Best RĀNJ Podcasts (2025)

1
Leveling the Playing Field: What Holds Back Indigenous Businesses 33:50

9d ago33:50

33:50

Indigenous businesses are now being launched at up to nine times the rate of non-Indigenous businesses.In this episode of Futureproofing Canada, Jennifer is joined by Tabatha Bull, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, for a conversation about the growing momentum of Indigenous-led businesses in Canada. Together they ta…

1
Why Inuit Self-Determination Is Key to Canada's Future 56:49

22d ago56:49

56:49

In this episode, Jennifer is joined by Natan Obed, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, for a wide-ranging conversation on Inuit self-determination, infrastructure, and Canada’s future in the Arctic.Originally from Nunatsiavut, Obed has become one of the leading voices advocating for Inuit rights and equity within Canadian society. He shares his j…

1
Canada’s Cities Are Doing Too Much With Too Little — Here’s Why That Matters 37:15

1M ago37:15

37:15

Canada’s Cities Are Doing Too Much With Too Little — Here’s Why That Matters by IRPPBy IRPP

1
Tariffs, Steel, and the Future of Canada's Economy, a Conversation with Matthew Shoemaker 37:12

2M ago37:12

37:12

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, is an important industrial centre best known for its steel industry. But that industry is currently being threatened by the tariffs on steel and aluminium announced by the Trump administration.Our guest today is Matthew Shoemaker, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie. Mayor Shoemaker is lobbying hard across the border to change a si…

1
Ranj Pillai on Sovereignty and Strategy in the Arctic - Futureproofing Canada 01 41:29

2M ago41:29

41:29

In our first episode, Jennifer is joined by Ranj Pillai, Premier of Yukon, for a conversation about what it means to build economic resilience in the North.Premier Pillai speaks about Yukon’s response to global tensions and economic uncertainty, emphasizing infrastructure investment to support major investments in critical mineral projects. He unde…

1
PO Podcast 169 - What is the strategic long game for Canada-U.S. relations? 1:34:59

3M ago1:34:59

1:34:59

This week, we’re once again brining you the audio from one of our most recent event. This time it’s from a webinar on Canada-U.S. relations that we held on March 5, 2025. The second Trump administration is turning into an unsettling roller-coaster ride, and Canadians can’t seem to get off. Every day seems to bring a new set of goalposts, demands an…

1
PO Podcast 168 - Affordability and Climate: Addressing Intertwined Challenges in Politics Today 1:19:56

3M ago1:19:56

1:19:56

As a new U.S. administration keeps threatening to impose tariffs on Canadian exports, the IRPP hosted a panel discussion on how to address the intersecting affordability and climate crises.Hosted in partnership with the Affordability Action Council, the panel featured Tyler Meredith, a former economic policy adviser to the Liberal government, Kathl…

1
The Future of Community Housing - Demystifying Community Housing 05 1:04:35

12M ago1:04:35

1:04:35

On this last episode in this series, our co-hosts Hanan Ali and Natasha Mhuriro talked to four guests. Djaka Blais, Executive Director of Hogan’s Alley Society; Robert Byers, President & C-E-O of Namerind Housing Corporation; Joshua Evans, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta. and Franz Bernhardt, Postdoctoral Researcher at Aalborg Univ…

1
Resilience and Challenges of the Community Housing Sector - Demystifying Community Housing 04 59:55

1y ago59:55

59:55

In this episode of Demystifying Community Housing, we hear from Alex Hemingway, Christina Maes Nino and Steve Pomeroy, on the various challenges facing the community housing sector and how to bolster its resilience.Additional resources:• Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative (CHEC), a network of more than 30 academics and more than 50 practice pa…

1
Why Do We Need Community Housing? - Demystifying Community Housing 03 53:19

1y ago53:19

53:19

In this episode of Demystifying Community Housing, Hanan Ali and Natasha speak with Damian Collins, Professor of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta and Director of the Community Housing Canada Research Partnership, Marika Albert, the Policy Director of B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association and Alex Hemingway a Senior Economist …

1
Life in Community Housing - Demystifying Community Housing 02 1:01:05

1y ago1:01:05

1:01:05

In this episode of Demystifying Community Housing we hear from AnaLori Smith, Pam Gill and Rita Wong about what it’s like to live in community housing. We’ll also talk to non-profit housing practitioners Marika Albert and William Azaroff about the challenges of operating community housing and supporting the well-being of their tenants.…

