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Brian Crombie Radio Hour
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A high-profile businessman and political strategist, Brian Crombie brings his straightforward and highly informed perspective to his new show – The Brian Crombie Hour on Sauga 960AM Tuesdays and Thursday evenings at 7 pm. His vast experience working on Federal, Provincial, and Local politics and at the high levels of the business world, Brian gives us a glimpse inside the political war rooms and behind the boardroom doors. A man constantly on the move, Brian easily navigates between issues here in Canada and abroad.
While politics and business dominate his time, Brian also explores his other great interest, The Arts. Whether it's politics, business, or the Arts, there will be no shortage of guests for his weekly roundtable. Politics of the day, emerging businesses, Economic issues, or the hottest trends in the Arts- they will be all under Brian’s microscope to get his own political opinions and thoughts. Every hour will end with a robust round table debate with an incredible array of guests from all across the political, business, and arts spectrum.
While politics and business dominate his time, Brian also explores his other great interest, The Arts. Whether it's politics, business, or the Arts, there will be no shortage of guests for his weekly roundtable. Politics of the day, emerging businesses, Economic issues, or the hottest trends in the Arts- they will be all under Brian’s microscope to get his own political opinions and thoughts. Every hour will end with a robust round table debate with an incredible array of guests from all across the political, business, and arts spectrum.
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On tonight's episode of The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian begins this episode with Sherry Double, author, entrepreneur, and transformation coach. Together, they explore the power of reinvention: how to rebuild, reimagine, and redefine your life at any stage. Sherry shares her remarkable journey of starting over after profound personal and professional challenges from burnout and loss to surviving a life-threatening medical error. Brian concludes his show with an uplifting and empowering conversation with Pat Browne and Penelope Mathieson, co-hosts of the brand-new Sauga 960 AM show NEXT CHPTR CHATS, a show about reinventing life after 55, airing Mondays at 3 PM & 7 PM and Saturdays at 10 PM!
Tonight on the Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Heather Exner-Pirot. Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot, Executive Director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s Natural Resources, Energy and Environment Program, examines how excessive environmental regulation and bureaucratic lawfare constrain Canada’s growth. She argues that well-meaning environmental policies now block investment, stall infrastructure, and deepen the housing and affordability crises. The discussion covers the Impact Assessment Act, Canada’s stalled critical mineral strategy, and global energy security. Heather highlights Indigenous-led assessments as a path forward and warns that global climate policies can worsen energy poverty abroad.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian is joined by Aled ab Iorwerth, Deputy Chief Economist at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), for an in-depth discussion on the state of Canada’s housing market. Together, they explore the surge in mortgage delinquencies and powers of sale, the decline in housing starts, and the pressures facing Toronto’s condo market. Aled shares his insights on how rising interest rates, unemployment, and fiscal deficits are reshaping the market—and warns that capital leaving construction could trigger a boom-bust cycle in the years ahead. This conversation also looks forward: how to boost private investment, reduce development fees, and improve productivity to address Canada’s housing supply shortage.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie hour, join Brian for a powerful and timely conversation with Vivian Bercovici, former Canadian Ambassador to Israel, as we discuss the extraordinary and emotional developments in the Middle East. Vivian shares her firsthand perspective on the release of 20 hostages held by Hamas, describing the profound mix of relief, grief, and resilience felt across Israel. We explore how President Trump’s rapid diplomatic negotiations, led with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, achieved the release within ten days — and what this means for future peace efforts.Together, they also examine Mark Carney’s recognition of a Palestinian state, the contrasting strategies between Washington and Ottawa, and the broader implications for Canada’s role in the region. Vivian offers a rare window into Israel’s mood today — the celebration of freedom, the scars of captivity, and the enduring hope for lasting peace. Tune in for a candid discussion about rebuilding Gaza, the call for a “denazification-like process” to root out extremism, and the delicate balance of power involving Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt.
