For years we’ve heard about the shortages of affordable housing in major cities across Canada, especially in places like Toronto and Vancouver. And while those problems still exists, a lack of affordable housing is also spreading to smaller and more rural communities as demand for rental properties is outpacing the supply, and more and more people are priced out of ever owning a home.

Guest host Rachel Browne delves into the housing affordability crisis that’s affecting millions of people across Canada. We talk to Terry O’Connor, a truck driver in Pemberton, B.C. who’s trying to make ends meet for his family, and housing expert Jill Atkey takes us through how we got here, and what’s at stake if various levels of government don’t jump into action.

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The most recent federal election saw members of the anti-abortion movement throw their support behind dozens of candidates in order to get them elected, with the hopes that maybe one day they would pursue legislative restrictions on abortion access. One political group founded by young anti-abortion activists, called RightNow, worked tirelessly since the 2015 election to help elect candidates they identified as pro-life. Many pro-choice politicians and advocates pointed to their efforts as a sign that women’s rights could be at stake depending on the outcome of the election.

Guest host Rachel Browne talks to Alissa Golob, co-founder of RightNow, and Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada.

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What started out as a protest over a public transit fare increase in Santiago last week has sparked a nationwide movement in Chile. At least 18 people have been killed in the protests and thousands have been arrested.

Guest host Rachel Browne talks to freelance journalist John Bartlett, who is based in Santiago. He’s been watching the protests closely, and walks her through the feeling on the street. She also connects with Florencio Ceballos who grew up in Chile, and now lives in Ottawa, where he works as a program specialist at the International Development Research Center. He delves into the historical context of deep-rooted inequality that’s fuelling the protest movement.

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Following the federal election on Monday that gave Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party a minority government, calls for Alberta and Saskatchewan to separate from Canada — the so-called Wexit movement — gained a lot of traction of social media. But these tensions aren’t new. The notion of Western alienation has existed for decades.

Guest host Rachel Browne surveys the #wexit trend on social media with Global’s senior correspondent Jeff Semple. She’s also joined by political scientist Jared Wesley, associate professor at the University of Alberta, who takes us through the history of Western alienation and how we can address these complex issues.

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In recent years, community news outlets across the country have been rapidly downsizing or shutting down. Sometimes it’s the university reporters in these communities who are the only ones covering overlooked local stories and holding those in power to account. Now, even they’re under fire. In Ontario, the government under Doug Ford recently implemented the Student Choice Initiative, and known as the SCI, which gives students the ability to opt-out of certain initiatives on campus. The policy is being challenged at court by student groups who say it interferes with the autonomy of schools.

Guest host Rachel Browne is joined by Sarah Krichel, editor-in-chief of The Eyeopener at Ryerson University. They discuss the impact funding cuts are having on campus journalism, and what this all means for the future of journalism as a whole.

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Canadians cast their ballots and the results are in. Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau will form a minority government — but how he does that and whether the results of the election are going to deepen existing regional rifts is the big question facing politicians right now.

In this episode, we also recap the big surprises and upsets of Election Night, and look ahead to what’s going on behind the scenes as the Liberals go looking for allies.

Guest host Amanda Connolly is back from Global’s Parliamentary bureau to take you through the results. She’s joined by Mike Colledge, president of Ipsos Public Affairs Canada, and Global’s chief political correspondent David Akin.

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Trevor Darroch had been struggling with addiction for years. His dad, Sam Darroch, thought maybe being in prison might actually help Trevor address his issues. But instead, while he was serving a two year sentenced, Trevor overdosed multiple times in prison, and this past spring, he died. He was 37 years old.

Host Tamara Khandaker is joined by Global’s features reporter Jane Gerster. How bad is the opioid crisis in Canadian prisons . . . and should we even be putting people with addiction issues in prison at all?

Programming Note: Amanda Connolly from Global’s Parliamentary bureau will be back on Tuesday with a deep-dive into today’s election results. In the meantime, we’ll have full coverage tonight as results roll in on GlobalNews.ca, Global News Radio, Global National, and Twitter and Instagram.

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We’re back with a special Saturday edition of our two-part election primer. Here to get you ready for what could happen on Monday before you head to the polls. 

If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, go back and do that now. It’s all about what a Liberal minority would look like. Today, we’re doing essentially the same thing, but we’re going to look at the possibility of a Conservative minority.

Host Tamara Khandaker is joined once again by Global’s chief political correspondent David Akin.

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As we get closer to the election, it seems more and more likely that for the first time since 2011, we are headed toward a minority government in Canada. This means that whoever ends up forming government is mostly likely going to have to work with other parties to get anything done.

Host Tamara Khandaker talks to Global’s chief political correspondent David Akin about a possible Liberal minority government. What would that look like? 

Listen tomorrow for the second half of our conversation on a possible Conservative minority government.

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As of today, cannabis edibles are legal in Canada, even through commercial products aren’t likely to be seen until mid-December. It’s also been a year since recreational weed was legalized in Canada. At the time, a lot of people seemed excited, but things haven’t gone quite according to plan. It’s been kind of a mess on every front — for the consumer, for the government, for the investor.

Host Tamara Khandaker checks in with Chris Damas, who writes a monthly cannabis-stock newsletter called the BCMI Cannabis Report. They go back and look at everything that went wrong, and look at what the entry of new products, like edibles and vape pens, mean for the industry’s future.

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