Ideas

The Dirty Thirties might seem like the distant past but according to IDEAS contributor and professor Evan Fraser now is the time to dust off the lessons about what worked to save farmers and agriculture. The confluence of drought, scorching temperatures and terrifying storms was devastating for farm families forced to abandon their land. Fraser argues the Dust Bowl should serve as a warning of compounding crises that lie ahead. But he adds it can also be a guide to solutions that could help us muddle through as the world lurches into another chapter of environmental, political and economic upheaval.

Guests in this episode:

Evan Fraser is a geography professor and director of Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph.

Pamela Riney-Kehrberg is a distinguished professor of history at Iowa State University.

Robert McLeman is a professor of geography and environmental studies at Wilfrid Laurier University.

What does an IDEAS producer do when he notices that shipwreck stories keep appearing in his life? He embarks on a journey to try and figure out what’s going on, why shipwrecks resonate today. Matthew Lazin-Ryder explores the history of shipwreck tales and how shipwrecks have not only been a mainstay trope in literature but also a constant metaphor in our lives. *This episode originally aired on Sept. 24, 2025.

What does an IDEAS producer do when he notices that shipwreck stories keep appearing in his life? He embarks on a journey to try and figure out what’s going on, why shipwrecks might be on people's minds. Matthew Lazin-Ryder dives into the history of shipwrecks — and how they are a constant metaphor in our lives. *This episode originally aired on Sept. 24, 2025.

If you like this podcast, you might be interested in Matthew Lazin-Ryder's documentary The Never-ending Fall of Rome — a hole in time where he finds out politicians, activists, and intellectuals can dump any modern anxiety they wish.

In fact, author and journalist Marcello Di Cintio argues Canadians are complicit. After four years investigating the lives of migrant workers, he found that many temporary foreign workers are trapped working in precarious, exploitative conditions. These jobs are essential to our economy and society, yet invisible. Each migrant worker has a story to tell, says Di Cintio. He joined IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed on a visit through the tomato capital of Canada to hear their stories and talk about what his investigation reveals about Canada. *This episode originally aired on Dec. 11, 2025.

Marcello Di Cintio's book is called Precarious: The Lives of Migrant Workers.

Marsha Lederman is a child of Holocaust survivors. She lives with the fear that one day someone will take her and her son like the Nazis did with her parents and their parents. "This is ludicrous," she told herself many times. But then she saw how people celebrated the October 7th attacks and watched how antisemitism showed up in the circles she felt most at home.

This spring to mark Holocaust Memorial Day, Lederman and child Holocaust survivor Jeanette Goldman shared their stories on Zoom at the University of Toronto's Regis College — an online event due to security reasons. They spoke about what true solidarity means today as antisemitism continues to rise in Canada. Lederman says: "We cannot allow antisemitism to stop us from speaking about antisemitism of all things."

Guests in this episode:

Jeanette Goldman is a retired federal judge and a child Holocaust survivor.

Marsha Lederman is a journalist, daughter of Holocaust survivors, and author of Kiss the Red Stairs: The Holocaust Once Removed, and October 7th: Finding the Humanitarian Middle.

Mary Jo Leddy is a Catholic theologian, author, activist, and founder of Romero House in Toronto.

Bertha Yetman is a Regis College Alumnus, and organizer of “Remembering the Holocaust.”