The Big Story

Plus: A study finds emergency room doctors across Canada are quitting, a wildfire in France stops growing just before a major heat wave rolls in, a Canadian with ties to China is arrested in Belgium on spying charges, a New York town honours a Canadian girl who was found dead there last year, and the debate over medical assistance in dying in Canada.

This episode contains discussion of mental illness, suicide, and death. Please take care. MAiD has caused contentious debate across Canada for years. This year marks 10 years since Ottawa allowed for certain adults to apply for medically assisted death, and since then there has been push to expand eligibility - beyond track two - to include those whose sole reason for application is mental illness. A recent parliamentary committee recommended against the idea, saying Canada isn't ready. Host Maria Kestane is bringing you both sides of the debate. Daphne Gilbert is Chair of the Board of Directors at Dying with Dignity Canada, an advocacy group calling for MAiD expansion. Jonathan Lai is the Executive Director at Autism Alliance of Canada. He argues against. If you or anyone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can call the national suicide hotline at 9-8-8 or head to their website.

Plus: crime rates in Canada are down for the second straight year, a poll finds many Canadians want Ottawa to retaliate against tariff threats from the U.S., three federal by-elections will be held at the end of next month, and the suspect in a terror attack at Berlin Pride celebrations is shot dead by police.

US President Trump echoed his promise to retaliate against Canada for our wildfire smoke drifting south. It comes as more than 900 fires actively burn across the country, with a number of communities evacuated from their homes. But the severity of our wildfire season should come as no surprise given Canada's track record since 2023. Yet somehow, the response from provinces and territories doesn't reflect back-to-back record-breaking seasons. Host Maria Kestane is speaking with John Gradek, an aviation expert and professor at McGill University to discuss how Canada needs to cut jurisdictional red tape, and improve access to aerial suppression efforts.

Enjoy this special feed drop from our sister show 'In This Economy?!'. The biggest World Cup ever is over – with 13 matches played on Canadian soil. The Canadian men’s team saw a fair bit of success on the pitch, but it’s more difficult to define success for the host cities, Vancouver and Toronto. Many contend there were some big positives to come out of the event – some of them unexpected. In this episode of In This Economy?! host Kris McCusker speaks to Royce Chwin, President and CEO of Destination Vancouver and Andrew Weir, President and CEO at Destination Toronto about how they measure success, why it might take time for all the “results” to be in, and how this could lead to more big events in the future.

Plus: B.C. businesses can access to a billion-dollar regional emergency fund if Canada-focused tariffs go into effect next month, Canadian officials celebrate the Gordie Howe International Bridge’s upcoming opening without their U.S. counterparts on hand, Alberta’s opposition leader raises concerns over the cost of the separation referendum, the Maritimes move to create a new regional electricity operator, and B.C. tightens its regulations on exotic cats.

It won't surprise you know that owning an exotic cat like a lion or tiger is illegal in B.C.-- it is in most places, and for good reason. Exotic large cat ownership has led to many preventable tragedies. But there is a middle ground of cat, of breeds much bigger than domestic cats but smaller than cheetah and other big cats, that has remained largely unregulated. Until now. Host Caryn Ceolin is speaking with Michelle Cyca, the conservation and fellowships bureau chief for The Narwal, who's been covering the issue, to discuss why the BC government is doing this, who it will affect, and what it means for those cats already raised in captivity.

Plus: The premiers agree to remove interprovincial trade barriers on alcohol sales, Canadians are feeling the pressure to keep up with artificial intelligence, the Bloc Quebecois leader’s X account is hacked, Canadian jazz legend Oliver Jones dies at 91, and a Quebec town grants rights to trees.

A Quebec town of 2000 people just west of Montreal has become the first place in Canada to recognize the rights of trees. Inspired by Quebec filmmaker, André Desrochers, the Terrasse-Vaudreuil city council adopted a resolution that protects a tree's right to growth, life, integrity and regeneration, while also signing on to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Tree. Host Caryn Ceolin speaks to Sylvie Trepanier, a member of the Terrasse-Vaudreuil Environmental Committee to discuss their case for legally protecting the trees, and why other parts of the country may want to consider doing the same.

Plus: the Big Story podcast looks at why President Donald Trump is pushing for more tariffs on Canada right now, U.S. officials could be sending billions more to fund the ongoing war in Iran, Canada's "grocery code of conduct" has some glaring issues, and trade tension is now spilling onto the Gordie Howe bridge between Windsor and Detroit.