rabble radio

rabble.ca
rabble radio

Hosted by Breanne Doyle, rabble radio is the flagship podcast of rabble.ca. rabble breaks down the news of the day from a progressive lens. It's a good place to catch up and catch on to what's happening in Canadian politics, activism, environmentalism, and so much more. We catch you up on the news of the week and take you further into the stories that matter to you.

  1. 12/20/2024

    Best of rabble radio 2024

    It’s hard to believe, but it’s already time to say goodbye to 2024 and ring in a new year. Before we do, however, we’d like to take the next half an hour to review some of our favourite interviews of this year. It’s become a tradition at rabble radio, after all! Let’s dive right in.  2024 at a glance…   In January, then-Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Madison Edward-Wright sat down with associate professor at Concordia University Ted Rutland to talk about his research work on anti-Black racism and policing in Canada – and specifically, in Montreal. In this clip, Rutland will take us through a brief history of policing in Quebec and give us a temperature check of the situation today.  At the end of her term as Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow in 2023, Kiah Lucero covered the Kearl mine tailings leak, and how the Alberta Energy Regulator and Imperial Oil both failed to report those leaks for a disastrous nine-month period. Brandi Morin, an award-winning Cree/Iroquois/French journalist, released Killer Water, a documentary which shines a light on the environmental impacts of Alberta’s oil sands industry. Morin shares with Lucero the grave ways the community of Fort Chipewyan has been impacted by the Kearl mine tailings spill. May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and this year we were very excited to share with our listeners a two-part discussion on the history of Asian labour in Canada. Kiah Lucero sat down with Patricia Chong and Karine Ng from the Ontario and BC branches of the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance. In this clip, we’ll hear them dive into the concept of a “model minority” and how all racial justice fights are intertwined. This year, a major win for the pro-choice movement – and indeed a win for women’s health across Canada – came in the form of an announcement by the Liberal federal government that crisis pregnancy centers and charities must now clearly reveal to their clients whether they offer abortion or abortion referrals. This new policy will prevent anti-choice pregnancy crisis centers from misleading women to try to deter them from having an abortion. In the months leading up to this policy being announced, Joyce Arthur, the founder and executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, joined rabble editor Nick Seebruch to talk about belief-based denial of care and the state of abortion rights in Canada.  And finally, listeners, the last clip we wanted to highlight today came from a conversation between Nick Seebruch and Louise Smith from Independent Jewish Voices Canada. Solidarity with Palestine was a huge topic of conversation this year on the podcast and on rabble.ca, and in this interview Smith and Seebruch  outline the important work Independent Jewish Voices Canada does to advocate for peace and justice in Israel-Palestine and explain how all forms of oppression are connected. In this clip, Smith aims to dispel the myth that solidarity with Palestine equals antisemitism and criticizes the Jewish groups in Canada which tout that sentiment.  Did we miss a favourite interview of yours from 2024? Let us know on social media or by leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube!  Thank you for listening to rabble radio! Our show would not be possible without listeners like you. So thank you!  From all of us here at rabble, we want to wish you and your communities a very merry holiday season and a safe and happy new year!  If we’ve caught you in the giving mood and would like to support our show today, please visit rabble.ca/donate. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca. Or, if you have feedback for the show, get in touch anytime at editor@rabble.ca.

    30 min
  2. 12/13/2024

    Will closing down supervised consumption sites in Ontario really make communities safer?

    Last week, our Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Eleanor Wand shared a piece on rabble.ca which examined the Ontario government’s decision to move forward with plans to close 10 of its 19 supervised consumption and treatment sites, despite a report from the auditor general criticizing the decision for lack of planning and consultation.  In the piece, she explained that experts and advocates argue that the decision to close these sites – which have been shown to reduce harm and save lives – will worsen the opioid crisis and increase public health and safety risks. Today, Wand sits down with Dr. Alexander Caudarella, the CEO from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) and family physician, to talk about the benefits and misconceptions of supervised consumption sites and how whole communities must work together to discover what feels safe for all.  About our guest Dr. Alexander Caudarella is a bilingual family physician with specialty training in substance use health issues. As a leader and clinician, he brings years of collaborative substance use healthcare experience to CCSA from his work across the country. Previously, Alexander served as the medical director of substance use services (SUS) at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, and lead SUS physician with Inner City Health Associates. In his work as a researcher and clinician he frequently advised public health officials on issues related to substance use health. As one of the key leaders of the Toronto Opioid Overdose Action Network, Alexander coordinated the implementation of in-hospital substance use components and developed a regional system to access rapid expert support. He has served as a substance use consultant and clinician for the Government of Nunavut. For more than a decade, Alexander worked on Indigenous-lead programs in Canada and abroad aimed at building capacity, decreasing stigma and building local workforces. He joined CCSA as Chief Executive Officer in August 2022. Through CCSA’s work with national and international partners, Alexander wants people in Canada to understand the scope of substance use health and the solutions they can put in place in their communities. He passionately believes that collaboration across sectors is essential in improving the health and well-being of people who use drugs and alcohol. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

    30 min
  3. 11/29/2024

    Protecting trans youth in Alberta and across the country with Egale Canada

    Earlier this year, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced dramatic changes to that province's approach to the healthcare, education, and inclusion of transgender youth.  READ MORE: In Alberta’s new war on trans people, children will suffer Since then, queer activists and groups supporting the rights of 2SLGBTQIA folks have come together to challenge and speak out against policies like the ones proposed in Alberta and have done their best to support queer and trans youth across the county.   This week on rabble radio, Jack Layton Journalism for Change fellow Eleanor Wand sits down with Bennett Jensen, the director of legal at Egale Canada to discuss what’s at stake under the proposed legislation targeting trans youth in Alberta.  “When there are restrictions on access or information around queer and trans people, that communicates that there is something wrong with being queer or trans.”  About our guest and Egale Canada Bennett Jensen (he/him) is the director of legal at Egale Canada where he develops, leads and directs strategic litigation in furtherance of 2SGLBTQI rights. Jensen began his career as a litigator at a leading law firm in New York City, before becoming the deputy head of the firm’s award-winning pro bono practice and leading responses to national rights violations like the Muslim travel ban and the family separation crisis.  Prior to joining Egale, he served as a policy advisor and then as director of litigation to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada where he supported the passage of the criminal ban against conversion “therapy.” He has been recognized as a Rising Star by the American Bar Association, as one of the LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Best 40 Lawyers under 40, and, most recently, with the 2024 Canadian Bar Association’s National SAGDA Hero Award. Egale Canada is the country’s leading 2SGLBTQI rights organization. Egale’s vision is a Canada, and ultimately a world, without homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and all other forms of oppression so that every person can achieve their full potential, free from hatred and bias. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

    30 min
  4. 11/01/2024

    Demanding justice for Black federal employees and the power of collective healing

    Thomas et al v. Canada is a class action lawsuit which was filed in the Federal Court of Canada in 2020 on behalf of Black Canadians employed in the Public Service of Canada. The action seeks to address and dismantle the systemic racism and discrimination within the Public Service of Canada. Specifically, for Black individuals who applied for employment with the Public Service and were denied entry based on their race, and those who were employed but were denied promotions based on their race (including those who have been employed within the past five decades).  rabble.ca and labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casusa have been following this story as it develops, and this week Calugay-Casuga sat down with Bernadeth Betchi, a representative plaintiff who shared why seeking justice through the court is meaningful to her.  About our guests  Bernadeth Betchi is a representative candidate for the Black Class Action lawsuit.  In 2023, Betchi ran for the position of president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE). Her candidacy was historic, she was the first Black woman to ever put her name forward for the position. Betchi is also a co-founder of the Ottawa-Gatineau Black Breastfeeding week, which aims to bring awareness to the realities of Black parents and their access to support when it comes to breastfeeding. Outside of organizing, Betchi is a PhD candidate in her fourth year of studying philosophy, feminist and gender studies. If you like the show please consider subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube or wherever you find your podcasts. And please, rate, review, share rabble radio with your friends — it takes two seconds to support independent media like rabble. Follow us on social media across channels @rabbleca.

    30 min

About

Hosted by Breanne Doyle, rabble radio is the flagship podcast of rabble.ca. rabble breaks down the news of the day from a progressive lens. It's a good place to catch up and catch on to what's happening in Canadian politics, activism, environmentalism, and so much more. We catch you up on the news of the week and take you further into the stories that matter to you.

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