Épisodes

  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1552 - What if strength wasn’t about aesthetics — but survival?

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1552 - What if strength wasn’t about aesthetics — but survival?
    Jan 24 2026
    On this episode of The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian is joined by Michelle Goldrick, founder of BOSS Health & Fitness, athlete, transformation coach, and speaker, for a raw and deeply human conversation about resilience, recovery, and redefining what it means to be strong. At 48, Michelle has survived breast cancer, a double mastectomy, hysterectomy, extreme hormone disruption, and a near-fatal cecal volvulus that required emergency surgery and the removal of two feet of her intestinal tract. Her doctors credit her baseline strength. Michelle credits her purpose. “Muscle saved my life,” she says — literally. Together, they explore how strength training became life insurance, why movement at any capacity can be medicine, the emotional toll of trauma and identity loss, and why women must rethink strength as preparation for life — not just appearance. Brian closes the show with his own commentary on Being Alive. This is a powerful conversation about muscle, mindset, and meaning — and how to rebuild when everything is stripped away.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    46 min
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1551 - Canada’s GIGA Response: Sovereignty, Security, and the End of Economic Naivety

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1551 - Canada’s GIGA Response: Sovereignty, Security, and the End of Economic Naivety
    Jan 23 2026
    As geopolitics reshapes trade, technology, and capital flows, Canada’s long-standing economic assumptions are being stress-tested — and exposed. On this episode of The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian is joined by Patrick Leblond, associate professor and senior fellow specializing in trade, geopolitics, and economic sovereignty, for a critical examination of why Canada now needs a GIGA-scale response to a changing global order. Patrick explains how economic tools — trade policy, supply chains, data, technology, energy, and capital — are increasingly being weaponized by powerful states, marking a decisive break from the post-war rules-based system Canada built its prosperity on. Together, they explore why Canada’s deep dependence on the United States has shifted from advantage to vulnerability, what U.S. national security strategy means for Canadian firms, and why tariffs alone won’t protect sovereignty. This is not anti-American — it’s pro-Canadian realism. A serious conversation about industrial strategy, infrastructure, and what it will take for Canada to protect its interests in an era where economic power is geopolitical power.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    51 min
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1550 - High-Speed Rail in Canada: Why We Keep Missing the Moment

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1550 - High-Speed Rail in Canada: Why We Keep Missing the Moment
    Jan 22 2026
    On The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Michael Schabas, one of the world’s most experienced rail and transportation experts, breaks down why Canada keeps failing to deliver high-speed rail — and what it would take to get it right. From the Toronto–Ottawa–Montreal–Quebec City corridor to station location, operating models, and the real economics of megaprojects, this conversation is a grounded, no-nonsense look at infrastructure as nation-building. Topics include:
    • Why population density isn’t the main barrier
    • Lessons from European rail systems
    • How high-speed rail can coexist with air travel
    • What Canada must do to plan and execute successfully
    If you’ve ever wondered why France, Germany, and Japan can build world-class rail — and Canada can’t — this is a conversation worth hearing.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    53 min
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1549 - Venezuela, Iran, and the Return of Hard Power Politics

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1549 - Venezuela, Iran, and the Return of Hard Power Politics
    Jan 21 2026
    Global politics are entering a sharper, more dangerous phase — and Canada can’t afford to look away. On this episode of The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian is joined by Joe Varner, Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and former Deputy Director of the Conference of Defence Associations, for a clear-eyed examination of two critical geopolitical flashpoints: Venezuela and Iran. Joe explains why recent U.S. actions in Venezuela are not simply about regime change, but about countering growing influence from Russia, China, Cuba, and Iran in the Western Hemisphere. The conversation then turns to Iran, where Joe outlines why targeting the economic power of the Revolutionary Guard may be more effective than direct military confrontation. Together, they discuss:
    • Why Venezuela has become a strategic battleground for global powers
    • How oil, legitimacy, and foreign interference sustain the Maduro regime
    • What the U.S. National Security Strategy means for the Western Hemisphere
    • Why Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is the regime’s true center of gravity
    • How economic pressure is now a core national security tool
    • Why Canada risks geopolitical irrelevance
    • What Canada must rethink about defence, sovereignty, and Arctic security
    This is not abstract geopolitics — it’s a sober, realistic look at how power is being exercised today, and what it means for Canada’s future.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    50 min
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1548 - Canada, China, and the Risky Pivot Away from Our Closest Ally

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1548 - Canada, China, and the Risky Pivot Away from Our Closest Ally
    Jan 20 2026
    Brian Crombie is joined by Charles Burton, one of Canada’s most experienced China analysts and Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Burton draws on decades studying China–Canada relations — including time as a diplomat in Beijing — to offer a clear-eyed look at Canada’s shifting foreign policy and the risks embedded in its evolving ties with Beijing.

