This Matters | Daily News Podcast: Recent Episodes

Toronto Star

The world is changing every day. Now, more than ever, these questions matter. What’s happening? And why should you care? This Matters, a daily news podcast from the Toronto Star, aims to answer those questions, on important stories and ideas, every day, Monday to Friday. Hosts Saba Eitizaz and Raju Mudhar talk to experts and newsmakers about the social, cultural, political and economic stories that shape your life.

Guests: Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada Sharon Kozicki and Star Business Reporter Ana Pereira

Recently, the Bank of Canada announced their latest interest rate decision, holding it at 2.75% - its second pause after seven consecutive cuts. In attempting to explain this decision, Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said, ‘The Canadian economy is softer but not sharply weaker.’ And what does that mean exactly, right?

Star Business reporter Ana Pereira sat down with Bank of Canada Deputy Governor Sharon Kozicki to ask about how the bank came to this decision, how the central bank is handling Trump’s volatile tariffs announcements and, generally, how the Bank plans to take care of Canadians as we teeter on the brink of another recession.

Host Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Ana analyze Governor Kozicki’s answers and talk about what the Bank of Canada is concentrating on right now and the way it affects Canadians, especially Torontonians, in this economic moment.

PLUS: Is the Bank of Canada in the middle of something of a build back trust outreach tour with young Torontonians in particular, based on how they kind of bungled communication during the last recession?

Produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques, Sean Pattendon and Serena Austin.

Guests: Star Reporters Nicholas Keung and Mark Ramzy

Introduced last week by the federal government—the Strong Borders Act seeks to overhaul how refugee claims are processed, expand powers for border and intelligence officials, and tighten enforcement—all framed as a response to sprawling asylum backlogs and escalating pressure from the U.S. and Donald Trump, including concerns about fentanyl trafficking.

The bill is still in its early stages, but it’s already facing strong political opposition and legal criticism over what many are calling sweeping, unchecked powers and potential human rights concerns.

Two Star reporters covering federal politics and immigration unpack the politics, the policy and the politics behind the policy.

Audio source: CPAC

This Matters is pleased to share a new podcast from the Toronto Star, TVO Podcasts, the Investigative Journalism Bureau and Piz Gloria Productions, Arachnid: Hunting the Web's Darkest Secrets.

What if the worst thing that ever happened to you plays out countless times on anonymous computer screens all over the world? Every day, tens of millions of images of child sexual abuse circulate on global online platforms. The proliferation of these images is getting worse as AI technology and deep fakes create an ever-expanding epidemic of online child sex exploitation. The children depicted in those criminal images are real. Many are now adults held hostage by these disturbing images despite available technology like Canada's Project Arachnid, which detects these images and sends out removal notices. Platforms often resist action, citing privacy laws. But in response, survivors and a group of motivated supporters are banding together across the globe to protect kids. Confronting their own trauma, they are speaking out, advocating for change internationally, and demanding stronger laws that hold tech giants to account. This six-part podcast series follows survivors' long-shot fight against the most powerful companies in the world to end a massive, global trade in child sex abuse imagery.

Find it wherever you listen to podcasts.

Guest: Karon Liu, Toronto Star food reporter

When one Toronto restaurant introduced a $25 cauliflower dish more than 10 years ago, it caused a bit of a stir at its eye-popping price. When Star reporter Karon Liu recently noticed the price of the same dish was now $41, it sent him to look at the steeply rising cost of meals out.

It’s a trend driven by food inflation, wage inflation, rent inflation and a host of other factors. And for many diners, it means eating out is becoming less and less of an attractive option. Which doesn’t mean the restauranteurs are suddenly flush—the drop-off in diners means it’s even harder for them to make up in volume what they might lose by cutting prices.

PLUS: Our food writer’s instructions on what to do if $41 is too steep a price for you

Guest: Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie

Ontario just dropped its biggest budget ever — $232.5 billion — and looming over every dollar of it is the shadow of Donald Trump, his tariffs, and an uncertain economic future. This year’s budget also includes a new $5 billion “Protect Ontario” fund to shield businesses and jobs from the escalating trade war with the U.S. But behind the big numbers lie bigger questions like a $14.6 billion deficit, no major new housing initiatives despite a worsening crisis, and a controversial plan to rip out downtown bike lanes in favour of cars. The Star’s Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie breaks it all down and what this budget means for Ontarians.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Star National Columnist Susan Delacourt

Prime Minister Mark Carney has unveiled his first cabinet. On Tuesday, ministers were sworn in at Rideau Hall to a trimmed down and reorganized cabinet, with 28 full members and 10 second-tier members, known as secretaries of state. Carney’s campaign promise was bold change and a post-Trudeau pivot.

Now that the lineup is out, the question is how much of it signals real transformation? Is this a true reset or does it look like a strategic rebrand? The Star’s veteran political columnist Susan Delacourt provides insights.

Audio source: CTV News

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Ottawa Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Washington this week was his first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump since being elected to office. A lot hangs in the balance, at a time when Canada’s relationship with its largest trading partner is being put to the test.

While Carney made headlines with some bold statements and viral moments with Trump, the real story was the critical test of the Liberals political mandate and Canada’s position on trade, tariffs and sovereignty in a rapidly changing global landscape.

Toronto Star Ottawa bureau chief Tonda MacCharles was in the room where the diplomatic tight-rope was being walked and, she gives an inside look at what really happened.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Lance McMillan

Guests: Star reporters Nicholas Keung and Ghada Alsharif

During the pandemic, they were called essential. Migrant workers who packed our meat, picked our produce, and kept grocery shelves stocked. In return, many were offered a pathway to permanent residency through a federal pilot program. Now, that door has quietly closed. The Agri-Food Immigration Pilot is being phased out by the federal government. And with it, thousands of low-wage food workers are once again left in Canada’s continuing cycle of “permanently temporary” immigration. Why was the program shut down? What does this mean for the people who grow and deliver our food and for Canada’s food supply chain with a trade war with the U.S. looming over it all? Two Star immigration and labour reporters break it down.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Star city hall reporter Mahdis Habibinia

After the recent devastating vehicle attack at Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day festival, Toronto organizers are raising fresh concerns about soaring security costs and the mounting pressure to keep people safe, especially with the city’s peak festival season around the corner. Toronto has been grappling with these fears for years, particularly after the 2018 van attack on Yonge Street. Since then, efforts to improve safety and crowd control have been underway but serious challenges remain.We look at whether things have actually improved, what risks still exist, and how rising safety demands are testing the limits of festival organizers and the city itself.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Shawn Pegg, Director at Community Living Ontario

A new report by Community Living Ontario exposes a disturbing reality faced by children with disabilities in Ontario schools. Based on interviews with over 500 parents and caregivers, it details how students, some of whom are as young as five, have been locked in rooms, physically restrained, or sent home because schools couldn’t meet their needs. Despite nearly $4 billion in annual special education funding, families and advocates say the system is failing the children. The result is a pattern of trauma, fear, and exclusion playing out in classrooms across the province. We talk to Shawn Pegg, the author of the report about the findings and what needs to be done.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Ottawa bureau chief Tonda MacCharles

We’re heading into the final stretch of a charged federal election campaign that’s shaped not just by a critical point in affordability, housing and healthcare but also by global events and Trump’s looming shadow. With election results just around the corner, on Monday; the political mood seems restless.The Star’s Ottawa bureau chief Tonda MacCharles unpacks the political climate, key turning points shaping this campaign and what might come next as the results roll in.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Alex Boyd

As Canada heads toward a federal election, the online information landscape is getting messier, more manipulated, and harder to recognize in real time. From repurposed Facebook groups to shady digital operations selling conspiracy-laced content and merch, these tactics are designed to grab attention and slowly shift public opinion. We talk about the strange case of the local buy and sell group in Hamilton, that morphed, almost overnight, into a far-right pro-Trump hub.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Toronto Star crime reporter Peter Edwards

It’s like a Netflix show in real life. A truck driving off with $24 million in gold and cash, stolen from a hangar outside Pearson International Airport in a crime so smooth it left everyone stunned. Now, two years later the investigation trail spreads across four countries from Canada to the U.S. to Dubai and India. Some of the suspects have fled and it doesn’t like they’re coming back. Neither is the gold. On its two-year anniversary we unpack what’s happened with the infamous Toronto gold heist, the key players and whether there’s any hope left for the case.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guests: Jack Blum and Sharon Corder, co-founders of National Canadian Film Day

Over the past few months, the president of the United States has done more to solidify a sense of Canadian identity than anyone in the past few decades.Suddenly Canadians are examining grocery labels to see what’s made here, looking at their investment portfolios to see if their dollars are working here, and an entire election has turned into a celebration of Canadian patriotism.

But perhaps nowhere has U.S. domination been bigger than in the entertainment industry — our TV screens and (especially) our movie screens are dominated by Hollywood. National Canadian Film Day this week is a chance to break out of that American mindset, offering 1,800 free screenings of Canadian movies in cinemas, concert theaters, libraries, malls, legion halls and anywhere else people can fit a screen.

Founders Jack Blum and Sharon Corder of Reel Canada talk about why they started on a mission to show people great Canadian movies, and why that mission seems especially appropriate at this moment. Plus some highlights of movies being shown Wednesday in and around Toronto, where “I guarantee there’s a screening within a few blocks of you, wherever you are.”

PLUS: Some picks for the best onscreen moments of Canadian patriotism.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan & Paulo Marques

Guest: Kate Allen, Toronto Star climate change reporter

When the movie Jurassic Park was made in 1993, the technology at the heart of its plot — bringing ancient giant animals back from extinction — was in the same category as time travel and warp drives: science fiction. This week it seems it may be closer to being just plain science.

After a company named Colossal Biosciences stunned the world by announcing it had overseen the birth of three dire wolves, a species of oversized white wolf known to fans of Game of Thrones, but one that has been extinct in reality for over 10,000 years. They have plans to bring the woolly mammoth back to the northern tundra, and revive the dodo bird, too.

Even before this week’s surprise news, executives at the Toronto Zoo have been wrestling with the ethics of “de-extinction” and the mammoth question, and Toronto Star reporter Kate Allen has been reporting on the issues that they and other zookeepers around the world, and conservation experts, see with the sudden application of this technology.

Allen joins This Matters to explain just what Colossal is doing and why it chooses pop-culture celebrity “charismatic” species to revive. And she outlines the ethical, technical and practical questions, and the massive amounts of money and scientific expertise, that this startup company has suddenly brought to the field of animal conservation.

PLUS: Did they really bring back dire wolves, or are these animals something else entirely?

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan & Paulo Marques

Guest: Toronto Star senior immigration reporter Nicholas Keung

For years, Canada’s immigration system was held up as a glowing model on the global stage. But what was once seen as a solution— to labour shortages, economic slowdown and an aging population—is now being blamed for everything from the housing crisis to collapsing healthcare. In today’s episode, we try to wade through the numbers, the policies and the politics behind a dramatic shift in how Canadians view immigration and how it went from celebrated to scrutinized.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Brendan Kennedy, investigative reporter at The Star

On Dec. 20, 2023 a guard was assaulted by an inmate at Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ontario. The inmate was then immediately removed from the facility. Two days later, jail guards in full riot gear carried out a violent, mass strip search of 192 inmates – none of whom were involved in the initial incident -- in a coordinated, collective punishment that spanned 48 hours.

A judge has called it a gross display of power, something that should never happen in this country. However, the Ministry of the Solicitor General, who oversees jails across the province, has remained relatively silent on the matter.

The incident has gone on to impact dozens of criminal cases across the province, as inmates seek to have their charges stayed or sentences reduced – and in some cases have received just that, as a recourse for having their Charter Rights violated.

Brendan Kennedy, investigative reporter with The Star, originally broke this story last year and has been doggedly trying to obtain security footage of exactly what went down at Maplehurst over the course of those 48 hours and what that tell us about the state of our jails.

PLUS: Hear from Rene Pearle, a former Maplehurst inmate who was there on that fateful day

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Raisa Patel

Liberal candidate Paul Chiang's remarks suggesting a political opponent could be handed over to Chinese authorities for a bounty has fuelled outrage, an RCMP probe and a political firestorm for the Liberals ahead of an election. Initially Liberal leader Mark Carney was seen as supporting him held back from dropping Chiang as a candidate Markham-Unionville. As backlash grew, and pressure mounted, it was Chiang who ultimately stepped down himself. This episode takes a look at how things unfolded and what it reveals about the Liberal leader's decision-making and judgement, just around the corner from a federal election.

Audio sources: Global News

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Allan Woods

Donald Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney just had their first call since Carney took office, and by all accounts, it was productive. But also, the fact that this call is making headlines is just another sign of how much Trump and the U.S. will loom over Canada’s upcoming election. From Trump’s political influence and the spread of disinformation to the idea (his own) that his presidency actually helped keep the Liberals in power; this election is shaping up to be as much about the U.S. as it is about Canada.

Canada has always had to live in America’s shadow—but this time, the biggest foreign threat to our democracy isn’t Russia or China—it might be our closest ally.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Guest: Ken Greenberg, urban designer and co-founder of Elbows Up Toronto

“This is not a trade war,” Charlie Angus said to a packed crowd at a church this week, “it’s an attack on who we are as people.” A lot of Canadians have been feeling that recently, as U.S. President Donald Trump not only imposes tariffs on us, but talks about taking our country over. The response in the public is like something few of us have seen, a swelling patriotism. But a lot of us have also been feeling a sense that while we want to do something, we aren’t sure how, beyond buying Canadian at the grocery store.

Ken Greenberg, who originally came to Toronto as a Vietnam war resistor before a career in public life as a planner and designer, is co-founder of a group called 'Elbows Up Toronto' aiming to organize people to turn those feelings into grassroots action. Their Monday night meetings are part rally, part brainstorming session, and serve as what Greenberg calls a “clearing house” where people can trade information and strategy and coordinate for further action. It is, he says, a chance to realize what Canadian culture really means (and can mean), and to emerge a better, stronger country for it.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Michelle Shephard, former Toronto Star reporter and co-author of “Code Name: Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis”

Scott Payne spent his career deep undercover in the drug trade, criminal networks and among racist terrorists — and despite some harrowing close calls that saw him stripped naked and almost exposed, he lived to tell the tale.

The woman he told it to — former Star reporter Michelle Shephard, who co-wrote a new book with Payne — sits down with This Matters to talk about what he went through and what he learned. This includes a time when he found himself in a field in the American south under a literal burning cross at a KKK rally, and how he learned that famous racist organization is now “your grandfather’s white supremacists” given the threat posed by The Base, a newer racist terrorist group bent on spurring a race war to bring about the collapse of society. Shephard discusses how Payne tried to stay safe while putting criminals in jail, and the toll it took on his mental health and family life.

PLUS: the time Payne had a hood pulled off his head and found himself being unexpectedly “knighted” into the Ku Klux Klan.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star journalist Janet Hurley

Ontario’s colleges and universities are facing a financial crisis. Millions in deficits, staff layoffs, and program cuts have become the norm. In the midst of all this, at George Brown College, one expense is fuelling controversy. A former president receiving over a million dollars in retirement payouts while the college suspends programs and tightens its budget. It has renewed a bigger conversation about administrative growth, executive compensation, priorities and the future of post-secondary education in the province.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Amira Elghawaby,Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia

Islamophobia and hate is on the rise in Canada. Political rhetoric is growing more divisive. Statistics show a surge in reported hate crimes against visible minorities. And in the middle of it all is Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia. Since taking on the role, she has faced relentless pushback and personal attacks. In early March, her office has released a new guide on tackling Islamophobia at a time when tensions appear to escalating in the country. With growing concerns that rising hate and anti-Muslim sentiment from a U.S. under Trump, could spill over here, Elghawaby's job is cut out for her. In a candid conversation with This Matters, she unpacks all of this, the need for her newly released guide and the future of her role and work in an increasingly polarized political climate.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Toronto Star columnist Dave Feschuck

Between the professional hockey leagues, a new professional soccer league and the new franchise in the professional basketball league, women’s sports is flourishing in Toronto. Girls sports too — especially hockey, where enrolment of young girls is single-handedly driving growth in the sport. Today’s girls, at the elite level, face future prospects their grandmothers could only have dreamed of, but that also means they face a choice: should they continue to play on teams with boys, in leagues dominated by boys? Or should they take advantage of the many girls leagues Ontario has to offer.

Dave Feschuk and Kerry Gillespie recently wrote about that issue for the Star, and Feschuk joins host Edward Keenan (coach of a girls hockey team) to discuss the factors involved in making that choice, including where the strongest competition is, the potential value of playing with body contact, the social dimensions of the sport, and the avenues that exist to national or college teams.

PLUS: Special guest Irene Keenan, the host’s 16-year-old daughter, talks about her own experience playing alongside boys and in all-girls environments as both a hockey and baseball player.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Abby O'Brien

On Friday, March 7 — opening night at the Piper Arms pub in the historic Old Scott House building in Scarborough — three assailants with guns opened fire on a crowd indiscriminately, shooting seven people and injuring 12. What’s certain at this point, is that it was a horrifying scene and that, as a police investigator said, “it’s simply incredible nobody was killed.”

As the city reels and speculation about motives swirl, firm information beyond that is difficult to pin down. So far, no suspects have been identified, nor descriptions of suspects issued. Though police have yet to confirm any link, there is plenty of speculation about a possible connection to a recent wave of violence related to the tow truck industry — and on Thursday, the Star’s Abby O’Brien reported on two arrests from Saturday that appear to have some connections to the pub and to the towing industry. She talks us through the week’s events and what happens next.

PLUS: Just what the heck is happening with tow trucks and violence?

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Kenyon Wallace

Ontario’s ER crisis is pushing patients to the brink. A recent report by the Ontario Patient Ombudsman reveals a record-breaking 4429 patient complaints—the highest since the office was created. Almost 20 percent of the complaints were about emergency room experiences, highlighting growing concerns about patient care in hospital emergency departments. In this short edition of This Matters, we unpack what you need to know.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star Senior Immigration Reporter Nicholas Keung

Every year, unaccompanied minors seek refuge in Canada, from war, violence and worse. But when they get here, they face a new struggle; trying to find safety, shelter and support. With no dedicated housing or settlement services, many end up in a possibly unsafe adult shelter system, emergency hotels, or even on the streets. Now Toronto is opening its first ever shelter designed specifically for young asylum seekers who arrive alone.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Mark Carney, the former Bank of Canada governor, trounced the competition Sunday winning the Liberal leadership with nearly 86 per cent support. Carney will become prime minister in the days ahead. He will appoint a new cabinet. And is widely expected to call a federal election campaign next week.

