BC Today from CBC Radio British Columbia

The 2026 World Cup kicks off today, ask our audience who they're rooting for and what the tournament means to them. And, we're joined by UBC political science lecturer, Stewart Prest, to go over the political backdrop of the tournament.

Prime Minister Mark Carney's government is expected to table legislation restricting access to social media platforms for youth and children. We ask our audience whether the government should step in, or leave that to parents.

A new report from Rentals.ca indicates British Columbia is leading Canada in terms of declining asking rental prices. The report says the average asking price for a one-bedroom apartment declined by 5.4 per cent year-over-year in May. Craig Jones, the associate director of Housing Assessment Resource Tools at UBC, joins the show to discuss what these price patterns mean for the overall housing outlook in the province.

From personalities to career paths, one's name can have an influence on their life trajectory. We ask our audience how they feel about their name with Duana Taha, the author of 'The Name Therapist: How Growing Up with an Odd Name Taught Me Everything You Need to Know About Yours'.

Metro Vancouver enters Stage 3 water restrictions for the first time in more than a decade. Chair of the B.C. Watershed Security Coalition Coree Tull joins the program and we ask how B.C. can plan for future water shortages.

Preparations for the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver are going into crunch time as the first game at B.C Place takes place on Saturday. We look what the stadium looks like and talk to Gastown and Yaletown businesses, as well as take your calls on the impact of World Cup events on your day-to-day lives.

B.C.'s job numbers see a jump heading into summer. Jobs and Economic Growth Minister Ravi Kahlon, and UBC economist Kevin Milligan join the show to discuss the details of the May Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada.

What plants will weather a hot, dry summer best? Our BC Today gardening columnist Brian Minter offers planting advice and takes audience calls.

Should people who make less than $40K a year pay less for public transit? Transit advocate from the local group Movement Aman Chandri joins us to discuss the campaign to lower fares for lower income people.

A single lifelong career is no longer the norm. UBC Sauder School of Business Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources assistant professor Sima Sajjadiani and ICF-certified career and leadership coach Sophia Koklieff join the program to talk about why the new normal is to seek a new career in midlife.

It's been a deadly week on B.C. waters with summer on the way. We'll check in with Kimiko Hirakida from the Lifesaving Society of B.C. and the Yukon to hear how you and your loved ones can be more aware around the water.

AI is making its way into Lower Mainland classrooms with Vancouver being the latest school district to introduce artificial intelligence tools for high school students. But will this help or hinder student learning? Tech journalist Andy Baryer joins the show to take your calls and look at the use of AI in the classroom and the workplace.

The youth unemployment rate in B.C. is now at 14 per cent. It's a level not seen since before the 2008 financial crisis. With summer break on the way, how can we help younger people find jobs? Carolyn Tuckwell, President and CEO of the BGC South Coast BC joins the program to discuss.

With the rise of sports betting the rise of mental health struggles associated with gambling has also increased. We look at who is most affected and why with Canadian Mental Health Foundation President and CEO Kenton Boston.

The minimum wage in B.C. has gone up. But, is this most recent bump in pay enough to help workers make ends meet? Iglika Ivanova from B.C. Policy Solutions joins the show and we take audience calls to weigh in.

The B.C. Conservatives have a new leader - so what will the party look like with Kerry-Lynne Findlay at the helm? This is Vancolour podcast host and political commentator, Mo Amir joins the show to take your calls

Estimated revenues are also up according to the B.C. government, leaving the net cost estimated between $90 million and $114 million. Concordia University economist Moshe Lander joins the program to take your calls on whether or not the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver will be worth the effort.

Wedding season is upon us as the temperatures warm and days become longer. We look at how costs are increasing for so many couples and what they can do to stay within their budget.

BC's provincial health officer is recommending that alcohol products get a warning label and minimum pricing, based on alcohol content. Dr. Tim Naimi, Director of the University of Victoria's Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research joins the show to talk about what that could look like and the trends in alcohol consumption.

The province has said an overdose prevention site in Vancouver's Yaletown neighbourhood will not be proceeding after backlash from local residents and businesses. We hear that perspective, and from harm reduction advocate Guy Felicella on what this means for the community.

The recent rise in fuel costs has meant more budgeting for many households. As summer approaches, we asked whether our audience is changing their travel plans and speak to travel writer Rebecca Friedland about local destination ideas.

The deal between Ksi Lisims LNG in B.C. and German energy company SEFE will see Canada export one million tonnes of LNG annually to Europe. We asked our audience whether Canada is heading in the right direction on energy and the environment.

The meeting between Canada's western and northern premiers wraps up Tuesday amid tensions between B.C. and Alberta. So what are the next steps for the relationship between the two provinces? Political scientist Hamish Telford joined the program for his thoughts and to take calls.

Dozens of pre-sale purchasers at a troubled Burnaby condo tower are headed to court to try to get out of their contracts. So what is the future of pre-sale purchases in a sinking condo market? CBC investigative reporter Jason Proctor and Central One Credit Union chief economist Bryan Yu take your calls.

A new poll from Abacus Data shows 47 per cent of Canadians surveyed believe Canada is moving in the right direction, the highest percentage since 2017. UBC political science lecturer Stewart Prest gave his take on how Canadians are feeling about the country even as the shadow of possible Alberta separatism looms.

Men and women are splitting up the chores more evenly these days, but women still do most of the planning and emotional labour around the home. Alyson Schafer, a family counsellor and parenting expert, shared her insights on how to narrow this gender divide.

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

Albertans will be able to vote on whether they want their province to hold a binding referendum on separating from Canada. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says a vote in favour of a referendum will start the legal process to hold a formal separation vote. SFU political scientist Timothy van den Brink joined the show to discuss the vote and how it could impact that province's fraught relationship with B.C.

The B.C. government announced the Site C dam, the hydroelectric generating station on the Peace River in northeastern B.C., will be renamed to the John Horgan Dam, in honour of the province's former late premier. The Supreme Court of Canada has decided to hear a court challenge from the B.C. government appealing a landmark decision on mineral rights and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. To discuss what this appeal will mean for B.C. laws and its reconciliation efforts, we were joined by West Coast Environmental Law's Jessica Clogg, a member of the Gitxaala Nation's legal team, and Terry Teegee, the regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations.

Recent data from Statistics Canada shows millennials are twice as likely to live with their parents as baby boomers were at the same age. Umay Kader, a researcher in UBC's department of sociology, joined the show to discuss the factors behind multigenerational living situations, including reasons beyond housing and affordability.

B.C.'s role in Canada's energy future was central to a meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier David Eby Wednesday morning. Provincial affairs reporter Katie DeRosa broke down what was said, and what it signals for this province. The FIFA World Cup is right around the corner for Vancouver, and costs are adding up. We asked our audience to weigh-in on whether hosting the tournament will be worth the expense.

Farmers' market season is in full swing. We asked our audience their favourite local spots, and hear from vendors about the challenges they've seen over the last year.

Some B.C. officials argue the federal government isn't prioritizing the provinces equally, after it struck a deal with Alberta that could pave the way for an oil pipeline to the West Coast. We asked our audience about the role of B.C. in Canada's energy future.

A new report by Quebec Solidaire MNA Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois found that boys are falling behind in school, with some experts saying that starts in kindergarten. We asked our audience what supports boys need in the education system.

From the Sedin twins to the soccer fields, it's been a big week in sports. We'll take a look at the latest from the Canucks, the Whitecaps and the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Daily Hive national sports editor Rob Williams joined the show to take your comments and questions.

Different generations have different attitudes toward the furry friends in their lives. We asked what role pets play in your life as Philip Tedeschi, founder of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection joins the show.

B.C. has expanded the provincial sales tax to certain professional services like accounting, engineering and architecture. We asked our audience to share how this will impact their businesses.

CBC News has dug through nine years of data from B.C. Ferries. Reporter Liam Britten explained what the numbers show about delays, cancellations and which routes are most affected.

Surrey's 5X Fest returns this weekend featuring the best in music and art from B.C.'s South Asian community. 5X Fest executive director Neesha Hothi joins the show alongside Punjabi-Canadian musician GAV to speak about the future of Punjabi music and art in B.C.

Premier David Eby says he wants B.C. to embrace artificial intelligence to generate economic and job growth. But what guardrails need to be in place to protect us from the pitfalls of AI? Tech journalist Andy Baryer joined the show.

B.C. nurses have overwhelmingly voted in favour of job action. B.C. Nurses' Union president Adriane Gear joined the show to discuss what nurses say needs to change and what the next steps could be. Longtime environmental activist and former The Nature of Things host David Suzuki is 90. Ahead of a star-studded birthday celebration, he's in studio to answer all your questions about climate change.

Four Canadians are in quarantine in B.C. after being exposed to hantavirus on a cruise ship in South America. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry gave an update and legislative affairs reporter Katie DeRosa broke down the news conference. Travel to the U.S. remains down and new research shows the numbers are even lower than we thought. Jennifer Bettis, research and program manager for the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University, joined the program. We ask her what would have to change before people go stateside again.