Mornings with Simi

It's the big man himself! CKNW managed to get an exclusive one-on-one interview with Santa Claus ahead of his big trip. Guest: Santa Claus - Live from the North Pole Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The article explores Victorian Christmas food traditions through three recipes that reflect the era’s culinary practices: Turkey Soup: Derived from Isabella Beeton’s The Book of Household Management (1861), this recipe used leftover turkey bones to create a rich, flavored soup, showcasing the use of branded ingredients like Harvey’s Sauce. It highlights both resourcefulness and historical food influences. Roast Goose: A recipe from Bow Bells (1893) details a traditional roast goose, a popular alternative to turkey in Scotland and northern England. Instructions were less structured, relying on cooks’ intuition and familiarity with techniques like scalding and basting. Cottage Christmas Pudding: From Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery (1845), this pudding included mashed potatoes to bulk up the recipe, reflecting rural or working-class adaptations. It combined affordable staples with luxurious ingredients like spices and dried fruits, emphasizing the festive desire for indulgence. Guest: Dr. Lindsay Middleton - Food Historian and Knowledge Exchange Associate at the University of Glasgow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The M.H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Sciences has been launched within the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, signifying a major milestone in advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of urologic diseases. Guest: Dr. Martin Gleave - Executive Director of the M. H. Mohseni Institute of Urologic Science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mistletoe, a symbol of love, peace, and healing, has been part of festive traditions for centuries. Beyond its romantic reputation, mistletoe carries a profound scientific significance, offering hope in the fight against cancer. Guest: Lokesh Joshi - Stokes Professor of Glycosciences at the University of Galway Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Medieval Christmas celebrations, spanning from December 1 to at least January 6 (and sometimes as late as February 2), featured unique traditions that evoke the spirit of the era. Guest: Giles Gasper - Professor in High Medieval History at Durham University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What areas of BC made the housing naughty list? Guest: Vaughn Palmer - Vancouver Sun Columnist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a black market for temporary foreign workers? Why does red wine cause headaches? What is sleep paralysis and why is it so scary? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canada is ending bonus points in its Express Entry immigration program for job offers backed by Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) following investigations revealing extensive fraud in the system. LMIAs, introduced in 2014 to address acute labour shortages, have become a tool for exploitation in a black market where fraudulent job offers and supporting documents are sold online. Guest: Apurva Bhat -Toronto-Based Reporter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Congress passed a last-minute spending bill early Saturday to avert a government shutdown, securing funding until March 14. The Democratic-controlled Senate approved the legislation 38 minutes after the midnight deadline, following bipartisan support in the Republican-led House. President Joe Biden promptly signed it into law. Guest: Reggie Cecchini - Washington Correspondent for Global News Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scammers are upping their game, and the holiday season is their prime time. Imagine this: a fake text about a package at your door, a link to a “retailer” that steals your login, and by the time you realize something’s off, they’ve already got your info. These scams are so real that even cautious people are falling for them. So, how do you fight back? Guest: Nelly Mulleneaux - Course Lead and Faculty of the School of Business and Information Technology at Purdue Global Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The phenomenon of red wine headaches, documented since Roman times, has puzzled researchers for centuries. While sulphites, biogenic amines, and tannins have been blamed, new research points to quercetin, a phenolic compound abundant in red wine, as a more likely culprit. Guest: Dr. Andrew Waterhouse - Professor of Enology at the University of California, Davis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Psychologist Brian Sharpless has taken his lifelong love for horror movies and turned it into a fascinating exploration of the real-world terrors lurking in our own minds. In his book, Sharpless delves into the eerie phenomenon of sleep paralysis—a bizarre, in-between state where you’re awake but trapped, unable to move, and often haunted by terrifying hallucinations. Guest: Dr. Brian Sharpless - Clinical Psychologist, Researcher, and Author of “Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Your Favorite Horror Movies” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Energy minister Dix announced his former boss, Glen Clark is the new chair of BC Hydro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can we make construction sites more environmentally friendly? This year's Christmas shopping trends! What can chimpanzees tell us about puberty?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to make cocktails for a holiday party! Guest: Daniel Hackenberg - Bar Manager at Bar Bravo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian consumers are becoming increasingly frugal amid economic uncertainty, with holiday spending reflecting cautious and selective decision-making, according to surveys by DIG360 and the Angus Reid Group. Guest: David Ian Gray - Founder and Strategist at Retail Advisory DIG360 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Light House has launched the Construction Plastics Initiative, a pilot program running until February 2026, aiming to divert and upcycle plastic waste from approximately 10 Metro Vancouver construction sites. Guest: Gil Yaron - Managing Director of Circular Innovation for Light House Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topics discussed with Vaughn today: The government hiring freeze that TOTALLY isn’t a hiring freeze. Selina Robinson publishes a book with her side of her rough treatment by the BC premier and the BC NDP party. Guest: Vaughn Palmer - Vancouver Sun Columnist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it really mean to grow up? For chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, the journey from infancy to adulthood is as complex, awkward, and revealing as our own. Primatologist Dr. Kris Sabbi takes us deep into the lives of juvenile chimps, exploring the web of social behaviours, hormonal development, and environmental factors that shape who they become. Guest: Dr. Kristin Sabbi - College Fellow in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are more men getting vasectomies? Guest: Dr. Neil Pollock, Founder of Pollock Clinics Where is Breast Cancer Canada’s donor money going? Guest: Kate Bahen, Managing Director of Charity Intelligence How neuroscience can help you find the perfect children’s toy Guest: Thomas Lewton, Features Editor at New Scientist The science of laughter Guest: Sophie Scott, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Speech Communication Leader at the University College London How should BC address gender-based violence? Guest: Jennifer Charlesworth, Representative for Children and Youth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices