Redeye
936 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsA progressive take on current events. Produced by an independent media collective at Vancouver Cooperative Radio.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Massive port expansion in Delta threatens farmland, wildlife, air quality
January 03, 2020 14:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MBA federal government review panel has just concluded hearings on a Vancouver Fraser Port Authority proposed container terminal on Roberts Bank in the Strait of Georgia. Opponents of this expansion say the terminal’s impact is as profound as the Trans Mountain oil pipeline terminal presently being built in Burnaby. We talk with Roger Emsley of Against Port Expansion.
New doc explores the ideas behind the bestselling book Assholes: A Theory
January 01, 2020 14:00 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBIn his bestselling book Assholes: A Theory, philosopher Aaron James presents a provocative theory of the asshole to explain why such people exist, especially in an age of raging narcissism and unbridled capitalism. Assholes: A Theory is a new documentary by veteran filmmaker John Walker. He joins us in studio to discuss how he came to make the film and who he talks to – and about – in the movie.
Indigenous artist works with community to paint massive pictographs
December 29, 2019 14:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBThis summer, internationally acclaimed artist Marianne Nicolson completed a series of massive pictographs, created with more than 55 participants, in Kwakwaka’wakw territory, close to the site of contested fish farms. We speak with Marianne Nicolson about how the project came about and what it symbolizes to the Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw people who live in Kingcome Inlet.
Recent study finds online comments surprisingly constructive
December 26, 2019 14:00 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBOnline news outlets have been struggling for years with how to deal with online comments. They are often sexist, racist, and sometimes just irrelevant. But a recent research study from the SFU Discourse Processing Lab found that things might not be as bad as we think. Vasundhara Gautam looked at 1.5 million online comments at three publications. She is a computational linguist and she conducted the study with Dr. Maite Taboada. Vasundhara Gautam joins us in our studio.
Distorted Descent: White Claims to Indigenous Identity
December 24, 2019 14:00 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBDistorted Descent examines raceshifting: a social phenomenon that results in white, French descendant settlers in Canada shifting into a self-defined “Indigenous” identity. Author Darryl Leroux brings to light to how these claims to an “Indigenous” identity are then used politically to oppose actual, living Indigenous peoples and are rooted in white settler colonialism and white supremacy.
Taninli Wright's one-woman play recounts her 1600km walk across BC
December 22, 2019 14:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBIn 1997, an Indigenous mother living in Vancouver walked from Prince Rupert to Vancouver to give voice to First Nations children and other marginalized. Now an actor, she has created a powerful one-woman play telling a powerful story of transformation and hope. We speak with Taninli Wright following the premiere of her play Sis Ne’ Bi-yiz: Mother Bear Speaks at the Heart of the City Festival in November.
Vancouver's low property taxes fuel land speculation and inequality
December 22, 2019 00:16 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBIn the last 15 years, residential land values in Vancouver have gone up by about $200 billion dollars. But this tremendous financial windfall has not been shared equally among city residents. As property owners see their personal wealth increase, renters are struggling. Alex Hemingway argues that Vancouver needs to rethink how it calculates property taxes.
City Beat: Vancouver debates how to balance budget and maintain priorities
December 17, 2019 22:35 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBMunicipal politicians across the Metro Vancouver spent their first year in office setting priorities for the following year’s budget. In Vancouver, the first estimate from City staff back in the fall said they were looking at a 10% tax increase to fund them all. Ian Mass reports on the progress in Surrey and Vancouver as councillors grapple with what to fund and what to cut.
Role of media campaign against Corbyn in Labour's historic election loss
December 15, 2019 00:26 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBMuch of the commentary about the recent UK election holds that the Labour Party’s disastrous showing in Thursday’s election is the fault of leader Jeremy Corbyn. Labour Party activist and media analyst Dr Justin Schlosberg says that if you scratch below the surface, Jeremy Corbyn’s unpopularity must be seen in the context of the years-long campaign to discredit him that ramped up dramatically following the Labour Party’s success in the 2017 election.
A dose of reality is what's needed to face current climate emergency
December 14, 2019 00:50 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBWilliam Rees is Professor Emeritus and former Director of the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning. He is a co-developer of the concept of the ecological footprint. In this extended interview, he talks about the consequences of our continued dependence on fossil fuel energy, and discusses our ability to change our economy in time to avoid climate catastrophe.
