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Earl Gosick, CTO at ESTI Consulting Services Earl Gosick has been attending Dell’s annual event since the EMC World days, and the ESTI Consulting Services co-founder brought to this year’s Dell Technologies World a perspective grounded in 35 years of building deep technical expertise on the Prairies. ESTI, the Saskatoon-based solution provider that won Dell’s Data Centre Solutions Excellence Award for Canada last year, runs a pure-play Dell infrastructure practice with particular depth in storage and data center design. Earl also sits in Dell’s CTO Connect program – a small, invitation-only group of partner technologists with early visibility into Dell’s product roadmap and a real voice in shaping it. His framing for the week: AI is fundamentally a data story, and data stories are storage stories. The push toward on-premises AI infrastructure – from deskside devices up through the newly announced Exascale and Rackscale solutions – is being driven as much by data governance requirements and token economics as by raw performance. Organizations that don’t control their data, Earl argues, can’t truly control their AI outcomes. On cyber resilience, he made a point worth underlining for anyone running managed services: ransomware insurance changes the recovery equation in ways clients don’t always anticipate. When a claim is filed, infrastructure gets frozen for forensic analysis. Recovery speed from a clean, air-gapped golden image – built with technology partners like Index Engines – isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s the whole game. And to close: Saskatchewan and Alberta may be poised to become Canada’s next significant data center hubs. With regulated power, guaranteed energy supply, and a provincial government that has now seen a CoreWeave-scale facility successfully built in the province and is actively pursuing more, Earl sees a real and growing opportunity – and ESTI is already working to support it. Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to In the Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel for the last 16 years. I’m Robert Dutt, editor at ChannelBuzz.ca, and your host for the show. We’re continuing our series of conversations from Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas. This week, we’re shifting from the Dell executive perspective to the partner perspective, and today’s guest has been making the trip to this event since the EMC World days. Earl Gosick is co-founder and senior consultant at ESTI Consulting Services, a Saskatoon-based solution provider that just celebrated 35 years in business and took home Dell’s Data Centre Solutions Excellence Award for Canada last year. Earl also sits inside Dell’s CTO Connect program, a small, invitation-only group of partner technologists who get an early look at where Dell’s roadmap is actually heading – and, importantly, a real opportunity to push back on it. Earl’s a storage specialist at his core, and that turned out to be a useful lens at a conference that was fundamentally about AI infrastructure. Because if you pull on that AI thread long enough, it leads you back to data, and data always leads you back to storage. We talked about what the Exascale and Rackscale announcements mean for real customer deployments, why the cyber resilience conversation is as much about recovery speed as backup integrity, and a genuinely interesting thread about why Saskatchewan and the broader Canadian Prairies may be sitting on one of the most underappreciated data centre opportunities in North America right now. Let’s get right into it. My chat with Earl Gosick. Earl, thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it. Earl Gosick: I appreciate you having me here. It’s always nice to talk about what we’re doing with Dell. Robert Dutt: No doubt, and you guys are doing a lot. I understand this is by no means your first DTW rodeo. Earl Gosick: No, I’ve been coming since the EMC World days, and I’ve never – I missed a year through COVID, that was about it. Robert Dutt: Well, I guess we’ll allow you that. So you’ve got this background here, you do the CTO Connect with Dell. What’s different about this year, if anything? What’s the tone or the energy that tells you something about where the industry is at right now, and not necessarily just where Dell would like it to be going? Earl Gosick: I think the driving factor of today is really the supply constraints. You can see what AI is doing and the effect that’s having across the board on every product that has memory or CPU or flash drives in it – which is everything in technology. So that’s really setting the tone. But it also shows how effective AI is as a market driver, and what people think is going to come out of that technology – which is, I think, very important for people to understand. It’s ubiquitous technology that’s going to drive a lot of change in our industry. And we’re seeing a leading edge of that. And if this is the leading edge, there’s some pretty exciting things coming, I suspect, and it’s going to do some pretty important and probably quite wonderful things for our clients. Robert Dutt: We heard from the main stage the idea of encouraging customers to get their hand up early – to get those orders, or even an inkling of where things are going for orders, in as early as possible – and that that will, in effect, Jeff Clarke was suggesting, get folks the best possible results. What’s the guidance you guys are providing your customers around that whole issue, and thinking about availability and pricing of hardware in this current super-fun environment? Earl Gosick: Our position does align with what we’re hearing from Dell when we’re dealing with Dell Technologies, so we try and pass on the messages as transparently as we can, understanding there are supply constraints coming. And we have to deal with those in the only way we have, and that is to figure out what we need. Let’s plan early. Let’s plan the budgets we have for the year, and we can make some estimates about what’s going to be happening six months from now – but they’re estimates, and they’re going to be higher. So it’s probably going to be cheaper for you to have technology that’s sitting on the floor unused for a few months and waste through some support potentially, as opposed to delaying the purchase for three months. So if we know what we’re going to buy, we should operate in a manner that allows us to order those technologies as soon as possible and make sure you’re not waiting for something that delays your business initiatives. Robert Dutt: You guys won the Data Centre Solutions Excellence Award last year for Canada. Take your victory lap. Tell me – what is it you guys are doing in the data centre space that earned that, and what does winning the award tell you about where your practice is focused? Earl Gosick: I hope it helps demonstrate our success. So what ESTI likes to do as a business – our business model is really to build highly competent experts all the way from solution architecture to implementation of those technologies at the customer site. That takes a lot of effort on our behalf, and so it’s nice to get a reward that says we’re doing the right things. Because if you can build a strong rapport with a client who trusts your experts in their field, that creates long-term relationships – which is what both ESTI and Dell are after, and what our clients want. Robert Dutt: You’re a storage specialist at a conference that has been at its core all about AI infrastructure. But at the same time, you go back to when it was – you said – EMC World, all about storage. The more I heard this week, the more it feels like the AI story is really a data story, and data stories are storage stories to at least some degree. How are you seeing that translate in terms of what your customers are actually asking about, or what they’re going to be asking you about? Earl Gosick: It’s significant. You’re right. In order for any type of artificial intelligence to derive a useful data product out the end, it’s built on the data that you have. So customers are coming to the realization that they have to store everything. So it is driving a lot of demand for storage. It’s driving storage in different ways and they just keep everything. Then there’s another product that comes after that, which is cleaning that data – building the data pipelines. When I talk about storage, it’s really about data, and AI is a data-driven product. So it’s doing great things for the storage industry. But the clients understand that they do have to have the data – it has to be there, it has to be available. And then when they build these data products, they have to protect those data products. They’ve got to make sure they’re secure. So it’s driving a lot of initiatives on both sides of the fence that are good for all of us. Robert Dutt: Especially with new or newer customers, or customers who are looking to expand what they’re doing with AI – and acknowledging there’s going to be a range from folks who have had the religion since day one and folks who’ve just been randomly shoving stuff digitally wherever they can. Where do you find those newer customers are at, generally speaking, in terms of sophistication of data management and data governance and all that kind of fun? Earl Gosick: Unfortunately, I’d like to say there’s a median in there. There is not. Everybody is at a different stage in that cycle for them. So you really have to be a little bit cognizant and ask the questions to find out where they’re at before you can really sort of hold their hands and walk them down the road. Many people who started that journey early – you can learn from them. And so they’re going to tell us to start and do something, and you may fail, there may be some things, but you’re going to learn something from that. The second time will be more successful. Then you take that information, you pass it on to the newer people who are trying to get quick value from those investments they’re making on the AI front. So it could be things about how to connect those various data sources because they’re spread everywhere, to how do they build, or select which ones they put their money and their efforts behind. And so you take from the ones that have been doing this for a while, you pass that information on to the ones that are starting on this journey, and you connect the dots. You provide value and make pain go away wherever you can. And customers appreciate that. Robert Dutt: And that sounds like that’s where you’re kind of bridging that gap that exists and trying to bring customers to the level they need to be at to get something out of this. Earl Gosick: Absolutely. Like I said, everybody’s on a journey at a different stage of that journey. And so you have to communicate well to understand where they’re at and what they’re trying to achieve. Once you know that – we don’t always have the answers, but we leverage great partners like Dell who do have somebody that knows the answer. And so building this sort of ecosystem of potential partners to bridge that gap is great. And Dell does that not just from us and the partner community, but their partner community as well, to support all the component pieces that go together to build these pretty highly complex solutions in some cases. Robert Dutt: Of all the announcements, all the stuff that we heard on the main stage and elsewhere this week, what kind of caught your attention – your major aha moment – the thing that’s going to be interesting going back to your business or going back to your customers with new opportunities or the ability to do something better, faster, more? Earl Gosick: So as we talked about, I am a storage guy. So I look at something like Exascale. They’ve been talking about this for a couple of years now in the CTO cycles that I’ve been to. To see that product sort of come to fruition, where you have something and you can just put a personality on that module and build something out – I think that could be very game-changing, especially for AI. They might want to do a lot of things with file storage today, object storage tomorrow. Being able to build up a cluster and put a personality on it that meets the needs of the day – I think that could be quite interesting. That Rackscale solution you saw on the stage with Michael Dell and Jensen the other day – for the larger clients, something like that could be quite interesting. I mean, we’re building these large data centers right now and trying to fill them. Rackscale infrastructure that helps with power and energy and doing a lot of powerful things is going to probably be a game changer for a lot of people. Robert Dutt: One of the things that struck me here is what I want to call the AI agnosticism, as long as you’re doing it on Dell infrastructure – that Dell is talking about here, ranging from, if you’ve got really basic needs, run it locally on your AI PC, moving up a bit there’s the GB10, which is more of a deskside machine, up to the big old box that Jensen signed on stage. How does that map with what you see in terms of customer needs for AI, and what do you think of that kind of approach to structuring both the data center and broader AI processing across the enterprise? Earl Gosick: I think as we touched on earlier, everybody’s on a different stage in that journey. So if you’ve got a guy that’s working at his desk and he’s trying to do some cool things, but he doesn’t have access to a million tokens – that little GB10 you put on the desk beside him and he’s going to do some development, he’s going to learn some wonderful things. Then as you move up the stack in your journey, you’ve got some big clients who are going to do small proof-of-concept type scenarios where they might want a smaller box and then move up that stack. I think it’s important to have a product that covers a diverse range of those people because nobody’s in that one sweet spot – they’re all over the map. Having that full technology set supports wherever they happen to be in their life cycle. Robert Dutt: You touch on tokens, and Jeff Clarke’s presentation was really deep into tokenomics and the kind of the trap there. I’m curious how that maps with what you’ve seen in customers as they’ve started to explore AI. Are they seeing these same challenges, and how are they thinking about it? Earl Gosick: Tokens are the buzzword of the day, but they’re out there for a reason. Everybody has finite resources to put towards the solution they’re trying to build. They may or may not know what that solution is – they’re working towards something, they need tokens to achieve that. What I find interesting is the people who are very early into the game of AI and building solutions around that – it doesn’t take them long before they’re like, “I’m out of tokens. I need to do some stuff.” So it just comes back to the fact that there are only so many resources to solve the needs you have, and you only have so many tokens, and you’ve got to learn to live within what you can get your hands on. And that’s driving the economy, whether it’s at a data center level or at an internal level for any business. Robert Dutt: And does that in turn drive – which I believe is Dell’s thesis here – does that in turn drive the interest in building out infrastructure in-house, so that the relative incremental cost of those additional tokens goes way down because it’s bought and built versus rented? Earl Gosick: Yeah. I think there’s a step along that AI journey where people have potentially outgrown what they can do in the cloud in an economic fashion. We see the supply constraints are driven by CPU and memory usage. If you look at what the cloud hyperscalers offer, when you get into highly intensive memory and CPU, it starts to get very expensive. A lot of storage, a lot of bits and bytes moving back and forth – very expensive. All those things are prevalent in AI. You’re moving a lot of data back and forth, you’re touching a lot of things, you need a lot of memory at times. So once you get to a point where you’re doing useful things with your AI and building generative models, no matter what you do with inferencing, it starts to get really expensive. Then it becomes a time where you can move those things into a data center you control. You can get some economics from it and you can get some sovereignty out of it. A hyperscaler outside of your control can turn things off – they can’t do that when it’s your data center. So you’ve got a lot of control as well as the economics behind how you’re achieving the outcomes you’re looking to achieve. Robert Dutt: I used a word which is actually where I wanted to go next, which is sovereignty. When we’re talking about data center infrastructure and moving bits around and enterprise storage, how is data sovereignty trending among your customers, especially folks who have regulatory concerns and that sort of thing? Earl Gosick: Being a Canadian company, predominantly, we have a larger focus on sovereignty and data sovereignty and sovereign solutions than maybe you’ll see south of the border here. And we find our friends in the European Union are a little bit different – they’re ahead of us even. But it’s a really big concern, especially when you have any type of government agency that you’re dealing with, or anybody that really has intellectual property that they’re looking to protect. They’ve learned that open AI models may expose things – even if it’s just from how they’re creating their algorithms. But if the data gets out there, it’s a concern. They’re protecting their assets as well. These AIs are delivering very useful outcomes for them. They need to make sure they own those outcomes and that they can actually reach them when they need them. So part of data sovereignty is not just the sovereign part of your data, but it’s the actual access to your data. We’re learning things from not just the AI piece but from ransomware – all of a sudden your data goes away. The same thing could happen with a hyperscaler for some people. Sovereign IT solutions are going to be, I think, increasingly important moving forward. Robert Dutt: On that note, you mentioned ransomware, and data resilience and protection is another area I wanted to touch on. We heard the figure that 97% of cyber attacks are now specifically targeting backup infrastructure – because of the old line about, I forget the particular bank robber’s name, but why do you rob the banks? Because that’s where the money is. Why do you go after the backup? Because that’s where all the data is. Does that match with what you’re seeing, and if so, how does that change how you’re designing and recommending data protection for your customers? Earl Gosick: It is absolutely changing people’s realization of how they need to protect their data. This one doesn’t matter if it’s AI or your regular business practices – your data has value, whether it’s to support applications that are running your critical business or you’re building AI products that you need to protect. That has value and you need to access it. What we’re seeing more and more – and we’ve built a really strong practice around this – is building things like cyber vaults and using Dell’s technology partners like Index Engines, where they come in and they can quickly identify threats inside your environment and act on those. Because these guys loiter around for potentially months at a time. They know how to get to your backups. They know they’re not getting paid if you can recover. So they’re going to do everything they can to try and disrupt that. They have AI engines just like ours, but they have a lot of money and they don’t have the constraints about how they use their AI. I mean, these people are criminals, so they act in a method that makes them money. We’re going to be facing even more potential threats in the future, and some of those are going to be AI-driven. We’re going to have to react at AI speeds. There are changes coming, but certainly people are learning to build protection mechanisms that are air-gapped and can respond very quickly to threats. Robert Dutt: When you’re sitting in front of a client who thinks they’re covered – they’ve got a backup solution, they’ve got someone who’s responsible for it – what are the most common gaps that you find between what they think they have and what they actually have? Earl Gosick: I think for many clients, they don’t really understand how disruptive it’s going to be if they run into a ransomware attack. If you’re a client that may have ransomware insurance, for example, and they get hit – you have to tell them, “Do you understand you’re not going to be able to touch any of that infrastructure? Because your insurance company is going to want to do some analysis on that to see how the threat came in.” That infrastructure is dead and gone. You’re starting from scratch. You need a golden image – you need something you know nobody has touched. Protecting the data is only the first piece. Rebuilding from that data, and how fast you can do that – that’s the very critical component. That’s where an air-gapped cyber recovery solution like Dell Cyber Recovery is critical, because you can understand what data to recover and you can recover quickly. Having the data there – that’s the great first step and that’s where you should start. But following that, that is only the first step. Robert Dutt: Your client base is different from a lot of partners I talk to. Given where you sit and who you’re focused on – not necessarily organizations that are under the same kind of pressure or have the same kind of resources to pursue AI – how do you translate and filter what you hear at a conference like this, where a lot is focused towards big enterprise, to a message that makes sense for your customers and scales to their needs and appetites? Earl Gosick: That’s one I think isn’t really that difficult – it’s not as difficult as you would think. Because everybody has the same problems. They run into the same problems. How they build solutions to those problems might change on the scale, but you just have to understand and recognize that everybody’s having the same problems. You can articulate and communicate to them that you’re not the only one that has this. We can resolve this problem at a large scale, but we don’t have to. You came back to it earlier when we talked about the product sets, from small to large – you just pick the right one to meet the solution that these guys have. How you solve that problem of the day doesn’t necessarily change for a really, really large client versus a very, very small client. It’s really just the scale of the end solution and the architecture that’s put together to solve the need. Robert Dutt: From a Titanium partner’s seat, what did the program changes that we saw rolled out – the agentification of the program, some of the incentive shifts – tell you about where Dell sees growth opportunity, and how does it align with where you’re already going or where it might take you? Earl Gosick: I think you can see very easily that Dell is putting a large focus around AI and what it can do for them to streamline their business and be successful. We, like any other company we deal with, are doing the same thing. What they’re doing with their Dell One program, and having a single operation from lead generation down to quoting and pricing and follow-up – it matches what we’re doing on the back end and trying to automate that. Because as long as we can automate that process and reduce the friction in those programs and dealing with Dell, we can spend that time focusing on our clients’ needs. You see Dell, I think, leveraging the same technologies to do that. And if we’re smart business people today, we’re looking to the people around us who are being successful and trying to do what they’re doing in a sense. That’s true for us and our clients. Leveraging AI and seeing how that’s being successful for our partners is driving what we’re all doing – to drive automation and simplification through the processes that are just painful every day that we have to do better at, to support our clients. Robert Dutt: I’m guessing you guys are pretty far down this road already because you’re pretty much a pure-play Dell on the infrastructure side, as far as I understand. But when a company like Dell rolls out these incentives focused on expanding customer footprints – getting a Dell storage customer into Dell PCs or any of the other solution lines – just curious if that moves the needle for you in terms of the incentive, or is it already baked into what you’re doing? Earl Gosick: It’s baked into what we’re doing. In the end of the day, you are trying to build a rapport with a customer based on being a trusted expert. You’re not going to flip your technologies around based on what’s going to get somebody a little bit more money. You’ve got to do the right thing for the customer today and every time you deal with them. The advantage of dealing with Dell is they typically tie their incentives to the product that they are investing in today – that they see the future growing into. So they usually coincide. They understand the pain points of the year, and the incentives usually match the requirements of the day as well. So they’re really good at that. And then they usually have a lot of tools to support that initiative of IT transformation, whatever it is for that time and place in our industry. Robert Dutt: You mentioned earlier you’re on the CTO Connect program – pretty small room, an exclusive group. Tell me about what that relationship looks like on the inside of the room, and the value that an organization like ESTI gets from sitting in there. Earl Gosick: I guess I’ll put it this way. We deal with some technology providers – predominantly Dell. Dell puts us in a room, they tell us what they’re doing for the next year or two, and they ask us if they’re on the right track. That’s telling to me – they care and they listen. They talk about the technologies that we’re going to see upcoming, so it’s helpful for us to talk to our clients about where the industry is headed. But they do sometimes say, “We’re going to do this,” and the room says, “Oh, no, you can’t do that. Our customers love this,” or, “We like this for this reason.” And they say, “Oh, okay.” And we have a dialogue about those things. So I think that’s one of the most important things that comes out of CTO Connect – we hear about industry trends, but they also ask us our opinion on whether they’re on the right track, and then they listen to that opinion. I think that’s telling for any company you deal with – one that engages not only with their clients, but with their technology partners. It’s one of the things I really like about CTO Connect. Robert Dutt: You guys just turned 35 or so, as I understand, as an organization. That’s a long time to be running a consultancy in any market – and markets move, vendors come and go. What’s the philosophy behind building something that durable in a market that changes so fast, and especially in an area of the country that doesn’t necessarily get as much headline attention from vendors as a Toronto or a Vancouver or a Montreal? Earl Gosick: I think it comes back to what I stated earlier around building strong and capable expertise across the board – and that’s building relationships with the clients, building relationships with partners like Dell to solve the solutions of the day. Our clients respect that because they know they can come back to us again and again and we’ll do the right thing together. So that’s really the crux of it. Our business model is a little different in that we support a little bit more of an entrepreneurial aspect to our business. When young, capable people come on board and they build differentiating products, they get a seat at the table – and that’s critical for ESTI and the way we operate. But it’s really about looking at modern technology solutions and being agile to support those ever-changing technologies. It makes our industry exciting. You’re never doing the same thing every day. And as long as you can recognize the fact that you won’t be doing the same thing tomorrow and you just have to find a way to deal with it – that’s how we thrive in our company, and in working with Dell as well. Robert Dutt: All right, so let’s close with asking you to do a little bit of the impossible, given that pace of change. What’s one thing that you’re thinking about today, but maybe not totally all-in on at this point, that you think is going to be shaping the business for ESTI and your customers when we’re sitting here at DTW 2027? Earl Gosick: Well, that’s a really hard question. On the investment side, we do look at some of the technologies today – and as we talked about, AI is big for us. We need to build services that our clients don’t have. So we spend a lot of focus on where they have skills and where they don’t. We’re going to build a lot of expertise around cleaning data, building data pipelines and that kind of stuff, to focus on the needs our clients are asking us to help them solve. So that’s kind of an easy one because everybody sees that going forward. Beyond that – we’re making a strong effort in Saskatchewan and Alberta to build a sort of data center economy to support a lot of these data centers that need to be built. We already have access to power infrastructure to support those things. That’s going to drive a little bit of a change in our operating model just to support our local governments as they try and take advantage of the differentiators we have. That’ll drive some change for ESTI. And then as we expand across the rest of Canada, different geographies have different requirements as well. So lots of change, lots of new people coming on board all the time – interesting but dynamic. Robert Dutt: That will be an interesting thread to pull on. I remember going to an event – God, it must have been 15 years ago now – talking about how Canada really should be a data center powerhouse. When you consider we have power, clean power in relative abundance, we have cold, which turns out to be important – it sounds like maybe there’s an opportunity to realize some of that with what you guys are doing and what governments are starting to look at more seriously. Earl Gosick: They are. Also, right outside my hometown, they just announced a very large data center which is going to house some infrastructure from CoreWeave – and we’re going to see more of that, I think, because that process went very well. I sat in on a conference a couple of weeks ago where it was government and industry getting together to talk about why they were successful, what they bring to the table. Saskatchewan is unique because they have regulated power, energy, and land. They can guarantee, “We will give you power, we can guarantee you’ll get LNG.” Those types of things are very important for anybody trying to build a data center – it’s the critical piece. And with the government having control over all of those, they can guarantee them. That’s where I think Saskatchewan is going to have a real differentiator to support that technology, and the government is well aware of that fact now. They’re going to want to do more of these things. And then our neighbors in both Alberta and Manitoba are sort of on board as well. Certainly Alberta has done a few key data centers to support AI and those are going to continue to happen. We’re sometimes slow to move because it’s government. But once they realize the differentiators they have and what it can do for the market, I think there’ll be some traction there. Robert Dutt: Should be interesting times, and sitting where you’re sitting sounds like a big opportunity. Earl Gosick: Absolutely. I think it’s a big opportunity for all of us – supporting your community around you as well as building a thriving business. Robert Dutt: Earl, I appreciate you taking the time once again. I hope this has been a good DTW for you. Earl Gosick: It’s been a great discussion and a good DTW, so thanks a lot for having me. Robert Dutt: There you have it – Earl Gosick from ESTI Consulting Services. I’d like to thank Earl for his time last week in Las Vegas. Thirty-five years building deep technical expertise from Saskatoon, in a vendor relationship game that tends to reward proximity to the bigger centres – that’s not an accident, and it came through in the conversation. A few things I’ll take away from this one. First, the AI-is-a-storage-story framing. Every AI product ultimately requires data to be collected, governed, moved, and protected. That’s not news to Earl, but it’s a useful reframe for anyone still trying to connect their existing practice to the AI conversation. The hardware gets the headlines. The data work actually gets the contracts. Second, on cyber resilience – the ransomware insurance point Earl raised is worth sitting with. The moment a client files a claim, that infrastructure gets frozen while the insurance company figures out how the breach happened. Your ability to recover doesn’t just depend on whether the backup is intact – it depends on whether you built a clean, air-gapped golden image that nobody has touched. That’s the conversation. And if you’re not having it with your clients, maybe someone else is. And third, keep an eye on Saskatchewan. Regulated power, guaranteed energy supply, and a provincial government that has now seen a CoreWeave-scale data center get successfully built in the province and wants more of them. Earl thinks that’s just the start of something, and I’m inclined to agree. If you’re enjoying the show, please follow or subscribe wherever you listen. We’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and most of the usual podcast directories. And if you have a moment to leave a rating or a review, that really does help folks in the channel find the show. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, and I’ll see you in the channel.

