Shows
TLDRHow Much Will Your Kid Cost You?Childcare costs have been rising higher…and higher…and higher. On this week’s TLDR, we run the numbers to figure out just what it costs to raise a kid in 2025, with help from journalist Michelle Cyca. And, we get quizzed once more by the genius behind the TLDR newsletter’s FOMO index, Stacey Woods.This episode was hosted by Devin Friedman, business reporter Sarah Rieger and former hedgefunder Matthew Karasz, with appearances by Michelle Cyca and Stacey Woods. Follow us on other platforms, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter: linkin.bio/tldrThe TLDR Podcast...2025-07-0926 min
Light Pollution NewsFebruary 2025: Pie Tins!This month's guests:Mark Baker, founder of the Soft Lights Foundation.Nick Mesler, civil engineer specializing in traffic and pedestrian safety.Isa Mohammed, President of the Caribbean Institute of Astronomy.Bill's News Picks:This Famous designer changed the way cities think about public lighting, Diana Budds, Fast Company. Electric Utilities Sued Over Lighting and Wildlife Issues, Inside Lighting. Artificial Light Increases Nighttime Prevalence of Predatory Fishes, Altering Community Composition on Coral Reefs, Global Change Biology. We’re losing sight of the night sky. This First Nation is tryin...2025-02-1753 min
Commotion with Elamin AbdelmahmoudCanadian literature's tumultuous yearFrom protests at the Giller Prize to revelations around the late author Alice Munro, we look back at the controversies that changed Canadian literary institutions in 2024. Reporters Josh O’Kane and Michelle Cyca join Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about how there’s no going back. Plus – their picks for the best books of the past year. 2024-12-3125 minCommotion with Elamin AbdelmahmoudOne year after the Buffy Sainte-Marie investigation, what has changed for Indigenous artists?It’s been just over a year since the CBC show The Fifth Estate aired its documentary about Buffy St. Marie, raising questions about her claim to Indigenous ancestry. In this group chat, we explore what's shifted in Indigenous art and music in the past year or so. Our guests are - Marc Meriläinen, an Ojibwe musician and producer who runs a record label called Meriläinen Music. He’s also created a program that aims to verify the identity of Indigenous musicians. And Michelle Cyca, a freelance Journalist and a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Treat...2024-12-1131 minCommotion with Elamin AbdelmahmoudWhat Will & Harper gets right, and how Sally Rooney became a brandCulture critics Niko Stratis and Mel Woods talk about the Netflix documentary Will & Harper. The film follows actor Will Ferrell and former SNL head writer Harper Steele on a road trip across the U.S. as Harper navigates her new reality living out as a trans woman. Plus, Elamin chats with journalist and book critic Michelle Cyca about why Sally Rooney is the 'it' author of the moment, now that her latest book 'Intermezzo' is out.2024-09-2525 min
This is VANCOLOUR#238 - Mario Canseco / Michelle Cyca / J.J. McCulloughSeptember 5: Will Jordan Peterson influence the B.C. election?This is VANCOLOUR host Mo Amir chats with The Narwhal's Michelle Cyca about BC Conservative leader John Rustad's recent comments on the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast about proposed changes to the B.C. Land Act being an "assault" on property rights. YouTuber J.J. McCullough weighs in on whether Rustad's appearance on the Jordan B. Peterson Podcast will influence the upcoming provincial election in British Columbia. Plus, pollster Mario Canseco (Research Co.) pushes back against the idea that "the only poll that matters is the one on Election...2024-09-0622 minCommotion with Elamin AbdelmahmoudThe controversy surrounding ELLE Canada’s list of influential Canadian womenELLE Canada recently published an article celebrating 8 influential Canadian women. However after getting some backlash, they made changes to the piece online, and those changes are not sitting well with a lot of people. Elamin chats with Niko Stratis, Michelle Cyca, and Matt Amha about the controversy.2024-09-0527 minTLDRHow Housing Prices Rose So High, So FastSince 2005, the average price of a home in Canada has tripled. On this week’s TLDR, award-winning journalist Michelle Cyca — who wrote the definitive piece on the subject, The End of Homeownership, for Maclean’s last year — tells us why and what happens next.This episode was hosted by Devin Friedman and business reporter Sarah Rieger. Follow us on other platforms, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter: linkin.bio/tldrThe TLDR Podcast is offered by Wealthsimple Media Inc. and is for informational purposes only. The content in the TLDR Podcast is not investment advice, a recomm...2024-08-0624 minCommotion with Elamin AbdelmahmoudLike many of her characters, Alice Munro betrayed her own daughterAndrea Robin Skinner, Alice Munro's youngest daughter, bravely revealed she'd been abused by her stepfather as a child and her late famous mother chose to forgive him. Michelle Dean, Michelle Cyca and Zoe Whittall join Elamin to talk about how Andrea's devastating story changes how they read the Nobel laureate's intimate stories about the inner lives of women and girls in rural Canada.2024-07-1025 min
Generation Squeeze's Hard TruthsAsking homeowners to own their wealth and put it to work - with Michelle CycaWe spoke with journalist Michelle Cyca about one of the hardest truths we grapple with (and which gets us a lot of hate mail). Skyrocketing home prices have made many older Canadian homeowners rich, while making housing unaffordable for younger generations. But many homeowners resist thinking of themselves as wealthy, especially whenever the subject of fair taxation comes up. So how do we get more homeowners to recognize their wealth and put it to work fixing our housing crisis?
We also discuss the high, personal stakes of housing unaffordability; how it’s changing Canadian neighborhoods and society; wh...2024-03-0240 min
UnladylikeThe "Pretendian" Long Con (ENCORE)What happens when someone who built their career on being Indigenous turns out to be ... a white lady? Award-winning writer and reporter Michelle Cyca shares how she came face to face with Indigenous identity fraud, why academia and the arts have a 'Pretendian' problem and what these scams means for Indigenous rights and sovereignty.**This episode originally aired on January 31, 2023**Read Michelle's MacLean's cover story, The Curious Case of Gina Adams: A "Pretendian" InvestigationSend voice memos and emails to: hello@unladylike.coFollow Unladylike: IG | Twitter | TikTokJoin...2024-01-2348 min
Culture Study PodcastThe Mutated IP of the Mean Girls RebootThis week I’m joined by Michelle Cyca to talk about the trailer for the Mean Girls reboot. You might think: wow, that’s a very small thing to focus on, what could you possibly talk about for 45 minutes… but just you wait. WHY are they hiding that it’s a musical? WHO do they think is the actual audience for this movie? What happens when millennial content is rebooted for Gen-Z audiences without context? And why is Tina Fey apparently uncancellable? We cover it all.If you like the show, it is SO INCREDIBLY HELPFUL for our fled...2024-01-1052 min
Urbanism VancouverThe Future of HousingWe delve into the pressing issues of housing and city building, revisiting discussions with guests Michelle Cyca and Khelsilem, who have underlined the need for immediate action. We explored root causes of the housing crisis, such as the historical supply limitations as well as city planning that excluded many from accessing housing. Michelle and Khelsilem also addressed attitudes around apartment living, how the public talks and engages about housing, and the importance of embracing diverse housing options.The episode also examines policy changes and the challenges in meeting housing targets, emphasizing the need to rethink city building...2023-12-0447 minUrbanism VancouverAnother Point of ViewMichelle Cyca, a seasoned freelance journalist, joins Helen Lui and delves into the complexities of the housing market, touching upon themes like home ownership and the evolving notion of housing wealth. The episode features a candid reflection on the soaring housing prices in Vancouver, discussing the impact on families and the generational wealth disparities it creates. Key topics include the financialization of housing, governmental shifts in housing policy, and the growing divide between homeowners and renters. The conversation critically examines homeownership as a symbol of privilege and wealth, challenging the fairness of the housing system and underscoring the need...2023-11-2733 min
Pop This!Michelle Cyca joins us for Barbie Part 2 | Pop This! Episode 387Summary: "Thanks to Barbie, all problems of feminism have been solved." Summer has passed and we're still talking about that Barbie movie, but this time, journalist Michelle Cyca joins us to give us her thoughts. Also discussed: Red Shoe Diaries, Tom Cruise, and new music from Hannah Georgas. Show notes: Red Shoe Diaries: rewatching a 90s’ ‘classic (Den of Geek) Michelle Cyca Recommendations: Andrea G.: I'd Be Lying If I Said I Didn't Care by Hannah Georgas (music) Andrea W.: Bottoms (movie) Lisa: Verity by Colleen Hoover (book) Michelle: "My Impossible Mission to Fin...2023-09-1359 min
This is VANCOLOUR#210 - Michelle CycaMichelle Cyca is a freelance journalist and contributing editor to Maclean’s magazine. Her work can also be found in The Walrus, The Tyee, and Canadian Business.2023-09-1146 min
Pop This!What else is there to do but talk about the new Barbie movie | Pop This! Episode 385Summary: "You can't outrun the pink tsunami." This week we're talking about the Barbie movie, of course, and we are joined by the very funny Joanne Tsung. Also discussed: truck fruit, Nicole Ritchie's clothing line, and our love for Sinead O'Connor. Show notes: "We're All Living in a Barbie World" (Michelle Cyca, The Walrus) Recommendations: Andrea G.: D'orjay the Singing Shaman, New Kind of Outlaw (music) Andrea W.: Sinead O'Connor, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got (music) Lisa: Oppenheimer (film) Joanne: Beef (TV); Winterbear on Denman St., Vancouver (dessert shop)2023-08-021h 13
The Academic LifeThe Lost Journals of SacajeweaToday’s book is: The Lost Journals of Sacajewea (Milkweed Editions, 2023), by Debra Magpie Earling, which is a devastatingly beautiful novel that challenges prevailing historical narratives of Sacajewea. Among the most memorialized women in American history, Sacajewea served as interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. In this visionary novel, acclaimed Indigenous author Debra Magpie Earling brings this mythologized figure vividly to life, casting unsparing light on the men who brutalized her and recentering Sacajewea as the arbiter of her own history. Raised among the Lemhi Shoshone, in this telling the young Sacajewea is brig...2023-06-1555 min
New Books in Native American StudiesThe Lost Journals of SacajeweaToday’s book is: The Lost Journals of Sacajewea (Milkweed Editions, 2023), by Debra Magpie Earling, which is a devastatingly beautiful novel that challenges prevailing historical narratives of Sacajewea. Among the most memorialized women in American history, Sacajewea served as interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. In this visionary novel, acclaimed Indigenous author Debra Magpie Earling brings this mythologized figure vividly to life, casting unsparing light on the men who brutalized her and recentering Sacajewea as the arbiter of her own history. Raised among the Lemhi Shoshone, in this telling the young Sacajewea is brig...2023-06-1553 min
New Books in LiteratureThe Lost Journals of SacajeweaToday’s book is: The Lost Journals of Sacajewea (Milkweed Editions, 2023), by Debra Magpie Earling, which is a devastatingly beautiful novel that challenges prevailing historical narratives of Sacajewea. Among the most memorialized women in American history, Sacajewea served as interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. In this visionary novel, acclaimed Indigenous author Debra Magpie Earling brings this mythologized figure vividly to life, casting unsparing light on the men who brutalized her and recentering Sacajewea as the arbiter of her own history. Raised among the Lemhi Shoshone, in this telling the young Sacajewea is brig...2023-06-1555 min
New Books in Historical FictionThe Lost Journals of SacajeweaToday’s book is: The Lost Journals of Sacajewea (Milkweed Editions, 2023), by Debra Magpie Earling, which is a devastatingly beautiful novel that challenges prevailing historical narratives of Sacajewea. Among the most memorialized women in American history, Sacajewea served as interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. In this visionary novel, acclaimed Indigenous author Debra Magpie Earling brings this mythologized figure vividly to life, casting unsparing light on the men who brutalized her and recentering Sacajewea as the arbiter of her own history. Raised among the Lemhi Shoshone, in this telling the young Sacajewea is brig...2023-06-1553 min
The Big StoryWhy do people fake Indigenous ancestry?Ever since author Joseph Boyden was called out for his claims of being an Indigenous author, every few weeks seems to bring a new story of a prominent researcher, writer or academic who has exaggerated or falsified their Indigeneity in order to secure grants or posts. But it's not just them, the numbers of people claiming Indigenous heritage in general has skyrocketed.What changed? Why are these claims only being parsed now? What do people who make these claims stand to gain, and how does it harm people of actual Indigenous ancestry?GUEST: Michelle Cyca...2023-04-1128 min
berrygroundsVianne Timmons and the Race-Shifting Conundrum (Ep. 5)Memorial University President Vianne Timmons says she has always been clear that she has Mi'kmaw ancestry, or heritage, and that she's not Mi'kmaw. But in a settler colonial society like Canada's, claiming Indigenous ancestry in professional biographies or on resumes is anything but clear, says Cree journalist Michelle Cyca.In a new article for The Walrus, Cyca argues that for settlers Indigenous ancestry is "an accessory" that "offers people like Timmons an advantage over both non-Indigenous and Indigenous people: the insinuation of having overcome an obstacle that was never in their way. The cumulative effect is an...2023-03-2740 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 35: Michelle Cyca talks about the joy of reading and "great novels"ABOUT THIS EPISODE:
In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Michelle Cyca. Michelle is a journalist and book critic. In their conversation, Michelle talks about how she can't get enough of the Gilmore Girls, and what she's excited about when it comes to BC books.
ABOUT MICHELLE CYCA:
Michelle Cyca is a writer, editor and book enthusiast living on unceded territories of the Musqueam Band, and the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Her writing has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Chatelaine, SAD Mag and more. Find her on Twitter @michellecyca.
ABOUT MEGAN COLE:
Megan Cole the Director of Programming and...2023-02-1132 min
Writing the Coast: BC and Yukon Book Prizes PodcastS4 Episode 35: Michelle Cyca talks about the joy of reading and "great novels"ABOUT THIS EPISODE: In this episode, host Megan Cole talks to Michelle Cyca. Michelle is a journalist and book critic. In their conversation, Michelle talks about how she can't get enough of the Gilmore Girls, and what she's excited about when it comes to BC books. ABOUT MICHELLE CYCA: Michelle Cyca is a writer, editor and book enthusiast living on unceded territories of the Musqueam Band, and the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Her writing has appeared in the Vancouver Sun, Chatelaine, SAD Mag and more. Find her on Twitter @michellecyca. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and...2023-02-1132 min
This is VANCOLOURBeat it, Jesse Brown! These Vancouver novels are awesome!Outraged by a comment made by Canadaland's Jesse Brown, one local Vancouver-based journalist went viral by celebrating novels set in Vancouver.Michelle Cyca is a contributing editor to Maclean’s magazine and a freelance journalist whose work you can find in The Walrus, The Tyee, and Canadian Business.2023-02-1005 min
UnladylikeThe 'Pretendian' Long ConWhat happens when someone who built their career on being Indigenous turns out to be ... a white lady? Writer Michelle Cyca shares how she came face to face with Indigenous identity fraud, why academia and the arts have a 'Pretendian' problem and what these scams means for Indigenous rights and sovereignty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.2023-01-3147 min
New Books in Literary StudiesThe Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo LiteratureToday’s book is: The Diné Reader: An Anthology of Navajo Literature, which is the 2022 Before Columbus Foundation American Book Award Winner. The Diné Reader showcases the breadth, depth, and diversity of Diné creative artists and their poetry, fiction, and nonfiction prose, in a wide-ranging anthology. The collected works display a rich variety of and creativity in themes: home and history; contemporary concerns about identity, historical trauma, and loss of language; and economic and environmental inequalities. The Diné Reader developed as a way to demonstrate both the power of Diné literary artistry and the persistence of the Navajo people. The volume op...2023-01-191h 01
The Tyee: Audio EditionA Day in the Life: A Sea CaptainFrom humpback whales to maintaining safety to unexpected emotions, a sea captain tells all. Latest in our Day in the Life series.
Michelle Cyca’s writing has appeared in Maclean’s, the Walrus, Chatelaine, SAD Mag and more.
Published on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2023/01/05/Day-In-Life-Sea-Captain/2023-01-0500 min
New Books in EducationMisrepresentation on Campus: A Conversation with Michelle CycaWhen a professor is not who they say they are, what does it take to get them to resign? This episode explores:
How an anonymous twitter account and a media investigation helped Ms. Cyca reveal the truth about a professor misrepresenting their identity.
Why professors can fail to fully acknowledge all the harm done to the students, staff, and community even after they are exposed.
A discussion of the article The Curious Case of Gina Adams: A “Pretendian” Investigation.
Our guest is: Michelle Cyca, a former employee at Emily Carr University of Art and Desig...2022-12-081h 00The Academic LifeMisrepresentation on Campus: A Conversation with Michelle CycaWhen a professor is not who they say they are, what does it take to get them to resign? This episode explores:
How an anonymous twitter account and a media investigation helped Ms. Cyca reveal the truth about a professor misrepresenting their identity.
Why professors can fail to fully acknowledge all the harm done to the students, staff, and community even after they are exposed.
A discussion of the article The Curious Case of Gina Adams: A “Pretendian” Investigation.
Our guest is: Michelle Cyca, a former employee at Emily Carr University of Art and Desig...2022-12-081h 00
New Books in Higher EducationMisrepresentation on Campus: A Conversation with Michelle CycaWhen a professor is not who they say they are, what does it take to get them to resign? This episode explores:
How an anonymous twitter account and a media investigation helped Ms. Cyca reveal the truth about a professor misrepresenting their identity.
Why professors can fail to fully acknowledge all the harm done to the students, staff, and community even after they are exposed.
A discussion of the article The Curious Case of Gina Adams: A “Pretendian” Investigation.
Our guest is: Michelle Cyca, a former employee at Emily Carr University of Art and Desig...2022-12-081h 00
New Books in Canadian StudiesMisrepresentation on Campus: A Conversation with Michelle CycaWhen a professor is not who they say they are, what does it take to get them to resign? This episode explores:
How an anonymous twitter account and a media investigation helped Ms. Cyca reveal the truth about a professor misrepresenting their identity.
Why professors can fail to fully acknowledge all the harm done to the students, staff, and community even after they are exposed.
A discussion of the article The Curious Case of Gina Adams: A “Pretendian” Investigation.
Our guest is: Michelle Cyca, a former employee at Emily Carr University of Art and Desig...2022-12-0858 minThe Tyee: Audio Edition‘Queerness Is Extremely Embedded’ in HorrorDaniel Zomparelli and David Ly embrace the monster in a new anthology. “What makes them terrifying is what’s unknown about them, and why they don’t belong in this reality. Which is why they become such complicated and likable queer icons.”
Michelle Cyca interviews. Michelle’s writing has appeared in Maclean’s, The Walrus, Chatelaine, SAD Mag and more.
Published Monday, Oct. 17, 2022.
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2022/10/17/Queerness-Embedded-Horror/2022-10-1700 minThe Tyee: Audio EditionA Week in the Life: A Falconer at YVR and Granville IslandIf you overheard Chuck DeCoste talking about his job, you might get the impression that he works in a kindergarten classroom. He talks a lot about positive reinforcement, discouraging bad behaviours, and the importance of being a good caregiver.
But DeCoste doesn’t work with kids. He’s the Vancouver regional co-ordinator for the Raptors, a wildlife management and conservation organization, and spends his days communing with hawks, eagles and falcons.
Written by Michelle Cyca whose writing has appeared in Maclean’s, The Walrus, Chatelaine, SAD Mag and more. Find her on Twitter @michellecyca.
Link to story published on Sept 8th, 20...2022-09-0800 min
SADCAST: a podcast featuring stories, art, and design from "No Fun City".EP79: Motherhood & Creativity with Artist Alice ClairFresh off of mat leave we delve into the topic of motherhood & (vs?) creativity. Talking with artist, illustrator, and mother Alice Clair about finding your way as a creative and who we would FMK in the Adobe suite. With extra tips on how to balance creativity and kids from writer Michelle Cyca, artist Sandeep Johal & photographer Lindsay Siu. With music from Humans.
Also discussed:
Dictionary of colour combinations
@stillherestilllife
Oobleck2021-02-1758 min
RedeyeIndigenous advisory committee calls out Vancouver council for lack of actionSix years ago, Vancouver declared itself a City of Reconciliation. But one of city council’s advisory committees says it hasn’t seen meaningful action on anti-racism or reconciliation. Michelle Cyca is a spokesperson for the Urban Indigenous Peoples' Advisory Committee. We speak with her about why the committee isn’t satisfied with what council has done to advance its stated goals.2020-08-0712 min
SADCAST: a podcast featuring stories, art, and design from "No Fun City".EP69: Katie Stewart & Michelle Cyca from SAD MagPam chats with fellow SAD mag co-publishers about what it’s been like to build the magazine and what it’s like to let it go to the next generation. Also discussed, the weird secret behind Kinfolk's success and design & advertising awards. With music from Dream Cars.2019-05-0152 min
SADCAST: a podcast featuring stories, art, and design from "No Fun City".EP44: The Onion of Diversity with The Future is You and MePam starts things off right by telling her inner critic to STFU followed by a special guest interview conducted by SAD Co-publisher Michelle Cyca. Michelle talks with Megan Lau and Kristin Cheung of The Future is You and Me, a leadership program designed to support young women of colour. With music by Divorcer. 2017-04-2629 min
SADCAST: a podcast featuring stories, art, and design from "No Fun City".Episode 24: Chewing the fat...with Michelle CycaWe talk with Co-Publisher of SAD Mag and writer Michelle Cyca. We discuss her piece in the most recent issue of SAD all about being a precocious teen who uses internet chat rooms to learn about sex. Also, a guest appearance by shingles! Music from the Buttertones! Visit us at sadcast.ca.2016-04-0437 min