It’s been more than a month since Mexico’s recent federal elections. With the election of an incoming president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, or AMLO, we are now seeing announcements about the team he’ll bring to office with him. In this episode

015: Makin' 'peanut butter' in Alberta

Sep 5th, 2018 49m 2s

We produce a lot of oil here in Western Canada. Much more than we can use. So what do we do? We send it to whoever will give us the most money for it. But no one can seem to agree on the best way to maximize the value we get for this natural re

014 The Forgotten Neighbour

Jun 19th, 2018 1h 1m

On July 1, Mexicans head to the polls to elect a new President and Congress. But here in Canada, where you'd be forgiven for thinking that NAFTA is a bilateral instead of trilateral negotiation, you'd hardly know it. In this special edition Mex

013 Canada's secret weapon on trade

Jun 5th, 2018 39m 58s

From reopening NAFTA to America First and musing about implementing tariffs and border taxes, U.S. President Donald Trump has thrown out the rule book on trade, and with it, everything Canada was accustomed to in dealing with the U.S.Canada’s

012 Talking About Talking About Carbon Taxes

May 17th, 2018 42m 52s

In this episode, we’re talking about talking about carbon taxes. What do people know about carbon taxes? What do they think about them? What is it like talking about them across the political divide?Host Nick Martin talks with Mark Cameron fro

011 Come for the budgets, stay for the rap

Apr 26th, 2018 35m 19s

Brace yourself – it’s budget season. Here in the West, which province actually balanced its books? Where is the debt-to-GDP ratio highest? Who is lighting up the ledgers with legal pot sales? And about that carbon tax…In this episode, we dive

010 Between two giants

Apr 10th, 2018 29m 4s

China and the U.S. are diving deep in to a trade war, with no signs of turning back. As our two largest trading partners beat their chests at each other, where does that leave Canada?In this episode, Sarah Pittman sits down with two China expe

009: The one with a bobsled

Feb 22nd, 2018 42m 6s

Welcome to a special, Olympics-sized episode of What the West.In this episode, we fling ourselves headfirst into the debate over whether Calgary should bid for the 2026 Winter Games.And then, we fling ourselves down the bobsled track at Canad

008: How not to freak out over NAFTA

Feb 20th, 2018 30m 54s

Host: Naomi ChristensenGuests: Sam Woods and Carlo DadeThe next round of NAFTA talks take place later this month in Mexico. Talks so far have lurched from apprehension to optimism and back again. Western Canadian businesses are wondering what

007 NEB: What is it good for?

Feb 2nd, 2018 26m 39s

Pipelines are controversial. In fact, it seems any type of infrastructure is controversial – especially in the energy world. From pipelines to wind turbines – nearly no one wants these things built near them and many people don’t want them buil

006 Above the tree line

Jan 16th, 2018 20m 18s

Canada and the U.S. have been trading lumber since the 1800s – and fighting about it for just as long. In November last year, the U.S. Commerce Department slapped Canadian exporters of softwood lumber into the U.S. with permanent duties averagi

005: 8 for 2018

Jan 9th, 2018 28m 1s

Welcome to 2018. The eggnog has gone stale, the trees have been composted or burned for warmth. And our thoughts can now turn to the future. Will this year be as tumultuous as 2017? Will North American trade cease? Does anyone really care about

004: When life gives you lentils - 2017

Dec 11th, 2017 22m 22s

Plant ingredients are everywhere – your breakfast smoothie, makeup, the drugs you get from the pharmacy. They may even be in the diet food you feed your overweight pets. The protein, fibre and starch components from crops like lentils, peas and

003: Is carbon pricing the end of the world?

Nov 28th, 2017 38m 22s

Carbon pricing. Most economists think it’s the best way to reduce climate-change causing emissions. But it hasn’t exactly won over politicians to the same degree. Or the public for that matter. In Canada, the federal government has said every p

002: The Trump Administration's Worldview on Trade

Nov 14th, 2017 33m 56s

The Trump era's winner takes all, America-First trade strategy is almost a return to the 1980s era – a time when the U.S. said "Jump," and the rest of us said, "How high?"Things are different now. Canada is on board with the revived TPP, China

001: Fixing Confederation

Oct 31st, 2017 38m 47s

This year, Canada marked the 150th anniversary of Confederation, and we had a lot to celebrate. But, Confederation hasn’t been a panacea.We still don’t have trade between the provinces - you can’t even buy a beer on a trip and bring it home. T

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