COMMONS
COMMONS is a documentary podcast that proves Canada is anything but boring. Each season, host Arshy Mann guides you through the country’s dark underbelly, bringing you stories about crime, corruption and all manner of misdeeds.
Episodes
Introducing: What Is Happening Here (Official Trailer)
Some say Canada is currently in the throes of a horrible surge of anti-Jew hatred. Others say that anti-zionism is being conflated with antisemitism.So which is it? And who is to blame for it — activists, or Israel?What is Happening Here is a co-production of Canadaland and The Canadian Jewish News. Listen to the first two episodes wherever you get your podcasts.Become a Canadaland supporter
We're in the Fight of Our Lives
Canadaland covers Canada, period.If there was ever a time to support Canadian news, it’s now. Go to canadaland.com/join and become a supporter today. Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor & Technical Producer), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Introducing: The Copernic Affair
The Copernic Affair is available now, wherever you get your podcasts.The life of an unassuming sociology professor in Canada gets turned upside down when he is accused of carrying out a 1980 bomb attack on a synagogue in Paris. Hassan Diab says heʼs innocent, but French investigators are determined to prove otherwise.Journalists Dana Ballout and Alex Atack take listeners through the twists and tur
The Last COMMONS Ever / Introducing: The Hatchet
COMMONS is coming to an end after six years, with a final investigation available on the CANADALAND feed. Publisher Jesse Brown sits down with COMMONS host Arshy Mann to discuss the new episode, and to help introduce Arshy’s new venture, The Hatchet. Host: Arshy MannCredits: Jordan Cornish (Producer, Mixing & Mastering), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (production
Introducing The Worst Podcast
Canadaland has launched its first ever celebrity interview podcast and it’s not great. It’s The Worst Podcast.Celebrities are always talking about their bests. Now hear them at their worst.Join award-winning filmmaker and noted curmudgeon Alan Zweig for refreshingly honest conversations with “notable people” about the worst things in life.Alan has no interest in best-selling books or Hollywood tri
Inside Kabul Ep. 9 - June: Meeting with Marwa
After months of trading voice memos and messages, Caroline meets Marwa in person in Germany. They talk about the choices they have made, the lessons they have learned, and long for a reunion with Raha. By Caroline Gillet with Marwa and Raha. The original podcast broadcast on France INTER / RADIO FRANCE © RADIO FRANCE. Canadaland is proud to premiere the English-language adaptation of th
Inside Kabul Ep. 8 - May: “Wish me luck”
It has been ten months since the arrival of the Taliban. Marwa takes the steps to settle in Germany and takes a step back from her country, its traditions and its history. It is the first time she has been in Europe, and everything in Germany surprises her.In Afghanistan, the Taliban impose full veils on women. Raha is more and more desperate, and plots her escape.By Caroline Gillet with Marwa and
Inside Kabul Ep. 7 - April/May: New Spaces
Marwa arrives in Germany and everything surprises her. Raha sends the terrifying sounds of the end of Ramadan. She is increasingly cooped up and angry in Kabul, but she manages to send gifts from there.It always gets harder to talk to Raha. Caroline Gillet doesn't know if it's because of the power cuts, or if Raha can no longer find how to say what she's going through.The end of Ramadan is determi
Inside Kabul Ep. 6 - April: First Ramadan in Kabul
We arrive in April, and it has been eight months since Marwa and Raha began talking about their daily lives with reporter Caroline Gillet. Raha is in Kabul, Marwa in a refugee camp in Abu Dhabi. They say that documenting what they are experiencing and sharing helps to compensate for the immobility.The economic situation in Afghanistan is dramatic following the freezing of international aid which f
Inside Kabul Ep. 5 - February: Revolt Before Zombieland
Revolt in all its forms – hidden or revealed – is unfolding in Kabul and in the Abu Dhabi camp.From the start, Caroline Gillet asks Marwa and Raha questions, and they answer. Or they send her sounds, or photos, when they want to share something. The reporter never knows what she will discover when she opens a voice note.Sometimes there are long minutes of ambience, or short messages for practical
Inside Kabul Ep. 4 - December/January: "Vampire Diaries"
With the media’s attention turned away from Afghanistan and snow beginning to fall, Raha and Marwa continue to endure the daily realities of their new lives – finding simple pleasures that help them get through the day.While Raha finally finds a new job opportunity and a glimmer of hope, Marwa begins to go out at night in the camp and creates a new family to help her quench her desire for home.By
Inside Kabul Ep. 3 - October: Take Back Control
It has been three months since the Taliban returned to power. Raha and Marwa regularly receive reminders from Instagram of what their lives used to be – at a birthday, at a party, surrounded by friends. They send screenshots with their voice notes to Caroline Gillet.For Caroline, she sees evidence of daily lives that had been so much closer to her own than she would have imagined. The images
Inside Kabul Ep. 2 - September: Relearning Everyday Life
Marwa and Raha are relearning daily life.Raha seeks comfort in anything that has not changed since the arrival of the Taliban, in the few dwindling spaces of freedom that remain.While Marwa discovers new things in the Abu Dhabi refugee camp.By Caroline Gillet with Marwa and Raha. The original podcast broadcast on France INTER / RADIO FRANCE © RADIO FRANCE. Canadaland is proud to premiere the Engli
Inside Kabul Ep. 1 - August: stay or go?
INSIDE KABUL is a multi-award winning series by journalist Caroline Gillet that follows the daily life of two young Afghan women, Marwa and Raha. Both have been recording their daily lives since the arrival of the Taliban in August 2021. Should they stay? Leave? And when they leave, what does exile look like?Raha and Marwa record voice notes on their phones each day which they send to Caroline in
WORK 16 - Boss Fight
The video game industry, like much of the tech, has been resistant to unionization for a very long time. But like so many other white-collar businesses, video game studios are built on the backs of thousands of exploited, low-paid workers. This is the story of Canada’s first-ever video game union. And the lengths that the industry went to try to stop it in its tracks. Featured in this ep
WORK 15 - Canada’s New Underclass
The huge rise in international students in Canada — most of them from Punjab, India — has become one of the biggest stories in the country. But most media outlets and political parties have framed it entirely as a housing issue. They’re missing the point. This is a story about the creation of a new, racialized underclass to do all of the work we don’t want to do. And it’s about the human
WORK 14 - The Colossus of Roads
Earla Phillips has almost 16,000 Uber rides under her belt. But over the last few years, she’s been trying to hold Uber, one of the most powerful tech companies in the world, to account.Earla is a leader in a growing movement of gig workers who are trying to reclaim the basic labour rights that have been stripped from them.She expected to face opposition from tech companies and governments that ar
Introducing A Field Guide to Gay Animals
Today we’re sharing an episode of the newest show on the network, A Field Guide to Gay Animals.A Field Guide to Gay Animals explores sexuality, gender, and joy in the animal world. Animal enthusiasts Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson take us on a quest to see beyond the natural world as we know it and into the natural world as it is: queer as f*ck.Cheeky and contemplative, curious and raunchy, F
WORK 13 - Flying Under the Radar
Mandalena Lewis is one of far too many flight attendants who have been harassed or assaulted on the job. And her story is just one example of a culture of sexism and abuse that she alleges pervades the airline industry.But it’s not just airlines. So many workers, especially in female-dominated professions like nursing, education or food service, have to endure similar demeaning and violent treatme
WORK 12 - The Crucible of Confinement
In 2006, Zakaria Amara was arrested and imprisoned for planning what could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in Canadian history. A ringleader of the so-called “Toronto 18,” he’s one of the most infamous Canadian convicts of the last few decades. But this won’t be an episode about the Toronto 18 terror plot. This is about what happened to one of the ringleaders after that plot was
WORK 11 - The Way the Music Died
♩♪ A long, long time ago, I can still rememberHow the music used to pay my billsI knew that if I got my breakThat I could be as big as DrakeAnd then I could stop shopping at No Frills ♩♪♩♪ But Spotify, it’s nearly killed usTicketmaster’s ground us to dustThe companies got too largeNow monopolies are in charge ♩♪♩♪ And the record labels I fear the mostHave all just merged and so now we’re toastDon’
WORK 10 - Prison Labour Industrial Complex
Prison labour is largely invisible in Canada. Most prisoners who work do institutional upkeep, the kind of cleaning, cooking and maintenance that’s required to keep a prison running.But then there are prison industries. Not only do Canadian prisoners work for for-profit businesses, but they’re sometimes doing dangerous and nauseating work around. Featured in this episode: Calvin NeufeldTo lea
WORK 9 - Working Behind Bars
All labour exists on a spectrum, ranging from enslavement at one pole, to fully, freely given on the other.And, in Canada, at the most extreme end of that spectrum are prison labourers. Incarcerated people have few rights and fewer options when it comes to their working lives.If we want to truly understand our criminal justice system and Canadian labour, we need to examine how prisoners work.Featu
Introducing Pretendians
Today we’re sharing with you a preview of the first episode of Canadaland’s newest show Pretendians.What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous. From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be Indigenous in the interest of power, money, and status. There ar
WORK 8 - Make and Break Harbour
In Newfoundland and Labrador, fishing is more than just an industry or a job. It truly is a way of life. It’s at the core of what has made this place what it is.Today, as fishers leave the industry in droves, all of that is at risk of dying.But is it even worth it to try to keep all of that alive? After all, there’s plenty of ways to make a living. And what kind of future is in store for the peopl
WORK 7 - Merchants of the Rock
The cod collapse is a harbinger of the many environmental disasters we’re about to face. But what happens to workers in the aftermath of that kind of catastrophe? In Newfoundland and Labrador, monopolistic corporations took advantage.The history of the Atlantic fishery can be understood as a power struggle between fishermen and merchants. And the merchants are winning.Featured in this episode
WORK 6 - Emptying an Ocean
The closure of the cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador was the most devastating mass layoff in Canadian history. And its impacts are still being felt to this day.The collapse of Newfoundland cod is a story of man-made environmental calamity that turned into economic devastation. It’s a story of a government ignoring the knowledge of working people, in favour of the so-called expertise of indu
WORK 5 - The Westray Disaster
This episode was originally published on November 24, 2021. Twenty-six men were working underground when an explosion tore through the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia. Their friends and colleagues went into the wreckage to try to save them.The story of Westray is one of managerial malice and the heroism of everyday people. But why is it that governments let this happen over and over again, at the
WORK 4 - Reaping the Whirlwind
Migrant farm workers are the backbone of Canada’s agricultural economy. But because they can be fired and deported at will, their voices are rarely ever heard in this country.But Gabriel Allahdua is one of the few who can now speak up. And the story he has to tell is startling.It’s a story of racism and labour exploitation that goes back decades, even centuries. And it’s a prophecy of what is to c
WORK 3 - Bitter Harvest
The creation of the Canadian Farmworkers Union, as it would come to be called, was the first step in a struggle that continues to this day.Because even now, farmworkers have far fewer rights than almost any other class of worker. And even today, the men and women who grow our food are subject to horrific working conditions and racial discrimination.But to understand why the situation remains so ba
WORK 2 - State of Emergency Rooms
Across Canada, emergency rooms have been shutting down, leaving desperate people in the lurch. And at the heart of this health care crisis, is a labour crisis.Nurses are leaving their jobs in droves, leaving hospitals understaffed and sometimes unable to carry out their most basic obligations.In this episode, we'll tell you how nursing went from a profession hailed as heroic to one in an utter sta
WORK 1 - The War on Workers
Labour has undergone a seismic shift over the past decade. The rise of gig work and temp agencies have made employment more precarious than ever. In the interest of profits, companies are turning more and more towards temporary foreign workers and international students for minimum wage jobs. And even for those with seemingly secure employment, wages and benefits continue to be squeezed. 
Introducing our new season… Work
Labour has undergone a seismic shift over the past decade. The rise of gig work and temp agencies have made employment more precarious than ever. In the interest of profits, companies are turning more and more towards temporary foreign workers and international students for minimum wage jobs. And even for those with seemingly secure employment, wages and benefits continue to be squeezed. 
Bonus - Everybody Loves Romana
In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Noor Azrieh sits down with Peter Smith to discuss his reporting on right-wing conspiracy groups like Qanon and Romana Didulo.Featured in this episode: Peter SmithTo learn more:“Lead in the head”: Self-Declared Canadian Prime Minister and QAnon Adherent Calls for Executions of Officials Who Refuse Her Cease and Desists” by Peter Smith in The Canadian Anti-Hat
CANADALAND #914 Stock Buybacks: How Grocers Eat Themselves
This episode was originally published on August 28th, 2023. Listen to Monopoly 1 - Lost in the Supermarket and Monopoly 17 - Food FightIn the past several years, Loblaws, Metro and Empire have spent billions on their own stock – And at a time of food price inflation and grocery workers on strike. Why are they doing it? And why do some economists say stock buybacks should be abolished?&nb
CULTS 10 - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fandom
We live in a world of obsessive fandoms. The Stans, Swifties, Potterheads, Beliebers, Trekkies, Bronies, Barbs and their ilk are everywhere to be found.But at what point does it go from being harmless entertainment and turn into something more sinister?Featured in this episode: Zoe Alderton, Robert LawsonTo learn more:“‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter F
CULTS 9 - Romana’s Reign
Romana Didulo, the self-proclaimed Queen of Canada, is unlike almost any other cult leader Canada has ever seen. In an incredibly short amount of time, she’s been able to gain a mass following, despite her absurd claims and alarming rhetoric.At various points, she’s claimed to be a political leader, a monarch, an interdimensional being communing with aliens, and so much more. She’s urged her follo
CULTS 8 - The Eye of the Pyramid
Multi-level marketing isn’t based on rational business logic. It’s not even built on irrational business logic. It’s ideology. It’s faith.MLMs have become such a ubiquitous part of North American life that their tenets are rarely ever questioned. The sector holds enormous political sway. Millions of people join, leave and rejoin every year, almost all of them ending up poorer for the experience.An
CULTS 7 - Hey #Bossbabe!
Nearly 1.4 million Canadians and almost 50 million Americans are involved in multi-level marketing. And that sheer volume of people makes it a near certainty that you’ve encountered MLMs in your life somehow.The promise of financial freedom can be an intoxicating lure. But MLMs, like so many other cultish enterprises, are about more than just money. They’re about transcendence.And in their wake, t
CULTS 6 - Being a Blackmore
Mary-Jayne Blackmore is one of the oldest children of Winston Blackmore, the most famous polygamist in Canada. For decades, her family has been the subject of intense media and legal scrutiny because of her father’s 27 wives and 150 children. Their lives have been dissected in documentaries and in court testimony.The name Blackmore has become synonymous with either faith-based persecution by
CULTS 5 - Alien Superstar
In 1973, a French motorsports journalist claimed to have been visited by a UFO that revealed to him the secret origins of humanity. For the next half-century, the man known as Raël would go on to create a new faith with tens of thousands of adherents all around the world. The media have portrayed the Raelians as not just a cult, but a strange phantasmagoria of extraterrestrials, orgies and cl
CULTS 4 - The Cult Wars
An explosion of new spiritual movements in the 1970s led to the creation of an entirely novel academic field. But right from the beginning, the discipline was riven asunder.The Cult Wars have been raging for decades. They’re fought not only in academic journals and conference seminars, but in the press, the courts and in legislative assemblies. And their battles continue to have enormous consequen
CULTS 3 - MKUltra
In the 1960s and 70s, there was a fear that cult leaders were brainwashing young people into joining their new, strange movements. But is it even possible to “brainwash” anyone?At a psychiatric hospital in Montreal, one mad scientist, with the help of the CIA, tried to find out.Featured in this episode: Alison Steel, Lisa EllenwoodTo learn more:Brainwashed by Michelle Shephard, Lisa Ellenwood &
CULTS 2 - Brother XII
The story of Brother XII still fascinates and even frightens some people in and around Nanaimo.He’s often called the Devil of De Courcy Island for good reason.Brother XII prophesied about the coming apocalypse. But instead, his story would presage something different. He was a forerunner of the strange, new religions that would sweep over the western world.Featured in this episode: Bill Miner, Jus
CULTS 1 - Speak in Tongues
As organized religion declines in countries like Canada, we’ve experienced an explosion of what some call religious movements and what others call cults.The idea of cults has become an omnipresent part of our discourse. But what even is a cult? And why have we become so intrigued by these groups?And the language of cults has moved beyond just religion into so many different spheres — everything fr
Introducing our new season… Cults
The word cult gets tossed around a lot. The label gets applied to everything from doomsday religions, to wellness fads, to online conspiracies.Uncovering the stories of both devotees and dissenters, this season of COMMONS will go beyond the true crime cliches and will make you question everything you thought you knew about cults.Our new season launches on October 18th.Canadaland Supporters ca