NDP government continues to allow logging of BC's old-growth forests
December 11, 2019 23:54 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBThe provincial NDP government was elected in 2017 with a platform that called for a re-think of BC’s logging of old growth forests. Now, more than two years after the election, the government is continuing to allow old growth logging while promoting a public consultation process that has no timeline and no guaranteed action. We speak with Andrea Inness of the Ancient Forest Alliance.
Calendar captures a portrait of the rapidly changing Chinese community
December 07, 2019 14:00 - 10 minutes - 9.7 MB2020 MAU Calendar project is an artist and community produced publication showcasing the work of local artists. This year’s calendar also highlights local organizations and businesses, and features community-contributed food recipes, poetry and neighbourhood event listings. Elisa Yon is a visual artist based in Vancouver's Chinatown and she spearheaded the project.
Economic case for TMX weaker than ever, according to financial analysis
December 05, 2019 14:00 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBThe most recent analysis by the New York-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis shows an additional $320 million in new subsidies was given in the first six months of this year to finance the already highly-subsidized Trans Mountain Pipeline, calling into question the economic feasibility of the expansion project. We talk with Tom Sanzillo, co-author of the report.
Calls to rebuild Little Mountain social housing 10 years after demolition
December 03, 2019 02:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBThe Little Mountain social housing community in Vancouver was once a supportive and dynamic neighbourhood. 10 years ago, more than 200 homes were demolished and residents were promised a quick return to new, modern homes. Today, a decade later, the land sits mostly vacant. David Chudnovsky is a former NDP MLA and spokesperson with Community Advocates for Little Mountain.
Human rights complaint against VSB over lack of response to racism in schools
November 29, 2019 00:55 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBLast year, a student at a Vancouver school circulated a video of himself uttering threats and hateful racial epithets against Black people. The BC Community Alliance and local parents are concerned with the lack of an adequate response to the video from the school, the police and the district. Now the Alliance has filed a human rights complaint against the Vancouver School Board. We speak with Marie Tate of the BC Community Alliance.
OAS paves the way for military coup in Bolivia
November 26, 2019 20:38 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBThe Organization of American States played a critical role in the coup that ousted Bolivian president Evo Morales. The US-dominated organization has yet to produce evidence of fraud in the recent presidential election, yet Morales was forced to resign on November 10 and fled to Mexico. Joe Emersberger is a political analyst and author of a recent article in Counterpunch analysing the coup.
Dangers for Germany in the rise of the far-right party, the AFD
November 24, 2019 14:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MBOn October 27, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland party came second in state elections in the eastern state of Thuringia. The AFD won 23% of the vote, making gains at the expense of Angela Merkel’s centre-right CDU. Titus Molkenbur is a research consultant at the London School of Economics and co-author of a recent report on the rise of the AFD. He speaks with us from Germany.
Indigenous artist David Neel on art, culture and finding his way home
November 22, 2019 14:00 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBDavid Neel lost touch with his Kwakiutl heritage when he lost his father as a very young child. 25 years later, he was living in Texas when he saw a mask that he eventually learned had been carved by his great-grandfather. David Neel tells us how this started his remarkable journey home to become a carver in the Kwakwaka’wakw tradition, as well as a printmaker, jeweller, photographer and painter. David Neel’s new memoir The Way Home has just been published by UBC Press.
Vancouver council expropriates two Downtown Eastside hotels for $1 a piece
November 20, 2019 14:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBResidents in the Balmoral and the Regent Hotel lived with deplorable conditions for years. The two hotels were owned by the Sahota family who used them as cash cows to finance real estate development. The City of Vancouver finally shut both hotels down. Earlier this month, councillors voted unanimously to expropriate the hotels for one dollar. We speak with long-time housing activist Wendy Pedersen.
Activist says media talking nonsense about Brian Day's challenge to Medicare
November 18, 2019 23:03 - 16 minutes - 15 MBColleen Fuller is a long-time health policy researcher and advocate for public health care. She says the media keep saying Dr. Brian Day’s Charter challenge is about the constitutional right to reduced wait times. She disagrees. She says the case is about whether doctors have a constitutional right to bill patients. She joins us to talk about the case as final arguments begin.
