Shows / The Big Story
The Big Story
An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.
Episodes
- The Big Story
Ontario's government fought public workers for years. And lost billions.
In November 2019, months before the pandemic made heroes of public sector workers like teachers and (especially) nurses, Ontario's government passed Bill 124…
- The Big Story
How the government investigates "greenwashing" complaints
You may not know which ads meet the definition of greenwashing—but you know the type of ads in that discussion. Big corporations assuring you of how much they…
- The Big Story
How Loblaw became Canada's "company store"
You have to work pretty hard, in most of the country, to avoid spending money with a Loblaw-owned business. From its origins in groceries to market dominance…
- The Big Story
How AI takes workplace surveillance to another level
We all know that companies track what we do on work devices. If, for example, you're listening to this show right now on a company phone or laptop, your boss…
- The Big Story
In This Economy: How subscription fees spiraled out of control
Netflix. Disney+. Prime. Apple TV+. Spotify. Newspapers. Magazines. Video games. Substacks. A secret caller (hint: you know him!) has a minor subscription…
- The Big Story
The past, present and perilous future of bagged milk in Canada
It's a Canadian institution. Or at least, a piece of Canadian culture. OK, fine, it's an interesting quirk that visitors to Eastern and Atlantic Canada are…
- The Big Story
Measles are back. How worried should we be?
Canada has already seen more cases of measles in 2024 than in all of 2023. And rates of the disease in Europe and the United States are also rising. Meanwhile…
- The Big Story
Why has Canada's program brought zero Gazans to safety?
When announced in December, it seemed like a new immigration program would allow Canadians with extended family in Gaza to finally bring them to safety. More…
- The Big Story
Explaining the ArriveCan scandal
You might have used the app during the pandemic. It may have saved you time at the airport. It may have cost you an unnecessary quarantine. Either way, even if…
- The Big Story
Women are gambling, too. Why don't we see them?
With the rise in both legality and popularity of gambling, it can seem like images of both winners and losers are everywhere. Images of men, that is. Take a…
- The Big Story
Are smartphones the new cigarettes?
Not too long ago, cigarettes were everywhere. Lighting up in a restaurant, on a flight, or even in a doctor’s office was just part of the smoky fabric of…
- The Big Story
Change Jobs?! In This Economy?!
Cody wants to find a new job, in a new industry, but doesn't have the qualifications listed on the job postings he's seeing. Alan feels trapped in his current…
- The Big Story
Can you still trust Google's search results?
If you've tried to use Google to research a purchase recently, you've probably encountered—right at the top of the rankings—a whole lot of extremely similar…
- The Big Story
What we do (and don't) know about the mass killing of an Ottawa family
On March 6th, six people, including four children, were killed in their home in Barrhaven ,O.N., a suburb of Ottawa. The man accused of committing the alleged…
- The Big Story
So, where's Kate Middleton?
Officially known as Catherine, Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton has not been seen in months, aside from a quick glimpse in a dark car. Officially, she's…
- The Big Story
Culture Cancelled: Are Canada's festivals destined to disappear?
Last week, Juste Pour Rire announced that it would not hold Just For Laughs festivals in Montreal and Toronto in 2024, and that it was entering creditor…
- The Big Story
How are other countries dealing with the housing crisis?
Canada is not the only country in the world experiencing skyrocketing costs and a shortage of available housing options. Across the world nations are coming up…
- The Big Story
Get Divorced?! In This Economy?!
Olivia is going through a divorce. And while it has been amicable, splitting assets feels impossible, especially when it comes to the home they share. Jordan…
- The Big Story
Could we learn to talk to whales?
There’s a chance that one day, we humans could have a conversation with whales. Seriously. Scientists are working on a way to make it happen. If technology…
- The Big Story
The crisis in Haiti, explained
Haiti is in the grip of a deepening crisis. Armed gangs are expanding their control of the Caribbean nation through increasingly violent attacks. A state of…
- The Big Story
Has the battle over Ottawa’s carbon pricing reached a boiling point?
