UnSpun is a Canadian current events podcast and YouTube show. Every week, broadcaster Jody Vance and former politician George Affleck "unspin" the latest news in local, provincial, federal politics — and much more!
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50% Tariffs, Centre BC Launches & Bots at City Hall | UnSpun Ep. 330
Friday, July 24, 2026 • Duration 32:15
Episode 330 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Trump's new 50% tariff threat to a brand new provincial party — and something strange happening in the Vancouver council speaker queue.
Here's what's inside:
50% Tariffs and BC's Exposure: Canada's back in Trump's crosshairs, and BC has more skin in the game than anyone: 13.7% of goods exposed, versus roughly 8% for Ontario and as little as 1% elsewhere. Saskatchewan and Alberta want to negotiate harder, Doug Ford wants to punish, Carney wants to bide his time. George asks the real question: how do you negotiate with someone you can't trust?
Eby's Zinger Goes Global: "If you're picking fights with Canadians, then you don't have a friend in the world." It landed on every cable news network in America — and got misattributed to the Prime Minister. George notes Eby has a comedian writing his one-liners, and credits the line anyway.
Polling the Relationship: Canadian sentiment toward the US has swung from strongly positive to deeply negative, while Americans still view Canadians favourably at around 80%. Meanwhile Adam Schiff wants his bourbon back on our shelves, and Jody has thoughts.
Small Business Is Hurting: George's clients are down 30, 40, even 50% year over year — a mix of Trump, AI, and post-COVID whiplash. His warning to Carney: the big global deals pay off in a decade, but people are struggling right now, and that's where the political damage will come from.
Centre BC Launches: Mike Bernier takes the helm of a new centrist party. George maps the two possible outcomes: it splits the right and gifts the NDP another term, or it does what Gordon Wilson did in 1991 and wipes out a party from the middle. Jody was in the room for that famous debate moment as a journalism student.
Dallas Brodie Recall Fails: The bar for recall is deliberately very high. George's take: that's what elections are for.
Bots and Scammers at City Hall: Council started interrogating online speakers about the 17 Villages plan after callers appeared to be phoning in from California, some barely speaking English. George warns the process itself could now be legally challenged — win or lose — and argues online speaking should be replaced by verified recorded submissions.
17 Villages, 300 Speakers: Four-to-six storeys with retail below, across 17 new walkable neighbourhoods. A week's worth of speakers and a decision landing right before the election.
Paid Trolls and the 67-Day Clock: Jody says her digging turned up accounts allegedly on retainer for mayoral candidates, aimed at intimidating her into silence. With 67 days to the municipal election, that's spending that has to be declared.
FreeKitsPool.com Is Live: The petition and the merch launch, thousands have already signed on, and every park board commissioner running in October is getting asked where they stand. Toronto extends pool hours to 11 PM on heat advisories. Vancouver is fighting about opening at all.
From the World Cup final to a yellow heat alert over an empty pool, this one's peak UnSpun.
Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should council scrap online speakers? And is Centre BC a real force or just a vote-splitter?
17 New Villages, the Gordie Howe Bridge Deal & Free Kits Pool | UnSpun Ep. 329
Friday, July 17, 2026 • Duration 35:48
Episode 329 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Ottawa's defence spending to Vancouver's village plan showdown and the Kits Pool fight goes fully public.
Here's what's inside:
Carney on Defence: The Prime Minister lays out why Canada is building its own defence capacity, from submarines to icebreakers, and partnering with the EU instead of leaning on the US. Jody says the comms are refreshingly spin-free. George keeps his skeptic hat on, noting how many former Vision Vancouver operatives now sit inside the Liberal machine.
The Gordie Howe Bridge Deal, Unspun: The headline says Canada caved. The details say otherwise: no revenue sharing until Canadians recoup the full cost of the bridge, then 15 years of net revenue directed into US-side infrastructure. Trump gets the win headline. Canada gets the crossing open.
Daylight Saving Ends: US Congress moves to kill the time change, and BC follows. Better winter sunsets, darker mornings, and no Armageddon.
Wildfires & the Same Old Failure: Northern Ontario burns while Toronto posts the worst air quality on the planet, and Pemberton gets uncomfortably close to home. George's point: we've been told exactly what to do by experts for years, forest management, sprinklers, water bombers, and governments only care when it's already burning.
Vancouver's Water Problem: Stage three restrictions all month, and we're still the biggest summer water consumers of any city in Canada. Population climbs 50,000 a year and the reserves don't.
Wash Your Produce: With US health surveillance gutted, a parasite is moving through 34 states. Another argument for buying local and Canadian and for actually rinsing your food.
17 New Villages: The Big Vote: Over 200 speakers signed up as council weighs creating 17 new neighbourhood villages. It's four-to-six storey gentle density — think Paris or Madrid, not 20-storey towers. Jody names the real problem: not the plan, but the missing trust after four-to-six storeys quietly became 21. George explains why councils can't fetter future councils, and why last-minute floor amendments pull the rug out from everyone who showed up to speak.
Carney's Saudi Gamble, Trump's Greenland & Japan Gaffes, and Vancouver's $5M Granville Street Bet | UnSpun Ep. 328
Thursday, July 9, 2026 • Duration 32:03
Here's what's inside:
Carney in Saudi Arabia: The first Canadian PM visit in 26 years. George and Jody unpack the human rights baggage, the "two days of US trade" deal, and why diversifying away from America is just smart business.
NATO Chaos in Türkiye: Trump floats Greenland as US land (again), fumbles a "Islamic Republic of Japan" line that leaves everyone confused, and Canada locks the US out of a new submarine deal — plus a $4.9B, 1,600-vehicle army contract restricted to two Canadian firms only.
World Cup Vancouver Wrap-Up: Granville Street's patio takeover was a hit, but the city just extended it through Labour Day for $5 million. George pushes his years-old case for a permanent car-free Granville.
Gregor Robertson's Housing Irony: Canada's new federal housing minister is the former Vancouver mayor who promised to end homelessness and didn't. George and Jody dig into why that appointment is landing so badly.
Safe Injection Site Showdown: The Seymour Street site is trying to relocate a block and a half away, right by St. Paul's Hospital. George argues the "four pillars" approach only works if all four actually get funded — and right now, none of them are.
Parking Backlash: A Vote Vancouver campaign video exposes new residential parking meters, and George breaks down why parking is really just a hidden road tax.
Local Media Goes Dark: Sportsnet 650 and News 1130 both shut down. George and Jody reflect on what disappearing local journalism means for accountability.
What do you think: should Vancouver make Granville Street permanently car-free? Is the "four pillars" approach to addiction dead on arrival without full funding? And what's your take on Carney's trade-diversification strategy?
Carney's Big BC Deal, Pipeline Compromise & the Kits Pool Fiasco | UnSpun Ep. 327
Thursday, July 2, 2026 • Duration 30:30
Episode 327 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck opens with a major federal-provincial announcement, digs into the housing bailout debate, and ends with a full-throated demand to fix Vancouver's broken pools.
Here's what's inside:
Carney's Massive BC Investment: The Prime Minister and Premier Eby unveil what one veteran reporter calls the largest federal investment in BC history. The northern tanker ban stays, but there's a pipeline path to the south coast, port expansion, and long-term gains pegged in the $80 billion range. George's take: a real win, but also a big loss for not opening the northern route.
What's Actually In It for BC: Beyond pipelines, the deal name-checks the Massey Tunnel, rail expansion, and transportation infrastructure to move goods to the expanded southern port. Compromise, or a payout to placate us for the lost opportunity?
The Condo Bailout Backlash: Developers say nobody consulted them on the plan to buy up empty condos. George argues buying finished units adds no long-term housing and makes the case for a UK-style rent-to-own model that builds equity instead.
The Ownership Question: Why renting offers no stability, how the UK guarantees a share of affordable homes in every new development, and why owning matters for retirement and passing something on to your kids.
Nurses Give Strike Notice: The "Me Too" clause, the limits of the taxpayer wallet, and why teachers and nurses are harder jobs than ever.