In this bonus episode of “It’s Political,” the Toronto Star’s national columnist Susan Delacourt joins Althia Raj to discuss Sunday’s leadership event, from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s speech to Carney’s big introduction to the country, whether former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland should be in cabinet and what to watch for in the days ahead.

The clips this week were sourced from CPAC and CBC.

This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Kevin Sexton, who also served as sound engineer. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

Guest: Toronto Star Ottawa Bureau Chief Tonda MacCharles

Canadians have been bracing themselves for a potential trade war for over a month, and on Tuesday U.S. President Donald Trump actually launched it, imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports. And that appears just to be the beginning.

The Star’s Tonda MaCharles talks us through the immediate aftermath, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “remarkable” speech, Canada’s retaliatory tariffs and the logic behind them, responses from others including Pierre Poilievre and Doug Ford, and Trump’s own speech to the U.S. Congress on the day the trade war was launched.

We look at the ways this is likely to impact the Canadian and American economies, and why Trump may be testing the pain threshold of his own citizens and the investors whose opinion he typically so values. And given that the stated reason for imposing the tariffs — illegal drug trafficking — is obviously not true, host Edward Keenan and MacCharles consider what Trudeau said is the larger logic of Trump’s aggression: a takeover of Canada.

PLUS: Who exactly signed this “terrible” North American trade deal Trump is always complaining about?

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie

On the one hand, Doug Ford won a third straight majority (the first such feat by a premier in Ontario since the 1950s). On the other hand, he doesn’t seem happy about it, because he wanted more seats. The Star’s Robert Benzie explains why, and looks at the similar dark cloud/silver lining result faced by other parties (and shares former premier David Peterson’s observation about why winning too big is as much a curse as a blessing). He also breaks down the results, and the turnout (NOT the worst participation rate ever, FWIW), and discusses the prospects for long-simmering issues such as health care to come to the surface now that the election is over.

PLUS: Why you could consider this a “Seinfeld” election

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star affordable housing reporter Victoria Gibson

Ontario is racing towards a snap election on Feb.27 and for a lot of voters, two issues loom well above the rest: housing and healthcare. Both are at breaking point, and both are dominating party platforms. As part of our pre-election coverage, we’re delving into these issues. Where do things really stand, are any of the candidates offering actual solutions, and what should you, the voters be thinking about as you head to the polls?

We talk housing on today’s episode. Millions of people in Ontario are struggling with a reality where housing is not just unaffordable; for many, it’s almost impossible. Rents are out of control, homeownership feels like a distant dream, subsidized housing waitlists are stretching into decades and homelessness numbers have shot up by 25 per cent since the last election. We keep hearing big promises about 1.5 million new homes, more affordable units, incentives for developers, but is any of it actually working?

Guests: Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner

Star's political columnist Martin Regg Cohn also leads the TMU Democracy forum, where he recently sat down with Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to discuss what they might do for Ontarians if their party wins the upcoming election. Doug Ford, the Progressive Conservative leader who hopes to be reelected, declined to participate in the forum.

Here in three separate episodes, Martin leads conversations with the leaders who did agree to participate in front of a live studio audience. The leaders speak about what makes them tick and what clicks with voters; the policies, the personalities, and the problems facing our province. Here's the episode with Mike Schreiner.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Martin Regg Cohn and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner

Star's political columnist Martin Regg Cohn also leads the TMU Democracy forum, where he recently sat down with Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to discuss what they might do for Ontarians if their party wins the upcoming election. Doug Ford, the Progressive Conservative leader who hopes to be reelected, declined to participate in the forum.

Here in three separate episodes, Martin leads conversations with the leaders who did agree to participate in front of a live studio audience. The leaders speak about what makes them tick and what clicks with voters; the policies, the personalities, and the problems facing our province. Here's the episode with Marit Stiles.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Martin Regg Cohn and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles, Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner

Star's political columnist Martin Regg Cohn also leads the TMU Democracy forum, where he recently sat down with Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to discuss what they might do for Ontarians if their party wins the upcoming election. Doug Ford, the Progressive Conservative leader who hopes to be reelected, declined to participate in the forum.

Here in three separate episodes, Martin leads conversations with the leaders who did agree to participate in front of a live studio audience. The leaders speak about what makes them tick and what clicks with voters; the policies, the personalities, and the problems facing our province. Here's the episode with Bonnie Crombie.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Martin Regg Cohn and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Toronto Star health reporter Megan Ogilvie

Ontario is racing towards a snap election on February 27 and for a lot of voters, two issues loom well above the rest: housing and healthcare. Both are at breaking point and both are dominating party platforms. As part of the Star's pre-election coverage, we’re delving into these issues. Where do things really stand, are any of the candidates offering actual solutions, and what should you, the voters, be thinking about as you head to the polls?

Today’s episode will focus on healthcare. With overflowing ERs, health-care worker burn-out and more than two million people without a family doctor, Ontario’s healthcare has been in trouble for years. Can anyone bring it back on track?

Audio sources: Global News, CTV, CBC, Youtube

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

Guests: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie and Queen’s Park reporter Rob Ferguson

On Valentine’s Day, and then again on Family Day, the provincial leaders engaged in this Ontario campaign’s two debates. Rob and Rob from our Queen’s Park bureau recap why they may be the most substantial events of the campaign so far, allowing viewers to dig into many of the issues that define life in the province.

They also discuss whether they heard any “kill shots” or “knock-out punches” from the podiums — and what the best lines and most noteworthy exchanges were. And then they discuss what’s happened since: the polls, the fight between the Liberals and the NDP to poach each other’s voters, and Doug Ford’s preparations for a second trip out of the country during the campaign.

PLUS: The crudely confrontational challenge that Bonnie Crombie issued to Doug Ford on Wednesday

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Ed Keenan and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie

During an election campaign, it’s unusual for a premier to take his campaign to stops in foreign countries — but these are unusual times, and this is an unusual Ontario election. The Star’s Robert Benzie joined Doug Ford and Canada’s other premier’s on their visit to a snowy Washington, D.C. this week and tells us who they met with, what they are hoping to accomplish, and the prospects for success in getting their message through when the entire U.S. government is in Trump-inspired chaos. Benzie also unpacks what this might mean for the Ontario election race, and why Ford might prefer to be seen in the U.S. — where approximately none of his voters live — rather than knock on doors here at home. PLUS: What does talk of Canada as the 51st state have in common with a dead cat?

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Toronto Star City Hall Bureau Chief Ben Spurr

The city, we often hear, is a “creature of the province,” and as such almost all city hall business hangs on the indulgence of the premier. So for Toronto, the stakes in the provincial election would seem to be high. It’s not hard to think of specific examples of issues that could turn based on the results, from bike lanes to Ontario Place to safe injection sites, to the ongoing negotiations about the “new deal” financial plan. Even more broadly, the current premier has taken an activist, micro-managing approach to Toronto, and central policies like housing and transit depend on provincial funding.

City Hall Bureau Chief Ben Spurr and host Edward Keenan discuss a range of things that could change for Toronto based on this election, and about why you don’t hear much in the way of specific talk about the Toronto angle from the leaders in debates.

PLUS: Why Mayor Olivia Chow has been quiet about the campaign, and is unlikely to endorse anyone.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paolo Marques and Ed Keenan.

Guests: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie and Queen’s Park reporter Rob Ferguson

Doug Ford looked strong in announcing retaliatory measures planned in response to threatened tariffs from Donald Trump, but then after that threat was put on pause, comments he made privately about celebrating the U.S. president’s victory became a problem, and even a potential turning point in the election. Our Queen’s Park team explains what’s happened and what it all could mean, and also discusses the role the opposition leaders hope health care policy will play in the election, the emergence of highways as a major issue for two of the parties, and what the polls tell us midway through the campaign.

PLUS: Why a winter campaign has campaigns shouting “drill baby drill.”

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon, Paolo Marques and Ed Keenan.

Guest: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie

After months of speculation, Premier Doug Ford finally called an election, sending voters to the polls more than a year ahead of schedule. Robert Benzie discusses Ford’s stated rationale for the campaign, and also unpacks the reasons behind the months of groundwork that prepared for this early election. Tax rebate cheques are hitting mailboxes, beer is on sale in corner stores, and the results of the Greenbelt police investigation are still likely months away.

On Ford’s side, the polls and electoral conditions seem favourable now. On the other side, on key issues of housing, health care and transit, it’s hard for him to make the argument he’s “gotten it done.” Here’s what the Toronto Star team has seen during the first week of the campaign.

PLUS: The potential rewards and substantial risks of making Trump a central figure in the campaign.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paolo Marques and Ed Keenan.

Commentator: Robert Benzie

It's likely Doug Ford will call a snap election nearly a year and a half before the province is due. Queen's Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie gives a brief analysis and explains why now is an ideal time for Ford to call this election: what's at stake, what issues are most pressing, what his opposition thinks, and what is the historical precedence in Ontario for snap elections.

Guests: Richard Warnica and Alex Ballingall

On Monday, we saw the result of an unprecedented political comeback as Donald Trump was officially sworn in as President of the United States – again. His second run comes four years after being voted out of office, and being impeached for attempting to overturn that result.

Senior Opinion writer Richard Warnica and Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief Alex Ballingall attend the inauguration and chat about what they saw: the major difference between the 2017 event and this one; what it signals that Trump expressed his return to power as similar to a prophet’s work; the pardons & proclamations he made on day one; and why Elon’s ‘Nazi salute’ should be of no surprise.

PLUS: What’s the single most important thing progressives in both the USA & Canada can do right now?

Guest: Toronto Star Editor-in-chief Nicole MacIntyre talks about the genesis of the “Toronto the Better” series which looks for ways to improve life in the city in ways big and small

This is the time of year for winter blahs, and it arrives amid what seems to be a years-long Toronto blues, in which Star Editor-in-chief Nicole MacIntyre admits she’s felt in danger of “falling out of love” with the city. But it’s also the time of year for resolutions, and so the Star has launched the “Toronto the Better” series which looks for ways to improve life in the city in ways big and small, from institutional fixes to self-help hacks. MacIntyre talks about the genesis of the idea, including the role her own recreational softball team played in inspiring parts of it, and talks about the things that can make us happy—things we can do ourselves and things the city can do for us—and breaks apart what being happy even means. Host Edward Keenan and MacIntyre discuss how the personal and the institutional combine and conflict to add up to a life worth living in the city. And we hear about the year-long plan to explore those topics in the Star. PLUS: Revisiting the first time Keenan and MacIntryre met in a conversation on the waterfront, a conversation directly relevant to this new initiative.

It’s been a historic week in Ottawa. On Friday, Jan. 10, members of the Star’s Ottawa bureau sat for a discussion about how we got to the point where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau decided he must step down as leader of the federal Liberal party and PM, and exactly where the Liberals must go from here.

Join the Star's Deputy Ottawa Bureau Chief, Alex Ballingall, Ottawa Bureau Reporter, Ryan Tumilty, and moderator Robert Benzie, Queen's Park Bureau Chief.

Guest: Toronto Mayor Oliva ChowHost: Edward Keenan

In this episode of This Matters Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow talks about the housing and school nutrition progress she says are her biggest achievements of 2024, reflects on passing the biggest tax increase in post-amalgamation history and fields a question on what Torontonians should expect from the tax increase coming in the 2025 budget. Also, she shares her own response to the shelter crisis report that led the city manager to call the city’s commitment to housing as a human right “aspirational,” and discusses her plans to open libraries on weekends. Host Edward Keenan also asks her about a raft of issues where her critics and supporters seems to agree she’s ducking fights they expect her to take on—and she explains whether they all have her all wrong.

PLUS: Seasonally appropriate conversation about why some of the best things about Toronto, in 2024 and beyond, involve ice.

This week, This Matters is publishing episodes of the Toronto Star's new podcast Small Things Big Climate.

Of all the climate solutions out there, the heat pump is a no brainer. Not only will it reduce your emissions by 60 per cent or more, it’s cheaper to operate, improves air quality and makes your home more comfortable. Despite these many qualities, many people are getting talked out of getting a heat pump by their HVAC contractor.

Guests: John Gultig, heat pump owner, Michelle Hjort, Energy Advisor at Energy Neighbour and carbontech innovator Phil de Luna.

This week, This Matters is publishing episodes of the Toronto Star's new podcast Small Things Big Climate.

Sometimes it feels like you need a PhD to figure out how to shop for lower carbon groceries. Why isn’t there a simple rule of thumb to follow? Host Marco Chown Oved starts this episode with a simple question: What’s more important for the climate, what you eat or where it comes from? And the answer is: It isn’t even close.

Guests: Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown, Cory Van Groningen, beef farmer at Hillview Farm, partnered with VG Meats and Rowe Farms, Brent Preston, farmer at The New Farm, President of Farmers for Climate Solutions.

This week, This Matters is publishing episodes of the Toronto Star's new podcast Small Things Big Climate.

We live in a world built for cars. But as we sit in endless traffic, it’s hard not to think they’ve become a victim of their own success. Enter e-bikes. They’re big enough to replace delivery trucks, but small enough to zip past the bumper-to-bumper gridlock. They’re increasingly popular among food delivery people, families with young kids and seniors and soon may be replacing pick up trucks as a rural mode of transportation.

Guests: Jennifer McLaughlin, manager of rider experience at Zygg E-Bikes, Kevin McLaughlin, founder of Zygg, AutoShare and Evergreen and Joanna Kyriazis, director of public affairs at Clean Energy Canada.

This week, This Matters is publishing episodes of the Toronto Star's new podcast Small Things Big Climate.

Plastic is a miracle substance that’s revolutionized healthcare, keeping things sterile, and has replaced glass and metal packaging, reducing carbon emissions from shipping goods. It even keeps produce fresh for longer, reducing waste and the carbon emissions that come from rotting food.

But those positives have for too long overshadowed the negatives. Some plastic is toxic. It’s building up in the ecosystem and in our bodies. Today, plastic can be found in virtually every aspect of our lives. Not only in shopping bags, pop bottles and straws, but in places you’d never expect, like furniture and construction materials, and clothes. Yes clothes. Join us for a shopping trip to learn how your pants are contributing to climate change.

Guests: Kelly Drennan, founder of Fashion Takes Action and Max Liboiron, a professor of geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland and director of the Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR).

This week, This Matters is publishing episodes of the Toronto Star's new podcast Small Things Big Climate.

The way we talk about climate change needs to, well, change. Everything is either invisible, like emissions, or incomprehensible, like megatonnes, or inconceivable, like reductions of national emissions 25 years in the future. The cause of climate change is simple: it’s fire. To end global warming, we need to stop burning things. Guests: Tim Stezik of Toronto Fire Services, Lytton fire survivor and author Meghan Fandrich and Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Fire Weather, John Valliant.

This week, This Matters is publishing episodes of the Toronto Star's new podcast Small Things Big Climate. The Star is often inundated with emails from readers asking what they can do to fight climate change. While there are lots of things people can do to lower their personal carbon emissions – and it’s important to feel like you’re part of the solution – individual action cannot end global warming on its own. So in this episode we take a look at community groups working on scaling up individual action to the neighbourhood level, and ask a former environmental activist turned Member of Provincial Parliament whether writing politicians actually makes a difference. * Host: Marco Chown Oved, Climate Change Reporter, Toronto Star * Guests: David Langille and Julia Morgan, co-chairs of the Pocket Change Project. Peter Tabuns, former head of Greenpeace Canada and the Ontario NDP’s environment critic.

To hear more episodes, go to Small Things Big Climate or find it in your podcast feed.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Mark Colley and contributor Aisling Murphy

In this episode, This Matters looks at the Tay-Tay-takeover of Toronto, in which the pop star’s six concerts over 10 days have been estimated to bring in as many as a half a million tourists and pump hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy. Reporter Mark Colley provides some perspective on the phenomenon and all it has entailed, from massive security, transit and traffic planning, to the scene around the city. Aisling Murphy, the Star’s resident Swiftie, was at the show on Thursday night, and provides a look at the vibes inside, and a perspective on what the performance was like. PLUS: How Taylor’s Toronto “secret songs” in her first performance tied into the season.

Guest: The Toronto Star’s Richard Warnica, reporting from Washington, DC

In this episode, This Matters returns from hiatus with a special episode on the U.S. Election. Knowing all that they know about Donald Trump — after the court convictions and the insurrection and the threats and open bigotry, and after a campaign in which he sometimes seemed increasingly undisciplined — Americans sent him back to the Oval Office. And they voted for him by higher margins than in 2016. The day after the election, the Star’s Richard Warnica, who has been reporting on Trump since the 2016 campaign and who travelled the U.S. during this campaign, joins Edward Keenan who covered part of Trump’s first term as the Star’s Washington Bureau Chief. The two discuss the mood at Kamala Harris’ election night party, what Warnica observed about Trump voters, and why Americans might expect a more effective form of authoritarianism from a second Trump term. PLUS: How the Democratic party may have been right about public opinion on abortion access and wrong about how it would affect the presidential results.

Guest: The Toronto Star’s Richard Warnica, reporting from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Less than a week after a would-be assassin wounded former U.S. President Donald Trump, he accepted his party’s nomination to run for president again on a stage in Wisconsin. In between, he selected a vice-presidential candidate, created a new political fashion trend for ear bandages, and watched as Hulk Hogan ripped his shirt off and invoked Trumpamania. The Republican Party, the Star’s Richard Warnica reports from the convention floor, was absolutely giddy in their confidence going into the election as their Democratic opponents muddled through an attempt to get President Joe Biden to step down. If there was hope for Democrats, it might be they now expect a new candidate, and that the speech Trump ended the week with took most of the air out of the room, dragging on and on as a new message of unity quickly gave wave to the same old scaremongering, clothed in new shades of boredom.

