BC Today from CBC Radio British Columbia

B.C. has appointed former Vancouver mayor and provincial chief coroner Larry Campbell to work on "improving the quality of life" in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. Michael Vonn, CEO of the PHS Community Services Society, discusses what approaches are needed in the neighbourhood, while longtime Vancouver reporter and urban affairs journalist Frances Bula joins the show to break down how Campbell's history in Vancouver could play out in managing issues in the Downtown Eastside.

Tuesday is National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Joshua Conrad, a digital artist with Stó:lō and Nlaka'pamux ties, will discuss his work bringing Indigenous art to public spaces.

Canada Post workers are back on the picket lines after the federal government announced changes to the postal service Thursday. It's the second postal strike after workers went off the job last November, having been without a collective agreement since May 2023. Small business owner Audrey Wong, who owns Living Lotus Chocolate in Vancouver, joins the show as we ask listeners their thoughts on the strike this time around.

BC Today gardening columnist Brian Minter joins to take listeners' questions and share some advice on moving plants from outdoors to indoors as we head into cooler months.

The federal government announced a modernization plan for Canada Post Thursday, including allowing the mail service to end all home deliveries. The announcement comes as workers push for higher wages and Canada Post reports record financial losses. University of Manitoba labour studies professor Adam King takes your calls on the future of the mail service.

As we near the end of the first month of the school year, we look at how students are doing with back-to-school anxiety. We speak to Mercedes Sobers from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto and Neha Shivhare, executive leadership instructor from SFU's continuing studies program, on how students can manage mental health challenges now that school's back in session.

Health Canada is one of the global health organizations pushing back against U.S. President Donald Trump's adminitration's claims that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy is linked to autism. We're joined by a scientific researcher, and a parent with lived experience with autism to take audience calls.

The Surrey-Cloverdale MLA was kicked out of caucus Monday afternoon by the party's leader John Rustad. He joins us to explain why. Then Political science instructor at Camosun College Daniel Reeve joins to breaks the story down and take audience calls.

Municipal leaders across B.C. are in Victoria this week for the annual Union of BC Municipalities Conference. One major topic being discussed it street disorder and crime. We're asking what impact this has on local communities, and what steps need to be done to address it.

B.C.'s apple harvest season is now on a roll with apple festival season underway. Chef Ned Bell joins the show as we ask viewers about their favourite homegrown apple.

Apple's new line of technology has begun to hit store shelves, including the launch of the iPhone 17 with integrated artificial intelligence. However, the new products come with hefty prices. We ask viewers if they're still motivated to buy new gadgets, as freelance tech journalist Andy Baryer and CBC business columnist Rubina Ahmed-Haq join the show.

ABC has pulled the plug on Jimmy Kimmel Live! following a segment of the host commenting on the MAGA movement's response to the murder of Charlie Kirk, raising questions about free speech and censorship. House Democrats are calling for the resignation of FCC Chair Brendan Carr following the decision. CBC Senior Business Reporter Anis Heydari breaks down the reaction and the latest developments. Sophia McClennen, author of "Trump Was A Joke: How Satire Made Sense of a President Who Didn't," joins the show to discuss. Ian MacIntyre, a writer and editor for The Beaverton, a Canadian political satire publication, will discuss what the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's show means for the outlook of political satire.

The Bank of Canada announced it lowered its key interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent, which is the first cut since March. Governor Tiff Macklem says it's to counter a weaker economy, but Canadians remain concerned about the cost of living. We ask you about your financial realities with Realtor Hasan Juma and Rebecca Casey, president of the Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association. We also take your questions with Bryan Yu, Chief economist at Central 1 Credit Union, and Jessica Moorhouse, the host of the More Money podcast

Iconic Hollywood actor and director Robert Redford has died at the age of 89. Film critic Steve Stebbing joins the show to reflect on Redford's career as we ask viewers about his legacy and their favourite films.

Vape stores have grown in number around urban centres in Metro Vancouver, and New Westminster city councillor Daniel Fontaine is calling for tighter rules around the density of the shops. Stacey White, owner of Thunderbird Vapes, provides insight on how governments currently regulate stores. Also, Angelene Prakash, executive director of the New Westminster Business Improvement Association, and Christopher Lam, president of the B.C. Lung Foundation, join the show as we ask viewers whether they think more restrictions should be placed on vape shops in their community.

BC finance minister Brenda Bailey released the province's fiscal update which shows the province's budget deficit is now expected to be $11.6 billion dollars, $665 million more than forecast in the spring budget. UBC Sauder School of Business professor James Brander joins Michelle Eliot to talk about the impact of that spending on British Columbian.

Mario Canseco from Research Co. joins Michelle Eliot to talk about the style, tone and tenor of the debate between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in the House of Commons.

Following the shooting death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, how are you talking to the young people in your life about political violence and extremism? How do you discuss controversial views? We're joined by UBC political science professor Terri Givens and UC Berkley lecturer Craig A. Johnson, author of the book How to Talk to Your Son About Fascism.

Master gardener Brian Minter answers your gardening questions.

American right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at a speaking event at a Utah university on Wednesday, sparking widespread condemnations of political violence both in the U.S. and here in Canada. We discuss the political climate in the U.S. with Rachael Segal, a lawyer, lecturer and former Stephen Harper government staffer; and Zack Beauchamp, a senior correspondent with Vox and author of The Reactionary Spirit: How America's Most Insidious Political Tradition Swept the World.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has laid out the first five of his government's so-called "nation-building projects." The list includes two B.C. projects: phase two of the LNG Canada project, and expansion of the Red Chris mine. Former NDP MLA and MP Nathan Cullen discusses the projects' potential impacts.

