))
«Viewpoints» is the latest podcast and news magazine produced by the Community Radio Fund of Canada. It provides an overview of what’s happening across Canada, thanks to some 20 radio reporters posted across the country (British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, North West Territories, Québec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia) and working for the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI). The Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) supports the production of original civic journalism news content that covers the d ...
…
continue reading
Mike McCulloch will again fill in for me this week as he did last week, with a documentary produced in Abbotsford, British Columbia. We’ll be meeting musician Shamir Virgo, a singer-songwriter from Surrey, B.C. who’s enjoying some success. His song, Roses, has more than 1.7 million listens on Spotify and Soundcloud. Mike McCulloch, who will spend t…
…
continue reading
On today’s show, I will be out and journalist Mike McCulloch will be in, with a documentary produced in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It has been more than eight years since public health officials in British Columbia sounded the alarm… that users of illicit drugs were dying at greater rates than historically observed. Today, more than 15,000 peopl…
…
continue reading
Journalist Pamela Haasen will take over this episode of Viewpoints, with a documentary produced in Smithers, British Columbia. And we’ll stay outdoors with her and her guests, contemplating the great scenery of BC’s Witset Canyon. That is where Abigail Joseph, goes fishing for salmon. This documentary discusses salmon returns and climate change thr…
…
continue reading
On today’s show, I will be out, and journalist Jules Bugiel will be in, with a documentary produced in Montréal, Québec about urban agriculture. Montreal is home to 200 social, collective and private initiatives as well as 50% of urban farms. But climate change is playing boogie man, and citizens and environmental organizations are feeling the pinc…
…
continue reading
A professor at the University of Western Ontario is looking at whether the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Sept. 30th) has true meaning and impact for Indigenous people and all Canadians. Is it just a “surface-level acknowledgement” from Canada, or more than that? Professor Cody Groat will be with us. And, could a 1% hike in the Harmoniz…
…
continue reading
In Montreal, Québec, an exhibition called To All the Unnamed Women shines light on Black women of Montreal’s past. Peterborough’s poet laureate Ziysah von Bieberstein performs her poem, February, at the Peterborough City Council. And she uses her spoken word project to promote local indigenous artists. And The Screening Room will host Kingston’s in…
…
continue reading
Sign of the times. Some 600 Concordia University workers go on strike over hybrid work. They just don’t feel that showing up at the office every day is really necessary. Four outstanding Nanaimo citizens receive the Coronation Medal. The medal is awarded to people who have made a significant contribution to their community. And QUEST Canada wants t…
…
continue reading
The International Water Association, based in London, England, calls Kitchener’s stormwater management program “inspiring”! We’ll stay in Ontario and stop in Kingston, where the Murney Tower Museum kicks off its first fundraiser for next year’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Out west, the City of Nanaimo’s outgoing Poet Laureate Kamal Parmar has b…
…
continue reading
Good news for some 130 Ontario First Nations: The current value of the Ontario First Nations Sovereign Wealth Fund, has almost doubled since its creation in 2018. It could be worth $1 billion by 2030. B.C.’s Health Minister Adrian Dix announces a massive long-term care facility in Smithers. Also in British Columbia, the city of Nanaimo was recently…
…
continue reading
Mount Allison University astronomer sounds the alarm on the dangers of satellite proliferation. And she’s not alone. Dr. Catherine Lovekin says Starlink has put some 7,000 satellites into orbit, and it wants 40,000 more in its constellation. BC’s Olympian Ethan Katzberg celebrates winning gold at the Paris Olympics as he prepares for the next hamme…
…
continue reading
Indigenous youth and young adults explore the world of aviation through an event at the Nanaimo Airport. World renowned Tahltan-Tlingit artist opens an art show honoring North Pacific Cannery workers. Sarsfield, Ontario, hosts this year’s Ottawa-Carleton Plowing Match. So that is it for us, be sure to take a peek at all our stories on FrequencyNews…
…
continue reading
After 15 years in the same location, the Kingston WritersFest, is taking hold of the Screening Room Theatre. We’ll hurry to catch a glimpse of the Cortes Island LoveFest in BC. International artist Cosmo Sheldrake was just added to the music festival’s line-up. To Montreal, Québec, where Last Generation Canada is calling for Canada to adopt a natio…
…
continue reading
Former politician turned small business owner weighs in on the challenges of running a microdistillery in Québec. Slam poet and climate activist Quinn MacAskill wants to stimulate your “Climate Imagination” through a series of sessions, asking residents to “think big” and create a vision for Tantramar. She’s only 18! And Nova Scotia Health is calli…
…
continue reading
Summer is all about the outdoors, isn’t it? So we’ll start things off in Ontario, where a “Living history museum” has been nominated for “Top Small Museum.” It tells the story of 19th century Peterborough County. We’ll follow the Round the Lake trail, one that is under construction on Hudson Bay Mountain, in the BC Bulkley Valley. And we’ll talk wi…
…
continue reading
On today’s show, we will have only positive news and stories for you. In small-town Liverpool, Nova Scotia, big hearts raise $16,000 for cancer research. To Québec, where a local organization encourages people with disabilities, to conquer Mount Orford during the 5th Edition of the Everest-Orford Challenge. To BC, where a portion of the downtown vi…
…
continue reading
In Sackville, New Brunswick, EOS Eco-Energy, an environmental organization, faces an uncertain funding future. To Nova Scotia, where a pilot project concludes with flying colors. The YourHealthNS app will be expanded to all Nova Scotians. In Ontario, a citizen committee urges Kitchener’s City Council to declare social isolation and loneliness, as a…
…
continue reading
On this week’s show, we’ll be mellowing down, taking it easy in the company of three Canadian musicians. We’ll talk with Jamie Muir, the owner of Supercool Pedals, a Peterborough-based guitar effects store who received international recognition. To Vancouver to meet Sam Tudor, who’s on a tour to promote his new EP. And Alderville First Nation music…
…
continue reading
In Quebec, the Premier’s comments, made last week, casts a shadow over Refugee Day celebrations. François Legault blamed immigrants for Quebec’s housing crisis. A pay-what-you-can food market collaborates with community gardens, for fresh produce. And it works! And women strike outside a Nanaimo Court House and across the country, to bring awarenes…
…
continue reading
Friday, June 21st, is National Indigenous People’s Day. A documentary on Indigenous astronomy expert, Wilfred Buck hits the screens in Kingston this week. Filmmaker, director and producer Lisa Jackson, will be with us. A UBC study probes managed retreat from Sumas Prairie to restore Sumas Lake. But the mayor calls it “ridiculous”. An art tour on th…
…
continue reading
We’ll first turn to the Province of Québec, where a vigil was held to mourn the deaths of Montrealers experiencing homelessness. Abram Benedict has been elected as the new Ontario Regional Chief. An American goshawk attacks Québec trekkers and prompts the temporary closure of the popular Kingsbury hiking trail. And in Sackville, New Brunswick, loca…
…
continue reading
In Ontario, some 200 students will have a brand new Catholic school. The Province invests $17 M in Drayton. In Montréal, Québec, the City is also investing this time, $21.4 M into four “affordable” student residences. Some 670 units up for grabs in a few years. Two women take advantage of the pandemic to gather old and recent stories about their co…
…
continue reading
On today’s 111th episode of Viewpoints, we’ll travel to Québec, Ontario, and British Columbia. Our first stop will be in Laval, Québec, where 200 Amazon employees are the first to join a union in the country. Amazon is fighting back. Then to Ontario, where the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corp could soon become the largest Indigenous …
…
continue reading
The historic Bellevue House located in Kingston, Ontario, is reopening its doors to the public, after being closed for six years. The Québec town of Stanstead, seeks a new future for the historic Del Monty Hotel property. The Toronto Japanese Film Festival enters its 13th year, presenting more international premieres. And we’ll be visiting a Human …
…
continue reading
It’s Invasive Species Month across the country, and we’ll be closing in on efforts made in different provinces to eradicate those plants, animals, bugs and other organisms that shouldn’t be here… on land or underwater. Out west, environmental authorities are worried about the first invasive green crab being found in Cortes Island waters. Nanaimo, B…
…
continue reading
