Wag The Doug

Aug 21 2024 79 ep. 34 mins 1.6k
Wag The Doug Podcast artwork

A monthly podcast grappling with the reality of four more infuriating years with the Fords and what that means for Ontario. Hosted by Allison Smith and Jonathan Goldsbie.

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Doug Ford, Ontario Man

Aug 21 2024 38 mins  
After six years of Doug-wagging, Allison and Jonathan have learned a few things.Like how “Ontario,” as a concept, is even more inscrutable than “Toronto” or “Canada.” And how most disasters are not just foreseeable but have in fact been foreseen.But perhaps most disconcerting of all: that Doug Ford actually knows what he’s doing — or conversely, that he doesn’t ha

The Fifth Annual(ish) Douggie Awards

Jul 17 2024 36 mins  
Live (on tape) from the intersection of Richmond and Spadina, it’s the fifth annual(ish) Douggie Awards, celebrating the most surreal and mendacious moments of the past year in Ford.What was the Most Blatant Conflict of Interest? Who offered the Best Spin? Like the Emmys, we take things that actually aren’t that funny at all and stuff them into comedy categories for your conven

To All the Booze Who’ve Loved Beer Store

Jun 19 2024 39 mins  
Who doesn’t love an ice-cold beer from a bar, a pub, a liquor store… a gas station?There could soon be up to 8,500 new places to buy low-alcohol drinks in Ontario, thanks to a new plan to speed up an agreement between the province and Beer Store. The cost? At least $225 million of taxpayer money.Is this accelerated effort to “modernize” the alcohol market simply a play for

Queen’s Park and Gaza

May 15 2024 38 mins  
When the Speaker decreed that keffiyehs were verboten at Queen’s Park, even Doug Ford agreed that that was a bad call. But that came in the midst of a hotly-contested by-election in the 905 — and now that it’s finished, so is his party’s long nightmare of uncharacteristic open-mindedness.In the eighth month of Israel’s war in/on Gaza, Allison and Jonathan examine how Onta

Introducing Pretendians

May 14 2024 1 mins  
Today we’re sharing with you a preview of the first episode of Canadaland’s newest show Pretendians.What do some of the most prominent and successful Indigenous artists, leaders and thinkers have in common? They aren’t Indigenous.  From major universities, to the halls of power, to Hollywood, there are people claiming to be Indigenous in the interest of power, money

This Sh*t is Banana Cats

Apr 17 2024 38 mins  
The next provincial election is two years away, but to turn on your TVs, you’d think we were in the midst of one. Flush with cash, Doug Ford’s party is taking out ads attempting to cast the premier as cuddly and contrite. Meanwhile, the Ontario NDP is going all in on the weird side of TikTok, churning out videos so assertively surreal as to approach the level of art.This month,

Dougie Went a-Courtin'

Mar 20 2024 45 mins  
Judicial independence is a foundational principle of Canadian democracy. Doug Ford sees it as an obstacle to be overcome. Because if he can’t appoint “like-minded” judges to mercilessly punish criminals, then is it really justice? Why should judges have discretion to… judge?This month, Allison and Jonathan look at the itty-bitty constitutional crisis that Doug Ford has spar

Where the Wildfires Are

Feb 14 2024 51 mins  
At this time of year, we’d normally pine for spring. But nowadays, that means wildfire season. And it’s only a matter of time before British Columbia’s new normal becomes Ontario’s as well — yet we’re not nearly as well-prepared.Doug Ford’s not too big on acknowledging a connection with climate change. But even more surprising is that his government has barely spoken

Journey to the Centre of the Science

Jan 17 2024 35 mins  
Doug Ford plans to uproot the Ontario Science Centre from the iconic Don Mills home it’s occupied since 1969. But what is the Science Centre other than its iconic Don Mills home?On a blustery afternoon, Allison and Jonathan traipse up the DVP to learn whether the dreams of their 90s childhoods are still alive in North York. They say you can’t go home again, but they will sell S

Doug Ford vs. the Mayors

Dec 20 2023 47 mins  
We surmised that Doug Ford would punish Toronto for picking Olivia Chow as its mayor. But if anything, he seems more sympathetic to the city and its issues than before. So what gives?This month, Allison and Jonathan look at the premier’s peculiar relationships with the leaders of Toronto, Brampton, and Mississauga — and how random grudges can animate policies that ultimately af