In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded on July 11, 2025, your hosts are back together! Matt returns from Europe and Jen gets him caught up. First up: a full debrief on this year’s Calgary Stampede. Matt wants to talk breakfast, but Jen wants to talk vibes — and this year, the CPC was a much quieter, more cautious presence than last. Poilievre showed up and got the applause you'd expect from a friendly crowd, but even some Conservatives are starting to quietly admit … Carney’s off to a strong start.

Next, Matt shares what actually made news in Europe: a bit about Trump, some sad headlines out of Texas, but very little from Canada. The biggest political storyline back home? The NDP is hunting for a new leader, and neither Matt nor Jen can think of anyone likely to win.

To wrap up, Matt offers a few unsentimental takeaways from his European trip. No postcard clichés, just a growing unease: even cities with reputations for being gritty are starting to look better — cleaner, safer, more orderly — than some of Canada’s big cities. Are we losing ground without realizing it? Would Canadians ever accept it even if we were?

Oh. And. This is a bit of an aside. But. We discuss why Elizabeth May should not be given a gun. All that, and more, in the latest episode of The Line Podcast. Subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca.

This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Airbnb.

Everyone agrees that Canada needs to take real action to tackle the housing crisis, but only a few people argue that short-term rentals like Airbnb are part of that solution. Countless experts have argued that short term rental regulation is nothing more than a distraction, with the Harvard Business Review recently saying that “Put simply, restricting Airbnb is not going to be an effective tool for solving the housing-affordability problems.” This makes sense when you consider two key statistics: Canada needs 5.8 million homes to reach affordability by 2030, and Airbnb’s account for only 0.6% of Canada’s overall housing stock. The closer you look the clearer it gets that Canada needs bold action that addresses the entire housing market, not just 0.6% of it. Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.

In this week's On The Line, Jen Gerson speaks to journalist and author Paul Palango, whose recent book, Anatomy of a Cover Up, lists shocking allegations about the 2020 Nova Scotia massacre.

This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario.

It's Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 1849. Before court cases and commissions, before Canada was Canada, Métis communities in the Upper Great Lakes wrote petitions. Métis men signed their names beneath a statement to the Crown. They wrote to protect their rights, and their identity. They wrote because they would not be ignored. They were hunters, trappers, fishermen, voyageurs, and War of 1812 veterans. Like their cousins in Red River, who’d petition and resist inthe decades that followed, the Métis in the Upper Great Lakes knew how to use the tools of diplomacy.

To the West, in Batoche, St. Albert, and the Red River, Métis leaders like Louis Riel also wrote to be heard. They too signed their names with pride and called on governments to honour promises. This was how the Métis asserted themselves, again and again, from the Upper Great Lakes to the Rockies.

The Métis built Canada’s first economy, and willand never stop reminding the Crown of its promises.
Learn more at OntarioMétisFacts.com.

During the worst shooting in Canadian history, 22 people were killed in two separate shooting sprees by Gabriel Wortman. Palango has written two books on the subject, and alleges that not only was Wortman likely an informant or agent of the RCMP, but also that the police force acted improperly to prevent crucial details about the shooting from coming to light.

In this episode of The Line Podcast, recorded very early on June 19, your hosts are making the best of a classic summer situation: we're both gone. Jen is off-grid somewhere. Matt is unplugging on another continent. But we didn’t want to leave you hanging — so we figured we’d get ahead of it.

How do we do that when we can’t talk about the news of the day?

We don’t even try!

This episode of The Line Podcast is brought to you by Unsmoke Canada. Canada can be a global leader in reducing the harm caused by smoking, but it requires actionable steps, including giving adult smokers the information they need to choose potentially less harmful alternatives. Learn more at Unsmoke.ca.

That’s right. Unlike our usual episodes, which we record as close as possible to release, this one was done early. We used the time to go back to a fan-favourite format: answering your questions. These all came from our paid subscribers at ReadTheLine.ca. As always, the questions were great — well, except for some of the crazy ones, which we're just going to politely ignore. (But seriously?) As always, we couldn’t get to all of them. But we got through a lot. Including, as video viewers will notice, a power outage. Sigh.

But let's stay focused on the questions. We talk about our careers. The future of The Line, and its origin story. The state of Canadian journalism, and what can and can't be done about it. Canadian politics, American politics, geopolitics. We field some questions that are lighthearted. Others that are deeply personal. Some answers are thoughtful. Some are silly. One or two may result in regret.

But overall, it was fun. Thanks for taking part in this.

Programming note: The Line Podcast and On The Line will be off next week. No episodes on July 1 or July 4. But back after that. And we will be releasing some content at ReadTheLine.ca this week — something new and fun. (Actually fun.) So be sure to subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca and never miss an update.

See you soon, though. And take good care.