Soccer fans are competing to score tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournaments as pre-sales start Wednesday. Access to tickets remains a hot topic when it comes to all live events. Musician Dan Mangan joins the show as we ask viewers for their experiences in ticket buying.

An Angus Reid poll on Canada's premiers finds Eby's approval rating is down by 12 points in six months. This follows backlash the premier is facing over his comments on Canada's temporary foreign worker program and immigration system. CBC's Katie DeRosa joins the show as we ask viewers how they rate Eby's performance as premier.

B.C. Conservative MLA Trevor Halford talks to Michelle Elliot about the opposition call on launching a youth jobs strategy and youth employment expert Marco Sciascia talks about what youth are experiencing in the job market

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place this Sunday, as people ease into cooler weather by watching television shows and movies this fall. Omari Newton, head of acting and film departments at Vancouver Film School, joins the show to preview the season.

The Vancouver Park Board is getting a backlash for approving a Harry Potter-themed attraction coming to Stanley Park over author J.K. Rowling's actions against the trans community. CBC's Justin McElroy goes over the park board's decision, as we ask viewers what they think about events management at Stanley Park.

B.C. Jobs and Economic Growth minister Ravi Kahlon explains why the province wants the program to end and immigration consultant Neera Agnihotri breaks down some of the rules and reality of the Temporary Foreign Worker program

CBC reporter Johna Baylon is in Hope, where a major wildfire blocked travel along Coquihalla Highway for much of the last three days, but just reopened and SFU Health Sciences professor Stephanie Cleland about the impacts of widespread smoke exposure on people in B.C.

Victoria Times Colonist Political Columnist Les Leyne speaks to Michelle Elliot about the political implications for the B.C. NDP government with multiple public sector unions in collective bargaining with the BCGEU escalating job action.

Michelle Elliot talks to Family Support Institute of B.C. executive director Angela Clancy after her organization's report called the Exclusion Tracker found that nearly 5,000 reports of exclusion in the school system were reported by families with children with disabilities or complex needs.

Surrey city councillor Linda Annis has announced her intention to run to become Surrey's mayor in the next civic election. She joins the show to outline her qualifications and priorities for B.C.'s largest growing city.

Fall semesters are off to a rocky start for some B.C. post-secondary institutions. Faculty associations at Vancouver Community College and Langara College say more of their members were issued layoff notices amid plummeting international school enrolment. CBC's Johna Baylon breaks down its impacts on students and faculty.

As schools go back in session, online safety and what young people consume on the internet are concerns among parents and guardians. Jesse Miller, founder of social media education company Mediated Reality, joins the show as we ask viewers what young people in their life consume online and how to best protect them.

BC Today gardening columnist Brian Minter joins us to answer your gardening questions.

Thousands of post-secondary students are moving into residences in the lead-up to the start of the fall semester, many of whom are leaving home for the first time. Kawa Ada, an associate director of residence life at UBC Student Housing, joins the show to discuss tips for students living on their own for the first time as we ask viewers to share their moving away stories.

Post-secondary faculty and staff say they are facing more layoffs as colleges and universities grapple with capped international student enrolment. Frank Cosco of the Vancouver Community College Faculty Association and Cole Reinbold, the secretary-treasurer at the B.C. Federation of Students, join the show to explain how the job cuts impact students, teachers and programs.

Beginning Friday, Canadian retailers will no longer be able to ship products under $800 to the U.S. duty-free. U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in July to end the "de minimis" exemption after nearly a century of it being in place. Ryan Mitton, director of legislative affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, joins the show to discuss how its expiry will impact businesses.

The federal government has earmarked $22.7 million to install 500 electric vehicle charging stations in B.C., which comes ahead of the province's 2026 mandate to make all new car sales zero-emission. Clean Energy Canada program manager Evan Pivnick joins the show to discuss EV infrastructure in the province. A new poll by the Energy Futures Institute suggests interest in purchasing electric vehicles is waning. Institute chair Barry Penner joins the show as we ask viewers if they are still interested in EVs.

Dr. Jia Hu, interim director of immunization programs at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, joins the show to explain what parents need to know about immunizations as their students head back to class.

The Surrey School District is implementing a hybrid learning pilot project to deal with overcrowding in schools as classes resume next month. That's on top of the district announcing staggered class times to better adjust to surging enrollment and lacking school infrastructure.Surrey Teachers' Association 2nd vice-president Violette Baillargeon joins the show to provide details on how the pilot will work as Surrey District Parent Advisory Council president Anne Whitmore comments on the impact this could have on families.Valerie Irvine, professor of educational technology at the University of Victoria, joins the show to discuss strains on public schools and educational policies.

The World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization say "urgent action" is needed to protect workers from heat stress in a warming world. As B.C. continues to navigate more extreme heat in the coming days, advocates are raising awareness about working conditions in hot weather. Dr. Melissa Lem, a family physician and president of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, joins the show to discuss heat stress and how to best protect workers.

The owners of an ostrich farm in Edgewood, B.C. say the fight isn't over after they lost their final bid to prevent a cull order of their birds. Talk show host and U.S. Centre for Medicare administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz spoke about his support for the farm owners in a news conference Monday. Dr. Scott Weese, an infectious diseases veterinarian at the University of Guelph, joins the show.