Redeye
930 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 6 ratingsA progressive take on current events. Produced by an independent media collective at Vancouver Cooperative Radio.
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Episodes
Blockades highlight Canada’s $20 million arms trade with Israel
November 26, 2023 14:10 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBMore than 30 Palestinian trade unions have issued a united call to stop arming Israel. This call comes in light of Israel’s intensified assault on Palestinians over the past weeks, and particularly the unfolding genocide in Gaza. Activists in Canada have responded by blockading weapons facilities in Ontario and Quebec and informing Canadians about the flow of weapons from Canada to Israel. We talk with Rachel Small, an organizer with World Beyond War.
Sacrifice is the wrong framing to encourage action on climate
November 26, 2023 14:05 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBAs the climate emergency deepens, we hear repeatedly that the solution involves sacrifice. Fossil fuels, travel, meat - all things we need to give up to preserve the planet for human habitation. However, trio of academics say that effective climate action requires us to stop viewing our efforts as a sacrifice. We speak with Daniel Steel, associate professor in the School of Population and Public Health at University of British Columbia.
City Beat: Record increase in funding for police in Vancouver’s 2024 budget
November 26, 2023 14:00 - 13 minutes - 12 MBOn City Beat with Ian Mass this week, a draft of Vancouver’s 2024 budget with a recommended property tax increase of 7.6%, a motion supporting the Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, plans for Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and more.
Palestinian refugees urgently need to be included in UN protection regime
November 19, 2023 21:20 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBThe Gaza Strip is now a graveyard for thousands of children. UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, says that more children have now been killed in Gaza than all other conflicts since 2019. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Gaza’s population are refugees, they are not included in the United Nations international refugee protection regime. Today we speak with Dr. Maissaa Almustafa, Lecturer at the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo. Her research focuses...
Vancouver City Council votes to dismantle temporary modular housing
November 19, 2023 21:10 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBTemporary Modular Housing currently provides over 750 units of shelter-rate housing across Vancouver. OneCity councillor Christine Boyle brought forward a motion in July to renew or extend the leases for all these sites. Mayor Sim and his ABC party majority unanimously voted against that motion - and the dismantling or demolition of these units is now underway. We speak with Nathan Crompton, a member of the editorial collective for the Mainlander and an organizer with Our Homes Can’t Wait.
Debunking the myths about for-profit health care
November 19, 2023 21:04 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBThis week, the BC Health Coalition is in Vancouver talking about the urgent need for reform and innovation in public health care. Meanwhile the Canadian Medical Association is sponsoring a cross-country conversation about the role of private – read for-profit – health care. We talk with Dr. Saad Ahmed of Canadian Doctors for Medicare about the truth behind the myths of privatization and what it would mean for health care in Canada.
City Beat: Opening up Vancouver's wealthiest neighbourhood to affordable housing
November 11, 2023 22:31 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBAffordable housing is on the agenda this week at Vancouver City Council. Council will hear about four different initiatives designed to make housing cheaper and also more equitable, including a bold proposal to increase density in the city’s richest neighbourhood. Ian Mass joins us with his City Beat report.
BC must extend full labour code protections to workers in the gig economy
November 11, 2023 22:24 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBOver a quarter of a million Canadian workers now participate to varying degrees in app-based gig work. Most of these are ride hail and food delivery workers. The BC government is planning on updating regulations that affect these workers. The Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives-BC made a submission to the government, aimed at extending protections and benefits that other workers receive. We speak with Véronique Sioufi, CCPA Researcher for Racial & Socio-economic Equity.
Police arrest organizer of large pro-Palestinian rally in Calgary
November 11, 2023 22:18 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MBAs the bombardment of Gaza continues, thousands of Canadians are calling for a ceasefire. These protests are being met with a concerted international effort to suppress rallies and speeches that express solidarity with Palestinians. On November 5, the co-organizer of a large rally in Calgary was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace. We speak about the case with Muhannad Ayyash, sociology professor at Mount Royal University and policy analyst at Al-Shabaka, the Palestinian Policy Net...
Municipal councils not safe workplace for women and gender minorities
November 05, 2023 18:29 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBFrom sexual harassment to online bullying and threats of violence, women politicians face far more challenges in public life than their male counterparts. A new research project took a close look at what women, gender minorities and racialized politicians face when they get elected to councils in BC and Alberta. We talk with Nadine Nakagawa, city councillor in New Westminster and one of the lead researchers in the project.
Appeal to protect tenants in SROs goes to court Nov 7
November 05, 2023 18:27 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBIn Vancouver, single room occupancy hotels are often a last resort before homelessness, but rising rents mean that many low-income residents lose their housing each year. City of Vancouver vacancy control bylaws designed to protect SROs were quashed by the BC Supreme Court in 2022. On Nov 7, that ruling is being challenged in the BC Court of Appeal. We speak about the case with Wendy Pedersen, director of the Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative.
Tracking Vancouver City Council's record on equity promises
November 05, 2023 18:22 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBIn the lead-up to last year’s municipal election, Women Transforming Cities launched the Hot Pink Paper Campaign with eight policy asks based on months of community input from women and gender-diverse residents. A year later, we talk with Clara Prager about how council is doing on fulfilling their campaign commitments to create a more equitable city for all.
How disinformation foments anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia
October 29, 2023 18:44 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBAs attacks continue on Palestinian people in Gaza, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism is on the rise. This hatred of Muslim people is fomented by a concerted propaganda campaign and by the repetition of false news stories and misinformation. To help us understand what is happening, and the impact on Muslim people here in Canada and elsewhere, we’re joined by Dr. Jasmin Zine, professor in sociology and religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier university.
City Beat: Campaign to rebuild Britannia, 2023 homeless count and more
October 29, 2023 18:39 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MBMayor Ken Sim has targeted OneCity councillor Christine Boyle with two code-of-conduct complaints and investigations in the last six months. Ian Mass talks about these complaints. Also in today’s City Beat report, Ian discussed the campaign to rebuild the Britannia Community Centre complex, Vancouver’s 2023 homeless count and a whole lot more.
Municipalities across BC applaud new registry for Airbnb owners
October 29, 2023 18:33 - 16 minutes - 15 MBOn Oct 26, BC brought in new legislation to help municipalities regulate short-term rentals on sites like Airbnb. The mayors of cities as diverse as Victoria, Kelowna and Tofino were enthusiastic about the move. Thorben Wieditz is with the organization Fairbnb. He says this kind of regulation is an essential first step in ending ghost hotels. I spoke with him a few days before David Eby’s announcement.
Yaletown to lose overdose prevention site in midst of toxic drug crisis
October 29, 2023 18:26 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MBDespite record high drug-poisoning deaths in Yaletown, the city of Vancouver is closing an overdose prevention site on Seymour Street. So far, there is no guarantee that another site will be opened to replace it. Vince Tao is a community organizer with VANDU, the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. He joins us to talk about what led to the decision to close the site.
Rebecca Solnit on her new book: It's Not Too Late
October 15, 2023 16:15 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBWhether you’ve been in the fight against climate change for decades, or are a newcomer, the struggle can feel overwhelming in so many ways. Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua have produced a new book to support and energize us – it’s called Not Too Late. Rebecca Solnit is in Vancouver for the Writers Fest this month. We speak with her about hope, possibility and the book.
Judge rules CRA audit of Muslim charity biased but fails to stop it
October 15, 2023 16:10 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBA recent ruling by the Ontario Superior Court marks an important acknowledgment in the ongoing battle against systemic Islamophobia. In September, Justice Markus Koehnen recognized that the Muslim Association of Canada faced differential and biased treatment faced during a Canada Revenue Agency audit. However the judge stopped short of intervening in the federal examination. We speak with Nabil Sultan, Communications and Community Engagement Director at the Muslim Association of Canada.
Jérémie Harris on quantum physics and the need to regulate AI
October 15, 2023 16:05 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBJérémie Harris is a former physicist, an AI safety expert and a startup founder. He’s the author of “Quantum Physics Made Me Do It: A Simple Guide to the Fundamental Nature of Everything” and he will be a featured speaker at the Vancouver Writers Fest this year. We spoke with him about his new book and about the threats posed by the unregulated growth of AI.
Canada silent on Israeli bombing of civilian targets in Gaza
October 15, 2023 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBFollowing a brutal attack on Israeli citizens by Hamas for forces, Israel has retaliated with a total siege of Gaza and a bombing campaign of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, targeting both civilians and militant actors, and killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians. Leaders in the Trudeau government have expressed full support for Israel and remained silent on the devastating airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, which make no distinction between civilians and combatants. We spoke on October 11...
Alternative budget aims to instill hope, provide new vision to status quo
October 08, 2023 13:05 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBThe Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has just released its 24th alternative federal budget. The CCPA describe their budget as an exercise in expanding our collective imagination of what is possible, to instill hope in hard times, and to make crystal clear alternatives to the status quo. We talk with David Macdonald, senior economist for the CCPA.
New weather study bolsters case for class action lawsuit against Big Oil
October 08, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MBThis past spring, wildfires burned over 13 million hectares in Quebec. A new study by World Weather Attribution confirms that climate change and fossil fuel use contributed significantly to these wildfires. Lawyers at West Coast Environmental Law, representing the Sue Big Oil campaign, say the WWA study bolsters the case for a class action lawsuit against global fossil fuel companies by BC communities for their fair share of climate damages. We’re joined by Andrew Gage, staff lawyer at West ...
Unpacking the origins of the anti-trans movement in Canada
October 01, 2023 21:08 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThe 1 Million March 4 Children on September 20 is part of a widespread and growing “parental rights” movement targeting inclusive public education. Calgary academics Corinne Mason and Leah Hamilton point out that this isn’t simply a group of united parents concerned about their children’s education. Mason and Hamilton offer a brief history of the origins of the parental rights movement and some of its key organizers. Corinne Mason is Associate Professor Women's and Gender Studies, Leah Hamilt...
Waapake: Director Jules Koostachin's deeply personal look at intergenerational trauma
October 01, 2023 21:04 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBFor generations, the suffering of residential school Survivors has radiated outward, impacting Indigenous families and communities. In her new documentary Waapake (Tomorrow), filmmaker Dr. Jules Arita Koostachin examines the corrosive impact of residential schools on Survivors, and their children, siblings and parents.
City Beat: ABC pushes through with pro-developer, pro-police agenda
October 01, 2023 14:46 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MBIan Mass joins us to talk about several housing-related motions before Council next week, including a proposal for high-end apartment and office buildings in Vancouver’s long-protected view corridors. Plus a return of the cops in schools program and a thumbs-down to the revitalization of Britannia Community Centre in East Vancouver.
Indigenous people trapped in poverty-to-prison pipeline
October 01, 2023 14:36 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBIndigenous people represent only 5% of the population in Canada, but they make up a third of the prison population. Jennifer Duncan is a Dene lawyer and she was in Geneva last month spearheading efforts to bring international awareness to Canada’s ongoing mass incarceration of Indigenous people.
UN slavery rapporteur calls for permanent status for all migrants in Canada
September 24, 2023 13:10 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBThe UN special rapporteur on slavery paid an official visit to Canada in late August to assess the government’s efforts to prevent and address contemporary forms of slavery. After spending two weeks in Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and two other Canadian cities, Tomoya Obokata identified a number of groups in Canada as vulnerable to slavery, including migrant workers brought in through the Temporary Foreign Workers Programme. We talk with Syed Hussan of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.
Logging of old growth forests continues despite government promises
September 24, 2023 13:05 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBThis is a critical moment for forests in British Columbia. Three years have passed since the B.C. government promised to work with First Nations to implement a paradigm-shift in forest stewardship, as laid out in the Old Growth Strategic Review. Yet the B.C. government has made little progress on their promises. On September 28, communities across the province are coming together in a day of action to protect the last remaining old growth in BC. I talk with Jens Wieting, Senior Forest and Cli...
City Beat: Sale of school properties, 2024 Vancouver budget, and more
September 24, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBThis season, retired teacher and former MLA David Chudnovsky joins our regular City Beat reporter Ian Mass. Today they talk about the 2024 Vancouver budget, Vancouver School Board’s sale of school properties and other major issues that Vancouver Council will face this fall and winter.
Deregulation of tuition fees sidelines low-income students (encore)
September 17, 2023 13:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MBThere has been a rapid increase in Canadian university tuition fees, creating a barrier for low-income students and widening the gap between privileged students and those who struggle to pay for their studies. Grace Barakat is a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto. She talked with us in January about how changes in the cost of tuition are having an impact on Canadian students and their futures.
Trans Mountain's full financial picture hidden from Canadians (encore)
September 10, 2023 13:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBIn February this year, the estimated cost of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project jumped by more than 70%. When the Trans Mountain Corporation announced the increase back in February, we were told that the government would spend no additional public money on the project. A new report by independent economist Robyn Allan says this is not the case, and that the federal government is hiding the real situation from Canadians. We spoke with Eugene Kung, staff lawyer with West Coast Envir...
