Canadaland

When governments and corporations want to stay on top of the “threats” posed by protest movements — from climate campaigns to animal-rights advocacy — there’s one company that they tend to turn to: Welund. Founded in the UK in 2007, it expanded to North America about a decade later, setting up shop in Calgary (where it’s now called Foresight Reports). So who are they? And what does it mean when public-sector bodies farm out their intelligence gathering to a private firm?To find out, we put our own open-source intelligence skills to the test.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Jonathan Goldsbie (News Editor), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Further reading:Secretive intelligence firm with Alberta government contract spying on journalist Brandi Morin — RicochetThe Private Intelligence Firm Keeping Tabs on Environmentalists — Mother JonesBAE spy named by campaigners is friend of leading

As Elon Musk rails against content moderation in a disastrous interview with Don Lemon, Jesse and Ivor Shapiro reconsider Canada’s new approach to online speech. Is the Online Harms Act as Orwellian as Margaret Atwood thinks it is? Also, immigration is coming up a lot in the news these days. Is the recent media discourse actually….mature?Clarification: When Jesse reads from Bill C-63 Online Harms Act 17 he says "A person may, with the Attorney General's consent, lay an information before a provincial court judge if the person fears on reasonable grounds that another person will commit hate speech." He meant to say Section 17 "refers to existing parts of the criminal code that govern hate speech."Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Ivor Shapiro   Further reading: Trudeau’s Orwellian online harms bill - The Spectator (UK)Margaret Atwood, Elon Musk call out

Andy Mill’s is the co-creator of The New York Times ground-breaking podcast, The Daily, and before that worked on the equally inventive and critically acknowledged podcast Radiolab. He’s also one of the very few journalists to gain the trust of J.K. Rowling for his series The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling. Finally, he’s been the subject of critical reporting from Canadaland for his work on the Peabody Award winning series for The New York Times, Caliphate. That series was stripped of the Peabody and Mills himself was “cancelled” for a combination of the Caliphate controversy and a series of attacks on twitter for his past work-place behaviour.It’s a rare opportunity to speak with someone with a CV like Mills’ and even rarer for Jesse to have the opportunity to come face to face with someone who has been the subject of intense scrutiny from Canadaland’s reporting.To hear an extended version of this interview, become a supporter by going to https://canadaland.com/joinTo learn more:Califail — CANADALANDAndy Mills

Alors que la guerre à Gaza fait rage, Emilie Nicolas et Raed Hammoud font le point sur la couverture de cette guerre dans le cadre de leur travail au sein de l'écosystème médiatique québécois. Raed évoque également le travail documentaire de longue haleine qu'il a réalisé afin de créer des liens entre des personnes de différentes parties du monde, notamment ses séries documentaires T'es où, Youssef ? Immigrants de souche et Demain l'Afrique. As the war in Gaza wages on, Emilie Nicolas and Raed Hammoud take stock of what it’s been like to cover this war in their work in the Quebec media ecosystem. Raed also discusses the long form documentary work he has done in order to create connections between people in different parts of the world, including his docu-series T’es où Youssef, Immigrants de Souche and Demain L’Afrique. Animation : Emilie NicolasGénérique : Aviva Lessard (Production), Tristan Capacchione (Production technique), André Proulx (Coordonnateur à la production), Karyn Pugliese (Rédactrice

The laughter has stopped at the Just For Laughs festival, as ownership applies for creditor protection and cancels the Montreal and Toronto 2024 festivals. Toronto Comedian Sam Sferrazza explains how the Just For Laughs systems worked (and didn’t work) for Canadian comedy.Is there anything behind the Katespiracy? As a manipulated photo of Princess Catherine and her kids goes viral worldwide, Jesse wonders if any photograph… ever should have ever been trusted. Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Sam Sferrazza Further reading: Comedians reflect on Just For Laughs’ cancellation and the future of comedy - Globe and Mail2024 Just for Laughs comedy festival cancelled, company seeks creditor protection - CBC NewsThe end of SaltWire: What happened and what happens next? - Halifax ExaminerCanada’s foreign correspondents are almost extinct - The HubHot Docs president warns this year's festival c

Labour used to be a beat. A major beat for any newspaper. Which, you know, makes sense. Because what happens with work, with the world of work, that matters to so many more people than any other section in the newspaper, more than politics or foreign affairs or even business. But the age of the working person's newspaper is just about dead, and along with it, the labour beat.But maybe not to news audiences. We get constant emails from you asking us to take a closer look at work in Canada. The entire new season of our sister show Commons is called Work, and this week we hand the show over to the Commons team. Arshy Mann, Jordan Cornish, and Noor Azrieh are going to tell you about what they have found, about what it means to work and be a worker in Canada.Subscribe to COMMONS: Work in your favourite podcast app here!Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Pr

From Winnipeg to Wuhan, Canada is embroiled in an international spy situation, but why does no one seem to care anymore? Recent documents released from the investigation of scientist Dr. Xiangguo Qiu contain bombshells that may point back to the COVID lab leak theory. As the obituaries and puff pieces roll in, the Canadian media seems to have forgotten that Brian Mulroney was - in fact - divisive. Correcting the record on “Conservative Titan” Brian Mulroney. Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson(Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Jan Wong Further reading: Lies and scandal: How two rogue scientists at a high-security lab triggered a national security calamity - CBC News The big problem with the Winnipeg lab affair was obvious from the start: too much secrecy - CBC NewsDocuments reveal fired scientists shared information with China - The Globe and Mail - Globe and Mail, T

Let’s skip two years of horse race punditry and commentary. It's over already. Barring some unforeseeable act of God, Pierre Poilievre is not just going to win, he is going to stomp to victory. The Liberals will likely be rebuilding from close to scratch and this country might be looking at a good long period of right wing rule. What does that look like? What does it mean for housing, crime, and the media landscape?Today on the show, Jesse speaks with prominent journalists, Jen Gerson, Paul Wells, and Stephen Marche to find out more.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Further reading: Conservatives open up a 19-point lead over the Liberals — Abacus DataJen Gerson’s Substack — The LinePaul Well’s SubstackStephen Marche’s websiteSponsors: Squarespace, Douglas, CFUV, Better HelpIf you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all ou

Dans sa nouvelle autobiograhie, la professeure en droit transféminine Florence Ashley, théorise l’academic smut ou smut therapy comme la thérapie par l'écriture érotique. Gender/Fucking: the Pleasures and Politics of Living in a Gendered Body met en lumière le bordel de l'existence humaine à travers le récit de Florence - ses expériences romantiques, sexuelles, sa transition et des vérités qui sont beaucoup plus grandes qu’ille qui s'étendent à la jeune communauté trans actuelle. Les nouvelles politiques d'identité de genre annoncées en Alberta mélangent le droit des enfants avec le droit des parents dans un contexte où les corps et esprits des personnes trans sont déjà sous contrôle social, familial, politique, médical et juridique, et leur sentiment le plus profond par rapport à leur identité, constamment délégitimisé.Animation : Emilie NicolasGénérique : Laetitia Dogbe (Production), Tristan Capacchione (Production technique), André Proulx (Coordonnateur à la production), Karyn Pugliese (Rédactrice en

Vice Media was once valued at 5.7 billion dollars - This week it closed its doors. One final episode of the podcast Cyber was released to give listeners a peek into what was going on at Vice. The staff knew something was amiss when the quality of the snacks began to deteriorate. The Liberals tabled Bill C-63 to take aim at online hate. If this new bill comes into force it could make some online hate speech punishable by life in prison. Host: Jesse BrownCredits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Justin Ling Further reading: Vice Media Is Basically DeadVice’s cunning, irreverent journalism is dead – and executives with bloated pay cheques helped kill it | Sirin Kale | The Guardian VICE Management Kills Vice.Com, Set to Lay Off Hundreds of Employees - Hell Gate I Was a Heretic at The New York Times - The AtlanticC-63 (44-1) - LEGISinfo - Parliament of Canada My First Take on the Online Harms

The Pikwakanagan First Nation seemed to be doing well - it has a good economy, high graduation rate, it has been revitalizing its culture, the books are tight. But things have gotten bad in the last five years. Pikwakanagan is not immune to the troubles infiltrating the towns surrounding it. Late last year, Chief Greg Sarazin declared a State of Emergency over Opioids in the small rural community, just 150 kilometers from Ottawa. When a crisis hits a city like Belleville it makes headlines, but First Nations are not getting attention, or all the help they need to fight addiction. They are relying, in many ways, on their own devices. There were at least five overdoses last year in a community with only 250 adults; that’s 1 in 50 people. Even more people must be using. But it's not just about those on reserve. When you count the cousins, the kids and the other family members living away, there have been dozens.  What happened, and what is the community doing to try and stem the crisis. Host:

Liberal MP Rob Oliphant was caught being critical of the Trudeau government’s policy on the Gaza war in a leaked phone call with a constituent. He is the parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister and says he’s considering quitting. First announced in the 2018 Federal Budget the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) has given 50 million dollars to help underserved communities maintain local media… This funding is set to expire at the end of March. Host: Jonathan GoldsbieCredits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Allison Smith Further reading: Key Liberal MP rips his government's policy on Gaza war in private call with constituent -Local Journalism Initiative - Canada.caOliphant apologizes after video of him calling fellow Liberal MPs 'arrogant' over Israel genocide claims - National PostStephen Harper: Israel's war is just, Hamas must surrender or be eliminated - National PostStephen Harper's firm pours $350M into developing

Dr. Ayman Oweida he’s doing everything he can to help his family survive. But he hears the bombs getting closer when speaking to them on the phone. The eyewitness of Aunt Fatimah, who says she is the sole survivor of an attack by the IDF, has lead Oweida to sign onto a coalition asking the Canadian government to cease arms exports to Israel. It might not save his family - but it might do something. Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Cherise Seucharan (Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Jonathan Goldsbie (News Editor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Further reading: Trudeau Government Authorized $28.5 Million Of New Military Exports To Israel Since October, The Maple, Feb 10, 2023Palestinian Quebecers scramble to get families to Canada as Gaza death toll climbs, CBC News, Jan 22, 2024Demands for Canada to stop supplying weapons to Israel grow louder, Al-Jazeera, Feb 9, 2024Al-Jazeera video of Fatimah Oweida’s account Fan

Selon Yara El-Ghadban, romancière et éditrice montréalaise d’origine palestinienne, le rêve est un acte révolutionnaire. Dans cet épisode, Emilie invite Yara à partager des extraits de son ouvrage Les racistes n'ont jamais vu la mer, coécrit avec Rodney Saint-Éloi. Au cours de cette discussion franche, l’expression artistique, le deuil, et l’espoir s'entremêlent. According to Yara El-Ghadban, a Montreal novelist and editor of Palestinian origin, dreaming is a revolutionary act. In this episode, Emilie invites Yara to share excerpts from her book Les racistes n'ont jamais vu la mer, co-written with Rodney Saint-Éloi. Over the course of this candid discussion, artistic expression, grief, and hope coalesce.Animation : Emilie NicolasGénérique : Nancy Pettinicchio (Production), Tristan Capacchione (Production technique), Karyn Pugliese (Rédactrice en chef)Coanimation : Yara El-GhadbanPour en savoir plus :Les racistes n'ont jamais vu la mer — Les éditions Mémoire d’encrier Je suis Ariel Sharon — Les éditi

Is radio not a viable business anymore? Bell Media said this in a release in the wake of massive layoffs. And Pierre Poilievre is waging a bizarre battle with the media … including the (controversial) Canadian Press.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Jon Pole Further reading: ‘Depressing’ to see ‘W5′ affected by Bell Media cuts, says former host Kevin Newman - The Globe and MailEditorial - Eagle Feather NewsPierre Poilievre can dish it out. Why can't he take it? - Toronto StarPierre Poilievre claims 40 offenders were arrested 6000 times in Vancouver in a year. Is that actually true? - Toronto Star'Significant concerns' raised about security at Pierre Poilievre's Stornoway home, internal documents show - Toronto StarAPTN Interview with Pierre Poilievre Sponsors: Douglas, Calm Introducing CanadaLabs – a hub for the next generation of audio journ

After Max Krangle left Big Tobacco he went to work for the porn business. Jesse and Max explore whether the business lessons learned in porn, one of the world’s most successful enterprises, can apply to journalism, one of the world’s most vulnerable industries.Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Jonathan Goldsbie (News Editor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Further reading: Contentious Counsel by Max A. Krangle — Counsel StrategySponsors: Better Help, AG1, CommunautoIf you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

The Alberta Premier has a UCP leadership election this year, and apparently she needs transphobic voter support more than she cares about keeping the government out of classrooms and kids’ pronouns. And invitations for Nazis, cancellations for Jews - we analyze the shameful takedown of NDP MLA Selina Robinson and try to figure out where exactly the line for cancellable offence is.Correction (Feb. 8, 2024): This episode originally described Susan Kim as a member of British Columbia’s Legislative Assembly, suggested that Premier David Eby allowed her to continue in her role after she apologized for casting doubt on the use of sexual violence by Hamas. Kim is in fact a Victoria city councillor who added her name to a late-October open letter that made reference to “the unverified accusation that Palestinians were guilty of sexual violence.” While Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang called on Kim to apologize (which she subsequently did), and declined to call for Kim’s resignation, Premier Eby himself did not we

Two journalists, Kathleen Martens and Brandi Morin, have been closely following the ongoing crises faced by unhoused people, largely Indigenous, in so-called “tent cities”. They have been documenting the political and police action to remove the encampments. In Brandi’s case, she was arrested for doing her work as a journalist, which brought the eyes of the world on her. But the story isn’t about Brandi, it’s about the people she has been speaking with. Editor-in-chief Karyn Pugliese sits down with Kathleen and Brandi to talk about the people they have met, their experiences, and what some of the causes of homelessness are for them.Have tent cities and homelessness become the new normal?Host: Jesse Brown Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Featured guests: Kathleen Martens, Brandi MorinFurther reading: Our Relatives — APTNPolice raids rock Edmonton, as Indigenous e

En début de semaine, la chroniqueuse Toula Drimonis a vu la publication en français de son livre "Nous, les autres", suite au succès de la version originale anglaise en 2022. Fille d'immigrants grecs, l'auteure partage son vécu ainsi que celui des immigrants d'autres horizons au sein de la société québécoise. Dans un contexte où les débats sur l'immigration retournent à l'avant-scène de l'actualité, Toula se joint à Emilie pour évoquer les risques liés à l'attribution de la crise du logement à l'immigration. Parallèlement, alors que les immigrantes sont surreprésentées dans des maisons d’hébergement du Québec, leurs voix sont-elles entendues dans le paysage médiatique actuel ?AVERTISSEMENT : Dans la deuxième partie de cet épisode, nous discutons de violence à caractère sexuelle et de violence basée sur le genre. Si vous êtes à la recherche de soutien, le lien suivant vous dirigera vers des ressources à travers le Canada : https://canadianwomen.org/fr/vous-cherchez-un-soutien/Earlier this week, columnist Toula

How much information should the public get when it comes to the motivations of a suspected shooter attacking a government building? And the new global order of internet governance that applies only to Taylor Swift - unpacking AI-generated deep fake porn. Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Aviva Lessard (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)Guest: Mattea Roach Further reading: Video of suspected shooter on XSecurity guard accused in Edmonton city hall shooting makes court appearance - CBC NewsSuspect in Edmonton City Hall attack raised ‘no red flags,’ employer says - The Globe and MailFive members of 2018 Canadian junior hockey team to face sexual assault charges - The Globe and MailIran allegedly hired Canadians to conduct assassinations on U.S. soil, according to indictment - CBC NewsTaylor Swift Reportedly Pursuing Legal Action Against Toronto Resident Accused of Creating, Sharing Explicit AI-Generated Image