Audio sources: Forbes Breaking News

Produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques

Guest: Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporter

The investigations continue into what drove 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks to open fire last weekend, at former president Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, before being shot dead by a Secret Service sniper. But moments after the shooting, social media platforms were flooded with conspiracy theories with both right and left-wing voices amplifying mis and disinformation. From claims that the blood on Trump's ear was fake and from a theatrical prop to allegations of a staged operation by the Secret Service, the internet was rife with speculation. We unpack how this incident reveals the growing reach of conspiracy theories beyond traditional political lines, how they spread so quickly and social media’s role in amplifying them.

Audio sources: TikTok/The Daily Show

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Matthew Hearn

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Allan Woods, Toronto Star global and national affairs reporter

On the weekend, a 20-year-old gunman opened fire at a Donald Trump campaign rally, apparently injuring the former president, killing a bystander, and injuring two others. Toronto Star reporter Allan Woods wrote this week about the history of political violence and assassinations in the U.S., and about what that history might teach about how to step back from the brink of civil war. He also discusses the political fallout and implications of the shooting, the ongoing Republican National Convention, and whether those in attendance are tempering or ratcheting up their rhetoric.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques

Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk take a final tour through Toronto's recent sports history. They touch on the bean-counting days of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Rogers to the more ambitious days of Bell and Rogers, with Larry Tanenbaum in between. They muse on the bad old days of the Leafs, Raptors and Jays to the current era of Brendan Shanahan, Masai Ujiri, and Mark Shapiro in Toronto sports. They consider the end of Alex Anthopoulos, the Raptors title (and the subsequent idea that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George could have come to Toronto), and the many failures, big and small, of the Toronto Maple Leafs. How could it have been different? How do you fix it now? Are the Jays doomed to corporate mediocrity, are the Raptors too far from their championship peak, and have the Leafs accumulated too much baggage to actually have a championship contending window? Arthur and Feschuk take you through the whole big ball of failure, and more.

Guest: Legendary sports broadcaster Dave Hodge, formerly of TSN and Hockey Night in Canada

Hosts: Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk

When Brendan Shanahan took over the helm of the Maple Leafs in 2014, he vowed not to repeat the sins of various predecessors accused of rushing the team-building process. Shanahan insisted he would exercise patience. But after eight post-season runs in which the Maple Leafs have only once advanced beyond the opening round, Shanahan’s refusal to give up on the team’s core stars is accompanied by the reek of stubborn incompetence. Here Arthur, Feschuk and Hodge try to make sense of Shanahan’s approach while pointing out the glaring blind spots that have left the Maple Leafs a long way away from interrupting the longest Stanley Cup drought in the history of the NHL, 57 years and counting.

PLUS: Arthur, Feschuk and Hodge discuss the highs and lows of the Shanaplan era.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Toronto Star basketball writer Doug Smith Hosts: Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk Five years ago, Masai Ujiri was among the most coveted executives in all of pro sports, his masterstroke trade for Kawhi Leonard landing the Raptors their first NBA title. In the five years since, the franchise has won one playoff series while languishing through less-than-inspiring moments that Ujiri himself has characterized as difficult to watch. In this episode, Arthur, Feschuk and Smith discuss Ujiri’s post-championship swoon, including an inability to parlay the offloaded pieces of a title roster into a more formidable collection of assets. Though there are bright spots – including the emergence of Scottie Barnes as the franchise’s foundational player – there are also plenty of question marks on the road to a future that’s potentially more prosperous. PLUS: Arthur, Feschuk and Smith discuss the highs and lows of the post-championship comedown. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Former Toronto Star baseball columnist and Blue Jays PR director Richard Griffin Hosts: Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk Mark Shapiro could have been the perfect president of the Toronto Blue Jays. In the eight years since he took over for Paul Beeston, Shapiro has successfully convinced Blue Jays ownership to spend big money on the team, not to mention hundreds of millions in renovations to Rogers Centre and the club’s Florida training base. Beyond those improvements, though, the money hasn’t produced the desired results, with the Jays still searching for even a modicum of playoff success. In this episode we’ll look back on the departure of former GM Alex Anthopoulos, who has since gone on to win a World Series in Atlanta, and the underwhelming outcomes of the seasons since. PLUS: Arthur, Feschuk and Griffin discuss the highlights and low points of the Shapiro era.

Guest: Deborah Dundas, opinion section editor at the Toronto Star

A chilling revelation has surfaced almost a month after the death of Canada's literary giant, Alice Munro. Andrea Skinner — who is Munro’s daughter — has revealed in the Toronto Star that her stepfather Gerald Fremlin sexually abused her when she was nine years old. She was only able to tell her mother in a letter when she was in her 20s. Her mother chose to remain with Fremlin, even after discovering the abuse. For nearly five decades a conspiracy of silence has loomed over the family — casting a chill over the legacy of Canada's Nobel laureate — and raising questions about how society appears to view and protect its icons while uncomfortable truths and complicit silence lurks just beneath the surface. More than anything else, this is the story of a survivor and her courage to speak out so others might follow.

A warning that his episode contains descriptions of child sexual abuse and might be triggering. Please take care while listening.

Audio sources: CBC

This episode was produced by Sean Pattenden and Saba Eitizaz

Guest: Olivia Chow, mayor of Toronto

One year ago, Olivia Chow was elected mayor of Toronto in a victory that signalled optimism in a city where that seemed in short supply. As we approach the annual Pride parade and the Canada Day long weekend (and after a marathon city council meeting), Chow reflects on what she’s proudest of and what has been most challenging so far. She also talks about the difficulty of moving people faster, why she thinks she’s been misunderstood on whether workers should come back to the office, the controversy over Sankofa Square, and what the city can and cannot do regarding the fate of the Ontario Science Centre. Plus, Chow discusses why she thinks the rental housing measures passed this week are kind of a big deal.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Cait Alexander, artist and social activist

In 2022, 184 women were killed violently in Canada. That’s one woman killed every 48 hours. More than four million women, 30 per cent of all women aged 15 and older, report that they have experienced sexual assault. It’s costing Canada almost $8 billion to deal with the aftermath of spousal violence alone. Is a country that in the past was considered a global champion of human rights, failing to effectively protect women at home? In 2022, the federal government launched a National Action Plan to end gender-based violence. The resultant agreement with several provinces will be seeing $162 million distributed over four years in Ontario alone. But advocates say they’re frustrated by the pace of change, if two important pieces of legislation for women currently pending in Ontario is any indication. Over two episodes, we discuss them both.

In today’s episode: Bill 173 is the Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, and it calls for intimate partner violence to declared an epidemic in the province. It took a year, but the Ontario government has finally shown its support towards the bill, introduced by the NDP. The bill received a rare standing ovation from all parties in the house after being introduced in April. Last year, similar calls from an inquest into the deaths of three women at the hands of their former partner was rejected by the Ford government.

Our guest today, Cait Alexander, was nearly murdered by her partner. Yet he walks free, and she had to leave Canada. The criminal case for her ex-boyfriend, accused of trying to kill her in 2021, was rescheduled twice before it was ultimately dropped due to the Jordan ceiling under the Criminal Code, that ensures everyone charged with an offence has the right to trial within a limited time-frame.

If you are a victim of intimate partner violence, there is help. The Star has compiled a list of resources here.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Andrea Gunraj, vice president public engagement, Canadian Women’s Foundation

In 2022, 184 women were killed violently in Canada. That’s one woman killed every 48 hours. More than four million women, 30 per cent of all women aged 15 and older, report that they have experienced sexual assault. It’s costing Canada almost $8 billion to deal with the aftermath of spousal violence alone. Is a country that in the past was considered a global champion of human rights, failing to effectively protect women at home? In 2022, the federal government launched a National Action Plan to end gender-based violence. The resultant agreement with several provinces will be seeing $162 million distributed over four years in Ontario alone. But advocates say they’re frustrated by the pace of change, if two important pieces of legislation for women currently pending in Ontario is any indication. Over two episodes, we will discuss them both.

In today's episode: With more than a thousand cases of sexual assault withdrawn or stayed before trial in 2023, sexual assault survivors are often re-traumatized and victimized by a frustrating reporting process and court system. Seeking to bring more accountability and transparency in the handling of these cases in Ontario, NDP MPP Catherine Fife introduced Bill 180, or Lydia's Law, in the Ontario legislature. But the process hit a snag before summer break when the Ford government sent it back to a committee without debate. The legislation still lingers there now. On "This Matters," we discuss how it could help women experiencing harassment, especially at their workplaces.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

Guest: Mary Simon, governor general of Canada

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon was appointed to her role in 2021, and made history as the first Indigenous person to hold that office. She used her social media to share updates about her work until last year, when the online hate came for her. Her team was forced to close her social media account’s comment section because the incoming hate became vile, racist and relentless. Yet in a powerful move, Gov. Gen. Simon took back her story and publicly shared those very comments to shine a light on the rising tide of abuse and online bullying in Canada. In an exclusive virtual conversation with “This Matters,” the governor general talks about reconciliation, respect and the fight against online hate.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattenden and Saba Eitizaz

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: John Degen, novelist, and Peter Gorman, Deputy People's Warden at St. Anne's

On June 9, a catastrophic four-alarm fire destroyed St. Anne's Anglican Church in Toronto's Little Portugal neighbourhood. The flames turned valuable paintings that were embedded into the very structure to ashes, including the only know religious artwork made by Canada’s famed Group of Seven. With the loss of St. Anne's, Canada has lost a historic site, but the community that built its life around the church has also lost its emotional and spiritual sanctuary. In this episode, two men deeply connected with St. Anne's church talk about what was lost; not just from a historical and cultural perspective but a deeply human one.

Audio sources: Global News

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

Guest: Satirical conspiracy theory leader Peter McIndoe

It all started when Peter McIndoe, a self-described “obnoxious teenager,” went to a women’s march and scrawled the most random phrase he could think of on a sign: “Birds Aren’t Real.” When asked by people around him what he meant, he improvised a whole back story, someone posted a video of him online, and a fake movement was born. He spent a couple of years zigzagging across the U.S. in his van, playing the part of a conspiracy leader, doing interviews and leading crowds of his followers in chants. Many of his fans were in on the joke, while others — including some journalists — did think he was serious. He joins “This Matters” to talk about the challenge of staying in character as a conspiracy leader, how he thinks these movements get sparked, what sustains them. He also talks about why those reasons may not be what you think.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Ben Spurr, city hall bureau chief

Can you imagine Toronto without its public transit lifeline? A TTC strike might be looming for the first time in almost 16 years as thousands of transit workers might soon walk off the job and on to the picket line this Friday. Despite months of negotiations on job security, wages and benefits, the TTC management and the union representing about 12,000 workers seems to be in a deadlock. City hall bureau chief Ben Spurr explains the stakes on both sides and what this could mean for Torontonian's commute on Friday.

Audio sources: CBC News

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: David Miller, former mayor of Toronto

Former Toronto Mayor David Miller was always an advocate for the environment. But in the nearly 14 years since he left office he’s become one of the world’s great networkers for climate solutions, bringing together mayors from 96 cities to share policy ideas, programs and practices. In this episode of “This Matters,” Miller discusses why municipal governments are best positioned to rapidly deploy climate solutions and the ways he’s seen mayors make outsized impacts far beyond the boundaries of their cities by “hacking” their position to reduce emissions.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Shawn Micallef, contributing columnist and author of “Stroll: Pyschogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto”

In 2010, journalist Shawn Micallef first published his book of observations, suggestions and civic history gleaned from years of wandering around the city and paying close attention to what he saw. In the 14-years since, as Micallef became a freelance columnist for The Star, the book has been a perennial local favourite, running through several press runs. This week, a new, updated edition launches, for which he re-walked all of the terrain and revised to note how the city has changed in small and large ways. From the ravines to and entirely new neighbourhood, he talks about what one can learn about a city, and how you can grow to both love it and demand change from it, just by strolling around.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Journalists Samira Mohyeddin and Christopher Curtis

Student protests that first erupted across the United States have now spread northward, igniting across Canada, including campuses at University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia and University of Alberta among others. The students say they want to end a war that’s claimed more than 34,000 Palestinian lives, according to local officials, destroyed or damaged every university in Gaza and displaced hundreds of thousands of people. The recent Israeli offensive against Gaza began after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants which killed almost 1,200 Israelis with dozens still held hostage. The students are specifically calling for universities to cut all financial and academic ties with any Israeli company or campus that supports the military or illegal West Bank settlements based on international law. In this episode we take a look at what's going inside the University of Toronto and McGill University campuses through the eyes of two independent journalists, Samira Mohiyeddin and Christopher Curtis, co-founder of The Rover, who have been reporting from within the encampments.

Audio sources: CBC News, Samira Mohyeddin, Christopher Curtis, Lance McMillan

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

With files from Marco Chown Oved

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Toronto PWHL season ticket holder and superfan Connie Hamers

At the inaugural game of Toronto’s professional women’s hockey team, Connie Hamers had front-row seats, and immediately took a liking to the play of rookie Emma Maltais. By game two, she’d labelled her section “Emma Nation” and began bringing team swag she made (or had made) herself — signs, team roster reference lists, mini-sticks, hockey cards — to games to distribute freely to others sitting around her. She travelled with the team to other cities, founded a social media fan group, and quickly became one of the most well-recognized and liked people in attendance at games. As the team prepares for its first-ever playoffs, she sits down with fellow season ticket holder Edward Keenan to discuss a first-place finish for the team, the astonishing MVP-calibre performance of Natalie Spooner, what she loves about Maltais, why she has put so much time and energy into supporting and heling promote the team, and what she’s looking forward to in the playoffs. Plus, Hamers shares how she left her “Emma Nation” mark in places around the U.S. and Canada.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Jasmine Eastmond, Tristan Kim and Kristin Rushowy

The Ontario government has announced a crackdown on cellphones and vaping in schools, new regulations that are being seen as some of the toughest in Canada. According to Education Minister Stephen Lecce, the new government policy for cellphones, with some exceptions, is out of sight, out of mind. With this new move to ban cellphone use in classrooms, Ontario has joined a global movement with similar restrictions being imposed in the UK, Australia, France and some Scandinavian countries. There are many questions about enforcement and effectiveness, chief among them: how are teachers going to keep young people away from their phones in an increasingly digital ecosystem?

Audio sources: CP24

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz. With files from Emily Fagan

Guest: Betsy Powell, courts reporter

After the death of police Const. Jeffrey Northrup, the trial of Umar Zameer for first degree murder galvanized attention (and political rage) in the Toronto area. Now that he’s been found not guilty, people are left with questions about a prosecution that always seemed to be based on flimsy grounds. Reporter Betsy Powell covered the case for the Star from its beginnings to its conclusion, and spoke one-on-one with Zameer following the verdict. Now on “This Matters,” she shares her overview of the case, how the judge had expressed skepticism all along and the rare apology that judge issued to the defendant. We also share Zameer’s own reflections on the trial from Powell’s interview.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Sophie Grégoire Trudeau

Even before Sophie Grégoire Trudeau married Prime Minister Justin Trudeau she was an advocate for mental health, openly sharing her personal struggles with eating disorders. She discusses her new book. She shares those struggles afresh, along with tales of her parents, her schooling, her relationships, in her new book, “Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other,” which she describes as a personal journey toward empowerment.

We asked three published, award-winning Toronto poets to weigh in on Swift’s literary merit at a listening party on the album’s release day. The assignment: dissect three new songs as though Swift were a writer workshopping new pieces.

Guests: Sanna Wani, a poet and poetry editor whose latest book, “My Grief The Sun,” was released in 2022; Jody Chan’s most recent volume of poems, “impact statement,” came out earlier this year and they are an artist-in-residence at the University of Toronto’s Queer and Trans Research Lab; Adam Dickinson, an author of four books of poetry and a professor in the Department of English language at Brock University.

Guests: Leena Usman, Pino Buffone and Kris Rushowy

In what could be a landmark lawsuit in Canada, at least five major Ontario school boards are taking some of the largest social media companies to court over their platforms like Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, alleging they have been designed in a way that’s almost “rewiring” the way children behave. The allegations have yet to be proven in court, and there is no set date for when they will be heard, but they are now joining a wave of U.S. school districts doing the same. We find out more about this lawsuit and examine the implications for online safety, digital responsibility and the future of social media regulation. Plus, Gen-Zer Leena Usman shares her lived experience of what it's like on the social media front lines.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Salman Rushdie, author

It has been almost two years since celebrated author Salman Rushdie was attacked on a stage in Erie, New York as he was about to deliver a lecture. In an assault that lasted 27 seconds, a knife went through his right eye and optical nerve, while wounds to his tongue, neck and hand left him a changed man. Salman shares details of the attack — and his recovery — in his new memoir, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.” As interviews for the book are in full swing, Salman tells The Star that any fears of being onstage had long faded.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Anuradha Dugal, Vice President Community Initiatives at the Canadian Women's Foundation

Equal Pay Day is recognized internationally as a day of action, calling on stakeholders to advance women’s economic activity. It symbolizes how much longer women have had to work to catch up to what their male colleagues have earned in the previous year. Showing that women in Canada have worked nearly 16 months to earn what men make in 12. The needle hasn't budged on gender pay inequity in almost three decades. And no one is minding the gender pay gap. We take a look at why, and what it will take to change things.

Guest: Olivia Chow, mayor

News over the last couple of weeks around city hall has been heavy on tax worries and mix-ups — thousands of bills sent out for vacant home taxes for occupied properties and concerns about a proposed stormwater fee. Mayor Olivia Chow explains what she thinks went wrong and how she plans to fix it (and “start from scratch” on the vacant home system). She also discusses her plan to deal with the growing number of homeless encampments in parks that have spread around the city, recent Toronto Police Association criticism of her about a letter some councillors signed, provincial and federal announcements on housing, and what the city should be doing about dangerous dogs. Plus, Chow shares how she herself had to appeal a vacant home tax bill on her own house.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Thousands of property owners across the city got bills this week for vacant home taxes applying to homes they live in. Today, hosts Ed Keenan and Emma Teitel try to understand the comprehensive fiasco in the implementation of the policy. They also talk about the much-feared “rain tax” that will now go back for further study, about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s attempts to announce his way out of his problems and what to do about dangerous dogs in Toronto. Plus, it is IIHF World Women’s Championship time!

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

The federal government is scaling back on the number of temporary residents and foreign workers in Canada while trying to boost access to permanent residence for those already here. Earlier, similar curbing measures were introduced for international students as well. While the government is framing these new, more restrictive immigration measures as a solution to a burgeoning housing and affordability crisis and to rein in population growth, there are also some concerns that immigrants have become scapegoats for domestic problems. So what are the new rules for foreign workers in Canada and what will they mean for Canadians and prospective Canadians?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Sheila Wang and Morgan Sevareid-Bocknek, investigative reporters

They're called ”lunch hour facelifts,” cosmetic touch-ups without the surgery. But if you are rethinking your lunch plans, you might want to think again. A recent Star investigation found a lot of these procedures are not as advertised. Across Canada, spas and medical clinics are offering the popular medical procedure marketed as a safe, minimally invasive treatment. But as service providers compete for customers on TikTok and Instagram, showing supposedly incredible results, some of them are making misleading claims about the quality and effectiveness of the threads they use on patients and soft-peddling the potential risks.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Toronto Star climate reporter Kate Allen

Canada is the leader in maple syrup production and Quebec’s maple syrup producers maintain a strategic reserve stockpile that in recent years held over 100 million pounds of the sweet stuff, but levels have this year dwindled to less than 7 million pounds. Star reporter Kate Allen wrote a feature on this topic and explains how the explanation has something (surprisingly) to do with the pandemic, something (interestingly) to do with successful marketing, and something (maybe) to do with larger climate trends. And she answers the question on all of our minds: Are we going to run out anytime soon?

Guest: Richard Warnica, staff reporter

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was a massive component of the port city's entire transportation network, and in a matter of moments this week, it collapsed after being struck by a container ship. The Star’s Richard Warnica reports from the scene, explaining his reflections on standing next to the bridge that used to be there and just isn’t any more, and the massive wreckage of the ship. It’s an event that has massive implications for the city in the immediate aftermath and the longer term, and raises questions across the continent about the vulnerability of our infrastructure. It also makes us reflect on the impermanence of even the most solid features of our urban landscapes.

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Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter

When Bonnie Crombie was elected leader of the Ontario Liberals, she left the mayor’s chair in Mississauga vacant. That means that for the first time since the 1970s, no one is certain who will lead the city next. An election with real choice comes at an interesting time for a municipality that, fifty years after it was created, has grown into a big city and a big economy, one that the Star’s Noor Javed explains is wrestling with questions of what it should become and how it should evolve. We discuss the leading candidates in the byelection coming in June and look at recent polling on the race.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Edward Keenan.

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Guest: Brendan Kennedy, investigative reporter

The evidence is overwhelming and it’s the government’s own research. Getting any education while incarcerated reduces the rate of recidivism by as much as 30 per cent. It’s more than double that for inmates who get a post-secondary education. Government officials confirm that at least some education beyond the high school level is key to a successful reintegration into society. Yet taking university or college courses inside Canadian prisons has become extremely difficult, and in some cases impossible, because the federal government does not allow prisoners access to the internet, in an education ecosystem that’s now almost completely online. It is a Catch-22 situation and one that other countries have navigated successfully. Then why does Canada lag behind in providing adequate higher education opportunities for its incarcerated population?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

This Matters is pleased to publish episodes of the Toronto Star's podcast, "Road Trip: Electric Avenues," every Saturday. This week, we are proud to share the final episode in the series:

When we started this podcast, we really wanted to visit each step of the EV production process to show a complete picture of the supply chain, but in the end, we couldn’t seal the deal. First off, the cam and cathode production isn’t coming to Ontario. Right now, it’s all being built in Bécancour, Quebec. And while there are plans to retool auto assembly plants to make EVs, there’s currently only one that’s operational — the GM electric delivery van plant in Ingersoll — and when we asked to visit, we found out it had been shut down due to supply chain snags. So instead, our final stop is North Bay where they are making specialty EVs for the mining industry.

Toronto Star photographer Steve Russell and climate change reporter Marco Chown Oved went on a road trip through northern Ontario in the dead of winter. It was cold, blizzarding and icy. They travelled 2,300 km during the coldest week of the year. And they did it in an electric vehicle (EV).

After The Star revealed many details of Toronto’s secret contract with FIFA for hosting the World Cup, the preparations led off the city council meeting this week. We talk about what we’ve learned and what we still don’t know. Council also passed a resolution to turn surface parking lots into housing, which led to yet another episode of War on the Car rhetoric. Plus, were protests targeting a city councillor this week out of line?

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Susan Delacourt, politics columnist

Former prime minister Brian Mulroney died late last month, and through this week as he’s lain in state, columnist Susan Delacourt has watched the long lines of dignitaries and functionaries who’ve come to greet his family and pay their respects. Delacourt walks us through her own memories and reflections from covering Mulroney’s years in office, including the infamous “roll the dice” interview that some people think sunk the Meech Lake accord and made 1990 one of the most consequential years in Canadian history.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

This Matters is pleased to publish episodes of the Toronto Star's podcast, "Road Trip: Electric Avenues," every Saturday. The next episode will be available next week here, or already in the Road Trip feed. This week, we are proud to share episode five:

While China dominates the EV supply chain today, the ranking — put out by Bloomberg — really looks at the future and singles out Canada for having better environmental and labour standards, as well as a robust automotive sector and vast mineral deposits. But battery manufacturing itself is still in its infancy. There are plans to build three battery plants in Canada — Volkswagen in St. Thomas, Northvolt in Saint-Basile-le-Grand and NextStar in Windsor. NextStar was the first battery plant announced and is the furthest along, and while it’s not up and running yet, they agreed to show us around.

Toronto Star photographer Steve Russell and climate change reporter Marco Chown Oved went on a road trip through northern Ontario in the dead of winter. It was cold, blizzarding and icy. They travelled 2,300 km during the coldest week of the year. And they did it in an electric vehicle (EV).

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter

A global surge in measles has made its way to Canada, where there’s been almost twice as many cases just three months into this year than in all of 2023. Just in Ontario, as of Wednesday, public health officials have confirmed eight measles cases. Last year, there were seven cases in total for the entire year. Cases have now also been confirmed in Quebec, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. What does this mean for us and what do we need to know about measles vaccines? The Star's health reporter Megan Ogilvie answers some of these questions.

Audio Sources: Global News

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Toronto Star national columnist Susan Delacourt recently had her X account (the platform formerly known as Twitter) hacked. It compromised her entire digital life, from her sensitive emails to her banking information, even her phone number and home address. The hacker tried to blackmail her and appeared to be targeting her for her work as a journalist. While the "fake Susan" continues to be active on X, it's the real Susan that had to leave. This is the story of a hacking, what happens when someone tries to fix the situation and what this shows us about our disturbing and dystopian digital future.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

This Matters is pleased to publish episodes of the Toronto Star's podcast, "Road Trip: Electric Avenues," every Saturday. The next episode will be available next week here, or already in the Road Trip feed. This week, we are proud to share episode four:

Steel is one of the biggest emitters of carbon in the world. Currently, steelmaking is responsible for seven to nine percent of total global emissions. That’s about 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon — or four times more than all the emissions produced in Canada. And because most steel is made by melting down iron using coal, it’s very hard to decarbonize. In Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma Steel is transitioning its 100 year old coke oven and blast furnaces to electric arc furnace technology. It’s a change that will cut its carbon emissions by 70 per cent. Since Ontario’s electricity grid is so clean, Algoma Steel will become some of the cleanest steel on the planet. It’s already being used in EVs and will soon make its way into electrical towers and infrastructure used to build the clean economy.

Toronto Star photographer Steve Russell and climate change reporter Marco Chown Oved went on a road trip through northern Ontario in the dead of winter. It was cold, blizzarding and icy. They travelled 2,300 km during the coldest week of the year. And they did it in an electric vehicle (EV).

Earlier this year, it seemed like the dream of a WNBA team in Toronto had died, but recent news revives the possibility, even if it won’t come until at least 2026. Speaking of sports in 2026, there’s more news about Toronto’s agreement to co-host the FIFA World Cup, and more to discuss about how costs are going to be shared. Ed wrote about a transportation miracle on King Street, and Emma discusses why a long-dormant disease should unite federal politicians. Plus, Toronto’s great Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) winning streak.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Tracy Moore of Cityline and Meredith Shaw of Breakfast Television

Fat. Flattering. Big boned. Curvy. March 8 is International Women’s Day and to mark it we’re breaking down the negative ways we talk about women’s bodies. Most women are familiar with body shaming — none more so than women in the public eye. Meredith Shaw and Tracy Moore join us to talk about their own self-acceptance journeys, how they handle nasty viewer comments and whether they wish they could stop talking about it altogether.

This episode was produced by Rani Sheen, JP Fozo, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

This Matters is pleased to publish episodes of the Toronto Star's podcast, "Road Trip: Electric Avenues," every Saturday. The next episode will be available next week here, or already in the Road Trip feed.

Ontario is virtually unique in the world. Thanks to plentiful natural resources, clean energy and a large automotive sector, it has every stage in the EV supply chain right here at home. In theory, the province could mine the metals, make the batteries, produce the steel and assemble the electric car entirely in the province. But to plot a way to a more prosperous and environmentally responsible future, we need to look at our past. That’s why we headed to Cobalt, one of Ontario’s biggest mining boom towns, where great wealth was hauled out of the ground for more than a century, and now, very little remains. In episode three, we meet up with Charlie Angus, the local MP, former punk rocker, journalist and amateur historian.

Toronto Star photographer Steve Russell and climate change reporter Marco Chown Oved went on a road trip through northern Ontario in the dead of winter. It was cold, blizzarding and icy. They travelled 2,300 km during the coldest week of the year. And they did it in an electric vehicle (EV).

Guest: Dr. Tara Kiran, national lead for OurCare, scientist at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital and the University of Toronto

A nationwide health-care crisis has led a group of medical researchers to criss-cross the country to hear how Canadians would fix primary care, the front door of the health system. It’s called the OurCare project, the largest initiative of this kind, and through it medical researchers have surveyed close to 10,000 people from across Canada to ask them about their access to a family doctor and what is most important to them in their primary health care. We take a look at some of those answers. You can read more about this nation-wide project and also take a quiz find out how your primary care measures up here.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

This Matters is pleased to publish the first episode of the Toronto Star, TVO and IJB collaborative podcast, The Ultimate Choice. The podcast follows the journey of Michael and his wife, Ann. Michael, housebound by pain and incurable disease, sees his choice for a medically assisted death (MAID) as a powerful solution to his suffering. The series explores Michael's motivations and how his decision affects his family, friends, and longtime doctor. Hosted by Toronto Star investigative reporter Rob Cribb, the podcast also challenges him to come to terms with his own family history as he dives into this highly charged story. Both a portrait of a family's autonomy and a hard-hitting exposé, The Ultimate Choice reveals the political and ethical stakes behind Canada's debate to expand MAID like never before.

In episode 1, The Request, Rob Cribb starts tracking down how Michael got to the point of wanting to end his life. Who will help him? Rob's own family history emerges. This story is more personal than he ever imagined.

You can listen to all six episodes at the Toronto Star, at TVO or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

The Ultimate Choice is a co-production of TVO Today, the Toronto Star, the Investigative Journalism Bureau, and Piz Gloria Productions.

This Matters is pleased to publish episodes of the Toronto Star's podcast, Road Trip: Electric Avenues, every Saturday. The next episode will be available next week here, or already in the Road Trip feed.

In episode 2, we visit a cobalt refinery in Cobalt, Ont. that’s running on renewable power and doubling as a battery recycling plant. Electra Battery Materials bought the plant in 2018 and five years on, they’ve got the first cobalt refinery in North America, the only alternative for EV manufacturers who currently get their cobalt refined in China.

Toronto Star photographer Steve Russell and climate change reporter Marco Chown Oved went on a road trip through northern Ontario in the dead of winter. It was cold, blizzarding and icy. They travelled 2,300 km during the coldest week of the year. And they did it in an electric vehicle (EV).

The first episode of "Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent" aired this week, and we agree the city not only looked like itself, but looked beautiful too. But beautiful or not, this is still a very expensive place to live, and a new report shows it’s dragging down quality of life across the board. Does the Chow/Ford announcement this week offer any hope of change? Meanwhile, we discuss Emma's column about Pierre Poilievre’s pathetic porno politics. Plus, clarifying some comments on the police department and the budget issue.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Richard Warnica, Toronto Star feature writer

Richard Warnica sees it everywhere – business meetings, the subway, even at his own dinner table – the blank-eyed stare of someone mindlessly scrolling their smartphone. These devices, despite their increasingly documented negative effects on our mental health, have us firmly in their grips, and their utility and ubiquity makes it hard to envision how we’ll ever kick the habit. But once upon a time, most of us smoked, too, and virtually everywhere (on planes, trains, at work, in restaurants…). Will we one day look back on this the same way? PLUS: How Warnica deals with it at home by thinking inside the (locked) box.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

This Matters is pleased to publish episodes of the Toronto Star's podcast, Road Trip: Electric Avenues, every Saturday. The next episode will be available next week here, or already in the Road Trip feed.

Toronto Star photographer Steve Russell and climate change reporter Marco Chown Oved went on a road trip through northern Ontario in the dead of winter. It was cold, blizzarding and icy. They travelled 2,300 km during the coldest week of the year. And they did it in an electric vehicle (EV).

Sudbury, Ont., has some of the richest nickel deposits in the world and is already supplying some battery makers. In the future, Canadian nickel could replace the critical minerals needed for the huge batteries that power EVs, which currently come from some pretty awful places.

Join us for Episode 1 and a trip 2.5 km underground in one of Canada’s oldest mines.

On Valentine’s Day, hours before the Toronto women’s hockey team continued its rise in the standings, city council met to debate the mayor’s budget. Police got the money they were demanding: was that a good move or bad move by the mayor? And who knew plowing out the end of driveways would be the cause that united everyone? Meanwhile, a tax increase that was for years considered the third rail of Toronto politics seems less electric now that it’s done. PLUS: Emma’s most controversial architecture opinion.

Audio Source: Global News

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Angelyn Francis and Kevin Jiang

Deepfakes are the latest manifestation of artificial intelligence-generated technology. They are false, but very lifelike, AI generated images of real people. Last month, deepfake pornographic images of Taylor Swift were viewed tens of millions of times on X, formerly known as Twitter, before being removed. The incident is raising serious concerns among experts who say the technology is being misused and often fuelled by misogyny, flooding the internet unchecked and unregulated. Angelyn Francis and Kevin Jiang, journalists in the Star's digital department, join "This Matters" to discuss and share a newsroom quiz on what’s real and what’s AI and offer some tips on how to spot an AI deepfake image.

Audio sources: CBC News

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques with support from Angelyn Francis and Kelsey Wilson. Special thanks to McKenna Hart, Jim Rankin and Mahdis Habibinia.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, staff reporter

When the proposed city budgets were announced (first by city staff and later by the mayor), the police chief and the association representing officers went on the offensive, threatening that funding levels would leave them unable to answer emergency calls and protect Torontonians. In the end, the cops got what they were asking for with the cooperation of the mayor, but the Star’s Jennifer Pagliaro looked into the claims being made and answers our questions about when a cut is not a cut, what 911 response times mean, and how small a percentage of the total budget was actually up for debate. PLUS: A different way to cut emergency response times to calls about crime.

Audio Sources: CP24

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

In a cross-over episode of Toronto Star podcasts, This Matters' Ed Keenan interviews Road Trip: Electric Avenues' Marco Chown Oved, the Star's climate change reporter. He and photographer (and EV owner) Steve Russell embarked upon a week-long road trip – in an EV, of course – to visit sites around the province that will figure in this cleantech future.

It’s been one year since John Tory announced his surprise resignation and what difference those 12 months have made at city hall, never more in evidence than in the budget scheduled to be passed next week. We discuss what’s changed, why Mayor Olivia Chow seemed so pleased with the federal refugee funding, a prebudget meeting of council and more. As well, Premier Doug Ford deserves (partial) credit where it is due.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, neuroscientist and health data scientist

A new landmark study predicts that the number of Canadians living with dementia will increase by 187 per cent by 2050. That would mean more than 1.7 million Canadians with dementia, nearly three times the estimated 650,000 today. More than a quarter of them will be people from South and East Asia. The report also looks at a major shift in dementia demographics in Canada. Experts say we’re at a pivotal moment. This might be the only time to make the right decisions and choices to get ahead of an impending crisis.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Richard Warnica, staff reporter

The housing crisis in Toronto, and in Canada, has become the dominant issue for politicians at all levels of government and for voters up and down the income spectrum. Star reporter Richard Warnica took a deep dive into the many facets of the issue, from the lack of public housing and the shortage of rentals to zoning and development delays, NIMBY objections to multiplexes, and construction that can’t keep up with population growth. Experts told him we need to do a lot of things, all at once, to make things better and that might mean changing our ideas of how we build housing, and where, and what kind. Plus: The one weird trick from Sweden’s history we should look at.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, JP Fozo, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guests: Maryam Affana, Mirvat Al-Sharafi and immigration lawyer Aidan Simardone

Last month, Canada launched a new emergency program permitting up to 1,000 Palestinians who are extended family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents to apply to come to Canada. Members of the Palestinian-Canadian community say they are struggling with delays, logistical issues and what some experts say is an unprecedented and invasive level of personal information requirements. They wait with the clock ticking for their trapped loved ones in a four-month war that has ravaged Gaza, with more than 27,000 people killed in Israeli airstrikes, thousands more displaced and almost half the population at risk of starvation according to the United Nations. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canadasaysthat the multi-stage screening approach was developed to protect the safety of Canadians and is part of a standard practice where IRCC doesn't have presence on ground to conduct the initial screening and biometrics. In an emailed response to the Star, it has also shared that as of January 29, more than 900 applications are already being reviewed. IRCC confirmed they’re all still in the preliminary stages and not approved. We speak to Palestinian-Canadians impacted by this and later, an immigration lawyer helps us break down the new immigration measures and their implications.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques, with additional support from Ben Cohen.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Mayor Olivia Chow’s version of the city budget was released this week, and one of us was there in person at the Scarborough Town Centre to hear about it. The tax rate’s a bit lower, the feds came through with some money, the police still didn’t get as much as they want. So what do we think? And what’s left to fight about? Also, some jerk disrupted a women and trans shinny game in a Toronto park, something Emma says she’s experienced as a disturbing trend this year. And one of us explains why we're lamenting the loss of diners and doughnut shops as essential hangout spots he thinks are essential to decent city life. Plus, what has four thumbs and isn’t a big fan of raccoons? Our entire panel, that’s what.

