Best The Hello Calgary Podcast Podcasts (2025)

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Season 5 Episode 3 - On Travel (part 1) feat. Mom 47:48

Play Pause

3d ago47:48

47:48

The PIDLLP crew are joined by Mom to discuss a summer of travel that spanned the globe. From Greece to Morrocco and Ireland, to our very own lake paradise in British Columbia, the round table talk a bit of Best of Calgary before getting into the topic of travel, including; top wine merchants in Calgary (shout outs to Market Wines and Willow Park am…

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Who gets to win the Nobel Peace Prize? 26:44

3m ago26:44

26:44

This year, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado. In the announcement last week, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said Machado had earned the prize for her “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy". The award comes at a time when the U.S. has ta…

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CBC President Marie-Philippe Bouchard 30:55

24h ago30:55

30:55

Marie-Philippe Bouchard has been in her role as President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada for a little under a year. Since her appointment, we’ve had a federal election that has spared the public broadcaster from defunding threats for now, but certainly not from a broad sentiment that the CBC needs change and evolution. This week, Bouchard unveiled her…

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Marineland’s scandalous decline 23:45

1d ago23:45

23:45

At its peak, Marineland was the second most popular tourist destination in Ontario’s Niagara region after the falls. Visitors could get up close and personal with beluga whales, dolphins and orcas, and watch them perform in elaborate shows. Throw in a side of rollercoasters and other exhibits and you had a family friendly attraction built to last. …

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Identities: Apprentices 51:15

2d ago51:15

51:15

Hello Friends! We’re starting off the 2025-2026 academic year strong with a new thematic series entitled, Identities: … ft. our very own Art Kung, SAIT Chaplain and Interfaith Liaison at SAIT, bringing a word on this month’s Convergence topic on Identities: Apprentices. This session was recorded on September 25th at the Convergence! Stay tuned for …

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Canada’s bet on an AI boom 27:28

2d ago27:28

27:28

Canada's first ever minister of artificial intelligence, Evan Solomon, is spearheading what he's calling a "30-day sprint" to nail down Canada's AI strategy. The plan? To figure out a government approach to the technology in order to boost the Canadian economy. Today, we wanted to take stock of the state of the industry in Canada, and a closer look…

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Front Burner Presents: The Making of Musk, Episode 1 39:48

3d ago39:48

39:48

Where did Elon Musk’s epic ambitions begin? In search of clues we return to his sheltered youth in apartheid South Africa, a world engineered for white supremacy. Along the way, we connect the dots between a bizarre White House ambush of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa to teenage Elon’s ego-powered quests in video games. Finally, was his “d…

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Portraits of childhood in Gaza 31:03

6d ago31:03

31:03

Today, if all goes well, a ceasefire will begin in Gaza. In phase one, Hamas has pledged to return all of the hostages, living and dead. For its part Israel will release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, while withdrawing troops to an agreed-upon line in Gaza and maintaining majority control of the territory. Beyond that, the details of Trump’s pr…

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Inside the shadow war in Ukraine 21:35

7d ago21:35

21:35

Beyond the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, a shadow war between the Kremlin and Kyiv is escalating -- with covert assassinations, car bombs, civilian recruitment, and even the involvement of a terrorist group with a history in Canada. Today, national security reporter Ben Makuch examines how it’s transforming the character of the biggest land war…

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What exactly is Antifa? 33:24

8d ago33:24

33:24

The term ‘Antifa’ derives from the German word for Antifascist — and the constellation of resistance movements largely created as a response to Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. Today, Antifa describes a decentralized anti-fascist movement with local groups and unaffiliated activists all over the world. Many became aware of Antifascist organizing …

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Can Trump’s peace plan help end the war in Gaza? 26:25

9d ago26:25

26:25

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Politics! Carney meets Trump again, Smith pitches a pipeline 25:15

10d ago25:15

25:15

Aaron Wherry, senior writer at CBC's parliamentary bureau, is back today to talk Canadian politics. We get into Mark Carney’s upcoming trip to Washington and what it might mean for the possibility of some sort of trade stability with the United States. Plus, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her province will propose a new bitumen pipeline to B.C…

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Weekend Listen: Death, sex, money … and podcasting? (via Bookends) 37:39

12d ago37:39

37:39

When the book ends, the conversation begins. On Bookends, Mattea Roach speaks with writers who have something to say about their work, the world and our place in it. You’ll always walk away with big questions to ponder and new books to read. Bookends does not shy away from difficult conversations … and neither does Anna Sale, the host of the popula…

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Trump, and the alarm bells of fascism 31:17

14d ago31:17

31:17

After Donald Trump was elected for a second time, historian Timothy Snyder wrote this in the New Yorker: “Trump has always been a presence, not an absence: the presence of fascism.” Today on Front Burner, Snyder makes that case again. His warning about fascism feels particularly relevant at this point in Trump’s presidency, as the U.S. sees an esca…

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U.S. politics! Government shutdown, military pep talk 27:28

15d ago27:28

27:28

The U.S. government has shut down after Republicans and Democrats failed to pass a spending bill before the end of Tuesday. Government services will grind to a halt and hundreds of thousands of federal employees face unpaid leave. How long is it expected to last, and could it have been avoided? Plus, President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pet…

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Will recognition lead to a Palestinian state? 25:47

16d ago25:47

25:47

Last week, Canada officially recognized Palestinian statehood. In explaining this decision, Prime Minister Mark Carney released a statement which read, "Canada recognises the State of Palestine and offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel." Just over a week later, U.…

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How the world abandoned climate politics 27:34

17d ago27:34

27:34

While Donald Trump may have shocked many at the UN General Assembly when he called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”, he may just have been the most extreme messenger of a global shift being seen elsewhere. David Wallace-Wells, author of “The Uninhabitable Earth” and friend of the show, recently wrote a feature for…

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Season 5 Episode 2 (part 2) - "A Sonic Revolution (continued)" 25:57

20d ago25:57

25:57

The conversation wraps on the topic of AI. The boys discuss how far it has come in such a short amount of time, and the ethics behind its use. Join us as we segue into our next episode feat. Mom, "On Travel".

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Who can rebuild the NDP? 32:33

18d ago32:33

32:33

It’s been about a month since the NDP leadership race began and two main contenders have emerged: longtime climate activist and former broadcaster Avi Lewis, and NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona, Heather McPherson, one of the most prominent New Democrat voices in Western Canada. The NDP suffered a crushing defeat last election. The party went from 24…

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The secret to China’s dominance 28:26

21d ago28:26

28:26

Dan Wang is a tech analyst and a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover History Lab. He’s one of the leading China analysts in the world right now and his new book is called “Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future”. Today on the show he explains his novel way of understanding the clash between China and the United States: China ow…

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Jimmy Kimmel, free speech and big money media 30:48

22d ago30:48

30:48

After a brief suspension for comments he made in the wake of the Charlie Kirk killing, Jimmy Kimmel has made his return to late night. It was just the latest example in a string of cancellations, resignations, lawsuits, settlements and potential mergers that tell the story of a media industry buckling to Trump or consolidating under a wealthy and p…

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Autism and Tylenol: what the science says 27:15

23d ago27:15

27:15

Health professionals around the world are disputing the Trump administration’s claims about autism and its potential causes. U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., along with President Donald Trump himself, said this week that taking Tylenol while pregnant may cause autism in babies, and the U.S. FDA said it would reclassify the drug leuco…

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Robert Munsch’s decision to die 27:02

24d ago27:02

27:02

Beloved children’s author Robert Munsch has chosen medically assisted death. Canada is one of the few places in the world where MAID is legal for patients like Munsch, who are not terminally ill. Today, a conversation with journalist Katie Engelhart, on the legacy of one of the great Canadian writers, how dementia has impacted his life and ability …

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Danielle Smith on Carney, Kirk and pipelines 29:04

25d ago29:04

29:04

Today, a wide-ranging interview with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. She talks to host Jayme Poisson about Alberta’s future in light of the Carney government’s push to fast track major projects, arguing that energy development is an issue of national unity for her constituents. Smith also responds to the controversy around her potential use of the …

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S05E02 - "A Sonic Revolution with Poems, Pours and Voices That Won't Be Silenced" 22:44

30d ago22:44

22:44

Prophet, Infectious and Easy have solicited new writers for the show. With a renewed focus on the recent AI revolution, the boys don their rebellion caps and take their kill shot at the Death Star.

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The era of meme shooters is here 29:02

28d ago29:02

29:02

Memes have been written on weapons, quoted in manifestos, and cited by young attackers as the inspiration for acts of mass violence. It's a phenomenon that springs from groups of disaffected people communicating on the web through a convoluted language of impenetrable memes and irony. Utah Governor Spencer Cox has said about the 22-year-old man cha…

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Politics! Farewell Freeland, hello mega-projects 25:24

28d ago25:24

25:24

For the first time since June, MPs returned to the House of Commons to decide the path of Canada’s future. And just a few days into the fall session, it’s already looking like a busy season. After more than a decade in politics, Chrystia Freeland announced she is calling it quits. Pierre Poilievre and Mark Carney faced off for the first time in que…

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Can Canada’s housing minister make homes cheaper? 28:36

30d ago28:36

28:36

The Liberal government has launched its $13-billion agency called “Build Canada Homes” which Prime Minister Mark Carney says will supercharge housing construction across the country. Today, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson talks to host Jayme Poisson about Canada’s housing affordability crisis, how the Liberal government is meeting the challenges …

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The return of political violence 31:36

1M ago31:36

31:36

Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk we're joined by Bruce Hoffman, a Senior Fellow for counter terrorism and homeland security at the Council for Foreign Relations. He helps us understand the history of assassinations, the connections between violent rhetoric and incidents of material violence, and the online meme-world that communicates mo…

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Donald Trump’s war on drug cartels 26:56

1M ago26:56

26:56

Donald Trump has declared a war on drug cartels. He’s wielded the flow of narcotics, namely fentanyl, into the U.S. as one of the major reasons behind aspects of his global trade war. He’s added a number of cartels to the foreign terrorist organisations list. And last month, the Trump administration stepped things up by quietly signing a Pentagon d…

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Fear, fury and Charlie Kirk’s killing 28:05

1M ago28:05

28:05

American conservative media figure and activist Charlie Kirk was one of the most prominent young voices of the American right. The founder of Turning Point USA, a close ally of Donald Trump, and a figure who helped shape the culture and pipeline of the MAGA movement. On Wednesday, he was shot at one of his trademark campus debate events at Utah Val…

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Will Trump declare ‘war’ on Chicago? 30:50

1M ago30:50

30:50

As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal forces into Chicago — a city he’s referred to as the ‘murder capital’ of the world — we have a look at Trump’s long standing focus on Chicago, and how the city became a favourite metaphor in conservative politics. This month, Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to send federal forces into Chica…

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Politics! Carney government ramps up 23:12

1M ago23:12

23:12

This coming Monday, MPs return to Ottawa for Parliament’s fall session, with the health of Canada’s economy front and centre. Last Friday, Prime Minister Carney unveiled a new set of measures designed, he says, to make Canada’s economy more resilient in the face of persistent U.S. tariffs. We also now have a leaked list of the major infrastructure …

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Does Canada have a violent crime problem? 29:57

1M ago29:57

29:57

Over the last few weeks, horrific crimes have dominated headlines across the country. There was a father of four who was killed after at least three suspects broke into his home in Vaughan, Ontario. There was a mass stabbing attack on Hollow Water First Nation, just north of Winnipeg. The suspect had been out on bail. Last weekend in Edmonton, a wo…

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Is it over for Quebec’s François Legault? 23:34

1M ago23:34

23:34

Quebec has introduced a new bill that would ban prayer in public spaces. It’s the latest in a series of recent moves by the province to reinforce Quebec’s secularist values. It comes as Premier François Legault is embroiled in a spending scandal and polls that show he’s the least popular provincial leader in the country. Will falling back on Quebec…

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‘Queen of Canada’ cult leader arrested 32:07

1M ago32:07

32:07

On Wednesday, 16 people — including Romana Didulo, the cult leader known as the “Queen of Canada” — were arrested in the tiny Saskatchewan village of Richmound. RCMP released them the following day, but then re-arrested two unidentified individuals. Didulo and her followers have been holed up in a decommissioned school there for two years. Their pr…

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The Alberta book ban saga 26:10

1M ago26:10

26:10

Late last week - a list of over 200 books, set to be removed from Edmonton school libraries by October made the rounds online. It was in response to an order set out by Alberta’s education ministry in July to take books with sexually explicit content from the shelves. This applied from kindergarten to Grade 12. On that list? Award-winning works lik…

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What UNICEF saw in Gaza 38:55

1M ago38:55

38:55

Today on the show, James Elder is here. James is UNICEF’s global spokesperson, and he has made five trips to Gaza since the October attacks documenting what UNICEF has called a “war on children.” He joins us less than two weeks after a UN backed body officially designated the hunger crisis in Gaza a famine, one that the UN’s relief chief Tom Fletch…

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Brazil stares down Trump and Bolsonaro 26:47

1M ago26:47

26:47

In a trial entering its final phase, former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro stands accused of attempting to stage a coup, leading an armed criminal organisation, and plotting to have the country’s current president and a Supreme Court justice killed. In response Bolsonaro ally U.S. President Donald Trump slapped Brazil with steep 50% tariffs and…

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The threat next door: How NATO’s newest members are preparing to defend against Russia (via The House) 46:39

2M ago46:39

46:39

NATO’s secretary general has warned Russia could launch an attack on the alliance within the next five years. Talk to NATO’s two newest members, Finland and Sweden, and they’ll tell you preparation involves a lot more than just boosting military spending. As Canada seeks to strengthen ties with both countries, what can we learn from our newest NATO…

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Season 5 Episode 1 - Talk On The Rocks "On Alcohol" 53:29

2M ago53:29

53:29

The Prophet Esau, Infectious and Easy Evan do a deep dive into Alcohol while sipping London Mules in the heat of summer. As long time residents of this great city of Calgary, the boys debut the fifth season by talking about the best places to drink in town, including (by type): Cocktails @ Proof, Major Toms, Shelter Wine @ AVITUS wine bar, Missy's …

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Is the International Criminal Court’s future in peril? 28:15

2M ago28:15

28:15

Last week, the U.S. released another round of sanctions against officials at the International Criminal Court, including a Canadian judge. They’re the latest in a string of attacks from the Trump administration this year, after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gall…

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Season 4 Episode 14 - Fire and Wine "On Death" (part 2) 35:40

2M ago35:40

35:40

The boys continue the facade of starting a new season, as they seemingly deal with the end of everything they once knew. Easy Evan gives a reading of The Day Lady Died by Frank O'Hara, prompting conversation of those distinct moments in life that you remember in great detail because of some life altering event.…

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Trump, the Smithsonian, and the battle over U.S. history 32:18

2M ago32:18

32:18

American history has always been contested, but recent decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump to reshape the way it’s taught and remembered have put museums, schools, and memorials squarely in the crosshairs. Earlier this year, Trump passed an executive order that called for the removal of what he referred to as “divisive, race-centered ideology”…

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Season 4 Episode 13 - Fire and Wine "On Death" 46:41

2M ago46:41

46:41

The PIDLLP crew lament the death of life and society as we knew growing up. Selections of poetry are read including Japanese Death Poems written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the verge of death. The boys discuss rebirth, regrowth, and postulate what the phoenix that rises from the ashes will look like.…

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Politics! Carney's report card, Poilievre's return 25:08

2M ago25:08

25:08

Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned on big promises and bold action to save a country in crisis. It's now been more than 100 days since his cabinet was sworn in, but details and tangible results are still thin on the ground. How much of a runway does he have to start delivering on his promises on things like national infrastructure, housing, and …

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Season 4 Episode 12 - St. Paddy's Day Special (part 2) 57:50

2M ago57:50

57:50

The boys are being true Calgarians and discussing our beloved Flames and the eternal question "to tank or not to tank?". They reminisce about one of the best communities in Calgary that Infectious and the Prophet once grew up and lived in; Kensington. Finally, the boys get heated talking about Wayne Gretzky and his importance to Canada and connecti…

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Young people can't find jobs. Is Canada's economy in trouble? 21:25

2M ago21:25

21:25

The unemployment rate for Canadians between 15 and 24 is at 15 percent, the highest it's been since 2010, not including the pandemic. Why can't young people find a job? And how do these numbers fit into the wider health of our economy at the moment? Economist and Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers Armine Yalnizyan is on the show to talk about…

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Season 4 Episode 11 - The St. Paddy's Day Special 1:02:44

2M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

The PIDLLP crew is joined by regular guest Mom three days prior to St. Patrick's day. They discuss movies, specifically Bong Joon Ho's classic film Parasite and the less classic but more controversial Okja. The boys also discuss a recent situation that threatened to expose their true identities, and how they plan to maintain their anonymity during …

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Israel defies global outcry over Gaza City, West Bank 25:40

2M ago25:40

25:40

Airstrikes and tanks continued pounding the outskirts of Gaza City over the weekend, as Israel’s plans to seize the strip’s largest urban centre continued. A much bigger operation, widely condemned by the international community, could begin within days or weeks. This is all happening as the world’s leading authority on food crises is saying that G…