The Fifth Estate - Episode Guide

It's a dark tale of people vanishing, mystery, and suspicion of murder in Ontario's cottage country. In a joint investigation with The Walrus magazine, The Fifth Estate uncovers long-secret police documents and new details about four people who went missing two decades ago, the suspects police had in their sights and clues to what may have happened.

Pit Bulls Unleashed: Should They Be Banned?

Episode: 43x02 | Airdate: Sep 22, 2017

It's a fact that pit bulls, with their powerful jaws, can kill and maim. Google ‘pit bull attacks' if you dare. But are pit bulls born bad or do humans make them that way? Mark Kelley speaks to leading advocates for pit bulls, families of pit bull attack victims, shelter workers and doctors as he probes the sometimes disturbing debate over what to do about the pit bull.

The Truth Smugglers

Episode: 43x03 | Airdate: Sep 29, 2017

Gillian Findlay reports on the people in Syria who risk their lives to smuggle out photographs and thousands of pages of secret official documents, hoping they will lead to the conviction of Bashar al Assad for war crimes.They are crimes a regime wants to keep secret: tens of thousands of Syrians have "disappeared" in the past six years of civil war, swept away to government prisons and detention centres to be interrogated, tortured and worse.

Jagmeet Singh: The Colour of Politics

Episode: 43x04 | Airdate: Oct 13, 2017

He pulled off a first-ballot victory to become the new leader of the NDP, becoming the first visible minority to head a major political party in Canada. How did Jagmeet Singh do it?

Tainted Tests: Broken Families

Episode: 43x05 | Airdate: Oct 20, 2017

It seemed so perfect, so scientific - a hair test that could objectively determine whether parents of young children were abusing drugs or alcohol. But it turns out the 'Motherisk' hair testing was deeply flawed - with devastating results for families all across Canada.

Terror Plot In Canada: The Inside Man

Episode: 43x06 | Airdate: Oct 20, 2017

In an exclusive Canadian TV interview an elaborately disguised Tamer El Noury sits down with Habiba Nosheen and explains the life of an undercover agent, and the terror plot he foiled.

The Money Pipeline

Episode: 43x07 | Airdate: Nov 3, 2017

It's a story of dark money, dirty politics and powerful people...When Donald Trump gave TransCanada the nod to build a pipeline that would carry Canadian crude oil to the Gulf of Mexico, it seemed like liquid gold for the Alberta-based company.

The Super Scalpers

Episode: 43x08 | Airdate: Nov 10, 2017

the fifth estate delves deep into the incredibly lucrative world of online ticket sales with the story of a Canadian Super Scalper - as revealed in the Paradise Papers.

The Murder of a President

Episode: 43x09 | Airdate: Nov 17, 2017

Thousands of once-secret classified documents about the Kennedy assassination have finally been made public - but the mystery only deepens and the questions remain. Bob McKeown reports.

Circle of Fear: Basil Borutski and the Renfrew County Murders

Episode: 43x10 | Airdate: Nov 24, 2017

In September 2015, three women were brutally killed in Renfrew County, Ontario. And now Basil Borutski is on trial for those crimes in which he cast himself as victim. Gillian Findlay investigates, with revealing interviews with family members, friends of victims and witnesses.

Death Behind Bars

Episode: 43x11 | Airdate: Dec 1, 2017

Two tragic deaths of prisoners are captured on camera, as questions arise why so many people are dying in a single Ontario jail. Habiba Nosheen investigates.

Gambling on Addiction

Episode: 43x12 | Airdate: Dec 8, 2017

Every year we spend about $13 billion in legal government-run casinos - more than we spend on movies, hockey tickets, and Tim Horton's combined. But experts say as much as 50% of that government gambling revenue comes from problem gamblers. Are provincial governments in Canada preying on gamblers?

Brainwashed : The Secret CIA Experiments in Canada

Episode: 43x13 | Airdate: Dec 15, 2017

New Canadian victims come forward who were subject to CIA brainwashing experiments in the 1950s and 1960s at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.

The Murders of Dellen Millard

Episode: 43x14 | Airdate: Jan 12, 2018

He was a rich kid who threw wild parties and committed petty crimes for thrills. Into his circle walked an impressionable young woman named Laura Babcock whose disappearance was ultimately deemed to be murder.

Pulling Back The Curtain

Episode: 43x15 | Airdate: Jan 19, 2018

Rocked by allegations of sexual harassment, Soulpepper - one of Canada's most famous theatre companies - promises "renewal and change" but a fifth estate investigation looks at its track record.

Driving High

Episode: 43x16 | Airdate: Jan 26, 2018

As Canada prepares for legal pot, the federal government plans to spend as much as $80-million training police officers to smoke out high drivers. But how sound is the test? A Fifth Estate investigation raises serious questions.

The Mystery of the Sherman Murders

Episode: 43x17 | Airdate: Feb 2, 2018

When Barry and Honey Sherman were found dead in their Toronto home in December, the whispers quickly began. Did someone really hate them enough to kill them both?

The Hostage Family

Episode: 43x18 | Airdate: Mar 2, 2018

Along with her husband, Josh Boyle, Caitlin Coleman spent 5 years as a Taliban hostage, giving birth to three children in captivity. Habiba Nosheen talks to her about the ordeal.

The Costco Kickbacks

Episode: 43x19 | Airdate: Mar 16, 2018

Secret audiotapes show how Costco pressed one generic drug company for illegal payments to stock their products - and how you may be paying the price.

Murder in the Village

Episode: 43x20 | Airdate: Apr 6, 2018

Bruce McArthur stands accused of six counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of missing men from Toronto's gay village. Now police are looking at his activities as far back as the 1970s, when fear stalked the community in the wake on another spree of unsolved murders.

Season 44

Unbuckled: School Bus Safety | Finding Jennifer

Episode: 44x01 | Airdate: Oct 14, 2018

Why are there no seat belts on school buses? The Fifth Estate asked that question and discovered a flawed Transport Canada study which argued against seat belts - a policy which many say has led to injuries and deaths which could have been prevented. Bob McKeown investigates.

The Trouble with Uber | Finding Jennifer: The Investigation

Episode: 44x02 | Airdate: Oct 21, 2018

The Trouble With Uber - Gillian Findlay reveals how Uber has come, conquered, and compromised road safety in many Canadian cities. Finding Jennifer: The Investigation - In the second part of our investigation into the disappearance of Jennifer Hillier-Penney, we'll tell you what we've learned about

Murder in the Jungle | Muslim Adoption Ban

Episode: 44x03 | Airdate: Oct 28, 2018

Murder in the Jungle - Mark Kelley investigates what really happened when a young man from B.C. was lynched in Peru this year. Muslim Adoption Ban - Habiba Nosheen digs into why Ottawa suddenly banned adoptions of children from some Muslim countries, stranding kids who still languish in orphanages.

Unnecessary Risk | Driving High

Episode: 44x04 | Airdate: Nov 4, 2018

Unnecessary Risk - Years before Humboldt, Transport Canada was warned that without seatbelts on coach buses, people will die in an accident. The warnings were ignored. / Driving High - People have been arrested for driving high after pot was legalized in Canada.

Church of Secrets | Banking on Cord Blood

Episode: 44x05 | Airdate: Nov 11, 2018

Bob McKeown investigates a controversial Filipino church with thousands of Canadian members. / Do parents really benefit from storing their baby's cord blood in a private bank?

The Deepfake | The War Over Truth | The Lie Detectors

Episode: 44x06 | Airdate: Nov 18, 2018

AI-manipulated video has become so sophisticated that words can literally be put into people's mouths. It's war. On one side, the NY Times. On the other, POTUS. Both sides believe the future of democracy is at stake. An investigation into those who are fighting fake news.

