Best 905er Podcasts (2025)

1
Is GO Transit the Better Choice Over the 401 Tunnel? 28:21

Play Pause

1d ago28:21

28:21

Doug Ford is hellbent on building a tunnel under the 401. It's his magic solution to solving gridlock traffic in the 905, by moving millions of cars and trucks underneath Toronto. Right now, no price tag has been placed on this massive project. However, all experts have put it into the many billions of dollars. Not to mention the feasibility of bui…

1
Laura Steiner Explains Milton’s Final Say on their MP 47:30

9d ago47:30

47:30

As the country moves on from the latest federal election, some ridings are still being counted. Several ridings' final vote counts were so close that a recount was conducted to determine who the elected MP was under our rules. Normally, this is done fairly and with little drama. However, this time around, conspiracy theories are being thrown into t…

1
Andre Picard Explains How Measles Got Away From Us 38:19

16d ago38:19

38:19

Only one month ago, we interviewed Jill Promoli and Alvin Tedjo to discuss the alarming situation of rising measles cases in Peel Region. Since that interview, case numbers have steadily risen in Ontario. As the time of recording this episode, over 1400 cases have been reported and that number doesn't seem to be slowing down. Premier Doug Ford, Min…

1
A Matter of Distrust in Hamilton 47:09

23d ago47:09

47:09

During the federal election, we had to stop covering some local issues. That didn’t mean we didn’t keep an eye on what was going on in the 905 City Halls. One particular story caught our eye in Hamilton. In early April, a long-awaited report was released. The Mayor’s Task Force, consisting of 5 volunteers, reported on the gap of distrust between Ha…

1
905 Round-Up - Election Aftermath 14:41

30d ago14:41

14:41

A short but to the point episode this time around. With the dust of the federal election finally settling, it’s time to look to the future of Canada and the 905. Joel gives his brief summary of what comes next for each political party. It takes money and time to produce this podcast. We love what we do, but please consider supporting us if you can,…

1
905 Round-Up: Election Intimidation in the 905 58:29

1M ago58:29

58:29

As we head into the final week of the 2025 federal election, the desperate are coming out of the woodwork. Elections are democracy at its purest. Candidates and parties put forward their best to persuade us to vote for them. A key part of that process is the all-candidates' debate, a tradition going back to the town square. The public is able to po…

1
How Do We Make the Right Decision This Election? 56:07

2M ago56:07

56:07

With only a few weeks left before the federal election, we ought to have a good idea of who the candidates are and what each party will be like for the next four years. The decision is looming, and a choice will need to be made. However, how do we know we're making the right choice? Ironically, just before the election, Joel read a book called Too …

1
Is Maplehurst Ontario's Guantanamo? 46:49

2M ago46:49

46:49

With the federal election happening, a front-page news story from here in the 905 is not getting much attention. The Toronto Star for the past week has published a series of articles on abuse and inhumane conditions at Maplehurst Correctional Facility in Milton. The facility is an Ontario-owned and operated jail, where most inmates are charged with…

1
Measles is Making a Comeback, What are We Doing About It? 37:34

2M ago37:34

37:34

It feels like we were settled on the case for vaccinations after COVID-19. Their efficacy and safety are reliable. And they are the best way to prevent public health outbreaks of preventable diseases. We all remember the pandemic, lockdowns, and the toll that all took on us. So why are we seeing a resurgence of measles in Peel region, along with ot…

1
Well, Here We Go Again... 47:02

2M ago47:02

47:02

Just when we think we're out, they pull us back in. Back into election season that is folks! Less than a month out of the Ontario provincial election, Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney has called a federal election for April 28th. Last year, the idea of a federal election struck terror in the hearts of Liberals across the country. However, in only…

1
What are the Solutions to the Auto Theft Crisis? 38:47

3M ago38:47

38:47

It is impossible to not hear a story from your city, town or neighbourhood about a car theft. You can find doorbell cameras of thieves stealing cars right out of a driveway in the middle of the night. Or you can hear stories of cars being stolen in mall parking lots. Auto thefts are an organized, big business in Ontario. Pressure is on for definiti…

1
The 905 Prepares for a Tariff War 33:22

3M ago33:22

33:22

Since taking office, President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Canada with on-again-off-again tariffs. Canada has in turn replied with reciprocal tariffs on American products. We are entering into an unprecedented period of antagonism between Canada and the United States. What was once the most prosperous trading relationship in the history …

1
What Lies Ahead for the Ontario Liberal Party? 1:13:46

3M ago1:13:46

1:13:46

We recorded this episode the Friday morning after the 2025 Ontario Election. It was an election that didn't see the dynamic at Queen's Park change all that much. Doug Ford and the Ontario PC returned with a third majority mandate, Marit Stiles and the NDP returned to the official opposition, and the Ontario Liberals returned as the third-place part…

