. And Canada's former ambassador to the United Nations wants us to take a step back to reflect on what Canadians are fighting for. Bob Rae talks about how he thinks our country can best defend itself in this moment, and why Canada's values – including humanitarian assistance and Indigenous rights – should be central to that effort.

Plus: As Prime Minister Mark Carney courts the world in an effort to expand beyond the American market, The Economist's Rob Russo, The Toronto Star's Adam Radwanski and Bloomberg's Nojoud Al Mallees discuss whether the bet will pay off.

For more than 30 years, the show has been an unlikely cultural institution in the province. Its unique dubbed version, featuring local dialect and cultural references, was set to be axed last year. The Sunday Magazine's Pete Mitton meets the players who brought it back, and explores the bigger story that its rise, fall and rebirth tells.

Plus: In their eighties, Sandra Hazelip and Eleanor Hamby set out on a world tour... and went viral along the journey. The "Traveling Nanas" reflect on their adventures, and offer insights into longevity, lasting friendships and staying curious.

Harvard Kennedy School political economy professor Ricardo Hausmann discusses the potential and pitfalls of Venezuela's oil reserves, and the politics that could play into the deal's viability. Then, Macdonald-Laurier Institute energy expert Heather Exner-Pirot and Grant Sprague, a consultant and former Alberta deputy energy minister, explore how much it could really threaten Canada's oil industry, and how it factors into our push to diversify trading partners.

Plus: Afghan-Canadian writer Jamaluddin Aram reflects on the personal and collective legacy of war for Afghanistan, and why he believes his country can overcome the upheaval that conflict has wrought.

This week marks two years since Gisèle Pelicot became known as the victim in one of the most notorious rape trials in France's history. Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, was found guilty of drugging and raping his then-wife – and recruiting scores of men online to abuse her while she was unconscious, over the course of a decade. Fifty other men were also found guilty, most on rape charges.

What made the trial all the more remarkable is that Gisèle Pelicot waived her right to anonymity, inviting the world into the courtroom. In a rare interview, she tells Piya about the shocking crimes, the ripple effects within her family, and how going public made her a feminist hero.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has received praise globally for walking away from trade talks with the United States. Will the world follow his show of defiance? Political economist John Rapley and Politico finance reporter Kathryn Carlson discuss how different countries are responding, and whether this saga could breathe new life into Carney's middle powers pitch to the world.

Plus: CBC's Briar Stewart shares the latest on the aftermath of catastrophic flooding in Nepal and Tibet. And literary scholar Florence Hazrat explores the surprising power of punctuation.