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  • The Forest City Film Festival Launches Today and Exec. Dir. Ethan Hickey is here to tell us all about it.

    The Forest City Film Festival Launches Today and Exec. Dir. Ethan Hickey is here to tell us all about it.
    2026/09/03
    Hello London - I’m Matt Brown and you’re listening to The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things London, and maybe some other stuff too. It’s brought to you by London Ontario Online News. That’s The Loon for short. It’s a good show today. Diana Tamblyn, a co-owner here at The Loon and our Arts and Culture editor, joins me for a conversation with Forest City Film Festival Executive Director Ethan Hickey. He’s going to tell us all about the upcoming 11th annual film festival that is launching, today. In this episode, Ethan Hickey talks about the, now more than a decade old, Forest City Film Festival. Ethan is serving his first year as the festival’s executive director and he’s been connected to the festival in various ways since 2019. This year’s festival has a program launch party set for 5pm today (Thursday, September 3rd). It’s being held at Museum London, it’s open to the public and you don’t want to miss it because Ethan and his team will be announcing the full slate of films - all 144 of them - that will be playing over the festival’s 11 day schedule. The festival officially kicks off on Thursday, October 15th at the Goodwill Industries building on Horton with a gala event that includes an Impact Award presentation recognizing a London celebrity that has made it big not just here at home in Canada, but across North America and internationally. The festival offers a full line up of films, speakers and industry events. This is a festival that showcases films that have a strong tie to the Southwestern Ontario region, whether that’s a core member of the film team from the area like the director, producer, lead actor, or sound designer, or the film was shot in the region, or features a regional story. In fact, the Forest City Film Festival’s mission is building, broadening, and bettering the film culture of Southwestern Ontario. Since 2016, the festival has introduced London audiences to the best features, shorts, documentaries and animation from the region. This year, the festival will wrap up with an awards event at Wolf Performance Hall, presented in partnership with Film London. Ethan is here to tell us all about it. So, let’s go!
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    48 分
  • Downtown London BIA's Brent Hodson joins us give an update (Also, I have another announcement to make...no, it's still not that!)

    Downtown London BIA's Brent Hodson joins us give an update (Also, I have another announcement to make...no, it's still not that!)
    2026/08/05
    Hello, London. We've done several episode about London's downtown. After all, a city's downtown is it's calling card to the world. On this episode Brent Hodson, the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Downtown London Business Association, is joining the show to give us an update about all things Downtown London. Also, I have another announcement to make. (No, it's still not that :) If you are a regular listener, you might have noticed that this show has taken a bit of a summer hiatus. Partly because much of the content comes from Newsmakers, the show I host for Rogers Television, which is also taking a summer break. And, partly because I’ve been working with some business partners on a start up. Stick around to the end of this episode - I’m excited to tell you all about it! Thanks for listening. MB
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    32 分
  • Encore Edition: Dr. Carol Dyck talks climate change (August 15, 2025)

    Encore Edition: Dr. Carol Dyck talks climate change (August 15, 2025)
    2026/07/16
    Today is July 16, 2026. It's 7:45am and I am on the 11th storey of a high rise down by the forks of the Thames. I'm looking south facing and can barely see the Normal School Tower over in over in Wortley Village - which, as the crow flies, is just under a kilometre away. Smoke from wild fires raging in Quebec and Northern Ontario has drifted south and has blanketed London, much of South Western Ontario and beyond. At just over a half a century years old, this is something I can't recall in past decades, not at least to this scale. Maybe you can, but this feels different to me. All outdoor city programming was cancelled last night and Rock the Park shut down around 9pm, too. Last August, Dr. Carol Dyck joined this podcast for our 3rd episode to talk about climate change, and what London City Council is (or isn't) doing about it. (Side note: we get to refer to Carol as Dr. these days because she earned that distinction this spring - congratulations Dr. Dyck!). The information she shared on that episode, just under a year ago today, is just as relevant today as it was in 2025, perhaps more so. As London and all municipalities approach the 2026 municipal election scheduled for this fall, I wonder if climate change will enter the debates in ward races and the city wide race too. I also wonder how this event is affecting the election on the ground. Are candidates going door to door? If they are, will residents be willing to open their doors and step outside to chat in this smoke? Of course municipalities can't address big issues like this on their own, but they do have a role to play. What do you think? Thanks for listening, and be safe, London.
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    36 分
  • Dr. Martin Horak provides analysis of London's 2026 Municipal Election

    Dr. Martin Horak provides analysis of London's 2026 Municipal Election
    2026/07/02
    Dr. Martin Horak is here to talk about the municipal election. Martin is an expert in Urban Politics and a professor at Western University. He was also a member of the London City Council Resourcing Taskforce, which that saw the current members of city council vote for a significant raise from just under $70,000 now to $94,000 as a starting point for the new term of council, coming in this November. By the end of this coming 4 year term, the salaries are projected to top out around $105,000 for a city councillor in the final year of next term. If you’re the deputy mayor or budget chair, both appointments by the mayor, you’ll be making approximately $113,000.00 and if you’re the mayor, you’ll be making just a touch over $180,000. Martin is joining us today to talk about that raise, current council's record setting 23.5% tax increase, ward boundary changes, bus rapid transit, the incumbent advantage, other city wide issues, ward races and the Mayoral campaign, too.
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    27 分
  • Introducing "The Loon", that's London Ontario Online New

    Introducing "The Loon", that's London Ontario Online New
    2026/06/28
    Hello London - This is The Matt Brown Podcast. It’s the show about all things local, and maybe some other stuff too. It’s another good show for you today. You may have noticed that this show has been a little quiet over the past week or so. I want to tell you why. I’ve been working on a new start up project with my business partners - some names that you are likely to know. Steve Cordes, Mike Donachie, Cedric Richards and Diana Tamblyn. It’s called London Ontario Online News, or The Loon for short - We launched it a couple of weeks ago. What is it? It’s your local, independent media outlet, made up of five committed locals with stories to tell. We send out new content every day, and it’s all local and curated for you. It’s free right now, and we’re asking listeners to take a paid subscription to support the work. Eventually much of the content will be available only to subscribers, and a portion will remain free for the time being. What’s The Loon’s line-up? Well it’s new content, every day: Monday: The Buckle Up podcast with former mayor Matt Brown and a special co-host setting up your week. Tuesday: City Editor Cedric Richards tours London’s 14 wards by bicycle, finding stories to tell. Wednesday: Mike Donachie provides the Executive Briefing For Informed Citizens, with issues, decisions and discussions shaping local government. Thursday: Culture Editor Diana Tamblyn shares news, perspectives and stories from London’s creative community. Friday: Opinions Editor Steve, retired non-profit leader and video blogger, with views on the week we’ve had. I’m sharing latest “Cedric’s latest Ward Tour - where he speaks with Mike Donachie about beautiful Ward 11 Steve’s latest Friday Reflection, and my latest “Buckle Up” here. So that you can get sense of the programming. Where can you find us? Go to the Substack Platform and search "London Ontario Online News." If you like what you you hear, read and see - please subscribe - and tell your friends. We’re heading into our third week with of this project and the response to date has been phenomenal. We hope you like it, too. Thanks for listening!
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    33 分
  • Mike Donachie joins to provide an update on London's Municipal Election

    Mike Donachie joins to provide an update on London's Municipal Election
    2026/06/12
    The London Municipal Election is well underway. Local journalist, and one of my business partners at London Ontario Online News (LOON), joins the show to tell us all about it. You can find The LOON over on Substack. As always, thanks for listening!
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    12 分
  • Announcing - London Ontario Online News! Mike Donachie joins "Buckle Up" to tell us all about it.

    Announcing - London Ontario Online News! Mike Donachie joins "Buckle Up" to tell us all about it.
    2026/06/08
    A new Project! This is Buckle Up, your weekly update about all things London brought to you by London Ontario Online News - that’s LOON for short. What's LOON? Mike Donachie, Cedric Richards, Diana Tamblyn, Steve Cordes and I have teamed up to provide London leaders like you with 5 products per week that will focus on all things local. You can find us over on Substack. This week, all of the content is on the house and next week, if you like what you're hearing, reading and seeing - you can subscribe. The London Ontario Online News line up: Monday - Buckle Up - podcast with Matt Brown and Guest: The weekly podcast to set you up for the week ahead. News – construction – weather – nonsense. Former mayor Matt Brown, our Executive Editor, leads this and will bring in more guests over time. Tuesday - Cedric in the City - tour with Cedric Richards: Join City Editor Cedric Richards on a tour of London’s 14 wards by bicycle, beginning with Ward 1. Supported by Mike Donachie. Wednesday - City Hall Notes - news and more - by Mike Donachie: Your Executive Briefing For Informed Citizens, looking at the issues, decisions and discussions shaping local government. Thursday - the Forest City Arts and Culture Roundup - by Diana Tamblyn: Our Culture Editor shares news, perspectives and stories from London’s creative community. Friday - Reflecting - with Steve Cordes: Opinions Editor Steve, retired non-profit leader and video blogger, offers views - his and others - on the week we’ve had. And free on Fridays: the ROUNDUP. Mike Donachie briefs you on the stories you need to know, gathered in one place. Regular analysis of the issues affecting London and the region. The Matt Brown Podcast will remain as a stand alone and it continues to be provided at no cost, thanks to our sponsor London Bicycle Café. And, if you like what you're hearing on The Matt Brown Podcast and want to help with expenses (so I lose less money producing this favourite hobby of mine), you could always visit TheMattBrownPodcast.com and make a small contribution by "buying me a. coffee" - Look for the button. Today's Buckle up is the first and only episode of Buckle Up that will be posted here on The Matt Brown Podcast and, every Monday morning, I’ll be hosting someone from our team or a recognizable person from our community, to give you the information you need to prepare for the week ahead. I’m excited about this new project. I hope you are too. With me today is my business partner, journalist Mike Donachie, so let’s go! Featuring: - Weather chat - Further nonsense - Construction hotspots - London’s newest municipal idea - growing our own trees - Ward 1 Race *Spoiler: There will be a loon call at the end of the episode. Mike hates it, I love it. Mike, why call it LOON if we can’t have a loon? Thanks for listening!
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    21 分
  • Mario Circelli joins to tell us all about Forest City London Music Week

    Mario Circelli joins to tell us all about Forest City London Music Week
    2026/06/05

    Mario Circelli joins us to tell us everything we need to know about the 24th annual Forest London City Music week it's lauches tomorrow on Saturday June 6th and it runs for 13 days wrapping on June 14th. Thanks for listening and hope to see you at a performance between now and the middle of June.
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    13 分