Elbows Up

• A Canada Day tour of our country's hidden gems

  This summer, given ... everything going on down there, Canadians are more interested in exploring their own backyard than traveling to the United States. And since we've spent four months exploring everything about this country we need to fix, we wanted to spend Canada Day looking around at everything we don't. No matter where you live, this episode will give you some incredible ideas for your next getaway.Bestselling author Robin Esrock (The Great Canadian Bucket List) takes us on a tour from coast to coast to coast, starting in the North, then moving from West to East. There are so many beautiful, meaningful, fun and just plain weird places in this country that we thought we'd try to celebrate them all. Later, Esrock shares travel tips for everyone from those with the money for a cross-country train ride to those who need to stick closer to home, and their budget.After that, Jordan, Laura and Mat share the podcast's plan for this summer and beyond. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: [email protected].

  --------  

  30:15

  --------

  30:15
• How to get totally fact up

  One of the biggest problems Canadians face—that anyone faces—is the onslaught of misinformation online. Plenty of studies, including a new Reuters News survey, have shown that social media has passed traditional media as the go-to source of news for most Americans and plenty of Canadians. So we can talk about it all day, but what are we doing about it?Canadian journalist Kevin Newman—who has also anchored American news broadcasts—is one of the leads behind a new venture called Get Fact, a non-partisan coalition of volunteers that applies traditional fact-checking principles to AI tools, to offer news consumers a way to determine the veracity of what they're seeing in their feeds, or anywhere else. Jordan and Kevin discuss the state of journalism, the problem of misinformation and disinformation and what we can do beyond simply lamenting a past that's never coming back. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: [email protected].

  --------  

  39:14

  --------

  39:14
• Going to the US? Here's what you need to know.

  Millions of Canadians are voting with their feet, and their wallets, refusing to travel to the United States this summer—or even cancelling plans they've already made. But not everyone has that luxury. Some travel may not come with cancellation options. Some Canadians need to travel south, for work or to grow their business. And others may have family across the border they need to see. Some of those might even be dual citizens, wondering when they can go home again.Between tariffs and the threat of immigration officials—one arm of which has inspired a week-long protest in Los Angeles, which the Canadian government has advised travellers to stay far away from—the prospect of crossing the border can be daunting. In this episode, Jordan and Laura discuss what, if anything, it would take to get them heading through customs, then Jordan speaks to Canadian immigration lawyer Cindy Switzer, who works with MKS Immigration Lawyers and is the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Immigration Law Section, on what you need to consider if you have to—or want to—make the trip. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: [email protected].

  --------  

  29:57

  --------

  29:57
• As the G7 looms, the worst tariff impacts are yet to come

  It's been a few months now since the United States placed the first in an ever-changing series of tariffs on Canadian products. And our economy, so far is doing ... alright? Not great, of course, but Canada has not yet been plunged into a recession. Does that showcase our resilience? Might we not suffer as much as originally thought? That's still to be determined.The next couple of months will tell us a great deal about the impact of Trump's tariffs, and meanwhile the American president himself is coming to Canada next week for a G7 meeting. With that milestone approaching, and new economic data on the horizon, Jordan speaks to Jim Standford, an economist and the Director the the Centre for Future Work, to get a sense of what we might see over the next few months, how we can prepare for it, and what the Canadian government should hope to achieve at the G7—in spite of the presence of Donald Trump. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: [email protected].

  --------  

  44:10

  --------

  44:10
• A new government, more defence spending and ... a Golden Dome?!

  Canada's new defence minister has promised an effort unseen since World War II to replenish and revitalize our military. How serious is he? Canada has a history of talking about improving its defence but doing very little to make it happen. Is this time different?After Jordan and Laura wonder why we're even pretending to entertain President Trump's latest and greatest attempt to add 'gold' to something, Jordan interviews Stephen Saidman a Carleton University Political Scientist in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and Director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network, about what this new government needs to do to change the narrative around Canada's military. How do we meaningfully increase our capacity, in terms of equipment and actual boots on the ground. And, yeah, we ask him to explain the Golden Dome, too.All that, and listener feedback, too! Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: [email protected].

  --------  

  44:32

  --------

  44:32

More Education podcasts

Trending Education podcasts

About Elbows Up