Dan opened the session by noting that a billion-dollar Prairie farming operation had entered creditor protection -- and that nearly 40 farms were in or near distress that year. Robert Andjelic had received roughly 40 calls from farms across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and elsewhere, all with a common thread: lenders were tightening, some operators could not access input credit, and they wanted to sell land and rent it back while keeping their equipment running and their family farming. Robert completed four of those transactions. He was direct about the others: they either did not fit his land criteria or could not be executed on terms that made sense. The session poll showed roughly half the room believed the current stress is both structural and cyclical -- a hard stretch exposing cracks that were already forming. Robert provided a compressed history of farm size in Canada, from 1925 when 10,000 acres was considered enormous, through the post-2000 acceleration driven by GPS auto-steer, massive air seeders, zero-till, low interest rates after 2008, normalized leasing, and aging operators. His conclusion: one modern operator now does what five to ten farm families previously required, and that trajectory will continue. Tim Hammond placed the hardest growth window at 2,500 to 6,000 acres -- the point where a family operation transitions from one set of implements to multiple, and from family labor to hired crews with all the human resource and financial management that demands. After 6,000, Tim argued, the next logical step is to think in enterprise pods -- another 6,000 acres, another labor module -- rather than organic farm growth. Robert's position: there is no correct size. He has tenants farming 1,000 acres who are as profitable as his 30,000-acre operators. His own loan-to-value sits below 24 percent because he built over 60 years when land was cheap. Cap rate on Prairie land purchased today: 1.5 to 3 percent, maybe 3.5 if the seller needs cash. He was blunt about marketing: "A lot of producers are very good at producing but they are shit poor in marketing," and that gap -- benchmarked by MNP at roughly $70 per acre -- is a large part of what separates farms that survive downturns from those that do not. The sharpest exchange of the session came when Dallas LeDuc joined. He is the fire chief of RM 44, a small rural municipality where Robert is likely the largest landowner. Dallas had recently stopped spraying to respond to a fire on land Robert owns. He argued that absentee landlords should pay a modestly higher property tax rate -- not punitive, maybe 10 to 15 percent higher -- to fund the fire trucks, training, and equipment that local volunteers maintain and use to protect land the landlords will never physically see. Robert's counter was structural: his tenants are local and respond to fires; making tax exceptions for agriculture creates red flags with institutional lenders; and the most important thing he does for Prairie producers is not visible -- it is the 12 to 13 years and more than $50,000 he has spent flying to Toronto to sit with bank decision-makers and explain to them that agricultural lending does not work like commercial real estate. His argument: when a lender in Toronto extends patience to a distressed farm instead of foreclosing, every producer in Western Canada benefits -- and no individual operator has the leverage to make that case to the head offices the way he can. Dallas was not persuaded. He closed with the line that his great-grandfather left France in 1904 to get away from doctors and lawyers owning the land, and he is afraid that is exactly where the Prairies are heading. Key Topics Farm credit stress in Western Canada 2026: nearly 40 farms in distress; Robert Andjelic received 40 calls from operators wanting to sell and rent back; completed 4 transactions Live session poll: roughly 50 percent of audience said the current crisis is both structural and cyclical History of farm scale in Canada: 1925 to today -- from 10,000 acres enormous to 50,000-plus now common What drove post-2000 farm growth: GPS auto-steer, massive air seeders, zero-till, post-2008 low interest rates, aging operators, normalized leasing Tim Hammond's growth framework: hardest growth is 2,500 to 6,000 acres; after 6,000, think in enterprise pods Robert Andjelic's cap rate reality: Prairie land bought today yields 1.5 to 3 percent; his own LTV is below 24 percent built over 60 years "A strategy is what you say no to" -- Tim Hammond on the discipline of farm scale decisions Marketing gap: roughly $70 per acre difference between producers who market well and those who do not (MNP benchmark referenced) Absentee landlord taxation debate: Dallas LeDuc (fire chief, RM 44) vs. Robert Andjelic -- rural community burden vs. capital market access argument Robert Andjelic's Toronto bank work: 12-13 years, $50,000+ in meetings, translating agriculture to commercial real estate lenders Kevin Hursh on retiring farmers: those who rail against big farms all their lives tend to sell to the biggest neighbour when retirement comes; breaking land into smaller parcels would give next-generation operators a chance Robert's macro thesis: higher commodity prices incoming due to Strait of Hormuz disruption, fertilizer supply constraints, and a potential super El Nino cycle Family farm vs. corporate model: Tim Hammond -- corporate farms must learn family commitment; family farms must learn corporate structure; the marriage of the two is the future Connect Kevin Hursh -- Western Producer columns; hursh.ca Robert Andjelic -- farmland.ca Dallas LeDuc -- Bunnyhug Farmers Podcast; TikTok growingthefuture.ca Register for the Convergence Conference at convergence.ag and stay updated by subscribing to the Growing the Future Podcast at growingthefuturepodcast.ca.

The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream: Wheat KingsA campfire singalong that's secretly about a wrongful conviction, a cassette thrown out a car window, and a tiny Eiffel Tower in Saskatchewan.EPISODE SUMMARY This week on The Tragically Hip On Shuffle - Live Stream, the wheel landed on 'Wheat Kings', and I had a couple of Andrews riding shotgun to break it down. This is the song the whole country sings around a campfire without ever clocking that it's about David Milgaard, wrongfully convicted of the murder of Gail Miller and imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit.Andrew from Winnipeg brought the timeline receipts (Kim Campbell, the CBC, the wild detail that Milgaard walked free in April 1992, months before "Fully Completely" even dropped) plus a story about his mom chucking the cassette out the car window somewhere in the Alberta mountains. Andrew from Tampa brought the live recording from The Fillmore, October 24, 2000, and the case for 'Wheat Kings' as a pure summertime staple. We get into the loon that cost the band a donation to Ducks Unlimited, the Zippo lighter, Paris of the Prairies (and the 28-foot Eiffel Tower in Montmartre, Saskatchewan). If you love The Tragically Hip, Gord Downie, and a Canadian rock podcast that treats a deep cut like it earns the attention, this one runs deep.GUESTSAndrew from Tampa joined by audio through a Florida thunderstorm and came armed with the Fillmore recording that scored tonight's listen. A devoted Hip fan stateside, he makes the case for the band as a summertime constant and named 'Emperor Penguin' as his favourite album-closer, a song he rations for the days he really needs it.Andrew from Winnipeg is a setlist.fm obsessive, a Crooked Ice bandmate (their album release show is June 4), and host of the weekly Radiohead deep-dive podcast Head Full of Radio. He also runs a weekly show on UMFM. His favourite Hip closer is 'Put It Off', and 'Wheat Kings' carries a complicated, personal weight he opened up about on air.Andrew from Tampa: "Is it about what it's talking about, or is it the way it's made millions of people feel?"RESOURCES, LINKS & REFERENCESThe Hip Handbook, used live to pull the tracking numbers (around 1,350 shows logged, 332 'Wheat Kings'performances). thehiphandbook.tthpods.comSetlist history via Hipbase (primary) and setlist.fm (secondary): first played in Saskatoon, July 27, 1991. The Fillmore, October 24, 2000 performance, shared by Andrew from Tampa from a YouTube upload. Hat tip to the tapers and seeders who preserve this stuff, and to The Tragically Hip Archive for the broader live-recording work.David Milgaard case timeline referenced on air via CBC and Wikipedia.The 'Heksenketel' tour video, which shipped with one of the box sets.The loon and the Ducks Unlimited donation: traced on air to the documentary and a Robby Baker radio interview (see verification note below).YOUTUBE CHAPTERS 00:00 - Welcome, and tonight's imaginary sponsors 02:15 - Weird Winnipeg bylaws 03:13 - The tale of the tape: 'Wheat Kings' by the numbers 05:26 - This week's poll: the 5% who tolerate it 07:31 - The Fillmore, October 24, 2000 09:01 - 'Wheat Kings' 12:56 - Your favourite last-song-on-an-album 17:56 - Hearing it the first time, and the cassette out the car window 19:45 - The ultimate campfire song 22:42 - The loon, and a cheque to Ducks Unlimited 24:06 - Museums, prime ministers, and vivid visuals 25:30 - The Pretty Things and a Copperpenny cover 26:51 - David Milgaard, Gail Miller, and the timeline 32:48 - First played in Saskatoon, 1991 37:11 - Paris of the Prairies (and a tiny Eiffel Tower) 40:55 - Don't forget Gail Miller 43:19 - The killer's face in the Zippo 45:23 - The 'Heksenketel' video and the box sets 46:37 - A complicated, personal love for the song 50:28 - Thanking the Andrews, and next week's shuffle: 'Country Day' 54:05 - Plugs: Crooked Ice and Head Full of Radio 56:37 - Outro and creditsHey There!Want a seat at the table on a Wednesday night? Sign up to be a panelist. Explore 1,358 mapped shows and search every lyric in the Hip Handbook.CLOSING Huge thanks to Andrew from Tampa for digging up that Fillmore recording, and to Andrew from Winnipeg for the timeline work and for trusting us with something personal. Next Wednesday the wheel spins again and lands on 'Country Day', the closer from "We Are the Same", keeping our accidental run of great last-songs alive. The takeaway from this one: a song can outgrow the tragedy that made it, but it should never outrun the people inside it.PROMOS & CROSSLINKSTTHTop40 Countdown #17 - 'Wheat Kings' (with Jillian), the countdown episode that ranked this one. Fully & Completely: Redux - "Fully Completely", the track-by-track on the whole record. Get Yer Letter in your inbox.  → subscribe.tthpods.comSOCIAL & COMMUNITY Facebook group: community.tthpods.com | Instagram: @tthpods | YouTube: youtube.com/@tthpods | Email: jd@tthpods.com #TheTragicallyHip #TheHip #FullyCompletely #GordDownie #TTHOnShuffle #InGordWeTrustAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Thinking about getting more involved in Boards? Serving on a producer board could feel intimidating from the outside — unclear expectations, unknown time commitments, and plenty of questions that never quite get answered.This episode will shed light on those unknowns and digs into why current Board members got involved.In the latest Pulse of the Prairies, two current SPG board members discuss their experiences on the board. They share what surprised them most about joining the board, what they have gained from the experience, and why farmer voices at the table truly matter.If you have ever thought "maybe someday" or simply wondered how decisions at SPG are shaped, this episode offers an honest, grower‑to‑grower perspective you will not find in a policy document.If you would like more information about SPG board nominations, official details are available on the SPG website.

