272 episodes
COMMONS Canadaland Beyond
-
- Society & Culture
-
-
4.3 • 71 Ratings
-
COMMONS is a documentary podcast that proves Canada is anything but boring. Each season, host Arshy Mann guides you through the country’s dark underbelly, bringing you stories about crime, corruption and all manner of misdeeds.
This season will unmask the ever-present war on workers. And the many, many ways that workers have banded together to fight back against it.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
WORK 12 - The Crucible of Confinement
In 2006, Zakaria Amara was arrested and imprisoned for planning what could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in Canadian history. A ringleader of the so-called “Toronto 18,” he’s one of the most infamous Canadian convicts of the last few decades.
This conversation is the first time he’s ever given an interview to a member of the press.
But this won’t be an episode about the Toronto 18 terror plot. This is about what happened to one of the ringleaders after that plot was foiled. About his many years of incarceration. About the possibility of rehabilitation. And what role, if any, imprisonment and prison labour played in that.
Featured in this episode: Zakaria Amara
To learn more:
The Boy and His Sandcastle: A Journey of Redemption by Zakaria Amara
“The Toronto 18 case still skews our views on ‘radicalization’ and terrorism” by Adnan Khan in The Globe and Mail
“Bomb plot ringleader: ‘I will change…’” by Michael Friscolanti in Maclean’s
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Article
If you value this podcast, please support us. We rely on listeners like you paying for journalism. As a supporter, you’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on Canadaland merch, invites and tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis and you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Come join us now, click the link in your show notes or go to canadaland.com/join
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
WORK 13 - Flying Under the Radar
Mandalena Lewis is one of far too many flight attendants who have been harassed or assaulted on the job. And her story is just one example of a culture of sexism and abuse that she alleges pervades the airline industry.
But it’s not just airlines. So many workers, especially in female-dominated professions like nursing, education or food service, have to endure similar demeaning and violent treatment.
And when they go to their employers, not only are they often ignored. They’re actively silenced.
Featured in this episode: Mandalena Lewis, Julie Macfarlane
To learn more:
“Former WestJet flight attendant hails ‘history making’ decision to allow class action lawsuit” by Jenny Peng in The Toronto Star
“B.C. Court of Appeal certifies former flight attendant's class-action lawsuit against WestJet” by Joel Ballard in CBC News
Notice of Civil Claim in Mandalena Lewis vs WestJet Airlines Ltd. (2016)
“How NDAs silence victims and let perpetrators off the hook” by Julie Macfarlane in Broadview
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network -
WORK 11 - The Way the Music Died
♩♪ A long, long time ago, I can still remember
How the music used to pay my bills
I knew that if I got my break
That I could be as big as Drake
And then I could stop shopping at No Frills ♩♪
♩♪ But Spotify, it’s nearly killed us
Ticketmaster’s ground us to dust
The companies got too large
Now monopolies are in charge ♩♪
♩♪ And the record labels I fear the most
Have all just merged and so now we’re toast
Don’t you think it’s just so gross?
The way, the music, died ♩♪
Featured in this episode: Simon Outhit, Cory Doctorow
To learn more
Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin & Cory Doctorow
“'A public relations nightmare': Ticketmaster recruits pros for secret scalper program” in CBC News by Dave Seglins, Rachel Houlihan & Laura Clementson
“We went undercover as ticket scalpers — and Ticketmaster offered to help us do business” in Toronto Star by Robert Cribb & Marco Chown Oved
“Is Live Music Broken? It’s Not Just Ticketmaster, It’s Everything” in The Ringer by Nate Rogers
A Statement From Live Nation Entertainment
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas,
For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
WORK 10 - Prison Labour Industrial Complex
Acast: WORK 10 - Prison Labour Industrial Complex
Website: WORK #10 - Prison Labour Industrial Complex
Patreon: COMMONS: WORK #10 - Prison Labour Industrial Complex
Supercast: WORK 10 - Prison Labour Industrial Complex
Prison labour is largely invisible in Canada. Most prisoners who work do institutional upkeep, the kind of cleaning, cooking and maintenance that’s required to keep a prison running.
But then there are prison industries. Not only do Canadian prisoners work for for-profit businesses, but they’re sometimes doing dangerous and nauseating work around.
Featured in this episode: Calvin Neufeld
To learn more:
Bloody Bad Business: Report on the Joyceville Institution Abattoir
“Prison farm supporter worries new Kingston farms may exploit prison labour” by Jonna Semple in Global News
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, Pod Save The World
For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
WORK 9 - Working Behind Bars
All labour exists on a spectrum, ranging from enslavement at one pole, to fully, freely given on the other.
And, in Canada, at the most extreme end of that spectrum are prison labourers. Incarcerated people have few rights and fewer options when it comes to their working lives.
If we want to truly understand our criminal justice system and Canadian labour, we need to examine how prisoners work.
Featured in this episode: Jordan House, Asaf Rashid
To learn more:
Solidarity Beyond Bars: Unionizing Prison Labour by Jordan House & Asaf Rashid
“Prison breaking-point: Canada’s jail system is in crisis, and that affects all of us” by Justin Ling in The Globe and Mail
“The case for a prisoners’ union” in Briarpatch by Jordan House & Asaf Rashid
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas
For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Introducing Pretendians
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, and status. There are dozens of outrageous cases of Indigenous identity fraud that we know about, and likely thousands that we do not.
So why do these so-called “Pretendians” do it? How do they pull it off? And what happens when they are exposed?
To hear more follow Pretendians in your podcast app or click here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Customer Reviews
Excellent journalism, lackluster production
This season on corruption features the excellent investigative reporting I’ve come to expect from Canadaland and its affiliated shows, however, elements of the production make Commons an aggravating listening experience. Audio packages and soundbites fluctuate from inaudibly quiet (see: Barack Obama in the first minutes of episode 3; many of the bed music interludes), to in-the-red loud at other moments. In one single segment, around 20:00mins in ep. 3, host Arshy Mann’s voice goes from too-quiet to too-loud with no interlude. It’s a fantastic show, but the listening experience both in headphones and external speakers, is poor.
Wannabe Woke
Trying way to hard to be “woke” and only catering to the racial narrative
Laziest journalism ever
Decent narration but you do an episode on fighting in hockey and you choose to rehash the Derek Boogard story?? I believe this case has been well covered, no? A writer for the NY Times wrote a mediocre book about it that was a bestseller. This is a polarizing and exhaustive topic, and one that deserves to be treated with care.
Instead we get the one story everybody has heard already. I think the topic, and your audience deserves better. Way to phone it in.
Why don’t go out on a limb and cover the Theranos story next episode?