The Decibel
Episodes
Why El Niño is a climate wild card
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
El Niño is back in a big way. This natural weather pattern is known to increase severe weather around the world. And scientists are trying to predict...
City Space: Will Canada be able to house all the immigrants it hopes to welcome by 2025?
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last year, the federal government set an ambitious new immigration target — to bring in half a million permanent residents a year by 2025. While the...
The Nova Scotia coal miners dying of black lung
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coal mining might seem like a job of the past, but global demand for it has actually surged in the past few years. Nearly 7,000 coal miners are still ...
Preparing for the decline of oil and gas in Canada
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada, alongside much of the world, has plans to become net-zero by 2050. And one of their main action-items is to move away from fossil fuels. But d...
Inside the sparkly, hard-core world of competitive cheer
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s sparkly, athletic and enthusiastic. But it’s grittier than you might think. Competitive cheer is a fast-growing sport in Canada that requires...
Ukrainian refugee children find a new start in Canada
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Grade 8 students of St. Demetrius Catholic School are in many ways like every other class – they’re nervous about going to high school, but ex...
Is multi-generational housing the next big trend?
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Multi-generational living in your 20′s and even 30′s has become common as young adults deal with unaffordable housing rates across Canada. And mor...
How a mutiny weakened Putin’s strongman image
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the weekend, a chaotic 36 hours unfolded in the Kremlin. The Wagner Group, a team of Russian military mercenaries created an uprising to challeng...
A $50-million fine in Canada’s bread price-fixing scandal
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over 20 years later, someone has finally paid the price for Canada’s bread-fixing scandal – other than shoppers that is. Last week, baked-goods pr...
Is Canada’s waste program trash?
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many municipalities across Canada are choosing profit over the environment when it comes to waste management options. This has left many Canadians que...
Canada’s ministers are missing critical memos
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Controversy followed Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendocino after he said he was unaware that notorious serial killer Paul Bernardo was being moved...
The altercation that led to a Supreme Court Justice resigning
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Usually the news coming from Canada’s Supreme Court is about the rulings they make, not about the Justices themselves. But the story of former Justi...
The sexual assault survivors fighting their own publication bans
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Publication bans have become all but automatic in sexual-assault cases across Canada. These bans were put in place to protect survivors who have come ...
China’s control over Canada’s very rare and important mineral
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the world races to mine more critical minerals, China has managed to capture nearly 100 per cent of the cesium market. While not as well known as l...
B.C. is sending thousands of cancer patients to the U.S.
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
British Columbia will send cancer patients across the border for radiation therapy to deal with growing wait times and backlog at home.The plan will c...
Secret Canada: The 'black hole' of Canada's immigration system
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada’s immigration system is overwhelmed. Cases are backlogged and little information is being communicated to applicants. This has led to a surge...
The reality of how your chocolate gets made
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chocolate may be sweet, but it comes at a steep cost. Labels that claim your favourite treat are sustainable can hide harsh realities for farmers. Mil...
Here’s why millennials are drowning in debt
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada’s household debt is really high. In fact, we outrank France, Italy, the UK and even the U.S. And while, the debt load is high for Canadians o...
Helping people escape the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In late May, the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed one of the world’s harshest anti-homosexuality bills into law. It authorizes the death pen...
Pressure builds for public inquiry after special rapporteur quits
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
David Johnston resigned as the special rapporteur on Friday after looking into foreign interference in Canadian elections. The former Governor General...
Secret Canada: The information laws governments keep breaking
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Canada first passed legislation to create its access-to-information system, it was seen as a world leader in terms of transparency. But fast forw...
How Greece got its economic groove back
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The 2007-2008 financial crisis hit countries around the world hard. But, Greece’s economy really faltered. At the peak of Greece’s crisis, unemplo...
Canada’s unprecedented wildfire season
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of Canada is on fire right now – fires are burning in nearly every province and territory and the federal government says this season could se...
What on Earth is going on with consumer spending?
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canadians have been dealing with high inflation for two years now. But, as consumers, we keep spending. However, the picture of where we spend our mon...
Violence is rising in schools. How do we stop it?
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Toronto District School Board – the largest school board in the country – recently reported that more than 300 kids were involved in violent i...
A warning sign from the Big Banks of a possible recession
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The six biggest banks in Canada – RBC, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, TD, and National Bank recently reported their second-quarter earnings. The majority di...
Inside Kyiv under fire ahead of the Ukrainian counteroffensive
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After months of relative quiet in Kyiv, the city has been under attack this week by Russian drones and missiles. There have also been attacks within R...
A divided Alberta: What comes next?
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alberta is a province with a long history of conservative rule. And on Monday, Danielle Smith and the UCP added a new chapter by winning a majority. B...
Emergency rooms in Canada head into another tough summer
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Throughout the pandemic, Canadians were warned about the potential collapse of emergency rooms. ERs were stretched to the limit, as surges in patients...
The pandemic potential of avian flu
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Avian influenza is getting more serious each year, as an unprecedented number of birds either succumb to the virus or are culled to prevent spread. Af...
What Turkey’s election means for the rest of the world
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With a cost-of-living crisis and rampant inflation, there’s a lot on the line for Turkey in the runoff election on Sunday. But this also matters bey...
You’re not wrong, allergies are getting worse
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Seasonal allergies are getting worse all across North America, in large part due to changes in pollen driven by climate change. But fear not, there is...
Why there won’t be a public inquiry into Chinese interference
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Former governor general David Johnston has ruled out a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada’s elections, despite ongoing calls for one...
The race to regulate artificial intelligence
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you like it or not, AI is everywhere. It unlocks your phone through facial recognition, it manages spam emails in your inbox and it creates re...
Your upcoming flights might be cancelled, here’s why
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Experts are anticipating another chaotic season of air travel in the coming months. Along with ongoing labour disputes, Canadian airlines have schedul...
Inside the greenhouse above the Arctic Circle
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two hundred and fifty kilometres above the Arctic Circle is a greenhouse that provides fresh local produce to its community. It’s called Naurvik and...
As Alberta burns, an election looms
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wildfires are raging across Alberta with early-season fires forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. Firefighters from across the country and the U....
Canada looks to India as ties with China fray
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
China is Canada’s second-largest trading partner, but tensions continue to rise between the two countries over allegations of foreign interference a...
Is COVID over?
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On May 5th the World Health Organization declared the end of the COVID-19 emergency. But what does that mean for the pandemic? How should we be thinki...
Why BlackBerry’s rise and fall still matters
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BlackBerry changed our lives when it created the world’s first commercially successful smartphone. But its dominance was disrupted and the Canadian ...
The view from China on foreign interference in Canada
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Canada’s expulsion of Chinese diplomat, Zhao Wei for allegations of foreign interference...
Canada’s extraordinary expulsion of a Chinese diplomat
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On May 8, Canada expelled Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei in response to China’s interference in Canadian politics. The extraordinary move is the first ex...
The problems with the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to help millennials hoping to buy a first home with a new program, called the First-Time Home Buyer In...
How ‘black swan’ events are ruining economic predictions
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Economic predictions can be incredibly important for companies and governments trying to plan for the months and year ahead – and that ripples down ...
Why Charles III won’t be the last King of Canada
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Saturday, King Charles III will be crowned in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London. This is the first coronation of a British monarch in 70 ye...
Ford and the never-ending Ontario Place saga
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Ontario Place first opened in 1971, it was a jewel on Toronto’s waterfront showcasing modern architecture and Ontario culture. But in the 50 ye...
The missing 2 billion trees Trudeau promised
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2021, the federal government began a project to plant two billion trees by 2031. The goal of this project was to use these trees to help Canada rea...
How a new Canadian law will change what’s on your Netflix
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Online Streaming Act is officially law. Now, online streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify have to promote and invest in Canadian content....
Take Back Alberta and its mission to reshape politics
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Alberta election starts today – and one group in particular is ready for it. It’s called Take Back Alberta and it’s a network of people who ...
The bureaucratic mess that’s left Afghans stranded
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Back in September, we told you about some Afghans trying to flee the Taliban in 2021 who had been given Canadian travel documents – but they were no...
How grocery prices are affecting kids at school
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
School food programs in Canada are struggling to make ends meet right now. With the high price of food, it’s costing some programs as much as 25 per...
What we’re getting wrong about climate refugees
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vietnam is in the midst of a dramatic shift caused by climate change. Some of the country’s most fertile land along the Mekong Delta has been devast...
The bloody struggle for power in Sudan
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sudan is on the brink of civil war, after fighting broke out between the country’s military and a paramilitary group, the RSF. Hundreds of people ha...
Why fewer people have confidence in childhood vaccines
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the pandemic, confidence in childhood vaccines has decreased around the world, according to a new report by UNICEF. Before COVID hit, 91 per cen...
After a year of scandal, Hockey Canada gets its funding back
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The federal government has restored its funding to Hockey Canada after removing it following the revelation that it settled a lawsuit accusing eight m...
The start of one of the largest strikes in Canadian history
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The largest public sector union in Canada went on strike on Wednesday after talks broke down with the government over better wages and remote working ...
Why drag performers are the new focus of U.S. culture wars
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last month, Tennessee became the first state to pass-anti drag law and thirteen other U.S. states also have bills looking to ban or restrict drag perf...
Behind the Trudeau Foundation controversy
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation has been coming under fire in the past few weeks over a controversial donation it received back in 2016. The Glo...
The federally funded watchdog that hasn’t completed a single review
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a Canadian company is accused of wrongdoing abroad? Well, in 2018, Ottawa announced the creation of a new ombudsperson to investigat...
The Prime Minister’s rat-infested residence
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since 1951, 24 Sussex Drive has been the Prime Minister’s official residence. Recently, It’s been making international headlines, but for the wron...
Russian hackers are targeting Canada for supporting Ukraine
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canadian officials have been warning since the war in Ukraine began of potential cyber attacks from Russia as retribution for Canada helping Ukraine. ...
How strong is Canada’s job market, really?
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For months now, Canada’s unemployment rate has been hovering around 5 per cent – a near historic low. It’s a number that economists are watching...
The search for First Nations women in Winnipeg landfills
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On April 4, the body of Linda Mary Beardy, a woman from Lake St. Martin First Nation, was discovered at a Winnipeg landfill. It’s the same landfill ...
The story of the world’s most premature twins to survive
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Adrial and Adiah Nadarajah are the youngest twins ever born to survive to their first birthday – they were born at just 22 weeks, about half of a fu...
City Space: Are smart cities really such a smart idea?
09 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The smart city movement — driven by the idea that we can leverage data and technology to optimize life in our cities — is attractive for many reas...
Medical mystery in New Brunswick leads to life-changing symptoms
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Insomnia, dizziness, hallucinations – these are just a few of the life-changing symptoms that dozens of people have reported having in New Brunswick...
What we’re missing about the Trump indictment
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Tuesday, Donald Trump became the first former U.S. president to be indicted on criminal charges. He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business r...
Unscrambling Canada’s wireless industry post Rogers-Shaw merger
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
About two years after the merger was proposed, Rogers and Shaw are becoming one company. To ensure that this deal doesn’t hurt Canadians, Industry M...
How the RCMP failed Nova Scotians during the mass shooting
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The inquiry into Canada’s worst mass shooting has ended with the release of its final report. The 3,000 page document condemns the RCMP in how the p...
What asylum seekers face now at Roxham Road
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The change came swiftly. A few hours after being announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden, the rules at Roxham Road had...
The little-known document reshaping climate finance in Canada
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Canada races to compete in the clean tech sector as countries work toward their net zero climate goals, investors are trying to figure out where to...
The 2023 federal budget, in 23 minutes
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Canadian federal government unveiled its 2023 budget on Tuesday, which sets the economic strategy and tone for the next fiscal year. There’s a l...
Swifties and Drake fans’ beef with Ticketmaster
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The price of concert tickets has risen dramatically – with some tickets costing thousands of dollars. Ticketmaster, which controls a huge proportion...
The dark side of collagen
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Collagen supplements are marketed as a holy grail anti-aging product. Bovine collagen is made from cattle hides, and a new investigation from the Bure...
Stress Test: Why millennials and Gen Z are Alberta-bound for a more affordable life
26 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In 2022, the number of people moving to Alberta hit its highest level in almost a decade. At the same time, a record number of people left Toronto for...