Forget range anxiety. The electric vehicle market is evolving fast. Host Trevor Freeman welcomes back Plug'n Drive CEO Cara Clairman to unpack Canada's new EV policies. They discuss the surge in used EV sales and the truth about public charging stations. Plus, learn how low-cost salt-based batteries could disrupt the global auto industry. Discover what these massive shifts mean for transportation and the future of energy. Listen to the full episode today. Related links  Plug'n Drive: https://www.plugndrive.ca/ Cara Clairman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cara-clairman-84967318/ thinkenergy episode 71 (EV-olving Transportation): https://thinkenergypodcast.com/episodes/ev-olving-transportation/ Geotab: https://www.geotab.com/  Trevor Freeman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-freeman-p-eng-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/@thinkenergypod Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkenergypod/  Stay in the know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thinkenergypod Keep up with the posts on X: https://twitter.com/thinkenergypod --- Transcript: [00:00] Trevor Freeman: 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@hydroottawa.com. Hi everyone and welcome back. So, any discussion about the energy transition or our efforts to reduce emissions to mitigate the impact of climate change or even just the ongoing adoption of what once might have been considered futuristic technology, inevitably will include electric vehicles, or EVs as we're going to refer to them today. Transportation is one of the major interactions with energy, especially fossil fuel-based energy that most of us have. Heating being the other one. For the average Canadian, how they move around, going to work, going to school, shopping, recreation, etc., very often involves getting into a vehicle which up until maybe 10 years ago, would almost 100% for sure have been a fossil fuel burning vehicle with a few very small exceptions. Today, while the majority of vehicles are still internal combustion engines, there is at least a noteworthy percentage of electric vehicles out there. We probably all know someone who owns an EV, or know someone who knows someone who owns an EV. EVs aren't actually all that new. The first EV showed up in the late 1800s, believe it or not, and at that point and into the early 1900s, it really could have gone either way between electric-powered vehicles and internal combustion vehicles. As we know, internal combustion vehicles definitely won out, and the bulk of the 20th century was all about internal combustion vehicles, and still today that's the dominant method of transportation. But, there is some alternate reality out there where EVs just always were the transportation method of choice. Imagine what the world would look like if that was the case here. But alas, that is not the reality we're living in. The more recent modern EV era kind of sputtered a little bit in the mid-1990s, there was a bit of an attempt, it didn't really pan out, but really got going around let's say 2008-2009, and it's been a steady crawl forward ever since. But, if you are listening to this podcast, chances are you already know all this and you've likely either skipped forward or are listening to me on two times the speed just to get through this to the important stuff, which is EV policy. You never knew you were so excited about policy. So, most of us, including governments, inherently know that the move to EVs is a good thing. It's good for the climate, it's good for consumers, they're kind of better vehicles. But, societal changes don't just happen, and they certainly don't happen fast. So, there has been a suite of policy approaches over the past couple of years or many years to help us get there and help us get there a little bit quicker. In the past year, Canada's EV policy has changed quite a bit. Availability mandates are out, and incentives are back in. Tariffs on Chinese-manufactured vehicles are mostly out, so things are definitely changing. And to help us understand these changes and what they mean, and also just to check in on the state of EVs here in 2026, I'm really excited to have Cara Clairman back on the show. Cara is the President and CEO of Plug'n Drive, a non-profit that strives to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles to maximize their environmental and economic benefits. And they do this by engaging with Canadians to help dispel myths and fears and uncertainties around EVs using approaches like their EV Discovery Centre, mobile EV education trailer, and their EVs Are for Everyone tour. And this is really about bringing the EV to the individual, to the person, letting them test drive it, touch it, feel it, ask questions of experts. Now, Cara has actually been on the show a number of years ago where she talked to my predecessor, Dan, about the back story of Plug'n Drive a little bit. So, if you're interested in the organization, I encourage you to go back and listen to that episode. We're not going to get into too much of that here today. Cara is a fantastic individual. She's got more than 25 years of experience working in the environmental and sustainability fields, including at Ontario Power Generation where she was OPG's environmental lawyer and later in the role of Vice President of Sustainable Development. Cara was the 2017 recipient of the Women in Renewable Energy's Woman of the Year award, and the 2021 winner of the Al Cormier EV Leadership Award from Electric Mobility Canada. And as you will hear, she is a big fan of EVs, and she thinks you should be, too. Cara Clairman, welcome to the show. [05:01] Cara Clairman: Thank you so much, Trevor. I'm pleased to be here. [05:03] Trevor Freeman: So, this isn't actually your first time on the show, Cara. It's the first time you and I have spoken on this podcast, but you were on our show with my predecessor, Dan, nearly 5 years ago now, and you talked then about how you took Plug'n Drive from just an idea during your time at OPG, to really a national non-profit that's now celebrating its 15th anniversary. And for our listeners, if you're curious about the back story on Plug'n Drive, definitely dig back in the archives and listen to that episode. But, a lot has changed in 15 years, and a lot has changed even in the 4 and a half years since you were last on Think Energy. EVs have gone from kind of this niche idea you'd maybe see one or two around here and there, to, you know, maybe not quite ubiquitous and they're not everywhere, but it seems like they're going in that direction. They're a lot more commonplace. Everybody knows somebody with an EV, or you see them around most times you're out and about. Um, and they are also a very much talked about cornerstone of our national policy. It's an often-talked-about tool for decarbonization. We're going to dive into some of the specifics throughout our conversation, but just looking at the work that you and Plug'n Drive are doing from your EV Discovery Centre to your EVs Are for Everyone tour, how has your mission shifted? Are you moving from convincing people that EVs are a real thing that worked to helping navigate how to get one, what's the complex web of, you know, incentives, etc. What's the difference in your mission now? [06:36] Cara Clairman: Well honestly, I feel like it's really uh the same in a lot of ways. The big difference, as you pointed out, is that we don't really have to explain what an EV is or that it's a decent car. You know, there's some sort of what I would call EV 101 that most people already know now. And like you said, most people have known somebody, or they've at least heard of it. But I would say there's still a high percentage of Canadians that have never ridden or driven one. Uh, and so that's an experience that we find is really the key, like getting the butts in the seats is really the key to helping people get over the hump. And uh, that's sort of the experience that we focus on. We really try to pair a test drive with every event that we do and encourage people to drive so that they can see the benefits go far beyond just the savings and the environmental benefits, that they're just really super fun cars to drive, and if you're a person that likes a quiet, peppy drive, this is the car for you. [07:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Are people coming to your events knowing, "I'm going down the EV path, I'm going to buy one, I need to check this out," or they're coming in kind of thinking, "What are these people doing here at this event or in this parking lot?" Like what draws people to your events? [08:05] Cara Clairman: More more of the former and less of the latter as time goes on, but it depends on the event we're at. So, if it's just they've made an appointment to come see us, which often is the case, we have an appointment system, uh, then they know a little bit, and they're thinking about it, and they want to try it. Uh, if we're just at a festival or fair, which we do, you know, we just are at some event, and they didn't come specifically to see us, uh, then we still meet a lot of people who are like, "What is this?" you know, uh, and so they're earlier in their journey. But what we find is that they need the awareness building, and then they might, you know, make the move a few years down the road, so it still helps them. It's just they're at a different step. [08:50] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, for sure. No, that makes sense. Okay, so what I really want to dive into here today with you is kind of the shifting landscape, or maybe it's already a shifted landscape, um, regarding EV policy, some of the shifts that we've seen even in the last year or two. Um, so recently, you know, we're here in Canada, the federal government repealed the EV availability standard. So, this was the standard that said we want 100% of cars sold in Canada to be zero-emission by the year 2035. [09:27] Cara Clairman: Right. [09:28] Trevor Freeman: And we're moving towards more of an incentive-based strategy. So, a demand-side push rather than an incentive uh sorry, a supply-side push. Does this transition make sense for the average Canadian? Does it risk slowing down the momentum we've built? Kind of where do you stand on on this shift in our approach to EVs? [09:49] Cara Clairman: Right. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed that they repealed what we call a ZEV mandate or ZEV requirement. We were hoping instead of sort of throwing the baby out with the bath water, they would just make the ZEV requirement maybe less onerous and extend the time or something like that, because the benefit of a ZEV mandate um is that it does require dealers to have the vehicles on the lots. And so it actually increases choice, it increases availability, and that's why you hear some people calling it a ZEV availability standard. Trying to explain it to Canadians because it got a bit garbled in the news where it was like, "We're not going to be able to choose a gas car. You're going to be required to buy an EV." Well, that was way down the road. And uh, what it really did in the early years was make sure dealers would have some. And uh, so that's unfortunate, but, you know, got to move on. So, uh, now we're we brought back uh the Feds brought back the rebate, and sales shot up. So, that's good news. And, you know, hopefully, the dealer networks will make the cars available uh in Ontario. The big challenge is that there's still a ZEV availability standard or ZEV mandate in Quebec and British Columbia, which means they get the cars first. And, you know, you do hear, "Oh, this thing doesn't work. This thing is no good." Well, then why do they get the cars and we don't? You know, so it does work. And so, unfortunately, like if you happen to be listening from Quebec or BC, you'll get more choices than we will here in Ontario, and I I, you know, I hope that that, you know, with the demand-side push that, you know, there'll be more showing up. [11:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and we've been through periods where even if you wanted to get uh an EV, even if you wanted if you kind of could afford it, you'd decided this is the right option for me budget-wise, [12:03] Cara Clairman: Yes. [12:04] Trevor Freeman: you're waiting 10 months, or you can't get the option you want and and so [12:08] Cara Clairman: Right. You have to be more tolerant of color or features or whatever. We probably will experience some of that. It's very brand dependent. Like, some brands are very available all across Canada, some aren't. Uh, so it's really quite varied. Um, but um the good news is right now um availability's decent, and there's actually lots available on the used market, and maybe we'll talk about that a little bit later to give people comfort around used, because it's really a great option for people to think about. [12:49] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Let's definitely uh put a pin in that and get back to it. The other big shift I I want to touch on is um or at least it's a big shift that's getting a lot of attention, is the reduction of the previously 100% tariff on Chinese-made EVs down to only a little over 6% now, which effectively opens the doors to Canadians to um have access to these vehicles, so they can be sold in Canada. How do you see this impacting you know, availability and adoption of EVs? Is this going to be a game changer? Are we going to see those kinds of sub-$30,000 EVs on the market? Or is this kind of, you know, one small shift in the market? [13:31] Cara Clairman: Well, the one thing it has done is created tons of curiosity and interest. You know, everybody wants to know about it, everyone wants to see one. Um, there are EV spies, as you may know, everywhere, like EV enthusiasts who are watch, and, you know, we saw some news report that there were a few Chinese EVs on a lot, you know, north of Toronto somewhere, and people are like, "Oh, what brand is this?" and But unfortunately, we don't know uh really the answer to this question that you're asking yet. Um, we're told that the first Chinese EVs will be here in the last quarter of 2026. Uh, and we don't even know yet if they might be brands we already have, you know. They could be Teslas, they could be Volvos or Polestars. Which we already have. [14:22] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. [14:23] Cara Clairman: So, uh, we're hoping we'll see some low cost, you know, BYD or Geelys or whatever else, you know, but we don't know. Yeah. And uh, and it will be exciting to watch, and, you know, we're watching and trying to find out when the first vehicles are going to be available or shown, but nobody knows the answer yet. [14:48] Trevor Freeman: Are you getting like when you interact with people that are in the EV market, are you getting more questions about that? Are people kind of excited about this? Yeah, okay. That's good. [14:56] Cara Clairman: Yes. And it's a mixed bag. You know, some people are very wary about it. Um, and what I try to say is look, we already have you know, these phones. You know, so I'm not worried about the whole security and that someone's going to be watching you know, that part of it I really think is a bit of a red herring. We've already gone there, you know, so so and people's information is out there. You know, I mean, so that's not a big concern to me. Um, I think uh the quality we don't have to worry about. Uh, these cars are widely available in Europe, in uh Mexico, and in South America, and they're good. [15:47] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. [15:48] Cara Clairman: So, we don't have to worry about that. It's just going to be Canadians, you know, be willing to give them a try, and we'll see. Most people say that they would, so we'll see. [15:59] Trevor Freeman: And I guess the, you know, it's either you're trying that car or hopefully the presence of these cars, hopefully a little bit cheaper is also influencing what other manufacturers are doing and realizing, "I've got to compete in that marketplace." [16:11] Cara Clairman: Right, exactly, Trevor. Remember, I mean, you might be too young to remember when the Japanese cars first came to Canada in the 80s. And everyone had these exact same concerns. And you know, what it did was it made the American brands improve. And so, you know, I'm hopeful, and just to remember, these are coming in a very low quantity initially. They're not going to change the market in these next couple of years. If, you know, they open up the door more widely, you know, that's a different thing. But for now, it's a really tiny percentage. It's like less than 50,000 cars, and it's something like 3% of the Canadian auto market, so it's tiny. [17:01] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Got you. So, the the new uh or the the renewed incentive that the federal government's brought in Electric Vehicle Affordability Program, um which is providing an incentive for electric vehicles or zero-emission vehicles, um there's a strict $50,000 price cap for any imports, meaning some of those higher-end EVs that are made elsewhere won't qualify for this. Is is $50,000 the right price point? I look at just the price of vehicles in general these days, it's definitely trending up, way higher than I would prefer it to be. Is that the right price point given what's available? Is there enough availability under that price point? Um, and you know, does this affect the kind of conversation that you're having with potential buyers? [17:56] Cara Clairman: Right now, there's not a lot available under that price point. I mean, I think it is encouraging certain brands to bring a version that is below the price point. Uh, and it has increased sales, so there obviously are some that, you know, qualify. Uh, the truth is, gas or electric, it's hard to find vehicles under that price point. Um, so yeah, would I have liked it to have been a little more generous? Sure. Uh, but it is helping, and I do see some automakers shifting prices. I mean, I don't know if you saw that Tesla now has brought out a car that fits just under there. Mhm. So it does do that, and uh it does just encourage people to look. And then maybe they'll buy a used EV. Yeah. You know, so it does sort of open the door, it encourages people to have a conversation, to look around, uh it sparks interest, which is a good thing. [19:04] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and I mean, Ford is looking at how do we come out with a $30,000 truck, and that would qualify for this. [19:11] Cara Clairman: And the Bolt qualifies, the new Bolt, and it's a great car, and the new Leaf, uh, you know, is coming under there. So, there are good cars under there. I mean, Canadians do love their trucks and SUVs, and unfortunately, those do not make it. [19:30] Trevor Freeman: I know. Yeah, you're totally right. Um, so obviously Canadian manufactured EVs are exempt from that price cap. [19:38] Cara Clairman: Yes. [19:39] Trevor Freeman: Are you seeing a game of kind of buy local versus get an incentive? Um, you know, how does this come into play? Is that part of the conversation? [19:51] Cara Clairman: Well, right now, buying local is just about impossible. Yeah. I mean, there's there's literally two vehicles that are made partially in Canada, and, you know, we've heard a bunch of announcements recently that Canadian manufacturing of EVs has either been postponed or gone off the rails altogether, which is really unfortunate, cuz I was really looking forward to being able to buy a Canadian-made EV. Uh, you know, these plans change, they could come back, you don't know. Uh, but right now, it doesn't look that easy to buy a Canadian-made EV. I mean, there's basically the Pacifica and the Dodge Dart. Mhm. You know, that's it uh right now. Uh, and you know, Toyota's going to make some RAV4s, which will be great. Um, you know, Honda just announced they're not going ahead with their plans, um so it's really unfortunate. The thing that I try to remind people is manufacturing is one thing, and EV adoption in a way is completely separate from that, Yeah. because we manufacture cars primarily for the US market. I mean, Canada's almost an afterthought. And so, that's the reason this is happening, it's because of tariffs, it's because of bu- you know, America First policies, it's because of, you know, US politics. And uh, it's really unfortunate for the Canadian auto industry, but it doesn't mean EV adoption won't continue to really grow. It just means we're going to be buying cars that aren't made here. [21:39] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Well, and that's kind of the next place I want to go with this conversation is our own manufacturing industry, as you've just pointed out, is so tied in with the United States um manufacturing industry and Mexico. That's actually where I grew up in Windsor. My family is an auto family. My first job was kind of in the auto industry. Um, and the intricacies and and interties between those two industries are very, very tight. But, we're at this stage where we seem to be, not seem to be, we definitely are, moving in different directions policy-wise, especially when it comes to EV policy and trade policy in general. Um, that creates challenges and friction. We're trying to build maybe more of a manufacturing base here. The US is trying to pull that back. And that pull is strong. Yeah. It is, yeah. [22:34] Cara Clairman: I mean, they have the population. I mean, we can't fight that very well, and, you know, we'll time will tell. I mean, Trump won't be there forever, but a lot of the damage will have been done. And I know there's a lot of folks really working hard on maintaining the automaker footprint we have here. It's a huge challenge. [22:54] Trevor Freeman: Mhm. Yeah, is there a way to kind of thread that needle for pushing EV adoption? You know, we're kind of falling behind adoption rates that we've seen elsewhere, Europe, Asia, etc. Pushing that while still bolstering our own manufacturing base, trying to maintain these ties with our largest trading partner? Like how how do you I have to admit I'm not an expert on the industrial side, like on the commercial and manufacturing side of things, but from people that are, what I hear is, you know, we may have to let the Chinese, Indian, uh, Vietnamese uh, manufacturers come in and manufacture here in Canada instead of the brands we're used to being manufactured here. And that's something that could happen. That's something that would sort of replace I mean, the ones that are a real problem are the American-made the American brands, you know. They're really feeling the pull to manufacture in the US. Uh, so time will tell. Uh, you know, we may just be making different cars than we were making before. I hope we'll still be making them. [24:14] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, well and there's I mean, you can kind of see the government trying to do exactly what you said, entice companies to do some part of manufacturing here. They've got this tradeable import credit system where, "Hey, if you invest in manufacturing in our country, you get credits to sort of buy your way through our import market. It can offset some of the tariffs that might be in place." You know, that's a mechanism to do exactly what you're saying we might see. [24:41] Cara Clairman: Right. And some of those brands don't mind sending their vehicles anywhere from Canada. You know, they're not as focused on the fact that Canada has what's considered quite a small market, um given our population size. Uh, and I think in the future, well maybe the tariffs are going to change if the American if American politics changes. Yeah. You know, so I do think that's possible, um like I said, some of the damage will have been done if you know, if GM moves production to Detroit or wherever else, you know, they're not going to move back. But um you know, time will tell. I mean, I do think we'll have some manufacturing still in Canada and hopefully more than what it looks like right now. [25:31] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, I mean it'll be interesting to see. As you say, these policies may not be in place forever, but some of the reaction that is going to happen now in terms of do I move my manufacturing base back to the US, that will persist, and you're not going to make two moves, you're going to kind of make a one time tough one. [25:46] Cara Clairman: No, and especially if it creates some job uh you know, a bunch of jobs in the US, the next US president, even if they're Democrat and they get rid of tariffs and stuff, they're not going to move it back. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. [25:57] Trevor Freeman: Okay, so um let's let's kind of zoom back in a little bit here. So, Plug'n Drive, um you've been doing these uh EVs Are for Everyone tours, um kind of as we talked about earlier, giving people access that might not otherwise have access to to understand, try out EVs. And you've been doing this kind of across the board, including in smaller communities. Is there something that you hear differently in a small town, a rural area, compared to a big urban center, you know, Toronto, Ottawa, etc. Oh definitely. [26:30] Cara Clairman: Well, the big thing is they don't have access, as you said. So in a smaller community, they might only have a handful of dealers, and those dealers may or may not carry EVs. And so they really don't get a chance to try them, and trying, as I mentioned at the off the top, is the key to buying. Yeah. And uh, whatever preconceived notion you might have had, you know, it kind of melts away once you get behind the wheel, even just the reality of like, "Oh, this is a great car." You know? And and so, whatever that experience, or whatever they thought it might be, it's it's gone. And uh, and so, it's a really important uh part of the process. And so, that's the main thing in a smaller community, they don't have that. Now, the other thing that we noticed is how far people drive. Now, people do drive farther in a smaller community, but what has surprised us is they don't drive as far as they think. Hmm, interesting. Yeah. And most of us actually don't drive as far as we think. Yeah. We might sit in traffic and stuff, even like us, you know, in big cities. Um, but we don't actually go that many kilometers, or not as many as we think. Um, and they don't either. And, you know, what they do is they, you know, into town, back and forth, for soccer, you know, same as anyone. Yeah. You know, so for for for sports or whatever for their kids, and then shopping or see Grandma or whatever. Um, and then once in a while, a long trip. And that is a thing that weighs heavily on Canadian minds is the road trip. Yeah. We are really obsessed with the road trip, and it's a one-off trip. And this is the thing we can't seem to shake loose, which is, you know, "What am I going to do if I need to drive to" and you fill in the X. Yeah. It could be across Canada, which hardly anyone does, or it could be like my trip to Algonquin, or my trip to Maine, or, you know, not right now, trip to uh, PEI let's say. Um, whatever. It's like, that one-off trip is so important to people, and we try to say, "Okay, yeah, that's more challenging in an EV. It can totally be done now, but it's still harder, and we sort of say try to think about your car for the 98-99%, not the 1% of trips." I might have even said this 5 years ago. Like, it's still a thing that we can't seem to, you know, stop people from fixating on, and we sort of say, "You know, with all the money you're going to save, you can" and we should talk about the savings because people do not understand that. Uh, all the money you're going to save, you can rent a car, or do something else, or what I do, once every 2 years, is swap with my brother-in-law who's got a minivan. Mhm. You know, and you can solve that problem for a one-time trip. Don't make that that's a bad way to choose a car anyway, gas or electric. Yeah. You know, because you're going to spend a lot more on gas hauling around a bigger, heavier car. Uh, so, even if you're not ready, it's a bad idea. [30:04] Trevor Freeman: So, in terms of So, availability of charging is one of them, and there's that road trip idea for sure. There's also, I mean, we hear, and me working at the utility, as people are trying to put chargers in, we hear this a lot. People's preferred charging location is at home. We know that, that's where people want to charge, they want to plug in at home. Yes. Not everybody has a driveway or a garage, not everybody can install a charger at home. So, one of the things the federal government has been doing over the last little while is trying to increase access to public charging. Yes. Where are we at with our sort of public charging infrastructure? Is the network kind of built out to handle those road trips, or to handle that kind of, you know, someone who lives in a multi-res building, a condo, an apartment that can't charge at home? Where are we on that front? [31:18] Cara Clairman: Okay. I would say, as a very early adopter, you know, I had my first EV in 2011, so, you know, from my perspective, the network's amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. There was one supercharger, or like, fast, I mean, it was a slow fast charger, uh, in all of Ontario at that time. I mean, so now, there's more than 40,000 chargers across Canada. Uh, there's, you know, about a quarter of those are fast chargers at highway stops and convenient places. If you live in urban suburban Canada, and you commute, it's basically solved. Like, it's so good. I'm- and then, I'm sure someone will listen and say, "Well, for me, it's not." Okay. There- there's still gaps. Is it perfect? No. But it's really quite good, and you just have to go to PlugShare or ChargeHub and take a look, and you'll be shocked at how many chargers there are. I mean, there are a lot. [32:27] Trevor Freeman: For our listeners, PlugShare and ChargeHub are both kinds of resources that map out all the chargers, the status, is it broken, is it fixed, here's what it costs, it's really great resources. [32:39] Cara Clairman: Yes, everything. All the information you need. And all EV drivers will have that app on their phone. Mhm. Uh, then where it is challenging, you know, we got to acknowledge, even like an EV enthusiast like me, got to acknowledge, it's not perfect. Where the big challenges still exist is multi-unit residential, still challenging, and rural remote. Mhm. Still challenging. So, not so much for people who live rural remote, who want to, let's say, drive to town or drive to somewhere, to the city. That's okay. It's if you want to take a really long trip into rural, let's say, from Ottawa to Thunder Bay or Toronto to, you know, Winnipeg. That's still a challenging drive. It's doable, but it's hard. Um, if you're a commuter, which, you know, most of us are, you know, and you can charge at home, I mean, it's done. It's great. I mean, for someone like me, it's fantastic. I mean, I drive about 80 kilometers uh every week, and it's a snap, you know. No problem. Most of the cars have 400-500 kilometers range. I don't even think about it, even on like a minus 30 day. Where where I do think there's the most work that needs to be done is on the MURBs, multi unit residential. And some of the funding that the Feds have put forward for chargers is going into multi-unit, which is great. Mhm. Uh, condos will get done. Condos are getting done. Uh, where it's hard is apartment buildings. I mean, they're so there you need to search for public charging near you. Mhm. And if you're in Quebec, you're probably going to find it pretty easily, BC, it's getting better. Uh, Ontario is still a bit rough, and the Maritimes and the Prairies, super rough. [34:39] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, we do, Hydro Ottawa actually was a recipient of federal funding to install public chargers. We did a lot of public chargers uh public access chargers in multi-unit residential, you know. It's so important, as you said. Everyone wants to charge at home. Exactly, yeah. And, it's the cheapest, it's and we haven't talked about super low night time prices, and being able to plug in overnight and, you know, right now with high gas prices, people are looking into it. It makes a difference. Well, let's talk about the price then, that's kind of the next barrier, is "Ah, it's too expensive, I can't get into it." Um, tell us about the economics around owning an EV. [35:16] Cara Clairman: So, this is a challenge because people see the higher stick- sticker price, and they say, "Oh, EVs are too expensive." Well, they aren't doing the math, and we are trying to, you try to help, we're trying to help. There's other groups trying to help. We have a great calculator on our website to show the total cost of ownership, and to explain that yes, you pay a little bit more upfront, and the $5,000 rebate if you can get it drops that down to about $5K on average. 5k extra, that's the premium, yeah. 5k extra. Yep. Now, you would make that back in 2 to 3 years easily depending on how much you drive, because electricity is like 1/5 the price of gas, and even maybe more like 1/6 now that gas prices have gone up. Mhm. So, if you're paying $2 a liter, um which I hear, is what, you know, We're not far off, yeah. I don't know, I don't buy gas. Yeah. But, uh, $2 a liter, I'm paying the equivalent of, on time of use, of uh, 28¢, and now on ultra-low, 14¢. Um, I mean, a l- per liter equivalent. For the same driving range, yeah. For the same driving. And so, can you imagine that I can fully charge a 500-kilometer car for like 2 bucks overnight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you just can't believe how cheap it is. And if and so if we can get people to sort of understand the pay now to save later, which is hard for people. Yep. And if they lease, it's easier to understand because then they're not sort of shoveling out that money upfront necessarily. Mhm. It's a winner, you know, economically, you know, leaving aside the environmental and health benefits. Mhm. Uh, and so, we really try to help We have a great tool on our website that shows all this called Find Your EV Match, and you can compare any of your own, like all the historic gas cars, like any car that you own is in there. So, let's say you want to compare a 19 99 or a 2015 Civic to a Leaf or a Bolt, or whatever car you're thinking of, uh, you can do the comparison, and it will show you the savings month by month. Mhm. And then it will show you when your kind of hit that crossover and you're in the money. Yeah. And then you basically feel like you're earning money. [37:51] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. I will say, as also, as an EV driver, when I I have two vehicles, one's still a gas car and one's uh an EV, when I have to fill up the gas car, I'm I'm always I compare it to my EV that I don't have to fill up, it's it's night and day when it comes to the cost. It's absolutely night and day. [38:09] Cara Clairman: I mean, it's and also the maintenance. So, there's just no maintenance. I mean, obviously there's a little tiny bit. There's brakes, eventually, even that gets delayed because of the generative braking, Longer, yeah. and, you know, windshield wipers and tires, which you do anyway. I mean, I've now had a Leaf, a Bolt, a Model 3, and an Ioniq 5. Okay, and I have literally never had to do any maintenance except brakes, Mhm on any of them. Yeah, that's amazing. And, they've all been the first gen, right? Like my Leaf was the very first gen Leaf, my Bolt was a first gen Bolt 2017, and uh the Ioniq I think was the second year, which is what I drive now. Yeah. And uh, just nothing. And so, it just to me like, I'm almost like, "I can't believe everybody's not doing it! It's so cheap." Now, I understand some people, if you drive 250 kilometers each way and you, you know, I get it. It's not so simple for everyone. You live in a MURB, but if you live in a single-family home, it's a slam dunk. [39:27] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. So, we've kind of covered charging availability, we've talked about the cost implications. There's a battery performance question of is this battery going to be around for 10 years, the life of the car? [39:39] Cara Clairman: Yes. Especially when used, people are worried about it. [39:41] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, is the range going to get me there, and that kind of ties into charging? Where are we at? Have we seen that technology change in the 15 years that you've been in this space? Where are we at with that? [39:51] Cara Clairman: Yeah. In the early years, I always wanted to be honest, right, because it doesn't help to be overly glowing, and then, you know, people are disappointed, you got to be forthright with people where there are pluses and where there are the minuses. In the early years, of course, the range was really low, and so that was a challenge for people who had to drive long distances. Now the range of the EV is great, that's not an issue for most people anymore. Battery life, people used to say, "Well, how long will the battery last?" And the truthful answer 15 years ago was we don't know, Mhm because there was no information. I mean, Yeah, we hadn't done it. We thought we knew because the Prius had a similar type of battery, as a hybrid, and we thought it should be similar, and those are doing well. Well, now we have 15 years of information, and the batteries are lasting so well. Now, you hear in the news the odd story about a battery crapping out, and it really is anecdotal, and so you can't pay attention to it. Um, it's a lemon situation, right, and that's going to happen, right, there are going to be lemons, just like in a gas car. [41:03] Trevor Freeman: Exactly, yeah. You have to get your engine replaced randomly if you have a lemon, it happens. [41:07] Cara Clairman: Yes, it happens. But the data will tell you, and Geotab has some really good data on their website where they studied how long are these batteries lasting, like 15 years later, and it looks like, for the most part, they're going to outlast the body of the car. Like, 20 years, no problem. So, this idea that you would have to replace a battery is really unrealistic, like, most of us will never have to do that. And no one keeps their car for 20 years, or very few people keep their car for 20 years. No, it's a 10 year window, and if you're like most Canadians, 7 to 10 years, uh, you're not going to be replacing the battery. That's not going to happen. And most of them, uh, sort of a typical battery loss, battery degradation over time is 1 and a half to 2% a year. Hm. So, you're going to see some declines, so let's say at year 5, you should be down no more than 10%, and uh uh, so when you look at a used vehicle, you can do a test on the battery and see how it's doing, something called a State of Health check on the battery. It's a test that any dealer can do, like any service center can do. And you can be confident that it's fine. [42:33] Trevor Freeman: Mhm. So, let's say you brought up used vehicles a couple times here. Let's talk about that as an option for people wanting to get into the EV space maybe a bit more affordably. Yes. Like is the supply out there? Are there a bunch of these sitting around waiting to be scooped up? Yes. Great, now let's talk about it. [42:49] Cara Clairman: Yeah, that's a great news story. So, there's there's um a lot of supply, uh, there's, you know, if you think about it, all the vehicles that come off lease or whatever, you know, even there's now 2023s, you know, available, there're there's a lot of availability. And so, you know, you just go on your favorite, you know, auto trader type magazine, and you will see, uh online, there's tons of availability, and uh, you know, what I say to people if they're worried about battery life, they do that State of Health check on the battery. If you're buying it privately, uh, you can ask. Uh, it's only about a hundred bucks, I think it's worth it. Uh, the other thing you could do, if you just can't figure that out or you don't want to figure that out, is just trickle charge the battery overnight and see, you know, what does it say, how many kilometers uh range you have, and compare that to what the manual says it should have. That's sort of a rule of thumb type of test, it's not as good as the actual test, but it'll give you a good idea. So so the, you know, people should not be afraid of a used EV. And uh, also, if you are really concerned, most of them have, you know, the 8 to 10 year warranty on the battery. And so, if you are really concerned, just make sure you're still in in warranty. Yeah. Uh, you know, don't go older than 8 years, and also check, you know, because sometimes there's a kilometer limit and a year limit, so it's like 8 years or 180,000 kilometers, or you know, they're all a bit different, but um check it, and uh that's a great way of sort of if you still have a year or two left on the on the warranty, then you're sort of safe. Yeah. to see like see how it see how it does. And price point wise, these are coming in at like a reasonable for a used vehicle, a reasonable price point. Totally reasonable, you can get an EVs in the 20s, in the well you can get the oldest ones even lower than that, in like, um, apparently my 2017 Bolt, which we still keep and use, we love it, uh, would only be worth like, I don't know, $12 or $15,000. So, they're cheap, and this one got the battery fixed. I always say to people, the Bolt had a recall on the batteries, 2017 to 2019. And most of them got the battery fixed, so, and then the warranty goes back to year 1. Mhm. So, you basically can get a used Bolt that's almost like a new car because it got a new battery put in, and so those are like gems to find, yeah. Uh, so, they're, you know, that's why we're hanging on to ours, it's great. That's great. [45:41] Trevor Freeman: Okay, Cara, we're getting close to the end of our conversation here. So, uh you know, you've been at this for a while, 15 years of Plug'n Drive, um obviously an EV enthusiast on top of that. What's your general feeling about where we're at right now in 2026? Is it where you thought we would be, maybe looking back a few years ago? Is it, you know, we've got a long road to climb here, where are you? What are you thinking here? [46:08] Cara Clairman: Well, I do tend to be an optimist, but I was probably a little overly optimistic about how fast the transition would happen, and we have had some bumps in the road. Uh, but I would characterize all the stuff that's happened in the last year or two as bumps in the road to eventually everyone having an EV. I mean, I do think it's inevitable still, and I think most of even the, you know, automakers would say it's inevitable. The cars are better, mhm they last better, they perform better, and even without all the environmental and health benefits, they have a lot of other econ- economic benefits. Uh, so I do think it's inevitable. It has been slower than I expected. Mhm. Uh, but, um, I'm still really optimistic about the future, uh, and I think Canadians are going to embrace EVs maybe sooner than than some folks, and and I think all what's happened with with Trump and also this war and all these things has actually got more people asking questions about EVs than ever before, so he accidentally actually spurred on the interest in EVs, which is funny. [47:26] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, and I think we've seen that over over the years, these sort of starts and fits, and no doubt there will be another maybe slow down, but I I tend to agree, we're we're angling in that direction, and there's really no pulling back now. I would, so my oldest is 13, and I remember probably 5, 6, maybe 7 years ago, thinking, "You know, wow, by the time uh he's driving, he may never drive an ICE vehicle, because it'll just all be EVs." So, we haven't quite gotten there, [47:56] Cara Clairman: Yeah, my kids are in their 20s, and they both learned on electric, and they both have never driven a gas car, because we don't have one. Yeah, yeah, that's great. And so I am hopeful, and BC and Quebec have already passed what I would call the tipping point, mhm and so I do think that it's happening, and it's exciting, and it's also a great industry for young people to get into, so um there's lots of lots of pluses. [48:24] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, it's funny on this show, this comes up a lot, and I think all the things that we talked about from utility space to all the energy transition things, EVs being one of them, distributed energy resources, right like if you're a young person looking of what do I get into, what's the thing that I focus on, my goodness, we've got a whole range of things that are are on the cusp, I think of of really taking off, so EVs being one of them. [48:48] Cara Clairman: Electricity, energy, there's a lot of exciting stuff happening in decarbonization, and it's a great field for young people. [48:55] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so we always end our interviews with a series of questions to our guests, Cara, so I'm going to throw a few at you here. Um, what's a book that you've read that you think everybody should read? Ah. Uh, so professional or personal? Well, you can go either direction. I'll even give you two if you want to do one of each. [49:15] Cara Clairman: Okay. So, professional, uh, I read a book called, I think it's called, We're All in Sales. And it really helped me when I was starting Plug'n Drive. It sort of helps you get over this like, "Ugh, sales." Yeah. Which I think a lot of people have because they don't want to have to ask for money or you know, pitch for money or whatever. And it made you re- It was just helpful in that it talks about how, I mean, we're all in sales in one way or another. I mean, you have to sell yourself, you have to sell your ideas, you have to sell something. Some of us were more direct than others, but it helped me. Mhm. Um, um, and then, for women who are entering the workforce, uh, I read a book called The Feminine Mistake. And it's a play on The Feminine Mystique, which was a huge book in the 60s. Yeah. And, I found it really helpful as a working mom, and have little kids, and it's hard. It's a really hard phase. And that book really really helped me. Um, and then personal, uh, I just read uh a book that I really enjoyed, um, uh, it's actually just been made into a movie with uh, Sally Field, called Remarkably Bright Creatures. It's about an octopus, and it's from the octopus's point of view. [50:47] Trevor Freeman: Oh, very cool. I just saw a trailer for this movie, actually. Finding it. [50:50] Cara Clairman: Yeah. So read the book before you watch the show, Okay. because books are always better than the movie, and more in depth and everything. So it's a great book, especially if you love the ocean and mhm sea creatures and octo- pi? Octopuses? are so smart and it was just really adorable. It was a really fun book to read. It's not like it's great, it's written really well, but it's not hard to access, it's not, you know, it's it's great. [51:21] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. No, that's a good one, that's a good recommendation. Um, so kind of the same question, but um, you know, for a movie or a show, is there something you've watched recently that really has stood out to you that you kind of think everyone should take a look at? [51:32] Cara Clairman: I went back and watched This Is Spinal Tap, Nice. That's awesome. which I hadn't watched. And my husband had never seen it. Oh, gods. And I was like, "What?" Cuz you know, because of everything that happened with Rob Reiner, we went back and we watched it. Still hilarious. Oh yeah, so good. It really stood the test of time, so funny. [51:53] Trevor Freeman: I've got This has come up before with other guests, I've got a list of you know, those movies that were so great for me as whatever, a teenager, that I'm waiting for my kids, ridiculous though. I mean, I have to warn you, ridiculous. I'm waiting for my kids to get old enough that I can bring them into this or that one, and that's on the list for sure. So we'll crank it up to 11 here. Um, so if someone offers you a free round trip anywhere in the world, where would you go? [52:20] Cara Clairman: Oh wow. Uh, I actually just got back from Morocco, and it was so fantastic. Oh, gods. It was so beautiful. Um, but I've never been anywhere in Asia, I'd love to go to Japan. Mhm. I've never been there, and South Korea, because also they're very advanced in terms of technology and stuff, and I there's so many neat things, like autonomous vans and things that they're already using there, and vehicle-to-grid, and all this stuff, and at the base, I'm an electricity nerd, so I I would love to go there. [52:55] Trevor Freeman: Yeah. Uh, who's someone that you admire? [52:58] Cara Clairman: Oh my gosh, there's so many people I admire. Um, Louise Arbour. Um, our new, for our listeners, our new Canadian, uh, Governor General, yeah. New GG. That's awesome. She is fantastic. What a role model for women. She became a judge from being a professor. Mhm. Um, she ascended in a way that not very many people have. She worked internationally, she's, and, uh, she's also a really nice person, a really good person. Yeah. And, uh, an accessible person, what I would say is that she's not at all arrogant, she's funny, she's nice to talk to. I had the privilege of working with her when I was a student. Oh, very cool. And, uh, she's just amazing, and I watch her with, she's inspiring. [53:57] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, that's uh I I agree, I've been reading obviously about her because she's in the news right now, and for our listeners, that's our new uh Governor General, and if you're not from Canada, you can look up what a Governor General does for us here in Canada. Um, very, very exciting. Um, yeah, I agree. Um, last question, Cara. What's something about the energy sector or its future that you're particularly excited about? [54:21] Cara Clairman: Oh my gosh, well, you know, aside from all the stuff we've just been talking about, Yeah. um, actually, I saw a YouTube video about batteries uh just the other day, a Chinese battery maker. And what they're doing in batteries is really exciting with salt, you know, salt based batteries that are going to be so cheap. Mhm. And they basically have it, like it's not this futuristic thing, it's a salt-based battery that costs like a fraction, and so the cheapest EVs will get made with those, and that's going to be a game changer. Yeah. That's pretty cool. [55:05] Trevor Freeman: It is exciting to think about. Now that we're really focusing on EVs and letting sort of just that normal technological improvement iterative process happen, Right. how quickly we might see some of these barriers that we just talked about get solved. [55:19] Cara Clairman: Yeah, they're putting their new technology into drones, into like air taxis and all this stuff, mhm. It's now, it's not sort of this Jetson's futuristic thing, it's like really happening, so that's pretty exciting. [55:40] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, now the energy transition is here, we say it all the time on this show. It's here. It's here. When people say EVs are the future, I say no, they're right now. Exactly, yeah, exactly. Um, Cara, it's been great chatting with you, thank you so much for making the time this morning. I really appreciate your insight into what's happening. [55:56] Cara Clairman: Yeah, my pleasure, my pleasure, nice to talk to you too. [55:58] Trevor Freeman: Yeah, hopefully uh we'll talk again in a few years and be talking about how fast it's moved. [56:02] Cara Clairman: I hope so. [56:03] Trevor Freeman: Awesome. Thanks so much. Take care. Okay, you too. Okay, bye. Thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Think Energy 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@hydroottawa.com.

