Just Asking

According to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Crown has a legal obligation to consult Indigenous peoples before decisions are made that could infringe on their rights. What meaningful consultation actually looks like has come into sharp focus this week as Prime Minister Carney met with First nations leaders about Bill C-5, which aims to fast track approvals for major infrastructure projects like pipelines or mines. So what does the "duty to consult" in Canadian law actually mean? To answer your questions, Just Asking spoke to two experts. Sara Mainville is the managing partner of JFK Law. She’s also the former Chief of Couchiching First Nation. And Deliah Bernard is Partner and Co-Founder of Roots Strategies, which is an Indigenous affairs agency. She was also a former senior Indigenous affairs adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Further Reading: What does the duty to consult First Nations, Inuit and Métis mean?

In this discussion, Elizabeth Mulholland, CEO of Prosper Canada, and Omar Fares, Assistant Professor of Marketing, dive into the world of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services. They explore the convenience and risks of BNPL, especially for younger consumers navigating financial pressures post-pandemic. The conversation spotlights the psychological factors driving its popularity, the security challenges these services pose, and the urgent need for consumer awareness and regulation to prevent potential debt traps.

This week, the RCMP revealed that four men are being accused of an alleged anti-government plot that involved creating a militia and seizing land. Two of the men arrested were members of the Canadian Armed Forces.Police are calling the plot an act of "ideologically motivated violent extremism." Last December, the RCMP, CSIS and the Five Eyes Alliance published a report warning about the rise in young people attracted to violent ideologies. So what are the driving forces behind these movements? What warning signs can family members look out for, and what more can be done to root out this extremism from institutions like the military? We spoke with Barbara Perry, the director of the Centre on Hate, Bias and Extremism at Ontario Tech University, David O'Brien, the director of Mental Health at Yorktown Family Services, where he works with young people to redirect them from violent extremism and hate groups, and Jeanette Manning, the co-author of Walking Away from Hate: Our Journey Through Extremism, which details her own experience with her daughter after her daughter left a white supremacist group.  

Summer is supposed to be a time for rest and relaxation — unless you're among the millions of Canadians who suffer from poor sleep. How do the changing seasons affect our sleep schedule? We spoke with Dr. Michael Mak, a sleep medicine specialist and psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Lynne Peeples a science writer and author of the book The Inner Clock: living in sync with our circadian rhythms.

The Diddy trial came to a close this week, with the jury delivering a mixed verdict. Combs was found not guilty on the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, but was found guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. During the trial, the judge ruled the prosecutor's expert witness couldn't use the term "coercive control." To help us understand what this form of abuse looks like, Just Asking spoke to two experts. Pamela Cross is a feminist lawyer and a member of Ontario’s Domestic Violence Death Review Committee. She is also the author of the book, And Sometimes They Kill You: Confronting the Epidemic of Intimate Partner Violence. Carrie McManus is the Director of Innovation and Programs at Sagesse, which is a Domestic Violence Prevention Society in Calgary.

Canada produces more waste per person than any of its peer countries. And in the not-too-distant future - we could run out of space for all that trash. Ontario has just under a decade until its landfills will reach capacity. So what policy choices will Canada have to make in the wake of this garbage crisis? What examples are there of better waste systems? Just Asking spoke to two experts to answer your questions about trash. Myra Hird is a professor in the department of Environmental Studies at Queens University where she studies waste. Emily Alfred is a waste campaigner for the Toronto Environmental Alliance.

NATO allies, including Canada agreed to significantly increase defense spending, pledging to reach five per cent of GDP over the next decade. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised President Trump for pushing the alliance to boost their funding shares. But what will this funding accomplish? Are these thresholds realistic? To answer all your NATO questions, Just Asking spoke to two experts. Oleksa Drachewych is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Western University. And Erika Simpson is an Associate Professor of International Relations at Western University and the President of the Canadian Peace Research Association.

It's officially summer - that time of year where we all have to get a little more comfortable feeling sticky, sweaty and maybe a little... stinky? So what are the best ways to stay fresh and clean during the hotter months? Just Asking spoke to two experts about the science behind staying clean and how to address our sweaty, smelly discomfort. Jason Tetro is a microbiologist and the author of the book, “The Germ Files.” Sarah Everts is a science journalist and the author of the book, “The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration.”

This week, Canada's privacy commissioner found that DNA testing company 23andMe didn't have adequate data protections in place, when hackers gained access to roughly 6.9 millions profiles on the site. The commissioner also revealed that some of the stolen information was later being sold online. So how much information are these tests gathering, and what could users' data be used for? And if you're looking for quick access to genetic information, how accurate are these tests and what can they tell you? To answer your questions, Just Asking spoke to two guests. Brent Arnold is a Partner and litigator at Gowling WLG working with a focus on tech and cybersecurity. Jehannine Austin is a Professor and Head of the Department of Medical Genetics at UBC. They're also a genetic counsellor.

To celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day, we brought together a special panel for Just Asking. Michelle Good is a Cree writer and poet, award-winning author of the novel "Five Little Indians," and a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation. Marek Tyler is a musician and leader of the band Asko. He is nêhiyaw from Treaty 6 territory in Edmonton. And Riley Yesno is an Anishinaabe scholar and distinguished fellow at the Yellowhead Institute, from Eabametoong First Nation.