The Line

Is Separatism Treason?

In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson speaks with Patrick Lennox, author of On Treason, a new book examining the moral and political consequences of betraying one's own country. Their conversation focuses on Alberta's separatist movement, its reported efforts to secure American recognition for a future independent state, and why Lennox believes the movement represents something more troubling than ordinary regional grievance politics. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: is Canada behind on immunotherapy? Canadian researchers continue to be global leaders at discovery research. Where Canada lags behind is in bringing these discoveries from the lab to the patient. While many immunotherapies come to Canada for clinical trial or market authorization, few are based on Canadian research or developed in Canada, meaning we access them when their international sponsors choose, at whatever prices they want to charge –– provided Health Canada approves and the provinces decide to pay. Developing more Canadian discoveries into approved therapies in Canada would help reduce Canada’s dependence on other countries, enable our health systems to learn what it takes to deliver these novel therapies while collecting data to assess their value via early stage clinical trials, and provide patients with much-needed access to advanced therapies. A win-win-win scenario. BioCanRx continues to work with researchers and policymakers to deliver on this mission. Thanks to them for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information and visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. Lennox traces the political developments that brought Alberta to the brink of a separatist referendum, including Bill 54 and changes to the province's citizens' initiative rules. They discuss lower signature thresholds, corporate financing, and the role these changes have played in opening a path to a referendum. Lennox argues that the process reflects deliberate political engineering rather than a spontaneous expression of popular discontent. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Budget season in Ottawa is filled with asks for new programs, new tax measures and new investment. But for Canada’s forest products sector, the biggest opportunity for growth doesn’t require new spending — it requires smarter rules. Regulatory inefficiencies are costing the average Canadian mill an estimated one million dollars a year each. That’s money that could be reinvested in workers, communities, and modernization instead. The Forest Sector Transformation Task Force gave Ottawa a clear playbook. As the federal budget takes shape, the fastest way to unlock private investment is to remove the made-in-Canada barriers standing in the way. Learn more at FPAC.ca. Jen and Lennox also examine the role of unelected separatist organizers, questions of democratic legitimacy, and the possibility of foreign interference. At what point does advocating for independence cross the line into something more serious? And what happens when a domestic political movement seeks support from a foreign government whose interests may be fundamentally opposed to Canada's? This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada’s energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home. If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com. It's a conversation about Alberta separatism, sovereignty, democratic accountability, and why Lennox believes Canadians need to take the threat of treason seriously in an increasingly unstable geopolitical environment. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always, like and subscribe. #OnTheLine #PatrickLennox #OnTreason #AlbertaSeparatism #AlbertaPolitics #CanadaPolitics #Bill54 #ForeignInterference #CanadianSovereignty #Federalism #JenGerson

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Carney tours Alberta ... will the west vote out?

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, Jen Gerson is joined by Andrew Potter to discuss Alberta's looming separation referendum, Canada's increasingly complicated relationship with American politics, and whether Pierre Poilievre has any realistic plan to get the Conservatives back in the game. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: are there better ways to manufacture therapies? A groundbreaking approach that streamlines new therapy production is “closed system manufacturing,” in which a product is made within a single, automated platform without exposing it to the surrounding environment. When properly implemented, this can reduce costs compared to manual production in a clean room and increase patient access –– while still meeting Health Canada’s safety and quality requirements. BioCanRx-funded researchers have already used closed system manufacturing to create therapies for more than 100 clinical trial patients. Last week, BioCanRx convened a meeting at Health Canada that brought together regulators, policymakers, industry and stakeholders to discuss regulatory alignments that could enable many more organizations to deploy these systems. They are now producing a report that will help Canadian decision-makers unlock the promise of advanced therapies for patients across Canada. Thanks to BioCanRx for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. First up, Prime Minister Mark Carney makes his final push in Alberta ahead of the referendum. Is Carney genuinely committed to repairing Alberta's relationship with Confederation, or is this just another political exercise? Jen and Andrew discuss what the Liberals could actually do to address Western grievances and make Canada work better, preferably without reopening the Constitution. There are reforms worth considering, but are Canada's political leaders prepared to make them? This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada’s energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home. If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com. Next, U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra has warned Canadians to stay out of American elections. Your hosts consider whether he's got a point, whether he's being spectacularly hypocritical, or whether both things can be true. Should Canadians learn to use their indoor voices when discussing American politics? Or does staying quiet simply reinforce a double standard in which Washington gets to interfere wherever it likes while everyone else is expected to meekly accept their status as a vassal state? Jen and Andrew discuss where legitimate advocacy ends and foreign interference begins, and how Canada can defend its interests without making every disagreement a partisan or regional fight. This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementers, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. Finally, Pierre Poilievre has a plan for a tariff-free North American auto pact. Would he like some unicorns and aliens to go with it? Jen and Andrew examine the Conservative leader's proposal and the political reality confronting his party. Is there a plausible path back to relevance for the Conservatives? Can they regain momentum and become, at the very least, a functional opposition? Your hosts have some thoughts. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. #TheLinePodcast #AlbertaReferendum #MarkCarney #PierrePoilievre #CanadianPolitics #AlbertaPolitics #CanadaUSRelations #PeteHoekstra #WesternAlienation #ConservativeParty

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Carney's crises — Quebec, Alberta, Trump ... which one will blow up in his lap?

In today’s episode of On The Line, Gregory Jack, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at Ipsos Canada, joins Matt Gurney to discuss the growing list of challenges facing Prime Minister Mark Carney — and, for a change, almost none of them have anything to do with Donald Trump or the United States. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: are there better ways to manufacture therapies? A groundbreaking approach that streamlines new therapy production is "closed system manufacturing," in which a product is made within a single, automated platform without exposing it to the surrounding environment. When properly implemented, this can reduce costs compared to manual production in a clean room and increase patient access –– while still meeting Health Canada’s safety and quality requirements. BioCanRx-funded researchers have already used closed system manufacturing to create therapies for more than 100 clinical trial patients. Last week, BioCanRx convened a meeting at Health Canada that brought together regulators, policymakers, industry and stakeholders to discuss regulatory alignments that could enable many more organizations to deploy these systems. They are now producing a report that will help Canadian decision-makers unlock the promise of advanced therapies for patients across Canada. Thanks to BioCanRx for continuing to partner with The Line to share this information. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. First up: problems in the provinces. Quebec has just elected a separatist government. Carney remains very popular in Quebec, considerably more popular than separation itself, but how will that relationship work? Matt and Greg discuss how Carney and Quebec’s incoming separatist premier might find ways to work together — and where the obvious political fault lines lie. Meanwhile, the situation in Alberta is moving in the opposite direction, with support for separatism apparently falling rapidly and Danielle Smith facing political trouble of her own. Carney is popular there, too, giving him political capital to spend. But should he spend it? And if so, on what? This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Budget season in Ottawa is filled with asks for new programs, new tax measures and new investment. But for Canada’s forest products sector, the biggest opportunity for growth doesn’t require new spending — it requires smarter rules. Regulatory inefficiencies are costing the average Canadian mill an estimated one million dollars a year each. That’s money that could be reinvested in workers, communities, and modernization instead. The Forest Sector Transformation Task Force gave Ottawa a clear playbook. As the federal budget takes shape, the fastest way to unlock private investment is to remove the made-in-Canada barriers standing in the way. Learn more at FPAC.ca. Matt and Greg then turn to the Carney government itself. A recent Globe and Mail article offered an interesting criticism of how the government is operating. Matt read it somewhat differently: as an essentially accurate description of what Carney is doing, but also of why the political and economic legacy left by Justin Trudeau may have given him little choice. Greg offers his take on what Carney is trying to accomplish and how well it is working. Finally: healthcare. Matt and Greg have both written about it recently, and they’re struck by how Canada’s longest-running public-policy debate has somehow faded from political view. Canadians continue to tell pollsters that healthcare is one of their most important concerns. So why aren’t political leaders talking about it? Is there a plan — or have they simply given up? This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada’s energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home. If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe! And we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. #OnTheLine #CanadaPolitics #MarkCarney #GregoryJack #Ipsos #QuebecPolitics #AlbertaPolitics #CanadianHealthcare #QuebecSeparatism #AlbertaSeparatism #Federalism #MattGurney

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Can Alberta Learn to Love the Liberals?

In this episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson speaks with Corey Hogan, Liberal MP for Calgary Confederation, about Alberta’s separatist referendum, the federal government’s changing approach to the province, and whether Ottawa’s newfound enthusiasm for getting major projects built represents a substantive shift or simply a change in political messaging. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This month we’re addressing common questions, like: can I get immunotherapy as a first line treatment for cancer? In Canada, certain immunotherapies are available as first line treatments for specific cancers, but for the majority of cases the standard of care continues to rely on chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Immunotherapies being developed through research supported by organizations like BioCanRx are most commonly available through clinical trials after standard of care treatment options have been exhausted. As more immunotherapies demonstrate safety and efficacy, this will continue to change, so it’s important to study the options for your specific cancer indication. Thanks to BioCanRx for their continued partnership in answering these questions. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. Hogan argues that the referendum itself is only part of the story. The larger question is what happens afterward: does separatism become a durable political force that future Alberta governments have an incentive to keep alive? Or does the current crisis produce a lasting change in the relationship between Alberta and Ottawa? Jen and Hogan discuss what the federal government can realistically do to address western alienation, and where responsibility ultimately rests with Alberta’s own political leadership. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Budget season in Ottawa is filled with asks for new programs, new tax measures and new investment. But for Canada’s forest products sector, the biggest opportunity for growth doesn’t require new spending — it requires smarter rules.Regulatory inefficiencies are costing the average Canadian mill an estimated one million dollars a year each. That’s money that could be reinvested in workers, communities, and modernization instead.The Forest Sector Transformation Task Force gave Ottawa a clear playbook. As the federal budget takes shape, the fastest way to unlock private investment is to remove the made-in-Canada barriers standing in the way.Learn more at FPAC.ca. They also get into the practical obstacles facing the government’s pro-building agenda. That means pipelines, major infrastructure, consultation with First Nations, and the increasingly important question of what Indigenous consent means when governments are trying to move projects forward. Hogan explains why he believes Canada is finally becoming more serious about building things again — and what will have to change for that rhetoric to translate into actual projects. This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Building Canada's energy future means creating jobs for Canadian workers. That's why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating and ready to deliver the power we need. Choosing the AP1000 means a reactor built by Canadians, creating skilled jobs in construction, fabrication and the trades while keeping more investment and economic benefits here at home.If we are serious about creating Canadian jobs and strengthening our economy, the choice is clear.To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com. As always, check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe! And we'll talk to you soon. #OnTheLine #Alberta #AlbertaPolitics #AlbertaSeparatism #CanadaPolitics #CoreyHogan #Federalism #Pipelines #CanadianEnergy #IndigenousConsultation #MajorProjects #JenGerson

Mark Carney, the new ... Stephen Harper?

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on October 2nd, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with the announcement of the new Pacific Link pipeline, unveiled by Prime Minister Mark Carney alongside Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Your hosts are struck by just how much Carney increasingly sounds like a spiritual — and even political — successor to Stephen Harper or Jason Kenney, rather than Justin Trudeau. That also fits with some of what The Line has been hearing about how these various gentlemen view each other. This episode is brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementers, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. The pipeline also gives Canadians something unusually useful: a clear benchmark for judging the Carney government. The “Carney method” has committed to getting the project shovel-ready in just one year. That’s a much easier promise to evaluate than grand plans whose results might not become apparent for a decade. So we’ll be watching. Next, your hosts turn to another speech in Alberta. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre spoke in Edmonton this week about why Alberta should remain in Canada. Jen was impressed by the speech — but also thinks it’s too little, too late. Matt argues that the Conservatives increasingly talk about Alberta staying in Canada the way the Liberals talk about antisemitism: they don’t seem particularly invested in the issue, but they know they need to tick the appropriate boxes so nobody can accuse them of saying nothing. This episode is also brought to you by Cardus. For years, Ayaan Hirsi Ali was one of the most famous atheists in the world. Then she converted to Christianity. Now she argues that faith is the key to renewing Western civilization. Hear her make the case live in Calgary, October 8th, at the 2026 Ian Shugart Lecture, hosted by the think tank Cardus. Get your tickets at Cardus.ca/ayaan. Finally, Matt and Jen venture outside their usual Canadian focus to discuss the case of Christa Pike, the Tennessee woman scheduled to be executed this week after three decades on death row for a horrific murder. The state botched the execution despite warnings that exactly that could happen. Your hosts discuss their own views on capital punishment and wrestle with a larger question: is there a position on the death penalty that could satisfy the public while still respecting the concerns that make so many Canadian elites recoil from it? This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we’re focusing on the “made-in-Canada” part. Unlike other G7 nations, Canada lacks an anchor company and patient capital with pockets deep enough to pay for the lengthy process of bringing drugs to the Canadian market. Not for profits like BioCanRx are stepping in, but if the government decides to inject funding into the pipeline, how can we be sure money is going to projects with a real chance to succeed? Performance monitoring is essential, because if you’re going to fail it’s better to do it quickly. BioCanRx checks on all its funded projects every six months. Advised by a group of international experts, project milestones are tracked and, if necessary, funds can be cut. Government departments won’t have the technical expertise to scrutinize researchers that closely, but by leveraging partners with the necessary expertise they could make sure taxpayer dollars are being invested wisely. Thanks to BioCanRx for continuing to help us tell this story. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe! #TheLinePodcast #MarkCarney #DanielleSmith #PierrePoilievre #PacificLinkPipeline #AlbertaPolitics #CanadianPolitics #StephenHarper #CapitalPunishment #CurrentAffairs

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How (and what) Carney is doing, and what may wreck it for him

In this episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by Stephanie Levitz of The Globe and Mail’s parliamentary bureau to tackle four big questions about life in Ottawa under prime minister Mark Carney. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we're focusing on the "made-in-Canada" part. Unlike other G7 nations, Canada lacks an anchor company and patient capital with pockets deep enough to pay for the lengthy process of bringing drugs to the Canadian market. Not for profits like BioCanRx are stepping in, but if the government decides to inject funding into the pipeline, how can we be sure money is going to projects with a real chance to succeed? Performance monitoring is essential, because if you’re going to fail it’s better to do it quickly. BioCanRx checks on all its funded projects every six months. Advised by a group of international experts, project milestones are tracked and, if necessary, funds can be cut. Government departments won't have the technical expertise to scrutinize researchers that closely, but by leveraging partners with the necessary expertise they could make sure taxpayer dollars are being invested wisely. Thanks to BioCanRx for continuing to help us tell this story. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. First: what is Carney actually doing? Matt and Stephanie look at both his day-to-day activities and the larger mission taking shape around his government. They also dig into the legislative agenda now before the House of Commons, including major economic legislation the government has made a centrepiece of the fall sitting. Can Carney get it done? The opposition may not be able to stop him — but what about divisions within the Liberal caucus? This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Every budget season brings endless ideas for how Ottawa should spend. But some of the best ways to strengthen Canada’s economy don’t require a massive price tag. For Canada’s forest products sector, real growth starts with dismantling made-in-Canada barriers: cutting regulatory duplication, fixing supply chain bottlenecks, securing predictable, cost-competitive access to fibre, and creating more certainty for investment. We can’t control every global challenge facing our industry, but we can remove the barriers created right here at home. Discover how smarter policy drives economic growth at FPAC.ca. Next: what has happened to Parliament itself? After the strange final stretch of the Trudeau era, there’s a new boss in town. Dress codes have changed. The workers are back in their cubicles. And the opposition is still figuring out how to respond (we assume). Who is going to hold Carney accountable when the inevitable screw-ups happen? And why might the answer be … Quebec? This episode is also brought to you by Cardus. For years, Ayaan Hirsi Ali was one of the most famous atheists in the world. Then she converted to Christianity. Now she argues that faith is the key to renewing Western civilization. Hear her make the case live in Calgary, October 8th, at the 2026 Ian Shugart Lecture, hosted by the think tank Cardus. Get your tickets at Cardus.ca/ayaan. Finally, a vibe check. What does Parliament Hill actually feel like these days compared with recent years? Stephanie jokes that she and her colleagues are all having to learn an entirely new line of reporting. They’re all business journalists now. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe. #OnTheLine #CanadaPolitics #MarkCarney #ParliamentHill #Ottawa #LiberalParty #HouseOfCommons #CanadianPolitics #StephanieLevitz #GlobeAndMail #QuebecPolitics #MattGurney

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Elbows up! Carney stops U.S. invasion! (Relax, we're kidding)

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with some news close to home: The Line gets hacked! Well, almost. Luckily, our defences held. Unfortunately, the list of people who might want to hack us is longer than we'd like. We piss a lot of people off. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. Canada is entering a decisive decade for energy, and the nuclear reactor we choose now matters. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns, and we cannot afford to spend years designing a reactor before construction begins. That is why Cameco believes the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada. It is already operating globally and ready now, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. The AP1000 reactor means job creation and supplier contracts, energy security at home, and significant investment staying right here in Canada. A proven design, built on time and on budget. That is how we build Canada. Learn more at ap1000.cameco.com. Then it's on to the main event: Mark Carney goes to New York and talks to American reporters, including about the possibility of a U.S. attack on Canada. Matt is irritated by the reaction back home. The military considering bizarre and unlikely scenarios isn't evidence that the prime minister has lost his mind. It's literally the military's job to think about weird scenarios before they happen. In attacking Carney over this, Matt argues, his critics are really attacking the Canadian military for doing exactly what Canadians pay it to do. This episode is also brought to you by Cardus. For years, Ayaan Hirsi Ali was one of the most famous atheists in the world. Then she converted to Christianity. Now she argues that faith is the key to renewing Western civilization. Hear her make the case live in Calgary, October 8th, at the 2026 Ian Shugart Lecture, hosted by the think tank Cardus. Get your tickets at Cardus.ca/ayaan. Next, Jen provides an update from Alberta, where there is, as usual, a lot going on. She suspects Danielle Smith may be coming a little unhinged. Matt, ever the diplomat, decides to court controversy by asking when so many Albertans turned into Torontonians, terrified of saying anything that might offend somebody. You guys used to be braver than that. Finally, your hosts discuss the horrific attack on a synagogue in Belleville, Ontario, before turning to two media stories they think listeners should know about. And Matt has a question for Jen: is the CBC actively trying to get itself scrapped? This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we’re focusing on the “made-in-Canada” part. One way to leverage existing Canadian government investments in biomanufacturing would be to make it easier for Canadian innovators to develop their discoveries into therapies here in Canada. Aside from organizations like BioCanRx, there are few funding sources for the “translational research” activities necessary to build the significant body of evidence required for clinical trial approval from Health Canada — without which these therapies could never reach patients. If funding mechanisms are created to support translational research in Canada, more Canadian discoveries can generate work for Canada’s biomanufacturing facilities — leading to more sovereign capacity, and more therapies made in Canada for Canadian patients. But how could we make sure new investments aren’t wasted? More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out, but do not hack!, our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe!

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What is Carney doing in Europe?

In this episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson checks in with Greenland and Europe. Canadians seem increasingly open to closer ties with non-U.S. Western allies — but what do those allies think about us? This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we're focusing on the "made-in-Canada" part. One way to leverage existing Canadian government investments in biomanufacturing would be to make it easier for Canadian innovators to develop their discoveries into therapies here in Canada. Aside from organizations like BioCanRx, there are few funding sources for the "translational research" activities necessary to build the significant body of evidence required for clinical trial approval from Health Canada — without which these therapies could never reach patients. If funding mechanisms are created to support translational research in Canada, more Canadian discoveries can generate work for Canada’s biomanufacturing facilities –– leading to more sovereign capacity, and more therapies made in Canada for Canadian patients. But how could we make sure new investments aren’t wasted? More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. First, Markus Bernsen joins Jen to discuss the reported U.S.-Greenland agreement, what remains unknown, and why the negotiations have caused so much anxiety in Greenland and Denmark. They discuss military access, investment, sovereignty, and the damage already done to the Denmark-U.S. relationship. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Every budget season brings endless ideas for how Ottawa should spend. But some of the best ways to strengthen Canada’s economy don’t require a massive price tag. For Canada’s forest products sector, real growth starts with dismantling made-in-Canada barriers: cutting regulatory duplication, fixing supply chain bottlenecks, securing predictable, cost-competitive access to fibre, and creating more certainty for investment. We can’t control every global challenge facing our industry, but we can remove the barriers created right here at home. Discover how smarter policy drives economic growth at FPAC.ca. Then Brussels-based foreign correspondent Jack Parrock joins Jen to discuss Canada’s push for closer ties with the European Union. What would “associate membership” actually mean? How much is substance and how much is symbolism? And could Canada and Europe build deeper links in trade, payments and defence as both reconsider their dependence on the United States? From Greenlandic sovereignty to diplomacy in Strasbourg, it’s a look at how the Western alliance is being reshaped — and where Canada might fit. This episode is also brought to you by Cardus. For years, Ayaan Hirsi Ali was one of the most famous atheists in the world. Then she converted to Christianity. Now she argues that faith is the key to renewing Western civilization. Hear her make the case live in Calgary, October 8th, at the 2026 Ian Shugart Lecture, hosted by the think tank Cardus. Get your tickets at Cardus.ca/ayaan. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always, like and subscribe. Stay tuned Friday for the next episode of The Line Podcast.

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Jealous Trump hates Europe's Carney crush

In the latest episode of The Line Mega Productivity Podcast, recorded on September 18th, 2026, prospective associate EU members Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s trip to the continent. The reception was remarkably warm, as Canada and Europe explore a much closer strategic relationship. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. Canada is entering a decisive decade for energy, and the nuclear reactor we choose now matters. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns, and we cannot afford to spend years designing a reactor before construction begins. That is why Cameco believes the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada. It is already operating globally and ready now, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. The AP1000 reactor means job creation and supplier contracts, energy security at home, and significant investment staying right here in Canada. A proven design, built on time and on budget. That is how we build Canada. Learn more at ap1000.cameco.com. Your hosts discuss the trip, the PMO’s continuing inability to develop a workable communications strategy and the credibility problems that creates. But the most fascinating part may be the American reaction. Donald Trump has now threatened retaliation over Canada’s growing ties with Europe. Matt and Jen wonder: is Washington finally beginning to realize just how badly it may have miscalculated? This episode is also brought to you by Cardus. For years, Ayaan Hirsi Ali was one of the most famous atheists in the world. Then she converted to Christianity. Now she argues that faith is the key to renewing Western civilization. Hear her make the case live in Calgary, October 8th, at the 2026 Ian Shugart Lecture, hosted by the think tank Cardus. Get your tickets at Cardus.ca/ayaan. Next, they turn to the Canada Investment Summit hosted by the prime minister in Toronto. There’s a lot to like about the ambition behind it, your hosts agree — but Canada now has to actually deliver the projects it is promising. And then there’s Stephen Harper. The former Conservative prime minister closed the summit by praising the initiative and arguing that Canada must reduce its reliance on the United States. Jen connects Harper’s remarks to a point Matt made in his column this week and goes considerably further: did Harper just politely drive a stake through the heart of Pierre Poilievre’s political career? Jen thinks so, and says so on the record: it’s over, Tories. Poilievre is never going to win. Move on. Finally, Matt provides a quick update on some increasingly serious warnings from Canada’s European allies about the possibility of Russian attacks against NATO territory. Jen then brings things home with a major update from Alberta, now just one month away from its October 19 referendum. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we’re focusing on the “made-in-Canada” part. Federal and provincial governments have made strong investments in the biomanufacturing sector, but Canada’s drug development ecosystem has contracted over time, and there is not yet enough domestic demand to fully utilize many of these advanced biomanufacturing facilities. This becomes a sovereignty problem. If our biomanufacturing facilities can’t remain in operation, we lose the ability to develop and manufacture homegrown therapies. We wait for therapies developed in other countries to make their way here –– with no control over when that might happen. BioCanRx requires the research projects it funds to work with Canadian facilities whenever possible, which has helped build and sustain networks across Canada –– but there is still a lot of untapped potential. How can we make sure our infrastructure isn’t sitting idle? More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe! #TheLinePodcast #MarkCarney #PierrePoilievre #StephenHarper #CanadianPolitics #CanadaUSRelations #Europe #Russia #AlbertaPolitics #CurrentAffairs

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Can Canada win the trade war? (Maybe!) PLUS: An announcement!

In this episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by Kent Fellows, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, for a conversation about game theory, the trade war, and the challenge of getting Canada’s economy moving again. Plus, a very special guest with a special announcement. See more on that below. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we're focusing on the "made-in-Canada" part.Federal and provincial governments have made strong investments in the biomanufacturing sector, but Canada's drug development ecosystem has contracted over time, and there is not yet enough domestic demand to fully utilize many of these advanced biomanufacturing facilities. This becomes a sovereignty problem. If our biomanufacturing facilities can’t remain in operation, we lose the ability to develop and manufacture homegrown therapies. We wait for therapies developed in other countries to make their way here –– with no control over when that might happen. BioCanRx requires the research projects it funds to work with Canadian facilities whenever possible, which has helped build and sustain networks across Canada –– but there is still a lot of untapped potential. How can we make sure our infrastructure isn’t sitting idle? More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. First, the trade war. Prof. Fellows recently wrote for The Line about what game theory can tell us about the ongoing trade war, and he and Matt dig into the incentives shaping the decisions being made on both sides of the border. The Americans may be behaving rationally if their objective is to maximize their leverage in the short term. But there are costs to that strategy, particularly as other countries begin making long-term decisions based on the assumption that the United States is no longer a reliable economic partner. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Every budget season brings endless ideas for how Ottawa should spend. But some of the best ways to strengthen Canada’s economy don’t require a massive price tag. For Canada’s forest products sector, real growth starts with dismantling made-in-Canada barriers: cutting regulatory duplication, fixing supply chain bottlenecks, securing predictable, cost-competitive access to fibre, and creating more certainty for investment. We can’t control every global challenge facing our industry, but we can remove the barriers created right here at home. Discover how smarter policy drives economic growth at FPAC.ca. Matt and Kent also discuss the upcoming International Investment Summit in Toronto. It’s a good idea: Canada badly needs more investment, greater productivity and stronger economic growth. But attracting investors to a summit is one thing. Convincing them that Canada can actually overcome the regulatory, political and structural obstacles that have discouraged investment in the first place is another. This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Canada is entering a decisive decade for energy, and the nuclear reactor we choose now matters. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns, and we cannot afford to spend years designing a reactor before construction begins. That is why Cameco believes the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada. It is already operating globally and ready now, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. The AP1000 reactor means job creation and supplier contracts, energy security at home, and significant investment staying right here in Canada. A proven design, built on time and on budget. That is how we build Canada. Learn more at ap1000.cameco.com. Then, a special announcement: The Line is growing. Alan Findlay has joined The Line as a reporter and as the first recipient of our Build Canada Fellowship. Over the next year, Alan will be doing fact-based, straight-up investigative reporting into the policy obstacles that are hobbling Canadian productivity and economic growth — digging into what isn’t working, why it isn’t working, and what could be done differently. And he’s hitting the ground running. Alan will be at the prime minister’s investment summit in Toronto this week, reporting on what the government is proposing, what investors are saying, and whether Canada is actually prepared to make the changes required to become a more competitive place to invest, build and grow. The Line is excited to have him aboard — and we’re looking forward to showing you what he finds. You can read more about the fellowship here. Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the team. And as always, like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca. #OnTheLine #CanadaPolitics #TradeWar #CanadaUS #GameTheory #KentFellows #CanadianEconomy #Productivity #Investment #BuildCanada #AlanFindlay #MattGurney

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9/11 at 25, and Carney's excellent drone deal

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on September 11th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin by marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. They reflect on how profoundly America changed after that morning, how the world changed with it, and how the media environment has transformed in the quarter-century since. They also consider how an attack on that scale would be covered today. Their conclusion? Worse. Much worse. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. Canada is entering a decisive decade for energy, and the nuclear reactor we choose now matters. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns, and we cannot afford to spend years designing a reactor before construction begins. That is why Cameco believes the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada. It is already operating globally and ready now, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. The AP1000 reactor means job creation and supplier contracts, energy security at home, and significant investment staying right here in Canada. A proven design, built on time and on budget. That is how we build Canada. Learn more at ap1000.cameco.com. Next, your hosts turn to drones. Canada is partnering with Ukraine as warfare rapidly evolves, and Matt explains why the deal makes a great deal of sense for both countries. Ukraine has extraordinary real-world expertise in drone warfare, while Canada urgently needs to build up its own capabilities. But buying and building drones is the easy part. What exactly is Canada going to do with them? Where will they be stored? How quickly could they be deployed? And under what circumstances might Canada actually use them in, ahem, contingencies? The technology is moving quickly. Canadian defence policy will have to keep up. This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementors, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. Finally, Matt and Jen wrap up with a grab bag of looming problems. The Canada–U.S. trade war has become strangely lower-energy on the American side, and they discuss some of the reasons Washington may be increasingly hobbled in pursuing it. Then there's time for a quick tour through the AI apocalypse and the latest on Alberta's referendum. This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx. We’ve been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we’re focusing on the “made-in-Canada” part. Since 2015 BioCanRx has supported the Canadian-Led Immunotherapies Collaborative, or CLIC, in building a truly Canadian pipeline so Canadian patients don’t have to wait for cancer therapies developed elsewhere to reach a clinical trial here. In the first iteration, genetic engineering happened in labs in Vancouver, a lab in Ottawa created a viral delivery system, and a facility in Victoria modified each patient’s immune cells. The resulting therapy was shipped to a research-intensive hospital where the patient received it. More than 100 patients in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario received treatment. Now the network is growing: new biomanufacturing facilities are preparing to produce cells in Calgary and Ottawa, and new clinical trial sites are being onboarded in other provinces. CLIC technology is being used in three active Canadian clinical trials, with more on the way. So when it comes to producing made-in-Canada cancer immunotherapies, Canada isn’t starting from scratch. Thanks to BioCanRx for continuing to help us share these stories. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe. #TheLinePodcast #September11 #CanadaUSRelations #CanadianPolitics #Ukraine #DroneWarfare #CanadianForces #TradeWar #ArtificialIntelligence #AlbertaPolitics

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No Experience Necessary

In this episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson speaks with Ronnen Harary, co-founder of Spin Master, the Canadian company behind some of the world’s most successful toys and entertainment franchises, including PAW Patrol. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. We've been partnering with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September we're focusing on the "made-in-Canada" part. Since 2015 BioCanRx has supported the Canadian-Led Immunotherapies Collaborative, or CLIC, in building a truly Canadian pipeline so Canadian patients don't have to wait for cancer therapies developed elsewhere to reach a clinical trial here. In the first iteration, genetic engineering happened in labs in Vancouver, a lab in Ottawa created a viral delivery system, and a facility in Victoria modified each patient's immune cells. The resulting therapy was shipped to a research-intensive hospital where the patient received it. More than 100 patients in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario received treatment. Now the network is growing: new biomanufacturing facilities are preparing to produce cells in Calgary and Ottawa, and new clinical trial sites are being onboarded in other provinces. CLIC technology is being used in three active Canadian clinical trials, with more on the way. So when it comes to producing made-in-Canada cancer immunotherapies, Canada isn't starting from scratch. Thanks to BioCanRx for continuing to help us share these stories. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. Harary takes Jen through the early days of Spin Master and the risks that he and his partners were willing to take while they were still young enough — and perhaps naive enough — to take them. They discuss why your twenties can be an unusually valuable time to take big swings, what entrepreneurs can learn from failure, and why intuition and an understanding of history can matter when trying to distinguish a durable trend from the latest industry bubble. The conversation then widens to Canada’s entrepreneurial culture. Harary argues that Canada has enormous creative talent but needs to become more comfortable with ambition, risk and the possibility of failure. He and Jen discuss the difference between building and servicing, the importance of protecting time for deep creative work, and why a successful innovation economy needs diversity not simply of backgrounds, but of ideas, experiences and ways of thinking. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Every budget season brings endless ideas for how Ottawa should spend. But some of the best ways to strengthen Canada’s economy don’t require a massive price tag. For Canada’s forest products sector, real growth starts with dismantling made-in-Canada barriers: cutting regulatory duplication, fixing supply chain bottlenecks, securing predictable, cost-competitive access to fibre, and creating more certainty for investment. We can’t control every global challenge facing our industry, but we can remove the barriers created right here at home. Discover how smarter policy drives economic growth at FPAC.ca. Finally, they look at what Canada could do differently. Harary offers ideas for encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation, attracting and developing talent, and creating a culture in which more Canadians are willing to build companies capable of competing globally. It’s a conversation about toys and business, but also about ambition, creativity, risk and what Canada needs to do if it wants to produce more globally successful companies. This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Canada is entering a decisive decade for energy, and the nuclear reactor we choose now matters. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns, and we cannot afford to spend years designing a reactor before construction begins. That is why Cameco believes the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada. It is already operating globally and ready now, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. The AP1000 reactor means job creation and supplier contracts, energy security at home, and significant investment staying right here in Canada. A proven design, built on time and on budget. That is how we build Canada. Learn more at ap1000.cameco.com. As always visit our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and don't forget to like and subscribe! #OnTheLine #RonnenHarary #SpinMaster #PAWPatrol #Entrepreneurship #CanadianBusiness #Innovation #Canada #Startups #BusinessAdvice #JenGerson

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American Chaos meets Canadian Pride

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, Jen Gerson speaks with Bloomberg senior White House correspondent Josh Wingrove about the collapse of the Canada–U.S. trade deal, the politics behind it, and why Canadians and Americans increasingly seem to be talking past each other. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. Canada is entering a decisive decade for energy, and the nuclear reactor we choose now matters. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns, and we cannot afford to spend years designing a reactor before construction begins. That is why Cameco believes the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada. It is already operating globally and ready now, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. The AP1000 reactor means job creation and supplier contracts, energy security at home, and significant investment staying right here in Canada. A proven design, built on time and on budget. That is how we build Canada. Learn more at ap1000.cameco.com. Jen and Josh unpack the breakdown of the latest negotiations, including the competing Canadian and American accounts of what happened and the domestic political pressures shaping both governments. They discuss what Washington actually wants from Canada, how the dispute looks from inside the United States, and what Canadians may be misunderstanding about the political forces driving American policy. This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementors, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. They then widen the lens to the broader state of U.S. politics: Donald Trump’s hold over the Republican Party, the strength of America’s democratic guardrails, the coming midterms, and where the country may be heading politically. Finally, they consider what all of this means for Canada—and for a bilateral relationship that Canadians can no longer take for granted. This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx. Over the summer we partnered with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September, we want to better understand the “made-in-Canada” part. Many drugs discovered in Canada leave to be developed and commercialized in the United States –– with the benefits accruing there. Completely made-in-Canada immunotherapies are rare because Canada doesn’t have a major domestic pharma company to support the development costs or regulatory requirements. BioCanRx is one of the rare not-for-profits with the capacity and expertise to help move Canadian-discovered and manufactured immunotherapies towards the market, both through translational research funding and regulatory support. Promising examples include several therapies now in clinical trials through the Canadian-Led Immunotherapies Collaborative, or CLIC, which are fully designed and manufactured in Canada to target certain blood cancers and, more recently, solid tumours. More on those next time. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe! #TheLinePodcast #CanadaUSRelations #TradeWar #DonaldTrump #MarkCarney #CanadianPolitics #USPolitics #JoshWingrove #USMidterms #CurrentAffairs

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B.C. goes bonkers. And Canada needs to grow up, fast

In this episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests for conversations about political chaos on the west coast and why Canada may need to start thinking very differently about its maritime security. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. Over the summer we partnered with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx to learn how made-in-Canada immunotherapies offer new ways to beat cancer. This September, we want to better understand the "made-in-Canada" part. Many drugs discovered in Canada leave to be developed and commercialized in the United States –– with the benefits accruing there. Completely made-in-Canada immunotherapies are rare because Canada doesn’t have a major domestic pharma company to support the development costs or regulatory requirements. BioCanRx is one of the rare not-for-profits with the capacity and expertise to help move Canadian-discovered and manufactured immunotherapies towards the market, both through translational research funding and regulatory support. Promising examples include several therapies now in clinical trials through the Canadian-Led Immunotherapies Collaborative, or CLIC, which are fully designed and manufactured in Canada to target certain blood cancers and, more recently, solid tumours. More on those next time. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. First up is Rob Shaw, who has spent more than 18 years covering British Columbia politics and now reports for CHEK News in Victoria. He also hosts the weekly Political Capital podcast and YouTube show, serves as a political correspondent for CBC Radio’s All Points West and Radio West, and contributes columns to Business in Vancouver and BC Business Magazine. Rob joins Matt to try to make sense of the unfolding chaos in B.C. politics, where the provincial Conservative Party is in full-on meltdown and Premier David Eby may have an increasingly tempting opportunity to call a snap election and secure a majority as the trade war heats up. The situation is moving so quickly that news was breaking even as Matt and Rob were recording. God only knows what will have happened by the time you hear this. Things are crazy over there. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Every budget season brings endless ideas for how Ottawa should spend. But some of the best ways to strengthen Canada’s economy don’t require a massive price tag. For Canada’s forest products sector, real growth starts with dismantling made-in-Canada barriers: cutting regulatory duplication, fixing supply chain bottlenecks, securing predictable, cost-competitive access to fibre, and creating more certainty for investment. We can’t control every global challenge facing our industry, but we can remove the barriers created right here at home. Discover how smarter policy drives economic growth at FPAC.ca. Then Matt is joined by Jamie Carroll of Carroll and Co. Consulting. Carroll is a former national director of the federal Liberal Party, but this time he’s not here to talk politics — at least not initially. Instead, the two discuss Carroll’s recent proposal in The Hill Times arguing that Canada needs to grow up, recognize that the rules have changed, and start organizing itself accordingly. His proposal is pragmatic: Canada should find ways to get the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Coast Guard working much more closely together. Matt and Jamie discuss how that could strengthen Canada’s ability to patrol and defend its enormous maritime approaches, make better use of existing resources, and build national capacity at a time when sovereignty and security are no longer abstract concerns. And then, yes, Matt asks him about the politics of it all. This episode is also brought to you by Cameco. Canada is entering a decisive decade for energy, and the nuclear reactor we choose now matters. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns, and we cannot afford to spend years designing a reactor before construction begins. That is why Cameco believes the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada. It is already operating globally and ready now, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. The AP1000 reactor means job creation and supplier contracts, energy security at home, and significant investment staying right here in Canada. A proven design, built on time and on budget. That is how we build Canada. Learn more at ap1000.cameco.com. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, like and subscribe, and take good care. #OnTheLine #BCPolitics #BritishColumbia #BCConservatives #DavidEby #RobShaw #CanadaPolitics #CanadianNavy #CanadianCoastGuard #NationalSecurity #JamieCarroll #MattGurney

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Trade war!

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 28th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with the rapidly escalating Canada-U.S. trade war, which somehow managed to get very stupid, very quickly. Ontario Premier Doug Ford told Donald Trump to kiss his ass; Trump responded by signing an executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America.” Your hosts discuss just how weird this confrontation could get—and whether what we're watching now is merely the opening phase of something much longer and more serious. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com Next, Matt and Jen argue that Canada still needs to get much better at fighting the communications and information war. The United States has recently confronted Chinese influence operations aimed at shaping its domestic politics, which raises an uncomfortable question: how confident should Canadians be that nobody is trying the same thing here? And if information operations are becoming a normal instrument of state power, should Canada be thinking seriously about developing the capacity to play offence as well as defence? This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementers, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. Finally, your hosts turn to a CBC controversy that sounds considerably crazier in the headlines than it actually is. CBC's longstanding journalistic policy is to avoid independently designating particular acts as “terrorism,” preferring to use the term with attribution—a policy shared in various forms by several major international news organizations. But an internal reminder applying that rule to the 9/11 attacks has predictably exploded into a controversy suggesting that Canada's public broadcaster somehow doesn't believe 9/11 was terrorism. Matt and Jen explain why the underlying policy isn't nearly as stupid as it looks—and also why, in this particular case, it's still dumb enough that CBC should fix it. This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx. Through our partnership with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx this summer, we’re talking about potential solutions for the problems that are limiting Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer. Today: new methods for biomanufacturing. Immunotherapies are created using living components –– sometimes even our own cells — so they’re extremely complex and costly to create and deliver to patients. That’s why in the United States, only one in five people who could be treated by a personalized therapy like CAR T can afford to receive it. Fortunately, new manufacturing paradigms have the potential to increase accessibility. Similar to how 3D printers can efficiently produce individual mechanical components, closed-system manufacturing creates immunotherapy drugs in self-contained, benchtop machines that enhance efficiency through automation. This turns many hospitals across Canada into potential manufacturing sites and makes scaling up the delivery of personalized therapies to individual Canadian patients a real possibility. Some new manufacturing technologies can even scale from producing a single patient’s personalized dose to mass-producing doses for 100,000 patients per day — meaning they could mass-produce vaccines during an emergency. BioCanRx is working with federal partners to understand where this technology can fit within our biomanufacturing regulatory structure, and how AI might help. More on that next time. Learn more at BioCanRx.com. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. #TheLinePodcast #CanadaUSRelations #DonaldTrump #DougFord #MarkCarney #TradeWar #ForeignInterference #CBC #CanadianPolitics #CurrentAffairs

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No Religion Allowed in the Canadian Military

In this episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson sits down with Brian Dijkema, president of Cardus Canada, to discuss a new Department of National Defence directive that would move military chaplaincy away from explicit religious language, symbols and prayer in favour of more generic forms of “spiritual reflection.” This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. Through our partnership with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx this summer, we’re talking about potential solutions for the problems that are limiting Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer. Today: new methods for biomanufacturing. Immunotherapies are created using living components –– sometimes even our own cells –– so they're extremely complex and costly to create and deliver to patients. That's why in the United States, only one in five people who could be treated by a personalized therapy like CAR T can afford to receive it. Fortunately, new manufacturing paradigms have the potential to increase accessibility. Similar to how 3D printers can efficiently produce individual mechanical components, closed-system manufacturing creates immunotherapy drugs in self-contained, benchtop machines that enhance efficiency through automation. This turns many hospitals across Canada into potential manufacturing sites and makes scaling up the delivery of personalized therapies to individual Canadian patients a real possibility. Some new manufacturing technologies can even scale from producing a single patient’s personalized dose to mass-producing doses for 100,000 patients per day –– meaning they could mass-produce vaccines during an emergency. BioCanRx is working with federal partners to understand where this technology can fit within our biomanufacturing regulatory structure, and how AI might help. More on that next time. Learn more at BioCanRx.com. Dijkema argues that the change isn’t actually neutral. Instead, he sees it as part of a longer-running bureaucratic effort to reduce the visible role of religion within the Canadian Armed Forces. He and Gerson dig into the philosophical question at the heart of the dispute: is secular humanism really a neutral baseline for a diverse society, or is it itself a worldview that the state risks imposing on everyone else? They also talk about what military chaplains actually do. Dijkema argues that chaplains serve a special purpose. Questions about death, war, morality and meaning are not simply clinical problems, and military personnel should have access to people capable of engaging with them through their own religious traditions. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Canada’s resilience will not be built through diversified trade and good intentions alone. It will be built with strong domestic supply chains, reliable Canadian materials, and industries that invest in workers and communities here at home. Two months ago, the federal government acknowledged the Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report and the practical path it set out. Now the focus must be action. Canada’s forest products sector can help deliver the homes, infrastructure, and economic potential the country needs. But that requires predictable access to manage our forests, transportation systems that work, and a regulatory environment that rewards investment rather than delays it. The direction is clear. Now Ottawa needs to turn recognition into results. Learn more at FPAC.ca. Gerson and Dijkema also examine the directive’s special treatment of Indigenous spiritual practices, which Dijkema argues is both logically inconsistent and ultimately patronizing. His preferred alternative is straightforward: expand the space available to religious and non-religious Canadians alike rather than trying to make everyone conform to a supposedly neutral middle ground. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca, and as always, like and subscribe. #OnTheLine #CanadianForces #MilitaryChaplaincy #ReligiousFreedom #Pluralism #BrianDijkema #Cardus #CanadaPolitics #CanadianMilitary #JenGerson

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If the deal sucks, Carney is in trouble

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 21st, 2026, Matt Gurney joins remotely from Chicago as he makes his way home to Canada after a family event. Sorry, elbows uppers. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com The first segment is, admittedly, a bit of a placeholder. Until there is an actual Canada-U.S. trade deal to read, it's difficult to have firm opinions about it — assuming there even is a deal. Your hosts walk through what's been reported so far and explain why they're reserving judgment until the details are public. That said, Matt highlights one rumoured provision that, if true, would represent a uniquely Canadian style of spectacularly self-inflicted policy failure. For the deeper analysis, look for Sunday's Dispatch. This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementers, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. Next, Matt and Jen examine the early political reaction to both the negotiations themselves and the rumours surrounding the deal. Both were struck by comments this week from Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew. With a combination of clarity and folksy charm, Kinew articulated what your hosts believe is the strongest criticism of Mark Carney's handling of the America file they've heard so far. They're not suggesting Kinew is about to jump into federal politics. He doesn't need to. If someone can make a compelling case that this deal is bad for Canada, Carney could find himself under pressure from both the left and the right. This episode is also brought to you by BioCanRx. Through our partnership with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx this summer, we’re talking about potential solutions for the problems that limit Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer. Today: Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity. A biomanufacturing industry, like any other industry, does not appear at the swipe of a bureaucrat’s pen. Simply allocating money to a new economic development program doesn’t replace the years of effort necessary to help a sector put down lasting roots. Canada already has many building blocks in place. For example, infrastructure developed for pandemic readiness after COVID, and money invested in research facilities across Canada, can be leveraged to give us a head start — but they need to be coordinated and given steady work. BioCanRx supports core Canadian biomanufacturing facilities and connects them with active Canadian research projects, making sure both sides have resources and the chance to gain experience. But more activity is needed to ensure these facilities can build up expertise, maintain readiness, and foster innovation. Building this capacity can position Canada to develop new drugs more quickly — and to be ready for a health emergency, all while delivering products to Canadian patients today. There are promising paradigm shifts on the horizon that could change the way we manufacture biologic products like immunotherapies. More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. Finally, Matt reflects on his recent travels through the United States. There are many ways Canada will never compete directly with America — they're simply bigger and richer. But there are also areas where Canada once had a visible edge and has quietly lost it. Chicago has always had more crime and a higher murder rate than Toronto. That's nothing new. What is new, Matt argues, is that downtown Chicago is now noticeably cleaner and better maintained than downtown Toronto. That's not a consequence of American military power, economic dominance, or Donald Trump. That's a Canadian policy failure. And the really damning part? Downtown Detroit is cleaner than Toronto now, too. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Like and subscribe! #TheLinePodcast #MarkCarney #CanadaUSRelations #TradeDeal #CanadianPolitics #WabKinew #Toronto #Chicago #PoliticalAnalysis #CurrentAffairs

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It's time for Canada to abandon a cherished national myth

In this episode of On The Line, host Matt Gurney is joined by two guests for conversations about service, sacrifice, and Canada’s place in the world. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx. Through our partnership with federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit BioCanRx this summer, we’re talking about potential solutions for the problems that limit Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer. Today: Canada’s biomanufacturing capacity. A biomanufacturing industry, like any other industry, does not appear at the swipe of a bureaucrat’s pen. Simply allocating money to a new economic development program doesn’t replace the years of effort necessary to help a sector put down lasting roots. Canada already has many building blocks in place. For example, infrastructure developed for pandemic readiness after COVID, and money invested in research facilities across Canada, can be leveraged to give us a head start –– but they need to be coordinated and given steady work. BioCanRx supports core Canadian biomanufacturing facilities and connects them with active Canadian research projects, making sure both sides have resources and the chance to gain experience. But more activity is needed to ensure these facilities can build up expertise, maintain readiness, and foster innovation. Building this capacity can position Canada to develop new drugs more quickly –– and to be ready for a health emergency, all while delivering products to Canadian patients today. There are promising paradigm shifts on the horizon that could change the way we manufacture biologic products like immunotherapies. More on that next week. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. First up is Anthony Robb, a 24-year veteran of the Canadian Army who now serves with Canada Company. He joins Matt to discuss the organization’s work strengthening the connection between Canadians and their military, and why that relationship matters more than ever. They also talk about one of Canada Company’s most meaningful initiatives: supporting the children of Canadian Armed Forces members who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country, and ensuring those families know their sacrifices have not been forgotten. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Canada’s resilience will not be built through diversified trade and good intentions alone. It will be built with strong domestic supply chains, reliable Canadian materials, and industries that invest in workers and communities here at home.Two months ago, the federal government acknowledged the Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report and the practical path it set out. Now the focus must be action. Canada’s forest products sector can help deliver the homes, infrastructure, and economic potential the country needs. But that requires predictable access to manage our forests, transportation systems that work, and a regulatory environment that rewards investment rather than delays it. The direction is clear. Now Ottawa needs to turn recognition into results. Learn more at FPAC.ca. Then Matt is joined by Peter Jones, professor of international relations at the University of Ottawa, for a conversation about one of Canada’s most enduring national stories. Canadians often describe their country as a “middle power,” but Jones argues that label hasn’t accurately described Canada for quite some time. If we aren’t a middle power anymore, what are we? And, more importantly, what should we aspire to be in a world that is becoming less stable, more competitive, and increasingly defined by great-power rivalry? For more on the professor's thoughts on this topic, please read his recent essay in The Walrus. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers. To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com. If you like this — or hey, even if you hated it, we don't mind — check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca. Be sure to like and subscribe! #OnTheLine #CanadaCompany #CanadianForces #Veterans #AnthonyRobb #PeterJones #ForeignPolicy #CanadaPolitics #NationalSecurity #MattGurney

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Carney can fight now, or he should surrender

In the latest episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on August 14th, 2026, Matt Gurney and Jen Gerson begin with a lengthy discussion of the state of the Canada–U.S. trade war. This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers.To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com Your hosts are in complete agreement: Canada should not accept a bad deal. A bad deal wouldn't buy lasting peace, they argue — it would simply set the stage for the next round of American demands. In their view, there is no stable middle ground. Canada either resists now or surrenders now. They also examine the unusual political psychology of the Americans currently running the White House, while cautioning listeners not to expect salvation from the Democrats. A future Democratic administration may be less abrasive, but it won't undo the underlying shift in American policy. As Matt puts it, quoting the late Chris Cornell, "Arm yourselves because no one else here will save you." That includes the likes of Gavin Newsom and Chuck Schumer. This episode is also brought to you by Fractional Execs Canada. Need help with a serious business problem? As Canadian businesses grow they often require expert help to solve key business challenges. Fractional Execs Canada have assembled a team of experienced strategists, implementers, sales and marketing operators that can help transform your business into a growth engine. They match you with the right person, or team to move your business forward at a pace your business can manage. Talk to Fractional Execs Canada and discover a better, more collaborative way to take your business and your ‘busyness’ in a better direction. Canadian expertise to support the growth of Canadian businesses. Build your business with those that know how. Find them Fractional-Execs.ca. From there, the hosts turn to Alberta and a fascinating Toronto Star investigation tracking the flow of money supporting the separatist movement. The reporting closely matches what both Line editors had already concluded independently. Jen offers an update from the ground in Alberta, while Matt steps back to consider the national implications. Both arrive at the same frustrating conclusion: it would be helpful if Canada's institutions were capable of recognizing foreign interference when it was happening. Recent history suggests we're not only bad at it — we don't even seem particularly interested in trying. Finally, Matt and Jen close with a friendly disagreement over the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Mark Carney's vacation in Italy. They don't see eye to eye, and by the end of the conversation it's clear Matt is unlikely to invite Jen along on his next European vacation. If you'd like to help fund that hypothetical trip, your hosts suggest the usual: like, subscribe, and donate generously. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx, a federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit. This summer, BioCanRx and The Line have been talking about potential solutions for the problems that are limiting Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer. We ask a lot of Canadian cancer researchers. The work required to discover new therapies for numerous diseases, and get them to patients, costs far more than the half-billion dollars invested in cancer research by all levels of government and charities — and often the available grants specialize in only one part of the spectrum: discovery. We need to be sure we’re supporting researchers at every step of this complex scientific and regulatory process. BioCanRx has proved you can meaningfully support this part. The entire team is only 12 people, but they know what it takes to do things like submit a clinical trial application or safely manufacture a drug, so the researchers they fund are held to firm, realistic standards that make sense in the real world of Canadian health-care systems and industry. That’s how a tiny not-for-profit has helped bring 16 new drugs to clinical trials that have treated more than 400 people in just 10 years. But research is only one part of the puzzle — can we manufacture new therapies in Canada? More on that next time. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. All that and more in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. #TheLinePodcast #MarkCarney #CanadaUSRelations #TradeWar #CanadianPolitics #AlbertaPolitics #ForeignInterference #GavinNewsom #ChuckSchumer #CurrentAffairs

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Is Alberta hurtling toward the edge?

In this episode of On The Line, host Jen Gerson sits down with Jared Wesley and Ken Boessenkool, two members of the Lead Not Leave initiative, for a conversation about the current state of Alberta separatism and the province’s uncertain political future. This episode is brought to you by BioCanRx, a federally-funded Canadian not-for-profit. This summer, BioCanRx and The Line have been talking about potential solutions for the problems that are limiting Canada’s ability to domestically develop new drugs, especially immunotherapies for cancer. We ask a lot of Canadian cancer researchers. The work required to discover new therapies for numerous diseases, and get them to patients, costs far more than the half-billion dollars invested in cancer research by all levels of government and charities –– and often the available grants specialize in only one part of the spectrum: discovery. We need to be sure we're supporting researchers at every step of this complex scientific and regulatory process. BioCanRx has proved you can meaningfully support this part. The entire team is only 12 people, but they know what it takes to do things like submit a clinical trial application or safely manufacture a drug, so the researchers they fund are held to firm, realistic standards that make sense in the real world of Canadian health-care systems and industry. That’s how a tiny not-for-profit has helped bring 16 new drugs to clinical trials that have treated more than 400 people in just 10 years. But research is only one part of the puzzle — can we manufacture new therapies in Canada? More on that next time. Visit BioCanRx.com to learn more. While recent polling has suggested that support for outright separation may be softer than some headlines imply, neither Wesley nor Boessenkool is particularly sanguine about the outcome of the coming referendum campaign. They argue that low turnout and voter suppression could produce a result that overstates support for separatism, creating a misleading picture of where Albertans actually stand. The discussion also examines the changing relationship between Alberta and Ottawa, and whether recent improvements between the provincial and federal governments have meaningfully reduced the political grievances that have fuelled separatist sentiment. They explore the concept of moral hazard in Canadian federalism, the incentives facing provincial leaders, and whether those dynamics are helping—or hurting—the cause of national unity. This episode is also brought to you by the Forest Products Association of Canada. Canada’s resilience will not be built through diversified trade and good intentions alone. It will be built with strong domestic supply chains, reliable Canadian materials, and industries that invest in workers and communities here at home.Two months ago, the federal government acknowledged the Forest Sector Transformation Task Force Report and the practical path it set out. Now the focus must be action. Canada’s forest products sector can help deliver the homes, infrastructure, and economic potential the country needs. But that requires predictable access to manage our forests, transportation systems that work, and a regulatory environment that rewards investment rather than delays it. The direction is clear. Now Ottawa needs to turn recognition into results.Learn more at FPAC.ca. Finally, Gerson asks what happens after the vote. Whatever the result, will the United Conservative Party be able to hold together, or are the internal tensions that have defined Alberta conservatism for years becoming too great to contain? As always, check out our main page at ReadTheLine.ca — and never, ever forget to like and subscribe! This episode is brought to you by Cameco. In nuclear energy, timelines and costs matter. Incomplete designs carry real risk of delays and cost overruns. That’s why the AP1000 reactor is the right choice for Canada: it is already operating today and ready now to deliver the power we need, with 100 percent Canadian ownership and strong participation from Canadian suppliers. If we are serious about building Canada and powering it on time and on budget, the choice is clear. The AP1000 reactor is the only option that delivers.To learn more, visit ap1000.cameco.com. #OnTheLine #Alberta #AlbertaPolitics #Separatism #LeadNotLeave #JaredWesley #KenBoessenkool #CanadaPolitics #JenGerson #TheLinePodcast

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