We've had an update to one of our most popular episodes -- the counterfeit toonie. Enjoy!

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They call it the "camel-toe toonie", and you will understand why as soon as you look at the front right paw of the polar bear on it. Since they were first discovered in circulation in 2020, estimates range from at least tens of thousands to likely millions of them reaching circulation.

But who is behind it? How do you counterfeit toonies at scale and get them into the banking system? And ... why toonies?

GUEST: Brent Mackie, creator of cameltoetoonies.ca, numismatist, treasurer of Waterloo Coin Society

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This episode first aired on November 14, 2024 over at In This Economy?!, our sister show at the Frequency Podcast Network. The show helps Canadians understand the systems behind their money problems so they can make informed decisions about their personal finances. If you like what you hear, please consider giving us a follow!

The colder weather has finally arrived, and with it a big question: Is it time to put winter tires on the car? Climate change may have you questioning the necessity of winter tires, and the price tag is certainly not making that decision any easier. So we want to know, are winter tires worth the upfront cost? And what do they really do anyway?

GUEST: Lorraine Sommerfeld, columnist with Driving.ca.

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca

Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter

Many of us have a favourite garment — a sweater we've been wearing for the last ten years, or a pair of sweatpants we throw on every night before cozying up in front of some Netflix. Then there's all those other clothes, the shirts you buy on sale that are lucky to survive ten wash cycles, or the sweaters that pill up almost instantly.

Increasingly, it feels like more and more clothes belong to that second category. And it's not just so-called 'fast fashion' anymore, as the push to produce more for less drags down the quality of even the most reputable brands.

So why has it become so difficult to find a decent pair of pants that'll last more than a few months? And how do we fight back against a culture that increasingly sees clothing as disposable?

GUEST: Monika Warzecha, Digital Editor at The Walrus, where she wrote about fast fashion

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at hello@thebigstorypodcast.ca

Or by calling 416-935-5935 and leaving us a voicemail

Or @thebigstoryfpn on Twitter