Podcasts about most canadians

Have you ever thought about how much money you might be leaving on the table at your mortgage renewal? Most Canadians simply sign on the dotted line without realizing that this is the perfect moment to reassess, save, and take greater control of their financial future. Today on Homeowner AF, I break down exactly how to turn your mortgage renewal into an opportunity to set yourself up for long-term wealth without unnecessary stress or hidden fees.In this episode, I cover:How to lock in the best mortgage rates before your renewalThe importance of strategizing before you signThe benefits of consolidating debt into your mortgageWhy your renewal is an ideal time to remove consignors and guarantorsHow accelerated payment options can help you save on interest and build wealth soonerThe cost of waiting until midterm and why acting at renewal keeps more money in your pocketIf your renewal is coming up, book a free call with me at www.Bricallme.com and let's explore what makes the most sense for your household. The right advice at the right time can move you closer to homeownership and long-term wealth. Thanks for listening, and I'll be back next week with another practical tip for first-time homebuyers in Ontario. Specific Questions?  Ready to get started?Book a free call with Brianna: www.Bricallme.comJoin my mailing list: https://briannagoslinmortgages.myflodesk.com/mortgagebitesWebsite: http://www.briannagoslinmortgages.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannagoslinmortgagesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianna.goslin.mortgagesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannagoslinmortgages

https://hub.controlandcompound.com/business-masterclass-webinar-replay   Did you know the first $1,400 many Canadians pay in federal taxes goes toward servicing government debt?   Most Canadians hear terms like deficit, debt, and government spending every day, but few understand how those decisions impact mortgages, retirement planning, business owners, and future tax rates.   In this episode of Control and Compound, Darren sits down with Devin Drover of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation to discuss where taxpayer dollars are going, why government deficits matter, the capital gains tax controversy, housing affordability, and what Canada's growing debt could mean for future generations.   Whether you're a business owner, investor, professional, or simply trying to understand Canada's financial future, this conversation breaks down complex issues in a practical and easy-to-understand way.   Topics include: • Government deficits and debt • Capital gains taxes • Taxpayer rights • Housing affordability • Small business competitiveness • Government spending and accountability • Canada's economic future  

Is public land still truly public?  Most Canadians don't think twice about Crown land—it's where people hunt, fish, camp, and get away from the city. But that access is becoming a real point of tension.  David Leis is joined by Jesse Zeman of the BC Wildlife Federation and Chris Heald of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation to talk about what's changing on Crown lands across Canada, and why more people are worried they're slowly getting locked out.  They break down new policy shifts, conservation rules, and land-use decisions that could affect everyday Canadians, not just hunters and anglers. If access keeps shrinking, it changes how families use the land, how communities connect with nature, and who gets to enjoy Canada's outdoors at all. 

Is public land still truly public?  Most Canadians don't think twice about Crown land—it's where people hunt, fish, camp, and get away from the city. But that access is becoming a real point of tension.  David Leis is joined by Jesse Zeman of the BC Wildlife Federation and Chris Heald of the Manitoba Wildlife Federation to talk about what's changing on Crown lands across Canada, and why more people are worried they're slowly getting locked out.  They break down new policy shifts, conservation rules, and land-use decisions that could affect everyday Canadians, not just hunters and anglers. If access keeps shrinking, it changes how families use the land, how communities connect with nature, and who gets to enjoy Canada's outdoors at all. 

Episode OverviewIn this episode of The Uncertainty Edge, host Sam Sivarajan sits down with Herman Chan, co-founder and president of Crimson Financial, an independent wealth management firm built for medical professionals and real estate investors. After 18 years in corporate financial services leadership, Herman made a calculated leap into entrepreneurship — navigating regulatory complexity, client acquisition, and the risk of building a planning-first business in a crowded market.Herman shares the personal and professional turning points that led to his decision, the frameworks he used to evaluate the risk, how he's measuring early traction, and the strategic partnerships he's building to scale. Whether you're an advisor eyeing independence or a leader weighing a major pivot, this episode delivers sharp, practical insights on moving forward with clarity.Key Quote"There is no perfect time. But with the right preparation, you can make any time the right time." — Herman ChanKey TakeawaysBig leaps require long runways — Herman spent 12+ months preparing before resigning.A planning-first model is a competitive differentiator in a product-saturated market.Controlling the controllables — focus on activity and process, not just outcomes.Strategic partnerships amplify reach — advising is a team sport, not a solo act.Understanding clients' emotional relationship with money is the foundation of lasting trust.Sound Bites"Advising is a team sport.""Most Canadians think they have a financial plan — they actually have disconnected products.""I want to be their financial family doctor — that close and trusted guide.""Activity is something I learned a long time ago. Focus on that and the results follow.""I'm just getting started — and it's a big blue ocean."Topics Discussed00:02 — Introduction: Herman's leap from corporate leadership to independent advisory02:32 — The decision framework: What finally made the jump feel right09:26 — Planning-first model: Why most Canadians are underserved11:48 — Early metrics: What Herman is tracking to measure traction21:48 — Pre-mortem: Planning for failure scenarios before they happenResources MentionedLearn more about Herman Chan and Crimson Financial: www.crimsonfi.comFinancial Planning Association of Canada (FPAC): www.fpac.caStay Connected with The Uncertainty EdgeSubscribe on your favourite podcast platform to never miss an episode.Join the conversation on LinkedIn — connect with Sam Sivarajan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsivarajan/Explore more insights at: https://samsivarajan.com/

Most Canadians know comedian Mary Walsh from her iconic characters on the CBC TV show, This Hour has 22 Minutes.But the story of Mary Walsh's life goes far beyond her comedic and acting triumphs. She tells those stories in her new book, a collection of essays about the highs, and the lows. We talk to Mary Walsh about her life and her new

A new poll found that a majority of Canadians support exploring joining the European Union — a bloc Canadahas no geographic or treaty pathway into. This is not a policyCHAPTERS00:00 — Most Canadians want to join the EU02:00 — What the poll actually found04:30 — Why this is a symptom not a solution07:30 — What EU membership would actually mean10:00 — Canada's foreign policy vacuum13:00 — What a real sovereignty strategy looks like15:30 — The question nobody in Ottawa is asking- - - - - - - - - - -Buy me a coffee! - https://buymeacoffee.com/kelsisherenLet's connect!Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thekelsisherenperspective?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3DX: https://x.com/KelsiBurnsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelsie_sheren/Substack: https://substack.com/@kelsisherenSUPPORT OUR PEOPLE - - - - - - - - - - - -MasterPeace - 10% off with code KELSI - https://www.MasterPeace.Health/KelsiKetone IQ- 30% off with code KELSI - https://ketone.com/KELSIGood Livin - 20% off with code KELSI - https://www.itsgoodlivin.com/?ref=KELSIBrass & Unity - 20% off with code UNITY - http://brassandunity.com

Most Canadians trust their bank to help them make smart financial decisions. But sometimes, what feels like advice is shaped by something else. We talk about how bank incentives influence recommendations, why that can lead to confusion, and what it means for your money. You'll also learn how to ask better questions to feel more confident in the choices you're making. A clearer look at what's really happening behind the scenes, and how to approach your financial decisions without the bank. FREE Canadian Credit Repair Course and NEW Budgeting Resources Licensed Debt Relief in Canada – Debt Help Starts Debt Free Digest Monthly E-Newsletter Sign Up Here Consumer Proposals in Ontario: Everything You Need To Know Debt Repayment & Consumer Proposal Calculator Hoyes Michalos YouTube Channel – Reliable Canadian Debt Answers by Experts 00:00 Advice or sales pitch? 02:00 Why trust in banks is breaking down 05:00 What it's like inside a bank 08:00 Sales targets vs real advice 11:00 Misaligned incentives explained 14:00 Evidence this is systemic 17:00 Real consequences for Canadians 21:00 How to protect yourself 25:00 Alternatives to traditional banks 28:00 Final takeaway, asking the right questions   Disclaimer: The information provided in the Debt Free in 30 Podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only and is not intended as personal financial advice. Individual financial situations vary and may require personal guidance from a financial professional. The views expressed in this episode do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hoyes, Michalos & Associates, or any other affiliated organizations. We do not endorse or guarantee the effectiveness of any specific financial institutions, strategies, or digital tools/apps discussed.

You already know my penchant towards real-estate as an asset. It is a good asset to hold. Most Canadians believe so as well. But how healthy is our Canadian market? Where are the opportunities? What types of real-estate investments are available beyond owning a rental unit? This episode with Ray Punn will try to answer these questions.     If you have any feedback, please email me at hmfhd2020@gmail.com

In the wake of some surprising Canadian politics news surrounding the latest floor crossing of Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu to Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberal caucus, IPSOS revealed enlightening polling data. Most Canadians want the Liberals to gain majority in Parliament. Why do so many media pundits and journalists seem to have the wrong point of view?Tune into Episode 422 of The Bill Kelly Podcast for daily politics news updates.This politics news update was recorded on April 12, 2026.WATCH THIS EPISODE and subscribe to our channel: https://youtu.be/bfjkGq3XRRAJoin Bill's LIVESTREAM every Thursday at 6 pm ET/3 pm PT! Watch last week's Livecast here: https://youtube.com/live/ybi373NjnVk?feature=shareWATCH A RELATED EPISODE: Mark Carney Takes the Lead in New World Trade Order Talks As the US Chooses to ‘Retire' from WTO https://youtu.be/aZ4ZsI3VzLsFURTHER READING2026 Liberal Convention – Address by Mark Carneyhttps://www.cpac.ca/cpac-special/episode/2026-liberal-convention--address-by-mark-carney?id=68456c71-a979-4a4d-aa97-66f0080fe86eCarney Approval Climbs After One Year, Outpacing Poilievre Support Momentumhttps://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/carney-approval-climbs-after-one-year-outpacing-poilievre-support-momentumLiberals Open Double-Digit National Lead Over the Conservatives in Advance of By-Electionshttps://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/liberals-open-double-digit-national-lead-over-conservatives-advance-electionsLiberals courting as many as eight more potential floor-crossers, sources sayhttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-liberals-courting-as-many-as-eight-more-potential-floor-crossers/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit billkelly.substack.com/subscribe

Most Canadians know comedian Mary Walsh from her iconic characters on the CBC TV show, This Hour has 22 Minutes.But the story of Mary Walsh's life goes far beyond her comedic and acting triumphs. She tells those stories in her new book, a collection of essays about the highs, and the lows. We talk to Mary Walsh about her life and her new book “Brassy Bit of Aging Crumpet.”

Most Canadians have a will and powers of attorney in place, but it's often the two estate documents they don't have that make the biggest difference for their family when the time comes. Specifically, we are going to discuss:- The importance of a cohesive strategy- When you should consider reviewing your estate documents- Two crucial estate documents to make your families life easier during a difficult time- Making a plan on purpose.Lastly, I will finish up with some action items to help address some potential shortfalls in your current plan. WANT EVEN MORE RETIREMENT PLANNING TIPS?Join thousands of Canadians and subscribe to the Retiring Canada NewsletterAs a thank you, you'll receive a copy of our latest Retirement Guide AND MORE!***

The TFSA Mistake Many Canadians Make 

Most Canadians are still adjusting to the inflation that has settled across our economy from the last big geopolitical disruptions. Now a new one threatens to send prices higher again... all this at a time when Canada is trying to rebuild its own economic engine. Jim Stanford is the director of the Centre for Future Work and one of Canada's most prominent economists. He speaks with host Amanda Lang about the far-reaching impact of energy prices, social capital and leaning into Canada's strengths.

Ready to take a deep dive and learn how to generate personal tax-free cash flow from your corporation? Enroll in our FREE masterclass here and book a call hereAre you holding too much cash “just in case” — and missing bigger wealth-building opportunities because of it?Most Canadians start with a simple emergency fund. But as your net worth grows, your “wealth reservoir” gets more complex — and more powerful. The problem? Many people never redefine their number. They double-count safety, sit on excess liquidity, or stay overly conservative without realizing it. Meanwhile, others jump into advanced strategies before they've earned the right to. If you've ever wondered whether your cash buffer is too small, too big, or just inefficient, this conversation will challenge how you think about financial security and opportunity.In this episode, you'll learn:How to clearly define your personal “tier one” emergency number — and why it should evolve over time.When excess liquidity becomes “gravy” that can strategically supercharge wealth through smarter moves.How your asset mix (real estate, ETFs, leveraged investing, business ownership) changes the size and role of your reservoir.Press play now to rethink your wealth reservoir and discover whether you're protecting your future — or unintentionally holding it back.

Most Canadians say inflation negatively impacting retirement plans Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:11 - The cold snap continues across the province. 12:41- Premier Danielle Smith is telling Albertans to “brace themselves” for a challenging fiscal outlook as the province prepares for a televised address. 18:47 - Most Canadians say inflation negatively impacting retirement plans 27:14 - King Charles says ‘law must take its course' after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested by U.K. police 38:14 - Who is to blame for the budget? We get your calls and texts. 49:35 - We continue to take your calls on the budget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ready to take a deep dive and learn how to generate personal tax-free cash flow from your corporation? Enroll in our FREE masterclass here and book a call hereAre you accidentally letting “dead equity” sit idle when it could be working harder for you?Most Canadians think financial freedom optimization is about cutting expenses or chasing the next hot investment. But what if the real opportunity is hiding in plain sight — in your car, your mortgage, or any asset quietly losing value? In this episode, we unpack a simple car lease scenario that reveals a much bigger question: Are you thinking strategically about debt, equity, and optionality — or just following the default path?If you've ever wondered whether to pay cash, finance, lease, invest, or “just play it safe,” this conversation will challenge how you evaluate those decisions.In this episode, you'll discover:How to spot “alpha” opportunities — small arbitrage moves that compound into meaningful advantagesThe difference between depreciating vs. appreciating assets — and how to reposition equity more strategicallyWhy optionality might be one of the most overlooked principles in building long-term financial flexibilityPress play now to start seeing everyday financial decisions through a sharper, more strategic lens.Discover which phase of wealth creation you are in. Take our quick assessment and you'll receive a custom wealth-building pathway that matches your phase and learn our CRA compliant tax optimized strategies. Take that assessment here.Canadian Wealth Secrets Show Notes Page:Consider reaching out to KylIn this episode of Canadian Wealth Secrets, a simple vehicle scenario becomes a powerful lesson in alpha, arbitrage, and optionality — revealing how smart CanReady to connect? Text us your comment including your phone number for a response!If you listen to podcasts like The Rational Reminder with Ben Felix & Cameron Passmore, The Canadian Investor, The Canadian Real Estate Investor, Build Wealth Canada with Kornel Szrejber, ChooseFI with Jonathan Mendonsa & Brad Barrett, Afford Anything with Paula Pant, The Ramsey Show with Dave Ramsey, BiggerPockets Money, The Money Guy Show with Brian Preston & Bo Hanson, Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy, Masters in Business with Barry Ritholtz, The Wealthy Barber Podcast with David Chilton, Financial Audit with Caleb Hammer, In the Money with Amber Kanwar, The Loonie Hour with Steve Saretsky, or More Money Podcast with Jessica Moorhouse — we're confident you'll enjoy Canadian Wealth Secrets too.Canadian Wealth Secrets is an informative podcast that digs into the intricacies of building a robust portfolio, maximizing dividend returns, the nuances of real estate investment, and the complexities of business finance, while offering expert advice on wealth management, navigating capital gains tax, and understanding the role of financial institutions in personal finance.

Three friends graduated high school together. Same opportunities, same starting point. Fifteen years later, one makes $85,000 working overtime (exhausted), one makes $115,000 through specialization (better income, still trapped by time), and one makes $105,000 total with $30,000 coming from assets that earn while she sleeps.The difference isn't intelligence or work ethic. It's leverage.Most Canadians are stuck trading time for money. Statistics Canada reports that over 30% of workers have taken on side gigs just to survive. We work more hours for the same money because we don't understand the three fundamental paths to earning more.Path One: Work more hours (1X leverage, hard ceiling). Path Two: Increase your skills through education and specialization (3X leverage, higher income but still time-dependent). Path Three: Buy assets that work for you (infinite leverage, no ceiling).This episode combines Naval Ravikant's principles on leverage with Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad framework—but for regular people, not just entrepreneurs. You don't need to own a business. You can start with $50.Learn how to calculate your "Freedom Number," open your first investment account, and begin building wealth through Canadian index funds, real estate, and digital assets. Discover why only 3% of Canadians achieve financial independence, and how you can join them.Golden Hour Challenge: Create your Personal Leverage Map and take your first concrete step toward Path Three income.Stop renting out your time. Start buying assets.Connect with Chris Cooper:Website - https://businessisgood.com/

Making Money Minute with Ron Hiebert - Shrinking Public Markets The number of stocks that publicly trade in Canada has been shrinking for decades. In 2008, Canada had 3520 companies listed on its two major exchanges. As of the end of 2024, that number had shrunk to 2114 - a drop of 40%. This trend reflects more companies choosing to stay private rather than face the increased regulatory burden of public trading. Mergers and acquisitions, have further reduced headcount. This is a bad outcome. Most Canadians don't have easy access to private equity investments, and at the same time, their publicly traded options are shrinking dramatically. For more information, listen to our Making Money podcast with Ron Hiebert and Graham Hicks at letsmakemoney.ca or CFCW.com.

BOOK A CALL WITH US NOW: https://www.controlandcompound.com/contact-us Most Canadians think retirement is about hitting a number but on today's episode, Darren and Christina break down why that mindset can quietly destroy your plan. They expose the biggest retirement lies in Canada: "I'll be in a lower tax bracket," "CPP/OAS will cover me," "inflation won't be that bad," and why the 4% rule can lead to underspending (or worse). You'll learn the five retirement risks that can cut retirement income in half — and what a "volatility buffer" can do to protect your withdrawals in down markets.   Most retirement plans ignore the exact risks that show up when it matters most. If you want a plan that's built for real Canadian retirement math — start here. Show notes:   00:00 - Introduction   01:19 – Key question: If your retirement beliefs weren't true, when would you want to know? 01:46 – The real driver: retirement success is withdrawal strategy, not just the number 02:33 – The retirement illusion: why "hit $1M" and "pick the right investments" fails 03:18 – 4 misconceptions: lower tax bracket, CPP/OAS/RRSP will cover you, inflation won't hurt 05:07 – The 5 retirement risks that cut income in half 05:36 – Sequence of returns risk (market volatility): why selling in a down year is deadly 08:15 – Inflation math: what 2% vs 5% inflation does to buying power 11:07 – The tax trap: RRIF minimums, future tax brackets, and OAS clawbacks 12:15 – Longevity risk: why planning to 85 isn't enough 13:53 – Health & lifestyle costs: the "unknown expenses" problem 16:06 – The safe withdrawal rate problem: why the 4% rule is under pressure 18:36 – The spending lie: retirement spending isn't flat — "every day is Saturday" 19:59 – Go-go / Slow-go / No-go years: how spending actually changes 23:45 – The cash wedge strategy: good idea, questionable product choices 25:45 – Proposed solution: adding an uncorrelated "volatility buffer" bucket 32:24 – Wrap: reduce stress, increase retirement income, protect against risks FIND US ON:   INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/controlandcompound/   TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@controlandcompound?lang=en   LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/darren-mitchell-associates-inc/?viewAsMember=true Thank you for tuning in to this episode. The information contained in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only, and is separate and apart from the wealth coach services provided by Darren Mitchell and Associates, Inc. To its qualified clients, Control and Compound Financial expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental or any other damages arising out of any individual's use of this podcast or the information in it. The views expressed here are those of each participant and guests, and not necessarily those of or endorsed by Control and Compound Financial, its affiliates, subsidiaries, and their respective directors, shareholders, officers, or employees. For full disclosure, visit controland compound.com/podcast-media.  

Ready to take a deep dive and learn how to generate personal tax-free cash flow from your corporation? Enroll in our FREE masterclass here and book a call hereAre you unknowingly turning your RRSP into a massive tax bill instead of a wealth-building tool?Most Canadians — especially incorporated business owners — obsess over contributing to their RRSPs but give almost no thought to how that money comes out. Without a clear withdrawal plan, years of disciplined saving can result in forced withdrawals, top tax brackets, and a painful handoff to the CRA later in life. This episode reframes RRSPs not as a “set it and forget it” account, but as one moving part in a much bigger wealth system that needs intention, timing, and strategy.In this episode, you'll discover:How to use low- or no-income years to strategically draw down your RRSP before forced withdrawals kick inHow leverage strategies can offset RRSP taxes while increasing access to capital and preserving net worthWhy delaying other income sources like CPP and OAS can dramatically improve your overall tax efficiencyPress play now to learn how to turn your RRSP from a future tax liability into a flexible, intentional part of your long-term wealth system.Discover which phase of wealth creation you are in. Take our quick assessment and you'll receive a custom wealth-building pathway that matches your phase and learn our CRA compliant tax optimized strategies. Take that assessment here.Canadian Wealth Secrets Show Notes Page:Consider reaching out to Kyle…taking a salary with a goal of stuffing RRSPs;…investing inside your corporation without a passive income tax minimization strategy;…letting a large sum of liquid assets sit in low interest earning savings accounts;…investing corporate dollars into GICs, dividend stocks/funds, or other investments attracting corporate passive income taxes at greater than 50%; or,…wondering whether your current corporate wealth management strategy is optimal for your specific situation.A strong Canadian wealth plan for business owners goes far beyond saving—it's about aligning RRSP optimization, meltdown strategies, and tax-efficient investing within a clear financial system. By understanding personal vs corporate tax planning, salary vs dividends in Canada, and how to structure financial buckets across RRSPs, corporations, real estate, and non-registered investments, entrepreneurs can reduce income tax while building long-term wealth. Thoughtful retirement planning tools, capital gains strategies, and passive income planning support financial Ready to connect? Text us your comment including your phone number for a response!Canadian Wealth Secrets is an informative podcast that digs into the intricacies of building a robust portfolio, maximizing dividend returns, the nuances of real estate investment, and the complexities of business finance, while offering expert advice on wealth management, navigating capital gains tax, and understanding the role of financial institutions in personal finance.

Ready to take a deep dive and learn how to generate personal tax-free cash flow from your corporation? Enroll in our FREE masterclass here and book a call hereAre you relying on luck instead of a liquidity plan—and putting your wealth growth at risk without even realizing it?Most Canadians think of an emergency fund as a boring cash pile that just sits there. But as Jon and Kyle reveal, your emergency fund is actually the foundation of every smart financial system—because it determines whether you react to problems or respond to opportunities. With rising costs, unpredictable expenses, and income volatility, your financial resilience depends on how you structure your liquidity. And as your net worth grows, the role of that fund should evolve—shifting from simple protection to strategic fuel for wealth building.You'll discover:The three tiers of liquidity—how to move from basic stability to a true “wealth reservoir” that compounds and supports long-term planning.When cash, leverage, or whole life cash value each make sense depending on your stage and volatility.How high-net-worth Canadians use liquidity strategically to seize opportunities, reduce taxes, and protect their legacy.Hit play to learn how to turn a simple emergency fund into one of the most powerful wealth-building tools in your financial system.Discover which phase of wealth creation you are in. Take our quick assessment and you'll receive a custom wealth-building pathway that matches your phase and learn our CRA compliant tax optimized strategies. Take that assessment here.Canadian Wealth Secrets Show Notes Page:Consider reaching out to Kyle…taking a salary with a goal of stuffing RRSPs;…investing inside your corporation without a passive income tax minimization strategy;…letting a large sum of liquid assets sit in low interest earning savings accounts;…investing corporate dollars into GICs, dividend stocks/funds, or other investments attracting corporate passive income taxes at greater than 50%; or,…wondering whether your current corporate wealth management strategy is optimal for your specific situation.Building long-term wealth in Canada requires more than earning a high income—it demands intentional capital gains planning, smart financial strategy, and a clear financialReady to connect? Text us your comment including your phone number for a response!Canadian business owners seeking financial freedom in Canada can strengthen their personal finance and corporate wealth planning by building emReady to connect? Text us your comment including your phone number for a response!Canadian Wealth Secrets is an informative podcast that digs into the intricacies of building a robust portfolio, maximizing dividend returns, the nuances of real estate investment, and the complexities of business finance, while offering expert advice on wealth management, navigating capital gains tax, and understanding the role of financial institutions in personal finance.

Most Canadians believe that Canada's Old Age Security benefits act as a safety net, lifting struggling retirees out of poverty. But in this episode of the Hard Truths pod, Generation Squeeze founder, Dr. Paul Kershaw explains the hard truth: Some seniors with two homes, seven-figure portfolios, and six-figure incomes are still collecting OAS. And not just a token amount — retired couples with $180,000 in income still qualify for roughly $18,000 a year in OAS benefits. Paul dives deep into The Globe and Mail's "Financial Facelift"column. Every weekend, financial experts help Canadians fine-tune their retirement plans. The advice is smart and methodical, showing how to make the most of tax and benefit rules. But those columns also reveal something deeper —how our most expensive federal program, Old Age Security, has drifted from protecting retirees from poverty to padding the comfort of affluence .

Most Canadians have no idea what they're actually paying to invest — and many are overpaying by a lot.In this episode, Evan breaks down how investment fees really work in Canada, what's reasonable, what's not, and how to tell if you're paying for advice you aren't actually getting. You'll learn how to read MERs, Fund Facts, and trailing commissions so you can spot red flags and avoid getting ripped off.

Most Canadians reset their clocks twice a year. We spring forward, fall back and experts say that messes with our body's internal clocks. Rébecca Robillard, University of Ottawa associate professor and co-chair of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium, says we should abolish Daylight Saving Time, in order to protect our sleep and overall health.For transcripts of The Dose, please visit: lnk.to/dose-transcripts. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. For more episodes of this podcast, click this link.Fill out our listener survey here. We appreciate your input!

Ready to take a deep dive and learn how to generate personal tax-free cash flow from your corporation? Enroll in our FREE masterclass here and book a call hereWhat if your mortgage could actually build your wealth instead of just draining your bank account every month?Most Canadians think of debt as something to eliminate—not something to harness. But what if the real key to long-term financial freedom isn't being debt-free, but using good debt strategically? In this episode, Jon Orr breaks down the Smith Maneuver, a powerful yet misunderstood Canadian wealth strategy that transforms your mortgage into a tax-deductible, wealth-generating engine. You'll uncover why “bad debt vs. good debt” is more than just theory—and how shifting your mindset about debt could unlock massive financial growth.You'll discover:How the Smith Maneuver really works—and how to implement it safely within your personal or corporate wealth plan.The truth about risk and why disciplined planning makes this strategy one of the most tax-efficient tools available to Canadians.How to pair it with other advanced wealth strategies like cash damming and corporate-owned life insurance to create liquidity, flexibility, and legacy wealth.Ready to make your money work harder than you do? Hit play now and learn how to turn your mortgage into a lifelong wealth engine.Discover which phase of wealth creation you are in. Take our quick assessment and you'll receive a custom wealth-building pathway that matches your phase and learn our CRA compliant tax optimized strategies. Take that assessment here.Canadian Wealth Secrets Show Notes Page:Consider reaching out to Kyle…taking a salary with a goal of stuffing RRSPs;…investing inside your corporation without a passive income tax minimization strategy;…letting a large sum of liquid assets sit in low interest earning savings accounts;…investing corporate dollars into GICs, dividend stocks/funds, or other investments attracting corporate passive income taxes at greater than 50%; or,…wondering whether your current corporate wealth management strategy is optimal for your specific situation.Achieving financial freedom in Canada starts with a strategic approach that blends tax efficiency, smart investing, and long-term vision. Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs can unlock powerful wealth strategies through tools like the Smith Maneuver, corporate planning, and life insurance leverage to turn good debt into productive assets. By integrating cash damming, salary vs. dividends optimization, and corporate wealth planning, professioReady to connect? Text us your comment including your phone number for a response!Canadian Wealth Secrets is an informative podcast that digs into the intricacies of building a robust portfolio, maximizing dividend returns, the nuances of real estate investment, and the complexities of business finance, while offering expert advice on wealth management, navigating capital gains tax, and understanding the role of financial institutions in personal finance.

Most Canadians take CPP early, but delaying until 70 can boost your pension by up to 78% - a guaranteed, inflation-protected income for life.  In this episode of Retirement Planning Simplified, Joe Curry explains how to cover your income needs while waiting for CPP so you don't sacrifice your lifestyle. You'll learn about the Bond Bridge (flexible, liquid income) and the Annuity Bridge (simple, guaranteed income) as strategies to fill the gap. Joe shares how to manage your portfolio to reduce risk and keep your retirement spending on track. Check out the show notes for EP157 HERE.

Most Canadians are banking on their home to fund retirement. In this episode, Alex McFadyen explains why relying solely on home equity is risky with renewals, rising payments, and falling values. He shares practical guardrails, smarter strategies like downsizing, refinancing, HELOCs and reverse mortgages, and explains how to build a real plan instead of hoping your house saves you.

0:11 - Shaye's going for his first colonoscopy on Tuesday. 10:08 - Canada is a moderate country? Nothing could be further from the truth. 21:29 - Callers share their advice on colonoscopies. 29:30 - How can we innovate if Canada does not properly protect intellectual property. 38:05 - We get your thoughts on the tariffs increase, and Shaye's test. 47:45 - Most Canadians prefer work from home. 58:40 - The test people die of embarrassment from . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Smith Manoeuvre is an efficient strategy to use equity in your home to invest for your future without using your cash flow. It converts your mortgage over time into a tax deductible investment credit line. Most Canadians are searching for a feeling of financial security, but all the bills & life expenses mean they never build up enough of a nest egg to be secure. The Smith Manoeuvre is a strategy that can help you build your nest egg and help you achieve the retirement you want without using your cash flow. We have become known as experts in the Smith Manoeuvre, having helped hundreds of Canadian families implement it. It is one of the most effective wealth-building strategies when done by the right people in the right way over the long term. In my latest podcast episode you'll learn: What is the Smith Manoeuvre? What are the benefits? What are the risks? How do you manage the risks? How do you implement it? How do you avoid having to use your cash flow? How long should you ideally do the Smith Manoeuvre? Are there really 8 Smith Manoeuvre strategies? Is it legal? What is the best way to invest with the Smith Manoeuvre? How can I learn more and find out whether the Smith Manoeuvre is right for me?  

In the absence of dirt, make it up. Conservatives are getting desperate in the final days of the 2025 Canada Election campaign, spreading the most vindictive mistruths about Prime Minister Mark Carney. Someone should tell them its dangerous to throw stones in glass houses… And, is “the Trump Factor” still a legitimate concern, as the 2025 Canada Election is wrapping up? Let's talk about it!In this episode of The Bill Kelly Podcast, host Bill Kelly discusses the upcoming Canadian election, focusing on polling trends, the influence of Donald Trump on Canadian politics, and the dynamics between candidates Mark Carney and Pierre Poilievre. Kelly emphasizes the importance of voting and civic engagement, urging listeners to participate in the democratic process.Become a channel member to unlock early access to new content as well as exclusive members-only videos such as Bill's new segment, Moral of the Story, where he recounts his life lessons and personal stories about life as a broadcast journalist spanning industries like sports, music, entertainment and politics.Become a channel member: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeUbzckOLocFzNeY1D72iCA/joinDon't forget to like, follow and subscribe across our channels! Thank you.Listen to The Bill Kelly Podcast everywhere: https://kite.link/the-bill-kelly-podcastYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBillKellyPodcast/featuredBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thisisbillkelly.bsky.socialFacebook: https://facebook.com/TheBillKellyPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisbillkelly/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisbillkelly/SubStack: billkelly.substack.com/CHAPTERS00:00 Election Insights: Polling and Predictions03:04 The Trump Factor: Impact on Canadian Politics06:16 Carney vs. Poliev: Leadership Dynamics09:06 Misinformation and Political Strategy12:21 The Importance of Voting and Civic Responsibility18:28 Injured? Call Wissenz Law! 905 522 1102FURTHER READINGFIND OUT YOUR VOTING STATION AND ACCEPTABLE IDENTIFICATION (Even if you don't have your voting card or an ID card with your address, you can still vote!):https://elections.ca/Most Canadians feel as safe or safer than 10 years ago, Nanos poll finds. Conservative voters are another story.https://www.ctvnews.ca/federal-election-2025/article/most-canadians-feel-as-safe-or-safer-than-10-years-ago-nanos-poll-finds-conservative-voters-are-another-story/CBC News Poll Trackerhttps://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/Read the Full Transcript of Donald Trump's ‘100 Days' Interview With TIMEhttps://time.com/7280114/donald-trump-2025-interview-transcript/Canadians more likely to trust Carney to keep campaign promises than Poilievre: Nanos surveyhttps://www.ctvnews.ca/federal-election-2025/article/canadians-more-likely-to-trust-carney-to-keep-campaign-promises-than-poilievre-nanos-survey/Opinion | All Pierre Poilievre had to do was strongly oppose Trump. This is why he couldn't easily do so (By: David Coletto)https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/all-pierre-poilievre-had-to-do-was-strongly-oppose-trump-this-is-why-he-couldnt/article_f22219fd-9577-4a23-82f3-cef6ca813d91.htmlHarper Government Leads by Example at World Economic Forumhttps://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2014/01/harper-government-leads-example-world-economic-forum.htmlWATCH: PIERRE POILIEVERE PRAISES THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM!https://crier.co/watch-pierre-poilivere-praises-the-world-economic-forum/HASHTAGS#News#Politics#ElectionCanada#MarkCarney#Liberals#LiberalParty#BreakingNews#politicalnews#newsupdate#canadanews#CanadaElection#canadianpolitics#CanadianNews#podcast#NewsPodcast#PoliticalPodcast#PoliticalNews#PoliticalCommentary#Election2025#NewsUpdates#PoliticalDebate#PoliticalInsights#CurrentAffairs#NewsCommentary#PoliticalCommentary#TodayNews#NewsToday This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit billkelly.substack.com/subscribe

