Hour 1 of Ottawa Now for Mon. October 27th, 2025

As Canadians and Americans alike tuned in to watch the 2025 World Series, the Ford government was rolling out a set of controversial ads. Well, they were controversial in the eyes of U.S. President Donald Trump, who was extremely fed up after a video of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan was used by Queen’s Park to notify Americans about the dangers of tariffs. Trump has since called off trade discussions with Canada, and that tone hasn’t changed despite Premier Ford’s insistence that they would be halted as of Monday. At the same time, Ford is calling the ads a success, as they captured the attention of American viewers and top politicians. From airing these ads in the first place, to pulling them so soon, how would you grade this gameplan from Ontario’s head honcho? Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Alex Marland, a Professor of Political Science at Acadia University who studies political communication. Later in the program, we delve into the broader spectrum of this gameplan with former Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay. Plus, the latest Hunger Count report from Food Banks Canada displays worsening concerns that poverty and hunger are becoming more normalized. In 2025, the report cites 2.2 million visits to Canadian food banks in a single month, which is double the monthly usage that was recorded 6 years ago. Ottawa Food Bank CEO Rachael Wilson outlines the struggles that are currently facing Canada’s Capital.