Wag The Doug

When the Speaker decreed that keffiyehs were verboten at Queen’s Park, even Doug Ford agreed that that was a bad call. But that came in the midst of a hotly-contested by-election in the 905 — and now that it’s finished, so is his party’s long nightmare of uncharacteristic open-mindedness.In the eighth month of Israel’s war in/on Gaza, Allison and Jonathan examine how Ontario’s government is cracking down on expressions of Palestinian solidarity, in more ways than you probably realize.Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison SmithCredits: Sam Konnert (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief), Nathan Burley (Music)Sponsor: DouglasFor a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today. If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.Socials:Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday

Today we’re sharing with you a preview of the first episode of Canadaland’s newest show Pretendians.What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.  From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be Indigenous in the interest of power, money, and status. There are dozens of outrageous cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not. So why do these so-called “Pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?  To hear more follow Pretendians in your podcast app or click here.

The next provincial election is two years away, but to turn on your TVs, you’d think we were in the midst of one. Flush with cash, Doug Ford’s party is taking out ads attempting to cast the premier as cuddly and contrite. Meanwhile, the Ontario NDP is going all in on the weird side of TikTok, churning out videos so assertively surreal as to approach the level of art.This month, Allison and Jonathan don their leotards and consider Ontario politics’ new experimental era.Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison SmithCredits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief), Nathan Burley (Music)Sponsors: DouglasYou can listen ad-free on Amazon Music - included with Prime.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Want your audio story on CANADALAND? Submissions for the Local Correspondent Audio Contest are now open! To learn more, visit canadaland.com/audiocontest and follow @CanadaLabs on Instagram to stay in the loopSocials:Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday

At this time of year, we’d normally pine for spring. But nowadays, that means wildfire season. And it’s only a matter of time before British Columbia’s new normal becomes Ontario’s as well — yet we’re not nearly as well-prepared.Doug Ford’s not too big on acknowledging a connection with climate change. But even more surprising is that his government has barely spoken about wildfires at all, let alone adequately invested in fighting them.As Allison and Jonathan look out toward our orange, hazy future, they talk to Noah Freedman and Mark Belanger, forest-fire veterans with leadership roles in OPSEU, about what it will take to restore the fire-fighting capacity that Mike Harris incinerated.Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison SmithCredits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief), Nathan Burley (Music)Sponsors: DouglasYou can listen ad-free on Amazon Music - included with Prime.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Socials:Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday

Doug Ford plans to uproot the Ontario Science Centre from the iconic Don Mills home it’s occupied since 1969. But what is the Science Centre other than its iconic Don Mills home?On a blustery afternoon, Allison and Jonathan traipse up the DVP to learn whether the dreams of their 90s childhoods are still alive in North York. They say you can’t go home again, but they will sell Science Centre tickets to childless adults.Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison SmithCredits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley (Music)Sponsors: DouglasYou can listen ad-free on Amazon Music - included with Prime.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Socials:Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday

We surmised that Doug Ford would punish Toronto for picking Olivia Chow as its mayor. But if anything, he seems more sympathetic to the city and its issues than before. So what gives?This month, Allison and Jonathan look at the premier’s peculiar relationships with the leaders of Toronto, Brampton, and Mississauga — and how random grudges can animate policies that ultimately affect millions of people.Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison SmithCredits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley (Music)Sponsors: DouglasYou can listen ad-free on Amazon Music - included with Prime.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Socials:Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday 

Until just a few years ago, staking a mining claim in Ontario demanded banging physical posts in the ground. Now, you can simply head online and click a square on a map.But while that may be an abstract exercise for office-dwellers in Toronto, the stakes are quite real (if no longer literal) for many First Nations in Northern Ontario — including those that sought, and failed to obtain, a face-to-face meeting with Doug Ford this fall.On the new Wag the Doug, Allison and Jonathan behold the mining megaproject the premier touts as the future, and take the first steps in a very long process toward someday, maybe having a mine of their own.Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison SmithCredits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley (Music)Sponsors: DouglasYou can listen ad-free on Amazon Music - included with Prime.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Socials:Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday 

Some say Queen’s Park is haunted. Others say it’s merely possessed by the Progressive Conservatives. Either way, there’s some spooky stuff going down.This month, Allison and Jonathan guide you through Doug Ford’s ministry of terrors, as they probe into the perils that are — or ought to be — keeping the premier up at night, from the Therme deal to the Greenbelt investigation.Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison SmithCredits: Kattie Laur (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Nathan Burley (Music)Sponsors: DouglasYou can listen ad-free on Amazon Music - included with Prime.If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Socials:Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday