Free For All Friday - Hour 1

Tim Powers, filling in for Amanda Galbraith, breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers.

On today's show:

• Prime Minister Carney has officially signed a 'landmark' trade deal with China. CTV chief political correspondent Vassy Kapelos gathers instant reaction and analysis.
• Reaction to the Canada-China deal continues with Jamie Baker, a Secretary-Treasurer for the UNIFOR-based Fish Food and Allied Workers. It is the largest private sector union, representing 14,000 workers in Newfoundland’s independent small-boat fishery. We also hear from Flavio Volpe, the President of the Automotive Parts and Manufacturers Association of Canada.
• Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng, a Palliative Care Physician at The Ottawa Hospital, explains how Canadians can stay healthy and preserve their mental wellness during the cold Winter months.

Free For All Friday - Hour 2

Contributors from all over the country join The Roundtable to discuss the top stories of the week. Today's edition features NorthStar Public Affairs senior advisor Sabrina Grover and Bluesky Strategy vice-president Jordan Paquet.

Topic 1: Mr. Carney went to China, and came home with a trade deal. However, not everyone in Canada's political arena is thrilled about it. Was the Prime Minister's overseas trip a success?

Topic 2: In an interview with CJAD Montreal earlier this week, American Ambassador Pete Hoekstra said the Canadian political rhetoric surrounding Trump is harming the Canada-USA relationship ahead of CUSMA negotiations. Should our Premiers tone it down a notch?

Topic 3: Quebec will be searching for a new Premier in October, as Francois Legault steps down. The decision comes weeks after the Quebec Liberals cut ties with newly-anointed leader Pablo Rodriguez. Who will form the next government?

Topic 4: On a scale of 'don't care' to 'heavily invested', do you care about the Olympics?

Topic 5: A not-so-friendly hockey brawl is under investigation, and the participants aren't even old enough to be considered teenagers.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trade mission to China is bearing fruit in the form of a series of agreements on economic cooperation signed in Beijing on Thursday.

On today's show:

• The latest comments from federal ministers on the trade mission in China
• Vassy speaks with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew who hopes to convince Ontario's Doug Ford not to pull Crown Royal products from government-run liquor stores
• The Canadian Real Estate Association's 2026 forecast shows an upturn in the housing market next year
• The Daily Debrief panel with Mike Le Couteur, Laura Stone and Robert Benzie
• Vassy speaks with David Heurtel, Quebec political analyst, former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister, about the legacy of Francois Legault

Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in Beijing, marking the first state visit to China by a Canadian Prime Minister since 2017. Vassy speaks with author and global competitive strategist Amy Karam about what Canada's new China strategy could look like.

On today's show:

• Vassy chats with Irwin Cotler, a human rights advocate and former Canadian Justice Minister, about the global response to the situation in Iran.
• CTV Quebec Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin has the latest developments from Quebec City, as Francois Legault has resigned from his post as Quebec Premier.
• The Explainer with Registered Dietician Abby Langer: Why do Canadians need more Vitamin D?
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Laura D'Angelo, Stephanie Levitz, and Jeff Rutledge.
• David Paterson, Ontario's Representative in Washington, says he thinks Trump's talk of tearing up CUSMA is more about negotiating position than an actual threat to the trade deal.

The death toll continues to rise in Iran as the regime cracks down on nation-wide protests.

On today's show:

• The White House isn't ruling out US military strikes in Iran
• Prime Minister Mark Carney meets with BC Coastal First Nations before heading to China
• Vassy speaks with Iranian-Canadian Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi
• The Daily Debrief Panel with Laryssa Waler, Sharan Kaur and George Soule
• Dennis Horak, Former Canadian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (2015-18) and Head of Mission/Charge d'affaires in Iran (2009-12), joins Vassy to discuss the likelihood of US intervention in Iran
• According to Statistics Canada, fewer Canadians traveled to the US in all 12 months of 2025, Vassy speaks with Amra Durakovic from Flight Centre Travel Group Canada about what the trend means for the travel industry.

This week Mark Carney will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the first official visit to China by a Canadian prime minister since Justin Trudeau in 2016.

On today's show:

• Tariffs, oil and human rights are all on the agenda for Prime Minister Carney's China visit
• University of Ottawa professor of public and international affairs Thomas Juneau joins Vassy to break down the situation with nation-wide protests in Iran
• Tech Check with Carmi Levy
• The Daily Debrief panel with Scott Reid, Tom Mulcair and Tim Powers
• CTV film critic Richard Crouse with a recap of the 2026 Golden Globe Awards

Free For All Friday - Hour 1

Amanda Galbraith breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers.

On today's show:

• Venezuela, Greenland, Minneapolis, and everything in between. Matina Stevis-Gridneff, the Canada Bureau Chief for the New York Times, reacts to a tense newsweek in America.
• Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a Senior Fellow at UOttawa's Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, on Prime Minister Carney's upcoming trip to China and what it means for relations between the two countries.
• Tech analyst Carmi Levy dissects a laundry list of new announcements from this year's Consumer Electronics Show.

Free For All Friday - Hour 2

Contributors from all over the country join The Roundtable to discuss the top stories of the week. Today's edition features McMillian Vantage vice-president Jeff Rutledge and Rubicon Strategy executive vice-president Michele Cadario.

Topic 1: Given the recent developments in Venezuela to kick off 2026, should Canada change its approach to pipelines and develop even faster? How can we find common ground between the Canadian Prairies and British Columbia? And as far as economic impact goes, how concerned should Canadians be?

Topic 2: America has got its eyes on Greenland, as the White House admits that President Trump is actively discussing a potential purchase of this Arctic land. Do you think they make that move, and what happens if they do?

Topic 3: The Premier of British Columbia says the province is not returning to a 'decriminalized public drug use' system. Good move or bad move?

Topic 4: The 2026 Winter Games in Milano-Cortina are less than a month away. Have you caught Olympic fever yet?

Topic 5: Heated Rivalry has taken over the world, and our lives.

Vassy Kapelos speaks with Eric Ham, a present-day U.S. political analyst for CTV News and a former Congressional staffer, on the fallout from the ICE shooting in Minneapolis and a looming tariff decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.

On today's show:

• Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe chimes in on the renewed urgency for a pipeline, as America is poised to receive millions of Venezuelan oil barrels.
• B.C. Energy Minister Adrian Dix on the province's stance regarding pipelines and next steps.
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Rob Benzie, Mike LeCouteur, and Brian Platt.
• Cameron Forbes, a General Manager and Broker for Toronto-based RE/MAX Realtron Realty, on the real estate market outlook for 2026.

Tim Powers guest hosts for Vassy Kapelos this afternoon. As the situation in Venezuela continues to develop, the Trump administration is ramping up its rhetoric around taking over Greenland. We deliver the latest developments as they become available. We also pick the brain of Retired Major-General David Fraser.

On today's show:

• Dawn Desjardins, a Chief Economist at Deloitte Canada, chimes in on the economic outlook for 2026.
• Marco Mendicino, a former federal prosecutor and Public Safety Minister, on how the trial of Nicolas Maduro will play out.
• The Daily Debrief Panel - featuring Stephanie Levitz, Jeff Rutledge, and Laura D'Angelo.
• Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian Ambassador to China, on Prime Minister Carney's upcoming state visit to Beijing.
• TSN's Michaela Schreiter previews Team Canada's upcoming announcement, as the Women's Olympic Hockey roster is soon to be unveiled.