World Cup Fever & the $789M Question: Canada versus Morocco looms, Jack Poole Plaza lights up, and the crew makes the case for investing in youth sport and the arts the way we invested ahead of the 2010 Olympics.
The Kits Pool Outrage: Jody's viral campaign hits 400,000 views. With the aquatic centre closing before the new pool opens, downtown loses its year-round option entirely. She floats an FOI on Park Board communications and a plan to interview every commissioner candidate before the 2026 election.
📍 From a landmark BC deal to the pools we keep breaking, Episode 327 is classic UnSpun. 💬
Tell us in the comments: Was the pipeline compromise a win or a loss for BC? And should Kits Pool be open year-round?
The Condo Bailout, 48-Hour ER Waits & Council's Last-Minute Motion Dump | UnSpun Ep. 326
Thursday, June 25, 2026 • Duration 32:05
Episode 326 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck runs from Ottawa's condo bailout to Vancouver's emergency-room crisis to City Hall's lame-duck chaos, with the Kits Pool saga still very much alive.
Here's what's inside:
🏙️ The Condo "Bailout": Ottawa moves to buy up unsold condo stock as the market deflates. Is this housing policy or a developer rescue? George argues the real fix is funding the homes five years out, not buying the units already sitting empty and he warns the optics get ugly fast when the government starts buying from donors.
🏘️ What Killed the Market: Frances Bula and Gregor Robertson weigh in, but Jody and George break down the actual mechanics: deflated valuations, frozen listings, and changed immigration and foreign-student numbers loosening Vancouver's rental crunch for the first time in years.
🚢 Dredging Burrard Inlet: Tankers off the twin pipeline can only fill to 80% because the water's too shallow under the Second Narrows. Approval to dredge has reportedly cleared all levels with almost no protest or coverage. Why so quiet?
🏥 48-Hour ER Waits: Canadians are now being told to brace for up to two days waiting for a bed. George and Jody dig into burnout, repeat-visit pressure, e-scooter brain injuries, and why St. Paul's should carve out an urgent-care alternative to the ER.
🏛️ Council's Motion Dump: With the term basically over until the October election, Vancouver councillors are stacking the agenda with sprawling, consultant-written motions. George calls it what it is: pre-election profile-building that buries staff in busywork.
🗳️ Municipal Shake-Up Ahead: New mayors likely in Richmond, Coquitlam and beyond. So why is UBCM scheduled two weeks before voters go to the polls?
🤝 CUSMA Deadline: With the July 1 review looming, Carney draws a line: a good deal or no deal, and a rollover beats a worse agreement.
🏊 Kits Pool, Still Empty: Capacity of 1,800, sold out online, 400 people actually showing up. Jody says there's no lifeguard shortage, full stop and she's filming the empty deck every single day.
This week on UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck, Jody returns from Sicily jet-lagged and ready to go — just in time for FIFA World Cup madness, Vancouver's long-overdue Granville Street moment, and a border crossing story that'll make your blood pressure spike.
Here's what's inside:
⚽ Canada's World Cup Moment: Team Canada wins 6-0 in a historic performance. First non-European or South American team to score five-plus goals in a single World Cup game. The hat trick? Not bad company — only Lionel Messi has matched it this tournament.
🚶 Granville Street Glows Up: George called it 16 years ago: pedestrianize Granville. Two motions lost. Now with FIFA, the city finally got a taste of what it could be — and Vancouver loved it. Rebecca Bligh is running with it. Will this time be different?
🏗️ Carney Comes to BC: The PM announces a 1.6 billion federal-provincial housing partnership, 600 million for health infrastructure, Surrey-Langley SkyTrain funding, and fast-tracked permitting reform. Build don't announce, says George.
🌊 Massey Tunnel, Still Waiting: A bike lane nobody will use, no rapid transit to the ferry, and Highway 99 still a bottleneck. The bridge that could have been open by now. Classic BC.
📉 Eby's Polling Collapse: The NDP Premier hits historically low approval numbers. Brad West circling. Caucus restless. Could a snap election be coming?
🚔 Surrey Police Board Chaos: Chief Norm Lapinsky fired in a backroom move. Board members walking out, journalists stonewalled, a gag order incoming. And Doug McCallum might just be the beneficiary.
💧 Water Restrictions vs. Reality: No snowpack, no rain, phase three restrictions — and Metro Vancouver still has no long-term plan. George wants answers. Jody wants her pool open. 🏊 Aquatic Centre Update: Class action verdict pending. A parking lot sits empty fifty feet from the pool they want to close. The Park Board remains the Park Board.
🇺🇸 Border Stress & Noem's New Gig: Jody's Nexus run turns into a full ICE-dog-sniff ordeal at the Peace Arch. And Kristi Noem — yes, the puppy killer — is now consulting for a BC mining company.
Kerry-Lynn Findlay Wins BC Conservative Leadership. What It Means for BC Politics | UnSpun Ep. 324
Sunday, May 31, 2026 • Duration 14:06
A special urgent episode of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck recorded the morning after BC Conservatives chose their new leader in a razor-thin vote.
Here's what's inside:
Kerry-Lynn Findlay Wins by 1%: The former MP edges out the competition 51-49 on a weighted ballot in the fourth round. George breaks down how momentum in the final week decided it all.
Who Is the New BC Conservative Leader?: A right-of-centre federal Conservative MP now leads the provincial party. Jody and George unpack what that means for the mushy middle in the Lower Mainland, and whether she can win it.
NDP's Opportunity or Trap?: With Findlay positioned further right, does Premier Eby have room to move toward the centre? Or does his own record prevent it?
The Splinter Problem: Six independents and breakaway parties are still out there. Can Findlay reunite them? George draws the parallel to Gordon Campbell's iron caucus discipline.
Brad West's Cryptic Tweet: Timed right after the leadership result, the Port Coquitlam mayor posts something oddly broad about divisiveness in BC politics. George and Mo Amir both noticed it.
Kits Pool, Still Dry: Park Board votes Monday night on lifting all restrictions at Kits Pool. Jody goes off. George says, "It's June, for God's sakes."
A short, sharp episode that cuts right to the heart of where BC provincial politics goes next.
Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Can Findlay win the mushy middle or does this hand the NDP another term?
Carney's Energy Superpower Play, Alberta's Separation Threat & FIFA Comes to Vancouver | UnSpun Ep. 323
Friday, May 29, 2026 • Duration 32:08
On Episode 323 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck covers Carney’s “energy superpower” pitch in New York, Wab Kinew’s viral Danielle Smith comments, Vancouver’s FIFA cleanup, and why Kits Pool is still empty heading into summer.
Here's what's inside:
Carney Takes Canada Global: The Prime Minister lands in Manhattan to pitch Canada as an energy superpower. 56 critical mineral agreements, a doubling of the electricity grid, an LNG deal with Germany, and increased uranium production.
George and Jody unpack what it means to finally move on diversifying trade away from the US. Alberta's Separation Referendum: Danielle Smith pushes forward with her referendum threat while Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew publicly calls her out in a now-viral moment. Jody and George debate whether it's a legitimate grievance or a political stick — and whether it's already working.
The John Horgan Dam: Site C gets a new name and Christy Clark defends it. George and Jody weigh in on rewarding politicians who change their minds versus honouring the ones who fought against the very things they later championed.
Yaletown Overdose Prevention Site Cancelled: The province pulls the plug on a planned overdose prevention site near downtown Vancouver. George (full disclosure: a neighbourhood resident) explains why residents don't trust the government's assurances it won't resurface elsewhere.
FIFA World Cup Comes to Vancouver: Two weeks out, taxpayer complaints are mounting, conventions have been cancelled all summer, and hotel revenues are being hit. But George and Jody agree: you're in it, so you'd better embrace it. The PNE Fan Zone and the Science World wrap look spectacular.
Cleaning Up Vancouver: FIFA's forcing a citywide cleanup that residents have been asking for years.
George's take: take the budget being spent right now, multiply it across twelve months, and that's what it actually costs to maintain a clean city. Make it permanent.
Team Canada Beats the US at the IIHF Worlds: Canada ousts the Americans in the semifinal. George and Jody take a moment.
Carney Meets Eby, FIFA's $578M Bill & Jody Speaks at City Hall for Kits Pool | UnSpun Ep. 322
Thursday, May 21, 2026 • Duration 36:08
Episode 322 of UnSpun with Jody Vance and George Affleck covers Mark Carney's visit to Vancouver, the staggering cost of FIFA, firefighters saying enough is enough, and Jody's moment at city council fighting to free Kits Pool.
Here's what's inside:
🇨🇦 Carney Meets Eby in Vancouver: The Prime Minister spoke at the Vancouver Board of Trade, then met with Premier Eby. Carney was publicly positive, but George says behind the scenes he must be frustrated. The NDP has been in power since 2017 with no big projects to show for it. Carney's agenda is building and extraction. Eby's party is philosophically opposed.
🛢️ Pipeline Politics: Eby vs. Danielle Smith Eby says he wasn't consulted on the Alberta pipeline MOU. George says there's no point talking to someone who won't budge. The federal government and Alberta have First Nations and northern support. Carney's message: come with solutions, not more reasons to say no.
🗳️ Alberta Separation Referendum: An independence referendum is coming this fall. George calls it leverage, not a real threat. Carney is making the right moves to help Alberta prosper, and the separatist argument will fade. First Nations have already said no.
⚽ FIFA's $578 Million Price Tag New report: Vancouver taxpayers are on the hook for $578 million for seven World Cup matches. That's $87 million per day. George asks how many soccer fields you could build with that money. Hotels are seeing declines because tourists think it's too expensive. Unlike the Olympics, there's no legacy infrastructure, no youth sport investment, no Own the Podium moment.
🏟️ What FIFA Leaves Behind: BC Place got hundreds of millions in upgrades for a dinosaur building. They grew grass they can't keep. Practice facilities have been closed for a year. The BC Sports Hall of Fame is in storage. Locals can't afford tickets. Where's the kama'aina pricing for residents who paid for this?
🔥 Firefighters Say Enough: Vancouver firefighters are pushing back on responding to medical calls in the Downtown Eastside. Fire Hall 2 rotates crews every 100 days because the trauma is so intense. The union backs them: this is a provincial healthcare issue, not a firefighter issue. More ambulances, more hospitals, more emergency centres.
OPS Mailbag Backlash, Metro Vancouver's 3-Minute Meeting & Trump's China Flip | UnSpun Ep. 321
Thursday, May 14, 2026 • Duration 32:07
Description:
Episode 321 of UnSpun with Jody Vance & George Affleck dives into the mailbag for the first time, responds to backlash on overdose prevention sites, exposes Metro Vancouver's outrageous meeting costs, and unpacks Trump's sudden pivot to China.
Here's what's inside:
Mailbag: Overdose Prevention Site Backlash: George got attacked on Twitter/X after last week's comments on overdose prevention sites. Frances Bula weighed in ("golly"). Guy Felicella returned his declaration day from Mayor Ken Sim. George clarifies: he's not against OPS, he's against poorly run ones. The Yaletown site was a disaster. Coastal Health lost the community's trust. ABC understands that most Vancouverites are fed up, and that's the spin behind their decisions heading into October.
Ken Sim's 11 AI Agents: The mayor said he has "11 AI agents running things right now" … then had to clarify he meant personally, not as mayor. George: "This is so Ken. He's always a bit cringe." The beer guzzling, the Bitcoin, now the AI flex. What happened to bringing swagger back?
Metro Vancouver's $500 Meeting: Jordan Armstrong reported that Metro Vancouver held a 3 minute 40 second meeting where each attendee made $151.77 per minute. George says blow up the whole organization structure. When he filled in at Metro board, they'd have 15-minute public meetings then go in camera for two hours. The new Metrotown building has an Air Canada lounge vibe with made-to-order food.
