Episodios

  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1422 - Canadian Values and Indigenous Rights with Kate Kempton

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1422 - Canadian Values and Indigenous Rights with Kate Kempton
    Jul 16 2025
    Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Kate Kempton. Kate is a Senior Counsel Woodward & Company LLP. She discusses the implications of two laws, Bill 5 (Unleashing Ontario's Economy Act) and the Building Canada Act, on Canadian values and Indigenous rights. Kate criticizes the bills for potentially undermining constitutional rights and called for a balanced approach that addresses both economic needs and indigenous concerns. She says they grant sweeping powers to cabinets, similar to the "Henry VIII clauses" that allow laws to be suspended at the discretion of the government. Kate also covers the importance of including First Nations in decision-making processes and the need for reconciliation.
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    50 m
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1421 - The Growth Management and Housing Crisis with Richard Lyle

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1421 - The Growth Management and Housing Crisis with Richard Lyle
    Jul 15 2025
    Tonight on the Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Richard Lyall, President of RESCON, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, about our Housing Crisis in the GTA and across Canada. Brian closes with his ten point plan to solve our housing crisis.

    Richard Lyle discusses the current housing situation in Canada, describing it as a crisis and even a catastrophe in some areas. He emphasizes that it's not just a housing crisis but also a growth management crisis, particularly in Ontario. Richard covers the significant decline in GTA new home and condo sales, noting a 90% drop to 345 units in May, down from a typical 2,700 units monthly average. Despite ongoing construction activity, Richard highlights that the market has reached a critical point where new projects are not being announced, indicating a long-term decline in the industry.

    Richard expresses concern over high unemployment rates predicting potential layoffs of 200,000 to 300,000 people in Ontario's new home and condo building sector, which could lead to a 1.5 to 2.5% GDP hit. Richard discusses the housing affordability crisis, highlighting that housing costs to income ratios remain unacceptably high, with numbers as high as 14:1 in some areas, compared to the ideal ratio of 3.5-4:1. He attributes the high costs to a combination of factors including excessive taxes, development fees, and regulations, noting that while some costs are beyond government control, others can be addressed through policy changes.

    Additionally, he expresses concerns about the need for urgent action this fall to address the decline in housing projects and potential layoffs in the construction industry. He emphasizes the importance of preventing Toronto from becoming unaffordable and unattractive for growth. Richard suggests removing sales taxes on new housing, reducing land transfer taxes and development charges, streamlining the planning and zoning process, and standardizing rules across the province.
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    59 m
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1420 - The Housing Crisis with Aled ab Iorwerth

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1420 - The Housing Crisis with Aled ab Iorwerth
    Jul 14 2025
    Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Aled ab Iorwerth the Deputy Chief Economist of CMHC about our housing crisis. Aled joined CMHC in 2016, previously had a 15-year career at Finance Canada, in various research and analysis roles that included secondments to Environment Canada and the Council of Canadian Academies. He holds a PhD in Economics from Western University and master’s degrees in European and International Relations and Economics.

    Aled discusses the CMHC's new modeling approach, which still supports the need for increased housing supply to improve affordability. He says there are structural long-term challenges in the GTA and Vancouver with high housing costs deterring talent and causing a shift to other cities like Calgary and Halifax. Aled emphasizes that increasing housing supply could slow the growth of house prices, aiming for a flatline rather than a significant decrease. Additionally, Aled attributes the recent decline in housing prices to macroeconomic uncertainty and a short-term glut of condos, rather than an increase in supply. He notes that the disconnect in affordability metrics began around 2006, and current per capita housing construction rates are about half of what they were in the 1970s. Development fees and GST have significantly increased over the past decade, accounting for about 31% of the cost of housing. Aled also discussed the lengthy regulatory process for rezoning land, which can take 3-5 years in Toronto.

    Together Aled and Brian explore the potential for a boom and bust cycle due to low housing starts in the current year. Aled says simplifying zoning regulations and moving away from municipal control towards provincial or national oversight could help increase housing supply, highlighting the need for more harmonized regulations to allow for industry consolidation and greater productivity. Aled expressed skepticism about inclusionary zoning, preferring to address affordability through the tax system.
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    49 m
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1419 - Purpose Over Performance with Danielle Nonog

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1419 - Purpose Over Performance with Danielle Nonog
    Jul 11 2025
    Tonight on the Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian interviews Danielle Nonog about her life as an exotic dancer and how she now uses those skills in a branding and marketing and female empowerment business. Together they discuss charisma and Erotic Capital, life choices and life changes. Danielle is a former top-earning entertainer turned high-ticket sales mentor, known for helping women transmute seduction into strategy. After years in the adult industry, she now teaches others how to channel their emotional intelligence and performance skills into scalable success in marketing, branding, and business. Danielle's story isn’t just about leaving the industry—it’s about reclaiming identity, redefining power, and helping others rise through purpose over performance.
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    45 m
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1418 - Digital Services Tax with Benjamin Bergen, & Kean Birch

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1418 - Digital Services Tax with Benjamin Bergen, & Kean Birch
    Jul 10 2025
    Tonight on the Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian interviews Benjamin Bergen and Kean Birch. Benjamin is the president of the Canadian Council of Innovators. “Imagine if we had allowed foreign entities to control the railroad. It ultimately wouldn’t allow us to be a sovereign nation.” Kean is the Director of the Institute for Technoscience & Society, Ontario Research Chair in Science Policy, and Professor in the Department of Science, Technology & Society and the Graduate Program in Science & Technology Studies at York University, Canada. “Giv­ing up digital tax a step back­ward”. Together they discuss the digital services tax, what the issue is, and how Canada has a huge digital services deficit with the the US and a tax is only a small solution.
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    54 m
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1417 - Medical Uses of Cannabis with Dmitri Boudovitch and Gavin Clark

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1417 - Medical Uses of Cannabis with Dmitri Boudovitch and Gavin Clark
    Jul 9 2025
    Tonight on the Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian interviews Dmitri Boudovitch and Gavin Clark about a health technology company that is using a cannabis product for Crohn's disease. Gavin is an expert in the medical uses of cannabis. Dmitri is a Canadian entrepreneur specializing in health technologies, biotechnology, and natural product innovation. He is the founder of Folium Labs, a company developing advanced drug delivery systems using hyaluronic acid to enhance the oral bioavailability of poorly absorbed compounds, including cannabinoids, psychedelics, and other natural compounds. Folium Labs is currently fundraising to conduct Phase 1 clinical trials in Crohn's disease and is actively seeking partners to co-develop a range of therapeutic and wellness products based on its proprietary delivery platform.
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    53 m
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1416 - The Need For Affordable Housing with Dr. Carolyn Whitzman

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1416 - The Need For Affordable Housing with Dr. Carolyn Whitzman
    Jul 8 2025
    Tonight on the Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian interviews Dr. Carolyn Whitzman, a housing expert and author of "Home Truths: Fixing Canada's Housing Crisis". She is Senior Housing Researcher and Adjunct Professor, School of Cities UofT. Dr. Carolyn Whitzman, discusses her new book on housing affordability challenges in the Greater Toronto Area and shares insights on successful housing models from other countries. She explores various solutions to Canada's housing crisis, including reforming zoning systems, reducing development fees, and learning from international examples like Finland's approach to homelessness. This discussion highlights the need for affordable housing options, secure rental arrangements, and non-market housing solutions, while emphasizing the importance of long-term policy changes to address the growing affordability issues.
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    52 m
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1415 - Geopolitics with Michael Manulak

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1415 - Geopolitics with Michael Manulak
    Jul 8 2025
    Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Michael Manulak. Michael, an associate professor at Carleton University, discusses the importance of a rules-based international order in light of changing global dynamics. He explains that the current international system is facing challenges due to the aging of institutions like the United Nations and the shifting roles of major powers, particularly the United States. Michael noted that the U.S. has less appetite for global leadership, which has implications for Canada and other countries. He also touches on the divided nature of the Republican party regarding foreign policy and suggested that the U.S. is unlikely to engage in extensive military interventions like those in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Together Brian and Michael discuss the following:

    - Strengthening International Rules-Based System
    - Canada's Defense and Foreign Policy
    - Missile Defense and Drone Warfare
    - Nuclear Proliferation and Security Risks
    - Canada's Diplomatic Efforts
    - U.S. Isolationism and Global Leadership
    - Canada's Strategic Foreign Policy Vision
    - Critique of "America First" Policies
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    53 m