The Big Story

After a poor showing in the 2019 election campaign—his first as NDP leader—there were questions about if Jagmeet Singh would keep his job long enough to get a second try. He has, and so far the results have been very different. What has to break right for the NDP to take aim at an upset victory? What assets do they have both in platform and personality? How should they be planning the next few weeks if they want to try to replicate the Liberals' underdog win of 2015?GUEST: Jen Gerson, The Line; Maclean's(This is the first in a series of episodes examining how the major party leaders could each become Prime Minister.) We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Three years ago, cannabis stocks were the hottest things on the market. Weed was about to become legal in Canada and it seemed everyone was going to get rich in the process. Today, millions of grams sit untouched, going stale on shelves. Some of the industry's biggest names have gone through round after round of layoffs. And even now, almost half of the pot sold in Canada is on the black market. How did Canada's legal pot industry blow its opportunity?GUEST: Kieran Delamont, writing in The Walrus We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Across the country kids are preparing to return to classrooms, and covid cases are climbing in the community. How did we manage to find ourselves in the same position this September as we did last year? What have we learned about kids and the virus since last September? How have we put that knowledge to use—or not?Is our health care system ready for a fall influx of sick kids? And what do parents need to know to keep their kids safe, and need to hear to keep their fear at bay?GUEST: Dr. Katharine Smart, paediatrician and president of the Canadian Medical Association We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

You probably heard about it when it happened. It was called Project Endgame and it was a massive police bust on what they alleged was an illegal casino operating out of a 53-room mansion in Markham, Ontario. But even as the charges were being laid and the evidence put on display, something was already going sideways. Now almost a year later, the case is in tatters and police face misconduct allegations. What happened here?GUEST: Leah McLaren, reporting for Toronto Life We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

A Liberal government with a big lead in the polls decides to call a snap election in the hope of securing more time in power. Then the polls start to tighten. And eventually ... it doesn't work out the way they hoped.Is the Progressive Conservative victory in Nova Scotia a sign that should worry the federal Liberals, as they try to do the same thing? How did the polls get this one wrong? And what can we learn about federal elections from provincial results?GUEST: Philippe J. Fournier, 338Canada.com We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

The promises and criticisms aren't going anywhere. Neither is the partisanship. But there's a whole lot of uncertainty about the first federal election of the pandemic era. What happens if Covid hits a campaign, or a community hosting a leader? How is Elections Canada adjusting its plans? And did you know you can vote right now if you don't want to deal with any of it?GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill Reporter We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

There are millions of Canadians for whom the rapid fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban has been a shock. The images coming from the country right now are disturbing and will likely only get worse in the days and weeks to come.This war was the longest in Canada's history, featuring 12 years of military efforts. For America, it was two full decades. But now that the US has left the country, it's worth asking: If this is the result, why were we there? What were we doing? What did decades of death and trillions of dollars get the people of Afghanistan?GUEST: Stephen Saideman, Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University, author of Adapting in the Dust: Lessons Learned from Canada’s War in Afghanistan We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It's August. It's hot. People are on vacation. Parents are preparing for back-to-school. There's a fourth wave of COVID-19 rising. A lot of forests are on fire. And Canadians are going to the polls. Why?Is this a power grab by the federal Liberals? Or is it a critical time for Canadians to make decisions about the future of their country in the face of multiple crises? Or ... both of those things?GUEST: David Moscrop We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Food costs more. Employees aren't returning. Pandemic protocols are costly, but necessary. Indoor dining won't be full for some time yet. COVID-19 has altered the way restaurants survive and thrive — and it looks like there's no going back to the past, even after the pandemic ends. So what does the future of your local favourite look like?GUEST: Corey Mintz, food reporter, author of The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, And What Comes After. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

At the height of the pandemic last year, top public health officials were openly hoping that COVID-19 meant the end of the handshake. Even if the greeting doesn't effectively transmit the coronavirus, it's a very effective way to pass on other bacteria. After 18 months of non-contact greetings, will society at large return to shaking hands in casual settings? Will you? And will it become another battleground in the culture war that has already politicized masks and vaccinations?GUEST: Daniel Dumas, Editor-at-Large, Esquire We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter