In recent years, Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister, has become a contentious subject. Statues have been taken down, his name has been removed from schools and his face has been removed from the $10 bill. However, one author is pushing back against the noise. The Agenda invites author Patrice Dutil to speak on his latest book, "Si…

What is going on with the scientific research? How do product labels manipulate us? Can we trust online reviews? Timothy Caulfield dives into all of these issues in his new book: "The Certainty Illusion: What You Don't Know and Why it Matters." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.بقلم TVO | Steve Paikin

For decades in Ontario's capital city, the words Regent Park brought up images of drugs, crime, and decay. But over the past decade and a half, Regent Park has been transformed. Mitchell Cohen is president and CEO of the Daniels Corporation, which led much of the regeneration of Regent Park. He chronicles that journey in a new book called: "Rhythms…

The Ford government has been criticized recently for fast-tracking legislation and skipping the committee stage that usually includes public consultation. But is it sometimes necessary to skip steps in order to "Get It Done?" When should the public be consulted? And what does the public hearing process actually look like in this province? See omnys…

Justin Trudeau has acknowledged it was the burgeoning calls from his caucus that ultimately convinced him it was time to step down. What is his legacy as prime minister? And does his departure give the Liberals a chance to refresh the brand before the next election? We ask: Tonda MacCharles, parliamentary bureau reporter for the Toronto Star; Jeffr…

Incoming U.S. president Donald Trump likely has at least some Canadians wondering, what if we did become the 51st state? How would our lives be different? Could we maintain our distinctive and different customs? For insight into this hypothetical, we welcome Laura Dawson, executive director of the Future Borders Coalition, a self-described bi-natio…

Canada's bail system is once again being questioned following the shooting of a police officer in Ontario's capital city last fall where the accused was out on bail at the time. The Ontario government has called on the feds to get tougher on repeat offenders, while advocacy groups have raised concerns over overcrowding in provincial jails. The Agen…

In his latest book: "The Jesuit Disruptor: a Personal Portrait of Pope Francis" Michael W. Higgins offers a nuanced look at a complex pope with a simple agenda: radically reforming the Catholic Church. He is the Basilian Distinguished Fellow of Contemporary Catholic Thought at the University of Toronto's St. Michael's College. See omnystudio.com/li…

With the overthrow of the Assad government in Syria, the story of a daring diplomatic mission undertaken more than a decade-and-a-half ago can now be told. Syria and Israel have been implacable foes for more than three-quarters of a century. But in 2007, a resident of Thornhill, Ontario met secretly with Assad for two-and-a-half hours in hopes of b…

How many 16-year-olds these days love Ella Fitzgerald? Young musician Ellie Maxwell sure does. After being adopted from South Africa, Ellie now lives with her family on Manitoulin Island. She joins us in studio to share her story and to sing an original song. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Coming off a five-week national tour, country rocker Devin Cuddy joins us in studio to talk about his inspirations, his upbringing, and how he lost his writing voice and found it again. He also performs an acoustic version of "Dear Jane," the title track from his latest album. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Many Ontarians likely took lessons from the Royal Conservatory of Music as children. Alexander Brose is the new president and CEO of the Royal Conservatory, which has headquarters in Toronto. He joins us in studio to share his vision for Canada's most prominent music education institution. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

How did Pan-African thought spread through North America in the twentieth century? The proliferation of Black liberation movements is explored in a new book called "Cross-Border Cosmopolitans: The Making of a Pan-African North America" written by McGill University historian Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey (Nii Laryea Osabu I, Atrékor Wé Oblahii kè Oblay…

Howie Mooney does have a day job that has nothing to do with reporting on football and hockey, podcasting, or writing books. But the day job doesn't float this Ottawa native's boat like sports does. And so we thought we'd get him in here to tell us about a couple of his books: "Crazy Days & Wild Nights", and "The Consequences of Chance", where he i…

Christmas is just around the corner. In preparation, The Agenda invites veteran Bayview Village Santa Claus, Ken Jones to discuss how parents all over the country can prepare for one of the biggest moments of the season - their annual family photo with mall Santa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The longest-serving prime minister in the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth is Canada's very own, William Lyon Mackenzie King. This year, to celebrate 150 years of King and his legacy, The Agenda invites experts and historians to dive into his past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Over a period of 8 months, Ronnie Shuker set out to play hockey in every province and territory in Canada. The resulting book is called "The Country and The Game: 30,000 Miles of Hockey Stories". It's less a chronicle of his quest for ice time, and more of a journal about the characters he encountered at arenas, motels, bars and mancaves across Can…

There are a few reasons why the Canadian dollar is lower against its U.S. counterpart. One is a widening gap in interest rates. Another is economic performance – the U.S. is growing while Canada seems to be slowing. A lower dollar is bad news for consumers and for large parts of the economy, but some sectors do benefit from a weak Loonie. A look at…

"The Master Plan" is a play about the failure to build a city of the future along Toronto's historic waterfront. This satire of the messy drama between Google's Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto is currently running at Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto's Distillery District. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

There are plenty of very vulnerable people living in Ontario, and tonight, we're going to look at some of the people who are possibly at the very bottom of the food chain. They are homeless, they are dying, and for the vast majority of them, they have nowhere to go. Which is why the Journey Home Hospice exists. It's a small home in downtown Toronto…

Project Humanity started as a theatre company, and grew into an organization with a larger community purpose. Priscilla Williams and Melissa Bleecker met through the Project Humanity 1:1 program, which pairs professional working artists with youth on the margins. Together they have explored and expanded their metalwork practice and look forward to …

Journalist John Lorinc's new memoir, "No Jews Live Here," is a documentation of four generations of his Hungarian Jewish family's journey through the Holocaust, the 1956 Revolution and ultimate settlement in Canada. Lorinc took a journalistic approach to find the facts behind the stories he heard growing up. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy …

Should you have kids? It's a question most of us will ask ourselves at some point in our lives. Antinatalists have an easy and categories answer for you, regardless of your life circumstance: don't. In fact, it is immoral, they claim, to bring new life into this world. Lawrence Anton, editor of the Antinatalist Handbook, and Amanda Sukenick, host o…

China's population is now shrinking. India's could follow within a generation. South Korea has the world's lowest birth rate. Italy has the fastest shrinking population in Europe and Canada's birth rate dropped from 1.6 children per woman to 1.26 in less than a decade. Almost everywhere you look, fertility rates are dropping. What does a world look…

Once a year, Ontario's Auditor General takes a deep dive into several aspects of provincial spending. The highlight of this year's report: how the Ford government managed the situation on Toronto's waterfront. The verdict: not great. Shelley Spence, who last week issued her first ever report as the province's newest auditor general, joins Steve Pai…

Canada-Mexico relations hit a rough patch earlier this year following the Canadian ambassador's criticism of Mexico's judicial reforms. Hopes for a rapprochement were raised following the election of Mexico's first female president Claudia Sheinbaum. Those hopes were dashed, however, when Donald Trump announced his intention to impose a 25% tariff …