    We dive into Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent visit to China, where a new strategic partnership was announced, including lowered tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and commitments on energy, agri-food and investment — a move that comes as Canada aims to diversify beyond reliance on the United States. As Canada’s exports to China remain a small fraction of its total compared with U.S. trade, Burton and Brian ask a hard question:
    Does closer alignment with China strengthen Canada — or expose it to greater economic, security, and moral risk? In this discussion, they explore:
    • Why China can be an unreliable trading partner and how economic coercion works
    • The risks of Chinese investment in critical infrastructure, technology and EV sectors
    • Data security, surveillance, and national-security vulnerabilities
    • How U.S. policy toward China affects Canada inevitably
    • Taiwan, Venezuela, and the broader global power struggle
    • Whether Canada is drifting away from a rules-based international order
    • Why partners like Japan, South Korea, and Northern Europe may be safer long-term allies This is not about ideology — it’s about realism in an increasingly transactional world, and what it means to protect Canadian sovereignty amidst great-power rivalry.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    54 min
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1547 - One Little Pill: Addiction, Recovery, and the Choice That Changes Everything

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1547 - One Little Pill: Addiction, Recovery, and the Choice That Changes Everything
    Jan 17 2026
    Brian is joined by Deb Lawless Miller, author of One Little Pill: The Chase, the Crash, the Choice, for a raw, honest, and deeply human conversation about addiction and recovery. Deb was a successful corporate professional whose recreational opioid use gradually became a daily dependency — costing her career, leading to legal trouble, and bringing her to a life-or-death crossroads. In this candid discussion, they explore:
    • 💊 How “one little pill” quietly became full-blown addiction
    • 🔄 The three phases Deb describes: the chase, the crash, and the choice
    • 🧠 Why addiction is a brain chemistry issue — not a moral failure
    • ⚖️ The moment she chose recovery over jail — and the path that followed
    • 🤝 The role of professional help, community, and the 12-step program
    • 🌱 How 21 years of sobriety became her greatest source of purpose This is not a sensational story — it’s a hopeful one about honesty, accountability, and the power of choosing differently.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    52 min
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1546 - Canadian Attitudes, Media Trust & a Changing Relationship with the U.S.

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1546 - Canadian Attitudes, Media Trust & a Changing Relationship with the U.S.
    Jan 16 2026
    on The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian is joined by Tracy Lamourie — internationally recognized publicist, media strategist, and culture commentator — for a timely discussion on how Canadians are seeing the world differently in 2026. Tracy has recently appeared on the BBC, CBC The National, Newsweek, The Independent (UK), and major U.S. media outlets, weighing in on border travel, geopolitics, celebrity culture, media trust, and public attitudes. In this wide-ranging conversation, they explore:
    • 🇨🇦 Why fewer Canadians are crossing the U.S. border — and why it’s not just politics
    • 🛂 Security concerns, device searches, and changes in trust at the border
    • 🌍 How global audiences see Canada — and how Canadians see the U.S.
    • 🎭 The evolving nature of celebrity, fandom, and accountability
    • 📰 Why transparency and credibility matter more than ever in media and institutions
    • 👵 Tracy’s work on media literacy for seniors and upcoming Canadian projects This is a thoughtful conversation about trust, perception, identity, and the mechanics of soft power — both between countries and institutions.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    52 min
  • Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1545 - Why Canada Needs a “Made-in-Canada” Innovation Strategy

    Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1545 - Why Canada Needs a “Made-in-Canada” Innovation Strategy
    Jan 15 2026
    On The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian is joined by Richard Gold, Professor of Law at McGill University and one of Canada’s leading thinkers on innovation, intellectual property, and economic strategy. Professor Gold argues that Canada keeps getting innovation wrong — not because we lack talent, but because we keep trying to copy the U.S. Instead, Canada needs a mission-driven, Made-in-Canada innovation strategy. In this wide-ranging discussion, they explore:
    • 🇨🇦 Why Canada needs a strategy built for its own strengths
    • 🏛️ The critical role of government direction, not just market forces
    • 🧠 How innovation ecosystems matter more than isolated startups
    • 🏢 The importance of anchor companies and strong regional clusters
    • 🎮 Opportunities in gaming, AI, energy, and mining as dual-use innovation engines
    • 🎓 Why underfunded universities are quietly holding Canada back
    • 📉 What’s missing from the latest federal budget — and why focus matters more than slogans This is a serious conversation about productivity, sovereignty, social capital, and how Canada moves up the value chain in practice — not just in theory.
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    49 min