Carole Taylor's Journal
by Conversations That Matter
A public affairs dialogue that digs deep into the most pressing issues of our times with veteran journalist and politician Carole Taylor. Over the course of her career, Carole has covered the major issues of Canadian and global affairs. Always balanced, always fair, always insightful. Each week Carole uncovers the story behind the headlines.
Episodes
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89 | $10aDay DayCare (w/ Sharon Gregson, $10aDay spokesperson)
On this edition of Journal: daycare. Remember the promises made by Premiers Horgan and Eby, as well as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for $10aDay centres for all British Columbians? Well, here we are. What happened? The facts are pretty discouraging: Roughly, only 10% of BC’s 180,000 available...
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88 | Is British Columbia in the Financial Soup? (w/ Chris Gardner, President and CEO of ICBA)
On this edition of Journal: a look at the state of our provincial economy with Chris Gardner, President and CEO of ICBA (Independent Contractors and Business Association). With the municipal elections finally behind us – an election that some analysts have dubbed the “earthquake election” due to...
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87 | Is it too late to save our cities? (w/ Larry Beasley, former Vancouver city planner)
On this edition of Journal, we take a look at one of the hot issues in our current municipal elections: housing. Part of the controversy comes from the push for more and more density. Top-down planning, not neighbourhood-up. The provincial government has certainly embraced this argument by…
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86 | Putting a Stop to Ageism (w/ Dan Levitt, BC Seniors Advocate)
On this edition of Journal, I’d like to ask if any of these following scenarios sound familiar – and these are just a few of the stories included in a report by British Columbia’s Seniors Advocate called “Reframing Ageing: British Columbians’ Thoughts on Ageism.” Over 9000 individuals…
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85 | British Columbia Politics, Explained (w/ Stewart Prest, University of BC)
On this edition of Journal, I would like to invite you to play a game. It’s called British Columbia Politics. First of all, we had two dominant political parties: the NDP, under David Eby; and the other party, the Conservatives, were under John Rustad’s leadership – until they weren’t. Thinking…
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84 | Metro Van Mess (w/ Mike Hurley, mayor of Burnaby)
On this edition of Journal: What do we do about Metro Vancouver? It is, after all, a major level of governance – responsible for water, sewers, housing, and more in the regional district. It’s important that it functions well and has the trust of the communities it serves. But there have been...
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83 | Divided We Fall (w/ Max Cameron, professor at University of BC)
On this edition of Journal, I would like you to meet a man I have known for a long time: Max Cameron. As a Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at UBC, he co-founded the Institute for Future Legislators. We would often find ourselves on the same panel, not always with the same views,...
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82 | How to be a Super-Ager (w/ Doug Clement, sports medicine researcher)
On this episode of Journal: a look at super-agers. The official definition is someone in their 80s and 90s, with the cognitive ability of someone 20 or 30 years younger. Most of us could come up with the basics of how to live longer besides your genes, of course: exercise, eat well, sleep at…
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81 | Ottawa: What’s Happening? (w/ Mario Canseco, Research Co.)
On this edition of Journal, we take a closer look at the federal political landscape through a pollster’s eyes. The people of Canada elected a minority Liberal government and now – poof – we have a majority government. Are people happy with that? I have always found in my research that polls give...
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80 | What to Do About Men’s Health (w/ Kenton Boston, CEO of Canadian Men’s Health Foundation)
On this edition of Journal, we focus on the challenges facing boys and men in today’s society. We know that more women than men make it to post secondary education. But did you know that men have a 75% greater chance of overdosing on opioids than women? Men are also three times more likely to...
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79 | Seniors are Alone (w/ Dan Levitt)
On this edition of Journal, seniors services. For 11 years, British Columbia’s Seniors Advocate has been measuring the challenges facing our seniors. Sad to say, it’s not a pretty picture. In fact, Dan Levitt, our Seniors Advocate, says when you look at the data, we are actually going backwards –...
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78 | How DRIPA Happened (w/ Mike de Jong, former MLA)
How did DRIPA, the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act – supposedly a step forward in reconciliation – become such a political and legal mess? On this edition of Journal, we speak with a man who was a member of the British Columbia legislature that gave birth to the...
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77 | State of Construction in British Columbia (w/ Chris Gardner, CEO of ICBA)
On this edition of Journal, we ask the question: Why, in a recent front page story, was one expert quoted as saying he was not too concerned about reported job losses in the construction sector? Meanwhile, another in the same article says the current situation in terms of residential construction...
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76 | What’s Happening at the Legislature? (w/ Alec Lazenby, Vancouver Sun)
On this edition of Journal, we lift the curtain on the chaos of the NDP in British Columbia. If you are shaking your head in disbelief at some of the stunning flip-flops and bad policy choices of our current provincial government, you are not alone. Decriminalization: a disastrous policy now...
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75 | State of Forestry in British Columbia (w/ Shannon Janzen)
On this edition of Journal: a closer look at the recently released forestry report that says we have to abandon the old ways of managing our forests because the status quo is not working. That statement won’t be a surprise to anyone touched by this industry, be it municipalities, First Nations…
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74 | Less Ribbon-Cutting, More Action (w/ Brad West, Port Coquitlam mayor)
On this edition of Journal, mayor Brad West of Port Coquitlam walks us through some of the failures we are seeing in our governments at all levels and some of the solutions. Brought up by his mother after his father died, Brad remembers the importance to the family when she finally got a union…
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73 | Help From Above (w/ Owen Sitnam, Helicopters Without Borders)
On this edition of Journal, we open our eyes to the challenges and needs of those living in some of British Columbia’s most remote communities. We have highlighted the crisis in healthcare that many of our cities face every time their local ER is unexpectedly closed, or the maternity ward, or the...
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72 | Supporting Arts in the City (w/ Christopher Gaze, Bard on the Beach)
On this edition of Journal: the role arts and culture play in our lives. My premise is they are essential to a vibrant community. They lift us up out of our daily worries. They help form our identity. Think of New York: Broadway. Think of Paris: galleries. Italy: opera. So, why are they…
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71 | Protecting Vancouver (w/ Steve Rai, Chief Constable, Vancouver Police)
On this edition of Journal, Chief Constable Steve Rai. It’s almost a year since he was chosen to lead the Vancouver Police Department into the future – the first South Asian Chief for the VPD. His story is so interesting: born in Punjab, India, he came with his family to Canada at age 5. A boy…
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70 | Musqueam: What Does it Mean? (w/ Thomas Isaac, Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP)
On this edition of Journal, we try to untangle the evermore confusing issues surrounding aboriginal title in British Columbia and what it means for private property owners. My head is spinning with all the contradictory information that is out there. Private property is not affected, says our...
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69 | The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Governing Metro Vancouver (w/ Mike Hurley, Chair Metro Vancouver)
On this edition of Journal, a subject that is near and dear to me – governance. I know, I know. Your heart is beating faster at just the thought of this topic, but bear with me. If you are a government or a nonprofit or a business of any size, if you get the governance right, then you are on your...
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68 | Death By a Thousand Taxes (w/ David Williams, VP Policy at Business Council of BC)
On this edition of Journal, we join the chorus of voices repudiating British Columbia’s new budget. To be charitable, Premier Eby is having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day (to borrow from a children’s book). Even before the actual numbers were released, one headline from Business in...
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67 | Electricity for All? (w/ Barry Penner, Energy Futures Institute)
On this edition of Journal, we examine one of the received truths in British Columbia: that one of our economic advantages is that BC offers businesses and industry a plentiful supply of hydroelectric energy at reasonable cost. What could be a better pitch? It is clean energy to run your...
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66 | Canada as a Breadbasket (w/ Dr. Lenore Newman, University of the Fraser Valley)
On this episode of Journal: an examination of the worrisome new expansion of what it means when we talk about food security. In the good old days – actually only 9 months ago – when Journal last spoke with Lenore Newman, one of Canada’s top experts in this field, much of the focus was on the...
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65 | Paramedics’ Emergency Call (w/ Ian Tait, Communications Director, Ambulance Paramedics of BC)
On this edition of Journal, we take a closer look at one piece of our health care system that doesn’t usually get much attention, even though we see them working on our streets all the time: paramedics. We hear about doctor shortages and nurse shortages, but did you know we have a paramedic...
