The Big Story

Owning a small or medium sized business is never easy, and this year, it's been even more challenging. The small business sector is the country's largest employer and they're facing a ton of uncertainty from tariffs and the threat of higher inflation and a potential recession. Host Mike Eppel talks to Simon Gauldeault, Chief Economist and VP of Research for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business to get his take.

Enjoy this special feed drop of Bite Back with Abbey Sharp. In today’s episode of Bite Back with Abbey Sharp, I am chatting with Associate Professor Dr Emily Contois about the intersection between diet culture and wellness culture online to the “manosphere”, “red piller” and “incel” communities. Emily & I discuss how young men are finding their way into these toxic masculinity spaces from diet and fitness tips, and how to help prevent our kids from falling into these dangerous online communities. https://bite-back-with-abbey-sharp.simplecast.com/episodes/the-shocking-pipeline-to-the-red-pill-manosphere-from-health-nutrition-content-online-with-dr-emily-contois

The federal election....from the "fringe". Most voters are familiar with the major national parties running in this election, such as the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP, & Greens. But there are actually 16 registered political parties looking for your vote. Some of them are known as fringe parties, while others are upstarts, hoping to make an impact down the road. Today on The Big Story, we're shining a light on some of the lesser known parties in this campaign, and letting them have their voice heard as the country goes through the democratic process. Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with the Leaders of the Animal Protection Party, the Canadian Future Party, the Communist Party, and the Marijuana Party.

Elections Canada saw a record-breaking 2 million people cast their ballot on the first day of advanced voting for the federal election, resulting in a grand total of more than 7.3 million over the four day period. And as Canada enters the final stretch of campaigning in one of the most critical elections of our time, what can these preliminary numbers tell us about what's to come? Which party could benefit the most from those who vote early? And will we see this sort of momentum on April 28? Host Maria Kestane talks to John Beebe, Founder and Director of the Democratic Engagement Exchange for Toronto Metropolitan University about whose voice will be heard the most among these numbers and what it means for the future of Canada's civic engagement.

Pope Francis has passed away at the age of 88, leaving behind a legacy of breaking ground in the vatican and his attempts to modernize the Catholic church. Francis also left a lasting impact on Canada, with a 2022 trip to apologize for the church's role in the residential school system. Host Cormac Mac Sweeney speaks with Emma Anderson, a professor of religious studies at the University of Ottawa, about the tenure of Francis, what comes next in the process to pick a new pope, and could a Canadian be in the running?