Shows / The Big Story
The Big Story
An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.
Episodes
- The Big Story
Should you become a landlord so you can afford a home?
Cheap. Entitled. Greedy. Those are just a few things that come to mind when one thinks about a landlord. But have you ever considered becoming one? According…
- The Big Story
First Person: A disabled person living in the age of MAiD
The debate around Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying legislation is exhaustive, and there is no shortage of opinion out there from doctors, advocates…
- The Big Story
Explaining the competition bureau's investigation of Loblaws and Sobeys
Welcome to a fascinating little corner of contract and competition law that could leave a lasting impact on Canada's grocery industry. Last week, the…
- The Big Story
Ticketmaster vs. the US Department of Justice
A couple of years ago, angry Taylor Swift fans filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster, after a presale event for her tour went haywire and resulted in millions…
- The Big Story
The rise and fall of Canada's Crypto King
Aiden Pleterski was charged with fraud a couple of weeks ago. On the face of it, it's a simple charge, but the story behind those charges is one that could…
- The Big Story
Is the real estate industry about to fundamentally shift?
The internet changed nearly everything about real estate. Now buyers can see all the listings, everywhere; they can learn the price histories and estimated…
- The Big Story
Smoke 101: An intro to a new summer reality
We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite…
- The Big Story
Take a vacation?! In This Economy?!
Summer is around the corner, and a lot of us are dreaming of a holiday. But post pandemic it feels like everything has skyrocketed. So how can you still have a…
- The Big Story
How Facebook became a wasteland of AI spam
Have you met Shrimp Jesus yet? He's Jesus, only a shrimp. Or maybe a half-man, half-shrimp. Anyway...he's the most recognizable example of thousands upon…
- The Big Story
Would a Poilievre government really threaten abortion rights?
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to use the notwithstanding clause to enact criminal justice reform if elected. Liberals have pointed to this as…
- The Big Story
How Canada ended up with private health care
It's known as the third rail of Canadian politics, and maybe that's why we've never properly addressed it—but as long as Canada has had universal health care…
- The Big Story
Are companies pulling back on progressive promises?
For a number of years, some of the world's biggest brands painted themselves as shining lights of progressive values. There was more to it than altruism, of…
- The Big Story
Your feedback: On the PM interview, Canada Post and Paydirt
A long weekend means it's time to go through the mailbag. And this time there is actual mail in it. When you report on Canada Post, it turns out, you get…
- The Big Story
RE-RELEASE: Trudeau’s Liberals promised to end the blood ban. Now they say it’s “complicated”.
We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite…
- The Big Story
Mental Health Crisis?! In This Economy?!
Patrick's family member is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and addicted to cocaine stimulants. Patrick and his wife have been trying to fund treatment through…
- The Big Story
Has decriminalization failed in BC?
More than a year ago, BC decriminalized possession of small amounts of certain drugs. Earlier this month, they asked the federal government to recriminalize…
- The Big Story
How we're learning the true prevalence of incest
Recent movements, and brave survivors, have helped to shine light on some of the abuses that happen behind closed doors. But there's one that is still rarely…
- The Big Story
We live in the age of boycotts. But which ones work?
We're in the middle of a month in which thousands of Canadians have sworn to boycott any store or product produced by Loblaw Companies Ltd. That includes an…
- The Big Story
A look inside Ottawa's extremely strange book festival
On the surface, it was just another writer's festival, with perhaps some local food vendors. But as soon as the Ottawa International Food and Book Expo got…
- The Big Story
A solution to the crisis in long-term care?
Ask anyone how they want to spend their final years, and nobody will say "in a long-term care facility." And that was true ever before the pandemic showed us…
- The Big Story
RE-RELEASE: Inside the huge casino bust that went bad
We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite…
- The Big Story
Why do basic income pilots never become permanent?
In 2017, the Ontario Liberal government instituted a basic income pilot where participants across the province would receive $1,400 a month for three years…
- The Big Story
The long, strange trip that ended with Tim Hortons pizza
Tim Hortons. Coffee, donuts and Canadian identity. What more could you possibly want? Well, maybe quenchers? Chilli? Beef lasagna casserole? Pulled pork…
- The Big Story
Will Canada ban TikTok, too?
India was the first country to ban TikTok—and they did it years ago. The United States just passed a law that would see the popular app banned if it isn't sold…
- The Big Story
Will Canada Post end daily mail delivery?
The crown corporation is losing a ton of money, and the volume of mail it's delivering is dropping rapidly. Its annual report, released last week, hinted that…
- The Big Story
How worried should you be about bird flu?
The latest strain of H5N1 avian flu has been doing some ... unusual things. It's infecting a wide swath of mammals. It's spreading rapidly among cattle in the…
The Big StoryPaydirt E3: Margaritaville
Two watchdog reports into Ontario’s Greenbelt scandal in summer 2023 triggered sudden resignations and sent the Ford government spiraling into disarray. Public…
- The Big Story
RE-RELEASE: Are cats cuddly fluff balls or the world's worst invasive species?
We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite…
- The Big Story
Retire?! In This Economy?!
A 44-year-old listener named Brian is wondering if retirement is a reality for him. And if it is, what that retirement will look like. Is it the image of…
- The Big Story
Two tragedies and "a very scary moment for policing"
It remains to be seen if policing in Toronto will really change as a result of the past few weeks, but a tipping point certainly seems to be at hand. First, a…
- The Big Story
A trip inside the courthouse for Donald Trump's trial
On the 15th floor, a former US president, flanked by secret service members and the whole nine yards, faces criminal charges, an historical first. On the…
- The Big Story
What's really happening at Columbia University?
It started at Columbia University. And the NYPD came in hard, right away. Which, naturally, sparked more protests on campuses everywhere from Texas to Quebec…
- The Big Story
Inside one of the largest art frauds in history
Norval Morrisseau is among the most iconic Indigenous artists in Canadian history. His instantly-recognizable paintings adorn the walls of institutions across…
The Big StoryPaydirt E2: Bees, stags, does and Vegas
In the months after the Ford government cut into Ontario’s protected Greenbelt to allow housing development, the premier’s ties with developers were suddenly…
- The Big Story
A conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
After an announcement at a Honda plant in Alliston, Ontario that will bring billions in new electric vehicle investment, the Prime Minister sat down with The…
- The Big Story
How secure is Canada's Arctic?
Recently the department of defence announced a plan to pour billions of dollars into Northern security. And there's no doubt that in a changing world the…
- The Big Story
Can virtual health care save a collapsing system?
Most of us had a virtual health care appointment sometime during the pandemic. Those of us that didn't have almost certainly encountered virtual care of some…
- The Big Story
These days, something's always burning: A fire season preview
Today, evacuation alerts for several communities in BC and Alberta are in effect. You may not have noticed, because there are always evacuation alerts in…
The Big StoryPaydirt E1: It's not easy being green
In 2022, the Doug Ford government opened parts of Ontario’s protected Greenbelt for housing development, touching off a massive political scandal. But long…
- The Big Story
Island Crime S6 E1: Soft
On Saturday's we normally drop the newest episode of In this Economy?! in the feed, but this week we wanted to spotlight another Frequency Podcast Network…
- The Big Story
How the cops cracked the $24M Pearson gold heist
This is one that even the police say will be a Netflix miniseries someday. On April 17, 2023, more than $20 million in gold was stolen from Pearson airport in…
- The Big Story
Can Canada really build 3.9 million homes by 2031?
By far the biggest part of the federal budget is an ambitious plan that the Liberal government claims will not only hit the targeted estimate of homes Canada…
- The Big Story
What the federal budget means for you
In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's budget announcement, the federal government has been hammering a message that this document would make life more…
- The Big Story
Could Naheed Nenshi cause an NDP divorce?
The former Calgary mayor is beloved by many in the province. He might well be the favourite in the race to succeed Rachel Notley as leader of the Alberta NDP…
- The Big Story
It's raining in the Arctic. That's ... not good.
It can be easy, given our changing climate, not to worry much about events that aren't extreme. It's not flooding? No hurricanes or heat waves or wildfires?…
The Big StoryPaydirt: The Inside Story of Ontario’s Greenbelt Scandal
It was one of the strangest scandals in recent Canadian history, located right at the spot where the housing crisis collides with the climate crisis. From…
- The Big Story
Die?! In This Economy?!
More and more Canadians are struggling to afford the costs associated with the death of a loved one. In Newfoundland, a recent news report reveals bodies are…
- The Big Story
What have we actually learned about foreign election interference?
Over the past few weeks, there have been hundreds of questions, plenty of notes and briefings, dozens of hours of testimony (including from the Prime Minister…
- The Big Story
Canada is deporting thousands of migrants, despite a pledge to let them stay
In 2021 the federal government vowed to create a pathway to allow thousands of migrants to remain the country. Instead, deportation levels the past two years…
- The Big Story
What’s behind a rise in dog attacks?
Recent weeks have seen gruesome and tragic incidents in both Toronto and Edmonton involving dogs attacking children, leaving one child dead and another with…
- The Big Story
Has a serial killer walked free for decades?
In a 12-month span from 1990-1991, three teenaged girls were murdered in Victoria, BC. All three had been sex trafficked and were working on what was then the…
- The Big Story
Why is competition so hard to find in Canada?
In response to sky-high grocery costs, Canada's Competition Bureau recently issued a report calling for more competition in the sector. That call was echoed by…
- The Big Story
In This Economy: How to handle RRSPs in an affordability crisis
Should I put my savings into an RRSP? If I do that, will I pay less taxes? What happens if I want to access that money before I retire? These are just a few of…
- The Big Story
We can clone your pet now. So what's next?
Do you miss that beloved cat or dog that passed away? Good news! For only tens of thousands of dollars, and probably a few failed attempts, you can have an…
- The Big Story
A landfill, four victims and a trial with questions to answer
It's a case that sparked protests, made national headlines and may have swung a provincial election. And it's about to head to trial. You probably know it best…
- The Big Story
What does the carbon price increase actually mean for you?
It can be confusing. Depending on which party you listen to, the carbon tax—or "price on pollution"—will either cost you or save you money. And both sides are…
- The Big Story
Why nothing works with anything else
You know how your iPhone uses a different charging cable than your friend's Android? Well, imagine you've just bought a $50,000 tractor ... that only works…
- The Big Story
Are Canada's maple syrup taps running dry?
Maple syrup isn't just a staple of Canadian culture. It's big business, especially in Quebec, where the sugary liquid is so vital to the economy that the…
- The Big Story
Learn Something?! From This Economy?!
Frozen bank accounts, financial chaos, job loss, poverty. Those are all things Gonzalo witnessed while living through the largest foreign default in world…
- The Big Story
TBS Listener Feedback: Objectivity, Pornography and Bagged Milk
It's time again for us to dip into our trove of listener emails and voicemails and share with you some of our favourite pieces of feedback we received over the…