The Tyee Podcast

To many, B.C. Premier David Eby’s snap election call seemed like an odd choice. The government still had two years in their mandate. Big questions — like the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and the budget deficit — were left unanswered. Plus, all the best lawn sign spots had already been claimed by candidates for municipal government. If The Tyee’s Victoria bureau chief is put off, he’s not showing it. Andrew MacLeod said the election call has morphed into something of an early Christmas. “When they called it, I was definitely in the camp of like, ‘Do we really need to do this now?’” he said. “But there are announcements every day, and there are people arguing about ideas, and you get into the spirit of it. So it is kind of fun.”MacLeod has covered seven previous provincial elections, and nearly two decades worth of provincial politicking for The Tyee. This election cycle is no different. This week, he gives us the long-view on campaign trail drama and breaks down what this election is really about.

It’s a confusing time to be a voter. Here in Vancouver, voters will be confronted with more than half a dozen political parties — some of which are brand new this election cycle. They will stare down so many names on the ballot. And they will have to vote on a unique plebiscite. It’s a lot to keep track of. Luckily for The Tyee Podcast, reporter Katie Hyslop has been keeping track of party promises, election drama and the top issues. So we reached out to ask if they could help break it all down for listeners. This week, they return to the show for a special municipal election episode.

Natasha Harrison had been searching for her daughter, 20-year-old Tatyanna Harrison, for months before police found her body on a Yacht in Richmond in 2022. Natasha has been fighting for more information about what happened to her daughter. A coroners’ inquest this year was supposed to offer answers. But what Natasha learned would only raise more questions about how police and the BC Coroners’ Service handled her daughter’s death. “There have been a number of pretty shocking oversights, and some pretty glaring gaps between how we do things in this province and how other provinces do things,” said Jen St. Denis, a senior reporter at The Tyee. St. Denis has been covering https://thetyee.ca/Series/2026/07/30/Tatyanna-Harrison/ the case for three years. She was at the coroners’ inquest this summer, where disturbing details came to light about how the BC Coroners Service managed the case. This week on The Tyee Podcast, St. Denis takes us inside her investigation.

Tyler Olsen is no stranger to wildfire. He and his family no longer notice the smell of smoke in the air, and they are familiar with the sight of fire on the hillside near their home in Lillooet, B.C. He’s gotten used to the sound of fire-fighting helicopters whirring overhead. The Tyee Senior editor jumped at the chance to climb into a Bell 407 helicopter with wildfire fighters battling the Ainslie Creek wildfire in August. This week, he takes us inside the fight against B.C. wildfires. He shares what’s changed, why this year is different, and what it’s like to live with fire.

When the Cowichan Nation V. Canada decision came down a year ago, there was panic right across the country. For many Canadians, the courts declaring that the Cowichan held Aboriginal title over a small section of Richmond was confusing, complex, even terrifying. But Arno Kopecky says the Cowichan decision is not the end of the world in Richmond. In fact, it’s the beginning of something incredible. For a recent feature in MacLean’s Magazine, the author and journalist knocked on doors in Richmond, walked the ground in dispute and came away, not scared, but excited. In this episode, he tells us how Indigenous title can coexist with private property, and why the Cowichan decision is an opportunity for a richer, better version of our country and our culture.

This October, Albertans will either vote to stay a part of Canada, or they’ll vote to leave. But whatever the outcome, we are all going to keep hearing about Alberta separatism for many, many years to come. Never has a delusion been this elevated in the province, says Nate Pike. On this episode, the host of the The Breakdown AB tests our censors as he tries to explain where the separatist movement came from, how much of it is being driven by foreign interference and how the vast majority of Albertans who are tired of this conversation need to fight back.“This asymmetrical warfare that they are playing on us needs to be responded to, and it can't be responded to with apathy.”