Shows / The Big Story
The Big Story
An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.
Episodes
- The Big Story
Inside the world of Indigenous art fraud
Indigenous artists are some of the world's most talented, and their unique pieces are highly valued for their creativity and culture. Unless they're not unique…
- The Big Story
The Health Care Crisis V: Privatization
As Canada's health-care system fails, more and more people will be willing to pay up to avoid the most overcrowded and underserviced parts of it. While no…
- The Big Story
The Health Care Crisis IV: Dementia
As stretched as our health-care system is right now, it may be nothing compared to what will test it in the years to come. Even if we've handled the worst of…
- The Big Story
The Health Care Crisis III: Emergency Rooms
When Canadians can't get family doctors, walk-in clinics are backlogged and there are no nurses available to provide long-term care in homes or facilities, it…
- The Big Story
The Health Care Crisis II: Family Doctors
If everyone in Canada had a family doctor, we could prevent hundreds of thousands of emergency room visits before they happen. But millions of Canadians don't…
- The Big Story
The Health Care Crisis Part I: Nurses
(This is part one of a five-part series examining Canada's health care crisis. How we got here, what comes next, and what we can do about it.) Nurses are…
- The Big Story
How much of the monarchy can Canada realistically get rid of?
Polls show a lot of support among Canadians for reexamining, and perhaps even ending, our relationship with the monarchy. This is clearly an opportunity to do…
- The Big Story
Can Pierre Poilievre grab far-right votes without losing control of the CPC?
In recent years many conservative politicians have catered to the more extreme parts of their base to get elected, only to find that once in power they are…
- The Big Story
Alberta's leadership fight: Who took the 'United' out of the UCP?
As they choose a new leader and prepare for a looming 2023 election, Alberta's United Conservative Party is looking ... anything but. Never mind leadership…
- The Big Story
A search for answers after an Ontario shooting spree
Three people, including a police officer, were killed. The gunman dies as well. The crimes stretched over three cities, five police agencies and hours of the…
- The Big Story
The final fight in the Return To Office war
As September begins, many companies are making a big push to bring their employees back to the office. But new data shows that employees are getting even more…
- The Big Story
Lisa LaFlamme on the Queen's funeral and what comes next
Queen Elizabeth II is at rest, but history is moving forward. This weekend, hundreds of thousands will say their final goodbyes to the monarch. On Monday tens…
- The Big Story
Will the government get tough on telecoms?
We learned earlier this summer just how vulnerable our connected services can be. It seems like the government did, too. With a new memorandum of understanding…
- The Big Story
Is Ukraine's staggering advance a turning point in the war?
In less than a week, Ukrainian forces have regained more than 3000 square kilometres of territory occupied by Russia, and they plan to keep pushing. Videos…
- The Big Story
After a week, what do we know about the Saskatchewan stabbing spree?
In the moment, details in a breaking story are hard to come by. So are context and understanding. But as we begin to learn the facts of what transpired last…
- The Big Story
Is Canada preparing for an authoritarian United States?
Ever since Canada became a nation, we've been secretly worried about our friends to the south, just as we have been publicly supportive. Recent events in the…
- The Big Story
Queen Elizabeth II is dead. Here's what happens now.
What happens in the halls of power when a monarch dies? Who will succeed Elizabeth? And what will this mean for the Royal family, and the commonwealth more…
- The Big Story
The 'forever chemicals' you probably have inside you
There are the normal kinds of toxins that your body can break down over time. These are different. But they're still found in plenty of every day household…
- The Big Story
In Quebec's election, a rising progressive party and a new vision of sovereignty
(As well as a note from The Big Story about covering breaking news.) On October 3, nearly everyone agrees that Premier Francois Legault and the CAQ will win…
- The Big Story
Everything you need to know about Covid this fall
The weather's getting colder, the kids are back at school, people are returning to work, and that means we're probably going to see more Covid. How much more…
- The Big Story
Why Starbucks is fertile ground for a labour fight
Every month or two, more Starbucks vote to unionize. In Canada, that fight is mostly spreading from west to east, with the first in Victoria, BC, and now…
- The Big Story
The hunt for millions of counterfeit toonies
They call it the "camel-toe toonie", and you will understand why as soon as you look at the front right paw of the polar bear on it. Since they were first…
- The Big Story
Is Diagolon a joke or a threat? Or both?
When CPC leadership frontrunner Pierre Poilievre shook hands with Jeremy MacKenzie, a founder of the Diagolon movement, he likely had no idea who he was. But…
- The Big Story
How the government took over First Nations' finances. And made things worse.
It's called the Default Prevention and Management Policy. And for decades it was used to take control of budgets and finances away from First Nations leaders…
- The Big Story
Chrystia Freeland and the tip of a hate-filled iceberg
Many of Canada's politicians spent their weekend condemning the behaviour of a man who angrily confronted Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland in Alberta on…
- The Big Story
Streaming platforms fight for their futures
HBO is really, really hoping that you streamed House of the Dragon last night. And Amazon is desperate for you to do the same with its Lord of the Rings…
- The Big Story
The fight to save the Magdalen Islands
It's one of the most beautiful places in Canada. It's also on a list of Places To Visit Before They're Gone Forever. But if the people who refuse to give up on…
- The Big Story
Would Canadians ever get rid of "Best Before" dates?
Some United Kingdom supermarkets have done away with 'best before' dates on most of their products. Others are planning to follow their lead. Research shows…
- The Big Story
Inside the new era of 'Buy Now, Pay Later'
You've seen the little buttons right next to your 'checkout' box when you're shopping online. Would you like to break this payment up into four or six…
- The Big Story
Why the "End of Life Talk" is so important
It's a conversation nobody wants to have with aging loved ones. But right now Canada's Long-Term Care Facilities are struggling. They are crowded, conditions…
- The Big Story
The peacocks that divided a B.C. town
Peacocks look beautiful. They sound horrible. They're unique and special and can bring some whimsy to a town. They're a nuisance, and they damage property…
- The Big Story
How to ruggedize your life and prepare for ... whatever comes next
It's no longer a question of if our comfortable lives will change as the climate does over the next few decades. The questions are how much will they change…
- The Big Story
Why are we still using the ArriveCAN app? Why is it still mandatory?
Early in the pandemic, nothing had to be perfect, governments just needed solutions. And Canada's developed the ArriveCAN app to help process returning…
- The Big Story
Will Donald Trump be indicted? If he is, what happens next?
The former US President once said he could shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue and his supporters would never waver. After a week in which it was revealed that his…
- The Big Story
What happened when the "Queen of Canada's" followers tried to arrest the police?
It's tempting to see Romana Didulo and her followers as a big joke. No, she's not the "Queen of Canada", or the world, so have a laugh. Why not? The answer to…
- The Big Story
Why Canadians should pay attention to the Dutch farmers protest
It seems like a problem half a world away that doesn't concern us. But it's not. Strict new targets for fertilizer emissions have Dutch farmers fighting back…
- The Big Story
What happened in Kitsault, BC, Canada's most perfect Ghost Town?
Kitsault was a mining town of 1,200 or so people in one of the most remote areas of British Columbia. It opened in 1981. It was empty by 1982. That was its…
- The Big Story
Inside the arms race to develop new psychedelic drugs
There's a lot of money in creating and patenting new drugs. Like, tens of billions of dollars. But the field is crowded, competitive and dominated by large…
- The Big Story
What does it take to work as a foreign-trained physician in Canada?
