Closer Look - Insightful, credible, unfiltered conversations that matter
In cities and towns across Ontario — and at Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill — our journalists work for you. Their mission is to dig for answers and tell you what they find. This new podcast from Village Media — ‘Closer Look’ — is all about the stories we tell. Every weeknight, hosts Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith go beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.
Episodes
210 episodes
'What everyone at Queen's Park can't stop talking about'
Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insig...
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29:14
Not even gift cards are safe from scammers
Buying some gift cards for Christmas? Don’t get scammed.Like so much else these days, gift cards have become a prime target for fraudsters, costing Canadian shoppers millions of dollars a year. (The Retail Council of Canada re...
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27:34
Tip of the iceberg’: Human trafficking in Canada much worse than stats show
How widespread is human trafficking in Canada? Two new reports offer the clearest evidence yet.According to
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20:19
Beware: These billboards are watching you
Imagine looking at a billboard — then realizing it’s watching you back.That’s exactly
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23:03
Should Ontario sell its stash of U.S. booze and give the cash to charity?
Cheers to charity? That’s what the Ford government is being urged to do.For months, the LCBO has been sitting on an $80-million stockpile of U.S. booze — all of it yanked off store shelves back in March as retaliation for Dona...
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20:11
Holy Mackinaw! Leafs broadcasting legend Joe Bowen stops by our podcast
For more than four decades, Joe Bowen’s unmistakable voice has been the soundtrack of Leafs Nation. But this season
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34:24
Do you play in a lottery group? Keep good records
This lottery winner will need to spend a portion of his prize on a defence lawyer.A 70-year-old Toronto man is
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25:44
How is it even possible to shoplift $1.3M worth of booze from the LCBO?
Earlier this year, the Retail Council of Canada released an alarming report about a "national crisis" facing its members:
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22:31
Your grocery bill is going to keep climbing
Don’t expect the new year to ring in lower grocery bills.The latest edition of Canada’s Food Price Report, produced annually by sev...
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23:01
'500 patients a day? Audit uncovers some fishy billing by Ontario doctors'
Hosted by Village Media’s Michael Friscolanti and Scott Sexsmith, and produced by Derek Turner, Closer Look is a new daily podcast that goes way beyond the headlines with insightful, in-depth conversations featuring our reporters and editors, l...
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22:39
Pet raccoon? Don’t trash the idea until you watch this
Raccoons as pets? Don’t laugh.A new study ha...
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13:36
What we discovered about the long-term care homes in your community
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a harsh truth about Ontario’s long-term care homes: many were woefully understaffed, a factor that helped fuel the rapid spread of the deadly virus.Doug Ford’s government promised a major overhaul...
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18:20
Your local grocery store won’t be forced to collect empties after all
Cheers to compromise.Ontario grocers and The Beer Store have reached a tentative deal on a ...
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20:23
‘Nothing has changed’: New data, same old problems with hospital wait times
Back in September, our podcast featured an emotional interview with Hazel van der Werken, a...
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21:18
A polar vortex is on the way! Here’s everything you need to know
If you don’t have your winter clothes ready to go, dig them out. Frigid temperatures are on the way.A polar vortex is expected to
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30:27
‘It’s time to admit what you did’: Who was driving the truck that killed Loni Chum?
This week, the OPP announced a major development in an unsolved mystery that devastated a small community...
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22:36
In trade war with U.S., Canada is winning the battle for tourists
When it comes to our lingering trade war with the United States, reassuring headlines are hard to find. But here’s one silver lining: Turns out Donald Trump has been quite a boon to the Canadian tourism industry.While internat...
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29:59
Dalton McGuinty has a book full of advice for every politician in Canada
Whatever your opinion of Dalton McGuinty, this much is difficult to dispute: the man knows a thing or two about leadership.He was Ontario’s Liberal leader for 16 years, including a full decade as Premier (2003 to 2013). And l...
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39:49
Why communities everywhere are banning candy tossing at parades
We cover a lot of different issues on this podcast: some extremely serious, some much lighter. Today’s topic can fall on either end of the spectrum, depending on your viewpoint.Should candy tossing be outlawed at community par...
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21:22
Cloned meat could be coming to a grocery store near you — without labels
Would you buy a steak or pork chop that came from a cloned animal? In the new year, you might end up doing just that — without even knowing it.Health Canada has
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22:04
Why we’re asking you to help fund our investigative journalism
If you follow Ontario politics, you’ve no doubt heard of the Skills Development Fund...
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25:06
How fraudsters cashed in on the legacy of a beloved Canadian artist
Spanning many years, the scheme grew into one of the largest art frauds in Canadian history: thousands of fak...
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21:53
50-year mortgage? Don’t bank on Trump’s big idea coming here
U.S. President Donald Trump is floating a controversial idea to help more Amer...
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23:10