Unreported: The Essure Story | High Impact: Action on Safer School Buses

Episode: 44x07 | Airdate: Nov 25, 2018

On Sunday, Dec. 2, The Fifth Estate's GIllian Findlay investigates a permanent birth control device called Essure, which has been pulled off the market by the manufacturer.

Kickbacks: Caught on Camera | Polygamy In Canada: An Open Secret

Episode: 44x08 | Airdate: Dec 2, 2018

It's illegal in Ontario and drives up the price of generic drugs across Canada. So why are pharmacists engaging in it? They're taking what are called rebates, which are like kickbacks, from some of the largest drug suppliers in the world. We went undercover to find out.

Dump Trump | A Brother's Story

Episode: 44x09 | Airdate: Dec 9, 2018

With a new Congress having taken office, the talk of impeachment is in the air….and the Mueller inquiry closing in, Donald Trump's days as POTUS may be numbered. Or are they? Soleiman Faqiri was a troubled young man. He suffered from mental illness.

The Lone Wolf | Ghost Immigrants

Episode: 44x10 | Airdate: Dec 16, 2018

The Lone Wolf: It was characterized as a lone wolf incident - the so-called van attack in Toronto this spring. But was it really? Alek Minassian changed from an awkward teen to someone who is accused of committing one of the largest mass killings in Canadian history...

Justice for Jassi | The Children of Sainte-Justine

Episode: 44x11 | Airdate: Jan 6, 2019

JUSTICE FOR JASSI: A young woman from B.C. was killed during a visit to India in the year 2000. Her mother and uncle allegedly planned it because she married a poor Indian rickshaw driver... instead of the wealthy Canadian they'd chosen for her.

Reconciliation Betrayed: The Horrors of St. Anne's | The Defectors

Episode: 44x12 | Airdate: Feb 17, 2019

St. Anne's Indian Residential School, in Northern Ontario, was a place of horrific abuse and crimes against children that occurred over decades. | Who are the people who helped Rahaf Mohammed prepare to escape Saudi Arabia and eventually make her way to Canada?

Officer Down; The Collector: Still a Mystery

Episode: 44x13 | Airdate: Mar 10, 2019

Officer Down - In the last 30-years, more OPP officers have died of suicide than in the line of duty, including 3-in just one-month last summer. Why? The Fifth Estate's Mark Kelley investigates. | The Collector: Still A Mystery - The story of John Mark Tillmann.

The Soldier and the Survivor | Murder on Cortes Island

Episode: 44x14 | Airdate: Mar 24, 2019

When Ramiro Cristales was 5-years old, he watched his family get killed by members of the Guatemalan Army. That was December of 1982. A soldier spared Ramiro's life….and then adopted him. In 1999, a Guatemalan human rights group sent him to Canada for his protection.

Dead End: An Investigation Gone Wrong | Waiting For Justice: The Oland Murder

Episode: 44x15 | Airdate: Apr 7, 2019

In August 2012, two young men were on an ATV at a cottage near Haliburton, Ontario when it crashed into a steel gate, leaving one dead and the other unscathed. | In July, 2011, Richard Oland was found bludgeoned to death at his office...a killing that shook New Brunswick to the core.

Season 45

Targeted: Inside the Gun Lobby's Fight to Save Weapons in Canada

Episode: 45x01 | Airdate: Sep 22, 2019

Is Murder in Your DNA?

Episode: 45x02 | Airdate: Sep 29, 2019

When Terror Comes Home

Episode: 45x03 | Airdate: Sep 29, 2019

The Forgotten: The Girls of Marian Hall speak

Episode: 45x04 | Airdate: Oct 6, 2019

Havana Syndrome: Investigating what made the diplomats sick

Episode: 45x05 | Airdate: Oct 6, 2019

The hood: Cops, gangs and a community in the crossfire

Episode: 45x06 | Airdate: Oct 13, 2019

Dear Mr. Bissonnette

Episode: 45x07 | Airdate: Oct 20, 2019

My father's killer: Murder mystery on Cortes Island

Episode: 45x08 | Airdate: Oct 27, 2019

Wronged (Ashley Smith)