Audio Sources: CP24, Global, Columbia

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

"This Matters" would like to share an episode of the third season of the Toronto Star podcast "Millennial Money." The show includes millennials speaking about relatable financial dilemmas that are often taboo or embarrassing but that many are grappling with behind closed doors.

Like many of us, Amy learned about trigonometry in school but nothing about the basics of financial literacy of investing. And she didn’t have any financial models growing up; no one she knew really had any money. But recently, Amy got an unexpected chunk of cash. Now, for the first time, she’s trying to learn how to make it grow before she spends it all.

Jason Heath, managing director of Objective Financial Partners, Inc., shares practical advice on how to start planning for your financial future, regardless of how much money you have in the bank.

This episode was produced by Ghada Alsharif, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon, Kevin Sexton and Andrea Varsany

The city budget moves from committee to mayor’s office, though tax rates, federal funding commitments and other big questions are still in flux. Ed and Emma met with Budget Chief Shelley Carroll this week to discuss, and share some of her thoughts, alongside some of their own. And while Ed was recently sounding the alarm on a toboggan ban in Toronto, Emma is not so sure there’s all that much to be alarmed about. Maybe a bigger issue is how much time kids spend on phones (including in classrooms), rather than out taking risks and learning about the world? PLUS: Toronto women’s hockey tickets are sold right out, but there’s a chance for lots of those left out to see a game in person coming up.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

On Monday Canada’s immigration minister Marc Miller announced the federal government’s move to introduce a temporary cap on foreign students as part of an ongoing set of measures to limit and curb the abuse of Canada’s international student program. While the government is framing it as a solution to exploitation and a burgeoning housing and affordability crisis, there are also some concerns that international students are being made into scapegoats for domestic problems. International students also contribute more than $20 billion to the Canadian economy and 200,000 jobs. We unpack what the new plan is, who it affects and why.

Audio sources: CTV News

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief

Yet another wrinkle emerged in the Greenbelt scandal with the revelation of an email showing the Premier’s office might have been engaged with the matter earlier than it has previously said (under oath, even). Is this a big “net new” deal, or a nothingburger? Is it significant that this government can’t seem to read a calendar or that personal emails were used here? On another front from Queen’s Park, elected officials haven’t had a raise since 2008. Some of them are quietly grumbling about it even though there is little prospect it’s going to change any time soon. As well, what people call you if your last name sounds like a nickname or if you share a name with a beloved talking barnyard animal, plus a brief but fond farewell to a Hollywood giant who was an east-end Toronto kid.

This podcast was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

"This Matters" would like to share an episode of the third season of the Toronto Star podcast "Millennial Money." The show includes millennials speaking about relatable financial dilemmas that are often taboo or embarrassing but that many are grappling with behind closed doors.

jes sachse has been fighting an eviction for about two years. And they’re not alone. As rent and property prices soar, eviction is a threat for many Torontonians.

Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations, lays out your options when you’re faced with an eviction. We also explore the potential financial implications of complying with an eviction notice, or fighting it.

This episode was produced by Ghada Alsharif, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon, Kevin Sexton and Andrea Varsany.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Richard Warnica, reporting from the U.S.

Amid criminal trials, civil convictions, and courts ruling him ineligible to serve again, Donald Trump remains the dominant force in American politics, as shown again with a landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses that kick off the presidential nominating contest. The Star’s Richard Warnica is on the scene, and talks to host Edward Keenan about the cartoonish former president’s enduring appeal to his supporters, the prospects for his opponents and what has remained the same or changes from his earlier political life.

This podcast was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan.

Audio sources: NBC and Global News

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Daniel Langlois may not be a household name but his work is. He was a pioneer of Hollywood 3-D movie effects, working on films like "Jurassic Park," "Harry Potter" and "The Matrix."

On Dec.1, he and his partner Dominque Marchand were found shot in a burnt out car in Dominica. Court documents revealed they’d been in a dispute with their neighbour who, along with another man, have been charged with the crime.

Investigative reporters Kenyon Wallace and Sheila Wang were assigned this story when it broke, with Wang recently returning from a trip to Dominica where she found heartbreak, suspicion and a lot of questions. On this episode, the two reporters have a conversation about what they know and what they think about this gripping and tragic story.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques, Sheila Wang and Kenyon Wallace.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this surveyand you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

He’s still waiting for the Guinness people to certify it, but former advertising executive (and long-ago Toronto punk musician) Ben Pobjoy believes he’s set a record for walking the most “freestyle marathons” in one year, with a 2023 globe-strolling pace of almost five per week. That amounts to a distance longer than the circumference of the moon, on a journey that took him to five continents and 70 countries. He talks about what he saw and learned on his grand adventure, the best and worst days of the trip, and what he noticed most about Toronto when he came home.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Voters seemed to want change when they voted for Olivia Chow to run Toronto, and a property tax increase of as much as 16.5 per cent certainly is a break from the past. Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel discuss how the city got here, whether a double-digit increase is justified, how people are likely to react and what the key for Chow is if it is going to be accepted. They also talk about a wave of antisemitic and Islamophobic crimes in Toronto and how officials here ought to react to them. Plus, a public square by any other name just isn't as popular.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques, Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan.

Guest: Kevin McGran, hockey reporter

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed star forward William Nylander to a record-setting $92-million, eight-year contract, a monster deal amid what has been a monster season for the winger. At a time when every sports fan is expected to be a salary cap expert, can any of us just be happy that we get to watch one of the most talented and entertaining teams to play around here in decades? Nylander’s had "just like us" moments, like his riding the subway to work and, like many in Toronto, finding a home here after moving all around the world. "Uncle Kevin" also shares some early notes about Ilya Samsonov returning to the ice with the Leafs and making sense of the goalie situation.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan.

What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

The city is hyped for the sold-out inaugural season of Toronto’s new professional women’s hockey team, and so are hosts Ed Keenan and Emma Teitel. They also turn their attention to city hall, talking over increased photo radar enforcement, the mayor’s rush to get things done, the threat of cybercrime and the city budget process kicking into high gear in the coming week. Plus: why shootings have gone down in Toronto and whether Trudeau’s government should be taking credit.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Audio Sources: CTV, CBC

This Matters would like to share the first episode of the third season of the Toronto Star podcast "Millennial Money." The show includes millennials speaking about relatable financial dilemmas that are often taboo or embarrassing but that many are grappling with behind closed doors.

Maria was saving up to freeze her eggs, but some tough financial decisions forced her to change her plans. Competing financial priorities as an adult makes her wonder: travel, own a home or have a kid - does she have to choose just one?

Personal finance and travel expert Barry Choi offers practical advice on how to balance the life you want while also planning for kids. He also talks about the financial and emotional cost he and his partner experienced while going though the IVF process and the real cost of having a kid.

Returning for its third season, "Millennial Money" host and Toronto Star business reporter Ghada Alsharif speaks to fellow millennials about relatable financial dilemmas that are often taboo or embarrassing but that many are grappling with behind closed doors. Alsharif then brings the topic straight to an expert to work out some options.

This episode was produced by Ghada Alsharif, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon, Kevin Sexton and Andrea Varsany

This Matters is pleased to publish the year-end episode of the Toronto Star's political podcast It's Political, featuring: National Columnist Susan Delacourt, Ottawa deputy bureau chief Stephanie Levitz and reporter Mark Ramzy, who join host Althia Raj.

It’s been quite a tumultuous year in federal politics, from allegations of foreign interference involving China and India, to the expansion of industrial and dental subsidies, and a rejigging of public support for Canada’s two main parties. We asked Toronto Star readers and “It’s Political” podcast listeners for their questions — and received many probing queries about themes from the last year, especially about the influence of Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre on Canadian politics and the future of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. We gathered a few of our parliamentary journalists to answer them.

Some of the clips this week were sourced from CPAC, CBC, CTV, Global, the NDP’s Instagram account, Rex Murphy’s Full Comment podcast and Pierre Poilievre’s Facebook page.

This episode of “It’s Political” was produced by Althia Raj and Michal Stein. Kevin Sexton mixed the program. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

For years, you may have heard the whispers about Santa Claus. Some say he’s a big hoax, an inside job. When you look at the evidence, it may seem these skeptics have a point questioning the flying sleigh and magical reindeer. But then you start to consider just how many people would have to be in on this thing to keep it secret, and wonder why they would do that. Is it possible that behind Santa Claus there’s a truth even bigger than the facts?

This podcast is adapted from my 2017 column “Unearthing the truth about Santa.”

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Star readers help the magic of Christmas reach children across the GTA with the Santa Claus Fund. You too can help create joyful Christmas memories that will last a lifetime.

So, please, donate what you can.

The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund

GOAL: $1.5 million

How to donate

Online: To donate by Visa, Mastercard or Amex use our secure form at https://www.thestar.com/scf

By cheque: Mail to The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund, 8 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON M5V 0S8

By phone: Call 647-250-8282

Tax receipts will be issued.

Follow us on social

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Guest: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow

At the start of 2023, Olivia Chow was retired from politics and teaching university students but a shock to Toronto’s political system brought her back to the front pages and into the mayor’s office. She reflects on the year that was, including her campaign, her unexpected partnership with Premier Doug Ford, the city’s budget struggles, her response to those who wish she was a bit less of a compromiser than she’s been and her plans for 2024, including trying to find ways to create more spaces for community to form, meet and develop.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Today's episode features our 2023 in Toronto politics chat, including the shocking resignation of one mayor, the comeback election of another, the sinking fortunes and desperate reversals of the premier and the multiple instances of the city government "loving things to death." Then there are the things that didn’t chang, including the limbo of the crosstown transit project.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Matt Blackett, "Spacing" magazine founder and creative director

"Spacing," the independent magazine about public space issues in Toronto, turns 20 years old this month — somehow surviving and even thriving in a media landscape that’s been punishing to much more established titles. Founder Matt Blackett joins "This Matters" to talk about how the magazine began and how it has developed unconventional ways to make money and influence people from subway merchandise to the opening of a retail store. Blackett also talks about why, after everything, he remains optimistic about the city’s future.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paolo Marques and Ed Keenan.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Jacques Gallant, courts and justice reporter

In November, a jury convicted the now disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard with four counts of sexual assault after five women testified disturbing details of what happened to them inside his former Toronto headquarters. Behind them were a Toronto therapist, a #MeToo lawyer, a business nemesis and more than 100 women who helped bring him down.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz

Audio Sources: CBC News, Life of Luxury, ABC News

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Mahdis Habibinia, reporter

For seven years the family of Soleiman Faqiri has been searching for answers after his death in an Ontario jail. At last, a jury at a coroner’s inquest confirmed his death was a homicide. It is a landmark verdict after emotional testimony showing how jail guards, health care staff and supervisors failed to address Faqiri's spiralling mental health crisis. The Star’s Mahdis Habibinia has been covering the proceedings and explains.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for the COVID-19 response at the World Health Organization

It’s been four years since the first human COVID-19 case emerged in Wuhan, China. Since then, the disease has gone on to kill an estimated 15 million people, infect more than 750 million and upend the lives of countless more. A scientific consensus has emerged among many of the world’s top virologists about how it most likely spread to humans — from wildlife sold at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan — but to date a culprit animal has not been found. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for the COVID-19 response at the World Health Organization, talks about what we do and do not know about the virus’ origins and why finding the source is so important for how we respond to future pandemics.

This podcast was produced by Kenyon Wallace, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paolo Marques.

Audio Sources: NBC

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Ed Keenan and Emma Teitel's Toronto politics chat considers the implications and possible motivations for the likely next stop on the premier’s policy revolving door, discusses new Ontario Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie’s retail appeal, considers both the impact and the implications of the library’s ongoing victimization by hackers, and talks about possible progress on the King Street transit priority situation.

Produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Moira Welsh, journalist

Canada's population is aging fast. Over the next two decades, one in four Canadians are going to be over the age of 65. As experts say our health care system isn't ready, the devastation in long-term care homes during COVID-19 offered a terrifying glimpse into the future. As such, many older adults fear nursing homes and instead struggle to age at home, alone, often without support, human contact or dignity. Moira Welsh, Toronto Star journalist and author of the book "Happily Ever Older: Revolutionary Approaches to Long-Term Care," joins us to explain.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

This Matters would like to introduce you to another Toronto Star podcast: Millennial Money. Millennials face an unprecedented financial landscape in modern life. They’ve been told all along there are financial markers to being a grown-up: owning a home, having kids, travelling, having some kind of social life. But for many, lots of those things feel well out of reach. Returning for its third season, the “Millennial Money” podcast is doing things differently this time around. New host and Toronto Star business reporter Ghada Alsharif speaks to fellow millennials about relatable financial dilemmas that are usually taboo or embarrassing, that everyone is grappling with behind closed doors. Alsharif will then bring the topic straight to an expert to work out some options.

Episode 1 (Home ownership or kids: do I have to choose?) is now available on podcast platforms or at thestar.com/millennialmoneypodcast.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief

The Ontario Liberals have elected Bonnie Crombie as their new leader. She is tasked with taking down Premier Doug Ford, whose government is already labelling her as an elitist, and bringing her party back in from the wilderness after two crushing and consecutive defeats and no official party status. You could say she’s got her work cut out for her. Robert Benzie, The Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and our very own Ontario politics expert, helps unpack Crombie’s victory and what the next two and a half years could look like for the Liberals in Ontario politics before the next provincial election in June 2026.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

What you would like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.

Guest: Emma Teitel, columnist

Columnist Emma Teitel joins again for a Toronto politics chat after an extended absence with lots of fresh news to talk about, including the election of a new councillor to replace Gary Crawford in Scarborough. It was a race that will affect council’s ideological composition, with a winner who wants to emphasize transit and child care. Meanwhile, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a new financial deal for Toronto. We get into the nuts and bolts of it, what it means, what it doesn’t and evaluate the trade-offs for the city.

Produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan

Guests: Toronto Star hockey reporter Kevin McGran, basketball reporter Doug Smith and Deputy Sports Editor Patrick Ho

Our sports department spent much of a year compiling historical information and debating tough questions on a simple, maybe even silly, question: when you look at jersey numbers, who is the ultimate Toronto pro athlete to have worn each one? It’s a fun assignment, but more difficult that it might seem. At #27 forever, you have at least two bone fide Toronto Maple Leafs legends and a potential Blue Jays legend in the making. Kyle Lowry would seem to be a shoe-in at #7 for Raptors fans, but he’s up against a Leafs defender who is a household name across Canada. Meanwhile, the eccentricities of the project mean for some numbers, we’re left with an athlete who may leave even seasoned sports fans asking, “who’s that?” Our panel goes over some of the most interesting and contentious numbers on the list, including the only one we know of that was retired in honour and then unretired in disgrace. It’s the most fun kind of sports conversation, the kind where you remember some players and debate the most interesting and exciting moments from the history of the Raptors, Argos, Toronto FC, The 6, Furies, Blue Jays and Leafs.

Produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan

Audio Sources: Toronto Blue Jays, Heritage Hockey, NBA, CBC, Global News

Guest: Mark Ramzy, reporter

Canada is home to thousands of diaspora communities. It’s known as the hub of multiculturalism and diversity, which is sown into the social fabric and even its legislation Data shows that out of the 1.3 million immigrants who arrived in Canada between 2016 and 2021, more than 900,000 had a mother tongue that was neither English nor French. There are almost 400 nonofficial mother tongues in the country today, but why are the younger generations of these diaspora communities losing their first languages?

Special thanks to: Manuela Vega, Akrit Michael, Sheila Wang, Annette Ejiofor, Ghada Alsharif

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

Guests: Matt Elliott and Shawn Micallef, contributing columnists

So much has been happening in Toronto this week. As encampments are cleared, the mayor and the federal government are fighting over shelter and housing dollars and the city is cancelling plans for public washrooms even as it opens all of its ice rinks. Joined by Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott issues his first look at how Mayor Olivia Chow’s council support has lined up in her first months (and the dynamic duo of consistent oppositions to her). Plus, a little sliver of good news for GTA transit riders.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Edward Keenan and Paolo Marques.

Audio Sources: CP24

Guests: Nicholas Keung and Andy Takagi, staff reporters

For years, Canada has been a dream destination for young people around the world with a record number of international students arriving in 2023. But that dream is unaffordable for many. As the cost of living keeps rising and tuition remains high for students from out of country, many international students have limited resources and turn to strained food banks for support. Yet, one Brampton food bank banned international students and puzzlingly cites abuse. That made headlines and brought attention to what these students have been grappling with.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

Over the past nine weeks, a Canadian courtroom heard disturbing testimonies of how and why 22-year-old Nathaniel Veltman murdered three generations of a Muslim family in 2021. Now guilty for the deaths of Salman Afzaal, his wife Madiha, 15-year-old daughter Yumna and 74-year-old mother Talat, and for the attempted murder of Salman’s nine-year-old son, the upcoming sentencing will be a significant litmus test for Canada’s anti-terror laws. What is also critical is the need to unravel how a small-town factory worker just out of his teens became a deadly mass murderer. Veltman’s descent down the rabbit-hole of far-right extremism has exposed a deadly threat in Canada, as hate is once again on the rise. We retrace the digital footsteps of Veltman’s radicalization.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Toronto Star reporter Kerry Gillespie

The interview today is timed to run 17 minutes and 28 seconds, the exact length of Stouffville 12-year-old Sawyer Nicholson’s world-record-breaking 5-kilometer run. So listeners are invited to jog along as they listen and see how their own progress stacks up. Star reporter Kerry Gillespie talks about the tiny running phenomenon, and how she took up running as training for another sport, how she developed, and the blowback her family has gotten online as a result. And Sawyer herself checks in with us from checkpoints on her own 5K training run. PLUS: the world-record holder’s pump-up playlist.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Edward Keenan and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Sara Mojtehdzadeh, investigative reporter

Did you know that a victim of labour trafficking could be right in front of you? Hundreds are working in plain sight, changing our hotel sheets, renovating our houses and growing the food we eat. In an investigative series by reporters Sara Mojtehdzadeh and Rachel Mendlesen called “Work Forced,” The Star identified 10 cases across the GTA and southwestern Ontario since 2019 where police have raided labour trafficking operations. They have led to complex legal proceedings, which are ongoing, dozens of arrests and involve more than 200 victims – desperate to make a better life for their families – who got caught in this web. Mojtehdzadeh talks about it on the podcast.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Ghada Alsharif, business reporter

Concerns of worker exploitation, especially on farms, are escalating as Canada significantly increases its foreign workforce in order to race towards an ambitious $100-billion food export target. In the momentum to win this race, is enough being done to secure the rights and protections of those migrants who arrive under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Workers program?