1
What is Community Housing? - Demystifying Community Housing 01 1:01:56

1y ago1:01:56

1:01:56

In this episode of Demystifying Community Housing, co-hosts Hanan Ali and Natasha Mhuriro speak with Rebecca Schiff, dean of the Faculty of Human Health Sciences at the University of Northern British Columbia; Ray Sullivan, executive director of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association; and David Hulchanski, a professor in the Faculty of Social…

1
Welcome to Demystifying Community Housing 32:18

1y ago32:18

32:18

Welcome to Demystifying Community Housing, a special series from the IRPP’s Policy Options Podcast, which explores the different facets of community housing and its role in addressing Canada’s housing crisis.In this episode, we speak with Yushu Zhu and Meg Holden, professors of urban studies at Simon Fraser University, who are leading the productio…

1
PO Podcast 167 - Addressing Ecological Risks (Institutions for Effective Climate Action conference) 1:01:14

1y ago1:01:14

1:01:14

PO Podcast 167 - Addressing Ecological Risks (Institutions for Effective Climate Action conference) by IRPPBy IRPP

1
PO Podcast 166 - Climate Change in the North 34:39

1+ y ago34:39

34:39

PO Podcast 166 - Climate Change in the North by IRPPBy IRPP

1
PO Podcast 165 - An Interview between Jennifer Ditchburn and Kim Pate 23:43

1+ y ago23:43

23:43

It is undeniable that poverty and income inequality are two of Canada’s most pressing issues. But it is less clear what policy solutions need to be enacted to address these problems.In response to these challenges, some policy practitioners have called for the implementation of an unconditional Basic Income that would be accessible to all Canadians…

1
PO Podcast 164 - An all-in approach to solving Canada’s affordability and climate crises 1:16:14

1+ y ago1:16:14

1:16:14

Affordability and climate are compounding, overlapping crises — and people are struggling through them both at the same time. Individuals across Canada are tired of making trade-offs because, when it comes to life’s necessities — housing, food, transportation and a sustainable climate — there should be none.Solutions that ignore the full picture ar…

1
The history of colonialism and slavery still impacts Black people in Canada by Fauzya Moore 9:23

1+ y ago9:23

9:23

To move beyond this long legacy, federal and provincial governments need to focus on educating Canadians about Black history.By IRPP

1
Le Québec encore seul dans sa défense des pouvoirs provinciaux par Charles Breton 7:58

1+ y ago7:58

7:58

En se privant d’un milliard cette année pour défendre sa compétence en santé, le Québec se retrouve une fois de plus dans le rôle de gardien du fédéralisme.By IRPP

1
Quebec’s move to force teaching French at McGill and Concordia could have dire consequences 4:57

1+ y ago4:57

4:57

Without additional funds, the move could lead to reduced course choice and the replacement of specialists with French teachers, harming the quality of education.By IRPP

1
Social Inequality, with Joe Soss - In/Equality 15 43:33

1+ y ago43:33

43:33

Social inequalities have shown no sign of receding in Canada or worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the persistence of deep-seated inequalities along racialized and gendered lines. Meanwhile, the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice has called into question the weight that power and privilege continue to hold i…

1
Financial Inequality, with John Peters - In/Equality 14 46:41

1+ y ago46:41

46:41

Well over a decade after the Occupy Wall Street protests, costs of living are still dramatically outpacing wages. The gap between the 99% and the 1% is wider than ever. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, but why?In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with John Peters, Associate Professor and Research Fe…

1
Inequality and Anti-Black Racism, with Craig Wellington - In/Equality 13 44:00

1+ y ago44:00

44:00

Following the 2020 uprisings after the murder of George Floyd, many institutions committed to major changes to address systemic racism. In response to this mass movement for racial justice, a suite of policies and initiatives were announced to address the historical legacy and ongoing impact of anti-Black racism.In this episode of In/Equality, host…

1
Inequality and Housing Access, with Yushu Zhu - In/Equality 12 48:28

1+ y ago48:28

48:28

Housing affordability has become one of the most talked-about problems of Canadian life. Housing prices have been rapidly rising ,and rent – per many renters – is too damn high. In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Yushu Zhu, assistant professor at Simon Fraser University, who studies housing stratification. What does hou…

1
Inequality and Rural Communities, with William Reimer - In/Equality 11 54:49

1+ y ago54:49

54:49

Seventy-four per cent of Canadians live in cities of over 100,000 people, according to the 2021 census. What does that mean for those living in rural and remote areas? How do we ensure rural Canadians have access to high-quality services?In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Bill Reimer, professor emeritus of sociology and…

1
Inequality and Food Insecurity, with Valerie Tarasuk - In/Equality 10 54:09

1+ y ago54:09

54:09

In Canada, 1.4 million children live in food-insecure households. Despite being an affluent country, Canada has chronic food insecurity, and the problem is worsening.In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Valerie Tarasuk professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and an expert on food i…