How are the feds investing in the Prairie's economy? This is what Eleanor Olszewski, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), joins us to answer. She's in the province for a luncheon with the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce. She joins us to talk about Saskatchewan's economy, where the province is seeing momentum, and how federal programs and investments are supporting local industries and entrepreneurs.

Yesterday, Canada's defence minister David McGuinty announced that 2026 will be the final season for the Snowbirds' CT-114 Tutor jets, with a transition to new aircraft expected in the early 2030s. He said the move preserves a proud Canadian tradition while investing billions in future pilot training, infrastructure, and long-term economic benefits for Moose Jaw and the Prairies. Donna Fritzke, Executive Director of Tourism Moose Jaw, joins Evan to share her perspective on what this means for the city and local tourism.

Turns out, The Amazing Race Canada... wasn't just in Gimli yesterday, they were IN OUR COURTYARD! (1:10); Nearly a quarter of food wasted over misunderstanding of 'best before' labels (7:35); The Amazing Race Canada was here yesterday! What sort of Manitoba-centric challenge would you concoct? (15:20); Manitoba Egg Farmers Egg Sandwich Giveaway today! What challenges are egg farmers facing? (21:25); Small Town Salute - Puttin' on the Prairies in Holland! (29:50); Rebuilding after Lac du Bonnet wildfire (37:00); Outdated food expiry rules costing billions (44:40); Winning entries on Manitoba-centric challenges for The Amazing Race (56:20); Provincial consular corps commits to expanding global connections and economic engagement - Philip Houde, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Morocco (1:00:30).

Every season in the Canadian Prairies comes down to one thing: the weather. With a short growing window, everything rides on how conditions unfold.   In this episode, meteorologist David Spence breaks down how winter set the stage for spring, where moisture levels stand across the Prairies, and what conditions could look like heading into seeding. While much of the region has pulled out of short-term drought and field are shaping up well, deeper moisture concerns still linger (especially in southern Alberta).   As El Niño develops, David explores how this could setup a hotter, drier summer and what that could mean for crops across the Prairies.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics

In the latest Pulse of the Prairies episode, SPG Director and Pulse Canada Chair Terry Youzwa sits down with Greg Cherewyk, President of Pulse Canada, to discuss a recent trade mission to India—Canada's single most important pulse export market. In 2024 alone, Canada shipped 1.4 million tonnes of peas and 600,000 tonnes of lentils to India, valued at $1.4 billion dollars.Greg and Terry share what can only be learned by being on the ground, from reading real-time market dynamics to building the government-to-government relationships that directly influence import policy. They also discuss the newly announced Canada-India Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence, a concrete example of the growing partnership between two of the world's leading pulse nations.With India's pulse demand projected to nearly double by 2050, and Canada and India actively negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, there is good reason for optimism.

À l'occasion de sa revue de presse, jeudi matin, Paul Arcand aborde la situation météo, alors que de la pluie abondante amène des risques d’inondations dans les prochains jours dans les zones inondables. En raison des fortes précipitations attendues, la Ville de Montréal a déclenché mercredi sa vigie en lien avec de possibles inondations à venir. Une hausse des niveaux d'eau est attendue dans les prochains jours et certains secteurs situés près des rivières des Prairies et des Mille Îles sont vulnérables. Des installations de protection ont été installées à des endroits stratégiques et les autorités suivent la situation en temps réel. Autres sujets traités: L’idée d’un péage sur les routes fait son chemin; Encore une femme assassinée à Montréal; Nouveau sondage: le Parti libéral et le Parti Québécois sont nez à nez. Voir https://www.cogecomedia.com/vie-privee pour notre politique de vie privée

In this Patreon-only episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse dive into the truly biblical 1874–75 Rocky Mountain locust plague that turned the Prairies and parts of the US Midwest into a “living eclipse of the sun.” They tell the story of swarms estimated in the hundreds of billions to trillions of insects eating everything from crops and trees to wool, leather harnesses, and even the paint off wagons. We hear how desperate farmers tried burning locusts in straw, how carcasses polluted water and ruined livestock and eggs, and how aggressive plowing and an early frost helped drive the Rocky Mountain locust to extinction by the early 1900s.For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when a leadership win sparks tension inside the party?This week on Balance of Power, Shannon Phillips, Leah Ward and Shannon Greer reflect on the legacy of Stephen Lewis, unpack the implications of Avi Lewis's decisive leadership win, and dig into what it all means for New Democrats across the country.First: legacy and loss. The panel reflects on Stephen Lewis' impact on Canadian politics, the NDP movement, and the organizing culture that still shapes campaigns today.Then: the new leader. What does Avi Lewis' win signal about where the federal NDP is headed? From shifts in labour relationships to a more populist policy approach, the hosts break down the opportunities, and risks, of this moment.Plus: Saskatchewan NDP leader Carla Beck joins the show to talk about affordability, energy policy, and the realities of building a government-in-waiting. From a healthcare system pushed to the brink, to rising costs and soaring power bills, and the challenge of connecting policy to people's day-to-day lives on the Prairies.“Legacy, Leadership, and What It Means to Be an Effective Opposition”Welcome to Balance of Power.Have a comment or idea? email us: suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.caGuestMLA Carla Beck, Leader of the Saskatchewan NDPhttps://www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca/carlabeckGuest HostShannon Greerhttps://www.newwestpublicaffairs.ca/shannon-greerMentioned in this episodeStephen Lewis' Eulogy for Jack Laytonhttps://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.1715421The Stephen Lewis Foundationhttps://stephenlewisfoundation.org/Stephen Lewis GOTV Speechhttps://www.facebook.com/reel/2076947419829035 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

- Un agresseur sexuel arrêté à Laval. - Deux étudiants du cégep tombent dans la rivière des Prairies. - Un ado reconnu coupable d’un double meurtre. Affaires criminelles avec Maxime Deland, journaliste à l’Agence QMI. Regardez aussi cette discussion en vidéo via https://www.qub.ca/videos ou en vous abonnant à QUB télé : https://www.tvaplus.ca/qub ou sur la chaîne YouTube QUB https://www.youtube.com/@qub_radio Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

Saudações humanos!Essa semana foi pesada.A colisão do voo Air Canada Express no aeroporto LaGuardia chocou o país. Dois pilotos canadenses morreram, dezenas ficaram feridas, e o sistema de alerta da pista falhou sem explicação. Mas se o acidente virou manchete, o que veio depois virou escândalo: o CEO da Air Canada, Michael Rousseau, publicou um vídeo de condolências inteiramente em inglês. Mark Carney ficou "muito desapontado". François Legault pediu a demissão. O comissário de línguas oficiais recebeu mais de 1.500 queixas em 48 horas. Falamos de tudo isso.Enquanto isso, a Auditora-Geral divulgou um relatório que todo imigrante precisa conhecer: o IRCC investigou menos de 3% dos casos suspeitos de fraude no programa de estudantes internacionais — e mais de 100 pessoas com documentos falsos chegaram a obter residência permanente. O que isso significa para quem está no sistema agora? A gente explica.Se você mora no Canadá, planeja imigrar, ou simplesmente quer entender o país que mais cresce em notícias importantes esta semana: esse episódio foi feito pra você.==Apoie nosso projetopatreon.com/canadaagoraapoia.se/canadaagora==Minutagem- 00:05:30 - Ottawa em Foco- 00:40:17 - ATLÂNTICO - 00:42:31 - BRITISH COLUMBIA - 00:46:22 - PRAIRIES - 00:53:00 - TERRITÓRIOS - 00:53:47 - ONTARIO - 01:05:28 - QUEBEC - 01:19:54 - Sugar Shack / Cabane à Sucre==Pensando em viajar? Fale com a Energia Seguros e garanta uma viagem livre de preocupações e tranquilidade pagamento muito menos do que você imagina. Acesse agora https://goenergia.ca e faça uma cotação sem compromisso==Sobre o Canadá Agora: Um podcast especial, que analisa a política, economia e o cotidiano do Canadá, e fala desses assuntos como você quer ouvir.Siga a gente: canadaagora.comBluesky: bsky.app/profile/canadaagora.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/canadaagoraTwitter: www.x.com/canadaagoraInstagram: www.instagram.com/canadaagora==Edição: Masaru HoshiRoteiro: Masaru Hoshi, Paulo Enrique DantasProdução: Masaru Hoshi, Paulo Enrique Dantas==Músicas:Abertura: Lupin III Special Studio Session - Yuji Ohno & Lupintic SixA mari usque ad mare: Oh Canada - Daniel Hersog's O Canada Jazz OrchestraJe me Souvien: Mackinaw - Folk Music from QuebecColleen Nakashuk - Qalunaat Nunanganit"Sugar Shack / Cabane à Sucre": All the Fixings - Zachariah Hickman

There's great concern that people in Ottawa aren't taking what's happening in Alberta seriously enough. With national unity at stake, some Senators are looking west from the upper chamber and acknowledging there are indeed structural issues at the federal level that's fueling frustration.This week on West of Centre, Kathleen Petty welcomes a panel of Prairies senators. Alberta Senator Paula Simons, who was appointed in 2018 and sits in the Independent Senators Group; Saskatchewan Senator Pamela Wallin, appointed in 2008; and Manitoba Senator Charles Adler, who was appointed in 2024. Both sit in the Canadian Senators Group.The panel pulls no punches in questioning whether Canada has done the work it needs to become a true energy superpower. For them, it's time to turn words into action. As trade tensions with the U.S. simmer, they're blunt on CUSMA: Canada can't take its own self-interest out of the equation because negotiations are not about love, but business. And while they disagree on the strategy for a potential fall referendum on separation, they also tackle another referendum question about Senate abolishment. Host: Kathleen PettyGuests: Senator Charles Adler, Senator Paula Simons, Senator Pamela WallinProducer: Diane Yanko

Saudações humanos!A gente mergulha fundo nessa e em mais uma semana recheada de notícias que impactam diretamente a sua vida por aqui:

As winter lingers across parts of the Prairies, many growers are still waiting for conditions to shift before spring fieldwork begins. But according to Jack Payne, agronomy solutions manager with South Country Co-op, this waiting period is an ideal time to fine-tune plans for the upcoming canola season. In this episode of RealAgriculture's Canola School,... Read More

Do you think you shop and eat local?What if we told you that to eat food sourced solely in Canada, that you would be giving up staples like olive oil, lemons, vanilla, and even black pepper?That's exactly the mission that Chef Hunter Guindon of The Table Culinary Studio has undertaken. Nestled in rural PEI, his restaurant stimulates the senses with an intimate 7 course dinner featuring not only 100% Canadian ingredients, but also a 100% Canadian wine list. Open for only 5 months of the year, diners book months in advance for an opportunity to taste dishes that are never repeated.Andre and Miroki peel back the layers behind Hunter's ethos, witness some questionable practices he experienced coming up as a chef, and what took him from Ontario to Prince Edward Island. Will he and Andre will engage in fisticuffs over PEI vs Prairies as the superior beef?Book a limited spot at The Table Culinary Studio: thetablepei.caYou can follow Miroki on Instagram @9ouncespleaseYou can follow André on Instagram @andrewinereview Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Season 9, Episode 2 of The Surviving Siblings Podcast®, host Maya Roffler is joined by Earla Dawn, who shares the story of losing her sister, Leigh-Ann, to pancreatic cancer. Earla takes us back to their childhood on the prairies, four siblings, endless fun, and the kind of relationship that started with "fighting like cats and dogs"… and grew into a deep, lifelong bond. Leigh-Ann was the polished one, the "always put together" sister, a devoted mom, a dog lover, and a woman who reinvented her life, starting over after divorce, and eventually moving across the world to Spain in 2006. Even with an ocean between them, their connection never faded. They learned Skype, relied on phone calls and letters, and stayed emotionally close until a fall visit home revealed something no one was prepared for: a growth on Leigh-Ann's pancreas. What followed was a short, devastating season filled with advocacy, tenderness, quiet courage, and moments of unexpected beauty. This episode is a powerful reminder that grief isn't just about the diagnosis or the timeline it's about the small moments you carry forever: the way you follow your sibling's lead, the calm you create for them, the love in the room, and the way connection can exist even without words. In This Episode: (0:00:00) – Meet Earla and Remembering Leigh-Ann Earla shares their family dynamic, childhood memories, and how their relationship evolved over time. (0:01:30) – From the Prairies to Spain: A Sisterhood That Stayed Close Leigh-Ann's big life moves, her reinvention, and how distance didn't break their bond. (0:04:00) – Subtle Symptoms and the Turning Point Leigh-Ann's ongoing stomach issues, declining stamina, and the moment she learned about the pancreatic growth. (0:06:30) – "I Looked It Up Once… and Never Again" Earla reflects on the shock of Dr. Google, the fear that followed, and what she learned about living day-by-day. (0:08:00) – The Worst Day: "It's All Over" An oncologist appointment confirms the terminal diagnosis and Earla shares why not having an exact end date changed everything. (0:09:30) – Following Leigh-Ann's Lead Earla explains how she honored Leigh-Ann's choices, advocated for information, and created a calm, sacred space at home. (0:11:30) – Palliative Support and the Permission of Time The practical support that helped their family breathe and why planning ahead reduced panic later. (0:14:00) – The List for Life (Not a Bucket List) Leigh-Ann's wishes: connection, warmth, marriage, travel and the decision to take a "honeymoon" to Hawaii. (0:17:30) – Love, Humor, and the Moments That Stay Earla shares an unforgettable experience of wordless connection laughing together in the quiet. (0:20:00) – Her Final Days and a Peaceful Death What it looked like, what helped, and why Earla believes we need to talk more honestly about end-of-life moments. (0:22:30) – A Room Full of Love: Ritual, Meditation, and Goodbye Earla guides a meditation after Leigh-Ann's passing and describes the gentle, meaningful way they honored her. (0:26:00) – Grace in Grief: Caring for Yourself While Losing Your Person Earla shares what "giving yourself grace" looked like in real life including rest, boundaries, and self-trust. (0:31:00) – Zines, Creativity, and Finding a Way Forward How small, simple storytelling (zines) became an accessible form of grief processing and a bridge back to hope.   This episode is sponsored by The Surviving Siblings® Connect with Earla:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sibling.grief.buds/ Earla's Book: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0973216239?ref_=pe_93986420_774957520   Connect with Maya: Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/survivingsiblingspodcast/ Maya's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayaroffler/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@survivingsiblingspodcast Twitter: https://x.com/survivingsibpod Website: thesurvivingsiblings.com Facebook Group: The Surviving Siblings Podcast YouTube: The Surviving Siblings Podcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheSurvivingSiblingsPodcast  

Verticillium stripe continues to challenge canola growers across the Prairies, and new research at the University of Manitoba is working to better understand how the disease behaves and how it can be managed. Harmeet Chawla, assistant professor at the University of Manitoba, joins RealAgriculture's Amber Bell for this episode of Canola School, outlining several applied... Read More

Controversy hits the pebbled ice! Dave and Tyler break down the "Double Touch" scandal rocking the Olympic curling world and how both Canadian rinks are handling the heat in Italy. Tyler recaps his own weekend battles at the Bison Cup bonspiel, while the guys preview the "Real Tournament" as the Men's Olympic hockey quarterfinals kick off and "Captain Clutch" Marie-Philip Poulin prepares for a gold medal showdown against the USA. Plus, we look at Pitbull's bizarre bald-cap world record attempt, the return of Daniel Radcliffe to Hot Ones, and why a massive winter storm is about to turn the Prairies into a real-life Olympic venue.