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64 | Decriminalization: Where to go from here (w/ Julian Somers, Simon Fraser University)
On this edition of Journal; an opportunity to look back at British Columbia’s failed experiment of decriminalization – and look forward to what might come next. Dr. Julian Somers, a clinical psychologist and distinguished professor at Simon Fraser University, was one of the first voices to speak…
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63 | Downtown Eastside is Dying (w/ Clint Mahlman, CEO of London Drugs)
On this edition of Journal, we look at the sad Vancouver tale of the rise and fall of Woodward’s on Hastings Street. Built in 1903, the Woodward’s building was the place to be in Vancouver – a one-stop department store famous for its renowned food floor. Glory days. But few things stay the same...
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62 | Complications for reconciliation in British Columbia (w/ Thomas Isaac, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP)
On this edition of Journal: another hitch in the plan for a smooth path to reconciliation in British Columbia. First, we had the BC government’s introduction of the Land Act, which unsettled many of its assertions of co-management with First Nations of all the Crown land in the province. The Act...
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61 | To Dream the Impossible Dream (w/ Beau Jarvis, Wesgroup Properties)
On this edition of Journal, we try to make sense of the mish-mash of housing initiatives coming at us from all directions – federal, provincial, and municipal governments. Two things seem obvious. First, no one is coordinating these various programs, since some of them overlap and some even...
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60 | There Goes the Neighbourhood (w/ Larry Beasley, City of Vancouver urban planner)
On this edition of Journal, we examine what is happening to the City of Vancouver – and what can be done, if anything, to turn this situation around. When I was a councillor in the late eighties, I remember one example of how neighbourhood planning was done in those days: on the street, not in...
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59 | Turmoil on the Right in British Columbia Politics (w/ Stewart Prest, University of BC)
On this edition of Journal: What has happened to the centre-right coalition that ran British Columbia for so many years, under various names (SoCreds, BC Liberals, etc.)? The latest iteration was cobbled together just before the last provincial election when John Rustad, who had been kicked off…
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58 | Is British Columbia’s Healthcare on Life Support? (w/ Dr. Brian Day)
On this edition of Journal: healthcare. How can we ever have a meaningful discussion on how to improve healthcare delivery in Canada when we aren’t even allowed to ask the question? Medicare is perfect – until it isn’t. Tangentially, this reminds me of the President Biden situation, when all his...
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57 | Seniors in Poverty (w/ Dan Levitt, British Columbia’s Senior’s Advocate)
On this edition of Journal: the complexities and needs of our aging population. I’m a baby boomer and to this day, I am astounded that institutions never saw us coming. With at least five years’ warning before this population boom hit the school system, it seemed to be a surprise when we all...
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56 | A Big Bold Brazen Budget Deficit (w/ Jock Finlayson, ICBA Chief Economist)
On this edition of Journal: an in-depth look at the recent federal budget with one of Canada’s top economists, Jock Finlayson. You know, a lot has changed recently in how budget information is released. It used to be considered a major failure if anything was leaked before the minister stood up…
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55 | Disorder on Our Streets (w/ John Clerides, Marquis Wine)
On this edition of Journal, we examine the issue of retail crime and street disorder, and how they are changing the cities we live in. Last year, Caren McSherry, owner of the Gourmet Warehouse on East Hastings, told her story of how retail crime and intimidation is making her reconsider her...
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54 | A Return to Common Sense (w/ Mayor Brad West, City of Port Coquitlam)
On this edition of Journal, we look at what is happening in our economy. It is a tumultuous time, quite apart from tariffs. Housing prices, while falling, are still unaffordable for many. Real estate companies have been forced to lay off long time employees. Forestry companies are in big trouble....
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53 | Is it a Buyer’s Market? (w/ Ryan Berlin, rennie Intelligence)
On this edition of Journal, we try to find truth amidst all of the contradictory data and headlines on housing. Not long ago, there was one newspaper story lamenting the disastrous state of residential construction and another story (the very same day) saying things were looking up. And then, the...
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52 | Remarkable Leadership (w/ Crystal Smith, Past Chief of Haisla Nation)
On this edition of Journal, we talk with a woman who embodies the gold standard of leadership. What does it take to be a great leader? Crystal Smith, Chief Counsellor of the Haisla Nation from 2016 to 2025, was a major public voice supporting LNG Canada in Kitimat, at a time when opposition was...
