The Conversation Lab is a monthly radio program at CFRO FM in Vancouver. It airs on the last Saturday every month at 9am and its available on community and campus radio stations across Canada as well as on your favorite podcasting platform.<br /><br />My focus is on giving community groups, non-profit organizations, and changemakers a voice to talk about those things that are most important to them. Learning how to build bridges into different communities seems critical as we explore the uneven development of colonialism and global capitalism in our community. <br /><br />I'm a veteran broadcaster and Ph.D. Candidate, at UBC's Social Justice Institute. My dissertation is about the cause and effect of polarization and how the words we use open up or shut down our conversations. I'm learning about the science, psychology, cultural, and emotional components of conversation and what they have in common to gain insight and improve on existing knowledge of how we engage with each other whether about climate, race, gender, culture, politics, or social justice issues to contribute to positive social change.<br /><br />CFRO FM (Co-op Radio) is located in Vancouver's downtown eastside on the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-waututh) Nations where we are grateful to be able to do this work.
The Conversation Lab
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Podcast Overview
The Conversation Lab is a monthly radio program at CFRO FM in Vancouver. It airs on the last Saturday every month at 9am and its available on community and campus radio stations across Canada as well as on your favorite podcasting platform.<br /><br />My focus is on giving community groups, non-profit organizations, and changemakers a voice to talk about those things that are most important to them. Learning how to build bridges into different communities seems critical as we explore the uneven development of colonialism and global capitalism in our community. <br /><br />I'm a veteran broadcaster and Ph.D. Candidate, at UBC's Social Justice Institute. My dissertation is about the cause and effect of polarization and how the words we use open up or shut down our conversations. I'm learning about the science, psychology, cultural, and emotional components of conversation and what they have in common to gain insight and improve on existing knowledge of how we engage with each other whether about climate, race, gender, culture, politics, or social justice issues to contribute to positive social change.<br /><br />CFRO FM (Co-op Radio) is located in Vancouver's downtown eastside on the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-waututh) Nations where we are grateful to be able to do this work.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
5/9/2019
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Recent Episodes
June 10, 2026
What's an OCP?
<b>Understanding an Official Community Plan (OCP)</b><br /><br />If you've ever wondered whether your children or grandchildren will be able to afford to live in your community, worried about housing, transportation, water, wildfire risk, climate change, traffic congestion, environmental protection, or simply what future generations will inherit, then you already have a stake in this conversation.<br /><br />While this episode focuses on Bowen Island where I live, the questions being discussed are the same ones facing communities across British Columbia and Canada. How do we grow? What should we protect? What infrastructure will we need? And how do we balance housing, environment, economy, and quality of life?<br /><br />In this episode, we talk with Mayor Andrew Leonard, Daniel Martin (Manager of Planning and Development), and James Crandles (OCP Steering Committee Co-Chair) to unpack Bowen Island's proposed Official Community Plan and the current phase of public engagement.<br /><br />Together they explore:<br />• What an Official Community Plan (OCP) is — and what it isn't<br />• Why Bowen's OCP is being updated now<br />• The guiding frameworks shaping the draft<br />• Housing diversity and infrastructure planning<br />• Biodiversity, stewardship, and climate resilience<br />• Transportation, community vitality, and circular economy principles<br />• Land use maps, conservation areas, and development permit areas<br />• How residents can participate meaningfully during this phase of engagement<br /><br />Whether you live on Bowen Island or in a growing community elsewhere, this conversation is about understanding the choices, trade-offs, and opportunities that shape the places we call home.You can learn more at bowenislandmunicipality.ca.
February 15, 2026
Farhan Samir - A Reflection on Complexity and Meaning-Making
AI systems carry embedded worldviews. This isn’t a metaphor—it’s architecture. They inherit Western epistemologies, English-language biases, individualistic assumptions, capitalist logics, hetero-normative defaults, racialized categories, settler-colonial knowledge priorities, Silicon Valley’s belief in optimization and speed, and a particular moral grammar about what counts as “rational,” “true,” or “good.”<br /><br />This is a converstion with Farhan Samir that began in November as we graduated from UBC. Talking with him I felt something familiar—something that sits at the centre of my own work on conversation, polarization, and the power of language. Our conversaion reminds me how much complexity lies beneath even the simplest act of interpretation, and how rarely we pay attention to it.<br /><br />
November 16, 2025
Jonathan Eaton - Disaster Preparedness
Dr Jonathan Eaton is the lead author of a new study that takes a deep dive into how Vancouver residents think about disaster preparedness. He talks about how disaster preparedness is about more than seismic retrofits, sandbags, or evacuation routes - It's about people, about how we understand risk and what we value, and how our sense of place, memory, and community shape the choices we make before the ground starts shaking.
118 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is The Conversation Lab?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates bi-weekly.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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