Vancouver City Councillor Sean Orr, an avowed socialist elected in April 2025, dishes on what its been like navigating a system hostile to him and his ideas. Sean is very candid on the limitations and pressures facing principled progressives once they're in office.

The struggle for socialists to simply exist in elected positions is clear, as is his determination to keep building on that win six months ago. Councillor Orr has some advice for New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani on how to maintain the momentum of a campaign while building parallel power outside City Hall.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Related Episodes:

• Get more insight into Vancouver politics and organizing in Basis of Unity, a discussion with the Vancouver Tenants Union.
• Local Votes: Make Them Count (Aug 2022) Sam Hersh of Horizon Ottawa on the work being done to remove developer influence from local politics and more.

More Resources:

• CBC: Vancouver City Council Votes Against Supportive Housing
• The Independent: Mamdani Shreds Cuomo
• Referenced Piece: The Nation - Now Comes the Hard Party by Rosenblum
• COPE Vancouver Homepage
• SFU Geography Alumni Sean Orr wins Vancouver council seat in byelection - Department of Geography - Simon Fraser University

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Tenants across Ontario were already mobilizing against Bill 60 when a bombshell dropped...Premier Ford floated an idea that would have stripped renters of almost all their rights.

The good news: organizations like York-South Weston Tenants Union had already put in the work and created a structure that could quickly gather folks together and harness the energy that it generated. They were able to get the Premier to back off, but the work is not done.

Hear from An, one of the organizers from YSW Tenants Union, about how they've mobilized hundreds of volunteers to not just push back against pending legislation, but to continue building the Tenant Class for more fights that are sure to come.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean

Call to Action: SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER IN THE FIGHT FORD'S WAR ON TENANTS (Ontario)

Related Episodes:

• Blueprints of a Rent Strike Victory, with Bruno of YSW Tenants Union
• Tenant Power Playlist: So much more on the fights AND VICTORIES of renters across Canada

More Resources:

• Toronto Star - Province Scrapped Affordable Housing Rules After Pushback from REITs
• TVO Today | Toronto Tenants Have Been on Rent Strike
• Ford Government Bill Could Spell the End of Rent Control in Ontario - The Grind Magazine
• The rationale for Ontario’s Bill 60 does not hold up - CCPA

📺YOU CAN CATCH US LIVE EVERY FRIDAY AT 12pm E.T. on our YouTube Channel.

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon

Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

After answering a call for general surgeons, Dr. Monica Chaudhuri, an Ontario doctor and activist, recently returned from Gaza. Dr. Chaudhuri shares what it was like working alongside the brave Palestinian healthcare workers, how cruel the Zionist entity can be, and reflects on what its been like returning to Canada while the genocide continues.

Dr. Chaudhuri also talks about the sense of duty many Canadian healthcare workers feel, being the only international professionals, and thus eyewitnesses, allowed into occupied Gaza. A duty that extends beyond her role as a doctor, and into her community where she organizes with Health Workers Alliance for Palestine, Simcoe County 4 Palestine, and the Sustain Campaign Network.

Hosted by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero

Calls to Action:

1. Learn more about Palestinian Prisoners and the fight to free them
2. Join the Arms Embargo Now Movement

Related Episodes:

• Name it. Stop it. Sanction It. Alex Neve, Dr. Dorotea Gucciardo, and Dr. Ben Thompson from United Against Genocide on their work to pressure Canadian politicians.
• Arming Israel: Canada's Continued Role Haneen from the Palestinian Youth Movement and Rachel from World Beyond War share their scathing report.

More Resources:

• The Killing, Detention and Torture of Healthcare Workers in Gaza - Healthcare Workers Watch
• The Breach: Canadian doctors are being tapped for evidence in war crimes case against Israel
• The Independent: Gaza doctor who became face of medical struggle remains in Israeli detention

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon

Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky