- The case for prioritizing rest in the age of burnout
Friday, August 1st 2025
Canadians are not particularly good at resting. According to Statistics Canada data collected between July 2022 and July 2023, people over the age of 15 spent an average of 17 minutes a day resting, relaxing, or lying down, and an average of 18 minutes a day on relaxing pursuits known as “active leisure” (think: birdwatching, camping, or going to an art gallery). That’s translating into stress – more than a fifth of employed Canadians said their stress levels were high or very high. On top of all that, Expedia’s 2024 Vacation Deprivation Report found that 45 per cent of Canadians left vacation days on the table in 2023.
Zosia Bielski is the Globe and Mail’s time use reporter. Today, she’s on the show to challenge the idea that down time needs to be earned, and to talk about some of the different approaches people are taking to prioritize rest in their lives.
This episode originally aired April 17, 2025.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
- Gazan journalist describes starvation, chaos on the ground
Thursday, July 31st 2025
More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid since May. And more than 150 deaths have been attributed to malnutrition, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Israel denies there is any starvation.
But recently, there has been mounting pressure from humanitarian groups and governments, including Canada. On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Carney announced that Canada intends to recognize Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September.
Hasan Jaber is a journalist living in Gaza who has worked with Globe and Mail correspondents for more than two decades. He tells The Decibel about his reporting in Gaza, as well as his own struggle to find food and water from his home at Bureij Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip.
Plus, International Affairs reporter Janice Dickson explains the world’s reaction to rising concerns about hunger in Gaza, as well as Israel’s response.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
- If you fall for a scam, who should pick up the bill?
Wednesday, July 30th 2025
Scams are becoming more common and more sophisticated. As quickly as safeguards are developed to protect people, scammers are finding workarounds. And if you do fall victim to a scam, does your bank owe you anything?
Alexandra Posadzki joins The Decibel to discuss what current regulations say about who is liable for losses from a scam, the risks for consumers and whether the current system reflects who is actually party to a scam.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
- Boomers, millennials, Gen Beta: Why do we name generations?
Tuesday, July 29th 2025
What’s in a name? For the past century, people have clamoured to categorize people by their age and the life events they’ve gone through – but how and why did we get so preoccupied with generations?
The Globe’s Generations Reporter Ann Hui joins the show to break down where the names came from and how they play out online and in popular culture.
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected]
- The state of Canadian tourism in the ‘elbows up’ moment
Monday, July 28th 2025
Travel to the U.S. has plummeted ever since U.S. President Donald Trump started talking about annexing Canada and imposing tariffs on us. Politicians on this side of the border are embracing the moment, encouraging people to take trips closer to home. So how is it all working out for Canadian tourism?
The Globe’s Jason Kirby, who writes for the Report on Business, joins us to talk about what this summer looks like for Canada’s travel sector.
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