CANADALAND

Wealthsimple just launched its new betting platform, but for now, Canadians can only bet on the economy, financial markets, and the weather.

So what happens when we start betting on politics?

Host Sam Konnert talks to Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Katherine Long about the wild world of Polymarket and Kalshi, the scandals that have followed them in the US, and what Canada can learn before prediction markets inevitably expand.

Host: Sam Konnert
Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), imogen sayers (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

Guests: Katherine Long
Photo: Rafael Minguet Delgado
Additional music by Audio Network

Background reading:

#1338 Reality is a Casino as Prediction Markets Enter Canada
Lawmakers Call for Federal Probe of Polymarket Over Deceptive Advertising – The Wall Street Journal
We Investigated Polymarket’s Deceptive Marketing Campaign. Here’s What We Found. – The Wall Street Journal
Think you can win on prediction markets? Here's why you're more likely to lose – CBC News
Wealthsimple’s pivot into risky business reflects young Canadians’ financial nihilism – The Globe and Mail
Canada has banned some prediction markets. Wealthsimple is showcasing them anyway – Canada’s National Observer
Prediction Markets Are Good, Actually – Maclean's

Sponsors:

Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at douglas.ca/canadaland

Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz mobile and its long list of added-value features, and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 25 off and 10GB of free data.

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Did you know we have a monthly supporter exclusive show?

Next month on Off The Record we are back to our call-in show format. On Thursday August 27, 2026 we will be taking your calls on a new question:

What do you wish you had known when starting school or what’s a piece of advice you would give to someone starting school. Kindergarten, Middle school, High school, CEGEP, university, anything!

The call-in period will be Thursday, August 27th, 4:30-6:30 PM ET. When the time comes, head over to https://callinstudio.com/show/canadaland. You can also dial in at 1-888-401-7056.

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If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

Can't get enough Canadaland? Follow us @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram and @Canadaland_Media on TikTok!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They’re shamed, banned, or driven underground but “repugnant markets” have a way of surviving. Organ sales, MAID, even blood sales fall into the category. Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin Roth comes to Canadaland to discuss his latest book, Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal about How Markets Work.

Further Reading:
The Nobel Prize - Alvin E. Roth
Can economics save lives? - Alvin E. Roth
Repugnance as a Constraint on Markets - Alvin E. Roth
A Conversation with Alvin Roth - The Conversation
Kidney Paired Donation Program - Canadian Blood Services

Host: Gemma Boothroyd
Credits: Gemma Boothroyd (Reporter), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)

Fact Checking by: Julian Abraham
Additional Music by: Audio Network
Photo: Linda A. Cicero, Stanford University

Sponsors:

Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.ca

oxio: Head over to https://canadaland.oxio.ca and use code CANADALAND for your first month free!

Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit https://article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.

Can’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Wednesday, Foreign Policy CAN tweeted that "Canada condemns the ongoing violence in the West Bank..." So later that day, the Embassy of Israel in Canada responded with "Israel condemns the ongoing violence against Jews in Canada..." Which begs the question, just what exactly is Canada’s social media strategy? Does it even have one?

It also got us thinking about the responsibility both the government and the media have when it comes to discussing Israel, and how the hyperfocus on one country impacts the safety of Canadian Jews.

Host: Jesse Brown
Credits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)
Guest: Jen Gerson

Additional music by Audio Network

Further reading:

https://x.com/CanadaFP/status/2082478897514389914
https://x.com/IsraelinCanada/status/2082538835930669094
https://x.com/IsraelMFA/status/2082554515962651030
Opinion | It's time Canada cut diplomatic ties with Israel
Opinion | As former diplomats to Israel and Palestine we know why Canada shouldn't cut ties with Israel
Canada, 3 other countries summon Israeli ambassadors over video taunting flotilla activists
Canada summons Israeli ambassador over video of minister taunting activists | CBC.ca
‘Israel Behind it’: Spain ACCUSES Israel For Migrants Crisis After 60,000 Moroccan’s Storms Ceuta
MLS investigating reports of antisemitic comments hurled at player in Montreal | CBC News
China's 'ethnic unity' law- a new tool to silence dissent? | DW News
Canada's Carney warns antisemitism at postwar high - YouTube
Two Jewish-owned bakeries attacked in Toronto; police release image of vehicle involved
Owners of Montreal kosher restaurant vow to rebuild after 'suspicious' fire
Campus Antisemitism and Student Experiences — Government of Canada


Sponsors:

Fizz Mobile: Visit fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.

Squarespace: Check out Squarespace.com/canadaland for a free trial, and when you’re ready to launch, use code canadaland to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

BetterHelp: Visit BetterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad-free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis; you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, we published an episode about all the tape that didn’t make it into one of our shows. Today is different… but similar. Here are three interviews we did that just never made it to air. And we’ll tell you why they never made it to air.

Next month on Off The Record we are back to our call-in show format. On Thursday August 27, 2026 we will be taking your calls on a new question.

Seasonal news hooks are really common in the news business, they’re practical, easy to plan for, and most people need them. So we wanted to flip that a bit for the back to school season.

What do you wish you had known when starting school or what’s a piece of advice you would give to someone starting school. That can be Kindergarten, Middle school, High school, CEGEP, university, anything.

The call-in period will be Thursday, August 27th, 4:30-6:30 PM ET. When the time comes, head over to https://callinstudio.com/show/canadaland. You can also dial in at 1-888-401-7056.

Host: Sam Konnert
Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer, Senior Production Supervisor), Tony Wang (Executive Producer), Jesse Brown (Publisher)

Photo: Tony Wang
Additional music by Audio Network

Further Reading:
Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea's Personality Cult
North Korea's girl dad dictator — Apple Podcasts
O'leary Reserve Wines - Crazy Deal — Kevin O’Leary YouTube Channel
Last of the lookouts — Canadian Geographic
Fire Tower Trailer — Underwire Films
Hot Docs president warns this year's festival could be its last without more financial support — CBC

This show is available exclusively to Canadaland supporters. To become one, go to https://canadaland.com/join/. You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seven years in, we're looking at what might just be the longest and most involved media defamation trial in Canadian history: former Alberta United Conservative Party candidate Caylan Ford is suing PressProgress, the CBC, Toronto Star and several others, for $7.65 million. She says that they wrongly portrayed her as a white supremacist, they say that they were only quoting her…

Host: Jesse Brown
Credits: Andrea Varsany (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)
Guest: Jen Gerson

Photo

Further reading:

Caylan Ford Statement of Claim
PressProgress Statement of Claim
Defend Canadian Journalism - Broadbent Institute
Defend Canadian Journalism - PressProgress
Litigation — Caylan Ford
Support PressProgress - Defend Canadian Journalism
Caylan Ford speaks out: Former UCP candidate reveals why she was “cancelled” | Keean Bexte
Resisting the mob (feat. Caylan Ford)
When the Mob Came
Alberta Needs Anti-SLAPP Legislation!
UCP Candidate Complained ‘White Supremacist Terrorists’ Are Treated Unfairly, Leaked Messages Show
Press Progress claims my lawsuit is a frivolous SLAPP action. Here are the facts.


Sponsors:
oxio: Head over to canadaland.oxio.ca and use code CANADALAND for your first month free!

Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today. Visit douglas.ca/canadaland to claim this offer.

Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout.
Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.ca

If you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.