Now or Never

If you're feeling sticker shock every time you fill up for gas or go to the grocery store, you're not alone. So what are you supposed to do when everything feels more expensive? Meet people finding outside-the-box ways to make their money stretch further.

When magician Brian Glow sits down to a meal at Winnipeg’s Bistro on Notre Dame, he won’t pay his bill with money. He’ll use the local barter bank, MK Global Trade, and exchange magic shows for food, services, and even home renovations. Find out how it works and why Martin Kahan, the man behind the bank, says barter is growing in these expensive times.

When Whitehorse resident Joanne Doyle drops stuff off at the dump, she’s not leaving empty-handed. Find out how community-driven "free stores" in the Yukon are helping people save money, declutter their homes, and score amazing free stuff.

Ify goes thrift shopping with Heidi Kristensen, who tells us how thrifting isn't just helping her wallet -- it’s also helping her maintain her sobriety.

After two decades in the education industry, Lethbridge, Alta. teacher Verna Mabin didn’t expect she’d still be working a side hustle…and searching for another.

Nova Scotia mom Alex MacLaren has a motto when it comes to cooking on a budget: We use what we have. So every day, you'll find her MacGyvering every last vegetable in her crisper into meals even her five-year-old loves, and sharing those tips with her 800,000 followers.

We’re more divided than ever and sometimes, it feels like meanness is winning. So this week, Now or Never is going all in on kindness, with five totally unexpected stories on the kindness of strangers that will hopefully nudge you to be a little kinder, too.

Two weeks ago, Ben Shannon got a call at work that every parent fears: his 12-year-old daughter, Sumire, was alone, at one of Toronto's busiest intersections, experiencing a sudden medical emergency. He raced to the scene and found a stranger cradling his daughter amidst the chaos. In the rush to get to the hospital, Ben didn't get the Good Samaritan's name. But now that Sumire is OK, Ben is on a mission to find the stranger who stepped up for his daughter in a crisis.

On September 11, 2001, a terrifying plane detour brought Americans Sue Riccardelli and Maureen Murray to Gander, Newfoundland and into the life of a stranger named Mac Moss. Today, the three friends reunite to talk about kindness and gratitude, at a time when tensions between Canada and the U.S. are particularly high.

We asked you for your stories about a recent moment of kindness involving a stranger, and you delivered! Hear how these small moments of connection have stayed with them.

An act of kindness cost Nadine Green her business, her friendships, and her home. But that is only making Nadine double down on her efforts to help unhoused people in her community. Find out what motivates Nadine to keep giving, sometimes to her own detriment.

A cancelled flight left Patricia Robinson wondering how she was ever going to make it to her 90th birthday celebration. Then two strangers stepped up and gave her a birthday road trip that she will never forget.

When Colin Vickers was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a stem cell transplant was his only hope. From across the ocean came a match — an anonymous genetic twin. Once he recovered, Colin made it his mission to find the donor. Meet Scotland’s Charlie Devlin and find out how you make friends with the stranger who saved your life.

When the Canada-U.S. trade negotiations broke down in spectacular fashion last month, that got us thinking about the tough negotiations playing out in our own lives right now. Whether you're battling your kid over screen time or negotiating a pay raise, how do you find a middle ground when you don't see eye-to-eye?

So on this episode of Now or Never, we're bringing you stories of people on opposite sides, who are figuring out how to talk to each other.

You might remember Vivian Ketchum, kookum, activist, and long-time friend of the show. After a violent incident between a security guard and a First Nations man at the Dollarama in downtown Winnipeg, Viv took to the streets protesting the security company responsible. Enter Ron D’Errico. He's the CEO of that security company, who calls Vivian his "greatest adversary." He also knows he needs to do something about racial profiling. Trevor pulls up a chair between the two, to find out how they went from butting heads to working together.

In his day job as a realtor, Mohit Agarwal makes deals and encourages his clients to negotiate before signing. He says there's always a deal to be done in everyday life. So Ify joins him as he puts his skills to the test on the streets of Toronto.

As one of the stars of Dragon’s Den, Manjit Minhas knows what it’s like to negotiate under pressure. So we asked her: how does she apply her negotiation tactics as a CEO on her own teenagers?

When negotiations failed and a trade war started, Osee Podolsky knew he was in trouble. As a third-generation bee farmer near Ethelbert, Manitoba, 90 per cent of his customers were big U.S. bulk buyers. So overnight, Osee had to pivot and renegotiate in order to keep the family business buzzing.

Now or Never celebrates ten years of diving in with people as they gather the courage to take a leap into the unknown, with a live show from Winnipeg's Gas Station Arts Centre!

There are always surprises in a Now or Never story, and this live show is no exception. Secret guests, a pop-up choir, confetti cannons and one hilariously unfiltered kookum who you don't want to miss.

Winnipeg couple Trish Cooper and Sam Vint’s life together has been filled with hilarious and surprising (mis)adventures, including culture shock on the rez, a surprise gummy overdose, and discovering your partner is an accidental fugitive. After 23 years together, can Sam pull off a surprise for Trish live on stage?

Musician Boy Golden shares songs from his new album, and a truly jaw-dropping story from the road.

Now or Never all-star Vivian Ketchum is back for a record fifth appearance on the show and this time it's unhinged. We were there when she graduated high school at 58, sat on her bed as she shared the residential school memories that keep her up at night, and joined her at the post office opening letters from Canadians across the country sharing their reconciliation commitments. What is Vivian up to now? Dating! Hear her raw and unfiltered takes on sex and dating in her sixties.

Two months ago, Jo Dworschak quit her job to follow her dream of being a full-time storyteller and comedian. She joins us on stage to share how fixing a broken elevator in a bathing suit at 17, lit the spark for the life she’s living today.

Hundreds of Canadians have shared their stories on Now or Never over the years. Can Ify and Trevor remember them all? We challenge them with a game of "Guess the Guest," as past guests pop up on stage with three clues, while a blindfolded Trevor and Ify try to figure out who they are.

Plus, Ify and Trevor try their best to surprise each other.

This episode originally aired in April 2026.

An estimated four million Canadians currently live abroad. So what compels someone to ditch their life in Canada and start over somewhere new? From Bogotá to Tokyo, Cape Town to València, Now or Never crisscrosses the globe with expats living out some big, bold adventures right now.

Joshua Will dreamed of living in Japan since he was 14-years-old, so when he got a job with the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET) he was ecstatic. But he never expected to find himself on tiny Yuge Island, navigating the wild world of Japanese real estate, and renovating a 100-year-old house with no experience and few language skills.

At age 75, Janet Skog-Reid moved to Spain with her children and grandchildren. But when they returned to Vancouver, Janet decided to stay. How this grandmother who spent her life caring for others, is now chasing a life that is finally her own.

When Calgarian Aaron Cresswell bumped into Laura Fajardo at a crowded bar in Bogotá, the two instantly hit it off — so much so, that he ended up moving to the country to be with her. But it soon sunk in that while Aaron found his forever person, he definitely didn’t find his forever home in Colombia.

Barb Deck is no stranger to intense situations — when she’s at home, she’s a pediatric ICU nurse at Sick Kids in Toronto. But since joining Médecins Sans Frontières, Barb spends most of her time tackling even bigger challenges, flying to conflict zones around the world to help deliver care.

Four months ago, Chloe Wilde and her partner quit their jobs, sold their Toronto home, and bought a one-way ticket to South Africa with their two-year-old son. Chloe tells us why she feels a responsibility and pressure to live a "big, bold life," and what it's really like backpacking with a toddle

This is an encore presentation of Now or Never. Season 11 starts September 10