Best Devin Blackburn Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 391: Friday Round Table with Devin Munro, Carol Dyck and Jeremy McCall 45:18

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1d ago45:18

45:18

Is downtown getting more safe? Do we need bail reform? How should LTC be managed? Should 16-year-olds be able to vote in Canada? Those questions and more on this week's Friday Round Table, as Craig is joined by political insider Devin Munro, former Green Party candidate Carol Dyck and community builder Jeremy McCall. The Craig Needles Podcast is br…

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Episode 390: Chief Thai Truong On Bail Reform, Downtown Safety 18:31

3d ago18:31

18:31

Do we need bail reform? How is the legal system's backlog impacting London? Police Chief Thai Truong joins Craig on the podcast to discuss changes he'd like to see in the legal system, safety in London and more. The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.…

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Episode 389: Goodbye London! 29:01

4d ago29:01

29:01

Planning expert and regular podcast guest Dr. A.J. Wray is leaving London to take a job teaching at the University of Tennessee. So, as he waves goodbye, Craig invited him on the podcast for some thoughts on where the city is, what the future might hold, and areas London needs to improve. The Craig Needles Podcast is presented by Downtown London an…

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4.5 Transformational performance management, with David Liddle 44:40

6d ago44:40

44:40

As HR professionals face ever-increasing scrutiny for delivering high performance in the age of AI, it’s never been more important to talk about shaking up performance management. And who better to discuss this topic than David Liddle, CEO of the global consultancy TCM Group and founder of the People and Culture Association?! This episode was recor…

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Episode 388: Friday Round Table With Shawn Lewis, Kelly Elliott and Scott Kitching 46:40

9d ago46:40

46:40

An unbelievable pair of lawsuits has been filed by London Health Sciences Centre. They allege several former executives and co-conspirators aligned to steal tens of millions of dollars via faulty contracts and a corrupt bidding process. Meantime, they say former CEO Jackie Schleifer-Taylor - among others - was altered to the scheme multiple times a…

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Episode 387: Community orgs needing, getting help 30:27

12d ago30:27

30:27

Craig is back from vacation and rather than getting back at it by talking about scandal, he wanted to focus on London organizations trying to help the community. First, Lisa McIntosh, the interim executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters London and Area joins the podcast to talk about what their organization does, the importance they have in t…

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Episode 386: Friday Round Table with Cheryl Miller, Ryan Gauss and Scott Collyer 44:18

23d ago44:18

44:18

Craig is joined by a panel of former city councillor Cheryl Miller along with political insiders Ryan Gauss and Scott Collyer. They breakdown the way London's council is structured. Should it be fulltime? Should we elect a Deputy Mayor in a city-wide election? Cheryl may have some Board of Control takes to share. Then, the province is taking over a…

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Episode 385: Get used to these heatwaves 25:05

26d ago25:05

25:05

On another 30+ degree day in London, Craig wondered - is this just going to be what the month of June is like from now on? Nobel Prize winning climatologist Dr. Gordon McBean from Western University and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction joined Craig on the podcast to talk about where our climate is going, what policy makers should be do…

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Episode 384: Friday Round Table with Steve Lehman, Shawna Lewkowitz and Chris Moss 50:15

30d ago50:15

50:15

Is the London Police open air drug strategy working? They - once again - are showing off a report saying that it is. Craig and the panel break it down on this week's Friday Round Table, as he's joined by Ward 8 councillor Steve Lehman, former federal NDP candidate Shawna Lewkowitz and London Cares Executive Director Chris Moss. Later on, the panel …

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Episode 383: How Unity Project Navigates the Homelessness Crisis 33:15

1M ago33:15

33:15

After last week's blow up at city hall, Unity Project Executive Director Chuck Lazenby joins Craig to talk about the homelessness crisis, what's happening in the community, the next steps for the organization and more. The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.…

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Episode 382: Friday Round Table with Jared Zaifman and Mojdeh Azad 45:04

1M ago45:04

45:04

The London tax increase seems like it'll get under 5% - a win for council or will there be fallout for services? Craig is joined in the studio by London Home Builder's Association CEO Jared Zaifman and organizational consultant to breakdown that story, plus turning city-owned parking lots into housing and some concerning job trends on this edition …

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Episode 381: Susan Stevenson motion draws ire from agencies, colleagues 43:00

1M ago43:00

43:00

Ward 4 councillor Susan Stevenson is back in the news - this time because of a motion perceived by some to have questioned the integrity of some local social service providers. Stevenson says that is not the case, and joined Craig on the podcast to explain why she wanted to see some agreements the city completed with Unity Project, London Cares and…

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Episode 380: Friday Round Table with Frances Moore, Carol Dyck and Sara Mai Chitty 49:36

