Episodes
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#34 - Kelowna's new city council gets to work
The dust has settled on Kelowna's October 17 municipal election, and the One Foot Off Center panel digs into the results. Host Rick Maddison and panellists Cassidy deVeer, Ron Mattiussi and Scott Lanigan react to content creator Brady Rogers winning a council seat, incumbent Maxine DeHart losing...
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#33 - OFOC and Mayor Tom Dyas
Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas joins the One Foot Off Center panel to make his case for a second term ahead of the October 17 election. Dyas walks through his record: restructured city finances, accelerated road and infrastructure projects, more RCMP, bylaw and fire staff, and a drop in the city's crime...
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#32 - OFOC and Mayoral Candidate: Ron Cannan
Rick and the One Foot Off Center panel sit down with mayoral candidate Ron Cannan, sitting Kelowna city councillor and former MP, for a long-form look at his platform. Cannan makes the case for a “Campus of Care” model to tackle homelessness and addiction, arguing the city needs real treatment…
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#31 - Election Platforms vs. Reality: What City Council Can (and Can't) Do
Rick sits down with former Kelowna city manager Ron Mattiussi and Cassidy deVeer to separate real municipal election promises from empty ones — what city council can and can't actually do. LINKS CMHC (housing videos referenced in the episode): https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/ SPONSORS Soil to Sod...
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#30 - Who should actually sit on Kelowna council? | ForChange Kelowna is back.
The One Foot Off Center podcast panel broke down what ForChange Kelowna should be looking for as it prepares to vet this fall's council candidates. Does it matter what a candidate did before city council? With roughly 80% of council votes tied to housing, how many names on this year's ballot…
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#29 - Should Seniors Lose the Right to Vote?
Should seniors lose the right to vote on decisions they won't be around to live with? Host Rick Maddison is joined by former Kelowna City Manager Ron Mattiussi and CHBA Central Okanagan's Cassidy deVeer to debate age-restricted voting, municipal debt, and why Kelowna keeps falling behind Kamloops...
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#28 - Lakeshore Access?
A boardwalk that's supposed to be public is closed — and it's headed to court. Rick Maddison talks with Cassidy DeVeer (Canadian Home Builders Association) and former Kelowna CAO Ron Mattiussi about the El Dorado dispute: who actually has rights to the lakeshore, how the city has handled fights...
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#27 - DCC reduction?
A podcast focusing on current events and political decisions in Canada and how those decisions might affect everyday Canadians. This episode focuses on the City of Kelowna's proposed 20% reduction in development cost charges (DCCs). One Foot Off Center will be published monthly by Castanet, on...
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#26 - Kelowna’s vacancy rate could mask future economic pain
Kelowna's rental vacancy rate now sits at 6.4%, among the highest in Canada. With provincial and municipal government policy encouraging development of rentals, some see the rising vacancy rate as a sign that housing pressures are easing. At the same time, vacancies at that level traditionally...
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#25 - What's next for Airbnb in Kelowna?
On this week's episode, the panel discusses the impact of potential new Airbnb regulations in Kelowna, highlighting challenges during peak seasons like long weekends and the upcoming Memorial Cup. Scott Lanigan, says his church does hundreds of weddings every year, and the Airbnb rule changes had…
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#24 - Kelowna’s crossroads of safety, jobs and growth
On this week's podcast, the panel discusses the complex issues facing Kelowna as it balances its identity as a resort destination with the realities of a rapidly growing urban centre. The discussion touched on everything from street safety and housing to the urgent need for a more robust local...
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#23 - Did Kelowna's new dog run cost too much?
On this week's episode, the panel discusses dog parks in Kelowna. Specifically, the City park dog run, which had an original, approved budget of $750,000 with an additional $150,000 placed in reserve from a previous project. On Monday, August 25, 2025, council received a request for an additional...
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#22 - Is Kelowna taking a risk with its downtown purchase?
On this week's episode, the panel discusses the City of Kelowna's $27.8 million purchase of land from Westcorp, highlighting the debate over public versus private development. Rick Maddison asks the panel, "if it's such a good deal. Why didn't another developer buy it? Why would the city wade…
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#21 - Discusses the looming federal election
On this episode, the panel discusses the upcoming federal election party leadership and policies. Jeff Cox criticized the Liberal Party's economic record and what he calls the mishandling of the drug epidemic. "I can't support a party that, for 10 years, took the the country in one direction, and...
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#20 - B.C.'s Conservative leadership review
On this week's episode, the panel discusses the BC Conservative leadership review. Maddison says the leadership review appears to be taking a very long time. "I think what we saw was an election that was supposed to go one way. It went another way, and now we're looking at a review. We've had a...
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#19 - Panel discusses the NDP government and healthcare
On this edition of One Foot Off Center the panel discusses the performance of the BC NDP party and the recent challenges with Interior Health, in particular, the closure of Kelowna General Hospital's pediatric department. The CEO of Simply Benefits, Jeff Cox says he was not impressed by the...
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#18 - New leader for BC Conservatives and safe injection sites
On this week's episode, the panel discusses BC Conservative leader John Rustad's tumultuous departure as leader of the party. Scott Lanigan and Jeff Cox analyze Rustad's leadership failures, emphasizing the need for self-awareness and authenticity in leadership. "If I'm a leader, and I'm only...