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51 | Unreliable Rural Health Care (w/ Paul Adams)
On this edition of Journal, we focus on the rural-urban divide in healthcare. Mayor Goetz has spoken movingly about the stress in his community of Merritt caused by the intermittent and unpredictable closings of his hospital’s ER. What do you do when your emergency department is closed and the…
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50 | EV Mandates: A Good Idea? (w/ Barry Penner, Energy Futures Institute)
On this edition of Journal, we look at the looming deadlines for mandatory electric car sales in both our province and in the country as a whole. One headline reads, “Feds on track to eliminate gas cars by 2035” – but are they? That’s only ten years from now – no gas cars being sold? Besides…
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49 | British Columbia’s Budget Dodge (w/ David Williams, Business Council of BC economist)
On this edition of Journal, we take a close look at British Columbia’s recent budget update – and try not to rant in frustration. It is bad news: a deficit of $11.6 billion, the largest in our history. And it would have been much worse except that the government chose to include revenues of $2.7...
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48 | Whose Land is it? (w/ Thomas Isaac, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP)
On this edition of Journal: another look at the growing tension between aboriginal title and individual property rights. This issue was brought to the fore by the NDP government’s introduction of the Land Act just before the last election. It was a bit of a bombshell, as it indicated that First...
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47 | Vancouver’s New Chief of Police (w/ Steve Rai, Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Department)
On this edition of Journal we take a look at one of the most challenging jobs in society: policing. Think about it. You take an oath to serve and protect others, even if it means putting your own life on the line. Long gone are the days of peaceful protests, putting the bad guys in jail – and...
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46 | Oh, To Be a Mayor in BC! (w/ Mike Hurley, mayor of Burnaby)
On this edition of Journal, we examine two public policy initiatives that are turning the governing of our province upside down. Mayor Mike Hurley is directly affected in his 2 roles: first as Chair of the Metro Vancouver Board and second as mayor of Burnaby. First, an independent report looking…
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45 | British Columbia: Food Production Superpower? (w/ Lenore Newman)
On this edition of Journal, a look at our food industry and how it is affected by the US President’s on-again, off-again, and maybe on-again tariff threats. Prime Minister Carney has said our relationship with the United States will never be the same again as a result of this major politically...
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44 | Indigenous Ingenuity (w/ Derek Epp, Chief, Ch’íyáqtel First Nation)
On this edition of Journal, we examine economic reconciliation in action – and not just in theory. Derek Epp is Chief of the Ch’íyáqtel First Nations, one of 9 First Nations in the Chilliwack area. What they have managed to achieve is remarkable. The Conference Board of Canada has done reports...
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43 | Untangling TransLink (w/ Brad West, mayor of Port Coquitlam)
On this episode of Journal, we try to untangle the complicated, twisted world of transit. I think most would agree that good transit makes for a liveable city or region and also helps with affordability. So when Translink announced that by June of this year, they would be running a $600 million...
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42 | Democracy at Risk (w/ Stewart Prest, UBC Political Science)
On this edition of Journal: in the midst of political turmoil on all fronts, we take a look at how democracy is holding up as a governance construct. Too often, the phrase thrown at political adversaries is that you or your party are a threat to democracy – overused, in my opinion. As Paul Wells...
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41 | Election Post-Mortem (w/ Rob Shaw, CHEK-TV)
On this edition of Journal: a postmortem on our federal election. Wow, what a ride! What started out as an expected pounding of then-prime minister Justin Trudeau by the Conservative Party under Pierre Poilievre ended up with a Liberal Party win for political novice Mark Carney, our new prime...
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40 | Who Has Our Back? (w/ Elenore Sturko)
On this edition of Journal, we look at how we can’t avoid the escalation in violence against police in British Columbia – police who take an oath to serve and protect us, no matter the cost to themselves. In just the last 3 months, there have been 35 assaults on Vancouver police officers. In one...
About this show
A public affairs dialogue that digs deep into the most pressing issues of our times with veteran journalist and politician Carole Taylor.
Over the course of her career, Carole has covered the major issues of Canadian and global affairs. Always balanced, always fair, always insightful.
Each week Carole uncovers the story behind the headlines.
Hosted by
Conversations That Matter
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