This Thanksgiving Monday at 6 PM on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian brings you a special conversation about one of the most important qualities we can cultivate: empathy.He interviews Dr. Anita Nowak, professor at McGill University, author, and leading voice on empathy in business, leadership, and life. Anita believes that “Empathy is humanity’s superpower”—a force that not only strengthens our personal relationships, but also drives better workplaces, more compassionate politics, and healthier communities. As you sit down with family and friends this Thanksgiving, join us for an inspiring discussion about how empathy can bring us closer together.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, you can expect a double author showcase with acclaimed Canadian authors. First, Brian sits down with Aamir Hussain, whose debut novel "Under the Full and Crescent Moon" imagines a matriarchal Islamic city in the 8th and 9th centuries and explores the roles of women, religion, and freedom across Saudi and Canadian contexts. Together, they discuss female imams, the diversity of Islamic traditions, and how fiction can illuminate complex cultural and spiritual questions.Then, Brian welcomes Merilyn Simonds, Governor General’s Award finalist and author of "Walking with Beth: Conversations with My Hundred-Year-Old Friend". Her book chronicles her friendship with Beth, a remarkable 105-year-old woman whose life embodies resilience, curiosity, and joy. Together we explore themes of aging, ageism, friendship, and living fully at every stage of life. Tune in for two rich, thought-provoking interviews that span centuries of ideas and the wisdom of long lives well lived.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Join Brian for a fascinating conversation with Carrie-Anne Mercer, seasoned marketing leader and executive advisor, as we dive into the future of artificial intelligence. Together, they explore how AI is transforming marketing—enhancing efficiency, scale, and personalization—while still relying on human creativity and discernment. Carrie-Anne shares insights from a recent global conference in Cambridge, UK, where experts from around the world gathered to discuss AI for good and inclusivity, with inspiring examples of companies using AI to serve underserved communities. They also discuss the ethics of AI, the risks of concentrated control in a few corporations, and the challenges it poses for education and society. Carrie-Anne offers an optimistic yet realistic perspective: AI won’t replace human jobs but will evolve them, and with the right oversight, can become a force for positive change.Tune in to hear about AI’s potential, its pitfalls, and why human judgment will always matter.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, join Brian for a powerful and eye-opening conversation with Paul Smetanin, President and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis. Paul introduces the concept of “Ponzinomics” — his term for how Canada has treated infrastructure spending as a political prop rather than a long-term economic necessity. He explains how decades of under-planning and short-term announcement politics have left our country worse off than Mexico when it comes to infrastructure certainty, costing us $600 billion in lost economic potential.Together they explore why housing starts are at a 30-year low and what this means for young Canadians, how infrastructure delays can erase up to $144 billion in potential benefits, and why housing in Ontario is uniquely taxed at 36% of its value. They even touch on what systemic changes from a national infrastructure plan to multi-year funding and transparent ledgers could turn things around. Don’t miss this candid discussion on why Canada’s infrastructure and housing crisis is a matter of intergenerational fairness and how we can start fixing it.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian is joined by Ron Butler, one of Canada’s most outspoken mortgage brokers, for a hard-hitting conversation about the surge in power-of-sale and foreclosure listings across the Greater Toronto Area.Together They Explore: • Why power-of-sale listings have risen by 20% each month over the past four months,• How the collapse of the foreign student housing market has left many homeowners unable to carry their mortgages,• The growing impact of unemployment, rising property taxes, and vanishing private lending options on mortgage defaults,• What the slowdown in new residential construction means for housing supply,• And Ron’s bold ideas for fixing affordability – from cutting development fees and taxes on new homes to opening land for much-needed housing.Ron doesn’t pull punches. If you want to understand what’s really happening in Ontario’s housing and mortgage markets – and what it could mean for you – you won’t want to miss this!
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Dan McCarthy and Murray Simser for a fascinating discussion on a question first raised during the 1988 federal election. In that year’s leaders’ debate, John Turner famously warned:“Once a country yields its economic levers, once a country yields its energy … once a country yields its agriculture … once a country opens itself to a subsidy war with the United States … then the political ability of this country to remain as an independent nation — that has gone forever, and that is the issue of this election.”They explore whether Turner was right — tracing Canada’s trade history from the McDonald Royal Commission and the 1988 Free Trade election, through the promises and pitfalls of economic integration, to the challenges of dealing with President Trump’s protectionist agenda. Dan and Murray share insights on how globalization has reshaped sovereignty, the missed opportunities for adjustment programs in the 1990s, and the ongoing question of how much sovereignty Canada can afford to give up in future trade deals.Their conversation also looked ahead: Should Canada pursue deeper integration with the U.S. through a security perimeter and labor mobility, or diversify trade with other global partners? And what does it mean for Canada’s political independence when the U.S. increasingly views us as its “51st state”?
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Dr. Jacqueline Murray, PhD, FRHistS—University Professor Emerita (University of Guelph), Fellow of St. Michael’s College, and 3M National Teaching Fellow—for a thought-provoking conversation on masculinity. Drawing on her expertise in medieval history and gender studies, Dr. Murray explores how concepts of manhood have evolved across centuries and why these debates remain urgent today.Together they examine the so-called “crisis of masculinity,” unpacking the pressures young men face as media portrayals, social expectations, and cultural stereotypes reinforce narrow ideals. Dr. Murray challenges the notion that masculinity has ever been singular, noting that even in the Middle Ages, honor, integrity, and provider roles varied across classes and communities—offering a richer, more nuanced view than today’s headlines. They conclude this episode with a call to reimagine masculinity for the modern age—not around dominance or aggression, but around honor, moral compass, and self-worth. Dr. Murray argues society thrives when young men embrace diverse masculinities and when role models reflect integrity over bravado. It’s an eye-opening exchange connecting lessons from history to the challenges of today.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Alex Letko. Alex Letko, Regional Manager for Central Canada at LetkoBrosseau and Portfolio Manager, analyzes markets, investment strategies, and the AI boom. He recalls the 1987 stock market crash, noting parallels with today as a few AI firms dominate valuations, similar to the dot-com bubble. He warns of challenges in infrastructure profitability but highlights the firm’s emerging markets fund focused on unmet needs like water, clean energy, and healthcare. Alex sees Canada facing recession risks but benefiting from a relatively strong fiscal position among G7 nations. He predicts Canada may outpace U.S. growth by 2026, with opportunities in infrastructure, natural resources, defense, and high-tech.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Tony Irwin about Purpose Built Rental Properties and the housing crisis in the GTA. Tony Irwin, President and CEO of Rental Housing Canada and Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario, discusses the challenges and opportunities in transitioning from condominiums to purposeful rental housing development. He explains that while the two types of housing may look similar to consumers, the economic models are fundamentally different, with condominiums benefiting from pre-sales for financing while purposeful rentals require significant upfront equity and may not be profitable for the first decade. Tony highlights that pre-construction condos were often sold as investments based on expected appreciation, while purpose-built rentals are sold as homes. We discuss the advantages of professional management in purpose-built rental buildings, emphasizing the creation of community and long-term resident satisfaction. He discusses the challenges in the housing market, emphasizing the need for government intervention to address declining building starts and permits. Tony highlights the importance of combining government action with factors like lower interest rates and economic confidence to stimulate development. He expressed concern about job losses in the industry and the long-term implications of not planning adequately for future housing demands.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Neil Seeman. Neil reflects on his front-page opinion piece about Charlie Kirk, calling him an intellectual rooted in a more civilized era, much like William F. Buckley. He notes that Kirk was unafraid to question his own beliefs, debate opponents, and resist the false comfort of consensus. Neil highlights Kirk’s skill in challenging others with sharp yet cheerful inquiry, particularly engaging young people in dialogue. Like Buckley, Kirk combined ideological rigor with humor, able to poke fun at overly serious thinkers, including himself. Neil argues this tradition is fading in today’s social media-driven discourse.
Tonight on the Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian interviews Richard Lyall about his report from last week. This report is on the state of housing starts and sales across 34 municipalities in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, including the City of Toronto, is troubling and should set off the alarm bells for policymakers across all three levels of government.“Housing projects have been shelved and the industry has hit a wall,” Lyall said. “The outlook is bleak, and we are trending in the wrong direction. We need governments to take concrete action to lower the #tax burden and modernize the process to kick-start the industry. Our economy will be in dire straits if we do not act quickly.”Richard Lyall, President of RESCON, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, is a prolific writer, speaker and commentator on what has and is going wrong with the housing sector in the GTA. Brian closes this episode with his ten point plan to address our housing crisis.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Kirsten Eastwood. Kirsten is the President of Dress for Success Toronto and leads a charity dedicated to empowering women through work attire, career development tools, and a strong support network. She highlights the role of clothing in balancing authenticity with professional expectations during interviews and at work. Dress for Success focuses on women facing systemic barriers, addressing high unemployment rates among young women aged 18-29 by building confidence and networking skills. Kirsten stresses LinkedIn, research, clear goals, and gratitude as key to effective networking. She shares Yodi’s journey from persecution in South America to success at Legal Aid, inspiring the upcoming Beyond the Suit fundraiser on October 8.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Murat Croci. Murat is the co-founder and co-CEO of Ibex Biosciences and brings two decades of biotech leadership and five patents to advancing breakthrough treatments. Founded in 2015, Ibex is developing two transformative drugs: a single-dose malaria cure that blocks parasites from entering red blood cells, showing strong effectiveness in animal models, and an antibody drug conjugate targeting chemoresistant colorectal cancer. Using alpaca-based antibodies against CD147, this ADC achieves 100% efficacy in mouse models, eliminating tumors that typically recur in 35% of patients. The company focuses on colon cancer first, with potential expansion to melanoma and ovarian cancer. Brian closes this episode with some thoughts of his six year anniversary of the Brian Crombie Radio Hour.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Dominic Cardy. Dominic is the leader of the Canadian Future Party and former New Brunswick Education Minister. He raises urgent concerns about Canada’s immigration and defense priorities. Dominic warns that next year hundreds of thousands of temporary foreign workers may lose their legal status, stressing the need for better integration to avoid social tensions. He cautions that the asylum system risks collapse from unjustified claims, harming true refugees and eroding trust. On defense, Dominic argues that a global conflict is already unfolding with Russia, China, and allied forces escalating threats. He calls for Canada to boost defense spending, invest in modern technologies like drones, and reduce reliance on the U.S. for security.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Brian Iselin about the state of the war in Ukraine. Brian Iselin, the founder of the European Institute of Professional Intelligence Officers, discusses the war in Ukraine, Russian drone incidents, and technological advancements in war. Russia is facing significant military decline and is unlikely to sustain its current military efforts past 2026.Iselin details the high rates of troop and equipment losses suffered by Russia, noting that their replacement and production rates are insufficient to counteract the attrition. He also highlighted the severe strain on Russia's social and economic systems due to the war, including the overburdening of healthcare and social security systems. Iselin concludes that Ukraine's strategy of waiting out Russia may ultimately lead to the latter's collapse, though this could happen suddenly once certain thresholds are reached.Brian Iselin's expertise in intelligence and strategic matters, particularly regarding the war in Ukraine and Russia's military situation, provides insights on various geopolitical topics including Western support for Ukraine, NATO cohesion, and the impact of sanctions on Russia's oil revenue. The conversation concludes with discussions about emerging technologies like AI-controlled fighter jets and non-lethal warfare tactics, along with analysis of political challenges in the European Parliament.
Tonight on The Brian Crombie Hour, Brian interviews Beth Sturdevant about Charlie Kirk and a “firestorm” of vocal and aggressive comments her posts about him generated on her social media. She posted about Charlie Kirk and his reputation on social media and was surprised at friends that Un-friended her and the many positive but also many negative responses she received. She has historically been “progressive” but then she came out in support of Charlie Kirk. She wonders about our openness to different points of view. Beth is a spiritual healer and master Reiki practitioner who, through navigating the adversities of her own life’s journey, and healing her inner warrior spirit, has found authentic purpose and joy in her life again, and made it her mission to help others do the same. Brian closes with his own thoughts on Charlie Kirk, his assassination, his positions and how he believes they need debate/discussion and to consider moderate positions.
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