This post is full of links, that is, recommendations. Now that our southern neighbours have gone all 51st state on us and Canada is increasingly morphing into a Finnish- (or maybe Ukrainian-) shaped shape, the current federal elections have an existential weight to them they haven't had in a while, at least in my lifetime. So who to know who to vote for, in this desolate landscape of inescapable climate grief and neighbourly Americanitude? And, if you're not into the CBC (I don't judge that too harsh, despite thinking the "defund the CBC" rallying point is completely stupid, when "better the CBC" is always just hanging there, like the low-hanging fruit that it is), where to go when you need to figure out what is even happening at the federal level of this federation?
Like who to vote for, I can't decide for you where you source all your news (especially now that it looks like my heady dreams of Official Bloc Oppo might be all dreamlike and very unserious), but I do have some ideas. Because, more seriously, I don't think we should be getting all our information from social media algorithms. I'm just old-fashioned that way.
So here goes:
- When I want local, tree-like news that keeps an eye on the forest, I think of Tito Curtis' The Rover. I've been a backer since Curtis started the project, and I've been genuinely so happy to see The Rover kick ass and take names ever since. Curtis is Montréal-based, but if you're elsewhere in Québec or Canada and are interested in what's happening in La belle province, check out therover.ca/
- If Alberta's more on your mind, Jeremy Appel's substack at readtheorchard.org is definitely worth a look, especially if you're also a radio guy. (I mean, podcast guy.) But The Orchard doesn't only include Alberta, Appel and his guest writers often have a national and international focus. I often stumble on bits of news in their weekly round-ups I would have missed, otherwise.
- I've been following Arshy Mann's career on Twitter for a while now because of his work as a producer on COMMONS, and his new podcast/news project with Jordan Cormish, The Hatchet, has been a constant companion of mine since it launched last year. I'm fairly sure I've listened to most of the episodes, too, which considering I truly prefer reading to listening, is a testament to the quality of the work Mann and Cormish are putting out there.
- I admit I haven't been paying as much attention to them this past year as before, but I can't make a list like this and not include the Sandy and Nora podcast. For a few years there, their's was the only podcast I listened to on a regular basis, and now that the elections have really kicked off, I'm getting ready to dive right back in.
- I pay attention to pretty much everything Desmond Cole does. I met him in person at a protest many years ago. Just an incredible person, all around, and his work, especially his book The Skin We're In, really moved me.
- Before last, and absolutely not least, is a former school fellow of mine, Ka’nhehsí:io Deer. She's the only regular CBC reporter on this list, and the only CBC journo whose RSS feed I have bookmarked, and for very good reason.
- And, of course, there's also Ricochet Media, if you need a bigger news production, something to really sink your teeth into.
If I were making up a list of recommendations and sources in French for the Québec or Canadian context, that list would look really different from this one, so I might create one over on the French side of my blog in the coming days (do let me know if that is of any interest!)
And, to all my Canadianish friends and foes feasting their eyes on this listicle, if you have any journos, podcasts, newsletters, or news sources to add to this list, definitely send me a comment. I'll probably add them below this blog post, too!