The Craig Needles Podcast

"They clearly have some cash, because they're buying planes"

Former city councillors Roger Caranci and Cheryl Miller joined Craig at the studio to breakdown the issues of the week.

First, they look at the proposed changes to the trustee role at Ontario school boards. Can we make the changes needed to get the education system on the right track?

Then, the City of London has a multi-million dollar surplus from the property tax base. Should that be spent on homelessness initiatives?

And the story that ties the two together -Premier Doug Ford has gone out and bought a private jet for nearly $29-million. Maybe some of that money could have helped the school system?

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by London Hydro - with support from Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

Ford government changes leave cloud of confusion for TVDSB

Doug Ford's education minister Paul Calandra announced changes for the trustee role this week.

He isn't eliminating the position - but instead limiting their powers and earnings potential.

What will that mean at the Thames Valley District School Board? We still don't know whether trustees will be on the ballot this October!

Trustee Marianne Larsen joined Craig on the podcast to share her thoughts on what's been announced and what could come next.

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Previous conversations with Larsen can be found here and here.

 

What's really happening at the modular homeless shelter?

There's been lots of talk in the media and on social media about the micro modular homeless shelter on Cheese Factory Road in south London.

Is it working? Do people want to live there?

Time to separate some fact from some fiction.

London Mayor Josh Morgan and project manager Chris Green joined Craig at the Covent Garden Market studio to talk about rules at the site, how they're battling isolation feelings some residents have and whether the site could be recreated elsewhere in the city.

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

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EAs navigate chaos at TVDSB schools

In the midst of all the turmoil at the Thames Valley District School Board over the last 18 months, educational assistants have been in classrooms trying to keep learning happening - despite labour strife and shrinking staffing numbers. 

Rebecca Avey, President of CUPE Local 7575 joins Craig on the podcast to talk about what a regular school day is like for EAs, why they need more people on staff and what can be done to improve the learning environment in TVDSB classrooms.

The Craig Needles Podcast is powered by London Hydro, with support from Downtown London and the Covent Garden Market.

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Find Craig's conversation with Bill Tucker here.

How will nursing cuts impact LHSC care?

The London Health Sciences Centre says 288 nursing positions at the hospital will be eliminated as they continue to battle a large deficit.

However, there won't be any layoffs - the positions will be eliminated over several years via attrition.

Supervisor David Musyj joined Craig on the podcast to explain how the plan will work, how they hope to limit the impact on patient care and why this move isn't related to the ongoing lawsuits against former LHSC executives.

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

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Could the 2026 election be more dramatic than we thought?

The 2026 municipal election could be a real snoozer in London - unless it isn't?

City Hall writer Mike Donachie joined Craig to breakdown the latest important issues at city hall - and how they may impact our upcoming vote.

Will Josh Morgan have a cakewalk to re-election? How many councillors will be back in 2027? Is Susan Stevenson being underestimated by her opponents?

These questions and more on this week's episode!

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

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Home builders warn of looming crisis

London's home builders have laid off nearly 6,000 people as production stagnates for a variety of reasons. That number could increase rapidly.

How did we get here and what can we do about it?

London Home Builder's Association CEO Jared Zaifman joins Craig to discuss those questions and look at the societal impacts of home ownership becoming more and more out of reach for people in the twenties and thirties.

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

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"You're going to have more open drug use on the street"

Friday Round Table!

Craig was joined at the Covent Garden Market by city councillor and budget chair Elizabeth Peloza, former Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott and former city council candidate Jeremy McCall.

They breakdown the decision by the Ford government to cut off funding to the Carepoint supervised consumption site. Why do this now? What will the impact be? Craig also shares a theory on why the Premier shut down the site now, and the panel discusses London Police Chief Thai Truong's comments on the issue.

Also, tiny homes for veterans! Good news story! Is it possible we see more of them?

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

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St. Joe's dog research whistleblower strikes back

A report done by St. Joseph's Healthcare London and some external bodies says the dog research being done by the hospital and Lawson was within the rules and not cruel to the animals involved.

One of the whistleblowers who made the story public disagrees with those findings.

"Alex" joined Craig on the podcast to explain the concerns about the report, why coming forward with the story was the right decision, and discuss why animal research rules need to change.

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

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Ford's supervised consumption shutdown disaster

The supervised consumption site Carepoint has been operating in London since 2018.

Now, the Ford government says they're going to shut it down in June. What will the public health fallout be?

Dr. Alex Summers, the Medical Officer of Health in Middlesex-London, joined Craig on the podcast to explain what Carepoint actually does, the impact it has had on the health of the community, and what may come after the potential closure later this year.

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

Follow Craig on Twitter/X, Bluesky and Facebook.