The Craig Needles Podcast

Episode 349: Less than a week until election day

The provincial election is less than a week away!

London North Centre Green party candidate Carol Dyck stopped by the studio to talk about the challenges of a winter campaign, what voters are saying at the door and more.

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

Episode 348: Friday Round Table with Shawn Lewis, Cheryl Miller and Jeff Preston

Council changes direction on homelessness, Londoners can't afford rising rents and the provincial election continues - with Doug Ford in Washington.

Craig is joined in the studio by London Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis, former city councillor Cheryl Miller and advocate Dr. Jeff Preston joined Craig at the stuio to discs those stories and more.

What's next for ArkAid and other agencies? How do we slow down rising rents? And will the Premier's trip to Washington impact both the election and tariff talks? Craig and the panel talk about those answers and more.

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

Episode 347: Should Ontario voters be focused on healthcare?

Does the 2025 Ontario election even have a focus?

Lots of talk about tariffs and 'protect Ontario', but we seem to be short of concrete policy so far - at least from the Progressive Conservatives. 

London Health Coalition co-founder Peter Bergmanis joined Craig on the podcast to talk about what the party leaders have been saying so far, what he wants to hear them say and where our healthcare system should be going in the months and years to come.

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

Episode 346: Friday Round Table with Kelly Ziegner, Ryan Gauss and Scott Kitching

The provincial election rolls on and Canada's next Prime Minister may have visited London this week - plus, are people sad about living in the Forest City?

Craig is joined by a panel of United Way Elgin-Middlesex CEO Kelly Ziegner, political insider Ryan Gauss and Blackburn Media News Manager Scott Kitching to discuss those stories and more on this week's Friday Round Table.

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

Episode 345: Grief should be an election issue

Healthcare and poverty are already big election issues. But what ties them both together? Grief.

Advocate Bronagh Morgan joined Craig on the podcast to talk about why she fees navigating grief should be an election issue during the Ontario campaign.

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

Episode 344: Friday Round Table with Kelly Elliott, Scott Collyer and Steve Cordes

Busy week!

We're off and running in the Ontario election, London is fighting for cash to help with homelessness and a city councillor is in the middle of multiple media firestorms.

The Friday Round Table panel of former Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott, political insider Scott Collyer and Y.O.U. Executive Director Steve Cordes to break it all down.

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

Episode 343: Councillor Peter Cuddy explains heated confrontation

A video shared by CTV London shows Ward 3 councillor Peter Cuddy getting very heated when confronted by political strategist Zak Rahim - when Rahim was trying to serve him with a lawsuit.

Cuddy sits down with Craig to explain what happened, how he's trying to make sure it doesn't happen again and the status of the lawsuit.

They also Cuddy being removed from the London Public Library Board and his now-derailed plan to seek the Progressive Conservative nomination in London-Fanshawe. 

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

Episode 342: London is getting a HART Hub

The provincial government (a few hours before calling an election) says that London is getting a HART hub.

The Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment hub - which will be run by CMHA Thames Valley - is scheduled to be open in April. 

How will the hubs work? Who will they help?

CHMA Director for Supportive Housing Dean Astolfi joined Craig on the podcast to explain.

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

 

Episode 341: Friday Round Table with Elizabeth Peloza, Jennifer Dunn and Frances Moore

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined in the studio by City of London budget chair Elizabeth Peloza, London Abused Women's Centre Executive Director Jennifer Dunn and advocate Frances Moore to talk about the week's top stories.

First, it's election season in Ontario! Doug Ford needs a new mandate - so he says - so we're voting on February 27th. Will this backfire?

Then, they look at Mayor Josh Morgan's State of the City address, which included talk of capping the property tax increase in 206 at 5%.

Also, it was very, very cold this week. Did city leaders move quickly enough to setup warming centres?

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

Episode 340: Atrocity

A new documentary about homelessness in London - called Atrocity - is out and there's a screening next week (get tickets here).

The filmmaker is Nigel Stuckey, a retired London Police officer with more than 30 years of experience.

He joined Craig to talk about the documentary, the people dealing with homelessness who he had conversations with and what governments need to do to solve the problem.

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