In some parts of Canada, carbon pricing is a four-letter word. Now, one province is taking a dramatic stand against the federal government’s carbon levy…
- The Big Story
Is ultra-low cost air travel doomed to fail in Canada?
Lynx Air is no more. The ultralow-cost airline abruptly announced its exit from Canadian skies just ahead of busy March Break travel. Customers were left…
- The Big Story
Why dynamic pricing isn’t off the menu entirely
Last week, it came out that Wendy’s was considering using dynamic pricing, which sparked concern that would mean increased prices during peak hours…
- The Big Story
Pay for Heating?! In This Economy?!
Matt is struggling to keep up with the cost of heating his home. And he's not alone, Canadians are reporting higher energy consumption costs across the…
- The Big Story
Everything you never wanted to know about bed bugs
Just 20 years ago, Canadian cities were seeing a few dozen bed bug infestation reports a year. Now they get thousands—and in Toronto, tens of thousands. In…
- The Big Story
Quebec has a new housing law. Nobody likes it.
Usually when both sides are mad, it's a sign of a good political compromise. But when your new housing law manages to anger both tenants and landlords over…
- The Big Story
Why is syphilis surging in Canada?
Whatever we've been taught, it seems like the lessons aren't sticking these days. And the most obvious result is the dramatic resurgence of a sexually…
- The Big Story
A father's fall takes us inside a broken healthcare system
Elizabeth Payne is a longtime health reporter. She knows the ins and outs of Canada's healthcare system—its triumphs and tragedies. At least, intellectually…
- The Big Story
After two years of resistance, is Ukraine losing the war?
Recent reports have seen Russian forces make some of their biggest gains into Ukrainian territory in recent weeks, while aid for Ukraine from western allies…
- The Big Story
Peter Mansbridge on how Canadians lost trust in media
When the longtime CBC news anchor began his career as a reporter in the early 1970's, giving people the news was among the most trusted and important…
- The Big Story
Canadian politicians vs... PornHub?
Most people would support the concept of preventing children from accessing online pornography. But the devil is in the details. How exactly do you do that?…
- The Big Story
Illegal rooming houses and the hidden side of the housing crisis
In early February, a man was stabbed at what was believed to be an illegal rooming house in Toronto. A few weeks earlier, a fire at another left one person…
- The Big Story
What's behind Canada's critical shortage of judges?
Every criminal case up for trial needs a judge. But in Canada, not every case gets one. Recent years have seen a severe and growing shortage of judges across…
- The Big Story
Listener feedback: From kids to cars to a solution to the housing crisis...
Welcome to the first feedback episode of The Big Story. Today lead producer Joe Fish and host Jordan Heath-Rawlings go through your comments, questions and…
- The Big Story
Buy a Condo?! In This Economy?!!
Jennie has been searching for a one-bedroom condo in Vancouver for over two years. Despite having money for a downpayment, her search has been largely…
- The Big Story
Can your DNA create a sketch of your face?
It can -- but the better question might be: Is it something that could be used against you? The technology does exist to use a sample to create a sketch of a…
- The Big Story
Police budgets, car theft and the spectre of 'public safety'
When Toronto's mayor presented her budget on Wednesday, the city's police services got everything they had asked for, with Olivia Chow retreating from her…
- The Big Story
An unprecedented look inside the sex lives of Canadians
There's simply never been a Canadian sex survey that's comprehensive, scientific and intimate all at once. For decades we've relied on data from the United…
- The Big Story
A story about how anyone (yes, even you) can get scammed
Cory Doctorow is one of the world's leading technology journalists and activists. Some of his specialties include information security, fraud and technology…
- The Big Story
As pandemic bills come due, are Canada's small businesses in danger?
Last year, small business insolvencies hit a level not seen in more than a decade. And that was before this January's deadline to repay pandemic relief loans…
- The Big Story
Have a Kid?! In This Economy?!
Kacey and her partner just welcomed a new baby girl into their lives. And with this bundle of joy has also come a ton of new expenses. Jordan talks to money…
- The Big Story
Can a prescription cure loneliness and isolation?
It would have to be quite the drug, right? Actually, no. While these are real health problems, with many of the impacts of a chronic physical illness, the fix…
- The Big Story
What is Canada's role in a chaotic world?
There was once a memorable slogan, used by everyone from booksellers to presidents, that proclaimed "the world needs more Canada". Now, in an era defined by…
- The Big Story
Inside the massive ideological split between young men and women
Men are this way, and women are that way. Entire careers in industries ranging from self-help to advertising to standup comedy have been based on this premise…
- The Big Story
Canada's fertility rate is at an all-time low. What should we do about it?
In much of the world, fertility rates are falling—but very few countries have seen theirs fall as far and as fast as Canada. With just 1.33 children per woman…
- The Big Story
What you're not hearing when you hear about Gaza
Since October 7, there has been no shortage of reporting about Israel's invasion of Gaza. And the death toll keeps climbing. But what has been rare are…
- The Big Story
A Health Emergency?! In This Economy?!
Lynda has a dental emergency and is struggling to cover the cost of treatment. Jordan speaks with Dr. Carlos Quiñonez to figure out how Canadians can get the…
- The Big Story
Cats: Cuddly fluff balls or world's worst invasive species?
A study published in December offered science's most complete look at what domestic cats around the globe hunt and consume. The short answer? Absolutely…
- The Big Story
Are we hurting our kids by protecting them too much?
Recently, in an effort to keep children from hurting themselves, the City of Toronto banned tobogganing at 45 parks it deemed too risky for kids. This is the…
- The Big Story
The Panama Canal is running dry, sending global shipping into chaos (again)
It hasn't been an easy few years for global shipping—to say the least. From the pandemic to multiple conflicts, to accidents and disasters, getting products…
- The Big Story
All eyes on London as NHL players expected to surrender to police
The names aren't official yet, but a look at a roster and a little research will tell you that the four remaining players who have yet to surrender to police…
- The Big Story
Is Florida coming for Canada's cheap drugs?
The state recently asked the US FDA for approval to purchase Canadian pharmaceuticals wholesale, and the US regulator said, "sure." And why not? As many…
- The Big Story
Rent an Apartment?! In This Economy?!
Rachael feels trapped in her Toronto rental because she can't afford to move. She has no plans of ever owning a home and wants to know what, if any, rental…
- The Big Story
How Sunrise Records became the last music chain standing
Most of the large record chains of the heyday of physical music are gone now. If the chains haven't vanished entirely, most of their stores have, and the last…
- The Big Story
Is the Bank of Canada courting disaster for many Canadians?
Experts predict the Bank of Canada will begin to lower interest rates later this year—just not Wednesday when it held the rate flat. But as inflation has…
- The Big Story
How hard is it to right a wrongful conviction in Canada?
You would expect that advances in forensics and genetic technology would lead to fewer and fewer wrongful convictions. The truth is that we have no idea how…
- The Big Story
Canada is capping student visas. Why now? And will it help?
Over the past several years, the number of international students Canada admits has exploded—to more than one million in 2023. While these students have…
- The Big Story
The legal fight for the future of artificial intelligence
The New York Times is suing the creator of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence bot the Times alleges was trained on millions of its copyrighted articles. It's…
- The Big Story
A Wedding?! In This Economy?!
This year, Erica is getting married! Together, with her fiancé, they set a budget of $50,000, however, she's a few months away from the big day and the actual…
- The Big Story
Why this women's hockey league is truly different
There have been previous attempts to launch a professional league for the best women skaters in the world—the stars we've all watched at the Olympics, who have…