The Decibel

Canada and the U.S. share more than July birthdays. Between them is the world’s longest international land border, more than $3 billion in trade daily and they’re longtime partners in defence and security. The relationship is now being tested like few times in its history by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats and tariffs. What do past pivotal moments in Canadian-American relations tell us about what the future holds? 

John Ibbitson, senior fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and retired Globe journalist joins The Decibel to talk about important moments between the neighbours – through wars, civil rights and free trade deals – and where the relationship could be headed next. 

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With July 1 approaching – the formal review date for the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – it has become clear that there will be no 16-year extension of the trade treaty. The USMCA governs trade between the three countries, and Canada receives carveouts for U.S. tariffs on USMCA-compliant goods.

Mark Rendell is The Globe’s economics reporter, and joins the show to talk about how Canada got into a position of entering trade limbo, and what this new reality could look like going forward.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Billions of dollars of illegal wildlife parts get trafficked around the world each year. Think elephant tusks, rhino horns, polar bear pelts and even some rare plants, like wild ginseng. One of the countries caught up in these criminal networks is Canada.

Jenn Thornhill Verma looked into how Canada has become such a hub in the illegal wildlife trade and why the organized crime is flying under the radar. Her reporting is part of The Globe and Mail’s Surfaced series in partnership with the Pulitzer Center’s Ocean Reporting Network.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dating can be rough, but it seems to be especially bad right now. According to Statistics Canada, in the 1980s, 68 per cent of Canadians aged 25 to 29 were in a relationship. In 2021, that number was 39 per cent.

The Globe’s healthy living reporter – and unintended Carrie Bradshaw – Graham Isador points to a few reasons why dating sucks right now: app fatigue, distrust of technology, and affordability. Today, he explains how bigger issues in society spill over into the dating world, and what might help make dating fun again.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canadian businesses don’t have an innovation problem – they have a growth funding problem. Small- and medium-sized businesses often find themselves in what’s known as the ‘valley of death’ – the crucial time when a business is ready to grow, but can’t access the funding they need to get to the next level.

Jameson Berkow reports on capital markets for the Globe. He joins the show to talk about why it’s so hard for Canadian startups to access funding they need to grow, and with a Senate report expected soon, what solutions are being considered.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.