Ontario's health minister wants regulators to figure out a way to expedite the licensing of internationally trained doctors and nurses to help staff the…
- The Big Story
A summer that shattered the Canadian hockey myth
The World Junior Championships begin today in Edmonton. And the summer date is not the reason they'll be different this year. The past few months have seen…
- The Big Story
Island Crime: Finding Amber Manthorne
When 40-year-old Amber Manthorne fails to show up to work on Friday, July 8th, 2022, her friends immediately believe something is wrong. At first, it is…
- The Big Story
How a Canadian telescope found something in space we don't understand
We've known about fast radio bursts (or FRBs) for 15 years now. But nobody had seen one quite like this. A Canadian telescope detected an FRB that not only was…
- The Big Story
It looks like the Conservative leadership race is over. What does that mean for Canada and the next election?
You may have missed the final Conservative Party of Canada leadership debate Wednesday night. No worries! Pierre Poilievre missed it, too. The frontrunner has…
- The Big Story
Inside the scandal that could undo 15 years of Alzheimer's research
A seminal 2006 research paper on Alzheimer's has been cited more than 2000 times over the past decade and a half. Its conclusions have informed much of the…
- The Big Story
What did the Pope's apology mean? And what comes next?
Now that the Pope has left Canada, it's worth looking at what he's leaving behind. It's complicated. Was the Papal Apology a sincere expression of regret and…
- The Big Story
What’s really going on at Toronto’s Pearson airport?
Even if you haven't been there, you've heard the stories. Every airport is troubled this summer, but Toronto's may literally be the worst in the world. While…
- The Big Story
How to actually change someone's mind
And how to listen to people you disagree with, so they'll listen to you. It feels like we're more stubborn than ever before. More likely to dig in our heels…
- The Big Story
The monkeypox outbreak and an era of emerging viruses
As the world continues to hope for the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization has declared an outbreak of monkeypox a "global health…
- The Big Story
Is Canada's housing bubble finally popping?
Or was it never really a bubble in the first place? What we know right now is that sales are falling, prices are dropping (slightly!) and some investors are…
- The Big Story
Hot Time: Summer in the City
Heat isn't the same everywhere. Last week Toronto was the hottest place in Canada, but even if it wasn't it might have felt like it. Large metropolises are…
- The Big Story
Canada vs. Denmark: The story of Hans Island and the 'Whisky War'
50 years ago, a dispute arose between Canada and Denmark over Hans Island, a piece of land that exists almost exactly halfway between the coast of Nunavut and…
- The Big Story
What will a 'strong' mayor system mean for Toronto?
This week, Doug Ford announced an expansion of mayoral powers in Ontario's two largest municipalities, Toronto and Ottawa. The move would provide the mayors of…
- The Big Story
If there's a recession coming, how can you weather the storm?
Depending on which columnist you read or pundit you watch, it seems likely that Canada is headed for a recession in the not-too-distant future. People treat…
- The Big Story
Has celebrity lost its luster?
To be famous now, all you really need is an iphone, a TikTok account and some creativity. Gone were the days when celebrity status was dependent on starring…
- The Big Story
Doses and death threats: what it's like being a doctor and an advocate during Covid
Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth is a family physician in Ottawa who was thrust into the limelight early on in the Covid-19 pandemic, when she was vocal in advocating for…
- The Big Story
Is it stress or burn out?
The COVID-19 pandemic caused many to quit their jobs. We know it as The Great Resignation. And while the pandemic was clearly the catalyst that pushed many…
- The Big Story
A quick note to our listeners: Thank you for listening!
At the end of June, we released the 1000th episode of The Big Story, which felt like a huge accomplishment. From our team to you, here's a little message to…
- The Big Story
Your airport chaos survival guide
Long lines. Flight delays and cancellations. Lost and missing luggage. Airports in Canada have been a mess, for weeks now. And it'll likely stay this way until…
- The Big Story
Diagnoses and treatments for the ailing Canadian healthcare system
This week, the Council of the Federation, a group consisting of all 13 Canadian provincial and territorial leaders, met in Victoria B.C. to discuss a whole…
- The Big Story
Rogers' nation-wide outage and how to prevent it from happening again
On Monday, Ottawa called Canada's telecom giants to the table to talk about ways to prevent future large scale disruptions like Friday's nationwide Rogers…