1
So what comes after this election? 44:44

3M ago44:44

44:44

We are into the final week of this Ontario election. It seems that people are finally starting to check in to the fact that we are having one, and we're starting to see some change in the polls. But is it enough to change the government? What happens if nothing changes? What would happen to Bonnie Crombie or Marit Stiles's leadership? Both made pro…

1
Can We Vote Smarter in this Ontario Election? 54:41

4M ago54:41

54:41

As this Ontario Election moves, the polls slowly shift away from Doug Ford's Ontario PC. Is there time for the opposition parties to capitalize on this trend? Or will the opposition once again split the vote? That's the risk in our first-past-the-post system. Without the anti-Ford vote coalescing around one party or leader at the moment, those who …

1
What do our Municipalities Need from this Ontario Election? 48:07

4M ago48:07

48:07

As the Ontario Election moves a long, we seem to drifting further and further away from the issues that were prominent in our provincial dialogue only a few months ago. Housing, development fees, homelessness. These were the things that we were covering in previous episodes. The matters which were front and centre for many 905ers. Going so far as t…

1
Hey Don't Forget There's a Provincial Election on Right Now! 49:09

4M ago49:09

49:09

It has been a whirlwind 2025, and we're only through January. Trudeau resigned, sparking a Liberal Leadership race, and most recently, as this podcast is being recorded, President Donald Trump is imposing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico, sparking a trade war in North America. In the shadow of all of this, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has decided to c…

1
Loblaws and Sobeys Haven't Learned their Lesson 43:59

4M ago43:59

43:59

Earlier this month, the CBC broke a story detailing how Loblaws and Sobeys were overcharging customers for meat, but underweighting the amounts sold. With the cost of living increasing this was a blow to their brand and hurt consumers where it matters most. What was most shocking perhaps about the story is how it wasn't that shocking at all. This i…

1
How Doug Ford Came Around to Agree with Kathleen Wynne 59:17

4M ago59:17

59:17

Whether or not we're going to an early provincial election has been hanging in the air over Ontario for a few months now. Doug Ford has been playing coy with will he won't he'll call one. However, the hints that he's keen to have been in the news recently. His government has announced several big policy initiatives. Minister of Energy, Stephen Lecc…

1
905 Round-Up: Good Rental News and Teacher Investigations 47:35

5M ago47:35

47:35

Happy New Year 2025! We are back in the saddle for what is shaping up to be a huge year in Canada, Ontario and the 905. As we start the new year, we found some good news to reflect on. Rents in the 905 are dropping. As more and more inventory comes onto the market the laws of supply and demand the price of rent is dropping. After that, we look at H…

1
905 Round-Up: Crombie’s Housing Plan and Ford Hits Back on Trump 1:05:03

6M ago1:05:03

1:05:03

Coming off our previous episode with Evan Scrimshaw, the Ontario Liberals announced a major part of their housing platform. Their plan would eliminate development charges from municipalities, replace them with a provincial fund, end the Land Transfer Tax for new home buyers and bring in phased-in rent controls for renters. Is this what progressives…

1
Why the Ontario Liberals Are Going to Have a Hard Time in the 905 1:03:12

6M ago1:03:12

1:03:12

The Ontario Liberal Party attempted something of a rebrand of their leader, Bonnie Crombie at the start of December. At their leadership dinner fundraiser, the party brought in $1.65 million for their coffers before an expected spring 2025 Ontario election. However, what made headlines was her keynote address where she broke ranks with their federa…

1
Mayor Carolyn Parrish Breaks her Silence on Police Funding 30:45

6M ago30:45

30:45

Police budgets are the biggest line item on any municipalities budget. It would logically follow that it would also be the most scrutinized. As it turns out it is virtually impossible to openly criticize and debate the use of tax dollars when it comes to policing in Ontario. This is something our guest today resigned their position on Peel's Police…

1
Councillor Haley Bateman Stands Against the Notwithstanding Clause 43:25

6M ago43:25

43:25

We rarely expect to return to the topic so soon when we air our episodes. However, that was the case with our last episode with St. Catharine's Mayor Mat Siscoe. We spoke with him about his reasons for signing a letter with 12 other Ontario Mayors requesting Premier Doug Ford give municipalities the power under the Notwithstanding Clause to remove …

1
Mayor Mat Siscoe backs his decision to request the Notwithstanding Clause 36:28

7M ago36:28

36:28

On October 31st, 12 Mayors from across Ontario wrote a letter to Premier Doug Ford, requesting more powers to deal with the growing homeless and encampment crisis in our cities. Five of those mayors were from 905 cities. In the letter, the mayors went the extra step to request the Notwithstanding Clause be used if necessary to give them the ability…