1
Inequality and Health-Care Bias, with Javeed Sukhera - In/Equality 09 39:33

1+ y ago39:33

39:33

Addressing bias in health-care provision is difficult because the professionals are extremely defensive when confronted with the reality of bias.In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with psychiatrist and researcher Javeed Sukhera of the Institute of Living in Hartford, CT, and the Hartford Hospital about his research and teach…

1
Inequality and Environmental Racism, with Ingrid Waldron - In/Equality 08 39:15

2y ago39:15

39:15

Discussions around climate change sometimes portray the climate crisis as a phenomenon that impacts all people equally. But this framing neglects the fact that accelerating climate change disproportionately affects marginalized and vulnerable communities, in particular Black and Indigenous communities, in Canada and on a global scale.In this episod…

1
PO Podcast 163 - Basic Income and a Just Society: Policy Choices for Canada’s Social Safety Net 45:41

2y ago45:41

45:41

Calls for a guaranteed basic income have strengthened during the pandemic, as proponents of the policy have argued that a basic income is a simple and effective way to reduce poverty. A new IRPP book, Basic Income and a Just Society: Policy Choices for Canada’s Social Safety Net, analyzes the arguments advanced by proponents of a basic income. The …

1
PO Podcast 162 - Building an adaptable country 31:49

2y ago31:49

31:49

From June 12 to 14, 2023, the Institute on Governance (IOG) and the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian Federation at the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP) partenered to convene Resilient Institutions: Learning from Canada’s COVID-19 Pandemic – a conference on making public institutions and governance more agile.As the experience of t…

1
PO Podcast 161 - What the Alberta election means for Canada 57:03

2y ago57:03

57:03

What do the results of the 2023 Alberta election mean for the future of the province? What consequences will the election have for the province’s relations with Ottawa, with other provinces, and with First Nations? Tune into this panel discussion, moderated by the IRPP’s Charles Breton, executive director of the Centre of Excellence on the Canadian…

1
Inequality and Settler Colonialism, with Pamela Palmater - In/Equality 07 43:22

2y ago43:22

43:22

It is impossible to think about inequality in Canada without an understanding of Canada’s settler colonial reality. Public conversations about settler colonialism and the inequalities it imposes on Indigenous Peoples have changed over the last decade thanks to the work of Indigenous activists and leaders.In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra T…

1
Inequality and Disability Justice, with Michael Orsini - In/Equality 06 37:51

2y ago37:51

37:51

Various orders of government and institutions like universities develop policies for disabled people. How often are disabled people brought into the process of policymaking?In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Michael Orsini, a Professor of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa and a critical disability scholar. T…

1
Inequality and Child Care, with Adrienne Davidson - In/Equality 05 51:01

2y ago51:01

51:01

Childcare has been entering and exiting the Canadian political agenda since the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in 1970. Now, Canada is entering a new period on child-care policy.In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Adrienne Davidson, Assistant Professor of Political Science at McMaster University. Beginning with …

1
Inequality and Homelessness, with Alison Smith - In/Equality 04 44:45

2y ago44:45

44:45

Canada has seen major changes in social housing policy since the 1990s. How has this shift impacted homelessness?In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Alison Smith, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto and the author of Multiple Barriers: The Multilevel Governance of Homelessness in Canada.…

1
Inequality and Redistribution, with Keith Banting - In/Equality 03 46:26

2y ago46:26

46:26

Economic inequality in Canada and other developed countries has been rising since the 1980s. Along with this trend, Canada has seen a withering of redistributive policies and major changes in the way we talk about poverty.In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Keith Banting, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Queen’…

1
Inequality and Criminal Justice, with Akwasi Owusu-Bempah - In/Equality 02 41:34

2y ago41:34

41:34

Black Canadians are more likely to be targeted by police for stop and search, and more likely to be incarcerated. In this episode of In/Equality, host Debra Thompson speaks with Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto, where he is a leading scholar of race and Canada’s criminal justice system. How does rac…

1
Welcome to In/Equality, with Debra Thompson and Jennifer Ditchburn - In/Equality 01 22:45

2y ago22:45

22:45

Welcome to In/Equality! In this new series from the Policy Options Podcast, we explore various aspects of inequality with experts from political science, criminology, history, and other disciplines. We will hear from researchers about the latest research on economic inequality, racial inequality, disability justice, rural-urban divides, and more.In…