In this episode of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois deliver a wide-ranging discussion that connects Canadian food policy, trade risk, pricing power, and the accelerating role of AI in restaurants. The episode is anchored by a forward-looking interview with Deborah Matteliano Simeoni, Global Head of Restaurants at Amazon Web Services (AWS), recorded live at the NRF Big Show in New York.The first half of the episode focuses on the state of Canadian agriculture and food affordability. Sylvain shares firsthand insights from meetings with farmers across the Prairies, highlighting cautious optimism around renewed beef access to China alongside deep concern about U.S. trade policy and the durability of CUSMA. The hosts debate the federal government's grocery rebate program, questioning its long-term fiscal impact and contrasting it with a structural alternative: removing GST on food and foodservice to address affordability more directly.A key political and policy thread centers on Mark Wiseman, Canada's incoming Ambassador to the United States. Michael and Sylvain discuss Wiseman's previously published criticism of supply management, exploring whether his appointment signals potential pressure on the system during future Canada–U.S. trade negotiations—and whether Ottawa may ultimately position reforms as externally forced rather than domestically driven. The conversation situates supply management within broader competitiveness, trade credibility, and agri-food resilience debates.The hosts also examine PepsiCo's high-profile U.S. snack price reductions, questioning whether the move reflects margin recalibration, competitive signaling, or Super Bowl-era marketing—and why those cuts do not apply to Canada. Additional topics include the quiet disappearance of frozen orange juice concentrate, the continued normalization of food delivery, and why physical restaurants still matter as legitimizing anchors for digital-first and delivery-led food brands.The second half features an in-depth conversation with Deborah Matteliano Simeoni, who reframes AI not as an end goal, but as a tool for solving real restaurant challenges. Drawing on her experience launching Uber Eats and now advising global QSR brands at AWS, she explains how AI is improving drive-through accuracy, enhancing employee satisfaction, and enabling sophisticated personalization within loyalty ecosystems. Deborah emphasizes experimentation, data-driven learning, and customer-centric design as essential to scaling technology responsibly.Lastly we celebrate the Lobster Lady, still fishing at 101, leaving the earth at 103: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/business/virginia-oliver-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.J1A.q_7X.15lWPrsTltE7&smid=url-share About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Visiting Professor in Food Policy and Distribution at McGill University and a Professor in Food Distribution and Policy in the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University.Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. He is one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability with over 775 published peer-reviewed journal articles. Dr. Charlebois is also an editor for the prestigious Trends in Food Science Technology journal. He co-hosts The Food Professor podcast, discussing issues in the food, foodservice, grocery and restaurant industries and which is the most listened Canadian management podcast in Canada. Every year since 2012, he has published the now highly anticipated Canadian Food Price Report, which provides an overview of food price trends for the coming year. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, nationally as well as internationally. He has testified on several occasions before parliamentary committees on food policy-related issues as an expert witness. He has been asked to act as an advisor on food and agricultural policies in many Canadian provinces and other countries.With extensive experience collaborating with businesses, governments, and NGOs, Dr. Charlebois combines academic rigor with practical expertise, making him one of the most influential voices in the global agri-food landscape. His work continues to advance the understanding of food systems, fostering innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry. In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles III medal recognizing his tremendous work in informing Canadians about food issues. Michael LeBlanc is a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and media entrepreneur. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions hosted senior retail executive on-stage in 1:1 interviews worldwide. Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including The Remarkable Retail Podcast, The Voice of Retail, The Food Professor, The FEED powered by Loblaw and the Global eCommerce Leaders podcast. He has been recognized by the National Retail Federation (NRF) as a global Top Retail Voice for 2025 and 2025, and continues to be a ReThink Retail Top Retail Expert for the fifth year in a row.

Managing herbicide resistance on the Prairies increasingly comes down to production decisions made well before the sprayer hits the field, says Dr. Charles Geddes, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, on this episode of RealAgriculture’s Canola School. Geddes says variable spring weather makes early-season weed control a challenge for many growers. Dry conditions can... Read More

The Head Honcho's were BACK for the NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH! Had a heck of a Facebook LIVE, we appreciate all of you that tuned in to the live stream! So what are the new products? CHEAT CODE - Pea emphasis mixMilo - Great for upland and habitatSunflower - Great for upland and habitatJapanese Millet - Now offered in a jug, great for upland and habitatMotherload Micro - Now offered in a jugHall Pass Micro - Now offered in a jug Crimson Clover 1# - Great to add to any blendWinter Pea 1# - Great to add to any blendIndian Grass, Big BlueStem, Little BlueStem - Native Grasses, great for Prairies!Join the DOMAIN NATION! https://www.facebook.com/groups/237376515984184Be catch full episodes of Beers N Bucks check it out wherever you listen to podcasts.https://beersnbucksporcast.buzzsprout.com/More questions, contact us! 715-821-8879info@domainoutdoor.comwww.domainoutdoor.com 

The gang is mostly here as we are joined by Gentleman James Grossi to talk about Jahkeel Marshall-Rutty, Heiner-Møller back with Canada Soccer, TFC training and friendlies, CanPL player movements, League 1 Prairies are now a thing, Cyle Larin to leave Feynoord, NSL signings, and we pick our guest's brains over the state of football, as well as malarkey. In this episode, Mark discovers he's not the badass of the podcast, Kristin struggled again to say nice things about Cyle but succeeded for the most part, and James is collecting Kristin pronunciation blunders for his personal collection.

The American prairie once stretched across Missouri and Illinois, a vast grassland teeming with wildlife and rich biodiversity. Today, less than 1% of that prairie remains — disappearing even faster than the Amazon rainforest. In this encore presentation, environmental journalists Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty discuss how prairies were destroyed, why their loss is one of the world's greatest ecological disasters, and what it will take to bring it back. Hage and Marcotty are authors of the new book, “Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie.”

The Next Generation of Wheat Genetics | #fpgenetics #farming #grain #agriculture  In this product spotlight segment of The Impact Farming Show, we sit down with Chad Yanchycki of FP Genetics to talk about what's driving wheat decisions on the Prairies today and where the next generation of wheat genetics is headed. From proven performers that continue to earn acres to emerging varieties and on-the-ground support for growers, this conversation highlights what truly matters in modern wheat production. Segment Highlights • Why proven varieties still matter Chad shares what growers are saying about trusted performers like AAC Hockley and SY Manness, and how right now, growers are balancing yield stability with market demands and agronomic realities. • The future of wheat genetics on the Prairies We explore what's exciting about newer genetics such as AAC Walsh and AAC Walker VB, and how these varieties signal a shift in what growers can expect from the next generation of wheat. • Field-level support that builds confidence and trust Chad explains why FP Genetics invested in dedicated Eastern and Western Product Specialists, how this added layer of support works alongside agronomists and retail partners, and why being embedded in the field changes how farmers experience, evaluate, and trust new genetics. Why This Matters for Growers This spotlight reinforces a key theme in today's ag landscape: success comes from pairing strong genetics with real-world performance and trusted support. As wheat continues to evolve, growers are looking for varieties and partners that deliver consistency, yield stability, and confidence in every growing season. Thanks for tuning in, Tracy SHOW RESOURCES To explore FP Genetics wheat varieties, connect with their product specialists, or learn more about what's coming next in wheat genetics, visit the FP Genetics website: https://www.fpgenetics.ca ============ ✅ CONNECT With The Impact Farming Show & Farm Marketer

Saskatoon's Katie Tupper has just released her debut album, Greyhound, which reflects on her life, where she comes from, her relationships, and the unhealthy cycles she realized she was caught in. Katie sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us what she learned while making the record and how the Prairies have shaped her sound.

We continue our cross-Canada tour of inspiring gardeners to find out favourite varieties and top crops.Today we chat with Dave Hanson, co-host of The Grow Guide podcast, and owner of Sage Garden Greenhouses in Winnipeg, Manitoba.Dave shares some of his favourite veg varieties. He also talks about top herbs, one of his specialties.Lavender get smoked in a harsh winter? Dave has a suggestion. And if you just can't get enough cucs, hear what he does. ---Join the 5,000+ gardeners in The Food Garden Gang who stay on top of home food-growing ideas with our weekly e-mail. We're making the world a better place one garden at a time!Grab the free e-book: Small-Space Food-Gardening Hacks.Find out more about the Canada Gardener's Journal: It's a gardening journal, gardening log, and garden planner—with an all-Canadian sources list.

#StayClassified with EP373 of the Lacrosse Classified podcast.Week 7 in the NLL produced some amazing action and Week 8 will be no exception. We have a ton to talk about, so lets begin Lax Class!Quarter #1 First up we recap an action packed Week 7 in the NLL. After that, we deliver our RyCor Construction standout players of the week. And finally, we bring you our Goalie Factory Goalie of the week. Quarter #2 Presented by Edge Dynamics, we forward for the Oshawa Firewolves, Tye Kurtz. The Wolves picked up a much needed win on the weekend as they head for the Prairies for a big Week 8 matchup versus the Rush.Quarter #3 We put together an exclusive parlay for the Classmates with our #LaxClassLock of the week presented by Coolbet. SO CLOSE in Week 7. Lets make it happen this week!Quarter #4 Then it's time for #WhoYaGott We announce our our Week 7 winner and make our picks for Week 8. Some tough picks this week! All that and more comes at you every Wednesday over at www.laxedge.ca or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Don't forget to subscribe, give us a review and make sure you give us a follow to stay up to date with the show on Facebook, @LacrosseClassified on IG and on the X @LaxClassPodcast !Lacrosse Classified is brought to you by our great partners. Please support our sponsors and give them a like and a follow! @RyCorConstruction @EdgeDynamicsDigital @CoolBetCanada @GoalieFactory_ @AssociatedLP and @MohawkLacrosseCompany #MakeItStandOut #SharpenYourBrand #StayCoolAndBetResponsibily #AssociatedWithYourBrand #Goaltending

It wasn’t just farmers growing vegetables this year in Canada. According to a study from Dalhousie University, the pandemic inspired a lot of people to grow their own garden. Vanessa Young with the Horticulture and Agriculture Lifelong Learning Programs with the University of Saskatchewan says there was an increased interest in gardening. Part of it she believes is provide food for the family, but it is also a stress reliever. She'll also talk about the different ways you can grow a garden on the prairies.-It is always great to connect with producers who are willing to share stories about their own farming operation. Lonny and Connie Bulmer run Bison River Ranch in northeast Saskatchewan.In addition to raising bison, the couple recently added a rental cabin to their property. I talk to Lonny about their farm and how the addition of the cabin has been a pleasant surprise and welcomed addition to their operation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Palmer amaranth and waterhemp are two weeds that prairie growers may not yet be familiar with, but that may soon change. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Dr. Shaun Sharpe, these two weeds should be on farmers' and agronomists' radar as these invasive species continue their slow push north. Sharpe says in the... Read More

Labour unions to to the streets across Canada today. They're protesting the repeated use of the Canada Labour Code to end labour disruptions in favour of binding arbitration. Unionized workers argue that federal use of that section of the code is unconstitutional.Also: Winter doesn't officially begin until Sunday morning - but decidedly winter weather is plowing into parts of the prairies. Deep cold is a regular part of life in the region, but this year's weather has been a bit much - even for Canada's most hardened winter cities.And: Several high profile Apple executives have left the company in the last few months. Some experts say the departures could have something to do with Apple's failure to take a bite out of AI competition. Plus: Growing demand at pet food banks, Young people gravitating to religion, A Scottish castle in need of millions of dollars worth of repairs, and more.

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The gang is here to recap the #CanWNT v Japan matches, talk about the Inter Toronto rebrand, preview MLS Cup finals of Vancouver v Inter Miami, U-Sports draft, Ollie Bassett, League 1 Prairies, Michael Bradley to Red Bulls, talk some World Cup draws and the usual malarkey. In this episode, Kristin is all about the hoopla, Duncan notices the tie and jacket like a legend and Mark tries to do a Chris Farley impression that barely works.

We may be quickly approaching winter, but Don and John are already looking ahead to spring as they discuss The Prairie Garden 2026, an annual publication dedicated to advancing horticulture on the Prairies. In this episode, Don and John dive into The Prairie Garden 2026: Shaping Spaces. From why you shouldn't plant anything under a tree to how to design a goth garden, this edition offers plenty of inspiration—and makes a perfect gift for any gardener in your life.

  Welcome to the Firearms Insider Gun & Gear Review Podcast episode 602. This episode is brought to you by Primary Arms, Walker Defense, XS Sights, and VZ Grips. In this show we have a bullpup 22 review, we talk about new Prairies, Guardians, Claymore's, and more DS 1911's   As you may know, we showcase […] The post Gun & Gear Review 602 – Rusty’s Red Dots appeared first on Firearms Radio Network.

