The Decibel

People in Iqaluit are in the midst of a water crisis. On Oct. 12 a state of emergency was declared when some of the 9,000 residents in Nunavut’s capital city complained of a suspicious fuel-like odour coming from their taps. Since then, they’ve been told to avoid drinking that water. Recent test results confirmed the water is contaminated with high levels of hydrocarbons consistent with diesel fuel or kerosene.National news reporter Willow Fiddler has been following the story and she explains what we know about the situation so far, how people in Iqaluit have been managing without any tap water and how it’s related to a broader water crisis facing many Indigenous communities in Canada. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the early days of the pandemic, many speculated that being locked down with partners would inevitably lead to a baby boom. Recently, Statistics Canada released preliminary data that points to the opposite. In 2020, more than 13,000 fewer babies were born than in the previous year. Experts were surprised at just how sharp the decline was.Zosia Bielski is a national reporter for The Globe who writes about how we live together and apart, and traces large-scale social shifts. She explains why so many people chose to put a pause on family planning, why experts are saying the data may have a silver lining and whether this baby bust could just be a blip. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A terrorism hoax charge has been withdrawn years after a Burlington, Ont., man told multiple journalists that he had travelled to Syria and worked as an executioner for ISIS. An RCMP investigation then found no evidence that Shehroze Chaudhry, now 26, went to Syria or joined the terrorist organization.Leah West, national security lawyer and professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, discusses how the story of an ISIS fighter among us sparked a political scandal and stoked public fear that has affected how our country is dealing with Canadians who really did go fight overseas and are now being detained there – along with their children. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Restaurants in Canada are facing an exodus. Over the past 19 months the hospitality industry has lost 15 per cent of the work force. Labour issues have been plaguing restaurants since the pandemic began and many are scrambling to hire and keep workers on. But this is an issue that existed long before COVID-19.Therese DeGrace worked in restaurants, including as a chef and as a consultant, for almost 30 years. Working with food had always been a dream of hers, but her expectations didn’t match up with her experience. She talks about what it’s like working in the industry, why the pandemic prompted so many to leave and what restaurants need to do to get workers back. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to set a date for the reopening of Parliament nearly a month after the federal election.Parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh updates us on what the parties think about their gains, their losses – and their leaders – as they look toward a new session. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today we're bringing you an episode of City Space, a new podcast from The Globe and Mail about how to make our cities better, hosted by Adrian Lee.The 15-minute city is an urban planning concept that would see neighbourhoods designed so that day-to-day amenities are always just a short walk or bike ride away. And after living 18+ months of pandemic life, where most of us were forced to stay in our own neighbourhoods, it seems like implementing this idea in as many cities as possible will pay nothing but dividends. But while it’s popular in other parts of the world like many European cities, can we really just cut and paste the idea in Canada?In this episode, we hear from Alain Miguelez, Ottawa’s Manager of Policy Planning, who believes our nation’s capital is ripe for the 15-minute city and explains why he’s working hard to help execute it there.  Plus, we check in with Jay Pitter, an award-winning placemaker and urban planning lecturer, about why she believes there is a crucial — but so far, absent — step necessary for the 15-minute city to actually work in North America. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A deadline to get the COVID-19 jab – or lose their job – is quickly approaching for unvaccinated health care workers in Quebec and British Columbia. Meanwhile, the issue of mandatory vaccinations is also being hotly debated in other provinces such as Ontario. All of this is prompting questions about what could happen to our hospitals and long-term care centres if thousands of workers suddenly aren’t allowed to work?Health columnist André Picard discusses why the anticipated staff shortage may not actually pan out, why now is the time for these kinds of mandates and explores the reasons why thousands of health care workers in Canada remain unvaccinated. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On February 23, 2018, Ulla Theoret was murdered along with her son and her mother by a neighbour who was obsessed with her. More than three years later, an Ontario committee that reviews all cases of intimate partner homicides examined what happened to Ulla and her family and provided some recommendations for the province’s Solicitor General.The review was prompted by national reporter Molly Hayes’s initial investigation and she is on the Decibel to discuss how this case challenges the way authorities think about domestic violence, why unconventional relationships are often overlooked and the red flags that police sometimes miss. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s been a busy few days for Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. On Sunday, the former lead product manager for Facebook’s Civic Misinformation team went public with her criticism of the company in an interview on 60 Minutes. Then on Tuesday, she testified before a U.S. Senate hearing and accused the social media company of putting profits ahead of people and democracy.Now that it’s known that Facebook knew about the addictive nature and harmful effects of its platforms, what should be done about it? Taylor Owen is an associate professor and director of the centre for media technology and democracy at McGill University, where he studies Facebook and other Big Tech companies. He is on The Decibel to unpack what kinds of regulations governments could enact if they want to fix Facebook. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What do blackouts in China, surging natural gas prices in Europe and Asia and renewable energy have to do with each other? They are all wrapped up in a bumpy moment for the global energy supply as economies across the world revved up following a pandemic-induced slowdown.Globe and Mail reporter Jeffrey Jones explains exactly why this pickup in demand has stressed our global supply at this moment, how that’s causing a ripple effect worldwide and what can be done about it to prevent future crunches as we continue to transition away from fossil fuels as our primary source of energy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.