Tuesday, July 18th 2023

This episode is guest-hosted by Erica Lenti, deputy features editor at Chatelaine.

27-year old Breeanna Bascombe was trying to rock her infant daughter to sleep when police descended on her parents' Brampton, Ontario home to arrest her, and charge her as an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. The charge was related to a crime allegedly committed by Breanna's ex-boyfriend that she had absolutely nothing to do with. Breeanna thinks her very public arrest was an attempt to coax him out of hiding.  

Eventually, her charges were stayed, but Breeanna was left with what's called a 'non-conviction', which can remain on your record in perpetuity and negatively impact your ability to work, travel or even adopt a pet. And her story is far from unique; in Ontario, around half the people charged with crimes end up with non-conviction records.

So why are so many innocent people being caught up in the Canadian criminal justice system? How do we prevent it? And is there any way for them to get their lives back? 

GUEST: Eternity Martis, award winning journalist and author, writing about Breeanna Bascombe in Chatelaine

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Monday, July 17th 2023

This week we have guest hosts filling in for Jordan Health-Rawlings. Today, we have Justin Ling interviewing Erin O’Toole.

Like many places around the world, politics has become more polarized. It seems that long gone are the days of trying to pander to the majority of voters, and now some parties have gone to their most extreme constituents for support.

Probably the best example of this was the election of Pierre Poilievre as the new Conservative Party leader. No matter how you feel about Poilievre, there’s little doubt that he’s a sign of a new type of political polarization happening inside Canada.

Last month, former Conservative Parter leader Erin O’Toole resigned his seat in the House of Commons and delivered an emotional goodbye to his colleagues. He made an appeal to everybody in politics to make Ottawa less combative, less toxic, and less polarized.

So what exactly is wrong with Ottawa these days? What’s going on behind the scenes? And can we fix it?

GUEST HOST: Justin Ling, freelance investigative journalist

GUEST: Erin O’Toole, former leader of the Conservative Party

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Friday, July 14th 2023

This is the final episode of Small Town Week, a five-part series in which we examine big problems facing small communities.

So far this week, we’ve covered problems facing small communities—from housing to the economy to health care. Although these issues are felt across pretty much every community, big or small in Canada, there’s one existential threat we must face globally: the climate crisis.

We are hurtling rapidly towards a point of no return, and that’s pushing us towards alternative ways to create energy. In some communities, this is viewed as a threat perhaps as dire as the climate crisis itself. In other places, like a First Nation in southern Ontario, it’s a solution to the needs of a province. It’s a chance to turn the tide of our increasing demand for power, and move away from reliance on fossil fuels.

Here’s how one energy project near Six Nations of the Grand River could revolutionize the national grid.

GUEST: Fatima Syed, Ontario reporter, The Narwhal

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Thursday, July 13th 2023

This is the fourth episode of Small Town Week, a five-part series in which we examine big problems facing small communities.

The smaller your community is, the more likely it is to rely on a handful of employers to keep its economy stable. So when employers are looking for a place to set up shop—especially if that shop might be a little noisy or disruptive or require some tax breaks—they know that promising a certain number of well-paying jobs is a pretty good way to get the community on board.

That’s how it’s worked forever. But sometimes, as is the case in one town in New Brunswick, it stinks. Literally. A shell-drying company moved into Richibucto, N.B., promising jobs and prosperity, and the process produced a stench so bad it makes people gag.

So what happens when the jobs are fewer than hoped for? When the byproduct of the plant actively drives people away? What are the consequences, if any? And is there any way to stop the stink?

GUEST: Lindsay Jones, reporter, The Globe and Mail

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Wednesday, July 12th 2023

This is the third episode of Small Town Week, a five-part series in which we examine big problems facing small communities.

With Canada having its worst wildfire season on record, people across the country are waking up to the reality of what it’s like to live with these natural disasters. But for many communities, the dangers of wildfire season have long been felt and understood.

Perhaps few communities understand this reality better than Lytton, B.C., which was burned to the ground in 2021 after a wildfire. The town and the province pledged at the time that they would rebuild, but two years later, the work has barely begun.

Does that represent a failure, or simple reality? Should the town, which holds the record for being the hottest place in Canada, be rebuilt on the same spot? Is it smart to build in an area vulnerable to these types of fires? And what happened to Lytton, BC, and its people, when the media moved on to other fires, and new climate disasters?

GUEST: Tyler Olsen, editor and reporter, Fraser Valley Current

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter