COMMONS

The word cult gets tossed around a lot. The label gets applied to everything from doomsday religions, to wellness fads, to online conspiracies.Uncovering the stories of both devotees and dissenters, this season of COMMONS will go beyond the true crime cliches and will make you question everything you thought you knew about cults.Our new season launches on October 18th.Canadaland Supporters can listen to the first episode a week early! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From broadband to banking to blueberries (yes, even blueberries), life in Canada is ruled by monopolies. In the latest season of COMMONS, host Arshy Mann and producers Jordan Cornish and Noor Azrieh will bring you the stories of how these monopolists bullied their way to the top, strangled their rivals, and cornered their markets with help from the government.Our new season launches on November 9th. If you’re a Canadaland supporter, you can listen to the first episode now! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published on November 1st, 2021. Who are the Rogers family? How did they get so powerful? Why have they turned against one another? And what does it matter?  We've spent a week immersed in Rogers history to bring you this unofficial narrative of Canada's telecom overlords.Further reading:Kelly Pullen’s 2014 story in Toronto Life on the “ruthless” power struggle at Rogers: https://torontolife.com/from-the-archives/edward-rogers-the-man-who-would-be-king/Ted Rogers’ last interview, with Alan Gregg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B-hlNXKYZ0Ted Rogers’ Anniversary novelty song: https://vimeo.com/95189390The Globe and Mail’s best (and perhaps only) headline about a significant butt-dial: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-rogers-ceo-joe-natale-learned-of-edward-rogerss-plan-to-oust-him/Ted Rogers’ Autobiography, “Relentless” – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00E7S2P9AHigh Wire Act: Ted Rogers and the Empire that Debt Built, by Caroline Van Hasselt : https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B003E8AJRECredits: Jesse Brown (Host & Publisher), Jonathan Goldsbie (News Editor), Cherise Seucharan (Reporter, CANADLAND), Damiola Onime (Producer), Additional Music by Audio NetworkIf 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published on December 21, 2021. Attawapiskat has become famous across Canada and around the world. Not for the natural beauty that surrounds it, or for the Cree culture of the people who live there. Instead, it’s become a byword for the toxic legacy of Canadian colonialism.But while Attawapiskat faced crisis after crisis, the community was sitting on a literal diamond mine run by the world’s most famous mining company.So why is it that a community rich in diamonds is so poor? And why did the government and De Beers do so little to help them through?Featured in this episode: Mike Koostachin, Vicki Lean, Anna BaggioTo learn more:After the Last River by Victoria LeanThe People of the Kattawapiskak River by Alanis Obamsawin“De Beers decision to dump sewage into Attawapiskat played role in current housing crisis” by Ossie Michelin in APTN News“Have You Ever Tried to Sell a Diamond?” By Edward Jay Epstein in The AtlanticAdditional music from Audio NetworkSponsors: Rotman, Athletic Greens Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Kieran Oudshoorn (Managing Editor), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last season we sat down with Cory Doctorow, co-author of Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back, to find out how the music industry has become dominated by monopoly power. In this bonus episode, we’re bringing you Arshy’s full interview with Cory, complete with all the nitty gritty details around how and why musicians continue to get screwed by Spotify, music labels, ticketmaster and more.To learn more: Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by ​​Rebecca Giblin and Cory DoctorowSponsors: Canva, Douglas, Truth TellingIf 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Desmond Cole & Andray Domise talk about their ambitions for their new weekly political podcast Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it the Prime Minister? The Governor General? The Queen? Canada's Head of State may be symbolic, but symbolic of what? Desmond Cole and Andray Domise start with the basics. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Desmond and Andray try to understand the NDP's shocking victory. Guests: professor Melanee Thomas and writer Drew Brown. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Desmond Cole taks to Green Party leader Elizabeth May about her plans to get arrested, and more. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the Prime Minister's Office? How many people work there, who are they, and what do they all do? Just how powerful is the PMO, and is the Prime Minister responsible for what it does?Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kerry Porth, Akio Maroon, Elene Lam join for a panel discussion on Bill C-36 and more.Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We haven't even begun to talk about what happened. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andray and Desmond speak with former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith about crossing the floor from the official opposition to the governing party. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andray Domise, guest-host Supriya Dwivedi and Ishmael Daro talk about the Zero Tolerance For Barbaric Cultural Practices Act, the new Quebec secular legislation, and the massacre in Charleston.Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paul Wells and Heather Hughson talk about what the Senate does, and whether or not it's worth hanging on to. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Décoste joims to talk diversity quotas, tokenism and equity in Canadian politics.Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Desmond Cole and Andray Domise talk election fraud, Justin Trudeau, and the TRC.Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andray Domise and guest host Supriya Dwivedi talk government debt, recessions and the Balanced Budget Act with Mike Moffatt of the Mowat Centre, and Aaron Wudrick of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Desmond Cole and Andray Domise talk about the Canadian government's detention of migrants, many of whom have committed no crime, with Renu Mandhane and Syed Hussan. Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To kick off the official federal election campaign, Desmond Cole and Andray Domise talk to Harold Jansen and Gerry Nicholls about campaign financing, party fundraising, and why this campaign is set to be the longest in modern Canadian history.Support COMMONS: http://commonspodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.