Most Canadians don't believe that Liberal Leader Mark Carney would balance the budget if he's elected prime minister. Liberal leader Mark Carney promoted a nuclear company owned by Brookfield Asset Management while discussing potential energy investments. The recent landmark ruling on the legal definition of a woman in the U.K. has brought renewed attention to Canada's own laws on the matter. Tune into The Daily Brief with Isaac Lamoureux and Geoff Knight! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Canadians will cheer for any Canadian NHL team in the playoffs this year due to our political climate. Locker says yes! Is that truth or trash? The Green Zone

From trucker to freedom fighter: Chris Barber's battle for Canada's soulNeoborn Caveman is joined by Freedom Convoy hero Chris Barber for a raw look at Canada's fight for sovereignty. Chris shares the truth about the peaceful protest that shook the world and exposed what really happened when truckers stood up against government overreach. From frozen bank accounts to court battles, nothing's off limits.Warning: This episode contains dangerous amounts of truth, common sense, and old-school Canadian values. May cause sudden urges to stand up for freedom.We're talking:- How the Freedom Convoy woke up millions worldwide- The real cost of standing up to tyranny- Why censorship laws are just the beginning- What happens when good people stay silentPlus:- Why your small town might save Canada- The power of multi-generational homes- Getting your hands dirty in local politics- Building communities that can't be brokenKey Takeaways:- The Freedom Convoy was more than trucks - it was hope on wheels- Government overreach isn't stopping - it's accelerating- Most Canadians are waking up, but too many are still sleeping- Non-compliance works when we stand together- Local politics and community building are our secret weapons- Family heritage and hard work still matter- Small towns hold the key to Canadian freedomSupport the show and join the resistance on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheNeobornCavemanShowRemember: you are worthy, you are special, you are one of a kind!........ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is How Much Canadians Pay For Free Public Health Care – 2022 We often boast about our free health care, and we use it to justify our higher taxes, especially to our friends south of the border. But, do you know the true cost of our public health care system? Most Canadians are unaware of the cost as general government revenue funds Canada's public health-care system. https://www.todocanada.ca/this-is-how-much-canadians-pay-for-free-public-health-care-in-2022/ Massive new survey finds widespread frustration with access to primary health care OurCare Initiative finds primary care is the top concern as 6 million people go without a family doctor https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/primary-care-canada-10-000-canadians-report-1.7125990 Waiting... View Article

Most Canadians are eager to combat climate change. But how? One actionable area is reducing emissions from our homes. In episode 141 of thinkenergy, Sarah Grant, founder and co-owner of Goldfinch Energy, shares ways you can reduce your home's reliance on fossil fuels. Goldfinch Energy is a women-owned, Toronto-based organization offering energy assessments, clean tech roadmaps, and green renovation support services. Listen in to learn about home decarbonization and electrification solutions. Related links   Goldfinch Energy: https://www.goldfinchenergy.ca/  Sarah Grant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-grant-89ba152b/ Natural Resources Canada Energy Advisor program: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy-efficiency/homes/professional-opportunities/become-registered-energuide-rating-system-energy-advisor/20566  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-cem-leed-ap-8b612114/  Hydro Ottawa: https://hydroottawa.com/en     To subscribe using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinkenergy/id1465129405   To subscribe using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wFz7rdR8Gq3f2WOafjxpl   To subscribe on Libsyn: http://thinkenergy.libsyn.com/ Subscribe so you don't miss a video: https://www.youtube.com/user/hydroottawalimited   Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydroottawa   Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HydroOttawa   Keep up with the posts on X: https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod Transcript: SPEAKERS Trevor Freeman, Sarah Grant Trevor Freeman  00:07 Welcome to think energy, a podcast that dives into the fast, changing world of energy through conversations with industry leaders, innovators and people on the front lines of the energy transition. Join me, Trevor Freeman, as I explore the traditional, unconventional and up and coming facets of the energy industry. If you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas for topics we should cover, please reach out to us at thinkenergy@hydroauttawa.com, hi everyone, and welcome back. And welcome back from the summer. As you know, think energy paused over the summer, and hopefully you got a break over the summer as well, time to rest and be rejuvenated. There were certainly times of that for us here. I was able to get out and do some camping and canoeing with the family, which, if you're not from Canada, if you're if you're not in Ontario, there's some fantastic camping and canoeing spots here, so come and check them out. But it was also a busy summer. Things, some things do slow down, and others just seem to fill in that empty space in the calendar. So, we've been busy and hard at work. One of the things we've been doing is spending some time thinking about what this next season of think energy has in store. There are lots of great topics to explore, lots of interesting and smart people out there to talk to the world of the energy transition and energy in general is not slowing down. In fact, it's picking up steam quite a bit. So, lots to dive into this season. We may take a different approach on some topics, on some episodes. We might try out some new things. So yeah, come along for the ride. So today, for our first episode of the season, we're going to kick things off with something close to home, and you will forgive me for that very intended and poor pun, because we're talking about home decarbonization and electrification. We know that most Canadians want to do something about climate change. The data shows us this, and you can go back and listen to my conversation with David Caletto from abacus data for more information on this. We want to live in a society that isn't producing harmful emissions that are jeopardizing our future, but it often feels like so much of that is out of our control. So when it comes to climate action, what we often look to is those things that are in our control, which, for those fortunate enough to own their own homes, is the emissions that result from where we live and, by extension, for somehow we get around the city, so our vehicles, even that action, however, can be daunting if we don't know where to start and we don't know what our options are, and we're relying on contractors, or tradespeople who tend to take maybe a more traditional, fossil fuel based approach. There are great contractors out there, but sometimes it's hard to find them, so today we're going to explore that a little bit. Now I do want to throw a quick caveat out there to say that this conversation is really through the lens of kind of a single family or semidetached home, and through the lens of those that either own their own home, or at the very least have some decision making. Power for that home. Decarbonizing multi-unit buildings like apartments or condos or decarbonizing for renters, is a whole different but equally important conversation that I do plan on tackling at another time. So my conversation today is with Sarah Grant, who is the co-founder and co-owner of Goldfinch energy. Goldfinch energy is a Toronto, Ontario based, women owned small business that is dedicated to helping Canadians reduce their homes reliance on fossil fuels. They offer energy assessments, clean tech roadmaps and green renovation support services. Sarah has degrees in engineering and computer science. She's held leadership roles in renewable energy and local food systems, and is a certified energy advisor. And is really someone who's just passionate about tackling climate change and passionate about talking about it as well. So, I think you're going to enjoy the conversation today. Sarah, welcome to the show.   Sarah Grant  04:21 Thanks for having me   Trevor Freeman  04:22 so. Full disclosure to our listeners here, Sarah and I have actually known each other for quite a long time. And I was trying to do the math there, I think it's like getting close to 20 years now, and we know each other from a different line of work. We both were in international developments and worked overseas for a while. So, I think my first question is, tell us how you came to be in the home energy business. That's a bit of a shift from international development. And then tell us a little bit about what Goldfinch energy does.   Sarah Grant  04:53 Awesome. It is true. It is a bit of a shift, although I have always been interested in big, big problems that the world is facing, and working in international development, yeah, I guess 20 or so years ago, I could already see the impacts of the climate crisis, working with subsistence farmers, hearing them tell the stories of how they would plant and um, reigns weren't as predictable as they had been before. And so, when it was time for me to come back to Canada live a bit closer to family, it was something that I was always interested in, and felt like it was another global problem that I could start working on more locally, more specifically, sort of how Goldfinch was born was, to some extent, out of the pandemic. So, some goodness came out of that. Early in the spring, I was working in another sort of climate focused endeavor, a nonprofit that it was clear wasn't going to do very well with the pandemic ongoing, and a friend actually approached me and said, hey, I have this idea. She herself had been working in the sort of climate change world and had had a furnace die, and had asked about heat pumps, and was just laughed at. So, she ended up with a oversized, gas guzzling furnace to continue to heat her home and knew she could have done better. So, Goldfinch energy was sort of born out of that idea that we're not alone. Many of us want to do something, and our homes are a large portion of our individual commissions. If you are lucky enough to own a home, that is, and there are small steps, big steps you can take. All of it matters. And so that's Goldfinch. So, we then, early on, decided, in order to help people, it was going to be useful to become energy advisors. So, I took some training. Actually, it's a really interesting program the federal government through Natural Resources Canada administers the, I guess, the industry of being an energy advisor. And so, there are sort of two exams you take. And so, we studied in 2020, and launched Goldfinch energy with the idea that, after doing some market research as well that, you know, what was really going to be helpful was being able to help people sort of break down the complexity of what's going on with their homes, what they can do to address the climate change crisis. And also, you know, with a home, it's also not just about that. It's about maybe making it a bit more comfortable, or maybe there's a planned renovation that someone might want to do to change the layout, what have you. And so, we establish golden energy to help people make their homes better for the planet and for themselves.   Trevor Freeman  07:52 Great. Yeah, it's, I think I hear that a lot from folks, and it's in my own experience of, you know roughly that you want to do the right thing, you know, roughly that, yeah, I want to, you know, reduce carbon, but I don't know how. And the answer I'm going to get from my average contractor is not going to point me in that direction. I'm hoping that we're seeing some change, and folks like you guys are maybe pushing that a little bit, but it's great to know that there's organizations out there that can provide that direct support. So, I mean, what we're talking about today is pretty much home electrification, or, let's say, home decarbonization. And so, let's pull apart what that looks like. And there's probably a few different scenarios of how a homeowner could approach this work. There's the one that you described where your furnace kind of dies in the middle of January, which is my own experience a number of years ago. And you have to make a really quick decision. But let's park that scenario for now. Let's talk about if you have time, if you know you want to do this, and you can start planning now, what where do you start? And, oh, you know, looking through the services that you guys provide, you have the energy assessment, the cleantech roadmap, talk us through some of those tools that you use to help people kind of start their decarbonization journey.   Sarah Grant  09:16 So, this is a great question. The best way to start is just by getting a sense of where your home is now. A lot of the homes that I work in, I'm based in Toronto, are 100 plus years old. So, you know, when they were first built, didn't have any insulation. They leaked like a sieve. They were probably heated with wood or some type of fossil fuel. And you know, different expectations were had and over the over the decades, often homes have had a myriad of homeowners and renovations or no renovations. So, an energy assessment is a way for someone to better understand what's going on with their home right now and our clean tech roadmap, then segues from that and helps goes deeper into okay, I now know where my home is losing heat, where you know how efficient or not it is, what levels of insulation exist in behind the walls and in the attic, and you know how drafty it is. There's a cool tool that we use to measure that, the clean tech roadmap, then puts that assessment and translates that into helps people translate that into a plan that they can then ideally act on. So, this plan includes details like, Okay, what you know if you are going to be renovating the basement, stay and want to finish that space. What are the recommended insulation materials that you should use? And how should you treat water? Because, you know, often basements are a little bit below the water table. So, what does that look like? How can we better air seal that space to make it less drafty as well? And maybe you're going to be touching the heating or the hot water. So, what are the options there? What are some contractor names? So, it's really designed to give people all the tools that hopefully they may need if they have the time to not only understand where their home is at, but what they can do and then even have everything at their fingertips to start to seek out quotes and start to take action on their home in the way that's best suited to them. So, some homeowners are able and fortunate enough to kind of do everything in one big bell swoop of, you know, a big, big renovation, perhaps, or, you know, over a few months' time, able to kind of get, get everything off the list. A lot of the homeowners that we work with aren't in that sort of circumstances. A lot of homeowners who just bought a house, so the house is new to them, but maybe 100 years old. And so, having that clean tech roadmap in their hands then allows them to sort of say, Okay, well, what? What do we want to do this year and the next year, and I've had people that, you know, we worked with four years ago, have who have come back to me a few years later and said, Okay, well, now we're ready to do this? Can you help us which, which is so great, so it's designed to sort of meet people where they are, where they are, with their goals, with their budget and their lifestyle. Because not everyone can afford to kind of do all the you know the right things all at once.   Trevor Freeman  12:24 Yeah, so, I think like having someone in to one understand what's there, because not everybody knows exactly what's in their house, as you said, and then have that plan. That doesn't mean you have to implement the plan today all at once, but knowing you know when this piece of equipment goes or when I work on this part of the house, here's what I'm going to do, here's the things I need to consider. And having that kind of in your back pocket. Or when you do that work is super helpful. You touched on something else that I want to ask you about, which is, you know, oftentimes when we think about decarbonizing our homes or changing out big pieces of equipment. Of course, we're thinking of, you know, our heating system, our cooling system, our hot water system, but you mentioned a couple other things. So, what are some things to address before getting into those big equipment purchases? You know, changing out your furnace. What should what should you do in advance of that?   Sarah Grant  13:20 I mean, first and foremost, you know, if you have a home and you have issues with water, with mold, those are kind of, you know, structural issues. Those are aspects that tend to, you know, they're top of the list. But, you know, assuming, let's assume, you know, we're talking about homes that kind of don't have those pressing needs. Some of the some of the items that are ideal to address before electrifying are involve making your home better at keeping the heat in. So that's really comes down to just insulate, more insulation where you can, to the extent that you can, and reducing air leakage. So, a lot of people are familiar with insulation. Usually, most contractors these days, if someone's renovating a kitchen, will find a way to add some insulation. Reducing air leakage is still, I would say, not as much on a contractor's radar as it would be ideal. A lot of the green contractors and architects that I work with, it's sort of as important, or even more important, and to us it is as well. So, in the winter, the insulation for your house is kind of like your sweater, and if you don't have any sort of windbreaker, you're going to have a lot of air leakage. So, the air leakage for your home is kind of like adding a windbreaker. Sorry, I started to talk about it like with homeowners, like there are different levels of air leakage. So, level one just involves walking around with a caulking gun and doing what you can to seal up the gaps and the cracks, maybe around the windows. In the window trim, maybe along the baseboards. People often have a good sense of some of the larger sources of air leakage, because they feel drafty, and so that's kind of level one, air leakage. Level two could involve maybe doing a little bit more in the basement, around what's called the rim joist. So, if you look up in your basement and your basement is unfinished where the sort of the ceiling joists meet the walls, those are often a huge source of air leakage. And there's a lot that can often be done to reduce air leakage there. And there are different products. I don't know if we want to get into that today, but I'll just leave it at that for now. And level three is if you are going to be replacing the siding from the outside or from the inside, gutting your house, adding an air barrier, which is a material that serves to reduce the air leakage. Overall, it is like wrapping your house in a big windbreaker. If someone is able to do that, if you're able to say, if you have siding on the outside of your house that you need to be replaced. Adding an air barrier can have the most significant impacts in terms of reducing air leakage. So, you asked, sort of, where should someone start? I think, you know, it does come back to a lot of people I find replace their siding or replace their windows, maybe more for esthetic reasons, or they have reached their end of life. But reducing air leakage, doing what you can if you're replacing your siding, to also add insulation, isn't always on people's minds. So again, back to having that plan. If you have a plan, if you know, okay, when I need to redo my flat roof or redo my siding or redo my windows, I'm going to be thinking about these extra pieces that will ensure that I'm going to take a few more steps to make my house do a better job of keeping the heat in, by adding more insulation, by reducing air leakage. Those are great, great first steps when possible.   Trevor Freeman  16:54 And the added benefit, I think, of that, and this is important for people to know, is there's a huge comfort impact there. I mean this, we're not even really talking yet about energy savings and carbon you will just have a more comfortable home if it's less drafty, if it holds the heat in better, keeps the heat out in the summer, and that is one of the drivers for some of these changes that we're talking about here today. It's not just because you really care about climate change, it's also because you want a more comfortable and efficient home.   Sarah Grant  17:25 100% I think that comfort just like someone having a broken furnace. Well, maybe not exactly, but similar to, I think, is can act as that trigger, as that motivator, to push people. So I do often have people calling and saying, Hey, like, can you come and do a consult? Because we don't often use the third floor of our house. It's just not as comfortable. And so we'll figure out what's going on and help people make a plan to address that. And ideally, you know, I find when I'm able to do that, I'd rather help someone make a better use of existing space than help them plan out an addition. Um, I have sometimes ended up talking people out of an addition, because upon sort of discussing their house real, we've realized, okay, like they don't use their basement because it's unfinished, it's dark, it's damp, it's, you know, it's the scary, cobwebby place. And so we develop a plan that involves adding more sunlight and making it comfortable, making it not so damp and scary, and that helps. They're already heating that space. It's sort of a space that you're already sort of half there. And so energy wise, you're making an improvement, and have avoided making your house bigger, which is maybe required, but it can be avoided, is better too.   Trevor Freeman  18:49 Okay, so I want to dive into the things that probably people are most familiar with when we talk about reducing our own fossil fuel consumption in a home. And so these are your big users, like how you heat your space, how you heat your water, and for some people cooking. So especially those first do space heating and water heating. The majority of Canadians at least use some kind of fossil fuel to heat their homes, especially here in Ontario. So that's typically natural gas cooking is a little bit more of a mixed bag, but there's a lot of gas cooking out there. So maybe talk us through what would be the sort of low to no carbon option for each of those three things.   Sarah Grant  19:31 Great, okay, going from large to small. So the largest source of emissions in a home is your space heating. Typically, the emissions are about the same as driving a sort of a mid to large sized car. You know, most people drive, on average, 15,000 kilometers a year. The emissions are going to be about the same so that that's going to be the biggest one, if someone is looking and they're a little bit overwhelmed, and the best alternative is a. Heat pump. So these are they come in many different forms, but the most common, and I think the most common scenario for most homes is if you have forced air. So ductwork and these kind of heat pumps can extract heat from the air outside. A lot of them can work up to minus 30 degrees. So even up to minus 30, they're able to grab latent heat in the air and pump it inside, and then it gets pumped around your house. The cool thing about them is that they can also work in reverse. So, in the summer, they act just like an air conditioner. In fact, the technology is very much the same as an air conditioner, just that they work in reverse in the winter too. So they can also cool. So these are called Air source heat pumps. And, yeah, someone has forced air and they have a gas furnace or an air conditioner or both that need to be replaced. An air source heat pump is, is a great option. A lot of the folks that we've worked with that have switched, you know, you talked about comfort, sort of some of the side benefits, I would say, of a heat pump is they're typically quieter if designed and sized and installed properly, they're they they're quieter both the outside and the inside aspects of a heat pump, and the air from the vents is a lot more comfortable. So we got a heat pump about three years ago, and the first winter we had it installed, my father in law came over for dinner one night and just stood in front of the vent, kind of like a cat basking in that warmth, and said, Oh my gosh, this is way more comfortable. It's not that dry, scorched air that a lot of people associate with poor stairs. So that's, that's an air source heat pump. You can also, there are also ground source heat pumps, but for a lot of you know urban areas, these ground source heat pumps involve drilling into the ground, either horizontally or vertically, to extract heat from the ground. They I have worked with a few homes in sort of more rural areas where it does make sense, but the costs associated with them are really high, and often there's not enough space in urban areas, so they're not quite as common. And I'd say sort of, just to kind of close the conversation on we'll conclude it on the on the heating side of things, if you do have another source of like heat, maybe it's, maybe it's cast iron radiators or baseboards. There are also heat pumps that can help you as well. So with cast iron radiators, they're what's called air to water heat pumps. So they'll the outdoor unit will look similar to someone who has forced air. So it's an it's going to extract heat from the outside air, and it'll transfer it to water. Now that can then go through your cast iron radiators, or maybe have insular heating or what have you. They're not as common, but the technology has existed for a long time in Europe, and there are more products and contractors that I'm working with that are becoming more comfortable with installing this technology. And last there are what's called ductless heat pumps. So if you don't have ductwork or cast iron radiators, or maybe have baseboards, or maybe there's a space where the ductwork just isn't sufficient, these ductless heat pumps can be installed. They can either go on the wall, on sort of these big white boxes. If you've been to Asia, you're probably familiar with them because they exist there, either in the form of heat pumps or air conditioners, or you can have little floor mounted ones as well, which look a little bit slicker, I suppose, but they do cost a little bit more. So that's heating for hot water. There are kind of two main options if you want to get off of fossil fuels. Usually that's yeah, for most of us, that's with the gas, but there could be propane as well. So, if you want to get off of fossil fuels with your hot water, the heat pump technology exists with hot water as well. Heat Pump hot water tanks is what they're called. Are actually, confusingly, sometimes hybrid tanks, because they use heat pump technology, but then also have an electric coil. So, they operate, they can operate like a simple electric tank, if, um, if needed. And they come with a little like Wi Fi app too. So they are, like, four times more efficient than a gas hot water tank. So you will save a little bit by switching to them. But the way they work is they'll extract heat from your basement, actually, so from your basement air and transfer that to the water. So, I would say about half the people I work with end up going with them because they have a space where it makes sense. Maybe their basement is large and they can put it kind of in the corner and a big mechanical room or a workshop where they're not going to go into it. So, if it, if that heat pump reduces the temperature by two degrees or so, it's not a big deal. But for me, my home is pretty tiny, and we're using every nook and cranny with five of us in it, so we opted for an electric tank and, um. And then paired it with a timer so that it only reheats the water overnight when electricity, if you're on time of use, is cheapest, and that's also when our Ontario grid is using the non-fossil fuel related forms of power production, like nuclear and water. So that can work if you're really lucky and you have an open an unfinished basement and a good space to install what's called a drain water heat recovery system. These are super cool, very simple technologies that can transfer the heat from any water that you've already used, like from your shower, and transfer it to the fresh water before that fresh water then goes into whatever heating mechanism you have. So, they can work with anything, even if you have a gas hot water tank, a drain water heat recovery system is a good way to kind of preheat the water by extracting the heat from the hot water you've already used a lot of hospitals I know in Toronto are starting to use these kinds of systems as well. So two main options, electric tank, you pump out water tank, and then those drain water heat recovery systems as well, and hot water. So, you know, I said you're heating, heating your house. It's usually about kind of 8080, or so percent of a home emission, home emissions hot water is, is around 15 to 20% just to give an idea of sort of how it fits into the relative picture. But ultimately, I wouldn't say, you know, do one over the other, unless you know, if you have, if you have a hot water tank that's broken, replace that with a with an electric tank, or heat pump hot water tank. Don't, don't just say, Oh, it's only 20% I shouldn't do that one. It's still worth it. Every little appliance that you can get off of fossil fuels is one step closer to then being able to disconnect from the gas utility or what have you, and sets you up for, ultimately, like a little bit of savings too, because you're no longer paying for that delivery fee to have access to that fossil fuel in your house. So cooking, cooking is cooking is probably, to be honest, like, the most fun of all of these just because, you know, it impacts your daily life. If like, hot water and heating and cooling are one of those things where you don't, like, I don't think about my heat pump unless it's not working properly, which we haven't had an issue with. But, you know, it just sits there and it does, it does its thing, and I'm happy to have it off of fossil fuels. But for cooking, switching, for us, switching. We switched from a gas stove to an induction stove about a year ago, and it's amazing, like I've got little kids, and I love that. I feel comfortable teaching them how to cook on this stove, just because of the way the induction stove works, the whole cooktop doesn't get heated up in the same way you accidentally leave, like a rag or a paper towel on the stove, not going to catch on fire. We did have a few of those incidences with our former gas stove. And, like, it's really quick. I know that there's a lot of stats and data about how quick it can heat up water, but it's one of those things that you don't believe it until you sort of experience it yourself. So yeah, so we got, we got a nice flick induction stove, because our gas stove was kind of reaching its end of life, and we were starting to smell some of the gas as well, even when it wasn't on, which I know is an issue, that's, that's, you know, something that's, that's hostages for our help. And, you know, there's a lot of research and evidence out there related to, like respiratory issues and gas related cooking. So, if you do have a gas stove and you aren't able to afford to switch now, make sure you're using your exhaust, like your range hood, properly, not just when you're using the top, but when you're cooking in the oven too. But yeah, if you're able to switch it out, then you can just break a little easier knowing that you're not, you're not using some sort of like fossil fuel to cook, cook with, and so your house is cleaner, and you're making the planet a bit cleaner as well.   