Premier Eby commits to protecting 30 per cent of province's land by 2030 (encore)
September 03, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBThe BC government under Premier David Eby has signaled new directions on protecting BC lands. They have committed to protect 30 percent of the province’s land by 2030. This includes a mandate to work with Indigenous communities to create Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. We talk about the new commitment with Torrance Coste, National Campaign Director for the Wilderness Committee.
Gentrification Is Inevitable, And Other Lies (encore)
August 27, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBOf all of the processes that are reshaping cities today, gentrification is probably one of the most misunderstood. In her new book, Gentrification is Inevitable and Other Lies, Leslie Kern addresses seven of the myths about gentrification and exposes the ideologies that make it seem like a natural and desirable process. Leslie Kern is associate professor of geography and environment and women's and gender studies at Mount Allison University, in Sackville, New Brunswick. She joined us last Oct...
Canadian Blood Services sign deal to privatize plasma collection (encore)
August 20, 2023 13:00 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBIn December last year, Canadian Blood Services signed a 15-year deal with a for-profit plasma corporation to privatize plasma collection in Canada. BloodWatch says the paid plasma scheme goes against recommendations from the Krever Commission and would negatively affect voluntary collection efforts. We speak with Dr. Michèle Brill-Edwards, a former senior Health Canada regulator and whistle-blower on drug and blood safety. Dr. Brill-Edwards is a long-time board member of the Canadian Health...
The Care We Dream Of re-imagines health care through an LGBTQ+ lens (encore)
August 13, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14.6 MBThe pandemic brought into focus the urgent need for a public health that serves everyone in the community, including those who have traditionally been marginalized. A book by Zena Sharman asks what health care could look like if queer folks had access to safe, appropriate and compassionate medical care. Zena Sharman is a writer, speaker, strategist and LGBTQ+ health advocate. Her book, The Care We Dream Of, was published in December 2021.
End of random police stops in Quebec a victory against racial profiling (encore)
August 06, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBIn November last year, the Superior Court of Quebec issued a landmark decision, finding that police roadside interceptions are often based on skin colour rather than on road safety objectives. Judge Michel Yergeau ruled that the law allowing for such arbitrary detention can no longer stand. The case was brought by Joseph-Christopher Luamba, a 22 year old black Montrealer, who told the court he prepares to pull over whenever he sees a police cruiser. We spoke last fall with Laura Berger, staff...
Disinformation by pharmaceutical industry undermines drug price reform (encore)
July 30, 2023 13:00 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBCanada’s drug prices are the fourth highest in the developed world. New guidelines aimed at lowering prescription drug prices have been in process for more than 2 years, and have met with intense pressure by the industry lobby group, Innovative Medicines Canada. Dr. Joel Lexchin examines the lies and half-truths put out by IMC. Lexchin is Professor Emeritus of Health Policy and Management at York University.
Dental care system fails to meet primary goal of Canada Health Act (encore)
July 23, 2023 13:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBMillions of Canadians do not have dental coverage, with 1 in 5 children and over half of seniors without access to regular dental care. A forthcoming book by Nova Scotia dentist Brandon Doucet highlights how Canada’s current dental care system is inconsistent with the primary purpose of the Canada Health Act. Doucet is founder of Coalition for Dentalcare. He joined us in January to talk about the urgent need for full universal dental care.
Kinuavit - What's Your Name (encore)
July 16, 2023 13:00 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBIn 2001, Dr. Norma Dunning applied to the Nunavut Beneficiary program, seeking legal recognition of her status as an Inuk woman. In the application process, she was faced with a question she could not answer, "What was your disc number?” Her new book Kinuavit: What’s Your Name is the result of two decades of research into the Eskimo Identification System and its impact on Inuit lives. It’s also a personal account of her search for her grandmother. We speak with Dr. Norma Dunning.
Urgent need for ban on use of facial recognition technology by police (encore)
July 09, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.1 MBOn October 4 last year, a parliamentary committee released a new report on facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence. The committee stopped short of recommending a ban on the use of facial recognition technology by police, a move that the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group says is critical to prevent mass surveillance of Canadians. We spoke last fall with Tim McSorley, national coordinator for ICLMG.
