And just like that, another year has come and gone.

It’s become a bit of a tradition here at rabble radio to share a “best of” collection for the last episode of the year – so, if you’ll indulge us, for the third year in a row, let’s revisit some of our favourite episodes of 2023. Let’s dive right in.

2023 at a glance…

Let’s start in March, when rabble labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga was joined by Ethel Tungohan to discuss the expectations and assumption of care work in Canada. There is an “invisibilization” of care work in Canada, particularly for women and racialized communities; and the pair talk about how a complete breakdown of colonized thinking, learning and working in Canada must take place in order for true labour equity to take place.

In April, Stephen Wentzell sat down with Dr. Brandon Doucet about his new book, About Canada: Dental Care and the challenges of Canada’s dental care system. In this year’s federal budget, the Liberal government announced a $13-billion plan to expand dental care to families earning less than $90,000 a year, fulfilling the government’s commitment to the New Democrats. This is, of course, a major step forward for dental care in Canada. But is it enough? Or do we also need to rethink the structure of dental care in Canada as a whole?

In June, Olivia Chow made history by becoming the third woman and first ever racialized mayor in Toronto’s history. Ahead of her being elected, national politics reporter Stephen Wentzell sat down with Chow to talk about her plans on making Toronto a more “caring” city.

And in June, Stephen Wentzell sits down with Red Buffalo Nova Weipert, an Ojibwe Two-Spirit, transgender artist, filmmaker, and storyteller to talk about how their multi-layered Indigenous identity informs their creative and professional work.

Affordable housing and the housing crisis has been a hot topic this year on rabble. In August, Georgia Kelly sat down with Marva Burnett, national president of ACORN Canada. The two discuss the ways ACORN Canada is committed to achieving livable and affordable housing for all Canadians. The conversation on housing continued with ACORN Canada in our October political panel, Off the Hill: What to do about our affordable housing crisis.

And finally, in November this year, labour reporter Gabriela Calugay-Casuga sits down with Jade Ho, a labour studies instructor at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia. The two discussed what is possible for university students when they are given opportunities to learn about –and get involved with– social justice and labour issues in their own communities.

Did we miss a favourite interview of yours from 2023? Let us know in the comments below! 

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rabble radio

Hosted by Breanne Doyle, rabble radio is the flagship podcast of rabble.ca. rabble breaks down the news of the day from a progressive lens.

rabble radio brings you closer to the stories that matter to you. If you’re curious about the latest news in Canadian politics, labour, environment, or social justice, you’ve come to the right place. This is news for the rest of us – free of corporate influence.