The Sunday Magazine for March 16, 2025
This week on The Sunday Magazine with guest host David Common:
Sunday Politics Panel: Nonstop tariff turmoil and Mark Carney takes the reins
Amid the Liberal Party transition in Ottawa this past week, Ontario premier Doug Ford emerged as a key player in the U.S. trade war with Canada, travelling to Washington for bilateral tariff talks. Now that Mark Carney has been sworn in as prime minister, all eyes are on him to take the next steps against Donald Trump's threats, as a federal election looms. Common speaks with Toronto Star Queen's Park bureau chief Rob Benzie, Globe and Mail senior Parliament Hill reporter Stephanie Levitz, and New York Times White House and national security correspondent David Sanger about this dynamic moment.
Oil Check: Decoding our complicated relationship with fossil fuels
Energy has become a flashpoint in the U.S. trade war with Canada, and Canadians should expect to hear a lot more about oil and gas – including potential new pipelines – once the federal election gets underway. And it underscores the renewed relevance of fossil fuels around the world: Energy companies like BP have backed away from their pandemic-era pledges to decarbonize, Donald Trump is vowing to "drill baby drill," and countries from Canada to Kazakhstan are signing off on new fossil fuel projects. So what does it mean for a warming planet and the future of renewables? As The Sunday Magazine's Pete Mitton explores in his documentary Oil Check... it's complicated.
How primed is Canada's retail scene to meet the 'buy Canadian' demand?
Canada's oldest retailer, Hudson's Bay Company, said it will soon begin liquidating its entire business if it's unable to secure financing. The move comes a week after the company filed for creditor protection. Historian Stephen Bown offers a brief history of Hudson's Bay and what the potential loss of the company symbolizes. Then, Common speaks with retail strategist David Ian Gray about how healthy our economic climate is for homegrown retailers, and how they can best capitalize on the wave of interest in "buying Canadian" sparked by the trade war.
Yes, plants can communicate with each other. Here's why some scientists say they're smarter than you think
Spring officially gets underway on Thursday. And when the first flashes of green present themselves, Zoë Schlanger wants us all to look beyond the beauty of our flora, to see a fascinating side of plants that scientists are still uncovering. The Atlantic science and environment writer speaks with Common about her book The Light Eaters, which shines a light on the latest research around the potential of plants to communicate, interpret touch, engage in social behaviour, and so much more.