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Kevin Sexton and Saba Eitizaz.

In our series, “The Kids Aren’t All Right,” the Star has been highlighting the many ways in which children are struggling in Toronto. Mayor Olivia Chow joins “This Matters” to talk about why she thinks a lot of these areas stem from housing affordability and about her plan to try to break the logjam on that file. She also discusses her history of advocating for children at the city and what inspired it, and gives some concrete steps she plans to take in the next year or two to try to make things easier for families and children.

Guest: Dr. Amy Gajaria, psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)

Wait times of up to two years. There are not enough publicly funded therapists. Emergency rooms are overwhelmed by children in crisis. Ontario’s child and youth mental health system is at a breaking point. The Mental Health Commission of Canada reports that mental illness affects more than one million children and youth in the country. And while the provincial government has stood up and started to take notice with new funding announcements this year, there remain simply not enough resources to help young people suffering from mental illness. As part of “The Kids Aren’t All Right“ series, reporter Kenyon Wallace – who wrote on mental health and children – speaks with Dr. Amy Gajaria.

Audio Sources: CBC News

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques, Brian Bradley and Kenyon Wallace.

Guest: Ivy Lynn Bourgeault, Professor in the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies at the University of Ottawa

Ontario’s registered nurses will now be able to independently prescribe some medications such as vaccines, medicines to quit smoking and for pain relief or wound care. The government sees this as an effort to tackle Ontario’s acute health care crisis, where more than two million people currently lacking a family doctor. This is the latest in a series of recent moves to expand the role of some health professionals to try and fill the gap, including pharmacists and midwives. We explore what this means for health care.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Noor Javed, city news reporter

At the peak of the pandemic, the Ford government turned to Minister’s Zoning Orders (known as MZOs) as the speediest solution to the housing crisis and direly needed construction of long-term-care facilities. Former housing minister Steve Clark issued more than 100 MZOs between 2019 and 2023. But in the wake of the Greenbelt scandal, scrutiny is now shifting to these MZOs and if they have actually fast-tracked development efforts. The Star did its own analysis and found little progress in the past four years to support that claim.

Audio sources: Ontario Nature, CHCH News

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Richard Warnica, business feature writer

When Toronto hosted a packed WNBA exhibition game in May, hopes were high that the city would soon get its own team, but by then, “the game was already over,” writer Richard Warnica says. Local sports powerhouse Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) had already considered and rejected the idea, mostly because two particular members of the board were set against it. At a time when women’s professional sports seem to be awakening across the continent, Warnica has the exclusive on how Toronto ruled itself out, possibly missing an opportunity for exponential growth in the fan base.

Audio Source: Sportsnet

Guest: Katie Daubs, senior writer

As Ontario’s schools struggle with resources and ripple effects of the pandemic, experts say students with diverse needs like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aren’t getting the help they require. ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children, yet there is no official ministry categorization making it difficult to support in classrooms. As part of the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, senior writer Katie Daubs talked to one high school student about her experience.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter

Many parents across Toronto struggle to balance keeping their kids safe and letting them develop a sense of independence. In a city where crime concerns are rising and rising faster for younger people, some weigh on that balance more than others. In one family, their son was shot before he was two years old. For the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, reporter Jennifer Pagliaro looked at life after a shooting and what could work to prevent others from suffering the same tragedy.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Guest: Kate Allen, climate change reporter

Fresh air, trees, grass on bare feet. The sound of birds while playing on a playground. Leisurely swinging in the shadow of a tree. Many of us have childhood memories outside in parks and forests, and research shows this time is key to our physical, mental and social well-being and development. So what about the children being raised in urban centres like Toronto, where green space has shrunk significantly over the past two decades as the region faces pressure to build housing and city reports warn that the amount of parkland per person risks falling further. As part of the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, climate change reporter Kate Allen joins “This Matters” to discuss the impacts on children and their development.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: jade guthrie, FoodShare Toronto

When kids don’t get enough to eat at home or they worry about running out of food, it can affect everything in their lives from their ability to learn and grow, to their ability to be healthy and resilient. Yet food insecurity is the reality of 1.8 million kids in Canada. In this episode from the Star’s “The Kids Aren’t All Right” series, guest host Alyshah Hasham and jade guthrie of FoodShare Toronto discusses what we can do to turn the crisis around.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Alyshah Hasham.

Guest: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter

Housing affordability and accessibility are only getting worse. For many Canadians, they might be just one bill or unexpected expense away from being unable to afford that month’s rent. Renovations, rent, or repair expenses are all factors that have led to more than 600,000 kids growing up in precarious housing across the country. As part of the series “The Kids Aren’t All Right,” we take a look at what that means and how a child might experience these challenges.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter

Ever since the COVID pandemic, Canada’s health care system is near a breaking point and may take years to fix. Among the issues, experts are worried that many children are not getting needed surgery within the safe medical window. An estimated 17,000 children are on long waiting lists for surgeries that could improve the quality of their lives. Some of them wait for months or years. Some might never recover. The Star’s health reporter Megan Ogilvie unpacks the impact it has on children and their families.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Amy Dempsey, series editor

In many different aspects of life, kids in Toronto are struggling right now. Housing is unaffordable, educational supports are lacking, surgical wait times are long and the social safety net is frayed. Amy Dempsey is editor of the series “The Kids Aren’t All Right,” which looks at the varied and interconnected ways we’re letting down the next generation and what we might start doing to fix it.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Guests: David Rider and Ben Spurr

Since her election in June, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has begun the work she was elected to do — building relationships with councillors and the premier, trying to kick start affordable housing and working to fix the city’s budget hole. David Rider, city hall bureau chief, and Ben Spurr, reporter, have talked to her allies, opponents and city experts to evaluate how far she’s come, how much further she has to go and potential political landmines in the coming mayoral schedule.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Guest: Deborah Dundas, books editor

The 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada’s prestigious literary award, will be handed out on Nov. 13. Five books were shortlisted last week from a longlist of twelve, picked out of more than a hundred books that were submitted across the country. Star books editor Deborah Dundas walks us through the most buzzworthy books and gives great recommendations to add to our holiday reading and gift lists.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz.

Audio Sources: Wellington Square Books, Vancouver Public Library, Kobo, Waterstones, Notre Dame Day

Guest: Amy Laski, founder of the Tween Girls Hockey League

The city’s policy for allocating recreational permits for sports facilities favours tradition. Long-term permit holders get renewed year after year. That’s great for building up those leagues, but leaves any newcomers, including those trying to serve girls and others who feel left out of the existing sports culture, scrambling to try to find a way in. Hockey mom and league founder Amy Laski outlines her struggle to get the city to accommodate her league and fix the policies that led to it.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Guest: Dr. Sasha High, internal medicine and obesity physician

Ozempic has been all over the news and social media as it has been hailed as the miracle drug for weight loss. As it is a trend among A-list celebrities, it’s also found itself surrounded by controversy. Experts say Ozempic is a medicine, not a TikTok trend and needs to be taken with the advice of your doctor. Last year, Ozempic hype and reported off-label use led to a shortage of the drug in certain regions for people who needed it, including diabetics. It isn’t all black and white — diabetes and obesity are often interrelated — and this drug and others like it could be a game changer for those struggling with both. That’s around seven per cent of the population in Canada.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Lydia Greene, student nurse

For a long while, Lydia Greene would forgo many vaccines for her and her children, believing them akin to poison. A mother of three and a former quality-control chemist for a pharmaceutical plant, Greene called herself an anti-vaxxer. But when COVID-19 put vaccine safety into the spotlight, she decided to dig deeper into the research and concluded she might actually be wrong. She talks to “This Matters” about how she got from there to here, what it was like to administer her first vaccine as a student nurse and about grappling with that very human quandary of what it feels like to realize you’re wrong.

This episode is produced by Alex Boyd, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Amy Dempsey, feature writer

Less than a century ago, a single raccoon raiding a garbage bin was front-page news in Toronto, while today the trash pandas are everywhere. Feature writer Amy Dempsey, who documented how the creatures outsmarted the city’s waste-bin engineers, takes a closer look at our love-hate relationships with these animals, the city’s frustrated attempts to control them and how and why they’ve made themselves at home in Toronto (and invited themselves to join Amy’s wedding).

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Audio Sources: CBC, Toronto Star

Guest: Michael Lewis, journalist and author

In 2019, Sam Bankman-Fried set up a crypto exchange called FTX. Over the course of two years, as the price of crypto skyrocketed, so did his fortune, until it was estimated at as much as $26.5 billion U.S. SBF, as he became known, was feted by celebrities from football star Tom Brady to comedian Larry David. Then, in November 2022, it all came crashing down. SBF was accused of diverting $8 billion of investors’ money from FTX to his hedge fund Alameda Research, and making huge purchases, including more than $100 million in political donations. At just 31, he is now in U.S. court on seven fraud charges in the first of several trials. (This one expected to run six weeks.) Michael Lewis, journalist and author of such bestselling books as “The Big Short” and “Moneyball,” was in the position of following Bankman-Fried throughout his rise and spectacular fall and has just published a book on the subject, “Going Infinite.” Lewis joins “This Matters.”

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Brian Bradley and Deborah Dundas.

More than a week ago Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unprecedented move. He accused Indian government agents of involvement in the death of exiled Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil; an accusation that New Delhi has denied strongly and dismissed as “absurd.” Since then, both countries have been in a diplomatic showdown, including tit-for-tat expulsions of each other’s diplomats. The tensions have spiralled since then with travel advisories for citizens on both sides, with India also suspending visa services in Canada. Diplomatic conflict between two G20 members raises the potential of drawing in mutual allies and transforming the conflict into a global one. The implications are serious, especially for ordinary people on both sides who will be impacted by the changing winds of foreign policy. We get two journalists from both countries to weigh in with the Canadian and Indian perspectives.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

The Blue Jays clinched a playoff spot on Sunday and will start the Wild Card series agains the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. The Star's baseball podcast Deep Left Field has gone daily for the playoff run, so This Matters guest host Mike Wilner brings you this clinch episode.

You’ll hear from Blue Jays (and Deep Left Field regulars) Kevin Kiermaier and Jordan Romano, along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Matt Chapman. You’ll also hear John Schneider’s post-game speech to the team. And we answer your email questions to DeepLFPodcast@gmail.com as we get you set for the Jays’ first-round date with Minnesota.

Hosts: Toronto Star columnists Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel

In this episode: The week that was in Toronto and beyond: Including questions about whether the Eglinton Crosstown will be built in any of our lifetimes (and whether they’ll let us know if it is), the fallout from the celebration of a Nazi soldier that ruined what should have been a good and meaningful day for the federal government, Olivia Chow’s measures of progress in Ottawa and at Queen’s Park, and Emma Teitel’s theory about why we’re destined to always hate Yonge-Dundas Square.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Emma Teitel and Ed Keenan.

On this episode: Guest host Althia Raj talks with Bernie Farber, the founding chair of the anti-hate network, the former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress

Last week, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, invited Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old constituent, to come to Ottawa and hear Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address. Rota introduced him in the House as a Ukranian who'd fought the Russians during World War Two and was proud to support the troops again. Hunka received two standing ovations before MPs, journalists and the world realized they were honouring someone who'd pledged allegiance to Hitler and fought with the Nazis. An international crisis erupted with Russia using the incident in its disinformation campaign. Rota was pressured to resign and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered an apology. But is it enough? Our guest today is Bernie Farber, the founding chair of the anti-hate network, the former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress and someone who knows more than most about Canada's history with Nazi war criminals.

Audio sources: CPAC

This episode was produced by Althia Raj and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie

In this episode: Doug Ford’s foray into a mayoral election he promised to stay out of was just the start of a summer where nothing seemed to go right for his government and where the Greenbelt swap scandal exploded — costing his government cabinet ministers, senior staff members, and oodles of popular support. The Star’s Robert Benzie details how the summer sun scorched Ford’s popularity, and discusses the mood in the government caucus and where they go from here.

Audio sources: Canadian Press, Global

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Ed Keenan.

Guest: Brandi Morin, French/Cree/Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6 in Alberta

Indigenous people have been on the frontlines of fighting to protect and sustain the land and environment for years. They warn that the west’s supposedly eco-friendly climate strategy is also a repeat of history. Resources needed for sustainable alternate energy such as mineral mining continues the practise of extracting from the earth, threatening Indigenous lands and people. One of these new frontlines is Nevada’s remote Thacker Pass where a battle is playing out in Paiute and Shoshone territories between the local Indigenous tribes and a Canadian mining company that is mining the lithium beneath their land.A recently released short documentary “Thacker Pass: Mining the Sacred” by award-winning journalist Brandi Morin and Geordie Day took us to the heart of it. It's part of a cross-border project between Ricochet Media, IndigiNews and The Real News Network in the United States.

According to the Real News Network, in 2022, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe signed a Community Benefits Agreement with Lithium Americas. At roughly 64 kms away, the reservation is the closest – and poorest – in the region.The company said in a statement to Real News Network: '"We are pleased to have the support of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe as we advance Thacker Pass and look forward to generations of future collaboration."'

Audio sources: Ricochet media, IndigiNews, The Real News Network

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

Guests: Martin Regg Cohn, Queen’s Park columnist

In this episode, columnist Martin Regg Cohn joins to tackle the avalanche of news coming from Queen’s Park including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s visit (and common ground with the premier), the debate for Liberal party leadership hopefuls and Premier Doug Ford reversing his earlier reversal on Greenbelt protections. All of that, plus what you can learn in the bleachers at a youth sports game.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Sean Pattendon and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Audio Sources: YouTube and The Dais at TMU

Guest: Mark Maloney, author

Mark Maloney is the author of the book “Toronto Mayors,” which profiles all 65 people who’ve held the city's top job. He joins “This Matters” to talk about the rogues gallery of scandalous scoundrels in our past, share who he considers the Mount Rushmore of best (and most beloved) mayors and give his thoughts on the city’s recurring state of explosive growth and underfunded infrastructure.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Paolo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Ed Jackson, community historian

Hanlan’s Point is known as Toronto’s clothing-optional beach, but it has deeper significance as a historically queer space and has recently been recognized for its place in city history. The beach in the Toronto Islands was the site of Canada’s first Pride celebration in 1971 and a place, just outside of the spotlight, that was quietly known for decades as a safe gathering spot when it was not safe to be out elsewhere. It has some ugly history too, including homophobic violence and police harassment, that has flared up all too recently. Ed Jackson is a community historian and co-editor of the book “Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer.” He joins “This Matters” to talk about this significance.

This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: Friends of Hanlan’s

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

Chilling testimony has been delivered in the ongoing trial of the man accused of killing four members of a Muslim family in 2021. For Canadian Muslims, it’s a reopening of old wounds and a litmus test of Canada’s anti-terrorism laws. Four members of the Afzaal family were killed just over two years ago in London, Ont., when the accused allegedly struck and killed Salman Afzaal, 46, Madiha Salman, 44, Salman’s mother Talat Afzaal, 74, and Yumna Afzaal, 15, with his pick up truck. Salman’s 9-year-old son was the sole survivor of the attack. The incident sparked shock and horror over Islamophobic violence fuelled by online hate and disinformation. In the first week of the murder trial, taking place in Windsor, Ont., prosecutors have been laying out the evidence. The details have been disturbing and painful. We try to unpack what we know so far.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Wendy Gillis and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Bill Vigars, author of “Terry & Me”

It was 43 years ago when Terry Fox dipped his leg in the Atlantic Ocean and embarked on a run across the country to raise money for cancer research. He ran 5,373 kilometres in 143 days before his cancer would return and end his run in Thunder Bay, Ont. Fox’s dream of raising $1 for every Canadian would be realized, though. Canadians and others around the world run annually in his place and have raised over $850 million dollars for critical research. Bill Vigars, one of the people closest to Fox, is the author of the new book “Terry & Me” and joins “This Matters” to share more about the man behind the Marathon of Hope.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: Terry Fox Foundation, CHCH News, Global News

Guests: Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel, columnists

Mayor Olivia Chow spoke with John Baird, the former federal minister of foreign affairs, and they agreed Toronto needs a new deal. So far the federal government hasn’t played along, but maybe a scandal plagued Premier Doug Ford could be convinced to play along? Keenan and Teitel also discuss the Conservative party’s indulgence of anti-woke pandering, the late arrival of cellular service on the TTC, the late departure of the prime minister from a foreign meeting and other assorted news that caught their attention through the week.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Emma Teitel, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: CHCH News, CTV News, Empire Club of Canada

Guest: Katie Daubs, senior writer

At a time when reports of dog bites and complaints about dog behaviour are on the rise, a motion at city council will review rules for dog off-leash areas. Senior writer Katie Daubs has looked at the bitter fights and challenges of enforcing rules about beloved city pets, and she joins “This Matters” to talk about the lack of resources (and the culture of disobedience) around the issue in Toronto.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Peter Howell, movie critic

This year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicked off last Thursday with relatively less buzz. As the red carpets rolled out for the annual festival, organizers, film directors and movie buffs are all grappling with the absence of the usual number of big movie stars due to Hollywood’s ongoing strike by writers and actors, its largest in decades. TIFF is also facing the loss of Bell as its lead sponsor at the end of this year. The show must go on. This year’s lineup includes some 200 films packed into an intense 11-day program. Movie Critic Peter Howell gives us a curtain-raiser.