1
Is Mississauga Changing the Ways Hospitals are Built in Ontario? 47:26

7M ago47:26

47:26

For the better part of a decade, municipalities have been expected to chip in a portion of new hospital infrastructure. This practice was brought in under the previous Ontario Liberal government and is continued by the current Ontario PC. When hospital infrastructure runs upwards into the billions of dollars this can become quite the burden on a mu…

1
905 Round-up: The Malicious Incompetence of Doug Ford 1:02:58

7M ago1:02:58

1:02:58

There have been a few stories that popped onto our radar recently that made us think we ought to do a 905 Round-Up Episode to cover them all. In the course of our discussions about them though, we discovered a common thread. All of the problems we discuss are a result of the poor decision-making of the Ontario PC Government. The Mississauga LRT pro…

1
Is Ontario Facing a Teaching Shortage? 33:58

8M ago33:58

33:58

As reported by Global News earlier this month, an internal document to then Minister of Education Todd Smith states that the province could be facing a teacher shortage. Too many teachers are leaving the profession with fewer new teachers joining their ranks. The Ministry of Education is predicting that as early as 2027 we could start seeing a gap …

1
Does Marineland Have a Future in Ontario? 50:45

8M ago50:45

50:45

Last week saw news that another beluga whale died at Marineland. For years now, the Niagara Falls-based theme park has been under intense scrutiny, after evidence of animal mistreatment and deaths have emerged at the park. The Ontario Solicitor General has stated that the park is under inspection by the province but will not divulge what it has bee…

1
Ahmad Elbayoumi on What Happened at the Ontario Liberal AGM 52:03

8M ago52:03

52:03

Last month the Ontario Liberal Party held their AGM in London. Normally this isn't newsworthy, but this time a few items put it on our radar. Policy proposals to change the nature of the party's provincial council, limiting the number of Young Liberals on it, as well as potentially changing the leadership review process allowing current Leader Bonn…

1
905 Round-Up: We Call Out Doug Ford on his A-S-S 47:20

8M ago47:20

47:20

The last week has seen many out-of-touch comments on the part of Ontario's Premier, Doug Ford. A visit to Hamilton saw him brush off criticism of his failure of the housing file by stating that the plight of homeless encampments in 905 cities would be solved if those living there got off their quote 'A-S-S' and applied for jobs. The fallback positi…

1
Downtown Hamilton’s Future 59:11

8M ago59:11

59:11

It seems that downtown Hamilton has been under fire for the last few months. The federal tax court recently shut down citing gun violence. Tent encampments are a feature in city parks, and most recently the President of LiUNA made the outrageous claim that busloads of homeless people were being brought into the city to take advantage of services in…

1
Walking for Mental Health In Burlington 43:02

9M ago43:02

43:02

This week we’re talking to Melanie Walker, co-chair of “Walk to the Lighthouse” in Burlington, and social worker in Mental Health and Addiction Services at Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital, where she has worked for 22 years, in addition to her own private practice. In the previous decade Jo Brant hospital received a major expansion and renovation…

1
905 Round- Up: Ontario is Failing It's Children 46:21

9M ago46:21

46:21

Warning this episode deals with child abuse and endangerment We welcome back to the podcast Ajay Sharma for this episode. As we prepared to cover this episode several news items broke ground in Ontario that we felt could not be ignored. First was the Ontario PC government's plan to back out of the $ 10-a-day daycare funding formula for private dayc…

1
It's the End of Summer, Where are Bonnie and Marit? 52:19

9M ago52:19

52:19

It's the end of summer and Ontario and the 905 are returning to work and school. We thought it prudent to take a moment and look back on the summer that was. This summer, Doug Ford faced the first LCBO strike ever, suddenly shut down safe consumption sites across the province based on his gut feeling, and lost his Education Minister at the last min…

1
Will a San Francisco Start-Up Make EVs Cheaper in the 905? 39:01

9M ago39:01

39:01

We are back from vacation folks! After some needed time off Roland and Joel are back to talk shop and of course the first you do when getting back to work is...cleaning out the ol' email inbox. In the process, we discovered an interesting email from a San Francisco start-up Optiwatt. Optiwatt is partnering with The Atmospheric Fund here in Ontario …

1
905 Roundup - Is Downtown Hamilton Too Dangerous to Work? 49:31

10M ago49:31

49:31

A day late, but hopefully not a dollar short. Joel is away, and for technical reasons the upload is a little later than usual, but hopefully you'll forgive us. Standing in for Joel, we have a return visit from Ajay Sharma, professor in the political science department at the University of Guelph, and a contributor to the Toronto Star on recent poli…

1
905 Round-Up: Climate Change Doesn't Affect the 905 45:53

10M ago45:53

45:53

The news moves fast and people are moving on from the flooding in the 905 last week. However, those affected by the intense rainfalls still struggle to make themselves whole again. Joel's neighbourhood was one of the most intensely impacted by flooding, and thus he attended a neighbourhood meeting with his city councillor to discuss what came next.…

