Western Context

The Conservatives win a by-election in Toronto, Naheed Nenshi is crowned Alberta NDP leader, and William Shatner swears a lot in an attack ad on fish farms. Also, Harjit Sajjan played politics with the Afghanistan evacuation.

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“Sadly, this response from people like Mr. Shatner and Mr. Reynolds is all-to-common in today’s Canada. This is a classic example of … rich, elite, removed, urban white men overriding the wishes of vulnerable Indigenous communities.” – the Coalition of First Nations for Finfish Stewardship’s statement on Pacific Wild’s attack ad on open net fish farms.

Duration: 50:25
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Conservatives win longtime Liberal stronghold Toronto-St. Paul’s in shock byelection result
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• Nenshi crowned new Alberta NDP leader
• B.C. First Nations involved in salmon farming demand apology from William Shatner, Ryan Reynolds
• Sajjan instructed special forces to rescue Afghan Sikhs during fall of Kabul
• Word of the Week: Upset

Doug Ford calls for tariffs on Chinese EVs, an unknown group funds BC attack ads, and Bill C-59 reduces advertising transparency from companies. Also, Trudeau racks up a $223k catering bill on the Indo-Pacific trip.

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“It might be tough to connect with the middle class while chowing down on lamb shanks served on fine China and billing taxpayers for it. You shouldn’t need a focus group to recommend telling the prime minister to turn down the baked cheesecake with pistachio brittle when Canadians are lining up around the block at the foodbank.” – Canadian Taxpayers Federation Director Franco Terrazzano on Trudeau’s $220k catering bill for the Indo-Pacific trip.

Duration: 59:24
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Doug Ford calls for tariffs on Chinese EVs: ‘We risk Ontario and Canadian jobs’
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• Here’s what we know about the ‘secretive’ group targeting B.C. NDP rivals with attack ads
• Pathways Alliance oilsands group removes content from website and social media, citing Bill C-59
• Airplane food cost more than $220K on Trudeau’s Indo-Pacific trip
• Word of the Week: Style

BC Premier David Eby is frustrated about immigration, a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister resigns, and Eby may join Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier against equalization. Also, Russian, US and Canadian warships all take a trip to Cuba.

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“Building out the Massey Tunnel — here’s a $4-billion project where a federal government minister took out a full-page ad to say the feds are going to pay for it, during the election. [The current funding is] Zero right now. Zero. Taxpayers in B.C. can’t afford to build everything for the federal government, so that they can just rain cash down on Ontario and Quebec.” – BC Premier David Eby on unfair federal funding and equalization.

Duration: 55:08
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Frustrated’ B.C. premier says Quebec gets immigration money ‘at the expense’ of Western Canada
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• Lethbridge MLA resigns, opening potential seat for leadership hopeful Naheed Nenshi
• B.C. may work with N.L. on court challenge of federal equalization payments, David Eby says
• Canadian warship sharing an anchorage with Russian vessels in Cuba
• Word of the Week: Equalization

The CRTC taxes 5% of streaming giants’ revenues, the UCP asks the public for input on auto insurance, and speed limit reductions in BC show the need for careful city planning. Also, Canadian parliamentarians could be compromised by foreign powers.

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“This week’s Bill C-11 streaming ruling acts as if consumers, competition, and affordability are irrelevant issues that are at best someone else’s concern. The result is that Canadians have been largely removed from broadcasting and Internet policy at the regulator, expected to pay up and shut up.” – Michael Geist on this week’s CRTC ruling.

Duration: 52:51
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Foreign streamers must pay into fund to boost Canadian content, CRTC says
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• Premier says ‘no appetite’ for government-run auto insurance despite savings
• Jogger clipped by fast-moving e-bike on E&N Rail trail
• Some Canadian politicians are ‘wittingly’ participating in foreign interference
• Word of the Week: Wittingly

The Tk’emlups First Nation changes wording from mass graves to anomalies, conscription is proposed to fix Canada’s lack of patriotism, and Canada Post is losing around $1B annually. Also, Trudeau’s immigration policy is changing the future of Canada.

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“I stick with what I said. We’re tired of lawlessness from anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re here, you’re new or whatever. It’s very, very clear. My phone is blowing up from every community saying, ‘You’re bang on’.” – Ontario Premier Doug Ford on what almost every Canadian is thinking after recent immigration strife.

