The Craig Needles Podcast

Episode 261: Transit vs. Housing

With some big planning applications in front of London city council in the next few weeks, there's questions about how people in the city will get around.

Do we have the transit infrastructure in west London to build large residential complexes on Wonderland Road?

Councillor Sam Trosow joins Craig to share his thoughts.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 260: Setting the record straight on the London Public Library

Amid some media sniping between London City Hall and the London Public Library, Craig chats with chief librarian Michael Ciccone about the issues between the two sides.

What's going on with Sunday hours? Will library branches have to close? Is there enough cash to fix leaking ceilings and other issues?

They tackle all those questions and more.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 259: Friday Round Table with Elizabeth Peloza, Scott Collyer and John Fyfe-Millar

It's the first ever Friday Round Table from the Covent Garden Market studio!

Craig welcomes London budget chair Elizabeth Peloza, political insider Scott Collyer and former city councillor John Fyfe-Millar to the new recording space to talk about the issues of the week including questions about transit in west London, exactly how high London buildings should be and what could or should be done about the money being paid to suspended police officers.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by the Covent Garden Market and Downtown London.

Episode 258: London's music scene with Mario Circelli

Ahead of The Forest City London Music Awards, founder and chair Mario Circelli joins Craig on the podcast.

They talk about the awards, London's music culture and what we as a city could be doing better to grow that culture.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 257: Friday Round Table with Steve Lehman, Jeff Preston and Carol Dyck

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig welcomes London city councillor Steve Lehman, disability advocate Dr. Jeff Preston and former Green Party candidate Carol Dyck to the studio to breakdown the issues of the week.

The panel discusses a potential homeless hub location on Wellington Road, the London Public Library's funding, Doug Ford's desire to see 100% of medical school spots in the province go to Ontario students and more.

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by the Covent Garden Market and Downtown London. 

Episode 256: Why did the carbon tax go up?

London North Centre Liberal MP Peter Fragiskatos chats with Craig in the studio about the increase in carbon pricing on April 1st.

Was this the right time to increase a tax as Canadians are dealing with an affordability crisis?

They also discuss the federal government's $1-billion announcement on funding school lunches and whether that should be provincial jurisdiction.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 255: What will the London Transit audit find?

London city councillors are about to order a performance audit of the London Transit Commission.

Routes, systems, executive performance and more will all be under the microscope. How's that going over at the commission? 

Commission chair Stephanie Marentette joins Craig for an honest discussion about whether the system is good enough (it isn't), what the big problem is (underfunding) and whether the LTC is ready to implement bus rapid transit (probably not).

The Craig Needles Podcast is brought to you by the Covent Garden Market and Downtown London. 

Episode 254: Bonnie Crombie on Ford, housing, ODSP and more

On a special Saturday edition of the podcast, Ontario Liberal Party leader bonnie Crombie joins Craig in the studio.

They discuss the upcoming Lambton-Kent-Middlesex by-election, Doug Ford's anti-fourplex takes, the housing crisis, Ontario Works and ODSP rates and more.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by the Covent Garden Market and Downtown London.

Episode 253: Friday Round Table with Steve Cordes, Sarah Browning and A.J. Wray

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined in the studio by Y.O.U. Executive Director Steve Cordes, political insider Sarah Browning and PhD candidate A.J. Wray to breakdown the biggest stories of the week.

They start with Doug Ford's comments on fourplexes in Ontario and how it may run counter to federal Conservative messaging.

Then, they look at the proposed re-brand at the Thames Valley District School Board and what that says about the board's priorities and the proposed London Transit audit and what may come from it.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Episode 252: Time to ban TikTok?

The US is a step closer to banning TikTok.

What will that mean in Canada? And for people who make their living on that site? And is TikTok really any worse than apps like Facebook, Instagram or YouTube?

Craig welcomes Dr. Anabel Quan-Haase, from the Faculty of Media and Information Studies at Western, to the podcast to breakdown those questions and more.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.