Toronto is a hub with some of the biggest and brightest innovators, artists, creatives, and thought-leaders.
We can confidently say that we aren’t lacking in thrilling, engaging, and thought-provoking podcasts to tune in to. Below we’re breaking down 10 of our favourite podcasts produced by Torontonians. From comedic true crimes to juicy therapy sessions, Toronto creatives have you covered.
Let’s dive in:
Created by CBC and hosted by Elena Hudgins Lyle and Harvinder Wadhwa, Inappropriate Questions does an analysis of questions that are just, well, inappropriate. We understand that as humans we’re curious, and although curiosity can be a great thing, it sometimes leads us to ask questions that shouldn’t be asked (or should be asked in a different way). The podcast takes those questions and chats with guests who are getting asked them. Questions like “Where are you from?”, “Why don’t you drink?” are all questions covered in this show.
A staple podcast for many Torontonians, Front Burner is giving listeners a daily insight into the biggest news stories of the day. Hosted by Jayme Poisson, the award-winning investigative journalist, Front Burner approaches each and every news story with an open mind and curiosity. If you’re on the hunt for a podcast that breaks down what’s happening in Canada and the world in a clear, concise way, we definitely recommend checking out Front Burner.
When we all think of therapy sessions, we think of them behind closed doors. But what if those sessions were shared with the world? Other People’s Problems is sharing real-life therapy sessions to take a step towards breaking down barriers and demystifying mental health. The podcast is hosted by Hillary McBride who is an MA, RCC and PhD candidate in counselling psychology, she also is the author of Mothers, Daughters, and Body Image: Learning to Love Ourselves as We Are. The podcast is raw and vulnerable, covering conversations around mental health, childhood trauma, eating disorders, relationship challenges, and more.
Based on the title, we think you can assume what the podcast is about. The Heavy Flow Podcast, hosted by Amanda Laird, is a body-positive show all about periods, reproductive systems, fertility, birth control, sexuality, mental health – truly, the list goes on and on. Amanda sits down with a guest each week to have those important conversations that sometimes make us uncomfortable. She takes an educational approach to our health and wellness through an authentic and realistic format.
This podcast taps into one of our favourite pastimes, eavesdropping. The podcast is hosted by Gwynne Phillips and Briana Templeton, two comedians in Toronto. Each episode sits down with a different celebrity guest and dives into conversations that the guest has overheard that may be hilarious, disturbing, weird, and definitely, none of our business. Gwynne and Briana do an amazing job at narrating the podcast, creating a great rapport with the guests and connecting with the listener.
Powered by SickKids Foundation, SickKids VS is giving listeners an inside look into the fight for child health. Each episode of the podcast tackles a different challenge or innovation in child health care while sharing the stories of the doctors involved in the medical breakthroughs. There is heartache in discovery but most importantly, there’s hope. Listening to this podcast gives you an optimistic view of where our healthcare system is going.
Previously the popular podcast, I’ll Go First, I’ll Go Now is on a journey to discover what it means to actually be a startup within your industry. Is it around disruption, first-mover advantages, discovering problems, and creating solutions for them? We’re always talking about startups but it seems like no one can actually define them. Hosted by Takara Small, I’ll Go Now gives you insight into some of the most successful startups, how they balance their work and life, failure, mistakes, and those achievements that we all want to brag about (and should).
Hosted by Griffin Toplitsky and Steve Cooke, this podcast will have you laughing out loud. The two hosts completely improvise a true-crime podcast. Every week, the two sit down with a guest, analyze and solve one true crime case. As a listener, you have no idea where the stories will take you, and usually, with how ridiculous they are there’s no way to know. A humorous take on the popular genre, all true crime junkies should give this one a listen.
Another true crime series but in this case, the podcast is focused on the cases that are yet to be solved. Sometimes the eeriest stories are the ones that we don’t know how they end, The Next Call is focused on shedding light on these cases. Hosted by David Ridgen, The Next Call is peeling the curtain back on true crime cases that have stumped professionals for years. Through phone calls, interviews, and research, David is following the case as far as he can to uncover what really happened.
And finally, a podcast that we’re confident you’ve heard of, Canadaland. The podcast, hosted by Jesse Brown, is diving into media criticism, analysis, and investigations around Canadian stories that are circling in our news cycle today. Canadaland takes an opinionated approach to media which definitely turns some listeners away from the show. But with that being said, it is an interesting outlet to receive different views and thoughts around topics that we’re all consuming.