British Columbia government tables historic Indigenous rights legislation
November 15, 2019 14:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBThe United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act was introduced into the BC legislature on October 24. The legislation is meant to provide a framework for the province to align its laws with the standards of the UN declaration. To find out more about the effect of the proposed legislation, we speak with Kekinusuqs Judith Sayers. She is president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and a member of the Hupacasath First Nation. Dr. Sayers is an adjunct professor at the Uni...
Time to reform Canada's unjust Extradition Act
November 13, 2019 14:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBCanadian academic Hassan Diab was extradited to France five years ago on the basis of unreliable, unsourced intelligence. He spent three years in a French jail before he was finally released and returned home to Canada. Hassan Diab and his supporters are calling for a full public inquiry to find out what went wrong in his case. They also want to see significant changes to Canada’s Extradition Act to make sure that this doesn’t happen to another Canadian. We speak with Bessa Whitmore from the ...
White Peace Poppy ceremony commemorates all victims of war
November 11, 2019 17:45 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBThe White Peace Poppy Campaign began in the mid-1920s as a response to growing militarism in Britain. The poppy commemorates all those who have died in war, including civilian casualties. We speak with two people who are participating in a White Poppy wreath-laying ceremony today, November 11, in Vancouver. Teresa Gagné is co-founder of the White Peace Poppy Campaign in Canada. Fazineh Keita was a child soldier in Sierra Leone. He’s founder and co-director of the Innocence Lost Foundation.
Hidden carbon costs of the US military's drive to control fossil fuel supply
November 09, 2019 00:58 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBAccording to a new report, the US military is one of the largest polluters in history. It consumes immense amounts of fossil fuels and emits more planet-heating gases than industrialized countries such as Sweden and Portugal. Benjamin Neimark is senior lecturer at the Lancaster Environment Centre and one of the authors of the report The Hidden Carbon Costs of the Everywhere War. He joins us from the UK.
Number of minimum wage workers in Canada doubles since 2009
November 06, 2019 14:00 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBA recent Statistics Canada study found that the number of people working at minimum wage jobs has doubled over the past ten years. Many minimum wage worked are aged 25 or older and an increasing number work at big companies. Armine Yalnizyan is an economist with the Atkinson Foundation in Toronto where her current research looks at the future of labour in a period of rapid technological change.
Mass uprising challenges decades of neoliberalism in Chile
November 05, 2019 01:55 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBOn October 25, over a million people took to the streets of Santiago, Chile in the largest mobilization since the end of the dictatorship. President Sebastián Piñera has announced a major cabinet reshuffle and introduces a few reforms but mass protests continue. José Arias Bustamante is a forest engineer from Chile, currently doing graduate work at UBC. He speaks with us about the roots of the uprising and the goals of the movements involved in the protests.
No Canadian political party has an adequate climate plan
October 31, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBModelling of the different party promises on climate change shows none of the plans would hit targets to avoid a 1.5°C increase in global warming. Simon Donner is a professor of climatology at the University of British Columbia. He compares the climate plans of the federal political parties and explains why Canada will be unable to do its fair share of reducing greenhouse emissions.
A Knapsack Full of Dreams: A memoir by street nurse Cathy Crowe
October 29, 2019 13:00 - 13 minutes - 12 MBCathy Crowe is one of Canada’s first street nurses and a tireless fighter for social justice. Her recently published memoir, A Knapsack Full of Dreams, offers an eye-witness account of Canada’s homelessness crisis as well as a personal narrative of her challenges and victories. We speak with Cathy Crowe about how she became a street nurse and what she learned about the health impacts of homelessness during her years caring for people in Toronto.
What the federal election results mean for progressives in Canada
October 27, 2019 22:57 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBWhen the votes were tallied on Monday night, the Liberals landed 13 seats short of a majority, with the Bloc Quebecois surging in Quebec and the NDP unable to capitalize on a strong campaign by Jagmeet Singh. Derrick O’Keefe is a long-time Vancouver activist, writer and co-founder of Ricochet. He joins us to give us his take on what happened on Monday night and what we should push for going forward.
