The Matt Brown Podcast

Political Panel talks Mayor's Home Owners Incentive Plan, Council's Reaction,Strong Mayor's Powers and More.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 6 Apr 2026 10:49:13 +0000

Today, community leaders, Mojdeh Azad and Paul Hubert are joining me to talk about the Mayor’s “Home Ownership Incentive Plan”. He called it his “Big Announcement” at the London Chamber of Commerce State of the City Address held back in January. He used what are called, “Strong Mayor’s Powers” to direct staff to develop the plan quickly and, since that time, the idea has received a bit of a rough ride from many of London’s other 14 members of council. It left a lot of us wondering, what might happen next. The Back Story: In January, the mayor used his strong mayor powers to direct staff to develop, what he calls, an “Affordable Home Ownership Incentive Plan”. Essentially, and it’s more complicated than this, the plan could provide approximately 260 individuals and families, who purchase a newly built home within a certain time frame, with the equivalent of a Twenty to just over Fifty Thousand Dollar rebate depending on the size of the home - think of a small apartment all the way up to a single family home, all sold for less than $630,000, which is considered at or below the average for homes sold in London these days. What does this Twenty to Fifty Thousand Dollar rebate represent? Development Charges or DC’s. These are the fees developers normally pay to cover the capital costs associated with the cost of a growing city. Think things like Water, Waste Water, Roads, Parks, Transit, Emergency Services, Libraries and more. These Development Charges are then typically included in the purchase price of new builds, so existing rate payers don’t subsidise growth. In other words, growth pays for growth. Now, how would this incentive work? The mayor’s original plan suggested that council use city funds, sourced from a Federal Government Grant, to provide 60% of this discount and developers would then incorporate and deduct the remaining 40% of these costs at the time of sale. The City would front a total of $5 million dollars for its share. And keep in mind, this is one time funding, so once the money is gone, it’s gone. That was the original idea. Back in February, councillors had a lot of questions when this program came forward for their review. After a long debate, they sent those questions and the whole program back to staff for additional information. About a week ago, they got those answers at their committee of the whole and then, largely at the mayor’s request, they sent the plan back a second time - this time looking for even more options to consider. Council will likely get their second round of questions answered, as well as a new series of options to consider, near the tail end of April. These options will include the original plan, some potential changes related to how and when the rebate would be applied, as well as a potential granting program provided as a mechanism to incentives residents adding an additional rental unit to their home - think basement apartment for example. So - where does all of this go? We’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, we are joined today by Mojdeh Azad, an award winning consultant, conveyor and facilitator and Paul Hubert, Chief Executive officer of Pathways and founder of Delta Leadership Consulting, here to help us make sense of what’s going on - and what might be coming in the weeks and months ahead.

Skylar Franke, Ward 11 City Councillor and Chair of the LTC joins us to talk all things London Transit, including BRT

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:26:11 +0000

Skylar Franke is currently serving her first term as Councillor for Ward 11, and serves on the boards of the Middlesex London Health Unit, Upper Thames Conservation Authority, various council committees and finally as the Chair of the London Transit Commission. That's why she's joining the podcast today. London Transit has had some ups and downs over the past year or so. In fact, 3 council appointed LTC commissioners resigned a while back and council made the decision to remove the remaining commisioners and populated the entire leadership board with members of City Council. Fun Fact, Councillor Franke voted against removing the remaining commissioners, but after the motion passed she put her name forward to join the commission with 6 council colleagues and ultimately she was elected as chair. During this podcast We talk about the governance decisions, the funding shortfall and the challenges LTC faces to meet the needs of our community. And, we can't talk transit without talking BRT - Councillor Franke will give us an update about that too. Including what she thinks needs to happen for the North and West routes that were cancelled during the 2018 - 2022 council. She outlines the plans and the challenge London faces to secure funding. That's because when those routes were cancelled a several years ago, the funding from other levels of government that had been secured in 2018 was cancelled too. Thanks for listening.

Encore: Political Panel re: the Mayor's Proposed Home Ownership Incentive Plan

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 23:15:38 +0000

Tomorrow, The mayor’s “Home Ownership Incentive Plan” that he announced at the London Chamber of Commerce State of the City address this past January is coming back to the council’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee, that’s council’s Committee of the Whole for a second kick at the can. The recommendation received a bit of a rough ride and a referral back to staff back in February, so we’ll have to stay tuned to see what happens next. Today’s episode is a portion of the podcast political panel that ran shortly after the chamber of commerce’ state of the city address was held back in January. During the mayor’s address, he announced that he had used his strong mayor powers to direct staff to develop, what he called, an Affordable Home Ownership Incentive Plan. Essentially the plan would incentivize purchases of some newly built homes in London by reimbursing or rebating home buyers' the cost of development charges for homes selling for at or below the average cost of a new home - which, these, days is $630,000. Depending on the build, development charges can run between $20,000 for a small apartment to just over $50,000 for a Single Family Home. These charges pay for the capital costs incurred and associated with the cost of a growing city. Think things like Water, Waste Water, Roads, Parks, Transit, and Emergency Services. Developers incorporate these costs into the price of a new home, so the incentive program being considered by council would reduce the overall cost of a new home purchase, until the one time funding source is exhausted. 60% of this rebate, $5 million dollars, would be paid for by city coffers - using funding from the Federal Government’s housing accelerator budget and the remaining 40%, approximately $3 million dollars, would be covered by the home building industry here in London by way of reducing the selling price. This is one time funding, so once the money is gone, it’s gone. Staff predict that about 260 new home sales could be supported before the funding source has been exhausted. Back in February, councillors had a lot of questions when this came forward, for their review. They sent those questions and the whole program back to staff for additional information. Tomorrow, Tuesday March 24th, the answer to those questions will be presented by staff again, for council’s consideration and possible direction. Will the incentive program, in whatever form, be approved tomorrow? We’ll have to stay tuned. In the meantime, this encore edition of a portion of this show’s first ever political panel can give you a better sense of the overall program and an idea of what the panelists thought of it at the time.

