The Craig Needles Podcast

Episode 227: Breaking down Pierre Poilievre’s ”Housing Hell”

Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre - with his party already surging in the the polls - has released a documentary about housing prices in Canada.

The 15 minute video was posted to his X account and it has already been viewed millions of times.

What did he get right? Which parts are misleading?

Mike Moffatt, an economist and the founding director of the PLACE Centre joins Craig to break it all down.

Episode 226: Friday Round Table with Jessie Rodger, Kelly Elliott and Scott Collyer

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig and the panel breakdown the stories about a fire at a a homeless encampment in south London and what raises for London Police officers could mean for the city's budget.

Then, they share some quick takes about federal (the Trudeau Liberals and the NDP are neck and neck in the latest polls) and provincial politics (awkward morning at ONDP offices following a by-election blowout).

This week's guests are ANOVA executive director Jessie Rodger, former Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott and political insider Scott Collyer.

Episode 225: Treating opioid addiction

Opioid addiction, often impacting people who are homeless, is a massive issue in London and many other communities.

There's significant disagreement in the medical community on how best to treat it.

Dr. Joseph Mai and RPN Shelley West, who work at Central Community Health Centre in St. Thomas, join Craig on the podcast to discuss the way they treat the addiction - which they say has led to great success stories.

The conversation focuses on homelessness, the safety of prescribing opioids and the debate in the medical community surrounding safer supply.

Episode 224: Friday Round Table with Mojdeh Cox, Jeremy McCall and Nathan Caranci

On this week's Friday Round Table, activist Mojdeh Cox, former council candidate Jeremy McCall and political insider Nathan Caranci join Craig to breakdown the top stories in the city.

They discuss the LHSC travel scandal, hospital boards, the city's winter homeless response, and whether the latest fiscal update can do anything to help the Trudeau government's electoral fortunes.

Episode 223: Justin Bourassa’s family is suing London Police

The mother of a man killed in a Richmond Row alley during an interaction with two London Police officers has filed a notice of action.

Lorraine Bourassa, who's son Justin died on October 27th, 2021, and Bourassa's family, are seeking $3.9-million in damages from London Police Services Board, former police Chief Steve Williams, current police chief Thai Troung and two unidentified London Police officers.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit has cleared the officer who shot Bourassa of any wrong doing, but during previous episodes of the podcast, Craig has examined how the logic of the story told by the SIU has a lot of gaps in it - to say the least.

In this episode, he looks at the notice of action and the latest in the case.

Episode 222: Friday Round Table with Steve Cordes, Kelly Ziegner and Ryan Gauss

Asylum seekers, LHSC executives taking expensive trips and pedestrian safety in London are this week's topics on the Friday Round Table.

Craig is joined by YOU Executive Director Steve Cordes, United Way Elgin-Middlesex CEO Kelly Ziegner and political insider Ryan Guass join Craig to talk about the big stories.

They begin with concerns about a lack of support for asylum seekers creating resource challenges at London shelters, and the issue being brought to the forefront by councillor Corrine Rahman and Josh Morgan.

Then they look at institutional trust at the LHSC after a story about executives booking nearly half a million dollars in travel, and then they discuss how safe it is to walk in London after two pedestrians were killed in the city this week.

Episode 221: Why do we need bird-friendly windows?

What are bird friendly windows?

Why should the province mandate them for certain buildings?

Brendon Samuels, a PhD candidate in the Department of Biology at Western University, joins Craig on the podcast to discuss his advocacy on the issue and why it's important.

Episode 220: Too mean to the NIMBYs?

In an episode of the podcast last week, Craig used some colourful language to describe the events surrounding a hub in northwest London being cancelled.

The hubs was cancelled because the CMHA didn't want to make people living at the Lighthouse Inn homeless, and while ignoring the residents was a massive mistake by the city decision makers, Craig suggests that the people in the neighbourhood who were opposed to the hub just wanted the hub stopped and didn't care what the reason was.

Michael Lerner, who represents members of the Ward 7 ratepayers association, reached out to Craig to discuss the issue and he appears on the podcast to break it all down.

Episode 219: Friday Round Table with Jeff Preston, Ali Chahbar and Cheryl Miller

On this week's Friday Round Table, Craig is joined by disability advocate Dr. Jeff Preston, lawyer Ali Chahbar and former city councillor Cheryl Miller to breakdown the issues of the week.

They talk about the plug being pulled on the homeless hub that was set to go on Fanshawe Park Road, Shmuel Farhi's rant at the Downtown London BIA meeting and more.

Episode 218: Fanshawe Park Road Homeless Hub - What Happened and What’s Next?

The homeless hub that was going to be at a motel on Fanshawe Park Road has been cancelled by the Canadian Mental Health Association Thames Valley.

They say it's because people who are long-term tenants of the motel would become homeless if the project goes ahead.

What's changed in the last month?

Pam Hill of CMHA joins Craig to discuss and then Craig shares his thoughts on how the situation has damaged the credibility of the homeless hub plan.

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