Best TVO Podcasts (2023)

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#onpoli, a TVO podcast

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Toronto's big new deal paves the way for mega spa 40:32

6h ago40:32

40:32

Premier Doug Ford and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow have made an agreement that will give Canada's largest city billions in exchange for it stepping out of the way for a spa planned for Ontario Place. Then, Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what could happen at the December 2nd Ontario Liberal Leadership Election. How will votes from studen…

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#onpoli, a TVO podcast

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Ontario Liberals head to the polls 28:19

6d ago28:19

28:19

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the upcoming Ontario Liberal leadership election. Bonnie Crombie, Nate Erskine-Smith, Ted Hsu, and Yasir Naqvi have made their case as to why they should lead the party into the 2026 election, but we'll have to wait and see who will get the top spot. Stay connected to #onpoli and the latest politics acr…

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Wag The Doug

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I Logged On to a Mining Ring of Fire 55:21

5d ago55:21

55:21

Until just a few years ago, staking a mining claim in Ontario demanded banging physical posts in the ground. Now, you can simply head online and click a square on a map. But while that may be an abstract exercise for office-dwellers in Toronto, the stakes are quite real (if no longer literal) for many First Nations in Northern Ontario — including t…

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This Being Human

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Best of: Marina Tabassum 22:20

6d ago22:20

22:20

Marina Tabassum is a Bangladeshi architect whose work includes Bangladesh's underground Museum of Independence and the award-winning Bait Ur Rouf mosque. She talks about working with local materials, the rich landscape of Bangladesh's capital city, Dhaka, and how architects should embrace social responsibility, as with her $200 houses for displaced…

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This Being Human

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Kameelah Janan Rasheed isn't interested in being legible 33:26

21d ago33:26

33:26

Kameelah Janan Rasheed is an artist whose work focuses on Black knowledge production, re-shaping history, and unlearning the things we think we know. Her projects, spanning photography, installations, text, sound, and more, have been shown around the globe and earned her a 2021 Guggenheim Fellowship. She joins us to talk about resisting easy defini…

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Zannen, Canada

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Ep.90 - Heidi Delivers Your Weekly Dose of Pastoral Escapism 1:26:16

30d ago1:26:16

1:26:16

Beloved in most of the non-English-speaking world, Heidi: Girl of the Alps is quite possibly the most high profile series to have its French dub produced in Quebec. Isao Takahata's graceful and nuanced adaptation of Johanna Spyri's classic novels was a high point of Radio-Canada's programming and was making an impact a full two years before it woul…

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Wag The Doug

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Doug Ford's House of Horrors 43:23

1M ago43:23

43:23

Some say Queen’s Park is haunted. Others say it’s merely possessed by the Progressive Conservatives. Either way, there’s some spooky stuff going down. This month, Allison and Jonathan guide you through Doug Ford’s ministry of terrors, as they probe into the perils that are — or ought to be — keeping the premier up at night, from the Therme deal to …

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This Being Human

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A.R. interviews his sister, Toronto Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik 51:15

1M ago51:15

51:15

Ausma Malik was the first woman in a hijab to be elected to public office in Canada, and the first Muslim-identifying, hijab-wearing woman on Toronto city council. She was recently appointed Deputy Mayor of Toronto. She also happens to be the sister of This Being Human host Abdul-Rehman Malik. In this episode, A.R. asks Ausma the questions only a b…

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This Being Human

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Yasmeen Lari on Rethinking the Values of Architecture 35:12

2M ago35:12

35:12

As Pakistan's first female architect, Yasmeen Lari left a major imprint on the country's visual identity, with modern buildings like the Finance and Trade Centre, the Taj Mahal Hotel in Karachi, and the Pakistan State Oil Head Office. But her career later took a turn from working for the powerful few, towards assisting the most vulnerable members o…

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Wag The Doug

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The End of Canadaland 16:35

2M ago16:35

16:35

Support us now! Click here: canadaland.com/join The first episode of Canadaland was published ten years ago today. If we were to announce this is the last episode of Canadaland, no one would be surprised. Journalism in Canada is in a fight for its life. You can have an impact. Head to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today. Hosted on Acast…

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This Being Human

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Rebooting Yemen's coffee industry with Mokhtar Alkhanshali 37:05

2M ago37:05

37:05

There was a time in history when the entire world's coffee supply came from Yemen. But the industry went through a major decline, so that by 2013, when Yemeni-American Mokhtar Alkhanshali became obsessed with coffee, coffee from Yemen was hard to come across. Mokhtar spent three years in Yemen learning everything he could and started the company Po…

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Wag The Doug

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Roll Up for the Mr. X Tour 51:35

2M ago51:35

51:35

With his polls diving, housing minister resigning, and ill-begotten Greenbelt scheme unravelling, what’s a Doug Ford to do? Why, talk about anything else, of course! In the face of yet another report laying bare the haphazard chumminess with which power is exerted in the PCs’ Ontario, the premier would like to assure you that everything is fine. An…

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This Being Human

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Humaira Abid on wood carving and breaking taboos 38:01

3M ago38:01

38:01

Humaira Abid is an artist who works in wood sculpture and miniature painting. Her pieces, which are intricately detailed, contain strong social messages around topics like motherhood and the plight of refugees. She talks to AR about why she chose the male-dominated craft of wood sculpture to tell stories about women and about using her art to encou…

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This Being Human

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Writer Jamaluddin Aram takes on daily life in a time of war 34:38

3M ago34:38

34:38

Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday is a darkly funny novel about daily life during wartime. The action is not about the war itself; it's about the interpersonal relationships of a rich cast of characters living in a small town. It is the debut novel of Jamaluddin Aram, an Afghan writer currently living in Toronto. The Museum wishes to t…

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Wag The Doug

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Greenbelt: The Movie 32:48

3M ago32:48

32:48

Ontario’s Auditor General has confirmed what we suspected: that Doug Ford’s government effectively redrew the map of the province, opening up thousands of acres of land for development, based largely on solicitations made at a party. It just wasn’t the party we thought. Either way, it could make for an entertaining movie. Allison and Jonathan look …

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This Being Human

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Shahjehan Khan on Muslim Punk, 9/11 and Mental Health 32:28

3M ago32:28

32:28

In the award-winning podcast, King of the World, Shahjehan Khan reflects on his history with music, addiction and identity in post-9/11 America. He talks to AR about his time with the seminal Muslim punk band The Kominas, mental health, his attempt to find himself in Pakistan, and where he stands today, as an ageing punk rocker whose acting and pro…

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#onpoli, a TVO podcast

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Revelations from Bonnie Lysyk's Greenbelt report 29:50

4M ago29:50

29:50

Last week, Bonnie Lysyk, Ontario's auditor general, released a report detailing recent changes to the Greenbelt and how there’s evidence of bias in the selection of lands that were removed. Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss what's been levied against Doug Ford and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark, and what steps the…

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This Being Human

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Tabla Virtuoso Zakir Hussain 38:43

4M ago38:43

38:43

Zakir Hussain’s name is practically synonymous with the tablas. His work ranges from classical Indian compositions to Hollywood film scores, to collaborations with rockstars like George Harrison and Van Morrison. His latest albums are Shakti’s "This Moment,” and “As We Speak” – a collaboration with Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer. Zakir Hussain talks to…

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#onpoli, a TVO podcast

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A mid-summer check in 25:25

4M ago25:25

25:25

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath get caught up on all things Ontario during the month of July including the two Ontario Liberal byelection victories, a debate about age in Ontario politics, and how an ill-advised new title for Ontario lawyers is a off-brand misstep for Doug Ford. John Michael's column: https://www.tvo.org/article/fighting-the-…

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Wag The Doug

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Students in Strip Malls 39:39

4M ago39:39

39:39

How did a Doug Ford policy move from 2019 lead to 10,000s of international students schlepping their backpacks to strip malls across the GTA? Allison and Jonathan investigate how Ontario colleges have cashed in on an international student free for all — and whether the party could be coming to an end. Further reading, watching and listening: Sold a…

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Bald Leadership

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Len Rhodes ICD.D - “Values, Community, and the RIGHT Way” (Hey, there’s some Free Candy!!) 1:08:04

4M ago1:08:04

1:08:04

This was one of the most enjoyable and powerful conversations yet! Len Rhodes has been the Senior Vice-President and Global General Manager for Reebok and CCM, and sales leader for global brands like Heinz and Molson's. He’s been the Chair of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, and CEO of the Canadian Football League’s Edmonton Elks. His humour and e…

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This Being Human

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Dr. Deqo Mohamed Carries On a Legacy of Hope 29:33

4M ago29:33

29:33

Dr. Deqo Mohamed spent her teen years coordinating with NGOs, teaching, and arranging breakfast for thousands of displaced people. That's because her mother, Dr. Hawa Abdi, was the founder of a sanctuary in Somalia called Hope Village. At its peak, the village provided health care, education and more to 90,000 people. It earned Dr. Habdi a nominati…

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Zannen, Canada

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Ep.89 - There Are Worse Ways To Spend Twenty Years of Your Life 1:11:41

4M ago1:11:41

1:11:41

Zannen, Canada is now twenty years old, and we're celebrating with a very classic discussion. Karl and I look back on the history of the blog and podcast going back to 2003, discuss the recent demise of English-language Teletoon and finally find the courage to tackle the impending regulation of streaming services in Canada. (As a side note, I can a…

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This Being Human

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Comedian Nazeem Hussain 33:03

5M ago33:03

33:03

Nazeem Hussain is an Australian comedian and creator of the TV shows, "Legally Brown" and "Orange is the New Brown." He talks to AR about growing up in Melbourne as a Muslim/Sri Lankan child of a single mom, writing his first children's book, "Hy-Larious Hyena!" and how he ended up hosting a Christmas special. Nazeem's most recent comedy special is…

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Zannen, Canada

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Ep.88 - Crying Freeman Exposes the Secret Yakuza Armies of Vancouver 1:04:10

5M ago1:04:10

1:04:10

The 1995 Crying Freeman movie is notoriously difficult to watch, which means that it has to be the most amazing thing ever right? Well, in addition to being a stellar live action adaptation of a manga, it has a few things going for it: Mark Dacascos in a starring role, well staged and edited action scenes and Vancouver playing Vancouver for once. D…

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Bald Leadership

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Jeffrey Orridge “For Purpose, On Purpose” - Former CFL Commissioner, Builder of the NBA Dream Team, CEO of TVO 1:14:53

5M ago1:14:53

1:14:53

Jeffrey shares his amazing journey from his parents sacrifices to graduating from Harvard to assembling the NBA’s “Dream Team” for the ‘92 Olympics (such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson’, Larry Bird and other greats), to leading Right to Play, to becoming CFL Commissioner, to his current role as CEO of TVO. He shares his life lessons and his need …

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#onpoli, a TVO podcast

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Olivia Chow is Toronto's new mayor and here's what that means 31:55

5M ago31:55

31:55

Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the results of the Toronto mayoral by-election, and how the city's politics will shake out over the next few years under Olivia Chow's leadership. It's letter time! It's letter time! We take a read through the podcast mailbag to answer all the questions we couldn't get to over the last few weeks. Can th…

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On Docs

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The carpenter who helped the unhoused survive winter 33:01

5M ago33:01

33:01

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, carpenter Khaleel Seivwright found himself busy building shelters for unhoused people. He'd calculated that a person living in one of the structures he was making could act as a heat source. His tiny shelters would be a vital resource as winter arrived in the city and they had the potential to save lives. But …

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Wag The Doug

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102 People Who Are Not Doug Ford 47:02

5M ago47:02

47:02

Toronto is in the midst of its most exciting election in a decade, tickling us with the possibility of hope. But does it still make sense to get invested in the outcome, when Doug Ford could easily run roughshod over Council, squashing the new mayor like the Monty Python foot? With Allison away this month, Toronto Star columnist and City Hall Watch…

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Bald Leadership

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Tim Melton - “People and Values” 1:01:29

5M ago1:01:29

1:01:29

As Executive Chairman (and former CEO) of MELCOR Developments, Tim shares his very personal experiences on the need to lead his father’s business after his sudden death, his deeply instilled obligation to community and people and how values are the most important factor in succession. As usual, the guys have some good chuckles. 🌐 www.baldleadership…

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#onpoli, a TVO podcast

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How will strong mayors change Ontario municipalities? 35:36

5M ago35:36

35:36

Strong mayor powers are coming to 26 Ontario municipalities giving mayors a greater ability to win votes and appoint officials. Toronto deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvie has given her endorsement to Anna Bailao. We check the race to see if that has changed the numbers. Bonnie Crombie has officially thrown her hat into the ring in the Ontario Liberal l…

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This Being Human

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Noor Tagouri Rethinks Representation 35:46

5M ago35:46

35:46

Noor Tagouri grew up with the goal of being the first woman in a hijab to anchor the news. But as she tells AR, when she did get a job as a news anchor, it wasn't what she had dreamed of. So instead, she focused on reporting big stories about American society and eventually started her own media company. Tagouri's most recent podcast, "Rep," is an …

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On Docs

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Why are Chinatowns disappearing? 34:21

6M ago34:21

34:21

Whether it's in New York or Toronto, Chinatowns are being attacked by the forces of gentrification, development pressure, and much more. But communities are resisting this pressure to retain their intangible cultural heritage forged by the bonds of a shared history - often tied together by the historical racist policies of their new homes. Colin El…

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