1M ago49:36

49:36

The Ford government's highly controversial Bill 5 was the big Ontario political story this week, so Craig is joined by advocate Frances Moore, former Green Party candidate Carol Dyck and first time round tabler Sara Mai Chitty to break it all down. Why is the bill so controversial? Why are Indigenous communities, especially, so concerned by it? And…

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Episode 379: Dramatic Hockey Canada trial is almost over 21:04

2M ago21:04

21:04

Seven years of legal twists and turns could soon come to an end for former NHLers Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote. The final legal arguments in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case are being presented next week. Craig is joined by defense lawyer Alison Craig on the podcast to talk about the case, the vario…

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Episode 378: London Music Week! 17:06

2M ago17:06

17:06

It's London Music Week! Craig is joined by Mario Circelli to talk about everything happening from June 1st-8th, the music scene in London, how we can make it better and lots more. The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.By Blackburn Media

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HR Focus (5): How to align wellbeing and ESG strategy 36:53

2M ago36:53

36:53

As the health of our natural environment declines, employers are under increasing pressure to look after the health and wellbeing of employees, and to take meaningful actions, rather than greenwashing – paying lip service to environmental commitments. To help HR professionals align these priorities, we gathered insights from two leaders of the heal…

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Episode 377: Friday Round Table with Kelly Elliott, Mojdeh Azad and Jeremy McCall 51:20

2M ago51:20

51:20

The fallout continues at the Thames Valley District School Board, as another executive has resigned in the wake of major financial scandal. What's next for the board? Will we ever have trustees again? How did this happen? Craig is joined by a panel of former Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott, organizational consultant and activist Mojdeh Aza…

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Episode 376: Executives, trustees failed TVDSB students 44:17

2M ago44:17

44:17

The TVDSB audit is out, and the results are bad. Unauthorized promotions, random COVID payouts, questionable executive decisions - all that and more on the list of things that shouldn't have happened at the school board. Craig's question: Why are some people letting the trustees off the hook here? Shouldn't they be accountable for the actions of no…

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Episode 375: Friday Round Table with Frances Moore, Matthew Newton-Reid and Devin Munro 41:21

2M ago41:21

41:21

We know where that $60-million surplus the City of London has is going - sort of. Some councillors may still try to see some of the cash get to community groups. Should it? Meantime, London politicians and police are extolling the virtues of month one of their open air drug use crackdown. Is it actually working? Also, week one of the new Carney gov…

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Episode 374: The future of TVDSB with Cheryl Miller 33:26

2M ago33:26

33:26

Former London City Councillor and Thames Valley District School Board Trustee Cheryl Miller joins Craig to talk about the future of the board now that trustees have essentially been fired by the province. How did this happen? Did the province make the right choice? Those questions and more, plus Cheryl shares thoughts on council compensation and th…

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HR Focus (4): Leadership success secrets from Admiral 29:47

2M ago29:47

29:47

In the latest episode of our HR Focus podcast, our editor speaks to Lorna Connelly, Admiral’s UK director of people, to find out the secrets to success of this 25-year incumbent on the UK’s Best Workplace list. The financial services company Admiral is a recognised champion of great leadership and exceptional workplace culture. For each of the last…

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Episode 373: Shawn Lewis on Council Workload, London Transit and TVDSB 45:28

2M ago45:28

45:28

It's been another whirlwind news week in London. Councillors anonymously sniping at each other (via survey), London transit busses are late (surprise) and we still don't really know what's happening with the Thames Valley District School Board after the province essentially turfed the trustees. London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis joined Craig on the po…

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Episode 372: Over 100 Supportive Housing units coming to London 24:29

2M ago24:29

24:29

A huge announcement from Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services - as they're creating 115 new highly supportive housing apartments thanks to a big investment from the Health and Homelessness Fund for Change. The units won't be online until fall 2026 (in SoHo) and winter 2027 (on Huron Street) but Mayor…

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Episode 371: Friday Round Table With Carol Dyck, Ryan Gauss and Nathan Caranci 59:02

3M ago59:02

59:02

The Liberals are back in government! What's next for Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party? What about the NDP? Will the party survive? Those election questions and more with former Green Party candidate Carol Dyck and political insiders Ryan Gauss and Nathan Caranci. The panel then discusses the latest surrounding that City of London $60-mil…

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Episode 370: Election Fallout with Andrew Lawton 25:01

3M ago25:01

25:01

We had an election! Interesting stuff happened! The Liberals won a minority - which was nearly a majority - and the Conservatives had a big night in London, while the NDP had a total disaster evening. Craig is joined in the studio by the MP-elect for Elgin-St. Thomas-London South Andrew Lawton to talk about the results of the race, what sort of MP …

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Episode 369: Friday Round Table with Jennifer Dunn, Jeremy McCall and Mojdeh Cox 48:15

3M ago48:15

48:15

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined by London Abused Women's Centre Executive Director Jennifer Dunn, former council candidate Jeremy McCall and organizational consultant Mojdeh Cox. The panel touches on the final days of the federal election and then gets into that $60-million surplus that the City of London has and where the money …

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Episode 368: Steve Cordes retiring from Y.O.U. 26:06

3M ago26:06

26:06

One of the longest serving leaders in London's non-profit sector is stepping away. Steve Cordes, the the executive director of Youth Opportunities Unlimited, says he'll be leaving the role in August after more than 40 years with the organization. Craig and Steve talk about his time with Y.O.U., how the organization has grown, key success stories an…

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Episode 367: Friday Round Table with Elizabeth Peloza, John Fyfe-Millar and Steve Holland 41:42

3M ago41:42

41:42

An election, an explosion and the future of London's downtown. Three big issues on this week's Friday Round Table and Craig is joined in the studio by City of London budget chair Elizabeth Peloza, former city councillor John Fyfe-Millar and CUPE Local 101 President Steve Holland to talk about them. First, the Conservatives are talking about not bel…

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Episode 366: Will a Signal chat derail Andrew Lawton's campaign? 29:55

3M ago29:55

29:55

Craig's former colleague Andrew Lawton is back in the news - this time, after PressProgress uncovered he was involved in a Signal chat with leaders of the convoy protest that shutdown Ottawa in 2021. He's the Conservative candidate in Elgin-St. Thomas-London South, and the story - along with others from Andrew's history in media - have been much di…

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Episode 365: What's happening with the NDP? 21:55

3M ago21:55

21:55

The NDP has struggled to break though during this campaign - with some polling aggregators saying they may have less than ten seats in the new parliament. London-Fanshawe candidate Lindsay Mathyssen, who is projected to be one of those NDP MP's, joined Craig on the podcast to talk about the race, what she's hearing at the doors, how the party can b…

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Episode 364: Friday Round Table with Jeff Preston and Jared Zaifman 49:33

4M ago49:33

49:33

LTC is officially in council's hands, we have a new plan for battling London's homelessness crisis (again) and the Liberals seem to be in control of the federal election. Advocate Dr. Jeff Preston and London Home Builders Association CEO Jared Zaifman joined Craig in the studio to break it all down. What will the future of London Transit be? Can co…

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Episode 363: Talking Housing and Election with Mike Moffatt 28:31

4M ago28:31

28:31

Turns out housing is still a problem! The election is about Donald Trump, but let's talk about housing, too. Economist Mike Moffatt of the Missing Middle Initiative and the Smart Prosperity Institute joins Craig on the podcast to discuss the various platforms - plus some new data on housing in London and elsewhere in southern Ontario. The Craig Nee…

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4.4 Inclusion is the answer to everything, with Aggie Mutuma 39:53

4M ago39:53

39:53

Of all the components in the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) umbrella, inclusion is rapidly gaining a prominence of its own. But why favour one above the rest? And why are people so excited about inclusion's potential for business? To answer these questions, we invited Aggie Mutuma, CEO and lead consulting director of Mahogany Inc…

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Episode 362: What's the future of London Transit? 48:31

4M ago48:31

48:31

Some councillors want to axe the London Transit Commission - at least the portion of it that involve people from the community as commissioners. Sheryl Rooth - one of the current members of the commission, joined Craig in the studio to talk about the last week of transit talks and her hopes for the future of LTC. Why dissolve the commission now? Wh…

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Episode 361: Friday Round Table with Cheryl Miller, AJ Wray and Nathan Caranci 1:09:32

4M ago1:09:32

1:09:32

A busy week! A city hall, they dealt with issues like disbanding the London Transit Commission, widening Wonderland Road (again?) and the ring road conversation make a return! Oh, and they may fire the integrity commissioner. Craig breaks it all down with former city councillor Cheryl Miller, planning expert Dr. A.J. Wray and political insider Nath…

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Episode 360: Bridging the gap in the homelessness crisis 49:51

4M ago49:51

49:51

There's been a lot of conversation and arguments about London's homelessness crisis - both at and away from city hall. But, is there common ground between the city and service providers? How should we move forward? London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis Ark Aid Street Mission Executive Director Sarah Campbell joined Craig in the studio for an in-depth con…

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Episode 359: Friday Round Table with Jessie Rodger, Devin Munro and Jeremy McCall 45:18

4M ago45:18

45:18

We're gearing up for a federal election! Craig is joined in the studio by Anova executive Director Jessie Rodger, political insider Devin Munro and community builder Jeremy McCall. The panel discusses the upcoming vote, how everything appears to be going the Liberal's way right now, how that might change and more. Then, conversation about Mayor Jos…

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Episode 358: Can we still talk housing during a Trump-focused election? 23:16

