From Mr. D to Family Feud Canada, Gerry Dee has made audiences laugh from coast to coast. This week, the teacher-turned-comedian really hits the big time: a guest spot on Inside the Village. He drops by the show to promote a new book — Funny Yo

Is the justice system broken? We ask a judge

10 days ago 41m 48s

A rare chance to draw back the curtain this week on Inside the Village as Frisco and Scott go one-on-one with retired Ontario judge Norm Douglas. After years as a respected prosecutor who then served on the bench, Douglas has penned his first b

A social network that’s actually social? We’re building it

18 days ago 45m 37s

On this episode of Inside the Village, we really take you Inside the Village — to talk about a massive project that Village Media has been toiling away at behind the scenes. It’s called SPACES, a new kind of social media network designed to be

Thousands of Ontario students threatened with suspension — for not being vaccinated

Mar 28th, 2024 45m 32s

Remember when measles were pretty much eradicated? So much for that. The number of confirmed cases in Canada has now reached 40 — more than three times the number in 2023. Why the resurgence? A growing number of kids simply aren’t getting vacci

Should the government let you compost your dead body?

Mar 22nd, 2024 29m 30s

Nearly four years ago, provincial regulators started asking for public feedback on an interesting question: Should Ontario allow human composting? Although it’s legal in a handful of U.S. states, no Canadian jurisdiction has given the green lig

Is Thursday the new Friday?

Mar 8th, 2024 33m 51s

More and more companies are adopting a four-day work week to help reduce employee burnout and increase productivity — and the idea appears to be working. A new report from the non-profit think tank Infinite Potential found that only nine per ce

Grand Theft Auto: Ontario edition

Feb 23rd, 2024 26m 29s

The numbers are staggering. In Ontario alone, more than 50 vehicles are stolen every single day. For governments of all levels, combating the problem has become a top priority. Premier Doug Ford recently warned car thieves everywhere that “we’r

A ‘no-brainer’ idea to help end homelessness

Feb 15th, 2024 27m 20s

When it comes to fighting homelessness, no idea is a bad idea. But this one is pretty good: building affordable housing — “on stilts” — over city-owned parking lots. Simply put, a municipality can lease a lot to a developer but still keep the p

Colleges and universities are bracing for a very rough year

Feb 8th, 2024 52m 29s

This week on Inside the Village, we dedicate another episode to a controversial subject that continues to generate plenty of headlines: international students. The federal government is determined to slash the number of student visas handed out

Ted Nolan speaks his truth — about hockey, racism and reconciliation

Feb 1st, 2024 31m 50s

On this week's episode of Inside the Village, Frisco and Scott sit down for an in-depth conversation with former NHL coach of the year, Memorial Cup Champion — and now author — Ted Nolan. His new book, Life in Two Worlds: A Coach’s Journey from

Access denied: International students capped

Jan 24th, 2024 26m 26s

Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith are back for another episode of Inside the Village. The feds have announced they are putting a temporary cap on the number of international students being granted visas. This move will result in colleges a

Blazing trails…safely

Jan 17th, 2024 21m 22s

It’s the kick off to season three of Inside the Village with Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith. With winter late out of the gate this year it has dramatically impacted outdoor sports and recreational activities, particularly snowmobiling.

Inside the Village - A look back at the lighter side of 2023

Dec 22nd, 2023 40m

Welcome back to Inside the Village - and Part 2 of our Year in Review. This week we take a look at the lighter side of the news from Hockey Night in Canada’s Ron MacLean to Gurdeep Pandher, the Bangra dancer from the Yukon who spread joy, hope

Inside the Village - The year that was 2023

Dec 16th, 2023 44m 49s

Welcome back to Inside the Village, a one-of-a-kind podcast where all news is local - and no topic is off-limits. In the latest episode, Frisco and Scott take a stroll down memory lane in Part 1 of our year end show. Looking back, we covered a

Last call for The Beer Store?

Dec 8th, 2023 35m 37s

This week on Inside the Village, there’s a “seismic shift” on the horizon for alcohol sales in Ontario and it will likely start with The Beer Store. Dan Malleck, a Brock University professor and leading expert on drug and alcohol regulation, jo

Be on the lookout for these five warning signs of dementia

Nov 29th, 2023 40m 23s

By 2030, one million Canadians will suffer from dementia. By 2050, that number is expected to triple. Here’s another scary stat: In 2020, care partners (including family members, friends and neighbours) spent 26 hours per week assisting older C

Restaurant impossible: The new reality

Nov 23rd, 2023 25m 18s

The state of the economy has been a hot button issue for some time now and a new study from Dalhousie University has some alarming data from the restaurant industry. Over 50% of restaurants nationwide are operating in the red and almost 10% of

Justin Trudeau joins us on the podcast (sort of)

Nov 16th, 2023 38m 9s

After a couple weeks off, Inside the Village is back in a big way. The Prime Minister paid a recent visit to Sault Ste. Marie, where he toured the local power utility, met with veterans at the Legion — and sat down with Frisco for a one-on-one

Shooting rampage devastates the Sault

Oct 27th, 2023 32m 39s

Every week, Scott and Frisco bring you this podcast from Village Media’s headquarters in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. This week, their northern Ontario city was propelled into the national news for all the wrong reasons: a mass murder-suicide tha

Do you miss Steve Paikin? Find him right here

Oct 18th, 2023 39m 59s

The unionized staff at TVO, the province's public broadcaster, have been on strike for almost two months. Steve Paikin, the veteran host of The Agenda, is part of the bargaining team and isn’t holding out much hope that the labour impasse will

A safe place to drop off unwanted babies

Oct 13th, 2023 23m 37s

Alberta was the first Canadian province to establish one, and now they’re expanding to Ontario: a safe location where mothers can surrender their unwanted babies — no judgment, no questions asked. City council in Sault Ste. Marie is the latest

The bare minimum (wage)

Oct 6th, 2023 33m 33s

Earlier this month, the minimum wage in Ontario increased to $16.55 per hour, up from $15.50. Though a slight improvement, that amount is still well below what is widely considered a living wage in the province. We break down the math with Ran

Dissecting the Greenbelt scandal

Sep 22nd, 2023 25m 57s

Welcome back to Inside the Village, a podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits.On this week's episode: Doug Ford does a complete 180.After losing two cabinet ministers, two senior staffers, and untold points in the polls, th

Stop the presses: The demise of Metroland’s community newspapers

Sep 20th, 2023 27m 12s

This week on Inside the Village: a dark day for local journalism in Ontario. Toronto Star publisher Nordstar Capital LP placed its regional newspaper business, Metroland Media Group, into bankruptcy protection. The move wipes out 605 jobs — inc

Why Northern Ontario is ground zero for the opioid crisis

Sep 14th, 2023 30m 32s

The overdose epidemic has hit Northern Ontario harder than any other region in the province, with fatal drug poisonings consistently higher year after year. Yet it’s in the north where two safe consumption sites — one in Sudbury, the other in T