Audio sources: SAG-AFTRA, BBC, Global News

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guests: Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel, columnists

In this episode, hosts Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel discuss the fiasco “inside a clown show wrapped in a dumpster fire” that is the Premier Doug Ford Greenbelt scandal, Toronto city council talks on new taxes and new public housing, how the education minister’s lose talk could lead to kids becoming homeless and other assorted news that caught Ed’s and Emma’s attention through the first week after the summer vacation.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Emma Teitel, Crawford Blair and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Alex Boyd, staff reporter

If you’re a parent, you might believe your child can teach you a thing or two about the internet. You wouldn’t be wrong but did you know teens are more susceptible to online conspiracy theories and disinformation than you? Research shows that young people are increasingly exposed to disinformation and misinformation, and struggling to separate facts from fake news. It seems like the “online generation” is also the most vulnerable to the pitfalls of the online world and experts say that has dangerous consequences.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Picture this: A swarm of bees, millions of them, unleashed and spilling out onto a highway. Sound like the plot of a horror movie? This happened recently in Burlington, Ont. when a truck carrying five million bees spilled its cargo. The incident caused quite a buzz, but experts are saying we’re buzzing about the wrong disaster. The real one is the rapidly declining populations of these bees and how our future might be depending on their fate.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio sources: Global News

Guest: Clarrie Feinstein, real estate reporter

Real estate is becoming mission impossible in Canada. With interest rates holding high, there is less demand for properties on the market and an increasing number of mortgages are going into default. Property investors aren’t making money and struggling to sell as homebuilders are cancelling projects. Something has to give. As the Star’s real estate reporter Clarrie Feinstein shares, all eyes are on the Bank of Canada to cut rates in 2024.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, reporter at the Toronto Star

In May 2014 the New York Times published an opinion piece that generated much buzz, claiming that Canada might have stolen the famous “American Dream” when it came to median, after-tax income, quality of education and economic equality. Less than ten years and a pandemic later, the “Canadian Dream" might be turning into a nightmare with a spiraling housing, healthcare and economic crisis and the U.S. is once again pulling ahead of Canada when it comes to middle-class prosperity and social mobility. We explore why the tables have turned.

Audio sources: TikTok

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, reporter at the Toronto Star

Imagine someone going through a serious mental health crisis — and calls for help to prevent hurting themselves — and is then seriously hurt by those who responded to the distress call. It happened to a man called Brent Langille in an example of police on the frontlines of mental health calls. But shrinking budgets for mental health programs has led to the police becoming de-facto front-line mental health workers. We take a look at how this recent case highlighted cracks in the system.

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at http://crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston

Guest: Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel, columnists

Mayor Olivia Chow’s executive committee met this week for the first time to tackle new tax and revenue options and get something started on affordable housing. The only question is whether the provincial and federal governments will join them. Plus: the Ontario Place spa redesign, the final closure of the Scarborough RT and the thrilling siren song of the Polar Express (and the images painted on it).

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Sean Pattendon and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Audio Sources: @kissingbanditt/YouTube

Guest: Kate McCullough, reporter at The Hamilton Spectator

It is a story out of East Hamilton that has made headlines, but could happen to anyone. A couple who own a home as an investment property have sold, told their tenants to leave because the buyers intend to live there, but the tenants say they can’t leave because they find a home in their price range in the costly rental market. The situation has now gone to the backlogged Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), effectively putting a stop on closing of the house sale. Fed up, the buyers temporarily backed their 28-foot trailer into the driveway of their would-be home a few weeks ago, adding to the tensions between parties. Stay tuned for an outrageous, but increasingly common, real estate tale.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Audio Sources: CHCH News

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter

Health professionals are warning of an earlier than expected fourth wave of COVID-19 and the emergence of yet more fast-transmitting variants. While nothing has changed in terms of how we live with COVID, experts are saying this fourth pandemic autumn will be different from previous waves. This time around Canadians have tools to tackle the virus with high levels of immunity from a combination of vaccination and previous infection, and there are new, reformulated booster shots coming soon to specifically target the new subvariants. In today’s episode, we include all you need to know about the new booster shots and what to do to ride the expected pandemic waves of fall and winter.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: CBC, Timiskaming Health Unit, Global News

Guest: Matti Siemiatycki, director on University of Toronto’s Infrastructure Institute

Earlier this month, a scathing report from Ontario’s auditor general revealed that Premier Doug Ford’s decision to open up land for development in the protected Greenbelt area might have been influenced by well-connected developers who stand to make billions of dollars. In the aftermath of growing calls for resignation and political pressure, the Ford government seems undeterred in its plans for development on Greenbelt land. Ford says it’s the only way to tackle the massive housing crisis, but is that really accurate and do we really need to build on the Greenbelt to fix the housing crisis? We explore this question with an expert.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Melissa Haussman, professor of political science at Carleton University

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s legal web is more tangled than ever after his fourth indictment was handed down in Georgia as he ramps up another run for the White House. Trump has 91 criminal charges against him between Georgia, Florida, New York and the District of Columbia and the stakes could not be higher for him and for American democracy. On “This Matters,” we take a look at the political impact of Trump’s indictments.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio sources: SkyNews/TikTok, NowThisNews/TikTok

Guest: Jim Rankin and Wendy Gillis, crime and justice reporters

Ayaan Farah, a Black woman, was stopped and questioned by the police in 2011. The documentation of that interaction changed her life, as she was suspended without pay from a job she held for years despite having no criminal record. She’s now the face of a class-action lawsuit over “carding,” a historically controversial and racially skewed police practice of stopping, interrogating and documenting people. Although it’s now outlawed, this lawsuit offers a stark reminder of the continuing socio-economic, mental, and emotional consequences for racialized individuals who have experienced it.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Audio Sources: CBC

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, Ottawa Bureau

From cabinet appointments to personal style, our federal political leaders are changing and shaking up how they lead as our Canadian perceptions of them are increasingly divided. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals mark the lowest approval rating since they formed government, Trudeau shook up the front bench (while also making news in his personal life). On the other side of the aisle, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is shaking up his personal image and launching ads to build on increasing party momentum. It is a time where the personal is eclipsing the politics and it could very well be the start of politicking for the next election.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Audio Sources: Global News, Reuters, Trending Now

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel featuring Matt Elliott, Shawn Micallef and host Edward Keenan

On Saturday, Olivia Chow marks one month in the job as mayor, and this week, she appointed her team by selecting the comitee appointments of various city councillors. Some would-be rivals seemed to get plum jobs, and at least one committee will have an odd couple at the helm. Plus: why a fire alarm during the meeting may be an appropriate sound effect for the occassion.

This episode was produced by Ed Keendan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Todd Irvine, arborist and founder of City Forest

When a woman was killed by a falling tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods park recently, it struck many as an unforseeable freak accident. But the danger was foreseen by at least one man, and his warnings went unheeded as the Star reported this week. Arborist Todd Irvine has also been warning the city that its maintenance of trees is often making them more dangerous, and joins host Edward Keenan to explain how and why the city needs to improve how its treats the urban forest.

Read the related column here.

This episode was produced by Ed Keendan, Julia De Laurentias Johnston and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Deborah Dundas, books editor for the Toronto Star

A recent Statistics Canada survey found 1 in 4 Canadians would not be able to cover an unexpected expense of $500 if they had to. Almost half were deeply concerned about their ability to afford rent or housing. It’s an important time to talk about class divisions in Canada. And Deborah Dundas wants to do that through her new book “On Class.” She’s on the podcast today to talk about why we need to talk about class, and what not talking about it means for whose stories get told and by whom.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Kate Allen, Climate change reporter for the Toronto Star

The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has dubbed it a “cruel summer." A blistering heatwave is sweeping across North America and Europe with record high temperatures triggering other travesties like devastating wildfires and flash floods with July being declared the world’s hottest month on record. Climate change has been explicitly blamed for some of what we’ve seen recently, and scientists are saying this is a terrifying glimpse of the future with the worst yet to come. Meanwhile, for many Canadians, climate change has gone from feeling like a remote scientific term; and beginning to impact their lives in a very tangible way.

Audio sources: The Guardian

Guest:Megan Ogilvie, heath reporter for the Toronto Star

More than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic that took tens of thousands of Canadian lives, a group of the country’s top medical experts have published a scathing indictment of Canada’s COVID response. In a sweeping set of research papers and editorials published in the British Medical Journal, these experts are calling on the government for a national inquiry into its COVID response — something that’s already happening in other countries. They say this process is imperative to learn from what was lost, because it is only a matter of time before we face the next big pandemic. We take a deep dive into “the COVID papers."

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

WARNING: This story includes sensitive subject matter, including discussion of gun violence, gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, that could be triggering for some listeners.

Guest: Michele Henry, staff reporter

It was an unthinkable act of violence: a lone gunman, seemingly angry at fellow residents in his Vaughan condo building, unleashed a torrent of bullets that left five people dead and others injured. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the GTA’s recent history and now, we understand more about the man behind the crime. Our country’s worst killers do not need notoriety. That’s not why we are here today, but it is important to understand motivations and the reasons why. As the Star’s Michele Henry found, there are connections to our notorious criminals who have perpetuated violence and we must pay attention to what those things are.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Crawford Blair.

Guest: Susan Delacourt, national columnist

Wednesday’s oath-taking ceremony at Rideau Hall marked one of the most significant cabinet shuffles of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s eight-year tenure, a move that’s being framed as a game changer ahead of a pivotal moment. Seven newcomers were welcomed to the front bench, seven were dropped and almost 30 out of 38 ministries saw big changes. The Liberals have positioned it as a crucial reboot of a team that will lead them to their fourth re-election. The opposition is not buying it, as ordinary Canadians are focused on the economy, health, and housing among other serious issues. Will this be enough to satisfy Canadian voters? We try to untangle the political knots.

Audio sources: CTV News, CPAC

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

**Guest:** Noor Javed, staff reporter

Ontario’s 444 municipalities are often referred to as “creatures of the province,” which has certainly proved to be true since Premier Doug Ford took over at Queen’s Park. The provincial Conservatives have repeatedly exerted authority over all aspects of local government — slashing Toronto city council, suddenly bestowing strong-mayor powers, cutting development charges and ushering in the breakup of Peel Region. This has rendered municipalities and their elected officials seemingly powerless as the former city councillor turned premier is, as one expert said, “excessively preoccupied with municipal governance” and leaving people to feel “like they have lost control over local decisions.”

Audio Sources: Global News, CityNews

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Kevin Sexton.

WARNING: This story contains sensitive subject matter, including suicide and self-harm, that could be triggering for some readers.

Guest: Sheila Wang, investigative reporter

A new study has revealed that tons of mercury dumped as industrial waste upstream of Grassy Narrows First Nations decades ago has contributed to the community’s youth attempting suicide at a rate three times higher than that of other First Nations in Canada. Residents of the community have long reported tremors, slurred speech, impaired hearing, tunnel vision and lost muscle co-ordination, but this is the first time a direct connection has been made between mercury contamination and the deteriorating mental health of the younger generation. We take a look at this new information and its significance.

Audio sources: Star files, Global News, APTN News

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

Guest: Clarrie Feinstein, business reporter

Highlighting that those trying to rent while earning minimum wage are fast losing ground, a recent report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives paints a bleak picture of affordability in most Canadian cities. It all comes down to the “rental wage,” the hourly wage that would be required to be able to afford rent while working a 40-hour week and spending no more than 30 per cent of gross income on housing. The report highlights that across most of Canada, the minimum wage is not near enough for a one-bedroom apartment. In Toronto, one would have to earn more than double the provincial minimum wage of $15.50. We take a look at the findings of this report and the factors that led us here.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa Bureau Chief

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is a $4.2-billion dollar national force looking over eight provinces, three territories, 150 municipalities and 600 Indigenous communities. But now, sources say the PMO wants Mounties to be transformed into the “FBI of the North.” The idea would pull the RCMP out of the business of front-line, day-to-day contract policing and shift focus to challenges like national security and terrorism, financial crimes, cybercrime and organized crime. Such radical change will take time but, in the interim, the idea has found high-profile support in key senior RCMP and political offices.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace and Diana Zlomislic, investigative reporters

A new Star investigation has revealed that owners of some of Toronto’s cheapest homes might be paying disproportionately more in property taxes than those living in luxurious mansions. Analyzing roughly 12,000 homes sold in 2016, Star reporters found the burden of this tax inequality is shouldered by those with the least-expensive houses, while owners of some of the city’s richest homes in fancy neighbourhoods get a break. Who tallies up the bill? It is the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), a publicly funded agency, who carries the task of valuating properties for tax purposes. While the agency says their assessment process has already been extensively reviewed by several third-party evaluators, the Star’s data analysis revealed there are many over-assessed — and overtaxed — homeowners.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

As TTC service cuts and dense Toronto traffic make commuting much harder, an increasing number of people find themselves turning to alternatives like personal electric vehicles, or PEVs for short. There are all sorts of oddball versions on city streets and those who use them say they might be the answer to traffic woes and they are environmentally-friendly. There’s one speed bump — e-scooters and other PEVs (aside from e-bikes) are illegal in Toronto. We take a look at the hot new PEV culture picking up speed in the city.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Sebastian Bron, reporter at The Hamilton Spectator

Our health care systems are set up with the expectation someone struggling is functional enough to schedule, travel and arrive at appointments and be in the driver’s seat of their care. Not everyone can do that, so St. Joe’s mobile mental-health clinic in Hamilton has flipped the model on its head. Nurses and paramedics hit the road by bus to provide mobile mental health care everywhere from a Tim Hortons coffee shop, to a library, a shelter or off the grid completely. Patients are more engaged with their care, they are more regularly treated, and they are able to build rapport and trust with the broken system they are used to. Sebastian Bron, a general assignment reporter at The Hamilton Spectator, recently spent a day with the team and their patients. He joins “This Matters” to share his observations.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: Sebastian Bron

Guest: Shellene Drakes-Tull, contributing columnist

How many racialized people calling it out does it take to fix racism? Toronto Star contributing columnist Shellene Drakes-Tull addressed this head on in a recent column, where she pointed out the Canadian trend to issue a new survey, report or article comes out every few weeks that states what any racialized person has known for years: racism exists in Canada. Any new data is never good. BIPOC representation is down, systemic racism is up, workplaces are challenging and people of colour are tired of repeating the numbers to general shock, surprise or disbelief. Why does nothing really change? Why is it so hard to make someone believe that racism is real and present in our everyday lives, workplaces and institutions?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Katie Daubs, senior writer

The City of Toronto manages more than 850 playgrounds, but city-provided information is lacking and children have critical questions. How fast is the slide? Will I vomit on the merry-go-round? Is there a place to play house? Parents also have questions. Is their shade? Is the space accessible? Is a bathroom close by? To get the information, one Toronto dad has taken his children to over 200 parks and built an essential guide with important information any family would need before heading outside. The Star's Katie Daubs joins “This Matters” to talk about his findings, the best and worst playgrounds in Toronto and the fun playground history in the city.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter

Asylum seekers come to Canada hoping to find safety, refuge and the chance to build a better life. Instead, many have ended up sleeping on the streets of Toronto after being caught in a bureaucratic tug of war between Toronto and Ottawa, as the city and the federal governments are pointing at each other on who should fund the responsibility of housing refugees. According to a new policy that came into effect June 1, the city is now directing asylum seekers in need of emergency beds to the federal government. We look at this new policy and hear the stories of the most vulnerable people who are being impacted.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Jacques Gallant, courts and justice reporter

The Ford government is facing accusations of patronage for bringing back the King’s Counsel (K.C. for short) special designation for lawyers and awarding it to numerous Tory politicians, staffers and loyalists. Meant to be “given to lawyers who have demonstrated a commitment to the pursuit of legal excellence in service to the Crown, the public and their communities,” the government’s move provoked significant reaction as the list of appointees included Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, who had just been called to the bar in Ontario days before. Further, The Star revealed that more than a dozen lawyers who received the K.C. honour had recently donated to Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey’s election campaign. Jacques Gallant, a crime and justice reporter, joins “This Matters” to talk about the Ford King’s Counsel move.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Paris Marx, author and host of “Tech Won’t Save Us” podcast

Threads, Meta’s new social media app that is being called the “Twitter killer” by some experts, has now become the fastest growing app in history with 100 million new users since it was officially launched on July 5. Many see it as a sign of social media user’s disenchantment with Twitter after the platform went through a series of controversial and unpopular changes since tech giant Elon Musk took over. Threads is being marketed as the “saner” version of Twitter, but many are not convinced, considering Meta’s own controversial history with a far-reaching private data policy and allegations involving amplifying disinformation and hate speech. Meanwhile, Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta accusing the company of stealing trade secrets to create a copycat app. We unravel some of the Threads drama.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

This episode originally aired January 9, 2023.

Guest: Jim Rankin, staff reporter

Twenty years ago, the Star published a landmark and controversial investigation examining data that showed police interaction with racialized people occurred at a higher rate, kicking of years of stories that reinforced this initial conclusion. This past year, after looking at their own data, acting Toronto police chief James Ramer apologized for police interactions with the Black community. The problems persist through all areas of law enforcement despite the acknowledgments.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CBC and Globe and Mail

This episode originally aired June 2, 2023.

Guest: David Suzuki, world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist

Before the Paris Agreement, before the Kyoto Protocol, before even the UN Climate Convention was signed in Rio, world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist David Suzuki was ringing the alarm bell and saying that climate change is a “matter of survival.” In this episode, Suzuki joins “This Matters” guest host and climate reporter Marco Chown Oved to discuss the state of today’s environmental movement and where it needs to go.

Audio sources: CBC

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Marco Chown-Oved and Paulo Marques

This episode originally aired April 21, 2023.

Two years ago, Cowessess First Nation announced the discovery of 715 unmarked graves near the site of a former residential school. The news shocked the world and ignited a national conversation on Canada’s colonial history. At the centre was Chief Cadmus Delorme, a young and vibrant leader, who came to office wanting to show that an Indigenous world view could work with, and even improve, Western-style development. Delorme had no idea that he would become the centre of a national reckoning on residential schools. He joins the podcast to discuss what it means to lead a modern first nation and why he’s stepping down after seven years.