4M ago23:16

23:16

Nate Erskine-Smith, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, stopped by the 700 Richmond studio to chat with Craig about his (relatively) new portfolio, how the political landscape has changed in Canada, how housing will be discussed in what will undoubtedly be a Trump-focused election and why voters should give the Liberals another…

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Episode 357: Friday Round Table with Scott Collyer, Shawna Lewkowitz and Carol Dyck 53:23

4M ago53:23

53:23

Well, it has been a week. Tariff talk, meetings in Washington, a new Prime Minister and more dominate the national news. Meantime in London, the turmoil at the Thames Valley District School Board seems to be getting worse and more executives have left the board or taken a leave of absence. Plus, London West MP Arielle Kayabaga is a cabinet minister…

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Episode 356: Talking to Americans 23:16

4M ago23:16

23:16

As the Trump tariff chaos rages on, some Canadian politicians are talking to their US counterparts about the economic damage both countries are suffering. Alysson Storey, a councillor in Chatham-Kent and a board member for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities joined Craig on the podcast where she talked about her trip to Washington - and talks…

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Episode 355: Karina Gould talks Trump, housing and more 21:15

4M ago21:15

21:15

As Canada goes through trade war turbulence, the Liberals are in a leadership race. Canada's next Prime Minister will be revealed Sunday and candidate Karina Gould joins Craig on the podcast to talk Trump, housing, affordability and more. The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.…

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Episode 354: Friday Round Table with Ryan Gauss, Mojdeh Cox and Matthew Newton-Reid 57:17

4M ago57:17

57:17

We cap off tariff week by breaking down the ever-changing news with political insider Ryan Gauss, organizational consultant and community activist Mojdeh Cox and lawyer Matthew Newton-Reid. They tackled the latest Trump craziness, the ongoing Liberal leadership race and then the latest changes at the Thames Valley District School Board - where form…

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Episode 353: Elbows up! 29:09

5M ago29:09

29:09

What is the government doing as Donald Trump tries to, in the Prime Minister's word, annex Canada? London North Centre MP Peter Fragiskatos joined Craig to talk about the latest from the Trump administration, the 30 day auto sector pause, the Liberal leadership race and more. The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Ga…

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Episode 352: Tariffs have arrived, what do we do? 22:34

5M ago22:34

22:34

After an illness-induced break, Craig is back and talking tariffs. The 25% tariff on Canadian goods entering the US has been imposed by Donald Trump - and Canada is striking back. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford have both held news conferences today, explaining their responses to the rump tariffs and reaffirming their co…

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Episode 351: The election issues that matter 22:30

5M ago22:30

22:30

What are candidates hearing about during the provincial campaign? Do voters even want to go to the polls on Thursday? London West NDP candidate Peggy Sattler joined Craig at the Covent Garden Market studio to talk about those issues and more as we close in on Thursday's election. The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Coven…

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Episode 350: Will Ontario voters show up? 23:51

5M ago23:51

23:51

As we get closer to election day in Ontario, Craig is joined on the podcast by Fanshawe College politics professor Matt Farrell to talk about the race, the key issues and whether Ontario voters will actually go to the polls in large numbers. Can we beak 40% voter turnout during a winter election? The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown Lon…

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Episode 349: Less than a week until election day 21:39

5M ago21:39

21:39

The provincial election is less than a week away! London North Centre Green party candidate Carol Dyck stopped by the studio to talk about the challenges of a winter campaign, what voters are saying at the door and more. The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.…

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Episode 348: Friday Round Table with Shawn Lewis, Cheryl Miller and Jeff Preston 1:03:40

5M ago1:03:40

1:03:40

Council changes direction on homelessness, Londoners can't afford rising rents and the provincial election continues - with Doug Ford in Washington. Craig is joined in the studio by London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis, former city councillor Cheryl Miller and advocate Dr. Jeff Preston joined Craig at the stuio to discs those stories and more. What's ne…

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Episode 347: Should Ontario voters be focused on healthcare? 19:51

5M ago19:51

19:51

Does the 2025 Ontario election even have a focus? Lots of talk about tariffs and 'protect Ontario', but we seem to be short of concrete policy so far - at least from the Progressive Conservatives. London Health Coalition co-founder Peter Bergmanis joined Craig on the podcast to talk about what the party leaders have been saying so far, what he want…

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Episode 346: Friday Round Table with Kelly Ziegner, Ryan Gauss and Scott Kitching 56:04

5M ago56:04

56:04

The provincial election rolls on and Canada's next Prime Minister may have visited London this week - plus, are people sad about living in the Forest City? Craig is joined by a panel of United Way Elgin-Middlesex CEO Kelly Ziegner, political insider Ryan Gauss and Blackburn Media News Manager Scott Kitching to discuss those stories and more on this…