Who should run London's Music Office? Councillor Sam Trosow has an idea.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:40:32 +0000

You might know that London was designated as a UNESCO city of music back in 2021. The initiative is currently run out of the Tourism London Office. Ward 6 City Councillor Sam Trosow is going to join us to tell us how he thinks the first 5 years of the program have gone and he’s going to tell us what he wants to see next. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It was formed in 1945 and has 194 members states today. It manages the World Heritage Centre (which designates World Heritage Sites), promotes education for all, supports scientific research and protects cultural diversity. There are currently over 50 "Cities of Music" within this global network, and it’s been about about 5 years since London earned its designation as a UNESCO City of Music. And still today, London is the only Canadian City to have that City of Music Destination. 2026 is a milestone for London. Last week, City Council reviewed a report that detailed what the city and community partners have been able to accomplish since earning the distinction. The report also includes some information on where the City of London’s Music Office thinks the program should go from here. That second part - where they are recommending council go from here - is an important one because the distinction has a kind of “use it or lose” clause. In other words if, among other things, future strategic planning doesn’t have a central focus on investing in Music, Art and Culture. That means that London could claim to be the first Canadian city to earn the distinction and it could also be the first Canadian city to have it revoked. That’s the background, Ward 6 City Councillor Sam Trosow joins the show to tell us all about it.

Mike Donachie tells us what's going on at City Hall.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 21:17:42 +0000

Homelessness, a towering tower, campaign donations, wider drive ways and a look ahead to the early days of the 2026 campaign. This episode is a milestone episode of sorts - depending how you count it, we’ve just passed 30 episodes for this podcast. As we head into spring, this podcast is making its way towards its first anniversary - we’ll celebrate that at the end of June. I don’t want to count any chickens at this point, but surpassing 30 episodes, with a growing audience is something most start up shows like this experience. That’s all because of you and many excellent guests, too - so thanks to everyone involved for that. One thing I’ve learned is that a good podcast needs great guests and I am so grateful for all of the guests who have joined us for the past 30 plus, episodes - this included community leaders, frontline workers, past members of city council and even 3 members of our current council. Spoiler alert, by the end of March that number of sitting council members joining the show is going to grow to 4. And to the other 11 members, if you’re reading this, please know that you're more than welcome to share this space too. Drop me a line if you have something you want to talk about and we’ll find the time to hear what you have to say too. We’ll stick to the facts and make sure we’re looking at issues of the day from as many different perspectives as possible. Speaking of great guests, local journalist Mike Donachie joined me this week on Newsmakers - That’s a news program I host over on Rogers Television. The episode today is an abridged version of that conversation and if you want to catch the whole thing, you can do so over on Roger Television. Mike is watching City Hall closely and he’s reporting what’s happening there on a regular basis for a start up that he has just launched, It’s called “London City Hall notes” and he publishes it using the Substack platform. As the municipal election, scheduled for late October, approaches - you can expect to hear more from Mike in the weeks and months to come. Today, he’s here to tell us all about what’s going on at City Hall - So let’s go.

Mechele and Melissa tell us about working the front lines of the Homelessness Crisis

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 6 Mar 2026 16:34:58 +0000

Mechele Tebrake is community care worker who has 23 years experience working the front lines of the homelessness crisis. Melissa Schembri is a frontline worker who has been doing this work since 2018. There are over 2000 Londoners who are experiencing homelessness here in London and that number grows each and every month. People like Mechele and Melissa provide support to these individuals who are living rough. We talked a bit about this during our first segment - At a recent city council meeting, members of council were considering a number of policy changes that a group of 78 frontline workers say would have made their work harder and the lives of the folx they serve harder still. When council met to discuss the changes, These frontline workers filled the gallery too. This caught council’s attention and the changes didn’t happen. On top of the 2200 folx experiencing homelessness in London, there are another 83,000 individuals living rough across Ontario. As Londoners, we hear about and witness the homelessness crisis on a regular basis. Mechelle, Melissa and their colleagues are immersed in it every single day.

Rachel Macaulay, V.P. of Philanthropy for Ronald McDonald House tells us all about a major capital campaign that's happening, right now.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:38:10 +0000

Rachel Macaulay serves as the Vice President of Philanthropy for Ronald McDonald House Southwestern Ontario. I don’t know if you are aware of, have volunteered for, or been supported by Ronald McDonald House. If you have, you will know just how impactful the work that they do is. Over the years, and from time to time, I’ve had a few opportunities to volunteer with various groups there - working in the kitchen to prepare meals for the families who find themselves living at Ronald McDonald House. In the kitchen, you’re kind of behind the scenes - you see the compassion, dignity and care that the parents and families staying there receive - on what are likely the lowest, hardest and scariest days of their lives. The positive impact these staff members and volunteers offer these families is immeasurable, it can’t be described. Currently, Rachel is leading a historic capital campaign to double the House's capacity so they won’t ever have to turn families away when they need help the most. Rachel has more than 13 years experience in philanthropy and communications. She has built her career around the belief that transformational giving changes the giver as much as the recipient. As International Women's Day approaches, Rachel asked to come on the show to share a message that is championing. "Give Boldly, Gain Boldly" — it’s a call for women and their allies to step into strategic philanthropy and see it not just as an act of generosity, but as a powerful vehicle for personal growth, professional influence, and community impact. She’s here to tell us all about it - so let’s go.

Councillor Sam Trosow and Mario Circelli Join to Talk UNESCO City of Music

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:34:34 +0000

UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It was formed in 1945 and has 194 members states today. It manages the World Heritage Centre (which designates World Heritage Sites), promotes education for all, supports scientific research and protects cultural diversity. Back in 2004, UNESCO introduced a Creative Cities Network (UCCN). This network highlights cities that place creativity and cultural industries at the center of their development strategies and strategic plans. The "City of Music" designation is one of seven creative fields recognized by this network, which also includes: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature and Media Arts. There are currently over 50 "Cities of Music" within this global network, and it’s been about about 5 years since London earned it designation as a UNESCO City of Music. It took almost a decade of work to get there, spread over several councils to get there. Andy still today, London is the only Canadian City to have that City of Music Destination. London is in good company by the way - other City’s of Music include: Nashville, Tennessee, Austin Texas Seville in Spain and Liverpool, England - if memory serves, that last one was the birthplace Gerry and the Pacemakers, Echo and the Bunnyman, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The La’s - Remember There She Goes? And ah…one other band that’s on the tip of my tongue. Anyway, 2026 is a milestone of sorts for London, City Staff and Tourism London are delivering a report to a council committee later this week detailing what the city and community partners have been able to accomplish since earning the distinction and the report also includes some information on where they think council should go from here. That second - where they are recommending council go from here - is an important one because the distinction has a kind of “use it or lose” it clause. In other words if, among other things, future strategic planning doesn’t have a central focus on investing in Music, art and culture. That means that London could claim to be the first Canadian city to earn the distinction AND it would also be the first Canadian city to have it revoked. That’s the background let’s get on with the show. Over the decades, Mario Circelli has done more for the music scene in London than I can fit into an intro. To give you just a taste, he is the founder and chair of the Forest City London Music Awards which he launched in 2002 and it it continues to grow today he also founded the Forest City Music Hall of Fame. These days he Digital Creative Arts Centre at BGC - oh he founded that initiative too. We’re also joined by Ward 6 City Councillor, Sam Trosow - Sam has been a proponent for Music Art and Culture on and off Council and we’re lucky to have him here with us today.

Mike Donachie joins to tell us all about his new project, London City Hall notes.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:30:06 +0000

Mike Donachie is a communications leader and journalist who’s been an engaged Londoner for many years. He’s a former City Hall reporter for the Metro London newspaper, later serving as director of communications for Libro Credit Union .These days he’s taken on a new public interest reporting project locally focused on his old beat - London City Council. You can find it over on Substack. He's joining us on the show today , to tell us all about it.

Peter Devlin joins to tell us all about the growing financial crisis that every Ontario college is experiencing, right now.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Peter Devlin) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:10:16 +0000

Lieutenant-General (retired) Peter Devlin finished his military career as the commander of the Canadian Army. When he retired from military service in 2013, Fanshawe college brought him on board and he’s been serving as their president ever since. Under his leadership, Fanshawe College experienced significant growth. These days, the college, along with all other Ontario colleges, is experiencing a budget crunch. Peter joins us to tell us all about it. He’s got some ideas about how to fix this too.

State of the City 2026 Political Panel Analysis. Segment 1: Intro and First Impressions

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 20:06:05 +0000

Episode 26, the first ever political panel was a looooong one. Guest panelists Mojdeh Azad, Steve Cordes, Carol Dyck and Paul Hubert joined the show to provide analysis of the Chamber of Commerce 2026 State of the City Address. Some listeners have reached out and asked that it be broken down into 6 segments: First Impressions, The Cumulative 4 Year Tax Increase, The London Police Service Budget, Housing and Development, Homelessness and The "Big Announcement" / Final Thoughts. However you listen to this episode, I hope you enjoy it!

State of the City 2026 Political Panel Analysis. Segment 6: The "Big" Announcement and Final Thoughts

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 16:43:56 +0000

State of the City 2026 Political Panel Analysis. Segment 5: The Homelessness Crisis

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 16:43:40 +0000

State of the City 2026 Political Panel Analysis. Segment 4: Housing and Development

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 16:43:20 +0000

State of the City 2026 Political Panel Analysis. Segment 3: Police Budget

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 16:43:04 +0000

State of the City 2026 Political Panel Analysis. Segment 2: The Record Setting 4 Year Tax Increase

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 9 Feb 2026 16:42:44 +0000

First ever political panel provides their analysis of last week's State of the City Address. Featuring London leaders: Mojdeh Azad, Steve Cordes, Carol Dyck and Paul Hubert

Thu, 5 Feb 2026 23:22:16 +0000

The Panel: Mojdeh Azad (formerly Mojdeh Cox) is the Founder and Consultant at Cox & Co. With Mojdeh’s name change, she tells us you can watch for a new brand reveal of her consulting company soon. Mojdeh is also a longstanding activist and prominent voice on equity here in London and right across Canada. Steve Cordes, is the recently retired long time CEO for Youth Opportunities Unlimited. He is now the host of a video blog you can find on YouTube called, “Community Matters”. Carol Dyck, is a Doctoral student in the faculty of law at Western University, Carol is also a previous - 5 time - Green Party of Ontario and Green Party of Canada Candidate for London North Centre. Paul Hubert, is the Executive Director of Pathways. Paul served three terms on London city council as the councillor for Ward 8 from 2006 - 2018 and as deputy mayor for his final term. Paul is also the lead Consultant for Delta Consulting. The Topic: State of the City Address, 2026 The State of the City Address has a long history here in London. It’s been said to be the largest of its kind across Canada. It is a London Chamber of Commerce event and it regularly sells out, with attendance coming in around 1200 tickets sold every year. Community leaders and businesses, for profit and not for profit, purchase seats or tables for this breakfast event. So do many of the city funded boards, commissions, city funded agencies and departments from the corporation of the City of London itself. The mayor’s office usually works on the presentation for months - different mayors have used it to highlight different things, but you can usually count on hearing about the issues of the day, both the challenges and the opportunities, being experienced or anticipated ahead. You’ll likely hear about council successes, promises and plans, maybe a big idea or two and, if at all possible, an announcement about new jobs coming to London. The event provides a great opportunity for the mayor of the day to highlight the work council has underway - and here is a fun fact - it is also a huge fundraising event for the host, the London Chamber of Commerce. For any mayor, these addresses can be a high risk / high reward opportunity and especially so during an election year. It can even be seen by some as the unofficial kick off to the campaign season ahead. This year’s address was held on Wednesday January 28th, one week ago from the day this episode was recorded. Today, we’re lucky to be joined by four London leaders who have seen more than their fair share of these State of the City Addresses over many years. The panelists have all watched the speech at least a couple of times and have likely read the transcript too. They are prepared to share their thoughts about some of the key issues highlighted within the speech, provide some analysis and maybe even make a prediction or two about the weeks and months to come. Thanks for listening!

Ward 13 Councillor David Ferreira joins to tell us about his vision for London's Downtown.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:42:33 +0000

It’s been said that a city’s downtown is its calling card to the world and London is no exception. Here's why - geographically, London’s core represents less than 1% of the city’s overall space - and at the same time, the core is responsible for over 5% of overall assessment. It’s a closed economic ecosystem. When the core thrives there is more money generated for greener parks from Westmount to Huron Heights to Argyle. From Sunningdale to Old East Village to Wortley and Westminster - and all neighbourhoods in between. It can mean better roads with fewer potholes across the city. The dollars and cents generated downtown can also help keep taxes affordable because new assessment from growth can cover the costs associated with running a city that would otherwise be paid by existing property owners. The downtown is the heart of the city. It’s the meeting place for Arts, Music, Culture and our creative communities. The Grand Theatre, Covent Garden Market, Canada Life Place, Victoria Park, Centennial Hall, Museum London, RBC Place, Dundas Place and the multi use pathway system that links the forks of the Thames to every neighborhood across the city are all examples of City investments that have attracted all kinds of private, not for profit and institutional sector investments. Billions of dollars in construction for thousands of apartments in the core. Fanshawe College opening a Downtown Campus. London Music Hall, the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, the Aelion Hall, 100 Kellogg’s Lane, the Hard Rock Hotel and more. Countless restaurants, shops and other businesses making investments of their own, too. There is no question - the core is down right now, but it’s not out. The Covid years did significant damage. The homelessness and addiction issues are impacting London’s core just like they are in cities all across Ontario and Canada. The good news? People are returning to the core and people are moving to the core by the thousands. Just this month TD announced the return of 2500 employees. Conventions have returned to RBC Place, Covent Garden market is booming - so is the Western Fair Market, Canada Life Place is sold out on a regular basis and, at the same time, there are more highrises coming on line on a regular basis - bringing thousands more Londoners to the core, for the first time. With all of this happening - London City Council is conducting a review of the strategies they have in place. It’s called the Downtown Plan and it’s happening right now. Here to talk about it today is Ward 13 Councillor, David Ferreria. So, lets go.

Steve Cordes has a new project and I think it’s something you are going to be interested in.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 04:22:23 +0000

Steve Cordes led Youth Opportunities Unlimited, a local not profit here in London that serves youth from London in a myriad of ways. The growth the organization experienced under Steve’s decades long stint as CEO is nothing short of remarkable. Y.O.U. provides young people from London who are living complicated lives with things like housing supports as they navigate social services and sometimes the criminal justice system. Y.O.U. leads in social entrepreneurial endeavors too - providing employment opportunities and on the job training for youth, while, at the same time, having a positive impact on the London Community. Most importantly, Y.O.U. helps young people from London experiencing adversity understand that they matter and that people care about them and that they belong. This past summer, Steve retired from this role. Steve is many things - he’s an expert at navigating municipal politics - really all level of politics. He’s a fundraiser extraordinaire, he’s always been an advocate for the underdog and a champion for doing what is right. Post retirement, we knew he wouldn’t simply disappear from the scene. We wondered what might be up to next - and - today, he’s here to tell us about what that's going to look like.

Michael Oates, E.D. for St. Leonard's Community Services, joins us to talk about how his team helps people transition from incarceration back to the community - and more!

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Sat, 17 Jan 2026 22:50:05 +0000

Maybe you're familiar with the term, “hiding in plain sight”, in other words something is right in front of our nose, but it blends in so well that we don’t even see it. That’s often the case with the programs and services that St. Leonard’s Community Services provides. Today you're going to hear about terms like: half way houses, jail and prison, parole and probation and how the organization supports people as they take responsibility for their actions and transition from incarceration back to living in our community after serving time for a criminal conviction. You’re going to hear about some of the upstream preventative measures they provide too. That’s the background. St. Leanoard’s Executive Director, Michael Oates is here to tell us all about it.

Graham Henderson talks Council's Draft EcDev Strategy & How it Connects to London's Downtown

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 18:09:22 +0000

Graham Henderson is joining us today to talk about a draft economic development strategy that has been developed by Deloitte and is moving through the council review and approval process, right now. The draft strategy includes 5 pillars” 1. Talent and Innovation 2. Investment Attraction and Retention 3. Regional Collaboration 4. Transportation and Access 5. System Optimization Naturally, Graham and the London Chamber of Commerce, along with other community partners, have been supporting the development of this strategy throughout the process. He’s been at the table and he and his team have been involved in the community engagement discussions - during this time, he picked up on a theme - “fix the downtown” came up again and again, no matter who he and his colleagues connected with. At the same time that this strategy is being developed, City Council is also developing a new plan for London’s Downtown. Graham sees potential synergies between the two initiatives and he’s submitted a letter and will be a delegate at a council committee meeting where he will request that council make a small “tweak” to the draft strategy, specifically - adding an additional round of targeted community consultation as well as adding a Pillar to the strategy that speaks directly about London’s Downtown: including a strong reference to London being a Unesco City of Music and identifying how a focus on Culture & Creative industries are significant potential economic drivers for London’s economy. Thanks for listening!

Today, It's Your Turn

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 5 Jan 2026 11:42:31 +0000

Back in December, London’s mayor, along with other “big city mayors" from across the province called on Doug Ford’s government to declare a State of Emergency to address the homelessness crisis, while at the same time London City Council purchased 60 tiny homes that could be seen as representing one of the main thrust of City Hall's Winter Response. Crews have started to assemble them on a site near the 401 and the city has also hired a private sector company to operate the site. The mayor has committed to having them operational in "early 2026". Meanwhile winter came early this year, people are living rough and we're experiencing snow storms and cold snaps on a regular basis. At the time this episode was aired, on January 5, 2026 the tiny homes were still not ready to go. People are wondering - when is that going to happen? When is the city going to start moving folx off of the street and into these homes. With all this going on, I ran an encore of the episode featuring Chris Moss, the Executive Director of London Cares. She joined us several months ago to share information about London’s housing and homelessness crisis and how the organization she leads works with other community partners to address London's homelessness crisis. When the encore episode was published, I asked listeners to write in and outline what they thought the city should be doing next to address this crisis. And many of you did. Have a listen and please, let me know what you think!

It's a record setting, 24.5%, 4 Year Property Tax Increase. Jared Zaifman and Kelly Ziegner join me to discuss this and what it might mean as we head into an election year.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 23:10:00 +0000

London City Council recently approved their 4th and final budget. There is a lot to talk about as we head into a Municipal Election year. Joining us to talk about it today are panelists Jared Zaifman, a past member of London City Council and the CEO for the London Homebuilders Association, and Kelly Ziegner, the current CEO and President of the Elgin Middlesex United Way. This past week it was announced that Kelly will be moving to the YMCA of South Western Ontario to serve as that organization's Chief Operating Officer. Congratulations, Kelly! Back in 2014, London City Council made the switch to a 4 year, multi year budget and this practice continues to today. The idea is to plan out the entire 4 year term in year 1 so that civic administration, funded boards and commissions, community partners and Londoners have some predictability as they make plans for the years ahead. At the beginning of each new term, council approves (or adjust) the budget that the previous council set for them. They also map out what the next 4 budgets (including the first year of the following term) will look like. Even with a Mutli-year budget, the municipal act requires council to conduct a review every 12 months. This allows council to make tweaks and changes for the year ahead. It’s an interesting 4 year budget because the cumulative increase in property taxes was 24.5% that’s a record - at least for this century. It also means that if you were paying $4000 in taxes at the beginning of the term, you’ll be paying $4980 beginning next year. It was a bold political move - and as we enter into an election year this decision is shaping up to be one of the first city wide election issues, the other was council’s decision to increase their pay by 35%, that’s something we can expect candidates to be talking about and Londoners to be thinking about as they prepare to go to the polls. Also - in this episode I incorrectly attribute a question asked way back during the 2023 budget deliberations bout 2 electric vehicles really being necessary for the London Police Service to Councillor Skylar Frank. It was actually Councillor Corrine Rahman asking the question, to the Deputy Chief Trish McIntyre. Nice catch, Jared!

It's a brand new neighbourhood advocacy group focused on cut through traffic. It's in Old North and it's called A.C.T.I.O.N.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In municipal politics there’s no such thing as a small issue and whatever the issue is, it’s guaranteed to be local. Today we’re going to speak with a representative from a brand new Old North neighbourhood advocacy group. It's called A.C.T.I.O.N. My guest, Dr. Colin Evans, is a memeber of this group and he has a lot to say about cut through traffic in his neighbourhood and neighbourhoods and right across the city. He knows his stuff too. To learn more please check out their website: OldNorthCommunity.ca you might live in Old North, or you might live in another neighbourhood -either way, they want to hear from you.

Encore Episode: London Cares and the Homelessness Crisis

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 01:00:07 +0000

This is an encore edition of the 2nd episode of The Matt Brown Podcast. It's timely because winter is here, earlier than expected. People are living rough and we're experiencing a cold snap. The Mayor, along with other "big city mayors" from across Ontario is calling for the Province to declare a State of Emergency to address this. In this episode, Chris Moss, the Executive Director of London Cares, joins us to share information about the organization she leads and how London Cares works with other community partners to address London's homelessness crisis. Listen for "Housing is Healthcare". After listening, please help if you can you can donate at: LondonCares.ca. Also, send a note - tell me what you think the City should be doing next to address this crisis. You can email: TheMattBrownPodcast@gmail.com. It's your turn now- IIf you provide your first and last name, I'll read your ideas on a companion podcast in the days to come. Thanks for listening, talk to you soon and bye for now London.

Dr. Martin Horak joins the podcast to discuss council's 35% salary increase and more.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Thu, 4 Dec 2025 03:12:27 +0000

You likely know that London City Council gave itself a hefty wage increase and it will go into effect just over a year from today. It was a close vote, 6 councillors voted against this move, 3 changing their vote to Nay during the final debate. As we head into an election, is this one of the first bona fide, city wide issues that will enter into the debates? The majority of sitting council members have already declared that they will be running to protect their seat. Where it gets interesting is incumbents largely run on their voting records for big issues, while challengers can both bring new ideas forward while at the same time be critical of decisions their opponent made during past terms of council. Will challengers latch on to issues like the record setting cumulative 26% tax increase this current council approved over the course of their 4 year multi year budget, while at the same time giving London City Council members a task force recommended 35 percent raise? These were both bold political moves, so possibly so. We’ll have to stay tuned, Today, we’re lucky to have the Chair of the Council Resourcing Review Task force to tell us about the process and the reasoning behind the task force recommended increases.

Encore Episode: Councillor Corrine Rahman explains why she's not supporting the 35% council pay increase

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 21:04:08 +0000

This is an encore presentation of Episode 13, when Councillor Corrine Rahman joined us to outline why she was not in support of the 35% increase in salary that council was considering at the time. It provides good context for next week's episode - Dr. Martin Horak, the chair of the council resource review task force, will join us to explain the process the task force followed and how they ultimately landed on recommending a 35% increase to council salary, among other things. If you haven't heard, the increase was recently approved by council in a 9 to 6 vote. the increase goes into effect in about 12 months, at the beginning of the next term of council. Thanks for listening!

All thing London Fire Department and Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 11:29:00 +0000

This episode is another abridged version of Newmakers - the Show I host over on Rogers TV. The topic today? Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week and we’ll also take a deep dive into all things London Fire Department and what they do to keep us safe, every single day.

Lest We Forget. Remembrance Day in London. 2 local organizations that are making a difference.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Tue, 11 Nov 2025 13:29:10 +0000

Today, is Remembrance Day. We’re going to focus on our Canadian Veterans. Specifically, we are going to take a look at The Remember November 11 Association and our local chapter of Homes for Heroes. These are two of many local organizations that support, honour and advocate for veterans living in London and area. If you've tuned in before, you'll know this podcast is sponsored by London Bicycle Café. I appreciate their support very much and, for this episode, the show is on the house - in honour of our veterans. To any veteran listening, thank you for your service. We Remember.

*Updated: Councillor Corrine Rahman joins us to talk about a significant raise council is likely to approve tomorrow

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 3 Nov 2025 16:42:56 +0000

London City Councillor salary could increase by over 35% Their overall budget might go from just under $5 million to almost $8 million - a 50% increase - and this number does not include the cost of City Staff who supports them, or the mayor’s budget as well. Right now a city councillor makes $67,420 per year and the mayor makes $163 thousand dollars and change. The task force is recommending a pretty substantial increase that would begin in 2027. Depending on their role, a councillor would be making between $94,000 to just over $100,000 at the beginning of next term and , in 2030, would top out at between $104,000 and $113,00. The mayor would be making $181,000 at that point too. London City Councillor Corrine Rahman voted against the task force recommendations and she’s joining us on this episode to tell us all about it. It's an age-old story. City Council’s in Ontario have had to decide their own wages and London is no exception. So, to say that this is an uncomfortable position to be in as a member of council is an understatement. It’s the third rail of municipal politics. It’s like being between a rock and a hard place while living in a fishbowl. Ironically, every member of council takes an oath of office at the beginning of their term - they promise to declare any fiduciary conflict of interest and they abstain from any vote that could benefit them monetarily - except for deciding their own pay. That’s what is happening now. A task force has studied London council’s work load and has come back with a series of recommendations. These include significant increases for council, beginning right after the next election as well as a potential increased budget to contract staff to do constituent work - that one has been referred to committee for review - and a severance package that would be available to them if they lost their seat in a future election. It was difficult to pull these numbers together and I could not find information that was readily available about the cost of benefit packages or the mayor’s expenses. Nor could I easily find information about the costs of staffing support provided to council by civic administration so I didn’t add in the costs associated with adding another assistant in the council office - which was another recommendation from the task force. This one has been referred to committee for review. Nevert-the-less, I’m confident the numbers I’m sharing with you are accurate and paint an apples to apples picture of the situation.

Shannon LaHay, E.D. of Humane Society London and Middlesex to share her vision for the future.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 10:45:08 +0000

This episode is an abridged version of a Newsmakers episode - the show I host on Rogers Television. Shannon LayHay is the brand new Executive Director for the Humane Society of London and Middlesex - An organization that has a long history and one that has experienced a lot of positive change over the past little while. You’re likely familiar with the name and the brand of this not-for-profit, but you might be surprised to learn about all of the programs and services that they offer as well as their vision for the future. Did you know that, “Human wellness is inextricably connected to animal welfare?” Neither did I, so have a listen and find out why.

Donald D'Heane talks about his new documentary film, Forest City Film Festival and more.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 16:13:23 +0000

Erik D’Haene died of a drug overdose in 2020. At the time, he was living in Vancouver - but - that event wasn’t his whole life and his surviving siblings, including his brother, Donald D’Haene are telling his story to the World by way of a documentary film called, Interpreting Erik. Erik was an artist and he left a lifetime of artifacts - writings, sketches and artwork that Donald incorporated into the film. Erik’s Story has travelled to film festivals around the world and it will be showcased here in London at the Forest City Film Festival this Sunday. Donald hopes that Erik’s Story will change the way society sees, and judges, homelessness and displaced citizens. He wants us to understand that displaced people have lived full lives and Erik’s tragic end, as well as the countless other people who experienced homelessness and addiction before and after him who suffer similar fates, should not define them. Donald wants us to appreciate that it’s no the displaced person’s fault and he hopes that, after viewing the film, a person will leave the theatre considering the possibility that any one of us could find ourselves caught up in a crisis or life altering experience well beyond our control and that we are only 6 degrees or less from meeting the same sad ending as Erik - alone, addicted and found on the street. We wouldn’t want our life to be defined by that last chapter - and neither did Erik. And, This is the show today - we’re going to talk with Donald D’Haene - about Erik’s Story, some of his other works, the upcoming Forest City Film Festival - and we’ll get to know a bit more about his as a real life person too.

Kelly Ziegner, CEO of United Way Middlesex Elgin joins me to tell us how financial stress is affecting our most vulnerable - well beyond their wallets.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 18:08:08 +0000

Kelly Ziegner, CEO of United Way Middlesex Elgin joins me to tell us how financial stress is affecting our most vulnerable - well beyond their wallets. She’s here today to tell us about an alarming, Canada wide survey that has just been completed by Léger & United Way Centraide and was released today. It shows how many Canadians are just one unexpected event away from a financial crisis away.

Staff Sergeant Anderson and Constable Piening from the London Police Service join us to talk about a topic Londoners can't seem to get enough of and about a program that LPS offers that might surprise you.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 3 Oct 2025 12:13:25 +0000

We have 2 guests today. Both of them are long time veterans with our London Police Service and they are here to tell us about the work that they do in their current divisions. One topic is a favourite one for Londoners to talk and - sometimes - complain about. The other is a program that might be news to you. There are multiple career paths that a member of the London Police Service can take - it’s one of the exciting parts of what is a really difficult job. Mike's career path is a good example of this. Like most officers, Staff Sergeant Mike Anderson started working in Uniformed Patrol before being transferred to the Major Crime Section. Mike worked in Major Crime for 4.5 years before being promoted to Sergeant. He returned to Uniform Patrol for about 12 months when he then moved back to Major Crime, this time serving as a Detective for 4 years. Recently he recieved a promotion to Staff Sergeant and, earlier this year, Mike was transferred to the Traffic and Safety Division where he now supervises a Sergeant and 15 Constables as they work to keep London roads safe for all of us. Also joining us in this episode is Constable Julia Piening, a 20 year veteran with our London Police Service. Julia teaches part time at Fanshawe College, speaks French and Spanish and has two, as she refers to them as, “wonderful kids” - and I’m sure they are! She also tells me that she owes a lot of her grit and perseverance to her mom. Like Mike, Julia started in Uniform Patrol. She has served as the Missing Person Coordinator, she’s worked on a joint project with Guns and Drugs and in Corporate Services for Special Projects, Julia has also served in the Forensic Digital Evidence Unit, as a School Resource Officer. These days, Julia is member of the Community Services Division where she coordinates a program called “Project BUILDS”, a project designed to build trust and create positive connections between police and the London's youth and all residents. In this role, she facilitates a program called “Youth In Policing Initiative”, or “YIPI” for short and that's what she tells us about in this episode.

Grraham Henderson, CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce, joins us to talk about how investing in music, arts and culture is not just good for the soul, it's good for the local economy too.

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 10:54:12 +0000

Graham Henderson, CEO of the London Chamber of Commerce joins me to discuss how big investments in Music Arts and Culture can make our local economy stronger while at the same time making London a great place to live. He’s studied this for years and has "walked his talk". In Toronto, he developed a Music Arts and Culture Strategy that has been implemented in large Cities around the world. He argues that London needs to do more so we get more, and he explains why he thinks city council is not doing enough to get us where we need to be.

Jay Menard, the immediate past chair of the committee that provides advice to council about accessibility issues, joins me to discuss the plan to make the Medway Valley pathway system more accessible and how a portion of the plan is at risk - right now..

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 11:47:51 +0000

Presently, a small but important portion of the Medway Trail system is in question. Residents from the Attawandaron Neighbourhood (a neighbourhood in Northwest London, just off Wonderland Road) attended a planning committee meeting last week and lobbied for the Type 3 trail (an accessible trail) that is planned for the City property behind their homes and abutting Medway Valley be stopped. Remarkably the planning committee agreed with them and voted unanimously (5 - 0) to pause construction and possibly cancel the pathway altogether. the recommendation goes to council on Tuesday, August 26th for debate and decision. Although the neighbours had the opportunity to share their perspective with the Planning and Environment Committee, no one was able to provide the decades long history of this project or express their concerns from an accessibility lens. Jay Menard, the immediate past chair of the council appointed committee set up to provide them with advice about accessibility issues, joins me on the podcast with the hope that his perspective is heard before city council makes their final decision.

Jim Graham joins me to discuss all things London Airshow

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 19:35:32 +0000

Jim Graham is a business owner, community volunteer, commercial pilot and he is the founding and immediate past chair of the board of directors for Airshow London which was established as a not for profit organization in 2015. You'll learn some interesting history, fun facts, how they kept the show going during the pandemic, what in store this year as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary.

The Matt Brown Podcast, Episode 3: Carol Dyck Talks Climate Change and What London City Council Is (and Isn't) Doing About It

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 15 Aug 2025 19:12:27 +0000

The Matt Brown Podcast, Episode 2: London Cares and the Homelessness Crisis

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Sat, 2 Aug 2025 16:13:24 +0000

Chris Moss, the Executive Director of London Cares joins us to share information about the organization she leads and how London Cares works with other Community Partners to address London's Homelessness Crisis. Listen for "Housing is Healthcare". Please reach out and let me know what you think: TheMattBrownPodcast@gmail.com Thanks for listening!

The Matt Brown Podcast, Episode 1 (Final)

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 12:22:57 +0000

Hello, London. This is the final version of episode 1 of The Matt Brown Podcast. The first version was a beta, a combination of this podcast and the test interview that I did with Mario Circelli as part of my training for "Newsmakers", a 30 minute news program that I am hosting for Rogers TV beginning this fall. This version has theme music and better sound. Also, Thank you to The Bicycle Cafe for coming on board as the podcast's first sponsor. Thank you and Congratulations on your decision Andrew McClenaghan!

Hello, London, I have an announcement to make. (No, it's not that!)

mbrownldn73@gmail.com (Matt Brown) — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 10:34:54 +0000

This is definitely the beta version of the show. I'm looking forward to learning more about editing audio and putting together a great product for you. Expect: music, website, the whole deal. Please, let me know what you think: themattbrownpodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!