Bonus - Game Misconduct
In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with Jashvina Shah to talk about her book, Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It. Featured in this episode: Jashvina ShahTo learn more:Game Misconduct Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It by Evan F. Moore and Jashvina Shah“No, this is not a watershed moment for hockey” by Jashvina Shah in The Globe and Ma
Bonus - Overtime
In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with host Arshy Mann to discuss our recent season on hockey. If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll b
HOCKEY 7 - Blood on the Ice
Derek Boogaard made his living pummeling people on the ice. But outside the arena, he was soft-spoken and kind.Fighting was just his job. But it would end up taking everything from him.Hockey fights, and the numerous blows to the head that players have to endure, have become a moral crisis at the very heart of the sport. And the NHL is doing everything they can to deny the science and allow this g
HOCKEY 6 - The Problem Hockey Won’t Name
The Hockey Canada scandal has become one of the biggest stories in the country. And now, hockey appears to be in the middle of a reckoning. But this isn’t the first time. There was another moment, just like this one.Back then, people tried to warn the hockey world — they were ignored. And even today, the sport won’t name the very specific issue they face. Hockey has a gang rape problem.
HOCKEY 5 - The Boys from Brampton
Mike Danton was playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the St. Louis Blues. And at the same time, he was trying to hire a hitman to kill his agent, David Frost.Danton’s arrest and conviction would become one of the biggest hockey scandals of all time. But this is not just some salacious true crime story. It’s an extreme example of everything that’s wrong with hockey culture; hazing and abuse
HOCKEY 4 - The Lonely End of the Rink
Justin Davis was never a superstar. He was a journeyman player, one of tens of thousands, chasing the dream. And at almost every step, when hockey gave him something, it would also take something away.Hockey exacts a heavy toll on many boys and young men — on their minds and their bodies. And then they’re told not to talk about any of it outside the locker room.It’s enough to make you ask the ques
HOCKEY 3 - Iced Out
The NHL likes to call Willie O’Ree the Jackie Robinson of hockey. And no one can deny how significant it was when he became the first Black player on the ice in an NHL game in 1958. But what the league doesn’t like to talk about is what happened next. Because after O’Ree, the NHL didn’t admit another black player for sixteen years. So did the NHL resegregate? And why don’t we talk about
HOCKEY 2 - The Birth of Black Hockey
Of the estimated 7000 people who have played in the NHL only around 100 of them have been Black. That’s an absurdly low number compared to any other major North American sports league.But what makes that statistic especially shocking is the fact that the modern game has its roots with Black players on Black teams.The Coloured Hockey League wasn’t just a sideshow to the main event of white hockey.
HOCKEY 1 - The Best Game You Can Name
Hockey is a hell of a lot of fun. But right now, the sport is going through a reckoning. Allegations of racism, corruption, sexual misconduct and so much more are rocking the game to its core.But the truth is that in Canada, hockey is more than just a sport. It’s a civic religion, with a billion dollar business attached to it.Over the next seven episodes, COMMONS will be digging into the cult of h
Introducing our new season… Hockey
Love it or hate it, hockey is inescapable in Canada. But the sport has a dark side.From violence and racism on the ice, to corruption, cover-ups and abuse off of it. In the latest season of COMMONS, host Arshy Mann and producers Jordan Cornish and Noor Azrieh will be bringing you stories from inside the cult of hockey.Our new season launches on May 24th.If you’re a Canadaland supporter, you can ge
BONUS: Cory Doctorow knows why monopolies are killing art
In the last season we sat down with Cory Doctorow, co-author of Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back, to find out how the music industry has become dominated by monopoly power. In this bonus episode, we’re bringing you Arshy’s full interview with Cory, complete with all the nitty gritty details around how and why musicians
Bonus - Do Not Pass Go
In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with host Arshy Mann to talk about the grocery CEOs testifying at Parliament, their thoughts about the Monopoly season coming to an end, and what listeners can do to make change.Sponsors: USW, Free Lunch, Gardisil If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases
Monopoly 17 - Food Fight
A Loblaws, or any other, modern-day supermarket, is many things. It’s a temple of abundance. A place where a consumer has more choice than the greatest kings, emperors and pharaohs had in their lifetimes. It’s a tech platform, tracking our every taste, transaction and even ailment.And it’s an ideological arena. Where everyday Canadians and grocery CEOs are battling over what’s to blame f
Monopoly 16 - Amazon’s Empire
