Open Minds with Christopher Balkaran | Podcast Guru

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Imagine if you could explore, with genuine curiosity, the most controversial and divisive topics of our time. The conversations would push you to explore new areas and uncover insightful ‘a-ha’ moments that pique your interest. These talks could help answer the questions you may have, like: why would anyone support capital punishment? Or, what are the pros and cons to tobacco control, or public healthcare, or legalizing sex work? I’m Christopher, and I have created engaging Podcast discussions since 2018 to do exactly this. I invite guests involved in these areas to share with me their opinions. My hope is that through this natural exploration, I can craft a Podcast experience that attempts to build bridges during a time when we need it the most. Join me as I attempt to uncover these issues with true, genuine curiosity.

Recent Episodes

#238: MAiD in Canada: Are We Protecting the Vulnerable, Or Failing Them? | Dr. Ramona Coelho

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Open Minds Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Ramona Coelho to examine one of the most consequential public policies in modern Canada: Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Canada now reports that approximately 5% of all deaths occur through MAiD. Track Two cases, those not at end of life, continue to raise questions about disability, capacity assessments, oversight, and whether psychosocial suffering is being treated as irremediable. Dr. Coelho serves on Ont...

54 MIN

#237: Unpacking MAiD in Ontario with Chief Coroner Dr. Dirk Huyer

Send us Fan Mail I sit down with Dr. Dirk Huyer, Ontario’s Chief Coroner, to explore the evolving complexities behind Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada. As the chair of the province’s MAiD Death Review Committee (MDRC), Dr. Huyer offers a rare and in-depth perspective on what the data really shows, how legislation is being interpreted in practice, and whether concerns over coercion or systemic failure hold weight. MAiD Death Review Committee Reports https://arpacanada.ca/ontario-ma...

45 MIN

#236: Dr. Salim Mansur: Multiculturalism or Identity Crisis?

Send us Fan Mail I sit down with Dr. Salim Mansur, professor emeritus and political scientist, to explore the untold story behind Canada’s multiculturalism policy. Dr. Mansur pulls back the curtain on the political, philosophical, and constitutional roots of multiculturalism in Canada—revealing how a once well-intentioned idea may now be weakening liberal democracy and national cohesion. From the War Measures Act to the Emergencies Act, and from Pierre Trudeau’s grand vision to Justin Trudeau...

57 MIN

#235: Peter Copeland, Canada’s Border Blindspots - Fentanyl and the Myth of Security

Send us Fan Mail I’m joined by Peter Copeland, Deputy Director of Domestic Policy at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, to unpack the truths and myths around Canada’s border security. From fentanyl trafficking and human smuggling to legal blind spots and our fractured jurisdictional model, Peter offers a research-backed, nonpartisan perspective on the known unknowns we face. What can Canada learn from its allies? Why are our legal frameworks outdated? And is our public safety strategy more reac...

42 MIN

#234: Professor Paul Robinson (pt 2) - Proxy, Peace, or Prolonged Pain?

Send us Fan Mail I sit down once again with Professor Paul Robinson to continue our exploration of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war. We dive into the uncomfortable questions rarely addressed in mainstream media: Have Western sanctions actually worked? Why does media silence dissent within Ukraine? And is Canada’s role sustainable—or even justified—in a war with no clear end? From examining the economic reality of sanctions and shadow fleets to questioning the strategic silence on Ukraine’s demo...

59 MIN