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The Big Story

Frequency Podcast Network

An in-depth look at the issues, culture and personalities shaping Canada today.

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00:22:55

Should you become a landlord so you can afford a home?

The Big Story ·

2024/06/01

Cheap. Entitled. Greedy. Those are just a few things that come to mind when one thinks about a landlord. But have you ever considered becoming one?According to data collected by the Canadian Real Estate Association, the current average cost of a house in Canada is just over $700 thousand dollars. Simultaneously, the cost of renting remains at an all-time high. Buying a house that has a basement unit, or something you can rent out to help cover your mortgage, might seem like an appealing option. But

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00:29:55

First Person: A disabled person living in the age of...

The Big Story ·

2024/05/31

The debate around Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying legislation is exhaustive, and there is no shortage of opinion out there from doctors, advocates, experts and academics, as well as first-person testimonials from terminally ill people who are availing themselves of the system. One of the perspectives often missing in that debate, however, are disabled people, many of whom say they feel the system pushes them towards using MAiD by making them feel like a burden on society.Today, using a

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00:25:11

Explaining the competition bureau's investigation of...

The Big Story ·

2024/05/30

Welcome to a fascinating little corner of contract and competition law that could leave a lasting impact on Canada's grocery industry. Last week, the competition bureau revealed it was investigating the parent companies of two of the country's largest grocers in relation to controls they have applied to their lease agreements.These sorts of controls are common in all sorts of agreements—but the bureau alleges that Loblaws and Sobeys are using them in an unfair and anticompetitive manner, so it's

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00:14:56

Ticketmaster vs. the US Department of Justice

The Big Story ·

2024/05/29

A couple of years ago, angry Taylor Swift fans filed a lawsuit against Ticketmaster, after a presale event for her tour went haywire and resulted in millions of disappointed fans. That lawsuit is still before the courts. But it's one thing to have Swifties suing you, and another to face the United States Department of Justice, who also sued Ticketmaster's parent company Live Nation last week, alleging that the company is a monopoly and accusing it of several practices that combine to give it unfair

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00:20:21

The rise and fall of Canada's Crypto King

The Big Story ·

2024/05/28

Aiden Pleterski was charged with fraud a couple of weeks ago. On the face of it, it's a simple charge, but the story behind those charges is one that could only happen in the world of cryptocurrency. Pleterski, a native of Whitby, Ontario, built a reputation as the 'Crypto King' and is alleged to have been living lavishly on investors' money.Now there are handfuls of lawsuits, allegedly tens of millions in missing money and a tangled web of angry investors. How did this all go down? How did

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00:24:36

Is the real estate industry about to fundamentally...

The Big Story ·

2024/05/27

The internet changed nearly everything about real estate. Now buyers can see all the listings, everywhere; they can learn the price histories and estimated values of houses they look at, and can see the minute details of those houses before ever visiting them or retaining an agent. But one thing never did change: they still can't easily see an agent's commission.But a settled lawsuit in the United States and two more in the courts in Canada are preparing to change that and then we'll learn just how

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00:28:19

Smoke 101: An intro to a new summer reality

The Big Story ·

2024/05/26

We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite episodes from the last few years. If you're new here, welcome! And if you've been with us for a while, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. ----------------------------------------------------------It's here. It's become a part of summer in most areas of Canada. It's bad for you. What exactly makes wildfire smoke harmful to breathe? And

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00:29:48

Take a vacation?! In This Economy?!

The Big Story ·

2024/05/25

Summer is around the corner, and a lot of us are dreaming of a holiday. But post pandemic it feels like everything has skyrocketed. So how can you still have a fun and meaningful family vacation in this economy?Natalie Preddie is a writer and a TV personality who specializes in travel. As a seasoned traveler herself, whether that's solo or with a family, on a plane or in a train, she is full of tips for how to make that dream of vacation a reality. Do you have a money problem? Call us and leave a

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00:26:41

How Facebook became a wasteland of AI spam

The Big Story ·

2024/05/24

Have you met Shrimp Jesus yet? He's Jesus, only a shrimp. Or maybe a half-man, half-shrimp. Anyway...he's the most recognizable example of thousands upon thousands of bizarre AI-created images that are flooding Facebook's algorithm and its users feeds.These images go viral because the algorithm boosts them, because other Facebook accounts are engaging with them. But who, exactly, is engaging with these random fake images? And why? The answer tells a story that will give you a whole new perspective

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00:24:57

Would a Poilievre government really threaten abortion...

The Big Story ·

2024/05/23

Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has promised to use the notwithstanding clause to enact criminal justice reform if elected. Liberals have pointed to this as an indication that Conservatives would use it for other things, including restricting abortion. How much of this is political posturing from either side? How huge a precedent would using the notwithstanding clause this way represent? If a Conservative government went down this path, would access to abortion really be at risk? And what could

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00:20:24

How Canada ended up with private health care

The Big Story ·

2024/05/22

It's known as the third rail of Canadian politics, and maybe that's why we've never properly addressed it—but as long as Canada has had universal health care, people have been paying out of pocket for faster service. It's only in the past few years, though, as the public system has crumbled, that the trickle has turned into a flood.What exactly qualifies as private health care in Canada, and who gets it? Where are the loopholes in the system that allow it to proliferate? And why does nobody in

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00:20:35

Are companies pulling back on progressive promises?

The Big Story ·

2024/05/21

For a number of years, some of the world's biggest brands painted themselves as shining lights of progressive values. There was more to it than altruism, of course—at the time it was seen as good for business. But now retail experts are wondering if the winds are shifting. While "go woke, go broke" has always been a farcical maxim, it's worth asking why some companies have begun pulling back on showing off their dedication to social issues like diversity or sustainability, and what message that

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00:19:24

Your feedback: On the PM interview, Canada Post and...

The Big Story ·

2024/05/20

A long weekend means it's time to go through the mailbag. And this time there is actual mail in it. When you report on Canada Post, it turns out, you get physical letters. So we'll read those, discuss meeting and trying to pin down Justin Trudeau and the making of our latest narrative series, and what might be coming next...As always, get in touch with us, and you might find yourself in these episodes. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find

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00:23:45

RE-RELEASE: Trudeau’s Liberals promised to end the...

The Big Story ·

2024/05/19

We've gained some new subscribers recently, and over the next few Sundays we want to help welcome them to the show by re-releasing some of our favourite episodes from the last few years. If you're new here, welcome! And if you've been with us for a while, we hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. ----------------------------------------------------------The promise was pretty clear: During his first successful campaign as Liberal leader, Justin Trudeau told LGBT voters that we would end Canada’s

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00:27:33

Mental Health Crisis?! In This Economy?!

The Big Story ·

2024/05/18

Patrick's family member is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and addicted to cocaine stimulants. Patrick and his wife have been trying to fund treatment through private means but are running out of money. They are worried long wait times and delays in the public system will be a barrier to care for their beloved family member.Jordan speaks to Nadeem Esmail, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute who has studied the current state of mental health care in Canada and how we compare to other nations. Do

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00:21:39

Has decriminalization failed in BC?

The Big Story ·

2024/05/17

More than a year ago, BC decriminalized possession of small amounts of certain drugs. Earlier this month, they asked the federal government to recriminalize public use of those drugs. It was supposed to be a three-year pilot, but the key part of it lasted less than half that time. What made the government throw in the towel? Why didn't this project work as intended? And what does this mean for other places, specifically Toronto, that are considering similar measures?GUEST: Jen St. Denis, reporter

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00:21:13

How we're learning the true prevalence of incest

The Big Story ·

2024/05/16

Recent movements, and brave survivors, have helped to shine light on some of the abuses that happen behind closed doors. But there's one that is still rarely spoken of: Incest. For years the numbers cited on how common incest was in families were simply assumptions, but the age of voluntary genealogy tracing has led to a reckoning.It's far more common than we ever imagined, and those voluntary tests are leading to some people finding out, in an awful way, that they were the children of incest. When

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00:18:43

We live in the age of boycotts. But which ones work?

The Big Story ·

2024/05/15

We're in the middle of a month in which thousands of Canadians have sworn to boycott any store or product produced by Loblaw Companies Ltd. That includes an awful lot of stores and products, and would require some severe changing of habits. Which is why it probably won't work.It seems that every week we're encouraged to boycott something, but how many of these protests actually result in change from the targeted company, any why? What should Canadians who want to encourage companies like Loblaw to

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00:22:26

A look inside Ottawa's extremely strange book festival

The Big Story ·

2024/05/14

On the surface, it was just another writer's festival, with perhaps some local food vendors. But as soon as the Ottawa International Food and Book Expo got underway, it became clear something about this one was a little bit ... off.First, a local group warned of far-right speakers on the panels. Then the MCs pulled out. The food vendors weren't quite sure what was going on. Some sponsors either removed themselves or claimed they'd never been associated with the festival in the first place ... and,

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00:19:59

A solution to the crisis in long-term care?

The Big Story ·

2024/05/13

Ask anyone how they want to spend their final years, and nobody will say "in a long-term care facility." And that was true ever before the pandemic showed us just how awful they can be. Most people want to grow old in their own home, but many of them simply can't access the care they need as they age.What if there was a way to meet in the middle of those two problems? A solution that would ease the burden on LTC facilities, while also keeping more seniors in their own homes, receiving proper care

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The Big Story

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