The Decibel

On Saturday, King Charles III will be crowned in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London. This is the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 years and it’s brought up questions from Canadians about why a democratic country like Canada still maintains ties with the monarchy. A recent Angus Reid Poll found that 52 per cent of respondents do not want to continue as a constitutional monarchy. But leaving isn’t that easy.Errol Mendes is a lawyer, author and constitutional and international law professor at the University of Ottawa. He’s on the show to explain how Canada’s constitution makes leaving the monarchy almost impossible.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

When Ontario Place first opened in 1971, it was a jewel on Toronto’s waterfront showcasing modern architecture and Ontario culture. But in the 50 years that followed, Ontario Place faced an identity crisis. The space hosted a water park and a night club to name a few. And while a few venues have stayed open much of the park closed in 2012. The Provincial government cited dwindling attendance and soaring costs.Ontario Premier Doug Ford has a new plan that he says will turn the 155-acres of land into a ‘world class’ destination. But the project is already mired in controversy, with critics saying the Premier’s plan is shrouded in secrecy and favouritism.Decibel producer Sherrill Sutherland toured Ontario place with The Globe’s architecture critic, Alex Bozikovic to learn about why so many people are fighting to keep it a public space. Plus, the Globe’s Queen’s Park reporter Jeff Gray explains the politics behind this lucrative piece of land.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

In 2021, the federal government began a project to plant two billion trees by 2031. The goal of this project was to use these trees to help Canada reach its climate goal. However, a recent audit shows that the government is not on track to hit those numbers.The Globe’s energy and environment reporter Matt McClearn is on the show to walk us through the difficulties of the 2 Billion Trees program, and how its success or failure could impact our other pressing climate goals.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The Online Streaming Act is officially law. Now, online streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify have to promote and invest in Canadian content. But there are still questions and concerns – from content creators themselves – over how this law will actually work.Kate Taylor is the arts critic for The Globe and Mail. Today, she tells us about this new law, and how it might change the landscape of content made in Canada and what you’ll end up watching on your streaming platforms in the future.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

The Alberta election starts today – and one group in particular is ready for it. It’s called Take Back Alberta and it’s a network of people who share the same values: no vaccine mandates, no pandemic lockdowns – and Christian faith. Together, its members are trying to reshape politics in the province from the ground up.Reporter Carrie Tait spent months going to the group’s meetings and talking to its leader to get a sense of its plans in this very competitive election between Danielle Smith of the United Conservative Party and the NDP’s Rachel Notley, as well as what its goals are once the election is over – both inside Alberta and beyond.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Back in September, we told you about some Afghans trying to flee the Taliban in 2021 who had been given Canadian travel documents – but they were not authentic. We now know that a Canadian Senator sent approximately 640 of these documents to Afghans, who are now stranded.Today, The Globe’s senior parliamentary reporter Marieke Walsh tells us what we know about who’s involved in this bureaucratic mess, and the impossible situation for the people who received these documents.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

School food programs in Canada are struggling to make ends meet right now. With the high price of food, it’s costing some programs as much as 25 percent more than previous years to keep running. And they’re seeing higher demand too – more children in need of a balanced meal.Caroline Alphonso spoke with programs across the country that are worried their funding won’t make it to the end of the school year. Today, she tells us what’s happening with school food programs, why they’re so important and what might be done to fix the situation.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at  thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Vietnam is in the midst of a dramatic shift caused by climate change. Some of the country’s most fertile land along the Mekong Delta has been devastated by flooding from rising ocean levels.Doug Saunders, a columnist at The Globe, is on the show today to talk about climate migration in Vietnam and what really happens when climate change forces someone from their home.This episode is part two of Undercurrents – The Globe’s year-long series devoted to the global migration crisis. You can find part one here.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Sudan is on the brink of civil war, after fighting broke out between the country’s military and a paramilitary group, the RSF. Hundreds of people have been killed, and thousands more injured. This, on top of an existing humanitarian crisis that is now expected to get much worse.Today, we hear from two Sudanese-Canadians, Esraa Fadul and Ahmed Osman, who are stranded in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, surrounded by warfare. Then we’ll hear from The Globe’s Africa Bureau Chief Geoffrey York about what led to this conflict and what it means for an already-struggling country.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Since the pandemic, confidence in childhood vaccines has decreased around the world, according to a new report by UNICEF. Before COVID hit, 91 per cent of Canadians believed vaccines are important during childhood. That number is now 82 per cent.So what has caused this drop in the faith in children’s vaccines? The Globe’s health reporter, Carly Weeks explains to us how this happened, how it could affect Canada’s future outbreaks and what can be done to get those rates back up.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com