(Interview Above) For a certain generation of Canadians, who grew up in the 80s and 90s, there’s a good chance that hearing the name Fred Penner will stir up nostalgic recollections of childhood. And if that name rings a bell for you, that's because Fred Penner was the gentle, bearded, and sweater wearing man behind Fred Penner’s Place, the popular children’s television show that ran on CBC from 1985 to 1997.

Over the course of almost 1000 episodes,  Fred Penner, guitar often in hand, entertained his young viewers with stories, music, and words (you might remember the famous “Word Bird”) and in the process influenced and endeared himself to an entire generation of young Canadians.

Fred Penner grew up in Winnipeg, and from a very young age had a love for music.  But it was through playing songs for his younger sister Suzy, who had been born with Down’s Syndrome, that he came to see music as a way to connect and make a positive impact, particularly with the most vulnerable of children.

After graduating from the University of Winnipeg, he started performing and touring around Canada both as a solo musician and as a member of various groups and acts. But it was in 1979 when he recorded his first LP of songs The Cat Came Back, that his career as a children's performer really took off. The album became hugely popular, and went on to sell more than 150,000 copies in Canada alone.

The success got him noticed by popular childhood musician Raffi, who invited Penner to tour with him around North America. After a few years of performing, both with Raffi and on his own, Fred was approached by the CBC and asked if he would be interested in developing a children’s program based around his musical performances.

The rest is history. Fred Penner’s place was born, and it quickly became one of the most beloved children's shows on Canadian TV.   His warmth and his obvious love for music endeared him to kids across the country. And although the show was abruptly cancelled by CBC 1997, Fred never stopped believing in the importance of what he was doing, and has continued performing, writing music, and connecting with young people right up to the present. He’s recipient of the Order of Canada and multiple Juno Awards.  When he’s not busy performing, he’s also actively involved with numerous children's organizations and causes.

Personally speaking, I can certainly say that Fred Penner had an impact on my young life, and it was a thrill to meet him in person. In our conversation we speak about his life growing up in Winnipeg, the surprising story behind how he came up with the main ideas Fred Penner's Place was based around (including the log entrance), and his answer to whether or not he would ever consider running for political office.

What was your favourite memory of Fred Penner growing up?

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One of my favourite shows on all of CBC radio is also one of the hardest to describe, and if you've ever found yourself in the difficult position (as I have) of trying to sum up to a friend the eclectic, even eccentric world that is Jonathan Goldstein's Wiretap, you'll know what I mean.

Wiretap, airing each Saturday at 3:30pm on CBC Radio One, is a program that eludes easy classification - it's an almost bizarre melding of different elements that somehow works, and even makes sense, though the reasons why aren't entirely clear. The show (which has been referred to facetiously as liartap) blends the line between fiction and reality, and as the listener you're often left not quite sure what is real, what is the work of Goldstien's imaginative mind, and what lies somewhere in between.

Perhaps the signature element of the program (and certainly the one that I first fell in love with) are the fictionalized phone conversations that Jonathan has with his friends, Howard, Gregor, and Josh -  Jonathan acting the straight Jerry Seinfeld to the outlandish Cosmo Kramer antics of these likeable, if often irrational, cast of characters who populate his universe.

But although Wiretap will often leave you laughing, there are also many times at which the show puts the whimsy aside, and takes on a serious, even philosophical tone-  whether through short stories, real-life interviews, or Jonathan's reflections, there are often thought-provoking meditations on the strangeness of life and existence, that will leave you thinking long after the program ends.   However, above all whether it is serious or humorous, I think what ties the eclectic mix that is Wiretap together, is a propensity for reflecting on the absurdities of life, and both the struggles and humour that result from this fact.

Although he's become known for being one of the best storytellers in the medium, Jonathan didn’t originally set out to be in radio – his main creative passion for most of his life has been writing. But while he was pursuing a life as a writer, he started dabbling in radio, first doing occasional pieces for CBC, and then landing a summer show on the public broadcaster called Road dot Trip. And after that Jonathan Goldstein spent several years in New York City as a full-time as a producer on This American Life in New York City. 

Wiretap is currently in its 10th season, and if you haven’t already been won over, we highly recommend you check it out. You can find out more about the show and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.cbc.ca/wiretap/

I sat down with Jonathan to ask him about his life as a writer, his journey in public radio, and the advantages and drawbacks of looking at life with an outsider's perspective.

For CBC lovers Sook-Yin Lee is probably best known as the host of Definitely Not The Opera, or DNTO - the Saturday afternoon show on Radio One that explores pop culture, and the surprising aspects of everyday life through personal and revealing stories.

But her contributions to the arts and storytelling go far beyond her work in radio. In fact it's hard to think of a medium that Sook-Yin hasn't expressed herself through. She's expressed herself creatively, and has received acclaim for her contributions, as an actor, film director, writer, and musician- not to mention that for many years she was a popular on-air VJ for Much Music.

Sook-Yin Lee was raised in Vancouver, and had a tumultuous childhood that saw her run away from home when she was in her early teens- fleeing from the chaos within her family, including her parents divorce, and an abusive relationship with her mother. Soon after she set out on her own, Sook-Yin found a supportive community of artists who took her under their collective wing. It was in this context that she really threw herself into the arts and began expressing herself, experimenting with whatever forms she could. 

In our conversation, Sook-Yin opens up with remarkable honest about her difficult family life,  her early interest in the arts, and the unlikely story behind how she ended up at Much Music and first came to national attention.

We hope you enjoy it - listen to our interview with Sook-Yin Lee below!

If Canada was to have a voice, one symbolic voice to represent us as a country,  what would that voice sound like?

Ideally, it would encapsulate the qualities that we as a country are proud of– for Canadians–easy going, kind, and good natured. A voice that carried with it a sense of curiosity and delighted in the company and friendship of others.

 Ever since she became a regular fixture on the national airwaves through her role reading the listener mail alongside the great Peter Gzowski on Morningside, Shelagh Rogers has been doing just that -  endearing herself to Canadians with her warmth, curiosity and sense of humour.

She got her start in radio during her years as a undergrad at Queen’s University, where she volunteered at the campus radio station, CFRC, Once she was on air, it wasn’t long before her on talents as a host got her noticed -  first by the local Kingston broadcaster CKWS and soon after by the CBC.

And although she first came to national prominence in her role as a sidekick of sorts to Peter Gzowski, it wasn't long before Shelagh Rogers had become a pillar of the Canadian airwaves in her own right. She became the founding host of The Arts Tonight and in 1995, Peter Gzowksi dubbed her as the Deputy Host of Morningside–a tongue in cheek reference to then deputy prime-minister Shelagh Copps.

In September 2000 she began hosting CBC’s Radios flagship daily current affairs program This Morning, which in 2002 morphed into Sounds Like Canada. And in 2008 when Sounds Like Canada had it’s final broadcast, Rogers moved into her current role as host and producer on the Canadian literary show - The Next Chapter.

It’s not just as a broadcaster and insightful interviewer that Shelagh Rogers has made her mark on this country. She has also committed herself to a number of crucial issues, including breaking the stigma around mental health issues and being forthright about her own battles with depression, and she is also passionately committed to Reconciliation with Canada’s first nations.

Her generous spirit and curiosity embody in many ways the characteristics that we as a country pride ourselves on and, to borrow the title of her former show, there isn't anyone who sounds more like Canada than Shelagh Rogers. 

If you’re a fan of Canadian Independent music, chances are that Grant Lawrence needs little introduction. Since 2005 in his role as the host of CBC’s radio 3’s podcast, Grant has been showcasing and celebrating the best of Canadian independent music to fans across the country and around the world.

He knows the world of music from more than one vantage point. Before coming to the CBC Grant Lawrence was the lead singer of the garage band the Smugglers, and for close to two decades he and his band mates lived life on the road, touring extensively throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe.

In addition to CBC Radio 3's podcast, Grant Lawrence also hosts a daily live show on CBC radio 3’s popular web stream and satellite network. He is married the exceptionally talented Canadian songstress, Jill Barber.

Each weeknight at 6:30pm, on radio sets across the country, the triumphant opening bars to a classic -  albeit recently updated – jazz tune, signals to close to a million Canadians the end of the work day, and the start of one of the truly iconic radio programs of this country - a program that using just a telephone and a microphone, takes listeners around the world and into the stories, politics, news items, and issues of the day.

That program is, of course As It Happens – and it is one of the longest running and most successful programs in the history of CBC radio.

Remarkable in its simplicity, but ambitious in its scope and range, As It Happens is like no other program on the radio. It is at once irreverent, serious, moving, tongue-in check, journalistic, probing, and playful – a unique mixture of qualities that has made it a hallmark of Canadian society and must-listen radio for Canadians who are concerned with the evolving events, debates, and matters of this country.

Each 90 minute episode of AIH (as it is colloquially known to listeners) is made up of a series of interviews with people from around the world  - people who either have insight into, influence over, or have been touched by, the issues and items of the day. From dictators, and cabinet ministers, to people affected by disasters, or caught in the middle of conflict zones, to quirky and eccentric characters who have done things that baffle credulity - the range of people As It Happens speaks to is truly remarkable. And through its conversations, and perhaps in part by virtue of the medium of radio it employees, As It Happens manages to do something that very few other current affairs programs ever do - make the news of the day feel relevant, close to home, and in its best moments, even intimate, while upholding the best in public-interest journalism.

Given how immensely important the program is for Canadian society, it's perhaps no surprise that AIH has been hosted by some of this country's most distinguished broadcasters over the years - From Michael Enright to Barbara Frum - and since 2006 another of this country’s truly great interviewers and broadcasters, Carol Off.

As a long-time listener of As It Happens myself, I’ve always been incredibly impressed with Carol Off’s rare and deft combination of insightfulness, gentleness and toughness that she brings to the role. Her dexterity and flexibility as an interviewer is truly remarkable: one minute she’s skilfully holding a powerful figure to account, asking insightful and pointed questions and drawing attention to the responsibility they bare, and moments later, expressing remarkable sensitivity and empathy in a different interview to someone caught - through no fault of their own - in a difficult or tragic situation.

But what I most admire most about Carol Off, and why I think she is so  well-suited for the role with AIH, is that few journalists in this country are as skilled at holding the proverbial feet to the fire when it comes to the powerful as she is. For whenever figures in positions of authority, be them a cabinet minister or a CEO- skirts a pointed but fair question she's posed, or answers it in a way that strains credibility in the face of known facts, Carol Off never fails to express the incredulity shared by many a listener, and come at them once again, facts and skepticism in tow.

Before coming to As It Happens in 2006, Carol Off had already distinguished herself as a skilled reporter, and had spent years as a foreign correspondent for the CBC, covering conflicts all over the world – including from the Middle East, Haiti, and the Balkans.

In our interview with Carol she reveals the story behind her remarkably audacious beginnings in journalism (when as a still relatively unseasoned reporter she sold all of her possessions in order to fly to Pakistan in hopes of landing an interview with Benazir Bhutto) takes us behind the scenes into the making of As It Happens each day, and perhaps most importantly, makes a spirited and impassioned defence of the role that public broadcasting and the CBC play in the fabric of Canadian life.

What I most enjoy about As It Happens, is that to me it's an example of the best possible sort of what public broadcasting is all about – a forum for the airwaves for us to come together as citizens to learn about the issues, stories, and questions affecting us -  A public sphere that can, and is, operated with the public interest in mind rather than the dictates of profit or shareholder value.

For if one listens regularly to As It Happens, you get a sense, I think, not just of Canada, but of the larger world we live in. It makes one – or it least it has made me – feel like a citizen in the best and richest sense of the word - an individual who lives within the context of a society, who is informed, connected, engaged, and to a degree responsible for decisions we collectively make -  whether the issue happens to be from just down the street or indeed, ‘from around the world.’

But let's get to it! You can listen to our interview with Carol Off at the player below, and remember for other exclusive interviews with iconic CBC personalities (and to make sure you never miss an episode) be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes.

Since 1992, in his role as the host of Quirks and Quarks, Bob McDonald has been a very special teacher for Canadians–one who is able to make the seemingly complex and inscrutable findings of academia and science, into something that is fun, fascinating, and full of wonder. Despite the fact that most of us have long ago stopped attending high school, each Saturday at noon, we–through Bob Mcdonald have the opportunity to learn about the odd behavior of ants in the Amazon or a new discovery about Neutron Stars,

Bob McDonald’s enthusiasm and curiosity are infectious and it’s not hard to see why he started off his broadcasting career in children’s science programming, for his sense of play and fun clearly come through, even when tackling tricky complex issues. All this from a man who has no formal background in science.

As far as Canadian public figures go, they don’t get much bigger than David Suzuki–and with a quick look at his CV it’s not hard to see why. The shear breadth of his output and contributions to Canadian society have been so vast and prolific over the decades that it can be difficult to wrap one's head around everything he has managed to accomplish.

Not only has he built a name for himself as a renowned scientist, an influential environmentalist, the founder of the David Suzuki foundation,  and the best selling author of over 50 books, but he is also one of this country’s most distinguished broadcasters.

For over 30 years, David Suzuki has been our guide to all things science–from technology to the natural world–as the host of CBC’s The Nature of Things, the landmark documentary series now in its 53rd year, which has aired in over 40 countries around the world.

Suzuki’s career in broadcasting goes back even further than his tenure at The Nature the Things. He started his television career with the CBC in 1971 hosting and writing the children’s show Suzuki on Science. And in 1974, it was David Suzuki who developed the popular long running CBC radio science program Quirks and Quarks and acted as that program's host for its first several years on the air.

Throughout his career as both a broadcaster and as a public figure, David Suzuki has been passionately equipping audiences and the general public with a way to understand science, the natural world, and our place in it. He has been provoking us to grapple with the social ramifications of science and human behaviour on this planet, and finding ways to change our perspective and our hidden assumptions.

For Suzuki, the social ramifications of science are far too great to be treated as a few isolated silos of expertise to be inhabited and understood by a few select academics and researchers. 

Rather, science, is fundamentally critical to our day to day lives as citizens, as a society, and as a species.  And whether or not we grapple with the issues, and the consequences of what we know to be the case, whether or not we will come to understand that we are not above nature, but one small part of the interconnected complex web of life on this planet - will in a very real sense determine our fate as a species. is not just a matter of understanding the world around us, it’s a matter of survival of the species.

Now in his late 70s, David Suzuki is as outspoken, driven and passionate at always, and shows no signs of slowing down.