Trevor Freeman  29:11 That's definitely one of those other benefits of going down that path. And everyone we're in a similar vein, I cook with electric resistance now, but our stove is near its end of life, and I've excited to get that induction stove, because everybody I talked to just sort of says it's one of the coolest things that you can add to your kitchen. So, I'm excited about. One other big source of fossil fuels in our daily lives that people will be familiar with, obviously, is, is our cars, how we drive, how we get around. Most folks still have an internal combustion engine car, and we know that for people that are going to switch to an EV if they can, the preferred choice to charge is at home. People want to be able to charge their vehicles at home. So what are some considerations when it comes to owning an EV at your house, as you're trying to decarbonize   Sarah Grant  30:06 Awesome. I'm glad you asked this question, because I was trying to figure out a way how to bring up electric like capacity in a home, knowing that you know, if you do electrify every appliance in if someone does electrify every appliance in their house, they may not need to upgrade. A lot of us are on 100 amp service, and I was able to, you know, install an induction stove switch from gas to induction switch from a gas hot water tank to an electric tank with that drain water heat recovery system and a timer switch from a gas furnace to a heat pump. And we had 100 amps, and we're fine with that. We didn't have any breakers trip or anything. And I've worked with a lot of homes where that's the case. I should just say, even before someone's going to switch to an EV though, the kind of the two main aspects, two main elements that may require an upgrade, would be an EV charger and, um, electric backup, resistance heating. So with a heat pump, they are amazing for so many reasons I've kind of already talked about they're more comfortable, they're quieter. You know, climate fighting machines that work on electricity, but they're not like electric baseboard heaters. They're using one unit of electricity to generate about three units of heat. So they're great. Their capacity isn't as high as as a gas furnace or our propane furnace may be. So if that's the case, and if your house, you haven't been able to do all the things you can to insulate and to reduce heat loss, then the largest heat pump may need to come with an electric resistance heating and these can, if they're working, can draw a lot of electricity. So the way this works with a heat pump is, on a cold day, the heat pump is going to always operate. And then if your thermostat notices, hey, my house isn't able to stay as comfortable. It's not getting to whatever, you know, 22 degrees, it'll then ask for the electric resistance oil to turn on and give a boost to the heat pump. So, um, you're not going to generate like, your bills aren't going to be excessive, like they would be if someone's heating with just electric heating, but larger electric resistance heating requires a pretty big breaker, like a 40-amp sort of thing. So, if, if that's the case, then that may be something that triggers you into the okay, maybe I need to upgrade to 200 amps EV chargers as well. They come in many different forms. We actually I'm just at my in laws cottage, and my father-in-law, very generously, installed an EV charger here, because we were lucky enough to purchase an EV a few months ago and so he put in one that's also on a 40-amp breaker, but you can get ones and put it on a 30 amp breaker, you put on a 50 amp breaker. So with upgrading and with switching everything to electric, I find that's an area that I think things still are evolving and changing. You know, I typically, I was previously doing sort of a what a lot of electricians or HVAC contractors would do with just sort of adding up all the all the aspects on the panel and sort of saying, Okay, well, if you're running your stove and your heat pump and your hot water all at once, here's sort of based on those breakers, here's how much electricity you're going to draw. And if that number is greater than 100 Okay, someone should upgrade which, which tends to be a little bit conservative. So, what we are now doing is, if you have the ability to access your electricity bills and look at sort of your hour-by-hour consumption, there is a way that homeowners can actually figure out, kind of like, what's my peak, what's my worst? Like, draw, I'm probably not using the right terms here, but, um, but. Or you could actually simulate that and just, you know, on a, on a like a really hot day, turn on make sure your air conditioner is running. Turn on. You all your, you know, your dryer, your electric stove, whatever kind of make it the worst-case scenario that you could reasonably see happening in your house and then go on and log into your utility data. And there's a way that you can look at like hour by hour, and it'll tell you your draw and based on that, if you look up online, there's a way to sort of translate that kilowatt draw into amps. And what I've found when I translate people's draw into amps is that like someone who's on 100-amp panel, who's got, you know, their electric dryer and their air conditioner and their induction stove running typically draws between 20 and 40 amps. That's way below the 100 amp. Environment and so upgrading, this is a long winded way of saying upgrading everything you know, from fossil fuels, switching your car, getting an EV charger, may or may not require you to upgrade to 200 amps, but if you have the ability to sort of do a little bit of research online, try and figure out what your draw is, so that, because you may not actually need to upgrade alive, find a lot of contractors are somewhat conservative and are telling people to upgrade before they necessarily need to. And the cost to upgrade can be around five or so $1,000 so at least what I've seen in Toronto and so that kind of cost can actually turn people off.   Trevor Freeman  35:42 Yeah. So, I that's a great point to bring up Sarah. And I think we, we see that, of course, with our customers a lot as well. And I think it's important to know that the quick and easy way to determine if you need a panel upgrade is, as you said, to add up the numbers on the breakers, and if you if you're bumping over 100 yep, that's a panel upgrade. But that's not necessarily the most accurate way, because it's rare that we use the full amount of each breaker. And so looking at your utility data, or having your electrician, your contractor, help you, look at your utility data, can tell you that you maybe don't need a panel upgrade, that you can operate all this equipment that we're talking about on your 100 amp panel, and most utilities in Ontario, at least, I know for you in Toronto, and definitely for any of our listeners in our service territory in Ottawa, you can access Your hourly utility data online through whatever portal you have with your utility. So definitely go and check that out   Sarah Grant  36:47 if you end up realizing that your kind of on the cusp and you may need to upgrade. One of the other things that you could do instead is install a smart switch. So, there are products of their levatron is one that I know of. There are even smart panels that give you at your fingertips through a phone app, the ability to sort of say, oh, okay, I want to charge my car, so maybe I'm going to, sort of not let people draw electricity from other aspects in my home, or vice versa, you can kind of turn off and on your car charger. You can even run your whole panel as well. So, sort of the smart switching aspect is a way that, if you're kind of on that cusp, can enable you to avoid a service upgrade and also get some really cool data at your fingertips as well about your electricity consumption.   Trevor Freeman  37:42 Yeah, I'm really glad you brought that up, and I've seen those as well. They're super exciting. And, you know, as a kind of a data nerd, it'd be awesome to have that granular data. And what's every circuit in my house doing? But I think at its most basic, it's basically saying, yeah, like, you can't run your electric clothes dryer and charge your EV at the same time. So it kind of forces one or the other, you know, and whatever slot in whatever piece of equipment you want there, which keeps you under that, that threshold for your panel, no matter what, even if all your things add up to more, you're still going to stay under because it won't let them go on the same time. So that's a great piece of technology. So, I want to quickly ask you about electricity generation and storage, where probably, if anybody kind of wanders around, you're seeing more and more solar panels on roofs. We're hearing more about home battery storage, although that hasn't quite taken off widespread yet, but it is out there. So how would something like that factor into a homeowner's plan?   Sarah Grant  38:42 Yeah, I think that typically, it's kind of one of the later aspects for a homeowner plan. So you know, if you were listening and you're someone who is interested in doing what you can to reduce your carbon footprint, you know the largest things you can do, the single largest thing is to install a heat pump. Get your heating off of off of fossil fuels, and install a heat pump. And, you know, do what you can to reduce your heat loss by adding insulation, making it less leaky. Solar panels are a fantastic complement to that, and I find they, you know, we include them in a clean tech roadmap, and we show people the impact. And some people do choose to do them first just because they're excited, and it is, to some extent, an investment in reduction of your energy bills. So, you know, the sooner you can get the panels on your roof, the sooner you can start to save and no longer spend, you know, and to some extent, also solar panels, at least in Ontario, they're producing their peak amount of electricity at a time when we're using our electricity grid in Ontario, mostly as nuclear and water. But you. Uh, you know, during peak times, we do have some gas power plants that their benefit is to kind of come on quickly and produce electricity really quickly, so that we can make up that that time, say, five o'clock on a really hot August day when everyone comes home from work or six o'clock and turns on their air conditioner and, and, and, but at that same time, solar panels are in peak production. So, you know, I know, I'm sure you've had other podcasts to discuss, sort of our electricity grid, so we don't need to get into more details. But you know, it is something that each can do to offset and reduce that sort of gas peak your plant consumption by putting panels on the roof. And I think a great aspirational goal for everyone would be to be net zero. Just as you know, I know, City of Toronto has a net zero goal as a city overall, so getting each home to net zero would certainly one way to achieve that goal. So there's some savings involved for us. We put panels on, like four years ago, and based on how much we're saving per year and how much we spent, we'll have saved as much in electricity as we spent in 11 to make up the cost in 11 years' time, the cost the return on investment, isn't as great now because we were able to leverage a federal rebate that is no longer available, but For so that'll probably extend the return on investment. For many people to sort of 15 to 20 years' time frame. The reduction in use of our gas peaker plants is another, another benefit and, um, no, I'd say the other like, sort of the pleasant side, again, comfort benefit for us, although I wouldn't say invest in it only for this. It's kept our house more comfortable in the summer. So these solar panels are absorbing the sun's energy, the sun's heat. So it's now no longer the sun's no longer cooking our roof as it used to. And although we did add insulation there, the panels are way more effective at just absorbing that energy. And so our second floor is able to stay a lot more comfortable as well. As far as sort of storage goes, You're right. I'm starting to see more and more batteries. But you know, a few years ago, I hadn't seen really any, any in people's homes. The costs, I know, and sort of the thread tape involved in getting them approved was still quite high. But they are a fantastic option if you do have solar panels, or if you're someone who's concerned about making your house more resilient in the event of a power outage, they're a good option to have, obviously, better than, better than a gas generator, which would be the alternative if you want some form of energy on hand in case the grid goes down. But yeah, this is sort of, I would say, if you're thinking about your house and where solar panels and storage could fit in, I would probably put them sort of later on the list. Again, decarbonize by getting, like, electrify everything in your house as much as possible. Do what you can to insulate and air seal, and if you're lucky enough to have a little bit left over solar and storage are great as well.   Trevor Freeman  43:04 Yeah, it's that's a great way to put it. I certainly look at them as supporting tools to someone looking to decarbonize and electrify their house. To your point, you don't get a lot of carbon reduction just from solar, partly, especially in Ontario, because our grid is primarily clean, primarily carbon free, but during those peak solar production hours, that's also typically our peak emission hours from the grid in Ontario. But what solar panels and storage, to a lesser extent, can do is give you some predictability in your energy costs. So, you're kind of locking some portion of your energy cost in the day you put those panels on, and if electricity prices increase, you've got that predictability based on what you put on your roof. So just getting close to the end of our conversation here today, Sarah, I want to ask you two more questions. One, I alluded to this at the beginning, and as did you there are those scenarios where you haven't done any planning or prep. You know that maybe decarbonizing or moving to a more modern piece of equipment is something you want to do, but you haven't done any work on that, and it's January, and all of a sudden there's no heat coming from your furnace. And you get someone to look at it and they say, yep, you need a new one. What can you do? In that sense, are there contractors out there who can turn around and put a heat pump in as quick as they can put a furnace in? Or are we not there yet? What's kind of on the horizon for folks in that situation?   Sarah Grant  44:36 Yeah, there are a lot of contractors out there who can put in a heat pump as quickly as they would a gas furnace. The rebate program that the federal government offered, which is unfortunately no longer available, did a lot of work to, I would say, get homeowners asking contractors about heat pumps, and that then got a lot of contractors on board with installing key pumps. And. And I'm finding actually, right now, we're in a good space, because a lot of manufacturers brought in a lot of stock, and so there's actually an excess of a supply of heat pumps, so the costs have come down a little bit, which is nice in the absence of rebate. So, yeah, the installation itself is, you know, if you're replacing a gas furnace with heat pump, it's no more or less complicated, to be honest, typically should take about, you know, just into two days, or maybe just under, like, you know, one, a full day, and sort of, and then some. And I would say the sort of the biggest, the biggest lost opportunity is, is, you may not, you may not have a contractor that feels comfortable getting you all the way off of gas. So I find a lot of contractors are more comfortable with recommending what's called a hybrid system, where you would have a heat pump and a gas furnace installed in your house. And in this case, the heat pump will always get the first opportunity to provide heating in a house, but then the gas furnace will kick on. Um, at some point. And I find in this case, like the heat pumps are, tend to be a little bit undersized, and so they may not, it's a bit of a lost opportunity. They may not be able to heat as long into the winter as if it was sort of the right size for your home. And you know, instead of the heat pump going all the way, which is the case if you get all the way off of fossil fuels, it'll switch over to the gas furnace as needed. So just like a hybrid car, you know, with a battery and gas in the car itself, this sort of system is still a great step in the right direction, though. So certainly, if you're stuck in the middle of a winter night or a hot summer's day and you've got no cooling or no heating call around, and you know, if you don't like the first answer, if you have still, there are still some contractors that are misinformed about heat pumps and will sort of say, Oh, well, they don't work greater. But I would say, for the most part, in the last four years, things have changed dramatically, and contractors are now on board, and because they have an excess of supplier are eager to, eager to sell them and install them.   Trevor Freeman  47:05 That's great to hear. And I think the important thing there is you're not going to know unless you ask, and if you don't get that answer the first time, you know, take another couple calls. Try call around, because there are, there are contractors out there who can support you in that. And kind of like you said, this is, you know, when you're replacing your major heating equipment in your house, that's your once in a kind of 10-to-15-year period, if not longer, to get that right. And if you lock yourself into something you didn't really want, then it's hard to hard to change course a few years down the road. So, take the time if you can, to ask those questions. Okay, last question for you here, before we wrap up, I want to zoom out a little bit and talk about just the overall process of retrofitting more homes. You know, you made the point earlier. There's a lot of homes out there. If we can start moving all these homes off fossil fuels, it's going to go a long way towards hitting our climate goals. How do we speed that process up? What programs or regulations or policies have you seen, or would you like to see that and kind of encourage these transitions?   Sarah Grant  48:13 Oh, I love that question. Yeah. I mean, if I had a magic wand and could change things, I would definitely like to see more, more incentives, more zero interest financing out there. You know, the homes that I've seen that have been able to get all the way off of fossil fuels, install solar panels, do what they can to insulate were able to access in the city of Toronto anyway, a zero-interest loan that went up $225,000 came with its own $10,000 incentive. They also accessed what is no longer available, the up to $10,000 incentives. So up to 20k of incentives, zero interest loan, those like of the homes that we work with, they're about 20% that have achieved that kind of like the got to sort of net zero, significant energy reduction, and we're able to, you know, access that level of financing and rebates. Those programs are not available anymore. Or at least, the City of Toronto offers their low interest loan. It's no longer zero interest, and doesn't have the incentives anymore. So that typically showed me that, you know, it's possible, but we do need more financing and support in place for people. You know, there's a there are a lot of great models in Europe and in Germany, the energy sprawl model exists where basically big like panels can be installed on the outside of people's homes that have insulation, that have an air barrier, that kind of come with the Windows already well installed those sort of options as well. If, if, if feasible, can also do a lot to accelerate our rate of decarbonizing or electrifying in in Canada. In that regard, there's a lot happening in the sort of the low income Social. Housing space. And I feel very honored or privileged to be just a small actor in that space and collaborating with many fantastic actors that are not only sort of retrofitting a large number of homes, at least in Toronto, but also treating it as an opportunity to sort of help think about how we can get to scale and how we can accelerate this and so they are changing contractors mindsets and impacting the availability of stock and supply. So, yeah, we need, we need, we do need more policies and support and levers in place, and then, as well, the sort of the contractor industry, there's a lot of training and support that's also needed. So it's a big, it's a big, exciting problem with lots of opportunity, but, yeah, lots of work to happen in order for us to achieve our net zero goals.   Trevor Freeman  50:50 Yeah, I think we have seen that there's a role for funding and financing to help lower that initial barrier of some of this, you know, still fairly nascent technology, although it's becoming more commonplace, but there is a role for those programs, and when they are in place, you know, your experience has shown they work, you're seeing more projects go through when there are funding and financing programs compared to when there aren't. So it's good to know that the programs work, and we just need to see more of them, so that's great. Okay, Sarah, we always wrap up our interviews with kind of a series of questions that I pose to all guests. So as long as you're ready, I'll dive right in. What is a book that you've read that you think everybody should read?   Sarah Grant  51:35 That is a great question. That's fun. I'm an avid reader, so it's hard to it's hard to answer this, to be honest, one book that comes to mind that I think everyone should read is called Ishmael. It's a book about a talking gorilla, and it it definitely changed the trajectory of my life. I read it when I was about 20 years old, I think, and in, you know, studying to become an electrical engineer, thinking about my next steps. I was in my last year of university, so maybe I was a bit older, but, yeah, it's a fantastic book that has, I think, still stood the test of time. I come back to it every few years and reread it.   Trevor Freeman  52:18 Awesome. I could be wrong here, my memory is hazy, but that rings a bell. I feel like maybe many, many years ago, you told me about that book. It's possible. I think we, for those of you who don't know this international development thing, Sarah and I did. A lot of us went through that path of being an engineering school and deciding there's got to be something more out there, and I want to have an impact in a different way. And that took a lot of us down to different courses in our lives. But if someone offered you a free round trip flight anywhere in the world, where would you go?   Sarah Grant  52:54 Okay, I hope that they're going to offset the emissions, if they're offering or I will offset the emissions, where would I go? I mean, I've always wanted to go to so assuming it's a carbon neutral flight, I've always wanted to go to New Zealand, and I used to play rugby. So I would definitely go catch a few rugby games and watch the All Blacks do their traditional Māori dance and hike the hills and the mountains and just sort of see the, see the landscape in New Zealand.   Trevor Freeman  53:29 Who is someone that you admire?   Sarah Grant  53:32 Okay, so, I mean, this is going to get real, really quick, so I would say, you know, I this is and a bit cheesy, but I'm going to say my kids, I've got three, and they're six, eight and 10, they're all very aware of their role in the world. They go to an alternative school, so perhaps that's part of it, but I just think perhaps it's also just being a kid of this age. And they are the reason we bought an electric car sooner than we could afford, because they started crying when we would go in the gas car, and they were concerned about the emissions. And so, I admire my kids. I admire their awareness and their ability to speak up when, when, when something happens. A few months ago, my partner came out to all of us as a trans person, and this is where I said it was going to get real, pretty quick, because my kids have taken it so well, like, they've taken it in stride. They've My daughter has embraced it. She's like, Oh my God. Now I have two moms I can, like, I'm not the mom that's going to take her to get pedicures, but she now has a mom that can take her to get pedicures. So, it's, I guess what I'm saying is, there was their awareness. and their resilience is astounding.   Trevor Freeman  55:03 Yeah, that's awesome. Thanks for sharing both of those things, and I echo that and seeing the way that my kids and kids you know that are aware of this stuff really find ways to identify their role in this and find ways to sort of advocate, even without knowing all the big picture and knowing all the nuance to it. And maybe that's even better, that they're just going based on kind of hard and what they know. So that's fantastic. Thanks for sharing that. Our final question here, before we wrap is, what is something about the energy sector or the work that you do, or something that you see coming in the near future that you're really excited about.   Sarah Grant  55:48 So there's so much to be excited for. So, um, one thing that is that is giving me a lot of excitement is, is the low income, the social housing work that I'm involved in because, because of the potential to help accelerate things, because we're all working in a very different way, I think traditionally, you know, and in any space, there's a lot of competition, but all of us who are working, whether It's I'm working with some architects, with some contractors, the owners, their land trust organizations, of these buildings, everyone is operating with the idea that, you know, we should be collaborating. And so there's a lot of knowledge sharing, a lot of investing in each other's awareness and connections. And, you know, it's net it's net positive. It's resulting in a lot more than if we were kind of just, like, holding our cards close and being like, Oh, you hired me to do this, and I don't want to tell you how I did it, because then maybe you're not going to hire me next time I'm happy, if I get worked out of a job to some extent. And what it means for gold trench energy is that we need to kind of keep adapting. Like, four years ago, the conversations I was having with homeowners are very different from the conversations now, and that's amazing, because four years ago, people didn't, lot of people didn't know about heat pumps, and I know that's still the case, but a lot of people that were hiring us didn't know, and now, four years later, they do, and so that evolving knowledge and enhancing Understanding and the fact that there are people out there who are working in a collaborative manner, I think that's going to get us a lot farther, faster, and honestly, it's just way more fun to collaborate with people.   Trevor Freeman  57:32 Yeah, totally. I echo that. I've said it on this podcast before. That one thing I've noticed having been kind of in this space now for close to 15 years in the sort of energy building sector, it feels like things are moving faster and more widespread. There are more people that are aware of the need to decarbonize. There are more people working on that. There are more people working on it in different ways, which is really exciting to see. So that's something definitely that I'm also quite excited about. So Sarah, it's been great chatting today. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and telling us a little bit more about what you do. And yeah, I really appreciate you taking the time to chat.   Sarah Grant  58:15 You're welcome. Thanks for having me.   Trevor Freeman  58:17 Thanks, Sarah, thanks for tuning in to another episode of The thinkenergy podcast. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and it would be great if you could leave us a review. It really helps to spread the word. As always, we would love to hear from you, whether it's feedback, comments or an idea for a show or a guest. You can always reach us at thinkenergy@hydroauttawa.com  