The Big Tech companies have ushered in a new era of global monopoly. And the most influential, the most powerful of all of them, is Amazon.In this episode, we focus in on two of the fundamental pillars of Amazon’s dominance: its online marketplace and its cloud computing arm.And a former Amazon VP speaks out.Featured in this episode: Matt Stoller, Brad Stone (Bloomberg), Dana Mattioli (Wall Street
Monopoly 15 - Movie Monster
“I love the smell of monopoly in the morning”“Forget it, Jake, it’s Cineplex”“The competition commissioner once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti”“Life is like a box of anti-competitive cinema chains that allegedly use their 75% market share to bully their competition, limit consumer choice and charge obscene junk fees. You never know what you’re going to ge
Monopoly 14 - Where the Sidewalk Ends
Google, one of the world’s great tech monopolies, wanted to make a “smart city,” full of sensors and robots and self-driving cars.Toronto, one of the world’s most insecure cities, wanted a big tech firm to put it on the innovation map.What resulted was not exactly a match made in heaven.Featured in this episode: Josh O’Kane (Globe and Mail), Kurtis McBrideTo learn more:Sideways: The City Google Co
Monopoly 13 - The Irvings
For almost a century, the Irving family has run New Brunswick like a personal fiefdom. They own the newspapers, the industry, and, according to some, even the government. So how does a single family come to so thoroughly dominate an entire province? And what happens when that family starts to fracture and split apart at the seams?Featured in this episode: Bruce Livesey (Thieves of Bay Street).To l
Monopoly 12 - Overdrawn
Not only do the Big Five banks get away with charging exorbitant fees for basic services. Not only do they block any competitors by controlling Canada’s payment infrastructure. Not only are they totally entwined with the federal government. But the Big Five banks are about to get even bigger.Featured in this episode: Colin Deacon, Keldon Bester, Alex VroncesTo learn more“How blocked mergers f
Monopoly 11 - Flight Risk
It’s been a hard few years for Canadian air passengers. And while no one blames the airline oligopoly for COVID or winter storms, air travellers have had to put up with a lot.But Canada has consumer protections to make sure that when something goes wrong, there’s a fair process in place to make sure everyday Canadians don’t get screwed over, right? Right??!Featured in this episode: Gábor Lukács, J
Monopoly 10 - The Way the Music Died
♩♪ A long, long time ago, I can still rememberHow the music used to pay my billsI knew that if I got my breakThat I could be as big as DrakeAnd then I could stop shopping at No Frills ♩♪♩♪ But Spotify, it’s nearly killed usTicketmaster’s ground us to dustThe companies got too largeNow monopolies are in charge ♩♪♩♪ And the record labels I fear the mostHave all just merged and so now we’re toastDon’
MONOPOLY 9 - Diamonds of Attawapiskat
This episode was originally published on December 21, 2021. Attawapiskat has become famous across Canada and around the world. Not for the natural beauty that surrounds it, or for the Cree culture of the people who live there. Instead, it’s become a byword for the toxic legacy of Canadian colonialism.But while Attawapiskat faced crisis after crisis, the community was sitting on a literal diam
Monopoly 8 - Raining Cats and Dollars
When you look at your pet, you probably see an adorable furball that you’d do anything for. A private equity firm sees dollar signs.Ever so quietly, faceless, big money firms have been consolidating Canada’s veterinary clinics. And vets are just the beginning.Featured in this episode: Michael Mossop, Denise HearnTo learn more“Inside the corporate dash to buy up dentists’ offices, veterinary clinic
Trailer: COMMONS
COMMONS is a documentary podcast that proves Canada is anything but boring. Each season, host Arshy Mann guides you through the country’s dark underbelly, bringing you stories about crime, corruption and all manner of misdeeds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
CANADALAND #725 The Rogers Family Compact
This episode was originally published on November 1st, 2021. Who are the Rogers family? How did they get so powerful? Why have they turned against one another? And what does it matter? We've spent a week immersed in Rogers history to bring you this unofficial narrative of Canada's telecom overlords.Further reading:Kelly Pullen’s 2014 story in Toronto Life on the “ruthless” power struggl
Monopoly 7 - Canada’s Competition Cop
Support us at www.commonspodcast.comMatthew Boswell is the Competition Commissioner. And he's the last man trying to stand in the way of the mega-merger between Rogers and Shaw. But even he acknowledges that Canada's antitrust laws aren't just inadequate — they're weighted in favour of the monopolists.A frank discussion with Canada's top competition cop.Featured in this episode: Matthew Boswe
Monopoly 6 - The Urge to Merge
Rogers and Shaw are getting ready to tie the knot. But before they can consummate their less-than-holy union, they have to get the approval of Canada’s competition tribunal and the federal government. And even though most Canadians would find this union highly objectionable, it’s likely to be approved.Because for 150 years, Canadian politicians have been talking out of both sides of their mouths.
