Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Change My Mind

What does it mean to be conservative in Canada today? Is the political movement still defined by fiscal responsibility and limited government, or has it evolved into something else?

In this episode of Change My Mind, Lynda Steele sits down with Brian Lee Crowley, founder of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, to explore the issue through the lens of a longtime conservative public policy thinker.

Together, they discuss how conservatism has changed and what those changes could mean for Canadian politics. They also examine the forces shaping today's movement, from regional tensions to political polarization to the growing influence of cultural issues.

Rather than asking whether these changes are good or bad, the conversation explores why many Canadians, including some longtime conservatives, feel uncertain about what conservatism stands for today. It considers how the movement is balancing tradition with transformation, and what its evolution may mean for the country's future.

As always, Change My Mind isn't about winning an argument. It's about asking better questions, listening with curiosity and considering different perspectives before deciding where you stand.

No debate. No winning. Just talking it through.

The FIFA World Cup is one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. But for host cities, it's about far more than what happens on the pitch.

Hosting a global event of this scale comes with enormous public investment, high expectations and no shortage of debate. Is it money well spent? Or could those dollars be better used elsewhere?

In this episode of Change My Mind, Lynda Steele is joined by veteran sports broadcaster, Don Taylor, to explore whether mega-events like the World Cup are still worth it in an era of housing shortages, affordability pressures and competing public priorities.

Together, they examine the promises that accompany events like FIFA 2026, including tourism, global exposure and civic pride. They also dive into  concerns about rising costs, public risk and who ultimately benefits.

Drawing on decades of experience covering sports, Don also offers a perspective that extends beyond economics. He shares why he thinks major sporting events have the power to unite communities, inspire the next generation and create moments people remember for years, even decades. Despite all the controversy and complexity, there’s still something undeniably powerful about watching a city and a country rally around the same moment.

This episode isn't about choosing between celebration and skepticism. It's about exploring whether both can exist at the same time, and whether the value of hosting a global event can be measured by more than a balance sheet.

No debate. No winning. Just talking it through.

Social media was supposed to bring us together.

Instead, many people now describe it as exhausting, divisive but also impossible to escape.

In this episode of Change My Mind, Lynda Steele examines her own complicated relationship with social media and asks a question that feels increasingly relevant: is staying online still worth it?

Joined by technology analyst and journalist Carmi Levy, the conversation explores how social media evolved from a tool for connection into an ecosystem driven by algorithms, outrage and engagement at all costs.

Together, they discuss misinformation, online harassment, the decline of civil discourse and whether today's platforms are capable of becoming healthier spaces. They also wrestle with a more personal question: at what point does participation become complicity?

For Carmi, the answer is sobering. Despite making his living covering technology and digital culture, he says he would likely leave social media behind if his work didn't require him to be there.

Lynda begins the episode frustrated with what social media has become. But after exploring the issue from every angle, will the conversation change her mind?

The discussion doesn't seek easy answers. Instead, it explores the trade-offs, the benefits and the growing costs of life online.

No debate. No winning. Just talking it through.

Ozempic arrived and suddenly the conversation around obesity changed.

New medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists are transforming how many people think about weight, health and obesity. But they are also raising difficult questions about access, stigma, personal responsibility and the role of public health systems.

In this episode of Change My Mind, Lynda Steele sits down with Dr. Ali Zentner, a British Columbia–based physician and advocate for evidence-based obesity care, to explore what the rise of obesity medications reveals about how society understands obesity itself.

Together, they examine whether these medications are changing the definition of obesity as a medical condition, how they fit into broader conversations about body positivity and weight stigma, while also exploring why access to treatment remains deeply unequal.

The discussion moves beyond the question of whether these drugs are "good" or "bad" and instead explores what happens when a new medical treatment challenges long-held beliefs about health, choice and responsibility.

As always, the goal isn't to win an argument. It's to think differently.

No debate. No winning. Just talking it through.

What does it mean to force someone to get better — and does it work?

In this episode, host Lynda Steele sits down with Guy Felicella, a harm reduction advocate and addiction educator, whose life story resists easy categorization. Over nearly two decades, Guy cycled through addiction, homelessness, gang involvement and incarceration, surviving six overdoses before finding his way to recovery. Today, he speaks publicly and passionately about stigma, trauma and the urgent need for a full spectrum of care.

The conversation centres on one of Canada's most contested policy debates: involuntary care. Should governments have the authority to compel people living with severe addiction or mental illness into treatment — even against their will? And if voluntary systems are underfunded, inaccessible or failing, does that change the calculus?

Lynda opens by sharing her initial position — and invites Guy to weigh in. What follows is a meaningful exchange, shaped by lived experience and an honest discussion about the limits of any single answer.

Together, they explore:

• How trauma underlies addiction in ways that policy often fails to address.
• The difference between compassion and coercion — and when one becomes the other.
• What the research and real-world evidence actually shows about forced treatment.
• Why Guy believes involuntary care is not a simple solution — and what he'd put in its place.
• What recovery actually looks like, and the role of love, support and dignity in getting there.

At the heart of this episode is a thread Guy returns to again and again: "If you don't deal with trauma, it's going to deal with you."

This is not an episode that tells you what to think. It's one that asks you to be curious, to listen and to make room for the full humanity of people caught between addiction, policy and survival.

This episode of Change My Mind with Lynda Steele explores one of the most current and complex questions in Canadian healthcare: should Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) be available when a psychiatric disorder is the sole underlying condition?

Rather than debating whether MAID and mental illness belong together, this conversation with Claire Brosseau — a writer, actor and advocate living in palliative psychiatric care — focuses on what it means to hold both autonomy and caution, as well as the lived reality of psychiatric suffering.

Grounded in honesty, and shaped by Claire's willingness to speak openly, the conversation also explores questions around courage, caution and whether the two can coexist. Not as a debate, but as a dialogue.

No winners. No noise. Just talking it through.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID), self-harm and suicidal ideation. The views expressed are those of the guest and this content is not medical, legal or mental health advice. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, please seek support from local emergency services or a qualified medical professional.

It’s called Change My Mind — but not in the way you think.

In this first episode, Lynda Steele introduces the podcast and the kind of conversations she is trying to create — thoughtful, curious and grounded in listening.

Along with her producer, she explores what’s driving division and why it matters to talk things through instead of diving into polarizing noise. They share stories about how we've lost the art of respectful conversation and reveal the key to reviving it—curiosity.

No debate. No pressure to win. Just conversation.