Most Canadians who purchase a vehicle need financing. A trio of industry executives described the current financing landscape during this year's Canada's Used Car Week. For this episode of the Auto Remarketing Podcast, we take you back to Toronto for a conference panel discussion focused on the state of auto finance in Canada. The panel included: —Stephanie Lamb of CIBC —Ilja Troitschanski of Axis Auto Finance —Dave Fowler of TD Auto Finance

Leger poll: Most Canadians expect Justin Trudeau to try to hang on to the PM title/job until the federal election likely next year. What's the breakdown though? Guest: Andrew Enns. Snr VP Leger Marketing, Central Canada Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest Host, Ben Mulroney (@BenMulroney) and the panel of: Kevin Vuong (@KevinVuongMP) , Independent M-P for Spadina - Fort York & Nokha Dakroub, former Peel District School Board trustee (@NokhaDakroub) discussed: 1 - Pro-Palestinian protesters leave UofT encampment ahead of court-ordered deadline 2 - LCBO says stock up on your drinks now ahead of Friday's potential strike 3 - Cost to buy 2 new Toronto Island ferries jumps to $92M  4 - Most Canadians think Trudeau will stay on to the next election: poll  5 - The "Perfect" Hot Dog Is Grilled and Has These Toppings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Episode 31, we tell you about the firing of an Ontario librarian whose apparent crime was trying to diversify the collection; we walk you through a heart-breaking decision by a Calgary judge to allow a woman with autism to access assisted-death over her father's objections, and we share our new polling that shows Canadians are ready for major change on health care. Stories and cases discussed in this week's episode:Most Canadians want ‘major changes' to healthcare system new research findsCalgary judge rules woman with autism can seek Medical Assistance in DyingPremier Ford clarifies fourplex comments despite insisting it would be a ‘disaster'Niagara-on-the-Lake library board fires CEO Cathy Simpson Monica Harris: The unjust firing of Ontario librarian who challenged DEI orthodoxyHermes faces US lawsuit over ‘refusal' to sell Birkin bag Manitoba PCs say bill banning anti-abortion protests near clinics should be expandedNot Reserving Judgment is a podcast about Canadian constitutional law hosted by Josh Dehaas, Joanna Baron, and Christine Van Geyn.The show is brought to you by the Canadian Constitution Foundation, a non-partisan legal charity dedicated to defending rights and freedoms. To support our work, visit theccf.ca/donate.