1
PO Podcast 160 - Health Care and Federalism 54:15

2y ago54:15

54:15

In this episode, our series on federalism turns to one of the most contentious issues in Canada these days: healthcare. We go back to first principles to understand how federalism influences the way we approach healthcare in Canada. We also ask what makes an effective healthcare system? And how does federalism complicate or help that dynamic? What …

1
PO Podcast 159 - The Role of Municipalities in Federalism 1:06:41

2+ y ago1:06:41

1:06:41

How do municipalities fit into Canada’s federal structure? How do cities manage policy aims with limited revenue-raising powers. On this episode of the podcast, we explore the relationship between municipal and federal, provincial and territorial governments. Moderated by Tomas Hachard, independent researcher, author and former manager programmes a…

1
PO Podcast 158 - Federalism Structures and Relationships with Indigenous Peoples 1:13:24

2+ y ago1:13:24

1:13:24

This episode of the podcast explores how federalism interacts with Indigenous governance. Moderated by Danielle White, Assistant Deputy Minister of Strategic Policy and Partnerships and ISC Evaluation, the conversation features Darcy Gray, Former Chief of Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation, Catherine MacQuarrie, Fellow at Carleton University’s School of…

1
PO Podcast 157 - Employment Insurance Reform: Where Can Canada Go? 24:26

2+ y ago24:26

24:26

The federal government is expected to announce major changes to the Employment Insurance system – the first major update since the 1990s. The IRPP released a report and a set of policy recommendations on how Canada should reform the EI system.In this episode of the podcast, IRPP Digital Engagement Officer Nesi Altaras speaks to our lead researchers…

1
PO Podcast 156 - Building the Federation: Infrastructure within Federalism 52:42

2+ y ago52:42

52:42

Building and maintaining infrastructure requires lots of funds, and often, it’s not clear who will be responsible. It’s a classic problem in federalism: who will fund what? This episode of the podcast explores how the structural characteristics of federalism impact Canada’s economic development and infrastructure. We’ll look at topics like the fund…

1
PO Podcast 155 - Public policy in Canada from an Indigenous perspective 41:49

2+ y ago41:49

41:49

What does it mean to be a status Indian in Canada? Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii), a professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and a member of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, answered this seemingly straightforward question in his keynote speech at our 50th anniversary gala. Explaining the processes of losing and gaining status in his fam…

1
PO Podcast 154 - The Fundamentals of Fiscal Federalism 1:06:21

2+ y ago1:06:21

1:06:21

Debates around fiscal arrangements are always at the heart of federal-provincial relations in Canada. These days, health care funding and the Canada Health Transfer are even front-page news. Just a few months ago, equalization and Alberta’s demand for a fair deal that were making waves. In this episode, we do a deep dive into fiscal federalism: the…

1
PO Podcast 153 - Rapid changes and transformations: The future of Canada’s energy transition 38:54

2+ y ago38:54

38:54

Countries around the world are increasing their ambition on climate policy, and low-carbon technologies across a range of sectors are reaching maturity. This is creating the conditions for rapid change in the energy system and, as a major producer and exporter, Canada will be particularly impacted. Policy-makers must prepare for a period of volatil…

1
PO Podcast 152 - Why federalism matters 46:35

2+ y ago46:35

46:35

Tensions within a federation are a frequent, normal occurrence. In Canada, one only has to think about recurrent debates over health care funding to equalization payments.But recently, Canadian federalism has been experiencing more tension than usual. Alberta’s new premier is proposing a Sovereignty Act, Saskatchewan’s premier expressed a desire fo…

1
PO Podcast 151 - Lessons for Adult Education in Canada from the Past and New Zealand 30:50

2+ y ago30:50

30:50

Adult education provides skills development opportunities to help Canadians find better jobs and improve well-being. Yet it remains a “poor cousin” of compulsory and higher education, disconnected from social policy and the education system at large, with its learners and teachers stigmatized.In this episode of the PO Podcast, UBC Education Profess…

1
PO Podcast 150 - The puzzling persistence of racial inequality in Canada 37:57

3y ago37:57

37:57

In June 2022, we organized a special lecture at the McCord Museum in Montreal. This is a recording of the lecture Queen’s University Professor Emeritus Keith Banting and McGill University Professor Debra Thompson delivered.They explore why Canada’s robust welfare state – which includes universal health care and myriad employment and training progra…

1
PO Podcast 149 - Is Journalism Under Siege? 34:26

3y ago34:26

34:26

In this special crossover episode with the Humans, on Rights podcast, Policy Options copyeditor and contributor Shannon Sampert, a political analyst and media specialist, speaks to host Stuart Murray about her career in journalism and the intersections of media, politics, and gender. From covering high school sports as a teenager to critiquing repo…

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