Who doesn’t love an ice-cold beer from a bar, a pub, a liquor store… a gas station?

There could soon be up to 8,500 new places to buy low-alcohol drinks in Ontario, thanks to a new plan to speed up an agreement between the province and Beer Store. The cost? At least $225 million of taxpayer money.

Is this accelerated effort to “modernize” the alcohol market simply a play for political points ahead of a possible early election call?

This month, Allison and Jonathan crack a couple of cold ones and pore over the booze clues.

Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison Smith

Credits: Sam Konnert (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief), Max Collins (Production Manager), Nathan Burley (Music)

Background reading:

• Doug Ford's change to booze sales could cost far more than $225M - CBC
• Under the influence: Doug Ford and the strange history of Ontario’s liquor laws - The Globe and Mail
• Ontario has announced big changes to alcohol sales. Here’s how it’ll work - Global

Sponsor: Douglas

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music - included with Prime.

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 be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

Socials:

Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social

Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the Speaker decreed that keffiyehs were verboten at Queen’s Park, even Doug Ford agreed that that was a bad call. But that came in the midst of a hotly-contested by-election in the 905 — and now that it’s finished, so is his party’s long nightmare of uncharacteristic open-mindedness.

In the eighth month of Israel’s war in/on Gaza, Allison and Jonathan examine how Ontario’s government is cracking down on expressions of Palestinian solidarity, in more ways than you probably realize.

Hosts: Jonathan Goldsbie, Allison Smith

Credits: Sam Konnert (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Chief), Nathan Burley (Music)

Sponsor: Douglas

For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.

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 be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.

Socials:

Jonathan Goldsbie on Bluesky: @goldsbie.bsky.social

Allison Smith on Twitter: @queensparktoday

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 are dozens of outrageous cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not.

So why do these so-called “Pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?

To hear more follow Pretendians in your podcast app or click here.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.