1
The 905 Flooding Is Only the Beginning 1:04:54

11M ago1:04:54

1:04:54

Last week the 905 saw flooding that overwhelmed many parts of its respective cities. Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga and Toronto saw an estimated $3.1 billion in damage to infrastructure and homes. This isn't an isolated incident either. In the last few years, the region and Canada have seen an increase in the frequency and severity of storms and…

1
What's Behind the LCBO Strike? 42:36

11M ago42:36

42:36

It looks like this is going to be a dry summer for Ontarians. Just as schools let out, the government's talks with LCBO Unionized employees broke down. All LCBO retail locations are closed for the summer, leaving only grocery and convenience stores available for Ontarios to purchase wine or beer. For the union, this is to ensure that LCBO locations…

1
We ask Emma McIntosh: Where are the plans for Highway 413? 48:21

11M ago48:21

48:21

The proposed Highway 413 is the Doug Ford government's landmark project. It has been promised for years by the Ontario PC, despite facing court battles and criticism from grassroots organizations and environmentalists. It has been heavily criticized for its effectiveness and the environmental impact it could have on habitats and farmland. Yet despi…

1
905 Round-Up - Doug Keeps Teasing Hamilton's LRT 55:54

11M ago55:54

55:54

Last week, Premier Ford visited Burlington's small business community. The purpose of which, of course, was to find clout with the small businesses. In the lead-up to a potential election? Who knows. During the visit, however, Premier Ford was asked about Hamilton's LRT project, and when it would begin construction. Ford reiterated his government's…

1
Ajay Sharma on the Raw Deal of Ontario's Cities 1:00:23

11M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

We planned on finishing our coverage of the Mississauga Mayor's By-Election with our episode last week. However, something crossed our path that we couldn't ignore. A column appeared in the Toronto Star, titled Good luck, Mississauga. With your new mayor, you’re going to need it. The column was written by Ajay Sharma, a university political science…

1
Nokha Dakroub on the Mississauga Mayor By-Election 42:00

12M ago42:00

42:00

When Bonnie Crombie stepped down as Mayor of Mississauga to be the Ontario Liberal Party leader, it triggered a by-election to replace her in the city's top seat. Twenty people put their names in the ring to run for Mississauga Mayor. Of those twenty, four rose to the top as contenders for the job. Dipika Damerla, Alvin Tedjo, Steve Dasko and Carol…

1
905 Round-Up: Doug Shuffles Cabinet then Takes a Break 1:06:10

12M ago1:06:10

1:06:10

It's a good old-fashioned 905 Round Up! The Ontario government is on break now until October. However, Doug Ford shuffled his cabinet before he let out the Ontario Legislature. It's not anything incredibly noteworthy in our opinion. However, one raised our attention, and we thought threw fuel on the rumours from last week of an early election in On…

1
Sabrina Nanji Talks Early Ontario Election Rumours 46:10

1y ago46:10

46:10

Rumours are circulating in Queen's Park of Doug Ford's interest in an early election for Ontario. Polls show he is riding high, possibly earning another majority for the Ontario PC party. He just won two by-elections in Milton and Lambton Kent Middlesex. He is moving ahead on the construction of the new Highway 413 in the 905 and is currently annou…

1
Is the 905 Pushing Back Against More Housing? 54:00

1y ago54:00

54:00

A couple of stories caught our eye the previous week. In Newmarket, the town council heard pushback from the community over a proposed 9-story condo project, over concerns that a Tim Horton's drive-thru down the road could face increased times at the window. In Oakville, the Town Council received a harsh letter from Federal Liberal Housing Minister…

1
Are Loblaws Days Numbered? 44:58

1y ago44:58

44:58

Times are tough these days. It's getting harder and harder to make ends meet. Rent, mortgage, and gas are increasing, outpacing real wages and salaries for the average Canadian. Most noticeable to Canadians coast to coast is the price of food. It's harder and harder to stretch your dollar when feeding your family these days after stepping foot in a…

1
Pam Damoff Talks Civility in Politics 37:36

1y ago37:36

37:36

At the beginning of May, Pam Damoff, the Liberal MP for Oakville - North Burlington announced that she would be retiring from federal politics at the end of this term. She would not be seeking re-election. Her reasoning was a common refrain from female politicians across all party lines. The misogynistic and violent threats to her personhood and fa…

1
Milton Votes Tory, So We all Get the Highway 413 42:19

1y ago42:19

42:19

Well, the Milton By-Election has come and gone. The people of Milton handily supported Zee Hamid and the Ontario PC’s to represent them in the Ontario Legislature until the next general election. During the by-election, Doug Ford gave special attention to the riding. In the last week of the campaign, Doug Ford made a point to reiterate that the con…