Episode Details

E-scooters are making headlines as a dangerous transportation option. From Xav Trudeau not wearing a helmet in an e-Scooter ad, to editorials calling them a scourge. Are they a dangerous public nuisance or a sign that we haven’t yet embraced the future of transportation? Arno Kopecky joins Julian Abraham to kick around the coverage of electric micromobility options, and to consider if Canada is a regressive country when it comes to transportation. 

Plus, why we shouldn’t refer to any agreement with Trump as a “deal.”

Host: Julian Abraham

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Kallan Lyons (Associate Producer and Fact Checking), Caleb Thompson (Mixing and Mastering), Tristan Capacchione (Senior Production Supervisor), Jesse Brown (Editor)

Guest: Arno Kopecky

Photo: Kristoffer Trolle 

Next month on Off The Record we are back to our call-in show format. On Thursday August 27, 2026 we will be taking your calls on a new question:

What do you wish you had known when starting school or what’s a piece of advice you would give to someone starting school. Kindergarten, Middle school, High school, CEGEP, university, anything!

The call-in period will be Thursday, August 27th, 4:30-6:30 PM ET. When the time comes, head over to https://callinstudio.com/show/canadaland. You can also dial in at 1-888-401-7056.

Further reading: 

• Trump backed down from 50 percent tariffs on Canada. It’s not a TACO. - POLITICO 
• Ten kids died last year from e-scooter injuries in Canada, new data show - The Globe and Mail
• What should be done about the scourge of e-scooters? - The Globe and Mail
• Xav Trudeau apologizes for not wearing helmet in e-scooter ad| NOW Toronto
• [VIDÉO] Le fils de Justin Trudeau filmé en train d’enfreindre la loi sur sa trottinette électrique à Montréal
• Paris tells e-scooter riders to wear safety gear or face fines - BBC
• Why the UK is dithering over what to do about e-scooters - BBC
• India’s many e-bikes and tuk-tuks are putting peak oil in sight | Corporate Knights
• Can new tech finally wake Canada’s sleeping geothermal giant? - Canada’s National Observer 

• Listen Now