Vancouver's artists facing a crisis of displacement
October 23, 2019 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBVancouver’s Eastside neighbourhoods have the highest concentration of artists in Canada. The city’s visual artists are, however, facing a crisis of displacement. The artists are losing their studio space to high rents, driven up by property development. Next week, the Eastside Culture Crawl Society is hosting a two-day forum on the issue of displacement. We talk with Esther Rausenberg, artist and executive director of the Eastside Culture Crawl.
Jason Kenney's foreign funding conspiracy theory doesn't hold water
October 21, 2019 23:26 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MBThe premier of Alberta is holding an inquiry into the role of foreign funding of environmental organizations that are fighting the fossil fuel industry. He’s hired a Calgary business insider to determine if groups are getting dollars from foreign donors intent on harming Alberta’s oil and gas industry. We talk about the issue with Sandy Garossino, a writer, former trial lawyer and columnist with the National Observer.
Global forest restoration has potential to capture huge amounts of carbon
October 19, 2019 02:01 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MBA landmark study by a research lab in Europe has shown that large-scale restoration of the Earth’s forests is the world’s most effective solution to capture carbon emissions. The Crowther Lab published its research in the journal Science in July. Dr. Jean François Bastin led the study. He is currently a researcher at Gand University in Belgium and we spoke with him from there.
Long-term storage only safe solution for Fukushima waste
October 16, 2019 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MBTokyo Electric Power Company made headlines around the world when it announced that it would have to discharge radioactive water from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. Paul Gunter is director of the Nuclear Oversight Program at Beyond Nuclear. He tells us what would happen if the waste water were released into the ocean and explains why the only viable solution is to build more storage tanks.
BC municipalities commit to 100% renewable energy
October 14, 2019 02:54 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBVancouver, Victoria and Saanich are three municipalities that have pledged to switch to 100% renewable energy within the next 30 years. A new report by the UVic Environmental Law Centre shows how to make this goal attainable. Executive director Deborah Curran says municipalities are uniquely placed to make a big impact during the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Workers at four Vancouver hotels on strike after 8 months without a contract
October 11, 2019 22:14 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBFour of Vancouver’s biggest hotels are behind picket lines after workers walked out on strike 3 weeks ago. Sharon Pawa is a spokesperson with Unite Here Local 40 and James Sugden is a cook at the Hotel Georgia. They join us to talk about the issues behind this strike.
“Why I joined Extinction Rebellion”
October 09, 2019 23:37 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBLaura Lamb is a long-time visual artist and former member of the Redeye collective. About a year ago, she closed down her art studio in order to dedicate her time to Extinction Rebellion. She joined us in studio a few days before the Oct 7 Bridge Out action in Vancouver to explain why she joined and what’s behind Extinction Rebellion’s direct action tactics. On Friday Oct 11, Extinction Rebellion is hosting a public talk titled "Heading for Extinction & What to Do about it" at Christchurch Ca...
Colonialism, eugenics and the forced sterilization of Indigenous women
October 06, 2019 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBAboriginal people have been systematically targeted for assimilation into Canadian society since colonization began. Residential schools and child apprehensions were used to remove children from their parents. In addition, thousands of Indigenous women were sterilized, many without their prior knowledge or consent. Karen Stote is the author of An Act of Genocide, published by Fernwood. She is an assistant professor at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario.
European far right exploits symbols of Christian identity
October 04, 2019 13:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBSeveral themes are beginning to coalesce in European far right politics. The traditional family has to be protected. Western culture has to be protected. And Christian identity must be central. Liz Fekete is a long-time observer of the far right in Europe. She is director of the Institute of Race Relations and the author of Europe’s Fault Lines: Racism and the Rise of the Right.
Journalism in an age of fake news and right-wing propaganda
October 02, 2019 13:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MBA recent opinion piece in the Vancouver Sun and the Province sparked public outcry for stoking the flames of anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment. Sean Holman says Mark Hecht’s op-ed is just another example of Postmedia content that undermines journalism to propagandize for radicalized right causes. Sean Holman is a journalism professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary.
City Beat: Georgia Viaduct plans, UBCM conference and an update on Oppenheimer Park
September 30, 2019 21:57 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBMunicipal politicians from all over the province gathered in Vancouver last week for the annual conference of the Union of BC Municipalities. Our City Beat reporter Ian Mass was there and joins us in the studio to fill us in on what happened. He also brings us an update on plans to tear down the Georgia Viaduct and the ongoing tent city at Oppenheimer Park.
Canada strikes for the climate tomorrow
September 26, 2019 13:00 - 12 minutes - 11.5 MBFriday Sept 20 was the start of a week of climate action around the world, involving walkouts from schools, universities and workplaces. On Friday Sept 27, people across Canada will go on strike to call for real action on the climate emergency. We talk with high school student Rebecca Hamilton about what’s planned for Vancouver.
Urgent need for diplomacy between nuclear powers
September 25, 2019 03:29 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBThursday September 26 is the International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Yet, tensions between the two major nuclear powers, the US and Russia, are higher now than they have been in decades. This month, the UN General Assembly opens its 74th session and the need for nuclear diplomacy has seldom been more urgent. We talk with Paul Meyer, chair of the Canadian Pugwash Group.
Two progressive politicians give us a preview of the annual Union of BC Municipalities conference
September 23, 2019 01:33 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBJosie Osborne was recently re-elected for a third term as the mayor of Tofino. Amy Lubik is a first-time Port Moody city councillor. They join us in studio to talk about the rural and urban resolutions they’re looking forward to debating at the annual Union of BC Municipalities conference taking place in Vancouver September 23 to 27.
Women gain full equality under Indian Act after 143 years of discrimination
September 20, 2019 13:00 - 20 minutes - 18.8 MBSharon McIvor’s grandmother was a member of the Lower Nicola Band who married a non-Indigenous man. Under Canada’s Indian Act, status was decided on the basis of male lineage and so their daughter was ineligible for registration as an Indian. Sharon McIvor launched a landmark case to gain equality and won a sweeping legal victory in 2007. The Canadian government continued to drag its feet. Sharon McIvor took the case to the United Nations in 2011. Canada finally ended sex-based discriminati...
Ottawa to pay compensation for inadequate child welfare system on reserve
September 18, 2019 13:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBMore Indigenous children have been apprehended than ever went through the residential school children. One of the reasons for these apprehensions is the lack of adequate child and family services on reserve. On Sept 6, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the federal government to pay $40,000 to each child who was apprehended or taken from their homes on reserve, no matter what the reason. We talk about the ruling with Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Ch...
Whales vs energy development in the Great Bear Sea
September 16, 2019 00:37 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBIn The Whale and The Raven, German director Mirjam Leuze explores the world of whale researchers against the backdrop of contested oil and gas development in the traditional territory of the Gitga’at First Nation in Northwest British Columbia. The film was co-produced with the National Film Board of Canada. It shows Oct 4 and 6 at the Vancouver International Film Festival. We speak with co-producer Henrik Meyer.
Appeal court to hear First Nations challenges to TMX pipeline
September 11, 2019 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBLast week, the Federal Court of Appeal agreed to hear an appeal in six legal cases opposing the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. At the same time, they dismissed six other cases that sought to quash the approval of the pipeline. Andrea Palframan is with RAVEN, a group that raises legal defence funds to assist Indigenous people argue for their legal rights in court. She explains what to expect in the upcoming court challenges.
City Beat: Oppenheimer Park tent city, Maple Ridge development and more
September 09, 2019 13:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBIan Mass joins us with our regular City Beat. In this episode, he talks about Vancouver’s big new culture plan, Kennedy Stewart’s about to take control of the tent city at Oppenheimer Park, and a cynical move by the Maple Ridge mayor to turn 200 layoffs at the Hammond lumber mill into a real estate opportunity.
RCMP visit Montreal activist after his criticism of Liberal foreign policy
September 08, 2019 20:00 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBThe day after Yves Engler went to a press conference to ask Marc Garneau a question about arms sales to the Saudis, two RCMP officers showed up at his Montreal home to talk with him. We speak with Yves Engler about his recent attempts to raise foreign policy criticism at public events and the RCMP’s response to his actions.
Vancouver's longest-running tent city still in place after August deadline
September 06, 2019 13:00 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBThe tent city in Oppenheimer Park has been in place for more than a year. Recently, the Vancouver Parks Board issued an order telling residents to remove tents and structures by the evening of August 21. At the deadline, dozens of tents remained and there was little evidence of a city crackdown. We talk with organizer Christy Brett to find out what happened that day.