The Decibel

The populations of Vancouver and Toronto have doubled in the past 50 years, but in certain neighbourhoods of those cities, populations have declined by as much as 40 per cent.The Globe’s architecture critic Alex Bozikovic explains why neighbourhoods have lost so many residents, what that means for the areas, and how it might present a solution to the housing crises.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amidst the news about Canada’s strained and struggling healthcare system, there is a bright spot. The Globe and Mail published a series recently about volunteers filling in the gaps, called Care Between the Lines – about the volunteers who take a patient-first approach in a system that can often be isolating.Today, we’re bringing you a few of those stories of the volunteers getting rural Canadians to medical appointments, helping families in a pediatric hospital and getting seniors out for a bike ride.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Albertans will go to the polls to vote in a referendum on October 19. By now, everyone knows about the question on whether Alberta should stay in Canada, or hold another referendum on whether to separate. But there are, in fact, nine other proposals Albertans are being asked to vote on.Matthew Scace is a staff reporter for The Globe based in Calgary. He’s on the show to explain what else Albertans are being asked to vote on, and what those results could mean for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s government.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., is on the front lines of Canada’s trade war with the U.S.. The city lies just a few kilometres away from the U.S., across a river from a city with the same name in Michigan. Its core economic industry is steel, which has been hit with U.S. President Donald Trump’s 50 per cent tariffs.The Globe and Mail’s staff reporter, Patrick White, recently went to ‘The Soo’ to see how the residents are faring after layoff notices and previous years of economic hardship.Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The law governing income tax in Canada is as complex as the legislation is thick – it’s over 3,000 pages long. All of this complexity isn’t just a nuisance for taxpayers. It can cost people and businesses money if they are unaware of deductions or exemptions, or if they have to hire help to make sure they are compliant.Chris Wilson-Smith looked into how the Income Tax Act became a Frankenstein’s monster, as one tax expert put it. Chris is on the show to explain why politicians keep adding to the income tax code but can’t seem to simplify it.Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.