Duration: 57:14
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• B.C. First Nation now referring to 215 suspected graves as ‘anomalies’ instead of ‘children’
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• Young people are taught to hate Canada. Mandatory service could fix that
• After Billions of Dollars in Losses, Canada Post Warns It May Run Out of Cash
• Trudeau Liberals’ immigration policies purposefully altering Canada
• Word of the Week: Anomaly

Parks Canada is spending $12M to eradicate deer on a BC island, the Trudeau Liberals want to relax citizenship guidelines, and the BC United and BC Conservatives won’t be making a deal. Also, the CPP has wasted billions of dollars through poor investing.

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“During phase one of the deer cull, snipers were taken around the island in a helicopter while firing on the deer below. The expert marksmen from the U.S. and New Zealand only managed to kill 84 deer, 18 of which were the wrong species of deer. Parks Canada shouldn’t be flying in foreign snipers to shoot deer from a helicopter. And if these ‘marksmen’ were really so elite, why did they keep shooting the wrong kind of deer?” – Carson Binda with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation on the Sidney Island deer eradication operation costing $12M.

Duration: 50:26
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Sidney Island deer cull will cost taxpayers $12M, CTF says
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• Government bill will allow Canadians to pass citizenship rights to kids born abroad
• No merger: BC Conservatives rejected non-competition deal, BC United says
• Eighteen years and $46-billion later, the CPP admits it could have earned more just by buying index funds
• Word of the Week: Behemoth

ArriveCan contractors receive over $1B in federal contracts, Alberta will decentralize AHS at the end of the year, and cyberattacks threaten the BC government’s storage of information. Also, illegal border crossers can be given up to $224 per day.

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“What is particularly shocking is… nothing is being done at CBSA. On the contrary, people that admit openly that they’ve breached the basic code of conduct as civil servants are now being promoted. That’s scary.” Bloc MP Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné on the CBSA misconduct with ArriveCan contractors.

Duration: 50:25
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Three firms tied to ArriveCan app got $1-billion in federal contracts, Ottawa reveals
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• Alberta announces the 4 health agencies that will replace AHS later this year
• Public deserves answers after B.C. government cyberattack
• Some illegal border crossers receive $224 in food and accommodation per day while awaiting processing
• Word of the Week: Contract

Calgary repeals the single-use plastic ban, the Woodfibre LNG ‘floatel’ is rejected by Squamish council, and immigration is not filling the industries it needs to. Also, the CBC talks about polyamory while Canada’s fertility rate plummets.

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“The floatel is a direct response to requests from the District of Squamish and the Squamish Nation and members of the community over a consultation process that went on for several years about housing our project workforce outside of the community. From the beginning [we have] been committed to minimizing impacts on the community of Squamish [including the top concerns [of] impacts on traffic, housing, impacts on community services.” – Woodfibre LNG President Christine Kennedy on addressing the concerns the project would have on Squamish.

Duration: 1:02:02
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Calgarians killed the bag bylaw not Calgary city council
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• Woodfibre LNG ‘floatel’ permit rejected by Squamish council
• Canada’s foreign student push ‘mismatched’ job market, data shows
• Polyamorous relationships are on the rise in Canada. The law is still catching up
• Word of the Week: Floatel

Another Trudeau cabinet minister has a conflict of interest, the BC NDP wants to recriminalize drugs in public spaces, and the UCP looks to expand train service. Also, anti-Israel encampments spring up at Canadian universities.

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“I’ve watched in horror what is happening at Columbia University, where it seemed that university administrations were incapable of acting when their codes of conduct were being violated and where other students were denied the right to feel safe on campuses. Having peaceful demonstrations is a protected Charter right in Canada, but setting up encampments on college campuses is a violation of pretty much every code of conduct, including that of McGill University.” – Liberal MP Anthony Housefather on the anti-Israel encampment at McGill.

Duration: 54:43
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Federal minister’s ties to lobbyist raise ethical concerns
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• British Columbia to recriminalize use of drugs in public spaces
• Alberta government announces master plan to expand rail passenger service
• McGill protesters set up first anti-Israel encampment in Canada
• Word of the Week: Encampment

Canada’s new disability benefit gets massively underfunded, Alberta will be getting municipal political parties, and a carjacker in Victoria gets caught and released several times. Also, Poilievre visits an anti-carbon tax protest.

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“People believed his lies. Everything he said was bullshit, from top to bottom.” – Pierre Poilievre on Justin Trudeau’s administration 9 years later.

Duration: 50:06
Hosts: Shane and Patrick

• Heart breaks’: Advocates say new disability benefit still leaves people in poverty
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• Alberta introduces legislation to allow municipal political parties in Calgary, Edmonton
• Citizens stop alleged Victoria carjacker 2 days in a row
• Poilievre visits convoy camp, claims Trudeau is lying about ‘everything’
• Word of the Week: Theft