The Decibel

The Alberta government is drawing controversy over electoral politics. They’re being accused of gerrymandering – the practice of redrawing voting districts to boost prospects in elections. Instead of approving a new electoral map provided by a commission, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith voted to appoint a new commission to appoint a panel that will create a new map.

Matthew Scace is a reporter from the Globe’s Calgary bureau. He joins us today to break down what this decision will mean for the Alberta government and why it’s causing such a stir.

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Robotics and drones are now leading the charge in modern warfare, reshaping battlefields in Ukraine and on the Strait of Hormuz. The Canadian military, with renewed funding and targets, is focusing on developing drones – and defence companies want to be part of production and investment.

Pippa Norman covers the defence industry and Canada’s military strategy for The Globe. She explains why unmanned vehicles are gaining popularity with military and government leaders, how its development is meant to reduce reliance on the U.S. and whether military, government and business can adapt to the moment.

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The big sell is on. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has promised to raise $500-billion dollars of private investment over the next five years to reposition Canada as an important player in international business. The goal is to capture billions in foreign investments by selling, in Carney’s words, “what the world wants” – energy, critical minerals and an educated workforce. And a government-led summit this year to bring wealthy investors to Canadian soil will be the site of their biggest sales pitches yet.

James Bradshaw, The Globe’s Institutional Investing reporter, explains why Canada craves foreign investment, how those funds could help the economy and whether Carney and other Canadian leaders can woo billions in business.

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Last week, Ontario introduced new legislation proposing sweeping changes to education in the province – from how school boards are managed, to having attendance make up part of final grades for high school students. This is the latest in a string of changes that serve to centralize oversight over Canada’s largest education system.

The Globe’s education reporter, Dave McGinn, joins the show to talk about why Ontario says it’s introducing these changes, and what parents and teachers want to see going forward.

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For the last year and a half, the talk of construction sites and Bay Street was about a string of violent incidents targeting GFL, the waste management giant, and GIP, its sister construction company. There was suspected arson, vandalism, and executives’ homes were targeted in shootings in both 2024 and this past March. Earlier this month, police made an arrest in connection with the 2024 shootings: Ilan Philosophe, the founder of a competing company, Astro Excavating Inc.

The Globe’s Robyn Doolittle and Tim Kiladze spent the last year and a half reporting on this, including hours speaking with Philosophe before his arrest. Today, they bring us the full story about the shootings, menacing and hostile text messages, and fights over lucrative construction contracts.

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