The 519 Podcast

It was the strongest tornado to hit Ontario in over 15 years. 

It damaged roughly 100 houses and 25 other buildings, leaving a damage bill of about $130-million. 

It also claimed one life and affected the lives of an entire community, effects that linger 10 years later. 

On August 21, 2011, an isolated supercell thunderstorm that formed and gained strength over Lake Huron, came ashore in Goderich as an F-3 tornado.

In this episode of the 519 Podcast, we look back at that fateful day in Goderich, what has happened since, and how the community is doing now. 

This episode is hosted by Hayley Cheng.  

We had all hoped that, by now, we'd be done with the pandemic. But it's clear we are not. 

With the delta variant causing another spike in COVID-19 cases, and the number of people getting vaccinated seemingly stagnating, the debate now seems to be about can governments can do to mitigate the fourth wave of the pandemic.

The key, most experts agree, is vaccination.  

But how to you get people who are vaccine hesitant or outright refusing the vaccine to change their minds and roll up their sleeves? 
 
Some argue, that's where vaccine passports come in. 

Quebec says it's bringing in vaccine passports, and they've become an issue in the Nova Scotia election. 
 
But what about here in Ontario? So far, the province is saying they're not necessary. 
 
On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we hear from infectious disease specialist Dr. Zain Chagla about how vaccine passports might be the key to ending the pandemic. 

This episode is hosted by Craig Needles. 

As our real estate market continues to sees prices climb to historic heights, the 519 Podcast is looking at the impact on first time home buyers.

In a recent episode, we heard from economist Mike Moffatt about why prices have gone up this way they have.
We also talked to a realtor who pointed to the lack of supply and how it's making it very hard for buyers to find what they're looking for in their price range. 
In this episode, we hear from first time home buyers Alex and Tristan - who were successful in finding a home.. 

What was their house searching experience like? Was it discouraging to see houses they loved sell for hundreds of thousands over the list price? And what advice do they have for other first time home buyers?

This episode is hosted by Craig Needles. 

If we had to take a close look at things that we, as humans, probably don’t deserve, dogs would likely be at or near the top of the list. They ask only for shelter, food, water, and someone to rub their bellies.

And they give so much. But it’s not just companionship and unconditional love that dogs give us. 

Some dogs contribute in a much different way. They help solve crimes and find missing people. 

That’s the focus of this episode of the 519 Podcast. Host Craig Needles speaks with Constable Kristopher Black, K9 unit officer and dog handler with Lambton OPP, about police dogs Blitz and Celeana.

If you’re looking to buy a home, or you know someone who is, then you certainly know about the drastic changes that the housing market in Southwestern and Midwestern Ontario has experienced in what seems to be a very short amount of time. 

Prices at an all time high, bidding wars, and properties selling for hundreds of thousand dollars over the asking price. The real estate market in our region has been breaking records in the past year. 

Are these numbers here to stay, or is this a bubble that will inevitably burst?

We hope, by the end of this episode, we will answer some of your questions and leave you feeling a little more hopeful about buying a home. 

Environmental concerns will likely mean a change to our food supply. Does that mean crickets are on the menu? 519 Podcast host Hayley Cheng explores the idea.

Mike VanNetten spent more than 80 days in the hospital battling COVID-19. He and his wife Sarah joined the podcast to talk about his fight with COVID and their hope that everyone gets vaccinated.

It's not unusual for things to be stolen from people's front porches in cities across our region. 

It happens all the time. We've even coined a term for the people who do it. We call them porch pirates. 

But that's usually for the thefts of things like Amazon packages. 

There are other times when thefts from front porches hit like a punch to the gut. Like the recent theft of a special wheelchair from the home of a 9-year-old girl in London. 

The story has a happy ending of sorts, as the public came together to raise money for a replacement. 

But it shouldn't have to come to that. 

And that's the focus of this episode of the Blackburn News Podcast, hosted by Craig Needles. 

If you wanted one way to gauge the excitement people have for our lockdowns and stay-at-home orders coming to an end, there’s really only one stop you need to make: your local restaurant’s patio.

It's where you can find people doing what they have waited so long to do. That is, gather with others with a semblance of normalcy. 

This is what we’ve been waiting for., and it’s a good time to take a look back to the restaurant struggles we’ve had and have a look forward to where outdoor and indoor dining is headed in the future.

This is Patio Mania, a Blackburn News podcast looking into one of this summer’s most anticipated social gathering places, and where we’re at with the bar and restaurant industry. It's hosted by Craig Needles

You can ask just about anyone and they'll tell you that we've come a long way in this country when it comes to the rights of the LGBTQ2S+ community. 

But many of those same people that you ask will also say we have a long way to go. 

June is Pride Month in Canada. 

And where things stand is the focus of this edition of the Blackburn News Podcast. 

This episode is hosted by Hayley Cheng.