Brandie Weikle
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CBCRadio writer/senior producer. Founder @thenewfamily. Former Canadian Family EIC, @TorontoStar parenting columnist. Exploring work, family, health and more.
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Articles by Brandie Weikle
Here's why some people say the 2-day weekend is due for a makeover
Cost of Living In October 1926, Henry Ford announced his factories would close not just on Sundays but Saturdays, too, making his company the first big North American employer to do so. But advocates for a shorter workweek say it’s time for an update to reflect both how we work and live today.
Now that you know the truth, what do you do about reconciliation?
LISTEN | Reconciliation through friendship and forests: Unreserved54:00Reconciliation through friendships and forests! When Jenny Davis was about to meet an Indigenous elder for the first time through her work at Toronto's High Park Nature Centre, she was nervous. Davis, the centre's special events co-ordinator at the time, said she's embarrassed looking back at her internal monologue when meeting Donna Powless, director of the Taiaiako'n Historical Preservation Society.
How Gloria Steinem and her colleagues set out to 'change the world' with Ms. Magazine
LISTEN | Interview with Letty Cottin Pogrebin: As It Happens10:18How Gloria Steinem and her colleagues set out to 'change the world' with Ms. Magazine When journalist and author Letty Cottin Pogrebin worked with the late Gloria Steinem in the early days of Ms. magazine, the place wasn't cute. "We were in two crowded rooms. It was a donated office.
Tenants in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside are working to make their buildings safer during heat waves
When British Columbia saw record-breaking temperatures during the 2021 heat dome, Stephen Nelson witnessed firsthand just how quickly those temperatures can turn deadly. Nelson was living at the Keefer Rooms in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES) when his friend and neighbour, Mario, began "suffering from the heat," Nelson told What on Earth. Mario had difficulty taking care of himself, Nelson said, so he and his girlfriend tried to help as temperatures soared.
What will unite tennis and pickleball players? A whole lot more courts
The Sunday Magazine Across the country, tennis and pickleball players compete for time on too few courts. Here's what planners and sports policy experts say it would take to address the root of the problem — not enough recreational facilities for any sport.
What will unite tennis and pickleball players? A whole lot more courts
1 hour ago A boat-in pine cabin, a peaceful waterfront cottage and a suburban townhouse, set amid the Canadian province’s sparkly lakes. Georgian Bay | $1.15 million (1.6 million Canadian dollars) A classic, boat-in pine cabin with a dock and a tiki bar This three-bedroom residence combines classic log-cabin …
Snail-mail clubs deliver on the desire for physical letters
LISTEN | The delight in receiving physical letters : Day 66:58Snail mail subscription clubs are a growing trend as people delight in receiving physical letters If your mail contains nothing but utility bills, takeout flyers and an endless stream of marketing material from local realtors, there's a subscription for that. Creative entrepreneurs are finding their way into people's hearts — and mailboxes — by offering snail-mail subscriptions.
Grey whales are dying along our shores. Researchers say a warming climate may be part of the problem
LISTEN | Why scientists are sounding the alarm about grey whales: What On Earth25:20Face to face with the disappearing whales Every day of summer, hundreds of tourists head to the docks in Tofino, B.C., a town perched on the western edge of Vancouver Island. There’s so much in the area to explore — the beaches, the rainforest, the taco truck — but the grey whales are the main attraction.
Could lightning-inspired fertilizer be a climate-friendly option for Canadian farmers?
LISTEN | It's controversial, but proponents say the proof is in the plants: What On Earth27:49Is lightning in a box a climate solution for farmers? It sounds like weird science and some have dismissed it as "snake oil." But an emerging crop fertilizer technology is gaining interest amid an acute shortage caused by wars in the Middle East.
How do you get rid of 110 vats of smelly fish sauce? This Newfoundland town is finally getting an answer
LISTEN | Mary-Catherine McIntosh's documentary Fish Sauce: The Current23:11How decades of rotting fish sauce changed a small town It'll take about 200 trips with a standard-sized dump truck to put an end to a stinky problem that has plagued the town of St. Mary's, N.L., for the past 25 years.
How do you get rid of 110 vats of smelly fish sauce? This Newfoundland town is finally getting an answer
A recipe for home in NL: How 'cooking changed everything' for Safaa’s Kitchen owner Safaa Tohme still remembers the uncertainty of the journey that brought her family from Syria to Newfoundland and Labrador in 2016.Travelling with …
Rebuilt cars are cheaper than other used vehicles. But it’s buyer beware
Home / Around Canada / Rebuilt cars are cheaper than other used vehicles. But it’s buyer beware The price tag might be tempting, but experts say you should consider the risks Dealerships have to disclose if a car has been rebuilt. But private sellers who list their vehicles for sale on platforms like Facebook Marketplace aren’t required to do so.
Rebuilt cars are cheaper than other used vehicles. But it's buyer beware
Cost of Living·New With the price of used vehicles up around 48 per cent since late 2019, a vehicle that's been rebuilt after a write-off may carry a tempting price tag. But auto industry experts say they carry risks that may affect safety and insurance.
You got a ticket for running a red. Here’s why that yellow light might have seemed short
Home / Science & Climate / You got a ticket for running a red. Here’s why that yellow light might have seemed short Traffic engineers explain the science behind the timing of yellow lights A lot of science goes into how traffic lights are programmed, but so do considerations about driver behaviour, traffic experts say. (Andrew Lee/CBC) It’s a split-second decision every driver knows well.
You got a ticket for running a red. Here's why that yellow light might have seemed short
Ideas·New The engineers behind those yellow lights — including the ones that seem painfully short — say a lot of science goes into how traffic lights are programmed. But they also account for the different ways drivers respond at intersections.
Is male friendship in trouble? Actor Andrew McCarthy went on a road trip to find out
The Current·Q&A After the author and "Brat Pack" actor's wife and son confronted him with the fact he didn't have friends anymore, McCarthy crisscrossed the country to visit old friends and ask strangers whether friendships between men are in trouble.
Your teen is likely seeing 'looksmaxxing' content online. Here's what you need to know
Sam Pratt was around 13 when he first saw people talking about "looksmaxxing" on YouTube. The philosophy behind it seemed "pretty logical," said Pratt, now 17 and attending high school in Constance Bay, Ont., a suburb of Ottawa. "Attractive people are treated better in society," he said.
Your teen is likely seeing 'looksmaxxing' content online. Here's what you need to know
Sam Pratt was around 13 when he first saw people talking about "looksmaxxing" on YouTube. The philosophy behind it seemed "pretty logical," said Pratt, now 17 and attending high school in Constance Bay, Ont., a suburb of Ottawa. "Attractive people are treated better in society," he said.
The books— and people — who made actor Josh Dela Cruz fall in love with reading | CBC Books
Josh Dela Cruz hit a few bumps along the road to becoming an avid reader. He says he loved books as a young child, but with its emphasis on assigning grades for reading comprehension, the actor and former host of Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues & You! says school really took the joy out of books for a while. "I remember I had such a hard time concentrating in school. I did well enough. But I just couldn't sit still," he said. What he didn't know it at the time, says Dela Cruz, was that he had ADHD.
Private menopause clinics are growing in Canada. Here’s why | CBC Radio
LISTEN | Why more Canadians are paying for menopause care: White Coat Black Art26:30The rise of paid menopause care Some Canadians are paying out of pocket for menopause care from a host of private practitioners opening clinics outside the public health-care system. Aidan Brame, a 46-year-old woman from Nanaimo, B.C., is one of them.
Broadway actor Josh Dela Cruz to champion a dystopian thriller that 'feels like a play' on Canada Reads
Canada Reads Broadway actor and children’s television host Josh dela Cruz will champion Foe by Iain Reid. Canada Reads will air April 13-16 on CBC TV, CBC Radio and CBC Books! Canada Reads will air April 13-16 on CBC TV, CBC Radio and CBC Books Brandie Weikle · CBC Books · Posted: Jan 22, 2026 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 37 minutes ago Listen to this article Estimated 6 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur.
