- The fight to save the Magdalen Islands
Friday, August 26th 2022
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 their homes and businesses have anything to say about it, even soil erosion from rising sea levels won't claim their islands.
They're using everything from lobster traps to sea barriers, moving what needs to be moved, to prove that even in the middle of a climate crisis, humans are adaptable and creative enough to save the places they love.
GUEST: Taras Grescoe, writing in Hakai magazine
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- Would Canadians ever get rid of "Best Before" dates?
Thursday, August 25th 2022
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 that best before dates lead to food waste, as still-edible items are frequently tossed in the trash. And with food inflation making waste more costly, it seems like an idea worth considering...
So a new survey asked Canadians just that. Would they buy products without best before dates? Which ones? Do they ever consume products past those dates? The results illustrate Canada's culture of food safety, but also the hypocrisy in some of our food decisions.
(You can find the full survey right here.)
GUEST: Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, co-host of The Food Professor podcast
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- Inside the new era of 'Buy Now, Pay Later'
Wednesday, August 24th 2022
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 instalments, with no interest? With no interest? It's tempting!
As online shopping skyrocketed during the pandemic, so did the new way to buy now and pay later, with companies like PayBright or Sezzle receiving increasing amounts of business. But what's the catch? Why offer no-interest loans? What do you need to know about how this business works, and what's coming next?
GUEST: Kelsey Rolfe, writing in Canadian Business
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- Why the "End of Life Talk" is so important
Tuesday, August 23rd 2022
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 can be awful, and at least in Ontario seniors waiting in hospitals for beds can now be moved far from their families. It's urgent.
When we talk to older family members, they often say, "Just don't put me in a home." But unfortunately, in Canada's current system, that's the default. If we can't have honest conversations with our loved ones, we can't take our demands to the government effectively. If we really love our elders, we need to start speaking up, loudly.
GUEST: André Picard, Health reporter and columnist, The Globe and Mail, author of Neglected No More.
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- The peacocks that divided a B.C. town
Monday, August 22nd 2022
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, chase cars and ruin gardens. This is the story of a peacock named Pearl, who made a town fall in love with her, until she started having more chicks....
GUEST: Lyndsie Bourgon, writing in The Walrus
CORRECTION: In this episode, Okanagan Lake is erroneously referred to as "Lake Kelowna". We apologize for the error.
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
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