From notable guests to untold local history, a new podcast is putting Scarborough in the spotlight, literally inside a former RT train.
The Scarborough Show launched its first episode on Dec. 1 across audio and video platforms, featuring sit-down conversations between host Jesse Asido and guests from Scarborough, all filmed inside a decommissioned RT train at the Toronto Zoo.
Episodes run between 20 and 30 minutes and have already featured prominent names, including former NBA All-Star and NBA Champion Jamaal Magloire and Locals Welcome host Suresh Doss.
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Asido, the creator and founder of popular social media page and retail brand Scarborough Spots, says the podcast is a natural extension of the community he’s been building online, this time with a deeper focus on storytelling.
“What’s beautiful about Scarborough is the diversity that we have,” Asido tells Now Toronto. “We have guests who are 22-years-old, and we have a guest that is a senior that grew up in Scarborough. We have a wide range of different people, there’s a lot of greatness that comes from Scarborough.”
The idea for the podcast began as an off-hand comment while Asido was walking through the Toronto Zoo with CEO Dolf DeJong. He jokingly suggested it would be “cool” to film a podcast inside one of the decommissioned RT trains.
“It was just a joke, just a dream,” he says.
Not long after, the Zoo acquired the Scarborough RT trains. Soon, the first season of The Scarborough Show was already filmed, turning that dream into reality.
Now up and running, Asido says the podcast fills a gap in media coverage for a community often overlooked despite its size.
“If Scarborough were its own city, which it used to be, it would be the 10th largest city in Canada,” he says. “We’re filling a void that people were searching for… our job is to celebrate Scarborough.”
That celebration goes beyond spotlighting local personalities. The show also dives into Scarborough’s lesser-known history, culture, and geography, stories that even longtime residents may not know.
In a Dec. 22 episode, Asido is joined by Scarborough author and historian Barbara Dickson, who reveals that Canada’s largest munitions factory during the Second World War was located in Scarborough, employing thousands of Bomb Girls.
“That’s just an example of one [story] that even Scarborough people don’t know, and I think it’s important that they’re shared,” Asido said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from Scarborough, even for people from here.”
Other guests include small business owners, influencers, actors, comedians, and creatives from across the east end.
The first season will feature 10 episodes, and while the show is still in its early days, a second season has already been confirmed, with filming set to begin in the spring.
“We’re just starting,” Asido said. “This is something we really enjoy doing, and we can see ourselves doing it for a very very long time.”