Episode: 45x09 | Airdate: Oct 27, 2019

Muskoka murders: Closing in on the killers

Episode: 45x10 | Airdate: Nov 3, 2019

Captive: Caitlan Coleman vs. Joshua Boyle

Episode: 45x11 | Airdate: Nov 10, 2019

The list: Unravelling church secrets

Episode: 45x12 | Airdate: Nov 17, 2019

Vintage Grapes: Revisiting a famous Don Cherry interview

Episode: 45x13 | Airdate: Nov 17, 2017

Hockey fight: Wives reveal the cost of concussions

Episode: 45x14 | Airdate: Nov 24, 2019

Sexism in science: The woman who pioneered giraffe research

Episode: 45x15 | Airdate: Nov 24, 2019

Passport babies: The growing shadow industry of birth tourism

Episode: 45x16 | Airdate: Jan 5, 2020

Confronting hate: How Antifa is tracking the extreme right

Episode: 45x17 | Airdate: Jan 5, 2020

The autopsy (part 1): What if justice got it wrong?

Episode: 45x18 | Airdate: Jan 12, 2020

The insider: Tales from inside Benny Hinn Ministries

Episode: 45x19 | Airdate: Jan 12, 2020

The autopsy (part 2): What did justice cover up?

Episode: 45x20 | Airdate: Jan 19, 2020

How Boeing crashed: The inside story of the 737 Max

Episode: 45x21 | Airdate: Jan 19, 2020

Runaway train: Investigating a fatal CP Rail crash

Episode: 45x22 | Airdate: Jan 26, 2020

Who are they? Reconstructing faces of the dead

Episode: 45x23 | Airdate: Jan 26, 2020

The priest's confession: What the Catholic bishops knew

Episode: 45x24 | Airdate: Feb 16, 2020

John Connelly's death: A family fights for answers

Episode: 45x25 | Airdate: Feb 16, 2020

Season 46

Thirteen Deadly Hours: The Nova Scotia Shooting

Episode: 46x01 | Airdate: Nov 23, 2020

The Fifth Estate presents a comprehensive inquiry into this year's mass shooting in Nova Scotia, chronicling 13 hours of mayhem that constitute one of Canada's deadliest events.

Bitter Harvest: The story of the pandemic and the people who pick our food

Episode: 46x02 | Airdate: Nov 30, 2020

An exploration into the failed policies of government when it comes to protecting tens of thousands of workers Canada imports each year from abroad to grow and harvest fruits and vegetables. With unique access in some of Canada's busiest farming operations.

The Smartest Guy in the Room: Cameron Ortis and the RCMP Secrets Scandal

Episode: 46x03 | Airdate: Dec 7, 2020

Cameron Ortis was once the RCMP's top intelligence officer. But today he is in custody, facing charges of revealing secrets to unauthorized people and plotting to leak even more. The Fifth Estate tells the inside story of how his alleged crimes came to light, a remarkable story that involves a

Nygard: The Secret Videos

Episode: 46x04 | Airdate: Jan 28, 2021

Exclusive interviews and videos reveal how Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard kept his secrets for decades. Nygard currently faces sex trafficking charges, which he denies.

The Price WE Paid

Episode: 46x05 | Airdate: Feb 4, 2021

The Fifth Estate's Mark Kelley takes a close look at the political scandal involving Prime Minister Trudeau and the WE Charity, including an interview with co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger.

Policing the police

Episode: 46x06 | Airdate: Feb 11, 2021

The Fifth Estate's Mark Kelley examines the aftermath of a shooting in a small Ontario town, after one police officer shoots another. But the man shot gets charged with assault. The Fifth Estate takes a closer look at the Niagara officer's past and the system that's allowed him, and others, to stay

Exposed: Sexism Within Ottawa Police / Fatal Care

Episode: 46x07 | Airdate: Feb 18, 2021

A litany of complaints and charges of sexual misconduct has hit the Ottawa Police Service, raising questions about how women are treated by their male colleagues. Plus more!

