Welcome back to Inside the Village, a podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits.

On this week's episode: Doug Ford does a complete 180.

After losing two cabinet ministers, two senior staffers, and untold points in the polls, the Premier announced last Thursday that his government would walk back its Greenbelt land removals.

Insisting he was “very, very sorry,” Ford also promised once again to not touch the protected area — the same pledge he broke in 2018 that led to his government’s biggest scandal to date. 

That scandal isn’t going away just yet. Expect plenty more grilling from the Opposition as the Ontario Legislature resumes sitting today after its summer break.

On this special edition of Inside the Village, we sit down with journalist Charlie Pinkerton of The Trillium to talk about the many twists and turns — over many months — that led up to last week’s dramatic press conference in Niagara Falls.

We cover everything you need to know about the Greenbelt debacle: the developers, the big donors and one weekend getaway in Las Vegas.

Launched earlier this year by Village Media, The Trillium is a must-read news site devoted to in-depth, insider coverage of politics and policy at the Ontario Legislature.

Passionate and plugged in, our Queen's Park team covers every angle of the Legislative Assembly, delivering the major political headlines of the day while unpacking complex legislative changes and digging deeper into key issues that impact every Ontarian.

If you haven't checked it out already, the site also features one of the best political podcasts around: The Trill. You can listen to every episode HERE, or wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.

Every episode is available HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Have something to say? You can reach us at itv@villagemedia.ca.