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CanCon

CanCon

Written by: Jordan Heath-Rawlings Laura Palmer Mat Keselman
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It's a fascinating time to be Canadian. This is a show that breaks all that wide open. Dangers. Opportunities. The stories that make this country what it is. And what it isn't. Longtime journalist and podcast host Jordan Heath-Rawlings (Elbows Up, The Big Story, The Gravy Train) returns to host critical Canadian Conversations with leading experts and storytellers. These are discussions—about who we are, how we got here, and where we're going—designed to offer more than soundbites and headlines. They'll introduce you to places, people and policies you might not have otherwise met, or perhaps not considered to be worth your attention. But they are. Politics & Government Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • The case of the Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned alleged drug kingpin
    Oct 15 2026

    There's no way to sugarcoat the story of Ryan Wedding. Once an aspiring snowboarder from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Wedding qualified for the 2002 Olympics as a member of the Canadian team. He didn't medal. Two decades later, he was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, being compared to the likes of El Chapo and Pablo Escobar by American officials.

    After years on the run, Wedding was apprehended in January of this year in Mexico City, and he'll soon head to trial facing up to 19 felonies for his role in allegedly importing nearly 60 tons of cocaine into the US and Canada, working with the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

    How did Wedding end up here? Perhaps, as a famous writer once put it, "gradually, then suddenly". But he's well on his way to becoming one of Canada's most infamous criminals, and a new podcast series explores how an athlete from Northern Ontario found himself among the most wanted fugitives in the world.

    Michelle Shephard, Canadian journalist, documentarian and the host of the CBC/Toronto Star podcast, The Most Wanted Olympian, alongside Toronto Star journalist Calvi Leon, walks us through what we know about Wedding's journey and what we're still waiting to find out...

    Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.cancon@gmail.com.

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    24 mins
  • Inside the ever-advancing world of grandparent scams
    Oct 8 2026

    You've been warned about them, undoubtedly. You've probably passed on that warning to your elderly loved ones, or anyone you see as a little digitally naive. But how much do you really know about how so-called 'Grandparent Scams' operate in Canada—from the scale of them to their ever-increasing sophistication to the damage they leave behind in their wake?

    This week, Rachel Brown walks us through her detailed reporting for The Walrus to give you a detailed look inside what's becoming a huge criminal industry, one that shows no signs of slowing down...

    Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.cancon@gmail.com.

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    26 mins
  • How a small Canadian business copes with a trade war
    Oct 1 2026

    Many of us have been lucky enough to experience the ongoing trade war with the United States as a small part of everyday life. We may pay slightly higher prices, or choose not to buy American products. We may read headlines about job losses or plant closures and feel sympathy, but we don't know what it's like to grapple with the ever-changing tariffs playing havoc with our bottom line.

    But small Canadian businesses have been living this hell for a year and a half now, and we wanted to give you a firsthand look at what that's like—from small annoyances to macro business pressures that force drastic changes. Today on Cancon, Dave Misener, co-founder of OMS Canada, an audio equipment retailer that imports from around the world, including the United States, takes us inside his world...

    Feedback from listeners is so, so welcome. If you have something to say, email us: hello.cancon@gmail.com.

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    23 mins
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