We’ll drop by Ontario, where the Russell Township forgoes a by-election by simply appointing its new mayor. The Eaton Centre will be home to the 4th Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival this May: Owen Thompson met up with the founder of the streetwear brand, Aaniin Retail. Centre Wellington’s Space Beans compete in national computer science challenge. …
…
continue reading
The city of Prince Rupert BC is embarking on its largest infrastructure investment in 100 years. Volunteers at Prince Edward County’s first Repair Cafe, in Picton, Ontario, help people fix things that might otherwise head to the landfill. A punk-rock music show promises to attract all ages. And it does! A new supportive housing building opens in Na…
…
continue reading
The Orford Express train used to be a moving restaurant and the star and studio of a TV show. But the scenic tourist train has been parked in Magog, Québec since 2019. However, it’s on track for a comeback by spring 2025. Internationally renowned singer-songwriter and musician Alex Cuba will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree, from the Unive…
…
continue reading
This week we’ll feel like nature lovers, and talk about the birds, the trees, and the recyclees… We’ll first turn to the sky again this week. Not for a total solar eclipse, though. Instead, we’ll be on the lookout for thousands of sandhill cranes returning to the Bulkley Valley in British Columbia. Summer is not far ahead! Then to Toronto, which is…
…
continue reading
On today’s show we will, of course, as many others recently did, turn to the sky. Some of us witnessed on April 8 the best of what astronomy can bring. Derek Bullard met up with people in Sherbrooke’s Jacques Cartier Park, where the Sun and the Moon drew big crowds. From Sherbrooke to Montréal to catch a glimpse of the last days of a popular childr…
…
continue reading
Québec’s $11 billion deficit is a result of its own fiscal choices say researchers and opposition parties. The Alberta government spends 5M$ to boost women’s shelters across the province. Ontario farmers are bracing for unpredictable weather as spring arrives. Dams in Nanaimo, British Columbia, are in bad shape and could kill hundreds if they fail,…
…
continue reading
Access to a life-saving intra-nasal Naloxone programme could end soon in New Brunswick. Community workers worry that the life-saving measure could be harder to get. The Cortes Island Food Bank off the BC coast released its annual report showing a 600% increase in need for food. In Kitchener, Ontario, the Irish Real Life Festival has some alternativ…
…
continue reading
In New Brunswick, self-serve community food banks, fall victim to abuse. In British Columbia, a local school principal looks at the realities of cell phone use, as the province legislates to ban cells in class next September. Alberta introduces a new program to prepare for floods and droughts. Health authorities are in high alert across the country…
…
continue reading
We will all be hoping for a clear sky on April 8th trying to catch a glimpse of the total eclipse of the sun. Saying whoosh to the clouds! A $250M revenue-sharing agreement is reached with BC’s northwest communities. In Ontario, the Elora Centre for the Arts gets an extra $1.2 M in government funding to help its expansion. Millinery artist Natalia …
…
continue reading
Communicating with the unhoused during extreme weather? What lessons were learned from the Jan 8th snowstorm in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Remembering the late Robbie Robertson—Jace Martin talks about the Lifetime Achievement Award that almost didn’t happen. Global warming is not happening and is based on junk science? Well, yes, according…
…
continue reading
Greater autonomy or devolution is granted to Nunavut. What does it mean and how it could be applied to Northern British Columbia? The VISTA Radio group absorbs 21 Interior B.C. radio stations from BCE. And the Haldimand Township crier is looking to retire. Anyone up for the job? Thanks to our journalists Jeff Gard and Ian Gregg. To our national edi…
…
continue reading
Ten thousand patients are in desperate need of a family doctor in Sault St. Marie, Ontario. In a 1996 interview with singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson brings back memories for Six Nations radio station and community. A new Nanaimo Art Gallery exhibition looks at “stories that animate us.” We celebrate Black History Month by remembering Green Hill,…
…
continue reading
February is Black History Month and we’ll have a great story for you. Canada Post honours Mary Ann Shadd, an activist, publisher, lawyer, teacher and journalist who was influential in the Underground Railroad movement. A new stamp was revealed in honour of her accomplishments. One of her descendants shares her excitement with us. Ottawa caps intern…
…
continue reading
