Ideas

If you ask security expert and author Peter Lennox the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’ He argues Alberta separatism is less about Western alienation and more about a global effort to destroy liberal democracy. In his book, On Treason, Lennox says what’s unfolding in Alberta is part of a nefarious — and treasonous playbook that’s been used worldwide. To survive the threat, he suggests Canada must call out the traitors and arm ourselves against disinformation and deceit. *This is the final episode in our three-part series asking: what makes a nation?

Listen to other episodes in this series:
Map of Cascadia
Quebec Separatism for Newcomers

Guest in this podcast:

Patrick Lennox is an international relations scholar and worked as a security expert for the Canadian government. He lives in Edmonton, where he ran unsuccessfully for the Liberal Party in the 2025 election. Lennox has written extensively about Canadian foreign policy and our relationship with the U.S. His latest book is called On Treason: Alberta Separatism, Foreign Interference and Canada’s Survival in a Revolutionary Age.

With a newly elected government in Quebec promising to turn the province into its own country, and another separatist party warning against ethno-nationalism, immigrants in the province are asked to consider their loyalties. IDEAS producer Tom Howell finds out why newcomers might want to join the movement to leave Canada and help forge Quebec's new national path. *Part two in a three-part series asking: what makes a nation?

Listen to another episode from this series:

A Map of Cascadia

Guests in this podcast:

Aisha Issa is a Parti Québécois candidate for the provincial riding of Maurice-Richard in Montreal, Quebec. She has been a supporter of Quebec sovereignty since the 1995 referendum.

Marie-Anne Alepin is the president of the Societé St-Jean Baptiste of Montreal.

Gary Owen is a playwright and screenwriter from Cardiff, in Wales. His play, Owain & Henry is a historical epic about a Welsh military commander who rebelled against the English king, Henry IV, in the year 1400.

Michael Sheen is an actor who plays Owain Glyndŵr in the play Owain & Henry, which he also co-directed.

There’s a place where people make hoppy beer, fresh sushi, and damn fine coffee. It's called Cascadia. The lifestyle is laid-back, the scenery is majestic, and they even have a flag. Where is it exactly? Think of it as an ecological region stretching from Alaska to B.C. through the Pacific Northwest to Northern California. Its national identity transcends borders, and is bound through culture, history, attitude and language. Welcome to Cascadia: the West Coast utopian dream. *Part one in a three-part series asking: what makes a nation?

Listen to another episode in this series:

What draws a new immigrant to Quebec separatism?

Guests in this podcast:

Fritz Götz is an associate professor in psychology at the University of British Columbia. He is also the director of the PANGEA lab, which stands for Personality and Geographical Ambiance Lab, studying geographical psychology.

Julia Swan has a doctorate in linguistics from the University of Chicago, and she is an associate professor at San Jose State University.

Alexander Baretich designed the Cascadian Bioregional Flag. Some people have nicknamed it “The Doug,” because of the Douglas Fir tree on the flag.

Bureaucracies were created to get the work done and get it done efficiently, according to 19th-century thinker Max Weber. So why are there more and more meaningless executive jobs that contribute nothing but soak up the pay? IDEAS examines the corporate tendency to "bureaumania.” *This episode originally aired on Sept. 18, 2024.

It depends on who you ask. Until recently empathy was generally considered a positive thing. But a growing number of mostly conservative voices believe empathy can be extremely dangerous — even toxic. Their argument is that empathy can drive irrational thinking and behaviour in public life. The result is a growing battle over empathy in a world that has never seemed to need it more.

Liked this episode? Have a listen to this: Why practicing empathy is far from simple.

Guests on this podcast:

Matt Richins – neuroscientist and psychologist, who did research on empathy at Exeter University, UK.
Susan Lanzoni – author, historian of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience and professor at Harvard’s School of Continuing Education
Mary Gordon – founder of Roots of Empathy program, Toronto
Michael Slote – author, philosopher and professor of ethics at the University of Miami
Margaret Davidson – Roots of Empathy classroom facilitator, Chiganois Elementary
Kourtney Simms – Chiganois Elementary teacher
Ellie – Grade 1 student, Chiganois Elementary