In this episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson speaks with veteran journalist and author Paul Palango about the 2020 Nova Scotia massacre — the worst mass shooting in Canadian history.
This episode of On The Line is brought to you by Airbnb.
Everyone agrees that Canada needs to take real action to tackle the housing crisis, but only a few people argue that short-term rentals like Airbnb are part of that solution. Countless experts have argued that short term rental regulation is nothing more than a distraction, with the Harvard Business Review recently saying that “Put simply, restricting Airbnb is not going to be an effective tool for solving the housing-affordability problems.” This makes sense when you consider two key statistics: Canada needs 5.8 million homes to reach affordability by 2030, and Airbnb’s account for only 0.6% of Canada’s overall housing stock. The closer you look the clearer it gets that Canada needs bold action that addresses the entire housing market, not just 0.6% of it. Learn more at Airbnb.ca/closerlook.
Palango, author of 22 Murders and the new follow-up Anatomy of a Cover-Up, lays out allegations that go far beyond RCMP missteps. He argues that Gabriel Wortman may have been a confidential informant — or even an agent — and that the RCMP went to disturbing lengths to suppress key facts, mislead the public, and cover for systemic failures.
This is a hard and deeply complicated conversation about institutional trust, accountability, and the power of journalism in the face of silence.
This episode of On The Line is also brought to you by the Métis Nation of Ontario.
It's Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, 1849. Before court cases and commissions, before Canada was Canada, Métis communities in the Upper Great Lakes wrote petitions. Métis men signed their names beneath a statement to the Crown. They wrote to protect their rights, and their identity. They wrote because they would not be ignored. They were hunters, trappers, fishermen, voyageurs, and War of 1812 veterans. Like their cousins in Red River, who’d petition and resist inthe decades that followed, the Métis in the Upper Great Lakes knew how to use the tools of diplomacy.
To the West, in Batoche, St. Albert, and the Red River, Métis leaders like Louis Riel also wrote to be heard. They too signed their names with pride and called on governments to honour promises. This was how the Métis asserted themselves, again and again, from the Upper Great Lakes to the Rockies.
The Métis built Canada’s first economy, and willand never stop reminding the Crown of its promises.Learn more at OntarioMétisFacts.com.
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The Line is Canada’s last, best hope for irreverent commentary. We reject bullshit. We love lively writing. Please consider supporting us by subscribing. Please follow us on social media! Facebook x 2: On The Line Podcast here, and The Line Podcast here. Instagram. Also: TikTok. BlueSky. LinkedIn. Matt’s Twitter. The Line’s Twitter.Jen’s Twitter. Contact us by email: lineeditor@protonmail.com.
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