Where all news is local, and no topic is off-limits. Join us every week for a unique podcast that explores the most important stories of all: the ones right in your neighbourhood. A rundown of the best local journalism—big and small—from Village Media newsrooms across Ontario.
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The overdose crisis is about to get a whole lot worse
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Send us a Text Message. As expected, the Ford government has announced it is shutting down multiple supervised drug consumption sites across the province — and banning all new ones. For harm-reduction advocates, the decision flies in the face of years of scientific research that shows these sites lower the risk of accidental overdose, reduce the sp…
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Running on Empty: Ontario hospital workers have nothing left in the tank
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Send us a Text Message. An alarming new study is out that shines a bright spotlight on the staffing crisis in Ontario hospitals. One of the study’s co-authors is Dr. James Brophy, a researcher at the University of Windsor, who joins Frisco and Scott on this week’s Inside the Village to talk about the findings. Burnout, fatigue, stress and anxiety a…
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Looking Back: The midway point of season three of ITV
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Send us a Text Message. This week on the show, somehow Frisco had some holidays approved so Scott and Derek have taken over the show. Given that it's the halfway point of the season, they decided to look back at some of the great guests that have appeared on ITV so far this year. From super-agers to teenagers and financial literacy to Ted Nolan and…
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In search of “super agers” — the rare people who never seem to grow old
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Send us a Text Message. Do you know a super ager? Maybe you are one? To be honest, we hadn’t even heard of the term until a few days ago — but we wanted to learn more, so we reached out to a person who knows a whole lot: Dr. Angela Roberts, a University of Western Ontario professor who is the Canadian research lead on an international study into su…
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Money 101: The real reason financial literacy is now mandatory in high school
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott talk dollars and cents — and more specifically, whether high school students in Ontario know enough about how money works. The Ford government recently announced that financial literacy would be a mandatory course in order to graduate. Why the change? Turns out it all began w…
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What the puck? Way fewer Canadian kids are playing hockey these days
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Send us a Text Message. Frisco and Scott are back for another week of Inside the Village — and in the thick of the Stanley Cup finals, it’s only fitting that they talk some hockey. More specifically, why are fewer Canadian kids choosing to lace em up? Stats show participation in youth hockey has dropped by nearly a quarter over the past 15 years, w…
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Not everyone is smiling about Canada’s new national dental care program
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Send us a Text Message. The federal government recently introduced its new Canadian Dental Care Plan, with the goal of providing oral health care to all. But so far, not everyone is smiling. Thousands of dentists across the country have not opted into the plan because they still have a mouthful of unanswered questions. And patients are even more co…
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Big phish: Inside the multi-billion dollar fraud industry
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Send us a Text Message. From grandparent scams to romance frauds, phishing has become a daily part of life — forcing all of us to be constantly looking over our “digital shoulder.” Last year alone, Canadians lost more than $500 million to fraud (and that’s just the small percentage of people who actually report being scammed). Jeff Horncastle has s…
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School unplugged? We dissect Ontario’s new cellphone ban
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Send us a Text Message. Education Minister Stephen Lecce has announced a “comprehensive” crackdown on cellphones in schools that will take effect in September. According to the new rules, kids in kindergarten to Grade 6 will be required to keep phones on silent and out of sight for the entire day, while those in grades seven and up won’t be allowed…
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Send us a Text Message. From Mr. D to Family Feud Canada, Gerry Dee has made audiences laugh from coast to coast. This week, the teacher-turned-comedian really hits the big time: a guest spot on Inside the Village. He drops by the show to promote a new book — Funny You Should Say That — and an upcoming comedy tour of the same name. Dee reminisces w…
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Is the justice system broken? We ask a judge
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Send us a Text Message. A rare chance to draw back the curtain this week on Inside the Village as Frisco and Scott go one-on-one with retired Ontario judge Norm Douglas. After years as a respected prosecutor who then served on the bench, Douglas has penned his first book: You Be The Judge. Inspired by the visits he used to make to high school class…
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A social network that’s actually social? We’re building it
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Send us a Text Message. On this episode of Inside the Village, we really take you Inside the Village — to talk about a massive project that Village Media has been toiling away at behind the scenes. It’s called SPACES, a new kind of social media network designed to be safe and civil and 100 per cent community-powered. Simply put, SPACES is our attem…
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Thousands of Ontario students threatened with suspension — for not being vaccinated
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Send us a Text Message. Remember when measles were pretty much eradicated? So much for that. The number of confirmed cases in Canada has now reached 40 — more than three times the number in 2023. Why the resurgence? A growing number of kids simply aren’t getting vaccinated like they used to. The spike in cases comes just as public health agencies a…
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Should the government let you compost your dead body?
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Send us a Text Message. Nearly four years ago, provincial regulators started asking for public feedback on an interesting question: Should Ontario allow human composting? Although it’s legal in a handful of U.S. states, no Canadian jurisdiction has given the green light to this greener alternative to burial and cremation. Could Ontario be the first…
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Send us a Text Message. More and more companies are adopting a four-day work week to help reduce employee burnout and increase productivity — and the idea appears to be working. A new report from the non-profit think tank Infinite Potential found that only nine per cent of employees report feeling burned out at organizations that have implemented a…
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Send us a Text Message. The numbers are staggering. In Ontario alone, more than 50 vehicles are stolen every single day. For governments of all levels, combating the problem has become a top priority. Premier Doug Ford recently warned car thieves everywhere that “we’re coming after you,” and this week, the Trudeau government pledged $15-million to …
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A ‘no-brainer’ idea to help end homelessness
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Send us a Text Message. When it comes to fighting homelessness, no idea is a bad idea. But this one is pretty good: building affordable housing — “on stilts” — over city-owned parking lots. Simply put, a municipality can lease a lot to a developer but still keep the parking spaces. Cambridge councillor Scott Hamilton put forward the novel concept a…
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Colleges and universities are bracing for a very rough year
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village, we dedicate another episode to a controversial subject that continues to generate plenty of headlines: international students. The federal government is determined to slash the number of student visas handed out every year — including by up to 50 per cent in Ontario. But for many cash-strappe…
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Ted Nolan speaks his truth — about hockey, racism and reconciliation
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Send us a Text Message. On this week's episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott sit down for an in-depth conversation with former NHL coach of the year, Memorial Cup Champion — and now author — Ted Nolan. His new book, Life in Two Worlds: A Coach’s Journey from the Reserve to the NHL and Back, is a brutally honest recollection of his life at…
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Access denied: International students capped
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Send us a Text Message. Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith are back for another episode of Inside the Village. The feds have announced they are putting a temporary cap on the number of international students being granted visas. This move will result in colleges and universities losing millions in revenue. How did we get here and how will that …
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Send us a Text Message. It’s the kick off to season three of Inside the Village with Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith. With winter late out of the gate this year it has dramatically impacted outdoor sports and recreational activities, particularly snowmobiling. Lisa Stackhouse from OFSC stops by for some trail talk and also some tips as we ce…
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Inside the Village - A look back at the lighter side of 2023
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Send us a Text Message. Welcome back to Inside the Village - and Part 2 of our Year in Review. This week we take a look at the lighter side of the news from Hockey Night in Canada’s Ron MacLean to Gurdeep Pandher, the Bangra dancer from the Yukon who spread joy, hope and positivity around the world during the pandemic, to the 18 year old lottery wi…
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Inside the Village - The year that was 2023
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Send us a Text Message. Welcome back to Inside the Village, a one-of-a-kind podcast where all news is local - and no topic is off-limits. In the latest episode, Frisco and Scott take a stroll down memory lane in Part 1 of our year end show. Looking back, we covered a lot of ground in 2023. From the birth of the Trillium to the passing of Gordon Lig…
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village, there’s a “seismic shift” on the horizon for alcohol sales in Ontario and it will likely start with The Beer Store. Dan Malleck, a Brock University professor and leading expert on drug and alcohol regulation, joins Frisco and Scott to talk about the 2018 campaign promise Doug Ford made regard…
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Be on the lookout for these five warning signs of dementia
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Send us a Text Message. By 2030, one million Canadians will suffer from dementia. By 2050, that number is expected to triple. Here’s another scary stat: In 2020, care partners (including family members, friends and neighbours) spent 26 hours per week assisting older Canadians living with dementia — the equivalent to 235,000 full-time jobs, or $7.3 …
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Send us a Text Message. The state of the economy has been a hot button issue for some time now and a new study from Dalhousie University has some alarming data from the restaurant industry. Over 50% of restaurants nationwide are operating in the red and almost 10% of respondents are no longer eating out. Frisco and Scott get the goods on the survey…
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Justin Trudeau joins us on the podcast (sort of)
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Send us a Text Message. After a couple weeks off, Inside the Village is back in a big way. The Prime Minister paid a recent visit to Sault Ste. Marie, where he toured the local power utility, met with veterans at the Legion — and sat down with Frisco for a one-on-one interview. At the heart of their conversation was Bill C-18, the Liberal legislati…
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Send us a Text Message. Every week, Scott and Frisco bring you this podcast from Village Media’s headquarters in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. This week, their northern Ontario city was propelled into the national news for all the wrong reasons: a mass murder-suicide that claimed the lives of three innocent children and a 41-year-old woman. In this sp…
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Do you miss Steve Paikin? Find him right here
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Send us a Text Message. The unionized staff at TVO, the province's public broadcaster, have been on strike for almost two months. Steve Paikin, the veteran host of The Agenda, is part of the bargaining team and isn’t holding out much hope that the labour impasse will end anytime soon. In the meantime, he has joined Village Media’s The Trillium — ou…
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Send us a Text Message. Alberta was the first Canadian province to establish one, and now they’re expanding to Ontario: a safe location where mothers can surrender their unwanted babies — no judgment, no questions asked. City council in Sault Ste. Marie is the latest to examine the idea of setting up its own “Hope’s Cradle,” ensuring mothers and ca…
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Send us a Text Message. Earlier this month, the minimum wage in Ontario increased to $16.55 per hour, up from $15.50. Though a slight improvement, that amount is still well below what is widely considered a living wage in the province. We break down the math with Randy Robinson of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, who also shares some co…
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Send us a Text Message. Welcome back to Inside the Village, a podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits. On this week's episode: Doug Ford does a complete 180. After losing two cabinet ministers, two senior staffers, and untold points in the polls, the Premier announced last Thursday that his government would walk back its Greenb…
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Stop the presses: The demise of Metroland’s community newspapers
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village: a dark day for local journalism in Ontario. Toronto Star publisher Nordstar Capital LP placed its regional newspaper business, Metroland Media Group, into bankruptcy protection. The move wipes out 605 jobs — including 68 of the company’s 200 journalists — and spells the end of the print editi…
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Why Northern Ontario is ground zero for the opioid crisis
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Send us a Text Message. The overdose epidemic has hit Northern Ontario harder than any other region in the province, with fatal drug poisonings consistently higher year after year. Yet it’s in the north where two safe consumption sites — one in Sudbury, the other in Timmins — are under threat of imminent closure because the Ford government can’t se…
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Kids are wasting their youth on cell phones
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Send us a Text Message. After a couple weeks of holidays, Frisco and Scott return to the studio to answer a controversial question: When is the right time to give your kid a smartphone? (Spoiler alert: postpone the inevitable for as long as you can.) Our guest this week is journalist, author, and mother of three Katherine Martinko, whose new book i…
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village, Scott and Frisco unpack the recent bombshell report from Ontario’s auditor-general, who found that Doug Ford’s government gave “preferential treatment” to prominent developers during last year’s controversial Greenbelt changes. Bonnie Lysyk’s report reads like a hidden camera, explaining how …
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Meet Gurdeep Pandher, the happiest man in the world
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Send us a Text Message. His online dancing videos have garnered more than 100 million views around the world. This week, Gurdeep Pandher spreads his message of joy, hope and positivity with Scott and Frisco on Inside the Village. From his remote cabin in the Yukon, Pandher Bhangra-danced his way through the pandemic for everyone to see, and now he’…
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‘The insanity of this place has been escalating’
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Send us a Text Message. Parliament has adjourned for the summer, which means a much-needed break for the man whose primary job is to make sure everyone behaves inside the House of Commons. Anthony Rota — the MP for Nipissing-Timiskaming, and the 37th Speaker of the House — joins Inside the Village for an in-depth conversation about what really happ…
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village — the weekly podcast where all news is local and no topic is off-limits — Frisco and Scott tell the story of Barrie native Mike Haggith: the guitar player whose musical skills went viral for all the wrong reasons. A WestJet pilot by day, the musician was playing a concert in Sault Ste. Marie w…
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Help! I’ve fallen into debt and can’t get up
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village: broke and broken. A new MNP consumer debt index shows that the largest-ever portion of Ontarians can’t make ends meet — and there’s little relief in sight. Frisco and Scott break down the alarming new numbers with insolvency trustee David Gowling. Also this week: Switched at birth in Sault St…
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Are ‘best before’ dates past their prime?
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Send us a Text Message. On this week’s episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott talk groceries. More specifically, do best before dates lead to more food waste? A new report on grocery affordability from a House of Commons committee argues that Canada should scrap best before dates because a lot of people wrongly believe they indicate whethe…
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From street hockey dreams to the Stanley Cup reality
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Send us a Text Message. This week on Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott welcome Stanley Cup Champion Michael Amadio of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Sault Ste. Marie native takes the guys through the thrill of the NHL playoffs to the glorious night he earned the right to lift hockey’s holy grail over his head — and yes, he was worried about dropp…
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Faceblocked: Bill C-18 is devastating news for local journalism
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Send us a Text Message. On this week’s episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott dissect Bill C-18 and the damage it will do to local journalism — not just at Village Media, but in newsrooms across the country. Facebook has already responded to the Trudeau government’s newly passed law by announcing it will block access to all Canadian news o…
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Hot take: As forest fires rage, we answer all your burning questions
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Send us a Text Message. On this week’s episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott burn a little airtime talking about the wildfires scorching across Canada — the most damaging forest fire season of the century, according to the federal government. Like everything else, the fires have fanned the flames of political rhetoric, with some provincia…
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Breaking news: Cigarettes are designed to kill you
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Send us a Text Message. On this week’s episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott take a closer look at new Health Canada guidelines that will see warning messages added to individual cigarettes — not just the pack. Smokers will now be reminded, by the butt, that there is “poison in every puff” and that their nasty habit “may lead to impotence…
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The doctor is out: Why one small town was forced to shut down its emergency room
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Send us a Text Message. A doctor shortage forced the emergency department in small-town Thessalon, Ont., to lock its doors for 48 hours. After “exhausting all options,” the North Shore Health Network said it had no choice but shut the place down for two full days — leaving locals with nowhere to go in case of emergency. Sadly, the situation in Thes…
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Send us a Text Message. Frisco and Scott are back for another week of Inside the Village with a special guest: Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development. The timing couldn’t be better, as there is plenty of political deal-making to talk about — including the massive electric-vehicle battery plant coming to St. Thomas, Ont. A veteran po…
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Sundown: Saying goodbye to Gordon Lightfoot
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Send us a Text Message. Canadian music icon Gordon Lightfoot was laid to rest earlier this week in Orillia. With almost 4 million albums sold, 16 Juno Awards and four #1 hits, Lightfoot left an indelible mark not only on the music industry, but on his beloved hometown of Orillia. This week, Frisco and Scott talk to two friends who knew Lighfoot ver…
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Ron MacLean talks hockey, sports gambling — and Don Cherry
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Send us a Text Message. The NHL playoffs are underway, and who better to talk about hockey than Ron MacLean? The iconic host of Hockey Night in Canada joins Frisco and Scott for a wide-ranging conversation that touches on everything, from the Leafs’ Stanley Cup chances, to the rapid growth of legal sports gambling, to the state of his relationship …
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Send us a Text Message. This weekend, the eldest son of the late Queen Elizabeth II will officially be crowned King of England when his coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey. King Charles’ wife, Camilla, will also be crowned Queen Consort. The ceremony will be jam-packed with all the pomp and circumstance one would expect. Royal watcher Patri…
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