Episodes

  • The Vancouver Riots | 8
    Dec 21 2023
    On June 15, 2011, riots broke out in Vancouver following Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup final downtown after The Canucks were defeated by the Boston Bruins in a stunning 4-0 win. A report found that total damage caused by the riot was just over $3.7 million. There were 112 businesses and 122 vehicles damaged, and 52 assaults were reported against civilians, police and emergency personnel. On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks with those who were in the ground experienced the riot first hand and learns more about the push for change and accountability following the riots. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9899622/what-happened-to-2011-vancouver-riots/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    39 mins
  • Toronto Bathhouse Raids | 7
    Dec 7 2023
    On February 5, 1981, Toronto Police launched Operation Soap. Officers ambushed four Toronto bathhouses in a series of coordinated raids following a six-month investigation, which led to almost 300 patrons being arrested on the street. The raids were a watershed moment for Toronto's Queer community because, thousands of activists protested along the streets of Toronto and decided to fight the attacks in court. On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks with members of the Queer community about the 1981 Toronto bathhouse raids. She learns about the public’s response, and ultimately, how communities came together to create lasting change. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9888886/what-happened-to-the-1981-toronto-bathhouse-raids/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    42 mins
  • TikTok security concerns | 6
    Nov 23 2023
    TikTok is one of the most popular apps around the world, with more than one billion users, but in February of 2023, Canada's federal government announced a ban of the app on government devices. It's a move several countries have made in recent months. TikTok has maintained the app isn’t unique in the amount of information it collects and all social media companies should be looked at with the same scrutiny. On this episode of What happened to…?, Erica Vella speaks with experts about whether these concerns are legitimate and if similar measures will be taken against other social media apps. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9899774/what-happened-to-tiktok-security-concerns/ Contact: Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • Introducing... Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry | The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash | 1
    Nov 11 2023
    The old days of air travel were quite risky…compared to today, the chances of your flight going down were far greater …every airport had kiosks and coin-operating vending machines where you could buy life insurance before you headed to the gate—you know, just in case you thought you weren’t going to make it to your final destination… 1977 was one of the worst years for accidents in aviation history…in addition to several violent hijackings every month—sometimes with fatal results—There were also passenger plane crashes with great loss of life…including the worst aviation disaster of all time when two 747s planes collided on a runway in the Canary Islands, killing 583 people. Frank Sinatra’s mother, the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia, and all but one member of the University of Evansville basketball team died in crashes… But then there were the events of October 20, 1977, when a rickety chartered plane went down in a swamp in Mississippi…on board were members of Lynyrd Skynyrd…six of the 24 passengers died, including singer Ronnie Van Zandt, guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines, and assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick…both pilots also died… What happened? Have I got a story for you... Like what you hear? You can find and follow Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry on your favourite podcast app or by clicking here: https://link.chtbl.com/uncharted-rssdrop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • TikTok text-to-speech voice | 5
    Nov 9 2023
    TikTok is one of the most popular social media applications with more than 1 billion users around the world. On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks to Bev Standing, the original voice behind TikTok’s text-to-speech feature. She also speaks with Kat Callaghan, the woman behind TikTok’s current text-to-speech character “Jessie.” She learns about the adoption and evolution of the feature, and how it changed the way users create and interpret TikTok videos. Find out more at: https://globalnews.ca/news/9888850/what-happened-to-tiktok-text-to-speech-voice/ Contact: Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    26 mins
  • Ukrainian Airlines FLIGHT PS752 | 4
    Oct 26 2023
    Kourosh Doustshenas met Forough Khadem in 2010 but a relationship between the couple wouldn't blossom until years later. The couple planned to get married, but before that could happen, Khadem traveled to see her family in Iran. Her return ticket to Canada was scheduled for Dec. 21, 2019, but the flight changed and she was now scheduled to depart on Jan. 8, 2020. By the beginning of January 2020, tensions between the U.S. and Iran began to escalate following the death of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani who was killed by a U.S. airstrike as he and others travelled from Baghdad’s international airport on Jan. 3, 2020. As the couple watched the news unfold Forough Khadem boarded Flight PS 752 on Jan. 8 and was one of the 176 people killed after the two surface-to-air missiles struck the plane. On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella speaks with Dousteshenas about his experience and the work he does with the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims. She also learns more about what the international community has done to seek accountability from Iran. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9899880/what-happened-to-ukraine-international-airlines-flight-ps752/ Contact: Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • Google Glass | 3
    Oct 12 2023
    On this episode of What happened to…?, Erica Vella revisits Google Glass — the product that sparked curiosity, protests and internet memes around the world. She speaks with one of Wired’s gadget reporters, Mat Honan, about the controversial pair of smart glasses. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9873033/what-happened-to-google-glass/ Contact: Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    31 mins
  • The Thai Cave Rescue Part 2 | 2
    Sep 28 2023
    The 2018 Thai cave rescue quickly became an international spectacle that captured the attention of people all around the world. Twelve boys and their soccer coach were exploring the Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai when the cave suddenly flooded, trapping the team. Monsoon season came early that year, and the cave became blocked by heavy rainwater. On this episode of What happened to…? Erica Vella revisits the incredible Thai Cave rescue mission. She speaks with diver Rick Stanton about the life-saving dive and how a team of people was able to successfully rescue the Wild Boar soccer team from the Tham Luang cave. Find out more at https://globalnews.ca/news/9733852/what-happened-to-thai-cave-rescue-part-2/ Contact: Email: erica.vella@globalnews.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins