CanCon

Why are gas prices so high in Canada if we produce our own? It's complicated.

Canada, as you may know, produces a ton of oil. Billions of tons every day, actually. Nearly all the oil we use was taken from the ground, one way or another, right here. And yet! When the Strait of Hormuz shut down, the price Canadians pay for Canadian-produced oil and gas went through the roof, just as it's done in nations that need to import almost all their oil. The answer to why that happened goes back to a policy that Canada has flip-flopped on over decades. It touches on Western Alienation and separatism, the legacy of Pierre Trudeau and a system that we theoretically could change, but practically cannot. Today, Economist Jim Stanford, of the Centre For Future Work, welcomes you to the world of Canadian energy policy! Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us [hello.elbowsup@gmail.com]: hello.cancon@gmail.com.

Midseason update: Surveillance pricing, listener feedback and more

This week we're checking in with the audience on the first few months of CanCon, discussing episodes we did or didn't (yet!) create, reading some of your feedback and getting a feel for where we're at before we dive back in to another few months of Canadian stories. If you haven't yet, don't forget to let us know what you think, and what you'd like us to cover. And thanks, as always, for listening. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us [hello.elbowsup@gmail.com]: hello.cancon@gmail.com.

The emotional side of the Canadian housing crisis

A roof over one's head has been a necessity of life since we lived in caves. But when that roof also represents Canada's class struggle, our income inequality issues and potentially the owner's entire retirement portfolio...things get complicated. More than half of young Canadians don't expect they'll ever own a home. There are millions of Canadians right now who own their homes thanks to privilege, timing, relationships and...just plain ol' luck. Some of those lucky Canadians, including Cancon's host and today's guest, look around and see the generations following them stuck in shoebox apartments with no hope of qualifying for a mortgage and feel guilty for owning their homes. Not enough to do much about it, mind you, but still, guilty. Are we part of the problem? Today we unpack the complicated dynamics of home ownership, at a time when a human right has become an investment strategy. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us [hello.elbowsup@gmail.com]: hello.cancon@gmail.com.

What is YouTube 'Slopaganda'? And why is it pushing Alberta separation?

In recent weeks, dozens of videos pushing Alberta separation (and frequently US annexation) have driven tens of millions of views on YouTube. But there's a problem. All these videos and accounts are remarkably similar, and to someone who actually knows the province, there are signs the people making them ... do not. Who's behind these videos and what's their goal? To truly drive an independent Alberta, or to sow division during a tumultuous political time for Canada? How do they manage to pump out so many, and why do they drive so much engagement? And most importantly, what do Canadians need to know about who's messing with our political discussions? We invited Alex Boyd, a Calgary-based reporter on the Toronto Star's investigations team, to join us to take the temperature on the Alberta separatist movement, break down a study of these videos and explain what and who might be behind them. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us [hello.elbowsup@gmail.com]: hello.cancon@gmail.com.

When music went digital Canada was at the front of the line. What happened?

In the late '90s and early '00s, the music industry fundamentally changed. Within a decade, fans went from buying CDs in a local music store to purchasing $0.99 singles on iTunes. But before iTunes was available in Canada, and before the US giants took over the industry, Canadian startups were at the front of the pack. In this episode, we reminisce on a very strange and transformative time in media--you might remember the first CD you ever bought, but you probably don't remember the last one. We speak to Cam Gordon, author of Track Changes: The Origin Story of Canadian Music on the Internet [https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000559255776/Cam-Gordon-Track-Changes], about Maple Music and Puretracks. And if you were a Canadian music fan in the early '00s ... you might know what we're talking about. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us [hello.elbowsup@gmail.com]: hello.cancon@gmail.com.