

The Sunday Magazine
CBC
CBC Radio’s The Sunday Magazine is a lively, wide-ranging mix of topical long-form conversations, engaging ideas and more. Each week, host Piya Chattopadhyay takes time for deep exploration, but also makes space for surprise, delight and fun.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 27, 2025 • 17min
The long tail of the forces that drove Canada's federal election
Four months since Mark Carney was elected prime minister, journalist Justin Ling is examining the forces that drove – and divided – Canadians during the federal election campaign in his new book, The 51st State Votes. David Common speaks with Ling about the existential crisis Canadians faced at the ballot box in the form of Donald Trump, how it fundamentally shifted the fortunes of Conservative leader Pierre Poilieve, and how all federal parties need to adapt to meet this moment as Parliament gets ready to return.

Aug 24, 2025 • 1h 38min
Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Famine in Gaza, Trump's impact on Canadian politics, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa, Stadium shows
Guest host David Common speaks with global affairs experts Janice Stein and Roland Paris about how much merit there may be behind the momentum of Russia-Ukraine peace prospects, famine expert Alex de Waal discusses the confirmation of famine in Gaza City, journalist Justin Ling explores how the forces behind the federal election are shaping Canadian politics now, Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa shares her journey to becoming a doctor and finding her voice, and music historian Steve Waksman walks through how stadium shows evolved and changed live music.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Aug 20, 2025 • 28min
The case for throwing shade in cities where sun reigns
As record temperatures scorch Canada, you may find yourself walking on the shady side of the street, or ducking under a tree. But in many cities, keeping public spaces sunny has long been a key priority. The Globe and Mail's architecture critic Alex Bozikovic explains how sun and shade wars have broader implications on critical city infrastructure. Then, Saroja Coelho speaks with environmental journalist Sam Bloch about how prizing sun over shade has cast a long shadow on urban design and public health in our warming world.

Aug 17, 2025 • 1h 39min
Trump-Putin meeting, The case for shade, Air Canada contract dispute, Canadian parks, Vietnam War legacy
Guest host Saroja Coelho speaks with New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers and McGill University political science associate professor Maria Popova about Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's meeting in Alaska, The Globe and Mail's architecture critic Alex Bozikovic and environmental journalist Sam Bloch make the case for city shade, aviation expert John Gradek discusses the the Air Canada flight attendant contract dispute, Canadian history professor Alan MacEachern reflects on the evolution of Canada's parks, and Canadian author Vinh Nguyen retraces his family’s journey 50 years after the end of the Vietnam War.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Aug 13, 2025 • 23min
Why we can't stop saying 'like' – whether you like it or not
If you've ever been told to stop saying "like" so much, or caught yourself cringing when someone else does it... you might want to reconsider. Journalist Megan Reynolds says the much-maligned word is actually a linguistic powerhouse. In the latest edition of Word Processing, our ongoing look at language, Reynolds speaks with Saroja Coelho about the history, gender politics and surprising functionality of "like", as she explores in her book Like: A History of the World’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word.

Aug 10, 2025 • 1h 38min
Mark Carney's first 100 days, Why we can't stop saying 'like,' Israel's plans for Gaza City, Tariffs and the developing world, Notebooks
Guest Host Saroja Coelho speaks with The Globe and Mail's Shannon Proudfoot, Angus Reid Institute's Shachi Kurl and Joël-Denis Bellavance from La Presse about Prime Minister Mark Carney's first 100 days since being elected, journalist Megan Reynolds unpacks our love-hate relationship with the word "like," CBC News senior correspondent Susan Ormiston brings us the latest on Israel's plan to take over Gaza City, Foreign Policy's Ravi Agrawal and Eurasia Group's Graeme Thompson discuss how U.S. tariffs will affect developing countries, and writer Roland Allen shares why physical notebooks still endure in our digital age.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Aug 6, 2025 • 27min
What lessons the atomic bombings of Japan hold for today's nuclear world
August marks 80 years since the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing an estimated 210,000 people. Setsuko Thurlow, who survived that day, shares her experience and her message for us all amid today's nuclear tensions. Then, Megan Williams speaks with historian and journalist Garrett Graff and national security analyst Joe Cirincione about how this event paved the path to our current nuclear world, and where things may go next.

Aug 3, 2025 • 1h 37min
Canada-U.S. trade, Legacy of the atomic bombings of Japan, Palestinian statehood, Trans-Canada Highway
Guest host Megan Williams speaks with senior economics lecturer Moshe Lander and Canadian Global Affairs Institute vice president Colin Robertson about Canada's options without a Trump trade deal in place, we reflect on the legacy of the atomic bombings of Japan with survivor and nuclear disarmament advocate Setsuko Thurlow, historian Garrett Graff and national security analyst Joe Cirincione, Canada's former ambassador to Israel Jon Allen and former adviser to the Palestine Liberation Organization Diana Buttu discuss Canada's plan to recognize Palestinian statehood, and automotive journalist Mark Richardson uncovers the stories that paved the Trans-Canada Highway.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday

Jul 30, 2025 • 23min
Is private life disappearing before our eyes?
Questions surrounding the line between private and public lives were among the many raised earlier this month when a video of a tech CEO and his company's HR manager embracing at a Coldplay concert went viral. In her book Strangers and Intimates, cultural historian Tiffany Jenkins explores the relatively short history of the notion of a private life. She joins David Common to explain how the phenomenon came to be, the value she thinks it holds, and why she fears it may be disappearing as technology continues to erase the line between private and public.

Jul 27, 2025 • 1h 38min
Hockey culture, Private life, Canadian politics, Nathan Law
Guest host David Common speaks with CBC Sports senior contributor Shireen Ahmed and The Athletic senior writer Dan Robson about the broader implications of the world junior sexual assault case for hockey culture, cultural historian Tiffany Jenkins explores the rise and potential fall of private life, The Economist’s Rob Russo and The Toronto Star’s Rob Benzie look at the state of Canada-U.S. trade negotiations and federal-provincial relations, and Nathan Law reflects on his unlikely journey to activism and what he makes of the prospects for democracy in Hong Kong.Discover more at https://www.cbc.ca/sunday