Even at 92 years old, Don Cherry is never far from the headlines.

Back in February, the longtime co-host of “Coach’s Corner” was appointed to the Order of Ontario. A month later, a Conservative MP started a push to honour Cherry with the Order of Canada — a movement that continues to gain steam.

And now there’s a new book out, authored by Cherry’s late daughter, Cindy, who passed away unexpectedly in 2024. The book — The Don Cherry Story: Part II — is the second instalment of a two-book series that she began writing before she passed away.

Joining us on this week’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast is Tim Cherry, Cindy’s little brother and Don’s son.

Our conversation covers a lot of ice, including Don Cherry’s infamous “you people” poppy rant, his controversial firing after nearly four decades on the air, and why Grapes didn’t simply apologize for a comment that stung a lot of people, including many who served in the Canadian Forces.

Tim also fills us in on his dad’s health, if their popular podcast is ever coming back, and why — unlike so many people — he doesn’t blame Ron MacLean for everything that happened.

Love or hate Don Cherry, this episode is a must-watch.

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Back in December, Australia became the first country in the world to ban social media for kids under 16. Simply put, popular platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat were ordered to block all Australian children from their sites or face hefty fines.

Should Canada follow suit? The momentum is growing.

Last month, Culture Minister Marc Miller said the Carney Liberals are “very seriously” considering a social media ban for kids after the party adopted a motion at its recent convention.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew went one step further, announcing last weekend that his province would be the first to bring in its own social media ban for youth — and that the ban would apply to AI chatbots.

Here in Ontario, the Ford government said this week it’s considering banning all cellphones from school property.

Here’s the key question: Would ordering kids off social media actually work? Or would a ban create more problems than it actually solves?

Our guest on this week’s Closer Look podcast is Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa law professor and the Canada Research Chair in Internet and e-Commerce Law.

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The Ford government says it wants to limit the foreign ownership of prime Ontario farmland, all part of proposed legislation aimed at boosting food sovereignty across the province.

But some experts say the government’s focus on foreign ownership is missing the real crisis: Ontario’s rapidly vanishing farmland.

Over the past 35 years, Ontario has lost 2.8 million acres — or 18 per cent — of farmland to non-agricultural land uses like housing developments and aggregate mining.

To put that another way, 319 acres of farmland is vanishing every single day in Ontario.

Our guest on this week’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast is Martin Straathof, executive director of Ontario Farmland Trust.

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Mary Walsh is so much more than one iconic character, but for countless Canadians she will always be Marg Delahunty, Princess Warrior.

Her sword-wielding alter ego — who ambushed politicians, cornered them with uncomfortable questions, and even kissed one would-be prime minister on the lips — was a favourite on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, the long-running sketch show she created.

But Marg is only one small part of her story.

Walsh’s new book — Brassy Bit of Aging Crumpet: A Memoir in Pieces — lays it all out there, from her rocky childhood in Newfoundland to her struggles with alcohol to the dread she often felt while trying to make people laugh.

Walsh is our guest on this week’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast.

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Every day, our Closer Look podcast chases the same mission: to learn something new.

Whether we're dissecting a pressing issue, or speaking to a prominent guest, we try to leave the conversation knowing a bit more than before.

We hope you've learned some things, too.

Starting next week, we're shaking it up a bit. Closer Look is moving from a nightly podcast to a weekly show, with new episodes dropping every Sunday morning across the Village Media network.

Shifting to a weekly show gives us more room to focus on the stories that really matter. You can expect more context, more perspective, and more thoughtful conversations with our reporters and editors, leading experts, key stakeholders and big newsmakers.

Stay tuned!

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Canada’s Wonderland rode a roller coaster of headlines this week when it announced a new chaperone policy for kids.

After 4 p.m., all children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult in order to stay at the iconic park. Any guests 15 or younger found inside Wonderland without a chaperone during those hours will be “immediately subject to removal.”

Canada’s Wonderland insists the new policy wasn’t triggered by a specific incident, but rather in response to "unruly" behaviour reported at other theme parks.

Joining us on tonight’s Closer Look podcast to talk more about the policy — and the public reaction — is Grace Peacock, director of public relations at Canada's Wonderland.

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In Ontario, the number of people over the age of 80 is set to soar — and advocates say we're not doing enough to prepare for the demographic shift.

We are definitely not alone. Countries around the world are grappling to prepare for the inevitable rise in elderly populations.

Could AI dolls help combat loneliness among seniors? Are robots the answer, a hi-tech way to help elderly people perform basic tasks? Those options — and many more — are on the table.

On tonight's episode of Village Media's Closer Look podcast, we revisit our recent interview with Laura Tamblyn Watts, the CEO of CanAge, a national, non-partisan organization that works to improve the lives of older adults through advocacy, policy and community engagement.

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For 44 years, Joe Bowen’s signature voice has been the soundtrack of Leafs Nation. But this season will be his last behind the mic — and with the Toronto Maple Leafs officially out of playoff contention, Bowen’s legendary career is down to its final few periods.

His last game on the airwaves will be April 15.

On tonight’s episode of Village Media’s Closer Look podcast, we revisit our recent interview with the voice of the Leafs — and the pride of Sudbury — who has received plenty of love from fans throughout the season.

“It’s been overwhelming, it really has,” Bowen told the podcast. “I've gotten letters, I've gotten texts, emails…It breaks your heart sometimes, but it warms your heart so many times, all of the great stories that everybody has.”

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