Weekend Listen: You don't have to ditch the cold to thrive in the winter

Canada has been lockstep with the U-S when it comes to trade policy with China for years.Last week, that changed. PM Mark Carney’s new tariff deal with China will allow 49,000 Chinese EVs into the country every year for three years at a dramatically-slashed tariff of only 6.1 per cent—in exchange for a reduced tariff on canola seeds, lobster, crab and other agricultural products exported to China.It’s a deal that’s earning praise from the prairies but disdain in Ontario.Host Cristina Howorun sits down with Flavio Volpe, President of the Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association and one of the architects of CUSMA, to discuss the implications this deal could have on the EV market, the 90,000 jobs in the auto sector and tariff and trade negotiations with the States. 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 third Monday of January has often been called "Blue Monday" - but the winter blues aren't just limited to one day of the year.Canadians like to pride ourselves on how we brave the cold months, but we may have a lot to learn from how Scandinavian countries approach things.Host Kaitlin Lee speaks to Kari Leibowitz, psychologist and author of How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, Or Difficult Days about how to embrace the season, instead of just staying in survival mode. 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

Enjoy this special feed drop of our sister show, In This Economy?!The headlines just two weeks into 2026 haven't fallen short of anything abysmal, especially centered around the happenings of US President Donald Trump. And although geopolitical uncertainty usually doesn't help the markets, Canadian stocks have continued to see record highs.Host Mike Eppel speaks to Andrew Pyle, senior investment advisor and senior portfolio manager at CIBC Wood Gundy to discuss the dos and don'ts of investing during volatile times. 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

More than 12,000 people have reportedly been killed over the past several weeks of anti-government protests across Iran - including one Canadian, according to Foreign Affairs.Meantime, US President trump has vowed to take action against the Iranian regimes if the death and corruption continues amid the protests.Host Mark Day speaks to Maral Karimi, professor at Toronto Metropolitan University and author of The Iranian Green Movement of 2009: Reverberating Echoes of Resistance. The two discuss Iran's complex socio-political history, the power of women-led protest, and the potential danger amid US intervention in Iran. 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

AI-generated sexualized images of women and children started appearing across X beginning late 2025. These images, created by user prompts on the Grok AI tool, showed women and children in various stages of undress and sexualized poses. Some reports claiming minors appeared in transparent bathing suits.Governments in Europe and South America promised full investigations. Malaysia and Indonesia banned the use of Grok. Meanwhile, the Canadian government has made it clear it won’t ban X, while pointing towards proposed amendments to Bill C-16 in hopes of safeguarding Canadians - but critics say, its not enough.Host Cristina Howorun speaks to technology author and self-described Muskologist Paris Marx to discuss Elon Musk's apparent tolerance of cyber sexual harassment in the name of profit, and what steps the Canadian government should take to better protect Canadians. 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

In 2016, the Canadian federal government recognized the opioid crisis as a public health emergency, yet 10 years later, thousands of Canadians die from opioid toxicity every year.Health Canada committed $17 million to research projects and harm reduction initiatives aimed at substance use prevention in late 2025, but one problem that's hard to put a dollar figure on to fix is stigmatization and stereotypes surrounding safe consumption sites - which Ontario closed nine of last year.Host Maria Kestane speaks to Dimitra Panagiotoglou, the Canada Research Chair in the Economics of Harm Reduction and associate professor at McGill, to discuss her recent study on the relationship between crime associated with supervised consumption sites, and how Canadians can approach nuanced conversations surrounding substance use. 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 Alberta separatism movement isn’t new, but this most recent resurgence seems a little more potent. That's in part because of the passage of Alberta’s Bill 14, which has made it arguably easier for citizen-led initiatives to end up on referendum ballots.And the question of Alberta sovereignty is likely to end up on a ballot by the end of the year. The Alberta Prosperity Project got the green light from Elections Alberta for its question,' Do you agree that Alberta should cease to be a part of Canada to become an independent state?' in December 2025. The group now about four months to gather about 177,000 signatures to its petition.Host Cristina Howorun speaks with Dr. Barry Cooper, a political scientist with the University of Calgary and a long-time proponent of Alberta independence about why some Albertans want to secede from Canada, what happens next and how Ottawa can put some of those concerns to rest. 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

What were once mildly-concerning threats against the sovereignty of Greenland, have now come into clear focus in the aftermath of Nicolas Maduro's arrest.US President Donald Trump openly admitted he's governed by his own morality rather than international law, sending shockwaves around the world in fear of the future of NATO.Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Stephen Maher, author and journalist, to discuss the uphill battle the world stands against Trump's geopolitical ambitions, and what position Canada should be taking amid renewed annexation threats. 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

2025 was no walk in the park for investors, homeowners, or the ordinary Canadian alike on the economic front, and a little over a week into 2026, and it seems like this year isn't looking any better.Host Mike Eppel speaks to James McCann, Senior Economist at Edward Jones to discuss what Canadians can expect from ongoing trade talks between Canada and the US, how the arrest of Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, will affect Canada's oil sector, and potential interest decisions from the Bank 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

It's been quite the start to 2026, from the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, to further peacekeeping efforts for Ukraine in France. And although Prime Minister Mark Carney has been trying to keep up with the chaos, Canadians can't help but feel anxious about the future of our sovereignty, safety, and international relations. Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks to Glen McGregor, political correspondent for CityNews, to discuss Carney's handling of US President Trump's aggressive pursuit of Greenland, the potential ramifications to Canada's oil sector in the aftermath of the events in Venezuela, and the significance of Carney's upcoming trip to China. 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