Podcast · News

Eh Sayers

by Statistics Canada · English · News

Listen to the Eh Sayers podcast to meet the people behind the data and explore the stories behind the numbers. Join us as we meet with experts from Statistics Canada and from across the nation to ask and answer the questions that matter to Canadians.

New episodes: Now and then
Typical length: 22 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 12 min

Pulses: It's not just beans that are magical!

2021 Census of Agriculture saw record growth in bean production in Canada, making Canada the third largest pulse producer in the world. Both chickpea and lentil production rose 31% and 38% respectively year over year and Lentil farmers alone received more for their crop in 2024 than all fresh fruit farmers combined ($1.6 billion versus $1.3 billion). We want to find out why the musical fruit was such a hot commodity during the 2021 CoA, what makes Canada such a powerhouse and what experts are expecting to see in the upcoming 2026 CoA.

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

13 Aug 2026 · 9 min
A Honeybee Trivia Showdown
Think your honeybee knowledge is as sweet as honey? Time to put it to the test! In this special episode of Eh Sayers, our colleagues face off in a trivia showdown all about Canada’s honeybee industry and the tiny pollinators that play a huge role in our food system. Discover how much honey was produced, how many beekeepers are caring for colonies across the country, the surprising value of honey sales, and why bees are essential far beyond the honey they produce. After listening, you’ll be the go-to expert on honeybees at your next backyard gathering!
29 Jun 2026 · 26 min
Orange Skies, Smoky Air and Billions at Risk of Going Up in Smoke
Orange skies, record breaking fire seasons, and smoke that travels thousands of kilometres have made wildfires impossible to ignore. But beyond the visible destruction lies another story, one measured not only in burned forests and evacuations, but also in economic impacts that ripple across communities and industries. How do wildfires affect Canada's economy? How are these impacts measured? And what do they tell us about the challenges Canadians may face in the years ahead? In this episode, we spoke with Mike Flannigan, a leading expert on wildfire science and climate change at Thompson…
13 May 2026 · 19 min
The Grey Anatomy of Canada: The Story Behind Canada’s Aging Population
Canada’s population is getting a makeover, and it is changing the way we live. We are digging into new demographic data with Patrick Charbonneau, Section Chief in Demography at Statistics Canada, to see how big boomer and millennial generations, plus fewer younger people, are shaking up demand for housing, schools, and healthcare. We also look at the rise of the sandwich generation, the caregiving squeeze that comes with longer lives and smaller families, and the many ways older Canadians keep things running through volunteering, childcare, and family support.
9 Apr 2026 · 24 min
Canada’s Happiness Crisis (And Why It’s Not All Doom and Gloom)
Everyone wants to be happy, but just how happy are Canadians? On this episode of the Eh Sayers podcast, join quality of life experts from Statistics Canada and Engage Nova Scotia to explore the importance of quality of life programs and what they tell us about our well-being.
8 Jan 2026 · 11 min
GDP Explained Without Putting You to Sleep (We Promise!)
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) tells us about the health and size of Canada’s economy. But for those of us who don’t own or operate multi-million-dollar companies, why does it matter at all? In this episode, Amanda Sinclair, Assistant director for the National Economic Accounts at Statistics Canada, explains some surprising ways GDP can be useful and why, for certain Canadian households, the numbers don’t always seem to add up. Economic accounts statistics
10 Dec 2025 · 9 min
A Christmas Tree Trivia Showdown
Think your Christmas tree knowledge is top‑notch? Time to put it to the test! In this holiday special of Eh Sayers, our colleagues face off in a trivia showdown all about Canada’s Christmas tree industry. Discover which nation first sparked the tradition, how much Canadian Christmas tree farmers earned in 2023, the surprising numbers behind exports and imports, and more festive facts. After listening, you’ll be the go‑to expert on Christmas trees at your holiday party! Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree - Statistics Canada
13 Nov 2025 · 22 min
Screens Replaced Play, and Our Bodies Noticed
Has Canada become a sedentary nation? Health data have never been more accessible. We have smart watches to count our steps, notifications about our screen times and apps to track our daily diets. Despite the futuristic tech, researchers are growing concerned. And they’re especially concerned about young Canadians. Today we sat down with Rachel Colley, a senior health researcher at StatCan for a deep dive into Canada’s obesity, physical activity and screen time trends. And the new data from the Canadian Health Measures survey may surprise you. The Daily — The prevalence of overweight and…
12 Aug 2025 · 11 min
Canadians Just Aren't California Dreamin' These Days
Calllllll-i-forrrrr-nia... here we come? If you've changed your plans to visit the US recently, you're not alone. Nowadays, Canadians are more likely to be singing along to "Bobcaygeon" than "Sweet Home Alabama." Today, we're sitting down with Jane Lin, of the Tourism Statistics Program at Statistics Canada, to dig into StatCan's tourism data and talk about how travel is different these days. Travel and Tourism Statistics
15 Jul 2025 · 14 min
A Tariff on Both Your Houses
Two countries, both alike in dignity, In North America, where we lay our scene, From ancient friendship break to new trade tragedy, Of data on trade and tariffs, what might we glean? Join us as we speak with Guy Gellatly, Chief Economic Advisor, at Statistics Canada, as we explore what’s been going on with trade with our closest neighbour, what the early numbers suggest about the conflict, and what impact it might have on Canada’s economy. Focus on Canada and the United States
6 May 2025 · 38 min
Losing Our Religion? It's Not That Simple
Is that Canada in the corner? In the spotlight? Are we losing our religion? The census found that 12.6 million people reported no religious affiliation in 2021, more than 1/3 of Canada's population. But is there more to the picture? With guests Simon-Pierre Lacasse, Senior Analyst at StatCan, and Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, Associate Professor at the University of Waterloo, we're exploring what's driving this trend, whether "no religion" means "no spirituality," and how the story varies from spiritual British Columbia to the cultural Catholicism of Quebec to the freshly painted churches of…
10 Mar 2025 · 24 min
What Does It Take to Exit Homelessness?
What is it that helps someone transition from homeless to housed? We’re looking at new analysis of data from the Canadian Housing Survey to explore exactly that. In conversation with Peter Tilley, the CEO of the Ottawa Mission, and Jeff Randle, Chief of the Housing Need Project section at Statistics Canada, we’re asking why homelessness (and homelessness data!) is more complex than you might think, what factors most often led to regaining housing, and why housing can be challenging to maintain even after it’s been regained. The Daily — Exiting homelessness: Results from the 2022 Canadian…
29 Jan 2025 · 14 min
Mapping Happiness: How Where We Live Impacts Our Well-Being
It might not surprise you that your relationships with friends and family affect your well-being. Same with your health and your job. But what about the place where you live? Whether you live in the downtown core of a major city or a commuter town or a rural community, what impact does this have on your life satisfaction, loneliness and sense of belonging? StatCan’s Lauren Pinault joins us today at the mic to explore how the places we live affect our well-being. For more information: Beyond urban and rural: Rethinking the social geography of Canada
28 Nov 2024 · 13 min
Can Your Business Outsmart a Hacker?
Over two thirds (70%) of Canadians experienced a cyber security incident in 2022. The strategies used by bad actors are getting more and more complex. Many of us are inundated with what feels like never-ending phishing emails, scam text messages and fraudulent phone calls. It’s rare to talk to someone who hasn’t experienced some form of a cyber attack. The situation is no different for Canadian businesses. Identity theft, scams, fraud, and ransomware are only some of the ways cyber attackers are targeting businesses today. One cyber security breach can cost a business thousands of dollars…
3 Oct 2024 · 27 min
Is AI Coming For Your Job?
AI is here and it’s here to stay. Apps like ChatGPT are now allowing us to perform complex tasks with the click of a button. As we begin to use these new versions of AI, our jobs are destined to change. So, what will an average day of work look like a decade from now? Which jobs will AI impact the most? And is AI coming to replace our jobs altogether? In this episode, we sat down with AI expert Tahsin Mehdi, an economist in the social analysis and modeling division of Statistics Canada, to answer our questions about how AI will transform our work lives in Canada.
29 Jul 2024 · 9 min
Why Economists Are Sounding the Alarm on Productivity
Canada’s workforce is among the most educated in the world. But when it comes to worker productivity, we’ve seen a real slump over the past few years. The quarterly data published by StatCan in June 2024 confirms Canadian workers are continuing to underperform compared to our neighbours to the south. This comes as no surprise to this episode’s guest, Guy Gellatly, Chief Economic Advisor at StatCan. The latest quarterly numbers are a continuation of an on-going decline in Canada’s productivity that economists have been tracking for years. But what factors influence worker productivity? And…
6 Jun 2024 · 49 min
It's Not Easy Bein' Green
We can try our best, but its not always easy knowing what's best for the environment. The world is complicated, and it isn't as simple as reduce, reuse, recycle—though that's a great place to start! In the immortal words of Kermit the Frog, "It's not easy bein' green." We have two stories exploring that theme. The first is one we made in-house asking just how green our digital world really is, and the second comes from the Simply Science podcast exploring the world of urban forests.
8 May 2024 · 10 min
Why Food Inflation Is Such a Hard Nut to Crack
Are you feeling like it's a little bit harder to bring home the bacon... from the grocery store? The latest data indicate that food prices have mostly stabilized... but why does it feel like the cost of feeding your family is still going up? Today we're talking food inflation with StatCan's resident smart cookie Taylor Mitchell.
9 Apr 2024 · 10 min
It's 8 pm...Do You Know What Your Kids Are Googling?
StatCan released new analysis into the online culture our kids are growing up in, and it’s far from the best of all possible worlds: misinformation, bullying, violence… and worse. Analyst Rachel Tsitomeneas joins us to dive into the findings.
19 Mar 2024 · 30 min
How Do You Say "Language Revitalization" in Cree?
More than 70 distinct Indigenous languages are spoken by First Nations people, Métis and Inuit in Canada, but these languages are under threat. In this episode, we speak with Randy Morin and Belinda kakiyosēw Daniels, who share their knowledge of the Cree language with learners at the Nêhiyawak Language Experience, about the wisdom encoded in Indigenous languages, as well as the opportunities for these languages and the barriers they face.
21 Dec 2023 · 4 min
When Out in the Pod There Arose Such a Clatter, We Turned Our Mics On to See What Was the Matter
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the studio Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the audio mixer with care, In hopes that a special guest soon would be there.
13 Dec 2023 · 38 min
A Little Less Misinformation, a Little More True Facts, Please
In the age of social media, AI, and deepfakes, discerning fact from fiction is a crucial skill. Nowadays, we’re not just getting our information from the six o’clock news. Friends, family, researchers, influencers, entertainers, news anchors, advertisers… Who can you trust? Timothy Caulfield, misinformation/disinformation expert, author, University of Alberta professor, and member of the Order of Canada, and Eric Rancourt, Assistant Chief Statistician at StatCan, join us to explore the challenges posed by our information environment and what can be done to counter misinformation.
21 Aug 2023 · 34 min
I Got 99 Problems But Being Misgendered on the Census Ain't One
Ladies, Gentlemen, and Gentlethem! While every census is special, the 2021 Census was historic. It was the first to include a question about gender, making Canada the first country to collect and publish data on gender diversity from a national census. In this episode, we explore gender with drag king Cyril Cinder and we talk Census 2021 with StatCan’s Anne Milan. Join us for a new kind of gender reveal. The Daily - Canada is the first country to provide census data on transgender and non-binary people Filling the gaps: Information on gender in the 2021 Census 2021 Census: Sex at birth and…
19 Jun 2023 · 18 min
Will the 40 Millionth Canadian Please Stand Up?
Canada reached an important milestone June 16, 2023. For the first time, there were 40 million people living in Canada. That means that someone out there is the 40 millionth Canadian. But who is it? Laurent Martel, director of the Centre for Demography at Statistics Canada, joins us to explore what demographic data can tell us about this person, as well as the implications of Canada’s changing demographics and its rapid population growth.
18 Apr 2023 · 13 min
In a Movie About the Economy, Is Inflation the Bad Guy?
StatCan’s Consumer Price Index tells us a lot about the economy… if you know what to look for. Guy Gellatly, Chief Economic Advisor at StatCan, joins us at the mic to break down the CPI and answer our questions about the economy. What’s the ideal inflation rate? Is no inflation the best kind of inflation? And what is a deflationary spiral?
22 Nov 2022 · 25 min
Green Houses, Not Gases
Canada is facing both a climate crisis and a housing crisis, and they are interconnected. Choices we make about our homes impact the environment: their location and how much we need to use a car to get around, the heat source that they use, the materials used in their construction. At the same time, the climate impacts our homes: when severe weather strikes and causes damage to our homes, we have no choice but to rebuild, and even if we escape unscathed, we still have to decide how much to change our lifestyles to adapt to a changing climate. Andrew DeFazio, CMHC Climate Change Advisor,…
17 Oct 2022 · 34 min
Why Haven't We Ended Poverty Yet?
It used to be that Statistics Canada didn’t measure poverty. Not exactly. Poverty is complex, and there wasn't a single definition that everyone agreed on. So while StatCan did measure low income and other income inequality indicators, it didn't measure poverty per se. That is, until 2018, when the government chose to use the Market Basket Measure, or MBM, as Canada's Official Poverty Line. That means that the government now uses the MBM to track its poverty reduction targets. But something strange happened during the pandemic: in 2020 the poverty rate fell. And it fell quite a bit. In fact,…
7 Oct 2022 · 32 min
Sylvia Ostry: Lessons from a Legend
Sylvia Ostry was appointed Canada’s first and only female Chief Statistician in 1972, but she didn’t get there by playing by the rules. She was ambitious but grew up in a world where many thought that it was shameful to be female and have a career. We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sylvia Ostry’s appointment as chief statistician. In this episode of Eh Sayers, featuring interviews with her sons, Adam Ostry and Jonathan Ostry, we are pleased to introduce you to this remarkable woman and to share with you eight pieces of advice inspired by her life.
28 Apr 2022 · 23 min
Dude, Where's my Semiconductor?
Over the last few years we have seen plenty of service disruptions, closures of services and delays. But what is the real cause of these disruptions and what is the supply chain that everyone is talking about?
7 Apr 2022 · 36 min
Doctor's Appointment? There's an App for That!
Virtual healthcare was a rarity before COVID-19 but immediately after the pandemic hit in March 2020, Canadians were forced to rethink how they access healthcare. Dr. Gigi Osler joins us to explore the barriers to virtual healthcare, the changes we saw during the pandemic, and what’s being done to make virtual care permanent, rather than just a temporary COVID-19 measure.

About Eh Sayers

Eh Sayers is a English news podcast from Statistics Canada. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Statistics Canada
Language: English
Category: News
New episodes: Now and then
Typical length: 22 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1597172501
Rights: 2021 Statistics Canada

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