March 31, 2026
SHARE
Canadaland Politics
#175 Can Carney Break Canada’s High Speed Rail Curse?
How do you build ambitious, nation-shaping infrastructure in a country where the human realities on the ground are so complex?
Noor Azrieh
Host/Producer
Aviva Lessard
Senior Producer
Sam Konnert
Producer/Host
Caleb Thompson
Audio Editor
max collins
Director of Audio
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher

Mark Carney has proposed a 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail line connecting Toronto to Quebec City, with trains reaching speeds of up to 300 km/h. It would be Canada’s first true high-speed rail system. On paper, the idea is appealing. But building it is far from straightforward. 

 

Host Noor Azrieh, tries to answer the question: how do you build ambitious, nation-shaping infrastructure in a country where the human realities on the ground are so complex?

 

Host: Noor Azrieh

Credits: Aviva Lessard (Senior Producer), Sam Konnert (Host/Producer), Noor Azrieh (Host/Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Director of Audio) Jesse Brown (Editor), Tony Wang (Artwork)

 

Guests: Katie Koopman, Lindsay Davidson, Andrew Hyett, Paul Langan, Conservative MP Philip Lawrence

 

Background reading:

 

It’s crowd-finding time at Canadaland! Share this episode with three people or simply send them over to canadaland.com/share and we’ll help them get started with a starter pack of some of our favourite episodes.

 

Sponsors: 

Visit fizz.ca to learn more about Fizz mobile and its long list of added-value features and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN40 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.

 

Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit article.com/canadaland and the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. 

 

Did you know we have a monthly supporter exclusive show?

 

Last week, we asked you if you’ve ever fallen for fake news. I guess even our savvy, discerning audience isn’t infallible. You all had a lot to say! So this week on Off The Record, it’s time to talk about fake news.

 

If you want to hear that (or if you want to catch up on all the great episodes of Off The Record you’ve missed!) become a supporter at canadaland.com/join or call in on March 26th and we’ll give you a free month of Canadaland premium.

 

If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. 

 

Can’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.

More from this series
DRIPA is at the center of one of the most divisive political fights in the country.
April 21, 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberals took over Montreal for their convention. But it felt less like a meeting of the minds and more like a lame Coachella. 
April 14, 2026
The Supreme Court of Canada just wrapped up its longest-ever hearing. The subject? Quebec’s Bill 21.
April 7, 2026
How do you build ambitious, nation-shaping infrastructure in a country where the human realities on the ground are so complex?
March 31, 2026
The scramble for CUMSA has begun. Lobbyists are lobbying. Negotiators are negotiating.
March 24, 2026
Investigative reporters have uncovered a network of these crypto-to-cash desks operating across Canada.
March 17, 2026
More than 24,000 federal public servants have received notices that their jobs could be at risk. That is on top of the 9800 public service employees who were already let go last year.
March 3, 2026
all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
Canadaland Politics