In Montreal, Ravers rally to save nightlife group, Montreal 24/24. Out in BC, the former Green Party deputy leader was found guilty of contempt of court. Hundreds of Sackville area properties see assessment spikes of over 25%. Citizens wonder how to face the tax hikes that go with it. And to Nova Scotia, where city officials gamble to support peopl…
…
continue reading
Transportation advocates say passenger rail service in the Maritimes is doomed if no investments are made. Prince Edward County subsidizes a popular ride sharing company. Five thousand three hundred rides completed in 2022. In Québec, Loisir Sports Outaouais offers free skis and snowshoes to sports enthusiasts. In B.C., Paige Pierce, age 21, is app…
…
continue reading
Halifax is poised to provide more affordable housing. This as homeless encampment sweeps continue in Edmonton, despite community pushback. And as the city of Cobourg, Ontario, opens its first overnight warming centre. We then move to BC where a baker breaks bread to help civilians in Gaza and the occupied territories. And we go to Nanaimo where the…
…
continue reading
Indigenous youth, trains for radio production. OYA Black Arts Coalition celebrates five years of helping black creatives, in Toronto. Quebec confirms tuition hikes for out of province English University Students. And even adds French requirements on top. McGill University has decided it will foot the bill for the tuition hike. And the Calgary Ring …
…
continue reading
On today’s show: In B.C., NDP Federal M. P. Taylor Bachrach, wants parliament, to move faster on a Red Dress Alert system. The University of Northern British Columbia is all smiles as it lands $17M in Research Funding. Alberta residents hit by flooding and forest fires will get $68M. And after a record-setting fire season, SOPFEU, Quebec’s provinci…
…
continue reading
On today’s show: The College of New Caledonia has just welcomed its first female president, in 54 years. The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence culminates on December 10. We’ll travel to Smithers, BC, and to Knowlton, Québec, where women’s coalitions and organizations are working to break the cycle of physical, verbal and psychologic…
…
continue reading
On today’s show: Google will spend $100M to compensate Canadian media for lost revenues. What impact could Google’s millions have on the Canadian community radio sector if any? Will it get its share of the pie? Representatives from media outlets from across the country appeared in front of the CRTC to voice their ideas and concerns around the refor…
…
continue reading
On today’s show: We’ll be all about housing and go to Halifax where the Housing Minister wants to get construction projects rolling. And then to Montréal, where protesters met at the Olympic Stadium to disturb Housing Minister Elaine Duranceau’s speech at the East Summit. In Peterborough, 50 shipping containers will be transformed into a new housin…
…
continue reading
On today’s show, nature and literature will be our beat: We’ll first take a long walk through the Pickard Quarry: a “little pocket” of wilderness in the middle of residential Sackville. And then we’ll have a chat with environmental writer Katharine Fletcher of the Pontiac in Quebec, who has decided to retire from writing her column, after 34 years.…
…
continue reading
On today’s Viewpoints: A rare and ambitious one billion dollar conservation agreement is reached in British Columbia between First Nations, and federal and provincial governments. Scientists are releasing a beetle from the West Coast of BC into the wild in Nova Scotia. This, in an effort to save hemlock trees. In Ontario, the 59th Six Nations Elect…
…
continue reading
On today’s show: A recent survey finds that more Canadians are living beyond their means. Inflation and high interest rates are for many, becoming unbearable. In British Columbia, Premier David Eby is taking the bull by the horns with legislation to regulate short-term rentals. In Québec, students take to the streets to protest increases in tuition…
…
continue reading
On today’s show: Out of province university students wishing to study in Québec’s English universities could face a 100% tuition hike next year if the Québec government gets its way. Bishop’s University is fighting back. Selkirk College’s Nelson campus in BC will host its first Intercultural Day. The College is home to international students from a…
…
continue reading
On today’s show: The Québec government will impose major hikes in tuition fees for out-of-province and international students wishing to study at English universities. Some will pay more than double in 2024. Mustard Seed opens 40 new shelter spaces for Calgary women with the help of new government funding. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the governme…
…
continue reading
