• Weekend Listen: Will 2026 bring any sort of stability in the real estate market?
    Dec 20 2025

    It's been a tumultuous year for the economy to say the least, especially in the interest of real estate and housing.

    The Bank of Canada cut interest rates nine times, yet buyers are still erring on the side of caution, waiting for some sort of stability before diving head-first into the market.

    Host Mike Eppel speaks to Shawn Zigelstein, broker and team leader for Royal Lepage to see what Canadians could expect heading into 2026.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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    24 mins
  • And the Oscar goes to....YouTube!
    Dec 19 2025

    Starting in 2029, the Oscars will be making its way to the big screen - YouTube. The change will come after more than 50 years of Disney's ABC having exclusive rights to the live broadcast.

    It's not the first shift Hollywood has seen from traditional broadcast spaces onto streaming media platforms, as the industry is looking to adapt to younger, online consumers.

    Host Maria Kestane speaks to Paolo Granata, associate professor at the University of Toronto to discuss the opportunities the Academy Awards has as it prepares to enter a new broadcast space, and how the media ecosystem is more intertwined than we think.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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    25 mins
  • How long until Canada sees a high-speed rail come to life?
    Dec 18 2025

    Last week, Ottawa announced a year for shovels to hit the ground for its long-awaited high-speed rail line connecting Toronto to Quebec City. Beginning in 2029, construction will be starting for the line's first rail segment, connecting Montreal to Ottawa via 200km worth of tracks.

    But both the government and the Crown corporation overseeing the project, Alto, have admitted they haven't quite nailed down an exact (or rough estimate) of a dollar figure attached to helping the rail line come to fruition.

    Host Alan Carter speaks to Ryan-Katz Rosene, associate professor at the University of Ottawa who studies sustainable transportation, to discuss if this announcement will actually make waves in this high-speed rail coming to life, or if Canadians will be stuck in limbo for more decades to come.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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    23 mins
  • From Hollywood to humanity: Rob Reiner's legacy will live beyond the screen
    Dec 17 2025

    Hollywood is reeling from the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner after they were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday night. The Los Angeles District Attorney has filed murder chargers against one of their sons, Nick Reimer, for the deaths - punishable by either life in prison or the death penalty.

    Host Maria Kestane speaks to Sadaf Ahsan, culture writer and co-host of The Reheat to discuss what we should be watching for as the investigation unfolds, and the legacy Rob left on Hollywood and society at large.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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    25 mins
  • Aging vs. cognitive decline: how to tell the difference
    Dec 16 2025

    1 in 5 Canadians are 65 or older, meaning some difficult conversations may be held around the dinner table this holiday season.

    Memory loss, mood swings, mixing up names and birthdays - where does it cross the line from natural age-related decline and into decrease of cognitive ability? And how do we tackle these tough conversations, especially for the 'sandwich generation'?

    Host Maria Kestane speaks to Dr. Howard Chertkow, Leading Canadian Research Scientist at Baycrest Health Science to discuss how to spot the difference between organic, age-related habits versus symptoms of cognitive decline, and how Canada should get ahead of the struggles facing its aging population.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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    25 mins
  • Can the government fix wealth inequality simply by taxing the rich?
    Dec 15 2025

    Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is floating the idea of an increase in the land transfer tax, an amount that's owed when a house is purchased. Its total is based on the value of the house at the time of purchase, meaning the higher the price, the higher the tax.

    The tax generates income for the city, which in turn could fund social programs for those in need. But some fiscal think tanks warn the increase in tax on high ticket items could drive out the rich from the city.

    Host Alan Carter speaks to Mike Moffatt founding director of the University of Ottawa's Missing Middle Initiative to discuss how governments can strike a balance.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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    21 mins
  • The scientific reason raccoons may be getting cuter
    Dec 12 2025

    They're already the unofficial mascot of one of Canada's largest cities, with tons of Toronto merchandise donning adorable images of so-called "trash pandas" - but a new study out of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock theorizes they aren't just getting smarter - they may be getting cuter.

    Host Kaitlin Lee speaks to Evolutionary Ecologist Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde from Laurentian University possible signs of "domestication" among urban raccoons, if that means they could one day be pets, and what the critters have to say about us.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

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    23 mins
  • What does the ultimate Hollywood mega merger mean for you?
    Dec 11 2025

    In a battle for the rights to Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix and Paramount Skydance are offering tens of billions of dollars to become the next media powerhouse.

    Either acquisition pose as problematic for critics who raise concerns of a monopoly over the market, sizeable job losses, and the death of the movie theatre.

    Host Mike Eppel speaks to Paul Moore, sociology professor at Toronto Metropolitan University to discuss the bids and how the changes could materialize for the film industry at large.

    We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

    Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca

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    26 mins