Elbows Up

This summer, given ... everything going on down there, Canadians are more interested in exploring their own backyard than traveling to the United States. And since we've spent four months exploring everything about this country we need to fix, we wanted to spend Canada Day looking around at everything we don't. No matter where you live, this episode will give you some incredible ideas for your next getaway.Bestselling author Robin Esrock (The Great Canadian Bucket List) takes us on a tour from coast to coast to coast, starting in the North, then moving from West to East. There are so many beautiful, meaningful, fun and just plain weird places in this country that we thought we'd try to celebrate them all. Later, Esrock shares travel tips for everyone from those with the money for a cross-country train ride to those who need to stick closer to home, and their budget.After that, Jordan, Laura and Mat share the podcast's plan for this summer and beyond. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

One of the biggest problems Canadians face—that anyone faces—is the onslaught of misinformation online. Plenty of studies, including a new Reuters News survey, have shown that social media has passed traditional media as the go-to source of news for most Americans and plenty of Canadians. So we can talk about it all day, but what are we doing about it?Canadian journalist Kevin Newman—who has also anchored American news broadcasts—is one of the leads behind a new venture called Get Fact, a non-partisan coalition of volunteers that applies traditional fact-checking principles to AI tools, to offer news consumers a way to determine the veracity of what they're seeing in their feeds, or anywhere else. Jordan and Kevin discuss the state of journalism, the problem of misinformation and disinformation and what we can do beyond simply lamenting a past that's never coming back. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Millions of Canadians are voting with their feet, and their wallets, refusing to travel to the United States this summer—or even cancelling plans they've already made. But not everyone has that luxury. Some travel may not come with cancellation options. Some Canadians need to travel south, for work or to grow their business. And others may have family across the border they need to see. Some of those might even be dual citizens, wondering when they can go home again.Between tariffs and the threat of immigration officials—one arm of which has inspired a week-long protest in Los Angeles, which the Canadian government has advised travellers to stay far away from—the prospect of crossing the border can be daunting. In this episode, Jordan and Laura discuss what, if anything, it would take to get them heading through customs, then Jordan speaks to Canadian immigration lawyer Cindy Switzer, who works with MKS Immigration Lawyers and is the Chair of the Canadian Bar Association, BC Immigration Law Section, on what you need to consider if you have to—or want to—make the trip. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

It's been a few months now since the United States placed the first in an ever-changing series of tariffs on Canadian products. And our economy, so far is doing ... alright? Not great, of course, but Canada has not yet been plunged into a recession. Does that showcase our resilience? Might we not suffer as much as originally thought? That's still to be determined.The next couple of months will tell us a great deal about the impact of Trump's tariffs, and meanwhile the American president himself is coming to Canada next week for a G7 meeting. With that milestone approaching, and new economic data on the horizon, Jordan speaks to Jim Standford, an economist and the Director the the Centre for Future Work, to get a sense of what we might see over the next few months, how we can prepare for it, and what the Canadian government should hope to achieve at the G7—in spite of the presence of Donald Trump. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Canada's new defence minister has promised an effort unseen since World War II to replenish and revitalize our military. How serious is he? Canada has a history of talking about improving its defence but doing very little to make it happen. Is this time different?After Jordan and Laura wonder why we're even pretending to entertain President Trump's latest and greatest attempt to add 'gold' to something, Jordan interviews Stephen Saidman a Carleton University Political Scientist in the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and Director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network, about what this new government needs to do to change the narrative around Canada's military. How do we meaningfully increase our capacity, in terms of equipment and actual boots on the ground. And, yeah, we ask him to explain the Golden Dome, too.All that, and listener feedback, too! Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

For a whole lot of Canadians outside the prairie province—and a good number of Albertans, too—the province's recent flirtation with an independence referendum seems ... unhelpful, to put it mildly. At a moment Canadian unity has never been more important, Alberta's premier seems to be undermining that effort. Is this a cheap political ploy? A well reasoned approach to real provincial greivances? Or something else?Jordan and Laura discuss how the rest of Canada is feeling about Alberta these days, then Jordan interviews Senator Paula Simons to get to the bottom of what's really happening in the province. The independent senator has a long career as a journalist, a fierce love of the province and a view that accounts for the whole of Alberta, not just the loudest voices. So where is this coming from? Why now? And will it actually amount to anything? Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Canada has a doctor shortage. Many of you are living it right now. For most of the past few decades, the brain drain for physicians has gone one way: Canada to the United States. It's not the only reason so many of us can't find a family doctor, but it's been a big part of the problem.The past couple of years, however, have shifted that. From restrictive abortion legislation to a near-total disregard for medical science from the Trump Administration, thousands of American doctors are looking for somewhere else to practice. And for a lot of them, Canada is a preferred destination. John Philpott, CEO and founder of CanAm Physician Recruiting joins Jordan and Laura to explain why we've lost so many doctors, what physicians and medical professionals are looking for right now, and how Canada can set our health care system up for a generation by making sure we're their destination of choice. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Last week's meeting between Canada's new prime minister and his counterpart in Washington was, by recent standards, civil and non-confrontational. Mark Carney was firm in his dismissal of the 51st state rhetoric, and Trump was mostly accepting of that reality. Broadly speaking, nothing much happened, though it was good to hear a simple, "No. Never," from Canada's leader.But if you happened upon social media in the hours following the summit, that's likely not what you saw. Depending on your platform and feed, Carney was either a Canadian hero slapping down a bully, or a pathetic clown who was "owned" and "humiliated". Canada gets vast majority of its media from the United States. And that media, especially the social kind, has become increasingly distorted and unreliable. Meanwhile, our own media struggles with resources and—increasingly—public distrust. How can we protect our citizens from the distortions they're exposed to every time they—by accident or necessity—venture beyond a handful of reliable Canadian sources?After Jordan and Laura break down the Oval Office meeting, Jordan speaks to Taylor Owen, the Chair in Media, Ethics and Communication at McGill University, the founding Director of The Centre for Media, Technology and Democracy and principal investigator at the Media Ecosystem Observatory, to try to get a handle on the firehose of falsehoods we're blasted with today. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

More than 120,000 Canadians work in Canada's auto industry...for now. As tariffs imposed by the US President kick into gear, only to change and then change again, plants and shifts are adjusting by the day, and some have already shut down some production lines, at least temporarily. Right now, we're at the mercy of these tariffs, as our production is so entwined with the US and Mexico's that cars cross the border several times before they're finished.But does it have to be that way? What does Canada need to make our auto industry less dependent on America? Could we even, perhaps, make our own cars here at home? The whole car, from start to finish? Or is that an impossible dream. Jordan talks to Lorraine Sommerfeld, a longtime auto journalist about how to keep Canadian jobs safe from American tariffs, and how to keep our plants running despite the trade war—including the possibility of a totally Canadian-made automobile.Then, Laura grills Lorraine about how, exactly, a Canadian needing a new car should navigate the current situation. Buy now? Wait a while? Go used? Forget the whole thing? This is your guide to auto tariffs, from the macro down to the micro. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

These might feel like unprecedented times, with the US President dropping his latest annexation proposal on Canada's election day—but in truth, we have been here before. Sort of. While the chaotic, bullying approach of the current administration may be unique, Canada's faced threats of tariffs leading to financial ruin and eventual annexation before. And we survived. We've faced down America on a few occasions without blinking, and as some newly elected MPs and their parties get ready to do it again, Jordan and Laura are sitting down with Craig Baird, host of Canadian History Ehx, to learn a few thing we might have forgotten—and yes, to talk about that whole 'burning down the White House' thing.(Note: this episode was recorded before this weekend's horrifying tragedy in Vancouver cast a pall over final days of the election.) Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

The past five years have featured one global upheaval after another, so it's no surprise every Canadian's nerves were a little frayed even before Donald Trump began to talk about annexing Canada. But now that the Prime Minister has said the relationship is "over", and since the White House has refused when given the opportunity to back off the 51st state rhetoric, we think it's a good time to try to process this new reality.Our guest today is Stefanie Peachey , a therapist and mediator whose specialties include divorce, intimate partner violence and workplace mental health—all of which are applicable in their own way to what Canadians, and some Americans, are dealing with right now. So in the middle of an election, it's worth breaking out the big feelings and trying to grapple with them. Because this isn't going away, and it's not gonna get easier when our next government has to reengage with the White House...Also, Laura and Jordan discuss the assertion that asking about Trump's recent rhetoric is "provoking" the administration, if the divorce metaphor actually applies, and JHR breaks down our very first one-star review! Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

If you've seen American television discussing Canada's response to the Trump administration's trade war and annexation rhetoric, you've probably seen Charlie Angus. The longtime NDP MP (who chose to step down this year rather than seek reelection) has been the face of Canada's defiance to many Americans—and especially to his fellow Canadians. Angus has been meeting thousands of his fellow citizens at events around the country, encouraging them to stand strong and united.What have they heard from him? What kind of message does he want us to send to Americans? How do these kind of events come about, and how can anyone organize one? Jordan and Laura speak to Charlie and ask him everything Canadians need to know about what he calls "The Resistance".You can learn more about The Resistance at Charlie Angus's Substack: https://charlieangus.substack.com/  Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Have you seen a lot of Maple Leaf stickers and signs in your grocery store lately? Maybe even next to products you know are sold by American companies that are "prepared in Canada"? Wondering what that actually means? There are any number of designations that can be placed on food products, but only a couple of them are specific and actually mean a food item was what we would think of as truly "made" or "produced" in Canada. In a minisode of Elbows Up, Laura quizzes Jordan, who has been studying the government guidelines, about just what all these claims mean and how companies can use them to 'Maplewash' your grocery shopping.For reference:The Canadian Food Inspection Agency's guidelines around identifying the origin of food products: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/labelling/industry/origin-claims#s1c5The Department of Canadian Heritage guidelines around the use of the official Canadian Maple Leaf on commercial products: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/commercial-use-symbols-canada.htmlThe CFIA's Frequently Asked Questions around product origin claims and labelling: https://inspection.canada.ca/en/food-labels/labelling/industry/origin-claims/frequently-asked-questions Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

From intelligence services to border control to the military and everything in between, Canada has designed its national security infrastructure to work in concert with the United States, not in opposition to it. It's now clear this could be a really big problem. This episode is about how Canada can stand on its own two feet and plan to protect ourselves.First, Jordan and Laura examine just how many Americans now see Canada as "unfriendly" or an "enemy". Then (4:00) Stephanie Carvin, a national security expert, former government analyst and the author of Stand on Guard, walks us through how entwined our two countries are, what that means to Canada if the US truly does become a threat, or (14:33) if this will all go away tomorrow. We also (25:21) discuss what role Canadians can play and (28:55) the unthinkable conversations she's been having with people in her field.Also (20:00)...do we need our own secret agents? We should have some, right? Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Whenever the prospect of "51st state" is mentioned, many Canadians wonder what would happen if it really came to that. Others wonder what they'd do in that situation? How could they help? Could they really fight for their country? The easiest way to be ready should anything—emergencies, natural disasters and, yes, a hostile neighbour—threaten Canadians is to join the country's reserve forces. But many Canadians don't understand that process. How big are our reserve forces? Who serves in them? What kind of commitment is it? What kind of test to you have to pass? And how might your skills apply to what they do?A number of listeners told us they'd been wondering if they'd qualify, and how to do it. So we're speaking to Commander Paul Smith (6:49), Commanding Officer of HMCS York, which is Toronto’s Naval Reserve Division, to learn everything you need to know about the reserves.Afterwards (23:28), we read listener emails and tease some upcoming episodes. And (32:26) we've got another song for you...For more information about the reserves, including jobs that are currently available, you can visit https://forces.ca/en/reserve-force/. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

A stated objective of President Trump's trade war is to cause Canada economic pain, in an apparent effort to bully Canada into becoming the 51st state. That strategy assumes there is a level of financial hardship at which Canadian resolve will weaken. The tactic is designed to cost the country—and more importantly, every person in it—money, in lost jobs, lost sales, higher prices and in many other ways.So far, Canada stands strong. A massive push to #BuyCanadian has us squinting at the fine print on every purchase. But it shouldn't stop there. Nor should it break your budget.After Jordan and Laura trade their own tips on keeping their spending on this side of the border, Jordan interviews Jessica Moorhouse, the author of Everything But Money, host of the More Money podcast and an accredited financial counselor, about how to Buy Canadian and how to thrive in difficult economic times(3:19), how to manage your emotions when it comes to your money in a volatile economy (13:07) and what to do with big purchases and investments and the feeling this is all going to hell (21:48).Afterwards (29:11), Laura joins Jordan to introduce what will hopefully be the first of many original, patriotic Canadian songs recorded during the current crisis. Today, Lark of Canada, by Chris Rawlings. (Yes, that's Jordan's dad.)   Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Basically everything Canadians send digitally, even just to one another, runs through huge American tech companies—Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and dozens more. We've never had to worry about that. Now we do. So what are we going to do about it?On an individual and national level, we need to get serious about protecting our digital infrastructure. The good news is that it's a lot easier for this country to win a technological or media war than a physical one, and there's real opportunity here. Canada's tech talent, from developers to hackers and everything in between, is among the world's elite. We have everything we need to not only secure ourselves,  but to become an option for the rest of the world when they no longer trust American technology. Let's get going.Host Jordan Heath-Rawlings and producer Laura Palmer speak with Canadian technologist and futurist Jesse Hirsh about getting serious about security and winning a tech war. Intro: 0:00Welcome Jesse: 3:31Participatory cybersecurity: 11:35Every Canadian's role: 21:41Listener emails and sign off: 33:49 Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

Countries like Sweden and Finland, that live near a hostile power, have made huge investments in civil defence, preparing their citizens to respond to any emergency, from an environmental catastrophe to foreign interference and even invasion.Canada has done this in the past as well, just not for decades. What would a modern Canadian Civil Defence Corps look like? Host Jordan Heath-Rawlings and producer Laura Palmer speak with Peter MacLeod, principal of MASS LBP and the author, with Richard Johnson, of Democracy’s Second Act (out this fall from the University of Toronto’s Aevo Press).First, Jordan explains what made us make Elbows Up, what you can expect from it and how you can help us shape it. Then (10:26), Jordan and Peter discuss exactly what a new era of civil defence would mean, and (27:00) how Canada can achieve it. Finally, the three of us share our thoughts on why so many Canadians are feeling moved to action now. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.

The world is shifting under our feet. This is a podcast about how Canada can stay strong and free, forever. And what exactly we need to do that. Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.elbowsup@gmail.com.