Former governor-general Michaëlle Jean on Canada’s role in Haiti
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Haiti is in crisis, after months of cholera outbreaks, a fuel and energy crisis, and violence. The UN estimates that 500 people have died in gang viol...
Canada races the U.S. on a ‘green economy’
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada has committed to going net-zero by 2050 and a big part of making that goal a reality is by transitioning the economy from being fossil fuel dep...
What’s behind a surge of cheating in universities
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Allegations of academic misconduct at Canadian universities have risen sharply in the 2020 to 2021 school year as more and more students turn to hirin...
The whistleblower on Chinese interference in Canada, in their words
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Globe and Mail has been reporting extensively on China’s interference in Canadian elections. This information came to light, in part, because of...
Former ambassador on why Canada needs a foreign agent registry
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As revelations about China’s interference continue, so do calls for a foreign agent registry. The U.S. and Australia have registries like this, wher...
The sounds of blind hockey
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oversized pucks clanging as they’re shot across the ice, the constant tapping of hockey sticks as players weave through oversized pylons. These are ...
What Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse means for Canada
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank came swiftly after a panicked run on deposits. Despite the U.S. government enacting safeguards, there is anxiety i...
When paying your mortgage doesn’t reduce your loan
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the Bank of Canada started hiking its benchmark interest rate just over a year ago, there’s a growing number of mortgage-holders with monthly ...
Why we need to think of health as an ‘us,’ not just a ‘me’
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We often think of health as an individual action – drink more water, exercise, eat well. During the pandemic, we thought more about the health of pe...
Are Canada’s big grocers to blame for your food bill?
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could the rising price of groceries be chalked up to corporate greed? That was the question at a House of Commons committee last week when the executi...
Netflix’s big gamble on its future
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Netflix is facing a backlash after announcing it’s cracking down on password sharing in Canada, among other countries. The company says 100 million ...
B.C.’s groundbreaking plan to fund birth control
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
British Columbia revealed its 2023 budget on Feb. 28. It introduced a host of new spending measures including a first in Canada: A plan to make contra...
Trudeau orders probes into Chinese interference of elections
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After weeks of resisting pressure from all sides, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ordered two probes into Chinese election interference. This follow...
What we know about the Alberta oil sands leak
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The ground and water near Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in northern Alberta has become a toxic mess. A nearby oil sands site, run by Imperial Oil, ...
The news Google is hiding from your searches
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Right now, one in 25 Canadians who use Google can’t find some news sites through its search bar. That’s because the tech giant has purposely block...
The drug giving new life to cystic fibrosis patients
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For years, a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis has often meant an early death for patients. This week, Cystic Fibrosis Canada released its annual data repo...
Why police are rarely charged after killing or injuring someone
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Canada has a high rate of police killings compared to similar countries like England, Germany and Japan. Officers are rarely charged when they kill so...
How Canada’s biggest bookshop got hacked
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On February 8, Indigo’s website went down and customers couldn’t buy products in-store either. After scrambling to launch a new website with limit...
ChatGPT isn’t as smart as we think
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial Intelligence and chatbots are having a mainstream moment. In November, the public was introduced to ChatGPT – a chatbot that can have see...
CSIS documents reveal a web of Chinese influence in Canada
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Documents from Canada’s spy agency CSIS – viewed by The Globe and Mail – show how China was influencing Canada’s 2021 federal election by prom...
BONUS - In Ukraine with the Globe’s reporters on the ground
25 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a special bonus episode, The Globe and Mail’s Senior International Correspondent Mark MacKinnon and Europe Correspondent Paul Waldie join The Dec...
One year later: The stories of Ukrainian refugees
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since Russia invaded one year ago, eight million people have left Ukraine.Olena Tsebenko, Sonya and Oliver Hawes and George Fedorov all left behind th...
The growing crisis at the unofficial Roxham Road border crossing
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An unofficial border crossing between Southern Quebec and New York state is at the center of a heated political debate. In December, almost 5,000 peop...
How people are being cheated out of their new homes
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Title fraud happens when someone poses as a homeowner to sell real estate they don’t own to an unsuspecting buyer – and while still rare, it’s o...
Why the Emergencies Act Inquiry says Trudeau was right
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just over a year after the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act, an inquiry has found that the Liberals acted appropriately, even though the...