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#17 - Discusses the federal election results
On this episode, the panel discussed the recent federal election. Jeff Cox emphasized the importance of addressing the concerns of conservative voters. "To me, it was proof that democracy is alive in Canada. You know, votes were up significantly. We're not hindered by conspiracy theories on...
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#16 - Coping with Kelowna's homeless crisis
This month, the panel discussed the controversial cleanup of Kelowna's tent city. Lanigan emphasized the need for viable alternatives for the individuals that will be forced out of the camp each morning. "Where are these individuals going to go? It's fine to say, hey, we don't like tent city or…
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#15 - Kelowna's parking challenges
On this week's episode, the panel discusses development, and parking, in Kelowna. Maddison says there seems to be a run of developments approved in the city that do not have enough on-site parking. "This of course is due to their proximity to transit. However, driving through this city you can...
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#14 - Tackling transit and housing density issues in Kelowna
On this episode, the panel discusses the challenges of balancing transit infrastructure and density in Kelowna. Former Kelowna CAO Ron Mattiussi believes the best way to get more BC Transit routes is to have enough people in an area using the service. "I think in this particular case, they're...
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#13 - Housing affordability and development in Kelowna
Castanet is proud to present One Foot Off Center, a new podcast tackling the big issues facing the Okanagan. Rick Maddison, Ron Mattiussi, Scott Lanigan and Jeff Cox will meet every month to discuss how those issues impact everyday Canadians. Maddison is a well-known entrepreneur in Kelowna and...
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#12 - Discusses fuel mitigation in and around Kelowna, are we at risk?
On this episode, the panel discusses wildfire fuel mitigation around Kelowna. Are we at risk? Despite several start-ups in recent weeks, the Okanagan has been spared from the worst of this year's wildfire season. The panel discusses whether or not the province should be putting the money saved…
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#11 - Discussing the future of Agricultural Land Reserve and wildfires
On this episode, the panel discussed the Agriculture Land Reserve in the Okanagan and the best way to cope with future wildfires. Ron Mattiussi, former Kelowna CAO, says the ALR policies should be revisited, noting most of the policies were created and implemented in the 1970s. "I'm not arguing…
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#10 - Healthcare
Host Rick Maddison talks with Ron Mattuissi, Jeff Cox and Scott Lanigan about healthcare in the Okanagan. With a declining number of physicians and an aging population are we heading for a crisis or are we currently in one? Did we know about it and could we avoid it? What are we doing to right…
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#9 - Homelessness
Host Rick Maddison talks with Ron Mattuissi, Jeff Cox and Scott Lanigan about the spring cleanup of a homeless encampment. The possible perils, and was the City of Kelowna in the right to dismantle these shelters? All sides of the issue are discussed as the panel has varying opinions about the...
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#8 - Tackling Housing Affordability
A podcast focusing on current events and political decisions in Canada and how those decisions might affect everyday Canadians. Hosted by Rick Maddison and Jeff Cox, featuring Scott Lanigan, lead pastor of Trinity Church and Ron Mattiussi, former Kelowna city manager.
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#7 - A spirited discussion on homelessness and pathways forward
In this episode Rick Maddison moderates the discussion on safe supply, and the effects on homelessness on BC. Panel includes: Ron Mattiussi (Former City Manager Kelowna), Scott Lanigan (Former chair of Journey Home), and Jeff Cox (Former board member of Pathways). Lively chat with both right and...
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#6 - Canadian Democracy in Question, Kelowna Response to Pierre Poilievre Homeless Camp Video, Safe Supply Drug Use in Schools, Carbon Tax
Welcome to Episode 6 of our podcast, where we delve into some of the most pressing issues facing Canadian democracy today. In this episode, we discuss the controversial Kelowna response to Pierre Poilievre's homeless camp video, the ongoing debate around safe supply drug use, how it has crept…
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#5 - What You Need to Know about Chinese Influence in Canadian Politics
Welcome to Episode 5 of One Foot Off Center, where we discuss the latest developments in Canadian politics. In this episode, we delve into some of the most pressing issues facing the country today.First on the agenda is gun control in Canada. As the debate over firearm regulation continues to…
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#4 - Climate Plan, Repeat Violent Offenders, Virtual Health Care, Trudeau Vaccine Backtrack
In Episode 4, Rick and Jeff tackle a few topics that have come up for them personally inside their own friend group conversations. One of those topics is the Trudeau backtrack on Vaccine Mandates and how he didn't force anyone to take it. Another topic is how people are growing tired of the...
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#3 - Ethics Commissioner Resigns, Trudeau Foundation Donors, LNG, PSAC Strike
A BIG WIN for the One Foot Off Center Podcast! After talking about how Elon Musk should label The CBC as state-funded media, he did! Obviously, our influence helped Elon make the final decision, so we are going to carry on with a few other topics that we hope to resolve sooner rather than later....
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#2 - Carbon Tax, Bill C-11, Housing Crisis, Bill C-75
In Episode 2, Rick and Jeff unpack a variety of topics. Elon Musk labelling NPR as state-funded media. The hypocrisy of the Liberal Carbon Tax as emissions continue to rise. Clean energy. The liberal's amendment to Bill C-75 and the RCMP exhaustion because of said amendment. How raising the…
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#1 - Political Sectarianism
Host Rick Maddison talks with Jeff Cox about the current state of affairs in Candian Politics. Everything from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling Canadians who don't believe in his views 'flat earthers' to Chinese meddling in Canadian elections.