The 519 Podcast

It was a little over a year ago when the first COVID-19 vaccines started going into arms in Canada. At the time, many though that it marked the beginning of the end of the pandemic. It hasn't quite worked out that way. With the rise of the Omicron variant, in some ways it feels like we're back to square one. We're back to closed gyms and theatres, and kids learning from home instead of being in the classroom. As we get closer to the two year mark of the pandemic, there's no question, this...

It's something that just about everyone in our region has experience with. Driving in slippery, snowy, or whiteout conditions. It’s one of the most stressful things about living in this country. But what happens when you slide off that highway into the ditch? Or if a truck does? Highway 401 is one of the busiest highways in North America. Our 400 series highways host over 400,000 drivers per day. Keeping them moving - especially when the weather gets bad - isn’t easy. On this episode of...

It’s among the favourite types of food for both kids and adults alike, and we all have our favourite toppings. Pizza. That food that tastes as good at lunch as it does at 2 a.m. after a night out. We all know there different types of pizza associated with different cities. There's New York Style Pizza and Chicago Deep Dish. But what about the pizza styles that rarely get talked about? These are the ones that tend to be known by few more than the locals. On this episode of the 519...

It’s been a long time since anyone was put to death for committing a crime in Canada. Capital punishment was officially abolished here in 1976, although it had been effectively abolished by a series of commutations and moritoriums dating back to 1963. The last executions in the Canadian justice system happened in 1962. But there was a time when capital punishment was a reality in this country. Most of those who met the hangman’s noose were men, but there were some women who were handed...

Every year in Canada, we take time on Remembrance Day to remember and honour those who went overseas and sacrificed for our country and the freedoms we enjoy today. But what about the people whose contributions to the war effort involved work on this side of the ocean. These people never wore military uniforms, never held rifles in their hands, and never stormed the beaches of Normandy. But they made sure that the soldiers who did, and the rest of the country, had food to eat. They were...

TFIF & Daylight Savings Time Weekend! Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined #BlairandRV this morning to talk about London's Nestle plant expansion and what we need to do to ensure restrictions will be lifted in March. London Knights broadcast legend, Rick “The Gretzky Killer” Doyle dropped by the studio to talk about the London Knights new CHL top 10 ranking and according to UberEats...London loves the pickle!

For as long as you remember, you've probably heard warnings to parents, telling them to check their kids Halloween candy for drugs, razor blades, or other objects. Maybe you, yourself have gone through the bag before your kids. But, what are the odds of somebody actually putting a razor blade or poison into Halloween candy? Is this something that actually happens? Or is it just a myth? On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we examine whether Halloween is more trick than treat. We speak with...

Before the spring of 2006, most people in Canada had never heard of Shedden, Ontario. That all changed in April of that year, when the bodies of eight bikers were found in vehicles on a rural road near the town. On this episode of The 519 Podcast, we look at the Bandidos Massacre.

The Chatham Coloured All-Stars made history. They were baseball a team that fought prejudice and injustice just to play the game they loved. And in the 1934 season, they became champions of the Ontario Baseball Association, being the first all-Black team to have ever done so. On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we hear from Blake Harding, the son of one of the star players in the original 1934 team, as well as sports historian Bill Humber, and authors Brock Greenhalgh and Dr. Heidi Jacobs.

The Chatham-Kent public health unit is reporting another COVID-19 death in the community, a 40-year-old Tecumseh man who was reported missing earlier this month is now charged with breaking into a property on Lake St. Clair, and both the local Catholic and public school boards in Chatham-Kent are working to develop protocols as part of an Anti-Sex Trafficking Policy.

It's September, and the kids are back in school. But it's not unreasonable to wonder for how long. As the Delta variant continues to spread, there are concerns that we could be looking at another round of at home learning for students. In this episode of The 519 Podcast, we look at what has been done to make classrooms safer and whether it's enough. We speak to Directors of Education for three school boards in the region and Annie Kidder, the head of the education advocacy group, People for...

It was the strongest tornado to hit Ontario in over 15 years. It damaged roughly 100 houses and 25 other buildings, leaving a damage bill of about $130-million. It also claimed one life and affected the lives of an entire community, effects that linger 10 years later. On August 21, 2011, an isolated supercell thunderstorm that formed and gained strength over Lake Huron, came ashore in Goderich as an F-3 tornado. In this episode of the 519 Podcast, we look back at that fateful day in...

We had all hoped that, by now, we'd be done with the pandemic. But it's clear we are not. With the delta variant causing another spike in COVID-19 cases, and the number of people getting vaccinated seemingly stagnating, the debate now seems to be about can governments can do to mitigate the fourth wave of the pandemic. The key, most experts agree, is vaccination. But how to you get people who are vaccine hesitant or outright refusing the vaccine to change their minds and roll up their...

As our real estate market continues to sees prices climb to historic heights, the 519 Podcast is looking at the impact on first time home buyers. In a recent episode, we heard from economist Mike Moffatt about why prices have gone up this way they have. We also talked to a realtor who pointed to the lack of supply and how it's making it very hard for buyers to find what they're looking for in their price range. In this episode, we hear from first time home buyers Alex and Tristan - who were...

If we had to take a close look at things that we, as humans, probably don’t deserve, dogs would likely be at or near the top of the list. They ask only for shelter, food, water, and someone to rub their bellies. And they give so much. But it’s not just companionship and unconditional love that dogs give us. Some dogs contribute in a much different way. They help solve crimes and find missing people. That’s the focus of this episode of the 519 Podcast. Host Craig Needles speaks with...

If you’re looking to buy a home, or you know someone who is, then you certainly know about the drastic changes that the housing market in Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario has experienced in what seems to be a very short amount of time. Prices at an all time high, bidding wars, and properties selling for hundreds of thousand dollars over the asking price. The real estate market in our region has been breaking records in the past year. Are these numbers here to stay, or is this a bubble...

Environmental concerns will likely mean a change to our food supply. Does that mean crickets are on the menu? 519 Podcast host Hayley Cheng explores the idea.