Change My Mind

Lynda Steele

We live in a time when everyone has an opinion — but few are willing to rethink it. Change My Mind with Lynda Steele is a podcast for people who still believe in curiosity over certainty. The title might sound combative. The show isn’t. Each episode, veteran broadcaster, Lynda Steele, starts with a position on a hot topic or complex issue. Then she sits down with an expert to explore it — not to debate, but to listen and learn. No one is trying to win. No one is being asked to change their mind. Instead, listeners are invited into a real conversation, rooted in curiosity and a genuine attempt to understand. This isn’t about telling you what to think. It’s about staying open, especially when it’s hard. After each discussion, Lynda reflects on what shifted for her — what challenged her, what held and what she’s still thinking about. If you’re tired of the noise, the polarized takes and looking for something more thoughtful, come along for the journey.

Episodes

  1. Jul 9

    The World Cup Question: Is hosting a mega-event still worth it?

    The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. But for host cities, it's about far more than what happens on the pitch. Hosting a global event of this scale comes with enormous public investment, high expectations and no shortage of debate. Is it money well spent? Or could those dollars be better used elsewhere? In this episode of Change My Mind, Lynda Steele is joined by veteran sports broadcaster, Don Taylor, to explore whether mega-events like the World Cup are still worth it in an era of housing shortages, affordability pressures and competing public priorities. Together, they examine the promises that accompany events like FIFA 2026, including tourism, global exposure and civic pride. They also dive into  concerns about rising costs, public risk and who ultimately benefits. Drawing on decades of experience covering sports, Don also offers a perspective that extends beyond economics. He shares why he thinks major sporting events have the power to unite communities, inspire the next generation and create moments people remember for years, even decades. Despite all the controversy and complexity, there’s still something undeniably powerful about watching a city and a country rally around the same moment. This episode isn't about choosing between celebration and skepticism. It's about exploring whether both can exist at the same time, and whether the value of hosting a global event can be measured by more than a balance sheet. No debate. No winning. Just talking it through.

  2. May 28

    Involuntary Treatment: Navigating the Line Between Care and Control

    What does it mean to force someone to get better — and does it work? In this episode, host Lynda Steele sits down with Guy Felicella, a harm reduction advocate and addiction educator, whose life story resists easy categorization. Over nearly two decades, Guy cycled through addiction, homelessness, gang involvement and incarceration, surviving six overdoses before finding his way to recovery. Today, he speaks publicly and passionately about stigma, trauma and the urgent need for a full spectrum of care. The conversation centres on one of Canada's most contested policy debates: involuntary care. Should governments have the authority to compel people living with severe addiction or mental illness into treatment — even against their will? And if voluntary systems are underfunded, inaccessible or failing, does that change the calculus? Lynda opens by sharing her initial position — and invites Guy to weigh in. What follows is a meaningful exchange, shaped by lived experience and an honest discussion about the limits of any single answer. Together, they explore: How trauma underlies addiction in ways that policy often fails to address.The difference between compassion and coercion — and when one becomes the other.What the research and real-world evidence actually shows about forced treatment.Why Guy believes involuntary care is not a simple solution — and what he'd put in its place.What recovery actually looks like, and the role of love, support and dignity in getting there. At the heart of this episode is a thread Guy returns to again and again: "If you don't deal with trauma, it's going to deal with you." This is not an episode that tells you what to think. It's one that asks you to be curious, to listen and to make room for the full humanity of people caught between addiction, policy and survival.

About

We live in a time when everyone has an opinion — but few are willing to rethink it. Change My Mind with Lynda Steele is a podcast for people who still believe in curiosity over certainty. The title might sound combative. The show isn’t. Each episode, veteran broadcaster, Lynda Steele, starts with a position on a hot topic or complex issue. Then she sits down with an expert to explore it — not to debate, but to listen and learn. No one is trying to win. No one is being asked to change their mind. Instead, listeners are invited into a real conversation, rooted in curiosity and a genuine attempt to understand. This isn’t about telling you what to think. It’s about staying open, especially when it’s hard. After each discussion, Lynda reflects on what shifted for her — what challenged her, what held and what she’s still thinking about. If you’re tired of the noise, the polarized takes and looking for something more thoughtful, come along for the journey.