Ryan & Lisa: The Podcast

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The Best Way to Start an Island Morning! Ryan & Lisa on CFAX 1070, weekdays 6-9. It’s all HERE … News, Weather, Traffic, and Community.

  1. 51m ago

    Bike-share controversy, baby racoons, Junior Shamrocks's Minto Cup redemption and catching up on up-island healthcare issues

    Ryan & Lisa chat about the Prime Minister asking premiers to remove the provincial restrictions on U.S. alcohol and local discourse on bike-share rolling out in Victoria. Plus, the BC SPCA Wild Arc centre in Metchosin is currently caring for 32 young racoons, the majority of which arrived as orphans. The centre’s assistant manager Kelsi Arnott joins to help us better understand these tiny creatures. The Junior Shamrocks have been ramping up their performance at the Minto Cup, and we catch up with CFAX 1070 program director Brad Challoner, who has been in Calgary for the games.  Meanwhile, we’ve been enjoying all of your performances as we’ve been doing some of our recent contests, including when we were giving away tickets to Spamalot—a musical production that paints itself as lovingly ripping off Monty Python. But as we all know, there’s a story behind any of these musical performances that make their way here to the capital region. Brian Paterson is a marketing VP with Broadway in Victoria and he joins for a peek behind the show.  At least one local bike rental business is expressing frustration over Victoria's bike share roll-out with U.S.-based Lime Bike. John Varga with the Pedlar says he’s concerned about how this will all effect the local tourism economy, as small shops like his find themselves in competition with bike share in key locations.  It may be the dog days of summer, but the fall legislative session is fast approaching and many of the pressing issues with our health care system don’t take a break. Last we checked in on the Nanaimo inpatient tower and cath lab story, Island Health had just recently closed its application processes for a contractor on the concept plan—and up-island advocates tell us getting this thing built is badly needed for equitable care access. Meanwhile, our colleagues at CTV Vancouver Island just broke a story highlighting how a teen who has waited more than two years for a scoliosis surgery. Courtneay-Comox MLA and rural & seniors health critic Brennan Day joins to catch up ahead of the fall legislative session.

    Bike-share controversy, baby racoons, Junior Shamrocks's Minto Cup redemption and catching up on up-island healthcare issues

  2. 1d ago

    Goldstream falls drowning, tariffs on pause, B.C. wood foam hits commercialization and wine industry contends with wildfire recovery

    It seems talks between the U.S. and Canada have managed to delay – and perhaps even halt – the new wave of tariffs threatened by U.S. president Trump. Within a couple hours of when Trump had said 50 per cent tariffs on many Canadian goods would come into effect, he posted to social media saying there would be a three-day pause due as some sort of deal is set to be finalized. This trade uncertainty comes at a troubling time for B.C. wine producers, much of whom are based in the Okanagan and are already grappling with the lasting effects of wildfires. Wine Growers of BC president and CEO Jeff Guignard is joins.  We’re seeing a new commercialization effort here in B.C. for the manufacture of wood foam – a biodegradable material made from forestry waste. This is happening through a partnership between UBC and the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, with a pilot plant operated by DicinFoam. UBC wood science associate professor Feng Jiang (PhD) first developed the material in a lab setting, and he’s joining us to talk about the science behind wood foam. Plus, after the latest trade trouble got down to the wire yesterday evening, when suddenly Trump posted to social media saying the new tariffs would not come into effect today, Victoria's MP Will Greaves joins us to help us understand what happened and what comes next. If the new wave of U.S. threatened levies ultimately do kick in, they are expected to pack a bad punch for many B.C. industries, including forestry, dairy and alcohol. What’s the assessment of how Canada has tried to navigate this, and where do we go from here? Conservative MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford Jeff Kibble also weighs in.  We also get into a tragic local story, after a 27-year-old man died of drowning at Goldstream Falls near the campground on Monday. This comes amid an overall spike in these fatalities in B.C., with the coroner office recording 40 accidental drowning deaths from May 1 to July 16 – that’s 14 more than the same period last year. In this latest case, although bystanders pulled the man from the water and attempted life-saving measures before emergency services arrived, the incident proved fatal. Langford Fire Chief Chris Aubrey is joining us to discuss.

    Goldstream falls drowning, tariffs on pause, B.C. wood foam hits commercialization and wine industry contends with wildfire recovery

  3. 2d ago

    Preparing B.C. industry for new tariffs, spider talk, JUUL appeals class action certification and local students to represent Canada in global robotics competition

    Ryan & Lisa talk gas prices, a fire in a historic Cumberland building over this past weekend and more on spiders as they seem to keep popping up in our houses these days.  Plus, eight local high school students have been named Team Canada to compete in an international robotic competition happening this fall in South Korea.This year’s theme for the FIRST Global Challenge 2026 is a timely one, focused on developing wildfire prevention, mitigation and recovery solutions. Mount Doug student and Team Canada member Ryan Adler, along with coach Christine Nicholls, joined for more.  CFAX Santas Anonymous executive director Christine Hewitt Goodsir joins for an update as the Kids Count Mega Summer 50/50 total passes more than $23,000.  Meanwhile, JUUL Labs is appealing the certification of a class action suit against them over allegations of deceptive marketing of e-cigarettes as a safe alternative to smoking. This legal process has been a bit of a saga so far, since the case was first brought by representative plaintiffs in 2019. There are also other ongoing legal actions involving JUUL Labs, which can get a bit confusing. Black Press legislative correspondent Mark Page has put the pieces of this story together, and he joins to break it down.  Canada has been having marathon trade negotiations with the U.S. ahead of the new 50 per cent tariffs U.S. president Trump promised for many Canadian goods, which are set to take effect tomorrow if nothing changes. If we don't get some sort of deal with trump's administration, many B.C. dominant industries are expecting to feel this badly, from forestry to alcohol, agriculture and dairy. BC Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Jen Riley joins to discuss.

    Preparing B.C. industry for new tariffs, spider talk, JUUL appeals class action certification and local students to represent Canada in global robotics competition

  4. 2d ago

    B.C. politics shake-up, new Tumbler Ridge documents, Minto Cup and lemonade stand for Victoria Hospital Foundation

    Listeners text in their thoughts on dealing with spiders and more issues of the day as Ryan & Lisa kick off the day with top local updates and conversations about the news.  Friday brought some significant shake-ups in B.C. politics, after a cabinet shuffle followed Minister Brenda Bailey disclosure she will be seeking cancer treatment. We have Josie Osborne taking on the finance file, while Ravi Kahlon is going to health and Bailey takes up jobs with Adrian Dix stepping in while she is undertaking treatment. Meanwhile, former BC Conservative finance critic Peter Milobar left his caucus to sit as an independent, citing a mis-match of values with the party’s new direction. Rob Botterell is the BC Greens finance critic and a local MLA, and he’s joining us to share his thoughts. Plus, the Junior A Shamrocks hope to build more momentum after starting off Minto Cup with a loss. CFAX 1070 program director and lacrosse box broadcaster Brad Challoner joins for a peek at what's happening in Calgary.  A local 11-year-old is hosting his annual lemonade stand in support of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, a tradition that began after his father died suddenly from a brain aneurysm in 2022. This year Anders Yee will host his stand on Shelbourne St. from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and he is joining us on the line now. He joins with Susanna, his mom.  Plus more on how Peter Milobar announced he left the BC Conservative caucus on Friday shortly after Premier Eby laid out the cabinet shuffle because former finance minister Brenda Bailey will soon be seeking cancer treatment. How unstable is B.C. politics heading into the fall session? UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest is joining us for his take. Meanwhile, we’re getting new information about how police responded to the tragedy that unfolded in Tumbler Ridge when a 18-year-old shot and killed eight people before committing suicide. We all still have questions ahead of the results of the coroner’s inquest and a subsequent public inquiry remains on the table. CTV news and a group of media outlets went to court, and obtained hundreds of pages of heavily redacted documents.

    B.C. politics shake-up, new Tumbler Ridge documents, Minto Cup and lemonade stand for Victoria Hospital Foundation

  5. 6d ago

    Victoria transit strike notice, support for wildfire evacuees, Tour de Victoria, weekend eats and girls' teams in local little league

    Catch the latest on BC wildfires, upcoming weekend events and transit labour troubles in Victoria as Ryan & Lisa explore what you need to know to start your Friday off right.  Plus, Central Saanich Little League says it is seeing a significant uptick in girl’s registration since 2022, and they’ve even filled out some new all-girls teams. To encourage more kids to get involved, they’re hosting a free girl’s baseball try it night upcoming next Wednesday. Coach Clare McDonald joins to explain why these efforts are needed to prevent girls from quitting the sport as they get older.  Ryder Hesjedal’s Tour de Victoria will see riders of all ages and abilities work through word-class cycling routes in the capital region. Hesjedal joins to share how you can get a piece of the action, and weighs in on the state of cycling as a sport in Canada. One of the ways people are helping out folks on the mainland displaced by wildfire evacuations is through donations of hygiene products, linens and cleaning supplies. Soap for Hope Canada is working with the Salvation Army to get the products from the capital region to the Okanagan. Anne McIntyre, the executive director of Soap for Hope, talks us through how it all works.  The union representing more than 750 transit workers in Greater Victoria have issued a strike notice, and are set to start with a uniform ban on Monday—though it says there won’t be any change to service for riders yet. This comes after their collective agreement expired in the spring of 2025. How did we get here and what could happen next? Stephen Bains is the president of Unifor Local 333, representing these workers. Plus, Dallas from the Vic Food Guys has all you need to know about great food and community events this weekend, including a sneak preview of plans for the Kyoto Garden Japanese Tea House.

    Victoria transit strike notice, support for wildfire evacuees, Tour de Victoria, weekend eats and girls' teams in local little league

  6. Aug 13

    Tips for smoky skies, therapeutic horses, Soberfest, WLA championships and should Canada give the ambassador from the U.S. the boot?

    You know Kids Count! supports children in our community through things like the breakfast program, but we’re also supporting other things that are key for their development – including things like mental wellbeing. Ryan spent much of his mid-day with horses yesterday so to learn a bit more about horse therapy and access for children. Victoria Theraptic Riding Association executive director Liz Gagel is joins to share more. This year’s long-awaited Soberfest is happening Saturday, with headliners including Bif Naked, Tyler Shaw, Caleb Heart & Friends and Snack the Ripper. It’s a family friendly space where people can enjoy the music festival community without being around intoxicating substances. Founder and recovery advocate Mike Manhas joins.  As we’re seeing more hazy skies around Vancouver Island as volatile wildfires continue to blaze on the mainland, some of us may start to feel the negative effects of this exposure. Anne-Marie Nicol is an SFU associate professor of professional practices in the health sciences department who leads the university’s BREATHE Project, which offers resources to the public on building a do-it-yourself air cleaner. She’s joins to talk smoke exposure and mitigation. Frustration over U.S. relations has boiled over into a petition headed to the House of Commons which calls for the ambassador from the U.S., Pete Hoekstra, to get the boot out of Canada. It’s something our own listeners weighed in on in a news poll this week, with 85 per cent of you saying you agree with the idea. But what would the diplomatic fall out of such a drastic move be? Jeremy Kinsman is a retired diplomat based here in Victoria, and we always appreciate his insight It’s official, the Victoria Shamrocks are set to take on the WLA championship series on Saturday, and we can see the action here at the Q Centre.General manager Chris Welch is joining us to talk about what we can expect.

    Tips for smoky skies, therapeutic horses, Soberfest, WLA championships and should Canada give the ambassador from the U.S. the boot?

  7. Aug 12

    Helicopter traffic enforcement, Victoria pool access, travel amid wildfires and Capitol Iron Building plans

    As these devastating wildfires on the mainland continue to wreck havoc on communities, many of us here on the Island are reconsidering our summer travel plans. Road Safety at Work is urging drivers to avoid unnecessary travel near wildfires. Program director Trace Acres is joins to talk through what you need to consider before taking that ferry over.  Apparently dangerous driving has become such an issue in the Nanaimo region, RCMP have resorted to bringing in a helicopter in a recent enforcement frenzy. Police say on Sunday they partnered with Comox Air Services 8. During the operation, they observed 46 traffic violations, issued 33 charges under the Motor Vehicle Act, issued 8 warnings, served one 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition and impounded four vehicles. Nanaimo RCMP operations officer Inspector Donovan Tait is joins for more. As technology and a tremendous human effort has struggled to keep up with growing wildfires on the mainland, many of us are wondering what more we can do in the face of even more intense wildfire seasons yet to come. The Council of Canadian Innovators is a technology business advocacy organization, and their director of B.C. affairs has penned an Op-Ed in the Vancouver Sun addressing that question, arguing we need to resource new initiatives that could help manage ignition risk. Kiersten Enemark joins to make the case for the province and feds to establish a Wildfire Innovation Fund.  It looks like there will be a bit of a gap between the Crystal Pool closing in late September, and the re-opening of the old Y-M-C-A building– which will soon be known as the Victoria Recreation Centre— as it won’t be back in action until early 2027. This follows a significant water leak at the Victoria Recreation Centre earlier this summer, which was originally envisioned to be the plan B during construction of the Crystal Pool Replacement project. Victoria’s director of parks, recreation and facilities Derrick Newman joins. We’ve gotten word on plans for the old Capital Iron building, with Midland Appliance saying it is taking over and will open a new luxury showroom at the site in the fall. Mike Kozakowski from Citified also joins to chat about this latest development (pun intended) and remind us of what changes are in store for the area as well.

    Helicopter traffic enforcement, Victoria pool access, travel amid wildfires and Capitol Iron Building plans

  8. Aug 11

    Wildfire evacuations & farming concerns, e-bike safety debates and discourse on travel with children

    Ryan & Lisa discuss with listeners the story of the flight from Victoria to Toronto cancellation after a child refused to put on their seatbelt. Plus, B.C.’s wine growers are among the industries highly effected by the wildfire situation in the Okanagan, and the rapidly evolving situation means we may not know the full extent of the damage until this is finally under control. Industry spokesperson and Wine Growers of BC CEO Jeff Guignard joins.  CFAX Santas Anonymous executive director Christine Hewitt-Goodsir has our latest Kids Count! Mega Summer 50/50 update.  Meanwhile, E-scooter and E-bike safety on the roads remains a live issue, and it’s important enough to our community we want to dig into the policy options. We haven’t yet gotten back much yet from the ministry of transportation, and ICBC is deferring to the province since they haven’t gotten any new legislative guidance. Anytime we get into some of the local conversations about safety hazards, we get questions from our community about if liscencing or further regulation is the way to go. BC Conservative transportation critic Harman Bhangu is joins to weigh in with the opposition take.  Plus, now is a hard time for many of B.C.’s farmers effected by wildfires right now, including the Bald Range fire. We’ve even heard reports of farmers risking their lives in the hopes of protecting their livelihoods, staying longer than is safe amid evacuation orders. BC minister of agriculture and local MLA Lana Popham joins to discuss.  The Bald Range wildfire situation which forced 20,000 people out of their homes remains a volatile situation. We wait for more answers about how this happened as the RCMP investigates the fire’s origin, but for now we wanted to connect with a mayor who’s got eyes on the ground of this evacuation. Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes calls us from Penticton for the latest.

    Wildfire evacuations & farming concerns, e-bike safety debates and discourse on travel with children
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The Best Way to Start an Island Morning! Ryan & Lisa on CFAX 1070, weekdays 6-9. It’s all HERE … News, Weather, Traffic, and Community.

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