Report on overdose crisis “another disappointment” for people who use drugs (encore)
July 02, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBOn November 1st last year, a provincial committee released their report on the toxic drug supply and overdose crisis. The report contains 37 recommendations looking at everything from BC's proposed decriminalization to treatment beds. In response, nearly 60 organizations and individuals released an open letter saying the report obscures the issue of a poisoned drug supply, and recommends nothing outside of the status quo. We speak with Caitlin Shane of Pivot Legal.
UK firm claims using BC wood pellets to generate electricity is green (encore)
June 25, 2023 13:00 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBA massive electricity plant in Northeast England that has transitioned from coal to wood pellets claims it is creating green energy. But a protest movement in the UK, and environmentalists in BC say this is greenwashing. Now an investigation team has revealed that DRAX intends to supplement its use of wood waste and sawdust with whole trees, logged in primary forests. Last October, we spoke with Ben Parfitt of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
They Sigh or They Give You the Look: Discrimination and Status Card Usage (encore)
June 18, 2023 13:00 - 23 minutes - 21.1 MBPeople with Indian Status cards face stigma and discrimination on a daily basis when they show their cards at stores or to officials, according to a landmark study commissioned by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. The report is titled They Sigh or They Give You the Look: Discrimination and Status Card Usage. Last December, we spoke with Harmony Johnson, sɛƛakəs, from the Tla’amin Nation, who is the lead author of the report.
Tsqelmucwilc: The Kamloops Indian Residential School - Resistance and A Reckoning (encore)
June 11, 2023 13:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBTsqelmucwilc is the story of the children who survived the Kamloops Indian Residential School. It is based on the 1988 book Resistance and Renewal, a groundbreaking history of the school - and the first book on residential schools ever published in Canada. The new book has contributions by Garry Gottfriedson, Randy Fred and the KIRS Survivors. We spoke with author Celia Haig-Brown last fall.
New history traces Canada's punitive approach to people who use heroin (encore)
June 04, 2023 13:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBFlawed ideas about heroin and people who use it have shaped drug law and policy in Canada for decades. An illustrated book by Susan Boyd traces the history of Canadian heroin regulation over two centuries. Susan Boyd is a scholar/activist and distinguished professor at the University of Victoria. She joined us in May 2022 to talk about her book Heroin: An Illustrated History.
Unveiling the Chilly Climate: The Suppression of Speech on Palestine (encore)
May 28, 2023 13:00 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBA report by Independent Jewish Voices documents in detail the reprisals, harassment and intimidation faced by Canadians who engage in scholarship and activism in the area of Palestinian human rights. The report discusses how this chilling effect blunts and shapes the discourse around Palestinian rights and criticism of Israeli policy. We spoke last fall with report co-author, Sheryl Nestel.
Standoff: Why Reconciliation Fails Indigenous People and How to Fix It (encore)
May 21, 2023 13:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MBJudging by the constant stream of news reports of standoffs and confrontations, it’s apparent that Canada’s reconciliation project has gone off the rails. Standoff is the title of a book of essays by lawyer and historian Bruce McIvor. In it, he examines why reconciliation is failing and what needs to be done to fix it. Bruce McIvor is a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation and a partner at First People’s Law. He represents First Nations across Canada from Wet’suwet’en opposing the Coastal...
Why children are fleeing from BC’s child welfare system
May 16, 2023 13:00 - 19 minutes - 17.8 MBA new report published last month by the office of the Representative for Children and Youth seeks to understand why hundreds of children are disappearing from the child welfare system in BC. It was written in response to the hundreds of reports coming into the Office of children missing from care, many of whom go on to experience critical injury or die. We speak with Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth is Representative for Children and Youth.
Long Covid sufferers face many barriers to care
May 15, 2023 22:44 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MBA new research review examines how people with long Covid have struggled to get information about their condition. It says patients’ experiences seeking information about their symptoms can be described as frustrating, uncertain, and complex. We speak with the lead researcher of the study, Simran Purewal, who is at the Pacific Institute on Pathogens, Pandemics, and Society at Simon Fraser University and senior scientist Kaylee Byers, also from PIPPs.
Fewer than half of British Columbians have good jobs
May 04, 2023 13:00 - 15 minutes - 14.3 MBThe rise of the gig economy using platforms like Uber and Skip the Dishes has led to a steep rise in the prevalence of precarious work. Precarious work is not new but we don’t know just how widespread a problem it has become because Stats Canada does not collect data on it. The pilot BC Precarity survey conducted by Iglika Ivanova and Kendra Strauss aims to fill that gap. We speak with Iglika Ivanova to find out what the survey revealed.