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It’s a tough time to be a small business owner in Canada. Surviving the pandemic was a massive hurdle in any community, town or city. Now, the stakes seem just as high with the impact of the two week old Canada Post strike, potential tariffs on goods to the US when Donald Trump becomes president, not to mention the upcoming ‘tax holiday’ that many business owners say frankly just isn’t worth the hassle. Dan Kelly, the president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business joins Frisco and Scott to tell us what it all means and how small business owners are bracing for impact. Plus, we’ve solved your flyer problems and take a closer look at a new feature we’re launching.

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A new report says girls are closing the gap with boys when it comes to playing organized sports in Canada. A full 63 per cent of girls are playing sports weekly, compared to 68 per cent of boys, the report found. Although the numbers are up, the study also found there is still “more work to do.” The remaining 37 per cent of girls — nearly four in 10 — are missing out on the benefits of organized sports, a number that rises to five out of 10 by age 16. Joining us on the podcast to break down the stats is Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, the CEO of Canadian Women & Sport. She explains what still needs to be done, and how the emergence of the WNBA and the Women’s Professional Hockey League have played a role in boosting participation. Also on this week’s episode: the official launch of SPACES (and another project now in the works).

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When all is said and done, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour will have grossed over $2.2 billion. Every community on her tour has cashed in the concerts — including Toronto, where Swift is about to open a six-night run at Rogers Centre starting Thursday. Estimates have the economic spinoff for the Big Smoke to be over $280 million, including over $150 million in direct spending. TorontoToday reporter Alex Flood will be at opening night and joins Frisco and Scott on this week’s episode of Inside the Village. Also on the show: some behind the scenes moments from our chat with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. And yes, we have invited the other party leaders to be on our show.

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Talk about good timing. On the heels of a caucus revolt, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau sat down with Frisco and Scott for a wide-ranging interview that was scheduled well in advance of all the political drama this week on Parliament Hill. Asked again if he has any intention of resigning, Trudeau was adamant he isn’t going anywhere. “I am determined to lead this party into the next election because we need to put all our tools together and I am actually really excited about this fight,” he told the podcast. Apart from the big news of the week, Trudeau spent more than 30 minutes answering our questions about immigration levels, public transit, affordable housing, the U.S. presidential election — even Taylor Swift. We also dug into Trudeau’s dismal polling numbers, and why he is still convinced he can turn things around and beat Pierre Poilievre in the next election (whenever that is). In one of the more candid moments of our conversation, the Prime Minister also talked about what it’s like to see his name plastered on all those “F— Trudeau” flags and bumper stickers. Whichever party you support, you’ll want to hear his answer.

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Is it time to give up the dream of homeownership? Amid skyrocketing prices, scarce supply and longer mortgage terms, the goal of owning a home is slipping away from many Canadians — especially young ones. Diana Mok, a professor at the University of Guelph, says it’s time for society to reevaluate whether people need to buy houses at all. She suggests we need to stop putting homeowners on a pedestal and focus on creating cohesive communities, not wealth generators. It’s an interesting perspective — one that Mok discusses on this week’s episode of Inside the Village. Also on the podcast: Queen’s Park Today and Parliament Today join the Village Media family.

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Fighting cancer is hard enough. When the bills pile up, it’s that much worse. Anyone who has been touched by cancer knows it turns your life upside down — forcing people to take time off work, pay travel bills and incur other out-of-pocket expenses. A team from Sudbury’s Health Sciences North Research Institute (HSNRI) is trying to get a better understanding of just how costly cancer can be. This week on Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott are joined by Dr. Stacey Santi, one of the lead researchers, to talk about what prompted the study and what they hope to learn. Also on the podcast: the latest on TorontoToday!

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Internal government data shows that in January, nearly 2,000 patients per day were kept in ‘unconventional spaces’ like hallways and break rooms in Ontario hospitals — the highest number ever recorded. Through a Freedom of Information Request, reporter Aidan Chamandy of The Trillium was able to piece together the current state of hallway health care across the province — a problem that Doug Ford promised to fix, if elected. Chamandy joins Frisco and Scott to break down the data and talk about the reaction to his scoop. Also on the podcast: We’re getting closer and closer to our launches of SPACES and TorontoToday!

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After years of court battles, the federal and provincial governments recently reached a $10-billion settlement with beneficiaries of the Robinson Huron Treaty. Simply put, members of those 21 First Nations in northern Ontario did not see an increase to annual treaty payments for nearly 150 years, even as wealth generated in their territory from mining, forestry and fishing sectors continued to grow. Earlier this month, the settlement money finally started flowing to individual beneficiaries — in many cases, more than $100,000 per person. For Scott Flamand, the payouts represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — and he's been telling anyone who will listen to think hard about where to put all that newfound money. A member of Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, Flamand is a management consultant who specializes in personal finance and on-reserve housing. He joins Scott and Frisco for a fascinating conversation — not just for treaty beneficiaries, but for anyone looking to improve their money management skills. Also on the podcast this week: The countdown continues until we officially launch TorontoToday!

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