Digging into the future of Canada's maple syrup industry

In his first federal budget as Prime Minister, Mark Carney has his eyes on changing the country for generations to come, rather than making moves to satisfy the here and now.Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne tabled the 2025 budget on Tuesday, which included a $78.3B deficit, among cuts and investments to strengthen an independent economy with a focus on businesses and capital investments., rather than slashing the deficit.Time will tell, though, if Carney's 406-page plan will get the support of the opposition parties, or fall short of approval resulting in a federal election.Host Mike Eppel speaks to Ian Lee, associate professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, to break down the 2025 federal budget: what it means for everyday Canadians, what it means for our relationship with the U.S., and what it means for the future of Canada. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

This week last year, Americans made the choice of bringing Donald Trump back into the White House, electing him as the 47th President of the United States. While Trump knew what he had his eyes on, it's hard to say the rest of world adequately braced for impact.Under the guise of prioritizing the American economy, Trump came out swinging at several targets, including Democrats, Canada, undocumented migrants, and anyone who spoke against him - just to name a few.His $250M White House renovation project is just the latest agenda item for the administration, as architectural renders of a gold-filled ballroom capture the attention of the world, while the government he runs heads into its second month of lights out and unsigned pay cheques. Not to mention the tens of millions of SNAP recipients who must now look elsewhere to find their next meal.Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Rob Goodman, associate professor in the department of political and public administration at Toronto Metropolitan University to reflect on the year it's been with Trump, and what the last 364 days could mean for the next 1096 to come. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

The annual Hunger Count report has been released, and the startling numbers have set yet another record.In fact, the number of people using food banks to fill the fridge has doubled since 2019. The struggles of many Canadians to handle the cost of living crisis has led to calls for the federal government to take action.Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with Kirstin Beardsley, CEO of Food Banks Canada about the report, the troubling trends, and what she wants to see from the Carney government. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Nothing beats a good cup of coffee, but nothing also beats a good night's sleep. With the switch back to standard time right around the corner, our bodies will once again feel the disorientation of the 1 hour shift. The sun will rise and set earlier, and maybe it's time we move with the light instead of trying to ignore nature's clock. Host Maria Kestane speaks to Dr. Elizabeth Klerman, a professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. They break down the dos and don'ts of sleep, how to take advantage of the time change to catch some extra zzz's, and how it's important to actually listen to your body when it's telling you something. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

The Governor of the Bank of Canada, Tiff Macklem, announced the fourth policy interest rate cut this year, down by a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25%, signaling a steadiness in inflation, while simultaneously warning of a weakening economy. It comes in the midst of a volatile U.S.-Canada trade war, and ahead of a later-than-usual federal budget, with a projected deficit of close to $70 billion. Host Mike Eppel speaks to Barry Schwartz, President and Chief Investment Officer at Baskin Wealth to get a pulse check of the Canadian economy ahead of the upcoming November 4th federal budget. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

It was a quick post-and-delete from the Ontario government, after Premier Ford's $75M anti-tariff commercial broadcasted on American televisions, pissed off President Trump, and received some harsh penalties in return. Trump said the content in the ad was fake, and went as far as suspending all trade negotiations with Canada as a result. A few days later, it seemed a new fury arose from the White House, with Trump slapping an additional 10% tariff on Canadian goods for not taking the commercial down fast enough.Trade negotiations have been going on for months, but after Prime Minister Carney returned from two U.S. trips with no trade deal, Canadian leaders seem to be having a hard time sitting on their hands in the meantime. Host Richard Southern speaks to John Wright, CEO of Canada Pulse Insights, to discuss the fallout of the premier's move, and what Carney needs to do to make sure all of Canada remains on the same page on the fight against Trump. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Alternative medicine is nothing new.Although it can be risky and sometimes harmful, people with chronic pain or debilitating health complications are usually open to seeing what other treatment options can ease their pain - even if it's illegal and very much inaccessible. A recent North American study found that one supervised dose of lysergic acid diethylamide or LSD - commonly known as acid - eased anxiety symptoms for several months. But the research on psychedelics being used to treat mental health issues is still very much in its premature phase, with nothing conclusive or substantial enough to enact changes from Health Canada.Host Maria Kestane speaks to Dr. Roger McIntyre, professor of psychiatry, and professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto to discuss the potential that psychedelics hold in the future of health and wellness, and whether or not it's suitable for everyone. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Getaway motorbikes, 7 minutes, and a crane positioned to an open balcony of the Louvre. The scene of a carefully orchestrated jewellery heist at the world's most famous museum in France, after a group of thieves stole about $143 million Cdn worth of crown jewels and fled the scene.A pair of suspects have since been arrested, one of them at the Charles de Gaulle Airport as he prepared to allegedly board a flight to Algeria. But millions of dollars worth of France's history, and more suspects remain nowhere to be found, with the country now grappling with an internal blame game.Host Richard Southern speaks to Anthony Amore, an art theft expert and Director of Security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston to discuss the Hollywood-like heist, and how museums across the world could use the carefully calculated ransack to improve how they protect their valuables. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Gold is having a moment - trading above $4,000 just a few months after hitting $3,000.It's up by more than 50%t this year, on track for its best year since 1979. And volatility seems to be ticking higher too.Gold has long been viewed as a safe haven in times of uncertainty - and let's face it, there's a lot of that right now. But could that role be changing, and does crypto currency become a factor in it all?Host Kris McCusker speaks to Luis Seco - a professor in mathematics at the University of Toronto to get his take on what's happening, and whether it’s too late to invest. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

No one likes checking their credit score and seeing a hit to the rating - even the Canadian government.Credit rating agencies are bracing for the upcoming November 4th federal budget, and with a lack of fiscal updates since the last federal budget under the Trudeau government, economists aren't quite sure what they should expect when it comes to the deficit.So just how deep could the red ink run? And will the minority federal government receive the backing from any of the opposition parties to get it passed through the House?Host Mike Eppel speaks to Randall Bartlett, Deputy Chief Economist at Desjardins to discuss what former-banker-turned-Prime Minister, Mark Carney, has up his sleeve for the upcoming budget, and what he plans to do about a potentially ominously large deficit. We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:Through email at [email protected] Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter