

The Big Story
Frequency Podcast Network
An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 14, 2024 • 2min
Paydirt: The Inside Story of Ontario’s Greenbelt Scandal
The podcast delves into the Ontario Greenbelt scandal, exposing alleged corruption between developers and politicians. It promises to reveal the scandal through investigations and personal accounts in an upcoming documentary series.

4 snips
Apr 13, 2024 • 30min
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 piling up in a freezer outside of a morgue for this reason. Jordan talks to Erin Bury, CEO and co-founder of Willful, a digital estate planning app that aims to make estate planning more accessible and affordable. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a message at 416-935-5935. Or email us at hello@itepod.ca. You can also find us on Instagram and TikTok @InThisEconomyPod. Don't forget to leave a call-back number, so we can get in touch.
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Apr 12, 2024 • 24min
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 himself) and no shortage of references to classified intelligence—all this during an inquiry aiming to help the foreign interference commission, and the Canadian public, learn exactly who knew what about efforts to impact Canada's elections, and what they did about it.If that sounds like a mouthful, well, it is. The inquiry is attempting to balance the need for transparency with the imperative to protect Canada's intelligence operations, and it has often left questions half-answered, or responses less than declarative. So on the final day of this phase of the inquiry: What have we actually learned, for certain, about efforts to interfere in Canada's elections?GUEST: Laura Stephenson, professor of political science, Western University; co-director of The Consortium on Electoral Democracy
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Apr 11, 2024 • 22min
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 are higher than they've been in more than a decade. And we've spent more than $100 million on the deportation process.How did we end up with the opposite of what the government promised? Given Canada's shortage of housing and the health care crisis, how should the government handle the hundreds of thousands of migrants in the country? Why does the deportation process cost so much money? Is there a better way?GUEST: Noushin Ziafati, reporting for The Breach
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Apr 10, 2024 • 33min
What’s behind a rise in dog attacks?
Exploring the spike in dog attacks, theories include pandemic puppies and lax enforcement. Discussing the rise in incidents in Toronto and Edmonton, and the need for better control methods. Dr. Tim Arthur shares insights on understanding dog behavior to prevent attacks, advocating for responsible ownership over breed bans.

Apr 9, 2024 • 24min
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 city's "stroll" where sex workers solicited clients. All three were found separately, and the ensuing investigations were a jurisdictional mess. The crimes are unsolved to this day, though some with knowledge of the cases believe they may have been committed by the same person.Who were these girls and how did they find themselves on the stroll? What might we learn about these still-open cases more than 30 years later? Why couldn't police make headway in the 1990s and what's changed that might finally help bring the killer or killers to justice?GUEST: Laura Palmer, host and creator of Island Crime Season 6: Sweethearts
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky

Apr 8, 2024 • 19min
Why is competition so hard to find in Canada?
Exploring the challenges of competition in Canada's grocery market, including barriers for foreign chains like Aldi. Should Canada prioritize foreign-owned businesses over Canadian ones? Guest Vass Bednar provides insights on how to increase competition and consumer options in the sector.

5 snips
Apr 6, 2024 • 31min
In This Economy: How to handle RRSPs in an affordability crisis
Certified financial planner Jackie Porter discusses RRSPs, including contribution strategies, flexibility of withdrawals, using funds for home purchases, and planning for retirement. The importance of debt repayment, emergency funds, and investment management are highlighted, with advice on navigating RRSPs in today's economy.

Apr 5, 2024 • 22min
We can clone your pet now. So what's next?
Learn about the ethical and financial aspects of pet cloning, from a woman in BC cloning her deceased cat to the potential risks and costs involved. Explore the future of cloning technology, including saving endangered animals and resurrecting extinct species. Delve into the ethical dilemmas and market forces behind pet cloning, with a hint at the controversial topic of human cloning.

Apr 4, 2024 • 20min
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 for the fight over whether or not police would search Winnipeg's Prairie Green landfill — but at its core this story is about vulnerable women and the system that forgot them.As Jeremy Skibicki's trial begins this month, the landfill search has not. Why not? How did the alleged killer find his victims, and why was he free to find them in the first place? What will we learn about the connections between the women and Skibicki and could this all have been prevented?GUEST: Rachel Browne, investigative journalist, writing in Maclean's
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky


