- How did Toronto's schools get so broken?
Thursday, September 12th 2024
The list is long, and varies from school to school. Some of it is structural—leaky roofs and mice infestations, repairs that never get made, poor ventilation. Some of it is impacting learning more directly—staffing shortages, a lack of equipment like textbooks and markers, and not even 1x1 care for students with special needs. Add it all up, and most schools are fighting just to stay afloat.
How did this happen? It's a story that spans the past few decades, and has also happened elsewhere in Ontario. It's a problem that could happen anywhere, really. The question is if we'll solve it before it takes its toll on students...
GUEST: Wency Leung, reporter, The Local
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
- Air Canada strike looms in a year of transport "chaos"
Wednesday, September 11th 2024
The deadline for the airline to reach agreement with its pilots is still a week away. But already flyers are scrambling for alternatives and Air Canada is planning to start cancelling flights as soon as this weekend. Tens of thousands of passengers a day may find their flights cancelled, and some may end up stranded far from home. It's happened once already this year. What happens if Air Canada's planes don't fly?
In the bigger picture, this labour dispute is the latest in a series of them that have plagued North American transport all year, from airlines to rail to ports. Why so any, and why now? And what needs to change if we want people and goods to keep moving on time?
GUEST: John Gradek, aviation industry expert, Faculty Lecturer and Program Co-ordinator, Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Management, McGill University
LISTENER NOTE: A previous version of this episode contained erroneous information about an airline's duty to rebook passengers on new flights after cancellations. You can find a complete rundown of Canadian air passenger protection regulations here
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
- Why are overdose deaths declining in Alberta?
Tuesday, September 10th 2024
New data shows that opioid overdose deaths in the province from January-May fell from 788 in 2023 to 431 this year, a 55 percent decline. There are a number of factors that could explain the reason why, but the most political one is the United Conservative Party's focus on treatment and recovery, as opposed to harm reduction or safe supply.
Except... the UCP does fund harm reduction programs, and has even increased the availability of them. It just doesn't like to talk about it. The decline in overdoses is a hopeful sign that a nuanced approach can work, even if it's not being advertised. So what can we learn from it?
GUEST: Dr. Monty Ghosh, Internist and Addiction Specialist; Assistant Professor Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
- How British Columbia's polls flipped and BC United imploded
Monday, September 9th 2024
BC's Conservative party is on the verge of what would be a stunning win in this fall's provincial election. And one party's stunning gains, it turns out, is another party's utter destruction. When the BC Liberal party rebranded as BC United last year, it was wirth the hope of injecting new life into the party. Instead, the party is ... gone. It's been effectively disbanded by leader Kevin Falcon, who threw his support to the Conservatives.
How did a major party with decades of history blow up in a little over a year? What does it mean for an already close election? And what does the rapid shift in BC polling tell us about the mood across the country, particularly in two other provinces who will also be voting this fall?
GUEST: Philippe J. Fournier, Editor In Chief and creator of 338Canada.com
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
- Breaking down a third straight interest rate cut
Sunday, September 8th 2024
Welcome to a preview of the fall season of In This Economy?! We're giving you a sneak peak of a test episode today, to get your feedback. As part of our new season, in addition to traditional episodes of the show, we're producing short conversations between Jordan and business experts, that aim to show you how changing economic news will trickle down to your wallet.
This week, the Bank of Canada cut interest rates...again. What does a third straight cut tell us about where the economy is headed? What does it mean for payments you're making now? And what should you prepare for when you're planning your finances for 2025?
GUEST: Mike Eppel, Sr. Business Editor, CityNews680
We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:
Through email at [email protected]