Monopoly 5 - Against the WIND
WIND Mobile, now known as Freedom, was a small company that tried to break through Canada’s telecom oligopoly. It did not have an easy ride. WIND faced numerous hurdles from regulators, it was subjected to dirty tricks from the telecom oligopoly, and was eventually sold to Shaw. But it also helped lower cell phone rates and brought in unlimited data and U.S. roaming, changing the wireless mar
Monopoly 4 - Teleconned
They’re the most hated companies in the country. And yet, they’re unavoidable. The telecom oligopoly seems to rule Canada’s economy with an iron fist. Canadians are paying more and more for our cell phones, cable and internet. So how was it that we ended up in this situation? And was it inevitable that things would get so bad?Featured in this episode: Ben Klass, Dwayne Winseck, Keldon Be
Monopoly 3 - The Hudson’s Bay Company
Today, it’s a department store where you might go to buy perfume or cookware. But the Hudson’s Bay Company was Canada’s first, and its most powerful, monopoly. It grew from a largely insignificant enterprise into one of the most dominant forces in North America.The story of the HBC reveals just how deeply embedded monopoly is in Canada’s very fabric. Featured in this episode: Stephen R.
Monopoly 2 - Big Milk
Some say that they’re a shadowy group that are the true power behind our elected officials, wielding enormous influence that they use to either benefit their friends or crush their enemies.Others claim that they’re a bulwark against oligopolies, ensuring that rural Canada doesn’t turn into an empty, corporatized hellscape.But what’s not up for debate is that Big Milk is a big deal.Featured in this
Monopoly 1 - Lost in the Supermarket
Canadians are being squeezed at every end. When it comes to cell phone bills, grocery bills, housing, entertainment, we’re all paying more than ever before.But a small number of companies that dominate their industries are reaping in enormous profits.This season of COMMONS we’ll be digging into all of the monopolies, oligopolies and cartels that dominate our lives. And for our first stop, we head
Introducing our new season… Monopoly
From broadband to banking to blueberries (yes, even blueberries), life in Canada is ruled by monopolies. In the latest season of COMMONS, host Arshy Mann and producers Jordan Cornish and Noor Azrieh will bring you the stories of how these monopolists bullied their way to the top, strangled their rivals, and cornered their markets with help from the government.Our new season launches on November 9t
Introducing our new series: Ratfucker
Meet David Wallace, political fixer. After decades in the game he says he’s getting out, telling all, and dumping his files in public. The result is the viral "Klondike Papers" theory of conspiracies, conservatives, and cults. But are the allegations true? And why is he really implicating himself, and so many others? A wild, true story.Series launches October 31st.Subscribe now (link). Hosted on A
WAR 8 - Who Pays the Price?
Afghanistan has endured more than four decades of almost ceaseless war. But since the Taliban takeover, Afghans have been abandoned by the global community and are now facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.What was all of this for? And is Afghanistan destined for yet another cycle of violence? Featured in this episode: Rangina Hamidi, Mohsin Amin, Stephen M. Saideman To learn more:“Americans