  Welcome to the Firearms Insider Gun & Gear Review Podcast episode 602. This episode is brought to you by Primary Arms, Walker Defense, XS Sights, and VZ Grips. In this show we have a bullpup 22 review, we talk about new Prairies, Guardians, Claymore's, and more DS 1911's   As you may know, we showcase guns, gear, and anything else you might be interested in. We do our best to evaluate products from an unbiased and honest perspective.   I'm Chad Wallace, host of the most dedicated firearms podcast around With me tonight are: Tony, Rob, Rusty   Sponsor #1: XS Sights   For over 25 years, XS Sights has helped you get on target faster. Offering tritium sights in all different types and styles, low light is no longer an obstacle. Most options come with a brightly colored photoluminescent ring around the tritium. That colored ring makes them work great in the daylight also. XS Sights has sight styles for everyone: Big Dot's, Ghost Rings, Standard Notch and Post, Minimalist, Suppressor Height, all offering tritium options. Available for a plethora of firearms types, from shotguns to handguns, XS sights has you covered for all your low light sighting needs.   Our XS Sights Product of the week is - Colt Python Minimalist night sights   Use Code “GGR20” for 20% off of almost everything at xssights.com   What we did in Firearms:   Announcements: Bandwidth sponsor Patriot Patch Co.  And their Patch of the Month Club! T-shirts are available through our FRN site, or click the “Merch” tab on Firearmsinsider.tv   AFFILIATES / DISCOUNTS: Walker Defense Research - enter “INSIDER15” for 15% off XS Sights - “GGR20” for 20% off Primary Arms VZ Grips - “GUNSANDGEAR15” for 15% off handgun and rifle grips Brownells Gun Guys Garage discount code - “FRN15OFF” LA Police Gear Atibal Optics - enter “FIREARMSINSIDER20” for 20% off 5.11 Tactical PowerTac Lights - enter “GGR” for a real good discount JSD Supply Modern Spartan Systems - “GGR15” for 15% off Rough Cut Holsters - “firearmsinsider” for 20% off Global Ordnance Infinite Defense (Infinity Targets) - “PEW15” for 15% off Guns.com Magpul Palmetto State Armory Unique ARs - “GunGearReview” for 10% off CobraTec Knives - “GGR10” for 10% off Nutrient Survival - “GGR10” for 10% off Gideon Optics - “GGR” or “INSIDER” for 10% off Lone Wolf Arms US Optics - “INSIDER15” for 15% off Camorado - “FIREARMSINSIDER” for 5% off Optics Planet Midway USA Strike Industries North Forest Arms - “GGR” for 10% off Kini SafeAlert - “GGR” for 20% off FoxTrot Mike - “GGR” for 10% off XTech Tactical - “GGR10” for 10% off Die Free Co   ROB - Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual co-hosts and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Firearms Radio Network and/or their employers. This is NOT legal advice, nor should it be considered as such. Viewer discretion is advised. This is especially true on live shows.   Main Topic is sponsored by: VZ Grips    VZ Grips has been manufacturing handgun grips since 2003. With a reputation for quality, consistency & innovation, top tier manufacturers choose VZ grips. They come in a variety of styles, patterns, colors, and are manufactured from proprietary G10, Micarta, Carbon fiber, or polymer. Available with varying degrees of texture, VZ offers a wide range of grips for all different firearm types. Made in the USA, VZ gives you the grip you can count on.   Featured Grip of the week - 1911 VZ Fallout   Coupon code “GUNSANDGEAR15” gets 15% off handgun and rifle grips at vzgrips.com   Main Topic: Product Review Chad - SRU Sruna-22 bullpup   Product Spotlight and Discussion:    Ruger American Gen 2 Prairie MSRP - $729.00   Gideon Guardian 1–6×24 SFP MSRP - $339.99 code GGR for 10% off   Sponsor #3: Walker Defense Research   Walker Defense provides shooters with the finest, most innovative, quality, tactical accessories and firearm components around. From their NILE grip panels to their NERO muzzle brakes, no details are ever left behind. Only top quality materials are used in the manufacturing process. Together, all of this gives you some of the best firearm performance around. Everything they have to offer is proudly made in the USA. Walker Defense, where American ingenuity meets bleeding edge technology.   Our Walker Defense Product of the week is - Titanium BCG   Use code “INSIDER15” FOR 15% OFF everything at walkerdr.com   VKTR Industries VKP DS 1911 MSRP - $3999.99   CobraTec Claymore MSRP - $139.99 code GGR10 for 10% off   Sponsor #4: Primary Arms     Primary Arms seeks to provide the best shopping experience for everything firearms. They have a smorgasbord of products from your favorite manufacturers, including a complete selection of rifles, handguns, firearm parts, ammunition, and shooting gear.   Are you also looking for optics that deliver unbeatable quality without breaking the bank? Primary Arms Optics has you covered with everything from inexpensive red dots, to top tier magnified optics. Everything Primary Arms carries comes with a commitment to superior service, quality products, and an expert support team.    Our Primary Arms product of the week is - Primary Arms GLx 1x MicroPrism with Green Illuminated ACSS Cyclops Reticle   Find everything you need by heading over to PrimaryArms.com Next week: Christmas gift guide   Listener Feedback None   2nd is for Everyone Diversity Shoot Events simonsaystrain on instagram 2nd is for Everyone Facebook 2A4E Web Page   Wrap up: Send questions, comments, or feedback to - gungearreview@gmail.com Remember to Subscribe and Leave us an iTunes Review Be sure to visit the Firearms Insider at www.firearmsinsider.tv Check us out on Facebook, X, and InstaGram @firearmsinsider  Subscribe to our Rumble channel  Please check out all our great sponsors Thank you for listening to the “LARGEST”, pound for pound, podcast on the network We are out

This year's State of Change special produced by Illinois Public Media focuses on prarie preservation and restoration in Illinois.

At the edge of Hudson Bay, the Port of Churchill is being revitalized — reconnecting the Prairies to global markets and strengthening Canada's northern gateway to the world.In this episode of Disruptors: The Canada Project, John Stackhouse speaks with Premier Wab Kinew, Chris Avery of Arctic Gateway Group, and Grant Barkman of Decision Works about how Indigenous ownership, modern rail infrastructure, and drone-powered innovation are reconnecting the Prairies to global markets.As climate shifts open new Arctic passages and global trade routes are redefined, Manitoba is positioning itself as a northern link between the Prairies and the world — redefining how Canada moves goods, builds partnerships, and prepares for the future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brian Kingston, Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association & Flavio Volpe, Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association; Rick White, CEO of Canadian Canola Growers Association; The Front Bench with: Dan Moulton, Laryssa Waler, Tom Mulcair & Laura Stone; Heather Wright, CTV News.

Episode 278 of The Business Development Podcast dives into the explosive rise of Startup TNT with co-founder Tim Lynn, a financial strategist and serial entrepreneur who has helped reshape Western Canada's startup ecosystem. Tim shares his journey from investment banking to building a community-driven angel investing platform that has mobilized millions in capital, empowered new investors, and opened doors for founders across the Prairies. With a unique blend of expertise as a CPA, CFA, and CBV, Tim explains how Startup TNT is lowering barriers to entry for angel investing and creating real momentum for entrepreneurs.In this conversation, Tim breaks down the realities of angel investing — why most startups fail, how to build a diversified portfolio, and why collaboration beats going it alone. He shares powerful lessons from his own entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of growing companies in Alberta, and the opportunities that make Western Canada a force on the global stage. Packed with insights, practical wisdom, and explosive energy, this episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about startups, investing, and the future of entrepreneurship in Canada.Key Takeaways: 1. Most startups fail — 80–90% don't make it, which is why diversification is critical in angel investing.2. A winning portfolio isn't about one bet, it's about 20–40 “shots on goal” to increase the odds of success.3. Angel investing doesn't have to mean $100K+ cheques — pooling $5–10K investments makes it accessible to more people.4. Collaboration beats isolation: Startup TNT thrives by bringing investors, founders, and communities together.5. Investors shouldn't impose their own vision — success comes from backing founders who see the future clearly.6. The role of investors is to champion companies — providing introductions, advice, and resources when asked, not dictating.7. Great companies are built on strong teams — weak team dynamics can derail even the best products.8. Distribution and sales often matter more than the product itself; the best idea isn't enough without reach.9. Alberta and Western Canada have world-class talent and innovation, but need more business and sales expertise to scale.10. Early mistakes and failures are part of the process — both founders and investors grow by “bumping into walls” and learning.

When does comedy become more than a laugh? Ben Mangrum of MIT joins RtB to discuss his new book, The Comedy of Computation: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Obsolescence (Stanford UP, 2025), which in some ways is organized around “the intriguing idea that human knowledge work is our definitive feature and yet the machines we are ourselves made are going to replace us at it.” Comedy has provided a toolbox (Charles Tilly calls them "collective repertoires") for responding to the looming obsolescence of knowledge workers.John's interest in Menippean satire within science fiction leads him to ask about about the sliding meanings of comedy and its pachinko machine capacity; he loves the way Ben uses the word and concept of doubling,; Ben explains how the computer may either queer (in an antisocial way) or get assimilated into romantic heteronormative pairings. John asks about Donna Haraway's 1985 A Cyborg Manifesto and teh way it denaturalizes gender roles and the way new technological affordances (from the Acheulean axe that Malafouris discusses to the Apple watch) redefine human roles. Ben delves into the minstrelsy pre-history of the photo-robots going as far back as the late 19th century. They unpack the distinctively American Leo Marxian optimism of The Machine in the Garden (1964) that spreads back as far as the proto-robots like The Steam Man of the Prairies(1868) and good old Tik-Tok in the Wizard of Oz novels. John asks about double-edged nature of Ben's claim that comic “genericity provides forms for making a computationally mediated social world seem more habitable, even as it also provides Is for criticizing and objecting to that world." First you get description says Ben--and then sometimes critique. John asks about the iterability of the new: how much of what seems new actually New New (in the sense of that great 1999 Michael Lewis book, The New New Thing)? Mentioned in the episode: The Desk Set a play William Marchand and a movie starring Katherine Hepburn. How might a computer be incorporated into the sociability of a couple? Her (Spike Jonze,, 2013) computer meets human makes the rom-com into a coupling machine. WarGames (1983( ends with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy (not Ione Skye—silly John!) paired. But also with Broderick and the formerly deadly computer settling down to “how about a nice game of chess”? Black Mirror as the 2020's version of the same dark satire as the 1950's Twilight Zone. John asks about Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad, and the comic coupling of Kirk and Spock and the death-as-computer comedy of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979). Leo Marx, The Machine in the Garden (1964). Dave Eggers: the joke structure as critique in The Circle and The Every. John Saybrook wrote in the New Yorker about an eye-opening conversation with Bill Gates in 1994. Istvan Csicsery-Ronay's Seven Beauties of Science Fiction on the “fictionalization of everyday life" Recallable Books: Elif Batuman The Idiot (2017) Richard Powers, Plowing the Dark (2000) Sally Rooney, Conversations with Friends (2017) Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

When does comedy become more than a laugh? Ben Mangrum of MIT joins RtB to discuss his new book, The Comedy of Computation: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Obsolescence (Stanford UP, 2025), which in some ways is organized around “the intriguing idea that human knowledge work is our definitive feature and yet the machines we are ourselves made are going to replace us at it.” Comedy has provided a toolbox (Charles Tilly calls them "collective repertoires") for responding to the looming obsolescence of knowledge workers.John's interest in Menippean satire within science fiction leads him to ask about about the sliding meanings of comedy and its pachinko machine capacity; he loves the way Ben uses the word and concept of doubling,; Ben explains how the computer may either queer (in an antisocial way) or get assimilated into romantic heteronormative pairings. John asks about Donna Haraway's 1985 A Cyborg Manifesto and teh way it denaturalizes gender roles and the way new technological affordances (from the Acheulean axe that Malafouris discusses to the Apple watch) redefine human roles. Ben delves into the minstrelsy pre-history of the photo-robots going as far back as the late 19th century. They unpack the distinctively American Leo Marxian optimism of The Machine in the Garden (1964) that spreads back as far as the proto-robots like The Steam Man of the Prairies(1868) and good old Tik-Tok in the Wizard of Oz novels. John asks about double-edged nature of Ben's claim that comic “genericity provides forms for making a computationally mediated social world seem more habitable, even as it also provides Is for criticizing and objecting to that world." First you get description says Ben--and then sometimes critique. John asks about the iterability of the new: how much of what seems new actually New New (in the sense of that great 1999 Michael Lewis book, The New New Thing)? Mentioned in the episode: The Desk Set a play William Marchand and a movie starring Katherine Hepburn. How might a computer be incorporated into the sociability of a couple? Her (Spike Jonze,, 2013) computer meets human makes the rom-com into a coupling machine. WarGames (1983( ends with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy (not Ione Skye—silly John!) paired. But also with Broderick and the formerly deadly computer settling down to “how about a nice game of chess”? Black Mirror as the 2020's version of the same dark satire as the 1950's Twilight Zone. John asks about Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad, and the comic coupling of Kirk and Spock and the death-as-computer comedy of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979). Leo Marx, The Machine in the Garden (1964). Dave Eggers: the joke structure as critique in The Circle and The Every. John Saybrook wrote in the New Yorker about an eye-opening conversation with Bill Gates in 1994. Istvan Csicsery-Ronay's Seven Beauties of Science Fiction on the “fictionalization of everyday life" Recallable Books: Elif Batuman The Idiot (2017) Richard Powers, Plowing the Dark (2000) Sally Rooney, Conversations with Friends (2017) Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When does comedy become more than a laugh? Ben Mangrum of MIT joins RtB to discuss his new book, The Comedy of Computation: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Obsolescence (Stanford UP, 2025), which in some ways is organized around “the intriguing idea that human knowledge work is our definitive feature and yet the machines we are ourselves made are going to replace us at it.” Comedy has provided a toolbox (Charles Tilly calls them "collective repertoires") for responding to the looming obsolescence of knowledge workers.John's interest in Menippean satire within science fiction leads him to ask about about the sliding meanings of comedy and its pachinko machine capacity; he loves the way Ben uses the word and concept of doubling,; Ben explains how the computer may either queer (in an antisocial way) or get assimilated into romantic heteronormative pairings. John asks about Donna Haraway's 1985 A Cyborg Manifesto and teh way it denaturalizes gender roles and the way new technological affordances (from the Acheulean axe that Malafouris discusses to the Apple watch) redefine human roles. Ben delves into the minstrelsy pre-history of the photo-robots going as far back as the late 19th century. They unpack the distinctively American Leo Marxian optimism of The Machine in the Garden (1964) that spreads back as far as the proto-robots like The Steam Man of the Prairies(1868) and good old Tik-Tok in the Wizard of Oz novels. John asks about double-edged nature of Ben's claim that comic “genericity provides forms for making a computationally mediated social world seem more habitable, even as it also provides Is for criticizing and objecting to that world." First you get description says Ben--and then sometimes critique. John asks about the iterability of the new: how much of what seems new actually New New (in the sense of that great 1999 Michael Lewis book, The New New Thing)? Mentioned in the episode: The Desk Set a play William Marchand and a movie starring Katherine Hepburn. How might a computer be incorporated into the sociability of a couple? Her (Spike Jonze,, 2013) computer meets human makes the rom-com into a coupling machine. WarGames (1983( ends with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy (not Ione Skye—silly John!) paired. But also with Broderick and the formerly deadly computer settling down to “how about a nice game of chess”? Black Mirror as the 2020's version of the same dark satire as the 1950's Twilight Zone. John asks about Stanislaw Lem's Cyberiad, and the comic coupling of Kirk and Spock and the death-as-computer comedy of Douglas Adam's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979). Leo Marx, The Machine in the Garden (1964). Dave Eggers: the joke structure as critique in The Circle and The Every. John Saybrook wrote in the New Yorker about an eye-opening conversation with Bill Gates in 1994. Istvan Csicsery-Ronay's Seven Beauties of Science Fiction on the “fictionalization of everyday life" Recallable Books: Elif Batuman The Idiot (2017) Richard Powers, Plowing the Dark (2000) Sally Rooney, Conversations with Friends (2017) Listen and Read here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

What does nitrogen management look like in the Canadian Prairies?   Find out as host Mike Howell sits down with Retired Agronomist, Ray Dowbenko, to explore how nitrogen is lost, managed and applied in Western Canada.   From the primary sources of nitrogen used and how they're applied, to fall application considerations and the value of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, we explore the ins and outs of nitrogen loss and nitrogen management in the North.   Dig into how Canadians prevent nitrogen loss, the increasing value of urea, controlled-release nitrogen products and tips for greater nitrogen management in this exciting episode.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics  

What does nitrogen management look like in the Canadian Prairies?   Find out as host Mike Howell sits down with Retired Agronomist, Ray Dowbenko, to explore how nitrogen is lost, managed and applied in Western Canada.   From the primary sources of nitrogen used and how they're applied, to fall application considerations and the value of enhanced-efficiency fertilizers, we explore the ins and outs of nitrogen loss and nitrogen management in the North.   Dig into how Canadians prevent nitrogen loss, the increasing value of urea, controlled-release nitrogen products and tips for greater nitrogen management in this exciting episode.   Looking for the latest in crop nutrition research? Visit nutrien-ekonomics.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NutrieneKonomics  

The American prairie once stretched across Missouri and Illinois, a vast grassland teeming with wildlife and rich biodiversity. Today, less than 1% of that prairie remains — disappearing even faster than the Amazon rainforest. Environmental journalists Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty discuss how prairies were destroyed, why their loss is one of the world's greatest ecological disasters, and what it will take to bring it back. Hage and Marcotty are authors of the new book, “Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie.”