The Missing Millions | Black on Campus

Episode: 46x08 | Airdate: Feb 25, 2021

Mark Kelley takes viewers on a journey to look for the missing millions of dollars, money that investors and pensioners lost in a massive case of financial fraud. | A law student banned from campus. A community leader fired from her post. An esteemed professor stripped from his job.

Treatment or Torture | No More Tears: The Essure Legacy

Episode: 46x09 | Airdate: Mar 4, 2021

Bob McKeown tells the story of Canada's Oak Ridge institution, where mentally ill prisoners treated each other and other bizarre human experiments were performed. | No More Tears: The Essure Legacy - Vik Adhopia shows how Canadian women continue to fight for justice after having endured medical

When Police Don't Knock | Broken Honour

Episode: 46x10 | Airdate: Mar 11, 2021

The Fifth Estate investigates how dynamic entries - a controversial police tactic used in search of drugs, guns, and the suspect -- could be putting innocent lives at risk. Judy Trinh investigates. / Broken Honour - The Fifth Estate exposes how the military's failed attempt to combat sexual violence

Gene Hunters | Recipe for Genius

Episode: 46x11 | Airdate: Mar 18, 2021

The Fifth Estate goes behind the scenes with Toronto Police as they mine genetic genealogy to find the killer behind two-decades-old cold cases. RECIPE FOR GENIUS: The Fifth Estate looks at the renewed interest in the game of chess and a fascination with children who show early genius for the

Season 47

The Vaccine

Episode: 47x01 | Airdate: Oct 14, 2021

Bob McKeown examines how a deal the Canadian government struck with a China-based company to create a COVID-19 vaccine fell apart, and why some say Ottawa should never have considered the deal in the first place.

Amazon Unpacked: The Human Cost of Convenience

Episode: 47x02 | Airdate: Oct 21, 2021

While companies big and small all over the world struggled to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic, a few have seen their fortunes increase - chief among them online delivery company Amazon and its owner Jeff Bezos. Amazon workers spoke to The Fifth Estate about COVID-19 safety protocols that came

Abandoned in Afghanistan: Canada's Failed Promise

Episode: 47x03 | Airdate: Oct 28, 2021

Gillian Findlay looks at the effort mounted by Canadian military veterans to get former interpreters out of Afghanistan, and reveals tensions within Canada's government about how to proceed.

The Cluster: New Brunswick's Mysterious Illness

Episode: 47x04 | Airdate: Oct 31, 2021

Nearly 50 people in New Brunswick are sick with a mysterious neurological disease and no one seems quite sure what it is or how they got it. Nine people have died and those getting sicker believe the provincial government knows more than it's telling them. Mark Kelley hosts.

School of Secrets: The Church, the cult and the consequences

Episode: 47x05 | Airdate: Nov 11, 2021

The Fifth Estate investigates a former boarding school that promised a Christian education and tough love. But nearly 1,400 students who attended Grenville Christian College in Ontario say it was not only tough but brutal, and heavily influenced by a U.S.-based cult.

Finding School No 4 - WE Charity Donor Deception in Kenya

Episode: 47x06 | Airdate: Nov 18, 2021

WE Charity told a parliamentary committee it had built hundreds of schools in Kenya with donors' money. The Fifth Estate travelled to Kenya to see first-hand if the money raised matched the schools actually built.

Come Hell... BC Under Water

Episode: 47x07 | Airdate: Nov 25, 2021

The Fifth Estate examines the devastation in B.C. after catastrophic flooding and how the province could have been better prepared for the weather disaster.

Why Not In Winnipeg?

Episode: 47x08 | Airdate: Dec 2, 2021

Women who say former fashion mogul Peter Nygard sexually assaulted them tell The Fifth Estate they believe he hasn't been charged in his hometown of Winnipeg because of his former star status and close connections to the city.

Base of Hate: Inside Accelerationism

Episode: 47x09 | Airdate: Dec 9, 2021

A former Canadian military reservist has started serving a 9-year sentence for his role in a violent neo-Nazi plot in the United States that was foiled by the F.B.I. With access to exclusive audio tapes, The Fifth Estate exposes the ideology behind the hate group that sought to recruit members of the Canadian military.

The Reckoning: Secrets Unearthed by Tk'emlups te Secwepemc

Episode: 47x10 | Airdate: Jan 13, 2022

The Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation was the first community to identify what are believed to be the graves of children at the site of a former residential school. The Fifth Estate shows how the community is dealing with the traumatic discovery and talks to survivors about the impact on them, as

School of Secrets: New Revelations from Inside the Cult

Episode: 47x11 | Airdate: Jan 20, 2022

Since a Fifth Estate story last November about abuse endured by students of a now-closed Ontario private religious school and its connection to a U.S.-based cult, there have been several new developments. Prompted by our reporting, another person has come forward to allege abuse by a son of the

The Convoy and the Questions: How a Protest Paralyzed a Capital

Episode: 47x12 | Airdate: Feb 24, 2022

Parents Without Power: When Addicted Kids Can't Be Forced Into Care

Episode: 47x13 | Airdate: Mar 5, 2022

Priced Out: Canada's Rental Crisis

Episode: 47x14 | Airdate: Apr 21, 2022

Bait and Switch: Recycling's Dirty Secret

Episode: 47x15 | Airdate: Apr 21, 2022

Season 48

Anatomy of a Scandal

Episode: 48x01 | Airdate: Sep 29, 2022

The Big Burn

Episode: 48x02 | Airdate: Oct 6, 2022

Sold a Lie

Episode: 48x03 | Airdate: Oct 13, 2022

Death at the Border

Episode: 48x04 | Airdate: Oct 20, 2022

The Mormons' Books

Episode: 48x05 | Airdate: Oct 27, 2022

Investigating War Crimes in Ukraine

Episode: 48x06 | Airdate: Nov 3, 2022

Hunting the Hacker of Gatineau

Episode: 48x07 | Airdate: Nov 10, 2022

The Trump Files

Episode: 48x08 | Airdate: Nov 24, 2022

Cold Case Ghost

Episode: 48x09 | Airdate: Dec 1, 2022

The Dissidents

Episode: 48x10 | Airdate: Jan 5, 2023

The Gamblification of Canada

Episode: 48x11 | Airdate: Jan 12, 2023

A Complicated Death

Episode: 48x12 | Airdate: Jan 19, 2023

The Girls Around Robert G. Miller

Episode: 48x13 | Airdate: Feb 2, 2023

Anatomy of a Scandal 2

Episode: 48x14 | Airdate: Feb 9, 2023

Season 49

Lessons Not Learned

Episode: 49x01 | Airdate: Oct 20, 2023

Bob McKeown goes behind the rhetoric about Chinese police stations in Canada to reveal that, in fact, the Canadian government and the RCMP have long co-operated in China's hunt for supposed fugitives.

Making an Icon

Episode: 49x02 | Airdate: Oct 22, 2023

An icon's claims to Indigenous ancestry are being called into question by family members and an investigation that included genealogical documentation, historical research and personal accounts. Host: Geoff Leo

Whose Police?

Episode: 49x03 | Airdate: Nov 3, 2023

Critics say a controversial RCMP unit in B.C. acts as a de facto private security force for resource companies. Leaked documents show industry leaders provided direction to RCMP bosses. Host: Steven D'Souza

The Assassin Next Door

Episode: 49x04 | Airdate: Nov 17, 2023

A man convicted in absentia for his role in the 1975 coup and murder of the first family in Bangladesh lives in Canada. In an exclusive, the current prime minister, daughter of the slain PM, tells us that she wants him brought to justice. Host: Mark Kelley

Specials

Just a Regular Kid

Episode: S44 Special | Airdate: Sep 23, 2018

Explores what it means to be young, Muslim and growing up in the West during these unsettled times.