Remember your first “Just Do It” ad? Or those gold-rimmed Petro-Canada Winter Olympic glasses? Ed Conroy of Retro Ontario does — and he joins Shane Hewitt to dig deep into why 1988 was one of the weirdest, happiest years in pop culture memory.

With Kokomo topping charts and Die Hard redefining action, the year was packed with unforgettable music, movies, and marketing moments. Ed unpacks why They Live still resonates, how NWA gave suburban kids a window into Compton, and why pop music in '88 hit like a cultural GPS.

Come for the nostalgia, stay for the insights.

GUEST:
 Ed Conroy
@retrontario
retrontario.com

Originally aired on 2025-11-06

Remember your first &ldquo;Just Do It&rdquo; ad? Or those gold-rimmed Petro-Canada Winter Olympic glasses? Ed Conroy of Retro Ontario does &mdash; and he joins Shane Hewitt to dig deep into why 1988 was one of the weirdest, happiest years in pop culture memory.
With Kokomo topping charts and Die Hard redefining action, the year was packed with unforgettable music, movies, and marketing moments. Ed unpacks why They Live still resonates, how NWA gave suburban kids a window into Compton, and why pop music in '88 hit like a cultural GPS.
Come for the nostalgia, stay for the insights.
GUEST: Ed Conroy @retrontario retrontario.com
Originally aired on&nbsp;2025-11-06

Shane Hewitt & The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world—always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.

From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane’s signature style—thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.

If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt &amp; The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world&mdash;always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.
From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane&rsquo;s signature style&mdash;thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.
If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Petro-Canada Swag and Pop Culture Power: Why 1988 Still Hits

Good News Tuesday gives you good news when your day is rough and you can't see past the struggle. You text in whatever good news you have, any size. The principle is proven: good news makes good news babies. One piece of positivity creates another.

 

Unlimited Olive Garden breadsticks arrive in Ontario. The recommended approach is consuming enough salad and bread to simply pack your entree for later. Winter highway crashes shut down the Trans-Canada between Headingley and Portage-le-Prairie. Manitoba residents responded by opening their homes to stranded drivers, providing food, warmth, and shelter. Winnipeg gets compared to the Maritimes for hospitality, friendliness, and drinking ability. Ottawa Senators jerseys inspired by Heated Rivalry sell well. The show depicts two gay hockey players unable to come out, showing what love looks like when professional obligations interfere, reportedly changing viewers' perspectives on relationships in pro sports.

 

Discover what Manitoba's highway rescue response reveals about Canadian hospitality values. Learn why the Good News Tuesday format works to shift perspective, and what it means when NHL teams market LGBTQ storylines.


Originally aired on 2026-01-20

Good News Tuesday gives you good news when your day is rough and you can't see past the struggle. You text in whatever good news you have, any size. The principle is proven: good news makes good news babies. One piece of positivity creates another.
&nbsp;
Unlimited Olive Garden breadsticks arrive in Ontario. The recommended approach is consuming enough salad and bread to simply pack your entree for later. Winter highway crashes shut down the Trans-Canada between Headingley and Portage-le-Prairie. Manitoba residents responded by opening their homes to stranded drivers, providing food, warmth, and shelter. Winnipeg gets compared to the Maritimes for hospitality, friendliness, and drinking ability. Ottawa Senators jerseys inspired by Heated Rivalry sell well. The show depicts two gay hockey players unable to come out, showing what love looks like when professional obligations interfere, reportedly changing viewers' perspectives on relationships in pro sports.
&nbsp;
Discover what Manitoba's highway rescue response reveals about Canadian hospitality values. Learn why the Good News Tuesday format works to shift perspective, and what it means when NHL teams market LGBTQ storylines.
 Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-01-20

Good News Tuesday: Manitoba Rescues to Ontario Breadsticks

Your Prime Minister stands before billionaires at the World Economic Forum to sell Canada as an investment opportunity. You hear it as a "rah rah Canada" moment. Both are true. The disconnect matters because the audience in that room isn't you, and the speech wasn't designed for working people.

 

Fifteen minutes of messaging includes direct moments addressed to Canadians specifically, which signals the dual purpose. Using "hegemony" instead of "dominance" makes the point harder to grasp for no good reason. The speech acknowledges what usually gets ignored: violence and greed have always driven global economics. Meanwhile, Trump's release of private texts from France and NATO leadership breaks trust in ways that are being overlooked.

 

Understand why good news only counts if the promises actually happen, and why they might not. Learn the definition of hegemony and why political vocabulary choices reveal more than the words themselves.


Originally aired on 2026-01-20

Your Prime Minister stands before billionaires at the World Economic Forum to sell Canada as an investment opportunity. You hear it as a "rah rah Canada" moment. Both are true. The disconnect matters because the audience in that room isn't you, and the speech wasn't designed for working people.
&nbsp;
Fifteen minutes of messaging includes direct moments addressed to Canadians specifically, which signals the dual purpose. Using "hegemony" instead of "dominance" makes the point harder to grasp for no good reason. The speech acknowledges what usually gets ignored: violence and greed have always driven global economics. Meanwhile, Trump's release of private texts from France and NATO leadership breaks trust in ways that are being overlooked.
&nbsp;
Understand why good news only counts if the promises actually happen, and why they might not. Learn the definition of hegemony and why political vocabulary choices reveal more than the words themselves.
 Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-01-20

Davos Speech Breakdown: Selling Canada to Billionaires vs. Speaking to Citizens

Your friends stop visiting after your dementia diagnosis. They forget to call. You get dropped from the golf list after making a few scoring mistakes. The diagnosis didn't take away who you are. Dementia stigma makes you invisible while you're still here, still living, still deserving connection and respect.

Mario Gregorio uses cheat sheets with buzzwords during conversations. When his train of thought disappears mid-sentence, he says "I forget, it will pass" without distress or anxiety. He posts phrases in front of his monitor as reminders. The duplicate strategy solves searching anxiety: five nail clippers scattered everywhere, reading glasses in the living room, bedroom, kitchen. Friends disappear not from malice. They don't know how to react to the diagnosis.

Learn why remembering the person instead of the diagnosis prevents invisibility. Understand the tools that reduce anxiety: writing appointments on your hand when you forget you own a tracking book, laughing when thoughts go blank. Discover how Mario's grounded approach teaches life lessons applicable before dementia: humble mistakes, grounded forgetting, unconditional connection.

GUEST: Mario Gregorio | http://alzheimer.ca

Topics: dementia stigma, social isolation, friendship loss, adaptive memory tools, living with cognitive change

Originally aired on 2026-01-20

Your friends stop visiting after your dementia diagnosis. They forget to call. You get dropped from the golf list after making a few scoring mistakes. The diagnosis didn't take away who you are. Dementia stigma makes you invisible while you're still here, still living, still deserving connection and respect.
Mario Gregorio uses cheat sheets with buzzwords during conversations. When his train of thought disappears mid-sentence, he says "I forget, it will pass" without distress or anxiety. He posts phrases in front of his monitor as reminders. The duplicate strategy solves searching anxiety: five nail clippers scattered everywhere, reading glasses in the living room, bedroom, kitchen. Friends disappear not from malice. They don't know how to react to the diagnosis.
Learn why remembering the person instead of the diagnosis prevents invisibility. Understand the tools that reduce anxiety: writing appointments on your hand when you forget you own a tracking book, laughing when thoughts go blank. Discover how Mario's grounded approach teaches life lessons applicable before dementia: humble mistakes, grounded forgetting, unconditional connection.
GUEST: Mario Gregorio |<a href="http://alzheimer.ca"> http://alzheimer.ca</a>
Topics: dementia stigma, social isolation, friendship loss, adaptive memory tools, living with cognitive change
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-01-20

Petro-Canada Swag and Pop Culture Power: Why 1988 Still Hits

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