This woman was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. It turns out she has a rare autoimmune disease instead
LISTEN | John Chipman's documentary, Not On My Watch: The Current24:53CBC Documentary, Not On My Watch A relatively new class of autoimmune diseases that affect the brain is making psychiatrists rethink some diagnoses. Though rare, patients with autoimmune encephalitis often present with psychiatric symptoms, and that can lead to misdiagnosis with a mental illness instead, says Dr. Chris Hahn, a neurologist at the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary.
This woman was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder. It turns out she has a rare autoimmune disease instead
6 days ago Jon Bernthal may be an Emmy-Award-winning actor, but he puts his role as a father above all else. The His & Hers actor shares three children with his wife, Erin Angle, whom he married in 2010. The couple became parents when they welcomed son Henry in 2011. Two years later they added son Billy to the …
A Dior calendar for $11K? Here’s how the humble advent calendar has gone bananas
Cost of Living Today you can buy an advent calendar containing almost any product you can imagine, from Lego to whisky, ice cream to jewelry, sex toys to fishing lures. Originally a religious practice, the chocolate versions date back to the 1950s Brandie Weikle · CBC Radio · Posted: Dec 13, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago Listen to this article Estimated 5 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur.
This WW I soldier was unusually candid about front-line horrors in letters home to B.C. | CBC Radio
LISTEN | Full interview with historian Brandon Marriott: The Current20:25A soldier's letters gives an inside look at the horrors of the Great War When Lester Harper enlisted in the army at a New Year’s Eve party in the wee hours of Jan. 1, 1916, the farmer from Pouce Coupe, in northern B.C., thought he might be home in time for harvest.
Her mother stayed with the man who abused her. Today, she helps other victims of childhood sexual assault
The Current26:04She was abused by her stepfather — and her mother stayed with him WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. Andrea Skinner, daughter of renowned Canadian author Alice Munro, revealed last summer that she was molested by her stepfather, Gerald Fremlin — and that her late mother remained with Fremlin after he pleaded guilty to indecent assault. The news rocked the literary world.
How long can you live with advanced prostate cancer? This man's still sailing and skiing 14 years later
Many people with advanced prostate cancer are living much longer due to new treatments, leading prostate cancer doctors say. Though not often a cure, these innovations are turning a disease once considered a death sentence into a chronic illness that can be managed for years in some patients.
Flaunting fur might be back, thanks in part to vintage buyers and sustainable shoppers
For Mina Ely, fur has never been out of style. With her family's Russian Jewish heritage, furs were the norm for both esthetic and practical reasons during cold Toronto winters. "I would always remember when they would go out, or when they would go to shul, it was just something they would wear, because you can't drive on Shabbat," she told Cost of Living. "I always looked at my mom like, 'wow' … I loved the way it looked.
Want to be sedated (for surgery)? Anesthesia assistants could help shorten wait times
White Coat Black Art26:30Meet the people who help sedate you One solution to a critical shortage of anesthesiologists in Canada could lie with increasing the ranks of anesthesia assistants, advocates say. "In a situation where we have a serious ...
Gisèle Pelicot's daughter alleges her father, the convicted rapist, abused her, too
The Sunday Magazine46:04Caroline Darian, daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, tells her own story WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it. The explosive mass rape trial of Dominique Pelicot and 50 other men in Avignon, France, may have come to an end Dec. 19, but for his daughter, Caroline Darian, the story was nowhere near over.
Old-school networking key to landing a role in the 'hidden job market,' recruitment experts say | CBC Radio
Cost of Living·New In a world where online job applications appear to be the norm, it still takes in-person networking to reveal a significant portion of the opportunities in the "hidden job market." There are more job opportunities than meet the eye on job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed Brandie Weikle · CBC Radio · Posted: Mar 09, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago In a world where online job applications appear to be the norm, it still takes in-person networking to reveal a...
Palliative care doesn't mean a patient is at death's door. Here's why
White Coat Black Art26:30What if palliative care was about living better? Palliative care has an image problem. Despite what people think, it's not some kind of "Grim Reaper service," say two of Canada's leading experts in this field of medicine.
5 tips to help your child learn to love reading
Radio There’s no one silver bullet that will guarantee a child becomes a skilled and avid reader. But here are some things you can try to encourage your kids to fall in love with the written word.
The anesthesiologist shortage is now a 'full-blown crisis.' Should Canada use nurse anesthetists?
White Coat Black Art26:30Should Canada have nurse anesthetists? The effects of a shortage of anesthesiologists could be improved if specially trained nurses were allowed to provide anesthesia care — something they do in the United States, nursing advocates say. But physicians' groups have pushed back against the idea in at least two provinces since it was raised more than 25 years ago, even as surgical wait times have grown since the pandemic.
Would you pay to see a family doctor faster? Quebecers are, and critics are worried Original
White Coat Black Art26:30$150 for 15 minutes, part 1 Audrey Leveillé's four-month-old son, William, had been sick for about a week, running a fever on and off. Worried, the mom of two wanted to rule out infection, but couldn't face the prospect of an hours-long wait in a hospital emergency department, she said. So Leveillé took her baby to Clinique Santé Plus, a private family practice in Vaudreuil, Que., about 45 kilometres outside Montreal. "There's no infection today, which is great news.
Low libido, intercourse pain, orgasm problems? Sexual-health doctors are trying to help
White Coat Black Art26:30ENCORE: Sex medicine doctors are putting women’s health, and pleasure, first Many women report difficulties with orgasms, low libido or pain around intercourse. And given that many have never even learned much about their genitals, they don’t always know where to get help. A cadre of Canadian doctors specializing in women’s sexual health is trying to change that. They’re helping patients boost pleasure, while empowering them to get to know their sexual anatomy.
Why wait to retire? These Canadians are embracing the adult gap year instead
Cost of LivingFreedom 25, 35, and 45? Nick Thompson and his wife, Melanie, love to watch their kids swim in the river near a waterfall on the property where they live in southern Ecuador, on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. "It's the land of eternal spring, so it never gets below 16 [C] and never gets over 27," Thompson told Cost of Living. "It's sunny every day and there's no bugs because we're just high enough in elevation.
This group is breaking down barriers to nature for Muslim students — one classroom at a time | CBC Radio
What On Earth A non-profit geared to creating an environmental movement within the Canadian Muslim community has taken its work inside the classroom. The aim is to help students make connections between sustainable habits and their cultural values.
New med school for family doctors aims to help solve the shortage. Can it do so with doctors alone?
White Coat Black Art26:30This school's for family docs only The people behind a year-old medical school dedicated solely to turning out family doctors say the small program based in Oshawa, Ont., is disrupting traditional medical education in a way that could help solve Canada's shortage of family physicians.
Warmer temperatures have put chinook salmon - and a way of life - in grave danger
By Brandie Weikle, RCI, CBC News At the home James MacDonald shares with his wife and their two kids, it’s approaching dinnertime. His five-year-old son, Sye, is helping MacDonald open a can of salmon. As a citizen of the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council — one of several First Nations known as “salmon people” — MacDonald’s ancestors have been fishing chinook salmon for millennia. But that way of life couldn’t feel further away than it does right now.
In Yukon, salmon for dinner used to mean fresh-caught fish. Now, it's flown in | CBC Radio
What On Earth25:29Ghosts in their fishing nets (an Overheated story) At the home James MacDonald shares with his wife and their two kids, it's approaching dinnertime. His five-year-old son, Sye, is helping MacDonald open a can of salmon. As a citizen of the Ta'an Kwäch'än Council — one of several First Nations known as "salmon people" — MacDonald's ancestors have been fishing chinook salmon for millennia. But that way of life couldn't feel further away than it does right now.
Should parents of boys set aside the topic of toxic masculinity? This author thinks so
The Current23:38Raising boys in an age of ‘impossible masculinity’ Ruth Whippman was going into labour with her third son as the #MeToo reckoning was unfolding in the news. "I was reading these tweets about how terrible men were and [about] toxic masculinity and one man after another being this, like, sex offender or predator or terrible person," Whippman told The Current host Matt Galloway. As a feminist, Whippman said she found the #MeToo movement energizing and validating.
Conversations about climate change can quickly go south. Here are 6 ways to make them better
What On Earth27:39Awkward! How to have that cringe convo about climate Conversations about climate change can get really uncomfortable, really quickly, whether they're happening in a meeting room or at your family's annual summer barbecue. It's enough to make even those who are really concerned about the problem want to steer clear of the topic. But those chats between colleagues, family members and friends are actually really essential, says climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe.
Canadian seniors are wealthier than ever. Do seniors' discounts still make sense?
Cost of Living9:09Is it time to retire the seniors' discount? Whether she's attending a chamber performance or playing in one, cellist and teacher Laura Backstrom says one thing is pretty consistent — the audience "looks like a sea of white hair," she says.
Trade your zucchini loaf for my jar of tomatoes? Why some Canadians are turning to bartering again
Cost of Living5:08Trade you a breadmaker for banana bread? When Samantha Fanning was expecting her second child, the room that would become the baby's nursery needed a major glow-up. But as a professional photographer and at the time a single mother, Fanning didn't have room in her schedule — or the painting skills required — to transform the space. "So I traded photography for someone to come in and paint that bedroom," Fanning told Cost of Living. Her painter got some nice new family photos.
'MPs aren't just screaming at each other' — What parliamentary interns say Canadian politics is really like | CBC Radio
The House·New Young Canadians who participate in a coveted internship program on Parliament Hill say politics isn't anything like the version you see on TV. On camera, it's combat — off camera, it's very different Brandie Weikle · CBC Radio · Posted: Jun 29, 2024 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago Left to right, Katie Campbell, Arianne Joyce Padillo, Catherine Despatie and Ahdithya Visweswaran are part of the Parliamentary Internship Programme.
TikTok has been called the therapist's couch of Gen Z. But not all the #mentalhealth info checks out Original
Spark53:59Being Human Now 9 - Wellness It's "scroller beware" on #mentalhealth TikTok, where content ranges from informed to misleading, and has the potential to be both helpful or harmful, mental health caregivers say. Jonathan Shedler, a psychologist and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, says he's concerned about the quality of mental health information on social platforms.
Hoping to buy your first home? It's getting harder to qualify without help from mom and dad Original
Cost of Living9:01Wanna buy your first home? Better hope your folks have one already Help from parents is increasingly becoming a deciding factor in who is able to realize their dream of owning a home and who is not. A report from Statistics Canada released last month found that as of the 2021 reference year — the latest available from the Canadian Housing Statistics Program — around one in six properties owned by buyers born in the 1990s were actually co-owned with their parents.
Pay transparency in job listings is less transparent than you might think
Cost of Living9:04Pay transparency in job postings? Mmmm...not so much When Kate McKenzie was looking for a job in the spring of 2023, she found a mixed bag of approaches to pay transparency — the practice of being upfront about salaries, both internally and when hiring. "Sometimes the pay would be listed on a job posting. Sometimes it would be a salary range.
Shortage of skilled tradespeople is hitting all Canadians in the pocketbook, economists say
Cost of Living9:40Why you should consider a job in the trades A shortage of qualified people to work in skilled trades is making rising costs of living even worse, economists and trade industry veterans say. "It used to be 70 or 80 bucks for somebody to come to your house as a service call just to look at your dishwasher; now you're going to pay double that," said Mandy Rennehan, founder and CEO of construction company Freshco, which specializes in building retail stores.
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