The Agenda with Steve Paikin (Video)

Viewers responded after The Agenda examined the challenges facing rural Ontario. Producer Mark Brosens tells Steve Paikin about the comments, and looks at what it says about how rural Ontarians view themselves.

From climate change to suspicions that liquid "blue gold" is being siphoned off and sold, why are water levels in Ontario so low? Part of The Agenda's contribution to Water Week.

The fight over extra-curriculars drew attention to a teacher's work day and what parents - and school boards - have come to expect. From coaching, to field trips, to maintaining curriculum standards, what should teachers really be doing in their jobs?

Canada's military finds itself facing budget cuts of an estimated $1 billion - $2.5 billion. Andrew Leslie thinks this is a golden opportunity for Canada's military to transform into a leaner, more efficient and effective force. The Agenda asks: Is it possible for Canada to fight more, with less?

Canada emerged from the Afghanistan Mission with a transformed Canadian Forces prepared for much more than the peacekeeping missions it was used to. Retired General Andrew Leslie tells Steve Paikin about the tragedies that forced the army to change and the economic forces that are conspiring to force change again.

They are books about war. Books about faith and politics. Books about lives lived. The finalists for the 2013 Charles Taylor Prize sit down with Steve Paikin to talk about their work, their books, and the power of non-fiction.

Ontario's economic fortunes long relied on our deep integration with the US Great Lakes border region. But while we depend on open borders, cross-border shopping, the price gap between American and Canadian goods and the strong loonie complicate the picture. The Agenda looks at the complex economic realities of how the border gives and takes, and what the key challenges are today.

Cross-border brouhaha? Producer Hilary Clark asked Ontarians to share their thoughts on cross-border shopping. Now, The Agenda goes to the source to hear from the frontlines of three Ontario border towns.

A pontiff of firsts? Pope Francis is the first South American pontiff and the first Jesuit pontiff. In The Agenda's Story of the Week, what does the election of Pope Francis mean for the direction of the Catholic Church?

A week that asked why there are so few non-white guests in the media. A week that looked at Canada's shifting power base. And a week that visited rural Ontario. The Agenda's Week in Review.

We are told that rural Ontario is idyllic landscapes, happy families, and farms. But what is rural Ontario? And does it have a future?

Author John Ibbitson paints a picture of a Canada that is not as we knew it. A Canada whose power base has shifted from Ontario and Quebec to the West and the suburban middle class. He tells Steve Paikin what this means for the governance of our country.

Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to uncover what happened in Indian Residential Schools, but many Canadians aren't even aware it exists or what its mandate is. Eduardo Gonzalez, Director of the Truth and Memory Program for the International Centre for Transitional Justice, discusses what the commission is set up to do, and what Canada can learn from other countries' truth and reconciliation commissions.

Like Canada, Norway has considerable petro-wealth. Where we diverge? The Norwegian government has a hand in the development, allocation and sharing of the resource. What can Canada learn from the Scandinavian country?

"Why are there always middle-aged white men on your program?" It's a question The Agenda receives fairly often from viewers. Earlier this season, we aired a program which explored the unique considerations around why women are less visible in punditry. And now, as a follow-up to that program, The Agenda examines how we go about better reflecting the diversity of the province on TV.