Wastewater Billions & Marine Dumping: Metro's waste treatment fiasco is into the billions. They got $250 million back from Acciona after firing them and starting over. Meanwhile, cruise ships and freighters dump waste with zero monitoring. E. coli in the summer? Look at the harbour.
Port Moody Women's Housing Cut: The province pulled funding for a 40-woman transition housing project in Port Moody, for women fleeing intimate partner violence. At the same time, Deputy Premier Niki Sharma is building court protections for abused women. The irony is staggering.
Carney on Energy & Affordability: Mark Carney's message this week: affordability first, then green transition. LNG, natural gas, grid connections to Yukon. George has been saying this for years: Canada is a resource economy. Healthcare, social programs, it all comes from extraction. You can be green AND extract resources. They're not mutually exclusive.
Free Kits Pool: A shirtless, speedo-clad press conference as pure media distraction and it worked. Meanwhile the pool reads "sold out" online 99% of the time, closes repeatedly through the day, and sits visibly empty. Jody's timestamped videos are pulling hundreds of thousands of views, the Park Board chair has gone from calling her irrelevant to thanking her for the attention, and something new is launching in days.
A Nod to Brad West: The Port Coquitlam mayor listens to his community and keeps free outdoor pools open all summer. Take notes.
From the Windsor border to the Kits Beach deck, this one's peak UnSpun.
Subscribe, comment, and tell us: Should council approve the 17 villages? And how long can the Park Board keep an empty pool "sold out"?
Stephen Colbert's Final Show & What Comes Next: 6.7 million viewers for the finale, then Byron Allen buys the time slot with Comics Unleashed. George breaks down the economics of cheap panel TV versus the legacy late-night model.
US Chaos Roundup: A UFC fight planned in front of the White House. War with Iran. Five-dollar gas. And a Texas Senate nominee who George says raises serious questions about the Republican base's judgment. Democrats still can't define who they are. Kits Pool Watch: Still empty. Still not open. Jody is not letting this go.
💬 Tell us in the comments: Is Carney's energy superpower vision realistic? Should Vancouver make the FIFA cleanup permanent? And seriously — when is Kits Pool opening?
🏚️ $225,000/Month SRO Scandal: Two people remain in a condemned SRO on the Downtown Eastside. The province is paying $225,000 a month to house them in a building that's dirty, unheated, and infested. The owners who let it fall apart are collecting the rent. Where does that money go?
⛽ Natural Gas Ban Workaround: ABC is bringing back the natural gas debate — this time packaged as an "affordability" measure to get around the rule against re-introducing failed motions. George predicts they'll have their caucus whipped this time.
🏊 Jody Speaks at City Hall for Kits Pool: Jody waited four hours on hold to speak for three minutes at Vancouver City Council. The Joe Fortes motion passed: free swimming lessons for kids ages 3-12, restore Kits Pool to pre-COVID capacity, end the reservation system. Park Board commissioners Tom Digby and Laura Christensen showed up to say the pool is fine. Jody: "Open the pool."
📍 From Carney's visit to FIFA's bill to Kits Pool victory, Episode 322 is packed.
💬 Tell us in the comments: Is FIFA worth $578 million? Should firefighters respond to medical calls? And who should Jody endorse for Park Board?
Trump's China Flip: Three weeks ago Trump attacked Canada for dealing with China. Now he's in Beijing doing deals with Xi Jinping. George: "The MAGAs are gonna start saying China's great." The Taiwan situation looms. Russia's VE Day parade looked depleted, Putin arrived in an armoured motorcade, looking scared.
Canadian Travel to US Plummets: Cell data confirms what we already knew: Canadian travel to the US is down 60%. Border states are getting crushed. South Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Texas, deep red states feeling the pain. Will it move the meter come midterms?
From mailbag battles to Metro Vancouver waste to Trump's China pivot, Episode 321 delivers the unspun truth.
Tell us in the comments: Should Metro Vancouver be restructured? Is ABC playing politics with OPS? And will Canadian boycotts affect midterms?