On today's episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice talks about how the tides are starting to turn against the woke left and the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) cult.  This is the silver lining of the October 7th massacre in Israel, the resulting war in Gaza and the troubling wave of antisemitism across North America.  Everyone knows that woke Universities and their DEI agenda – a doctrine that claims that Jews are oppressors and are therefore guilty no matter what – are to blame for the terrifying rise in Jew-hatred and bigotry across North America.  We've seen this script play out before.  When Canadians were met with a similar cultural accusation in 2021 over the unmarked graves moral panic, we didn't fight back. We allowed our history to be erased, our statues to be toppled and our churches to be desecrated. Most Canadians bent the knee to the woke left and groveled for forgiveness.  But that's NOT happening today. Instead, Jews are starting to fight back in a serious way. One of the ways they're doing that is by taking aim at the very institutions promoting the DEI agenda: the universities. Afterall, there is only ONE way to curb the growing Anti-Semitism on campus. It's not firing woke administrators or creating new cultural centers for Jewish students on campus.  The only way to stop this terrifying trend is to dismantle DEI, ditch the harmful oppressor vs. oppressed worldview and to abandon the poisonous ideology of the woke left.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to The Hard To Kill Podcast, where we tackle challenging topics that impact our military community. In this episode, titled "No God," we dive deep into a controversial directive that has raised concerns about the role of religion in the Canadian Armed Forces. Our guest, Catherine Christensen, sheds light on the recent decision to ban prayers and religious symbols during military events, sparking a heated debate about religious freedom and the impact on the morale of our troops. As we explore the implications of this directive, we also address ongoing lawsuits, failures in investigations, and the disturbing suggestion of medically assisted death for veterans. We delve into the potential consequences of disregarding spirituality and discuss the broader implications it may have on the soul of our military and our nation. Remember to like, subscribe, and share the podcast to support our mission of providing reliable and thought-provoking content for our military community. Timestamps: [00:01:26] Get a 25% discount on online training, support the best veteran podcast. [00:03:31] House of Commons concerned; chaplain general's directive prohibits prayers. [00:07:41] Restrictions on spiritual connection lead to communism. [00:11:11] People given order, interpreted as court case. Feedback from clients on prayer issue. Padres didn't stand up for religious rights. [00:14:32] Don't create unenforceable rules, it erodes morale. [00:18:30] Incompetence or deliberate destruction of forces? [00:20:37] Troop morale discussed, Padre role changed. [00:24:18] Trudeau failing, not keeping country united. [00:27:09] Trudeau's unification of forces led to decline. [00:32:39] Most Canadians consider themselves religious; don't infringe. [00:34:09] Peterson's teachings made me value religion. [00:37:53] COVID abuse case, evidence gathered, military investigation. [00:40:32] Incidences raise concerns, lingering issue troubles me. [00:43:20] Military, Canada: Fixing, soul, reckoning, line, appreciate, hard work. Follow Dave Morrow's Socials: LinkedIn I Instagram I Facebook I YouTube I Twitter I Patreon

Montreal magic mushroom store opens despite threats of crack down. Reggie Floyd - Co-owner and spokesperson - Fun Guyz Dr. Mitch Schulman  NEWSTALK's Medical Correspondent joins to talk about the value in COVID Booster recommendations Number of no-knock police raids in Brantford, Ont., in 2022 is 'concerning,' – Criminal lawyer Ari Goldkind weighs in. Daniel Tsai - Law & Tech Professor TMU, joins to talk about why Most Canadians concerned about losing access to news because of Bill C-18

Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, has been a long-time coming. After initially being proposed in 2021 as Bill C-10, it is in the final stage of becoming law. The bill would regulate online video streamers, forcing them to contribute towards the Canadian Content system and promote “CanCon” on their platforms, like traditional Canadian broadcasters do. Online-only creators have fears it would impact their livelihood.Most Canadians aren't even watching CanCon, will this Bill change that? Will it make CanCon better? Can a system that was built for traditional film and TV, be made to work for an increasingly online, global market?Audio Editor and Technical Producer Tristan Capacchione sits down with Canadian filmmakers to talk all about the “CanCon” system and the problems they've experienced with it.Host: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Reporter, Audio Editor, and Technical Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)Featured guests: Matt Johnson, Andrew Chung, Marc Almon, Valerie Creighton, Miki “Xwater” LjuljdurovicFurther reading: CMF Annual Report, 2021-2022A new streaming bill is close to becoming law in Canada. Here's how it works — CBCBill C-11 — Parliament Additional music by Audio NetworkSponsors: Rotman, Freshbooks If you value this podcast, support us! You'll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You'll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you'll be a part of the solution to Canada's journalism crisis, you'll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you recently saw the revised drinking guidelines in Canada and gasped, you're not alone. Most Canadians are drinking more than two drinks a week, the new low-risk maximum. Ann Dowsett Johnston is an award-winning journalist and the bestselling author of Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol, a book named one of the top 10 of the year by the Washington Post. Ann is also now a psychotherapist, and Wendy's friend, mentor and writing coach.   Ann joins Wendy for a discussion about the new alcohol consumption guidelines in Canada released by the Centre on Substance Use and Addiction which replace the 2011 Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines. The new guidelines present a continuum of health risks associated with different levels of alcohol consumption, including the risks of breast and colon cancer, heart disease and stroke. Ann and Wendy discuss what now constitutes low-risk, moderate and high-risk drinking, and whether our thinking needs to change in terms of what constitutes “problematic” drinking and the way we approach this issue and support each other as women. They discuss why, almost 10 years later, as Ann so aptly stated in Drink, alcohol is still “the modern woman's steroid”, and how the overwhelm and stress of the pandemic has spiked drinking levels and continued to normalize women's drinking as a necessary tool of working motherhood. They also discuss the role of alcohol marketing (specifically at women), pricing, and availability have contributed to the normalization of drinking at risky levels and why much of this is a feminist issue. They talk about what needs to happen next, including alcohol labelling and warnings on bottles, and why Big Alcohol is so resistant to these steps. Grab a cup of tea and join Wendy and Ann for a engaging, and thought-provoking conversation! Info on Ann's Writing Your Discovery Courses and psychotherapy services: https://www.anndowsettjohnston.com/ Ann's Ted Talk: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtZjpI1oVQ

Most Canadians know that doctor-assisted suicide is available for adult patients facing terminal illness, but FBB contributor Shafer Parker reveals that death advocates have successfully moved the goalposts to include adults with non-fatal illnesses or disabilities, while advocates now recommend the same for disabled newborns. The future, where no demographic will be safe from the death enthusiasts, is already here.

The story of the Ken and Barbie Killers.. More like the Dollartree version of Ken and Barbie. This is the case that turned Lynn into the true crime fanatic that she is today.  Most Canadians should know this case. If not please prepare yourself.  Paul Bernardo And Karla Holmolka….  These two were monsters. They sought out innocence, and felt entitled to take it. TRIGGER WARNINGS for sexual abuse, physical abuse and, incest.  Please follow us on Instagram @everythingscarypod And PLEASE  review and subscribe!Support the showIf you're interested in receiving bonus episodes, early release dates, an everything scary sticker and ‘thank you' as well as a shout out on our regular feed! Please join at Patreon//everythingscarypod571

“Investment fees, for most Canadians, really cause great damage to their ultimate retirement savings.”—  Larry BatesLarry Bates is a name that my clients and long-time listeners know well — I recommend his book to them regularly!Larry is an independent investor advocate, former investment banker, and author of Beat the Bank: The Canadian Guide to Simply Successful Investing. So, it's safe to say that Larry knows a thing or two about how the investment industry works — and how to minimize your risk and get higher returns. In fact, full disclosure: Larry's book is what helped me feel more comfortable about starting to invest!Larry believes that the average investor is not well-served by the investment industry.“Most Canadians are losing, believe it or not, 50% or more of their lifetime investment returns to fees they don't even see or understand,” Larry explains.The investment advisors at your bank do not act in your best interest. It's important to make informed decisions about your investments!In‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode,‌ ‌you'll discover:‌ ‌How sneaky investment fees seriously hinder your investment returns and retirement plans — and why so few people know about them How fee disclosure laws work (and don't work) to reveal the true costs of investing The low-cost, alternative investment products you should considerAbout Larry Bates: Larry Bates is an independent investor advocate, author, consultant and speaker. Larry enjoyed a 35 year banking career with several major financial institutions in both Canada and the U.K. He is currently an investment advisor with Aligned Capital Partners Inc. Larry is on the board of FAIR Canada and is an Ambassador of the Transparency Task Force.  Highlights:‌ ‌00:44  Introduction01:45  Meet Larry Bates02:55  Beat the Bank06:01  Fee disclosure law09:01  Importance of learning the basics10:16  Investment firm v. ScotiaBank story12:04  Trust deficit v. trust surplus14:03  Index ETFs & robo-advisors 16:38  How to use the market20:08  T-Rex Score & FAIR22:58  Takeaway ‌Links:‌ ‌Larry Bateshttps://larrybates.ca https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100014692831838 Twitter: @LarryBatesBTBLinks:‌ ‌Link to calendar (free 30 min consult call)Main website