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
221 episodes
What 'super-agers' can teach us about growing old
January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, which is why you might be noticing a lot of discussion lately about education, reducing stigma and
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27:39
The pandemic is long over, but a new report reveals we’re far from alright
The pandemic is long over, but the negative effects still linger.A new survey reveals that five years after COVID-19 thrust our lives into disarray, people in Ontario are
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24:34
Mushroom coffins now a thing — is human composting next for Ontario?
Even in death, some people still worry about their carbon footprint. Which explains the growing popularity of “green burials” — an environmentally friendlier way to inter the dead that involves no embalming chemicals, headstones or traditional ...
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23:47
Penalties for impaired driving just got tougher — will it make any difference?
If you’re going to drink and drive in Ontario, be prepared to face some harsher penalties.New provincial rules that
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27:52
Is the Ford government actually going to scrap school trustees?
As of today, the Ford government has taken control of six school boards across the province — using words like “incompetence,” “mess” and “off the rails” to describe how things were going before the province seized the wheel.The passage ...
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27:11
‘Canada is not for sale’: How a patriotic hat became so much more
Even now, months later, Liam Mooney has a hard time believing just how fast everything came together.<...
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38:43
Will new grocery code of conduct actually help lower your shopping bill?
Years in the making, Canada’s new “grocery code of conduct” is finally in place. The enforcement powers officially kicked in on Jan. 1.Supported by the country’s five largest grocery chains — Empire, Loblaw, Metro, Walmart and Costco — t...
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24:14
This story about a lost sweater is the sliver of hope you need today
Have you seen this missing sweater? The family that’s desperately trying to find it has ...
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20:42
From unsolved crimes to cloned meat, our new podcast covers it all
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 an...
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31:39
Australia is banning kids from social media — should we do the same?
Australia has become the first country in the world to ban social media for kids under 16 — a move welcomed ...
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31:26
How police tracked down a serial killer they didn’t even know existed
For decades, a serial killer in Ontario went completely unnoticed. No one had any idea he even existed.His victims — Christine Prince, Claire Samson and Gracelyn Greenidge — were
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29:54
'What everyone at Queen's Park can't stop talking about'
The Ontario Legislature has adjourned for the Christmas break — until March 23. (Yes, you read that right.)But don’t expect our team of political journalists at The Trillium t...
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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