Audio sources: CBC, CPAC, Global News

This episode was produced by Alex Boyd, Alexis Green and Paolo Marques.

This episode was originally broadcast April 18, 2023.

Guest: Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency astronaut

Col. Jeremy Hansen, a CAF fighter pilot and Canadian Space Agency astronaut, has been named to NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first scheduled crewed mission of the Space Launch System with the Orion spacecraft. It will leave Earth’s orbit and perform a lunar flyby, the first time people have travelled by the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and the first time a Canadian has reached deep space. It’s an ambitious flight, an assignment he says he is still getting his head around as he pulls from all of his experiences to prepare. Why should this mission get Canada’s attention and why is it important? What is Canada doing in space? The rookie space flyer explains.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Audio sources: NASA

Guest: Raisa Patel, Ottawa Bureau

Google has announced plans to block all Canadian news content from its platforms and the ramifications are huge. The move is in response to the just-passed Online News Act, which would force platforms to strike deals with Canadian media publishers for sharing, previewing and directing users to online content. Some news organizations, including Torstar, lobbied Ottawa in favour of the legislation and have had deals in place with Google and Meta (who have said they will also block access to news on Facebook and Instagram), but Google’s move is a game changer with major implications.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and guest host Edward Keenan

Now that the election is done, our panel of columnists gathers one last time to assess what the heck happened and discuss Olivia Chow’s mandate, what her winning Scarborough means, what Ontario Premier Doug Ford (and others) lost by going against her and the hard work that lies ahead.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Edward Keenan.

Guest: Michael Oscars, talent agent and theatre producer

Drag is increasingly a target of hate and criticism across the world, looped into far-right hysteria, “freedom” convoy protesting and narratives about child safety. It is an unusual turn of perspective when drag has always been part of our popular culture, including our local popular culture and arts scene in Toronto. Drag performers have also been part of causes for good, including activism and fundraising. Drag does have a place in the bar scene but it has also long-been in some of our most mainstream television, film and theatre productions. Michael Oscars, a Canadian talent agent and theatre producer, joins “This Matters” to share what the art form is about and some of its history.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: CBC, USA Today, SuchisLifeVideos/YouTube, Soundstripe

Guests: Toronto Star columnists and guest hosts Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan

When Olivia Chow won the mayoral election Monday night, she ended 12 years of Conservative rule at city hall, bringing a message of hope, harnessing hunger for change and riding a bicycle festooned with flowers. Ed and Emma recap how she won the election, discuss Ana Bailão’s last-minute surge, discuss the performance and prospects of some of the other candidates, and try to assess the difficulty Chow faces now that she’s taking office.

This episode was produced by Paolo Marques and Edward Keenan

Guest: Tracy Morley, executive director at Camp Awakening, and Joshua Chong, staff reporter

The Toronto Star’s Fresh Air Fund has provided thousands of children and teens with a memorable summer holiday since 1901. Begun by former publisher Joseph Atkinson, the fund provides grants to camp organizations to subsidize fees for financially or medically vulnerable youth who otherwise couldn’t have the experience. Our readers and listeners have a large part in this, funding the effort with generous donations. To learn more about what The Star and our readers are part of, we welcome an executive director of a camp organization that has been the recipient of Fresh Air Fund funding and a Toronto Star staff reporter who had a life changing experience at camp after arriving in Canada from Singapore.

How to donate:

With your gift, the Fresh Air Fund can help send thousands of kids to camp. These children will get to take part in a camp experience they will cherish for a lifetime.

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To donate by Visa, Mastercard or Amex use our secure form.

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Mail to The Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund, 8 Spadina, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8

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This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guests: Toronto Star City Hall Bureau Chief David Rider, and reporters Alyshah Hasham and Ben Spurr, join guest host Edward Keenan

Just before the final weekend of the Toronto mayoral campaign, Premier Doug Ford and former Mayor John Tory told us who they’re voting for. The fact that they did it at all was a bigger surprise than the names they came up with. How much difference can it make at this late stage? Our panellists look back on the campaign that was, the post-election prospects for councillors and the unknowns they’ll be looking at on an election day where the question might be “who and what is Toronto for?”

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Crawford Blair.

Guest: Katharine Lake Berz, freelance journalist

Are criminals using laced drugs to target and murder people? With overdose deaths more than quadrupling from 2016 to 2021 in the Niagara region and investigations ongoing, some say that some of the once-believed accidental deaths may have actually been caused by ingestion of “hot shots” (a recreational drug intentionally laced with a lethal substance, like fentanyl). Homicides disguised as an overdose are hard to prove. There’s no set threshold for authorities to investigate an overdose death that might be suspicious and these cases are incredibly hard to prove.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Matthew Van Dongen, transportation reporter at The Hamilton Spectator

Light rail transit has long been considered a cheaper public transit option, especially when compared to building subways, but many projects are skyrocketing in costs. In Toronto, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT has been bogged down in all kinds of problems and, as we have learned, its problems are not isolated. Other transit development projects in Hamilton and Waterloo are bogged down with their own issues as they continue to get more expensive to build.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

While Canada is in the process of welcoming nearly 1.5 million permanent residents by the end of 2025, Statistics Canada data raises the question whether the country is doing an equally good job of keeping them here. A conservative estimate of 15 to 20 per cent of immigrants leave the country within 10 years. As many new Canadians struggle with systemic barriers, finding the right jobs and the increasingly-high cost of living, how many will make the difficult decision to give up on their Canadian dream and leave for greener pastures? How do we retain them in a country striving to grow its population and economy?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Toronto Star City Hall Bureau Chief David Rider, and reporters Alyshah Hasham and Ben Spurr, join guest host Edward Keenan

One week before election day, undecided Toronto voters are wrestling with the choice of who to vote for as the city’s next mayor. To help, we’ve assembled the reporters of the Toronto Star’s city hall bureau, who have been covering the campaign. Together they go over the latest poll results that show Olivia Chow with a more commanding lead than ever and tackle questions from readers on provincial relations, public space, budget issues, who gets to keep their job while they run, who gets coverage and other issues.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Denise Balkissoon, Ontario Bureau Chief for The Narwhal, speaks with guest host Edward Keenan

In the final weeks of the mayoral election campaign, journalist Denise Balkissoon wrote a piece for The Local looking at the environmental platforms of the major mayoral candidates and mostly found them wanting. She joins Edward Keenan to walk through the promises and approaches of front-runners including Olivia Chow, Mark Saunders, Josh Matlow and Mitzie Hunter, and talks about a sense of resignation not just about the issue but about quality of life in Toronto.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Edith Lemay and Sébastien Pelletier

When Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier learned three of their four children have a genetic disorder and will lose their sight, they turned their devastation into an opportunity and found joy in travel around the world. They have travelled everywhere from Zambia and Tanzania to Mongolia and Nepal, exploring and finding new experiences to help their kids build a visual memory. They join “This Matters” to share their journey and the life lessons they have made along the way, all through the eyes their children.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Audio sources: Edith Lemay

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and guest host Edward Keenan

With less than two weeks to go before the election, candidates are making their closing pitches to voters and in this campaign, a surprising number of those involve claims to be the only candidate to beat Olivia Chow. Our Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel talks about some of claims and assesses their credibility, including a comical trip into Mark Saunders’ website FAQ. The panel also discusses the potential for surprises, which losing candidate might still come out ahead in the long run and a range of other ballot-box issues.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Sean Pattendon.

**Guest:** Sherwin Modeste, executive director of Pride Toronto

Toronto’s Pride festival is up against some financial challenges this year. Organizers say rising costs of necessary security and policing, paired with quadrupled insurance premiums, have resulted in desperate calls to three levels of government for help and the possibility of cutting back on programming. While Trudeau’s government delivered Pride Toronto a reprieve of about $250,000 from a $1.5 million Canada-wide grant, executive director Sherwin Modeste says the organization remains very tight. He joins “This Matters” to talk about the challenge and why their events must not scale back in an era of rising hate.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: Canadian Press

Guest: Tony Doob, professor emeritus, University of Toronto Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies

News that Paul Bernardo, one of Canada’s most notorious killers, has been moved from a maximum security penitentiary to a medium-security institution touched a raw nerve that hasn’t healed three decades after his crimes. How could one believed to be so evil have his experience in incarceration softened? Why was the reason shrouded in secrecy? Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is undergoing a review of their decision but, as a criminologist tells us, Canadian law does not say we should hold our worst offenders indefinitely in maximum security because they are notorious to us.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Audio Sources: CHCH News, CPAC

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and guest host Edward Keenan

Signs are blooming on lawns across the city. The advanced polls are open, which can only mean that the election is nearing. With just over two and a half weeks left before the city goes to the polls, it’s time to reconvene our Toronto Star All Star Opinionator panel.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Crawford Blair.

Guest: Patrick O’Rourke, editor-in-chief of MobileSyrup.com

Apple has launched what it hopes is it’s next game changing computing device. The Vision Pro is a headset the company calls an augmented reality platform, that it says may change change the way people interact with the digital world. The device has long been rumoured to be coming from the company, and while it very expensive, Apple believes this is an important step toward its vision of computing’s future.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: Apple

Guests: Jennifer Keesmaat, former Chief Planner of Toronto, 2018 candidate for mayor and partner with Markee Developments speaks with guest host Edward Keenan

We all know that fundraising is a key part of running a mayoral campaign, and that the rich and well connected have a leg up. But how? Former candidate and former top city planner Jennifer Keesmaat talks about her first-hand experience of trying to fund a campaign for mayor of Toronto and how she thinks grassroots candidates should try to overcome those challenges. She also dishes about her first-hand experience with the current crop of candidates, her assessment of the race so far and why she thinks it may be turning into a wire-to-wire walk to the finish line for one candidate.

Guests: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter, and Alyshah Hasham, City Hall reporter

With so many high profile and violent crimes in Toronto in the past year, public safety has become an important issue in the mayoral byelection. Many feel like the city is less safe, but how does that align with the actual numbers and data? Crime isn’t equal across the city but to discuss how best to deal with it, we should start with what is actually happening to decide the best ways to combat it.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Mike Flannigan, chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science at Thompson Rivers University

Canada is on fire from coast-to-coast. As a wildfire burns on northern Vancouver Island, Alberta was in a state of emergency for most of May. As seasonal fires began shockingly early in Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia relied on weekend rain to contain flames that forced thousands to evacuate. It has been a dynamic and dramatic situation. Experts say the fire season is starting earlier and going later with hotter, dryer weather thanks to climate change. Adding to that, 50 per cent of these fires are actually started by people, accelerating an already challenging problem. The situation has many desperately wondering what will it take to make them stop. The bad news is, they won’t. It comes down to having resources to manage them and a shift in government approach from reactive to proactive.

Audio Sources: CBC News/TikTok, CBC/The National

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques

Guest: David Suzuki, world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist

Before the Paris Agreement, before the Kyoto Protocol, before even the UN Climate Convention was signed in Rio, world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist David Suzuki was ringing the alarm bell and saying that climate change is a “matter of survival.” In this episode, Suzuki joins “This Matters” guest host and climate reporter Marco Chown Oved to discuss the state of today’s environmental movement and where it needs to go.

Audio sources: CBC

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Marco Chown-Oved and Paulo Marques

Toronto Star columnists Emma Teitel and Edward Keenan co-host this episode of “This Matters” to discuss how Ana Bailão, Brad Bradford, Olivia Chow, Mitzie Hunter, Josh Matlow and Mark Saunders performed at the Toronto Star-United Way sponsored debate at the Ted Rogers School of Management, a part of Toronto Metropolitan University. It was moderated by Keenan and held May 31.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Edward Keenan, Emma Teitel.

Audio source: CP24

Guests: Scott Reid, advisor to former prime minister Paul Martin and political analyst with CTV, speaks with guest host Edward Keenan

Exactly 21 years ago, Scott Reid’s boss, then Finance Minister Paul Martin, delivered a speech on the need to give cities a new source of revenue. It was regarded as the new deal for cities, and a speech Reid recalls led to Martin’s departure from Jean Chrétien’s cabinet. Now all these years later, as Reid and guest host Edward Keenan agree, Toronto needs to demand a new deal that acknowledges Toronto is different than any other city in Canada. Reid, a “lifelong political hack,” talks through how mayoral candidates should approach it as a campaign issue to win a mandate and how it might work out in practice to create leverage if anyone won the election on that message.

Audio source: CSPAN, Canadian Question Period, June 3, 2002

Guest: Clarrie Feinstein, business reporter

Elevators are key piece of apartment and condo living, but due to a number of factors, they often take a long time to get fixed once they break down. From a shortage of mechanics to a small number of companies who control the industry and use proprietary parts, there are several reasons why critics feel the entire sector can use better oversight.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Kerry Gillespie, sports reporter

Ontario Soccer is launching a pilot project this summer that will see some referees wearing body cams to record and deter abuse. What is surprising is that this isn’t happening at the professional or adult levels, but starting with the under 9 and 11 age groups. Many sports are facing a shortage of people wanting to officiate matches and one of the biggest reasons cited is the taunting and abuse referees take from parents, spectators and coaches. Is this a way to change the culture around treatment of officials?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Francine Kopun, senior writer

Toronto is in the process of renaming Dundas Street, but some critics think it’s not worth the cost and trouble. Three years after City Hall acted on a petition to change the name due to the actions of its namesake, Henry Dundas, some mayoral candidates are pledging to reopen the debate. Much of it hinges on the role Dundas may have played in delaying the abolition of slavery in the British Empire.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: BBC, CNN

Guest: David Rider, City Hall bureau chief

We are learning a lot more about the candidates running to be mayor of Toronto, particularly the six leading contenders who have floated to the top while 96 others are in the mix somewhere else. Amid a busy week of campaigning that included a handful of debates, here’s what we are learning about their policy positions and what we know our city wants in a mayor post-John Tory.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: Twitter, City News

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and guest host Edward Keenan

Our political panel talks about the election race as Toronto enters the feverish debate season, and asks what to make of the polls, how a big lead can disappear, whether voters want hope or anger and which candidates are bringing real talk on taxes.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief, and Noor Javed, staff reporter covering the 905

The Ontario government is breaking up Peel Region to make Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon stand-alone municipalities in 2025. The move has had mixed responses but two things are clear: there will be plenty of haggling over resources like shared infrastructure and the “divorce” will change the political landscape in the province.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CPAC

Guest: Jason Miller, crime and justice reporter

An Ontario man is facing two charges of counselling or aiding suicide and, as details emerge, we have learned authorities in other parts of the world are looking into other specific deaths never before questioned. The case centres around sodium nitrite, a substance widely available that can be used to cure meats but can also be lethal. Here’s what we know so far about the local case that could have international ramifications.

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at www.crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Isabel Teotonio, education reporter

The Toronto District School Board has been experiencing a staffing shortage that is leaving administrations scrambling for teachers and some parents and students worried about time missed learning. To help, the board has redeployed nearly 100 of its learning coaches and hired more than 200 additional occasional teachers but there is a domino affect to all of the shuffling and other areas are impacted. Unions are calling it a crisis and there’s no quick fix.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

The Eglinton Crosstown LRT continues to be a nightmare for the residents of that area and the end is nowhere in sight. With reports of “no credible plan” toward completion of the $12.8-billion light-rail transit line, the consortium of companies building it has filed legal papers to stop work until a number of issues are resolved. With another court decision needed to decide the way forward, trains will not be running this year and many are left wondering if this is a harbinger for other transit projects, like the Ontario line.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CP24

Guest: Mark Richardson, technical lead for HousingNowTO

According to polls and the platforms, housing affordability is THE big issue in this mayoral election campaign, especially as the city’s Housing Now program has failed to get shovels in the ground (or people in apartments). Mark Richardson’s citizen-led HousingNowTO organization has monitored the problems and progress all along, and has been taking all the major mayoral candidates on walking tours of proposed sites to show what’s holding things up and what potential is out there. He joins guest host Edward Keenan to outline what all the major candidates are proposing to build on city land (so far) and how.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Edward Keenan.

Guests: Katie Daubs, senior writer, and Christine Dobby, business reporter

As cities around the world return to the office, Toronto lags behind other global centres as many workers are choosing to continue working from home. That’s having a spillover effect on the downtown core, and in particular, on the PATH, the underground network of shops and stores that support a downtown economy. Are these changes temporary or long lasting? What do they mean for the future of Toronto?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime reporter

When George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, protests erupted around the world. Calls to defund the police rang out and, for a moment, it seemed like change was imminent. But three years on, efforts to revolutionize public safety have varied. Star reporter Wendy Gillis recently visited Minneapolis as part of the ongoing “Beyond the Badge” series (made possible with the financial assistance of the R. James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship) looking at what cities around the world are doing to combat violence and redesign public safety. Gillis explains what’s happened to policing since Floyd’s murder and what we can learn from Minneapolis, a city that’s become a case study in the frustratingly slow pace of systemic change.

Audio Sources: CNN, WWCO, NBC, Kare 11, MSNBC, ABC, Newsweek

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Raju Mudhar and Paulo Marques

Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter

The Ontario government has made building more housing fast a priority and, to get that done, it wants to throw out planning rules that set guidelines for how municipalities should grow. The proposed changes could upend how Ontario has planned its cities since 2005 and some critics fear that it is a perfect recipe for sprawl.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Joanna Chiu, staff reporter

The Canadian government is creating a list of foreign universities and labs that it says pose a national security risk. The news comes at the same time several Canadian universities are reviewing their research partnerships. Last week, the University of Waterloo announced it is ending its relationship with Chinese telecom giant Huawei amid security concerns. The government list will further impact research funding and possibly, academic freedom.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and guest host Edward Keenan

More than 70 candidates have registered to run for mayor. As the opening phase of the campaign finishes, our panel talks about housing policy, why many candidates might misunderstand the task they’ve taken on, why attacks aren’t landing and whether one candidate should brag about his current lack of pay cheques.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Dr. Fahad Razak, internist at St. Michael’s Hospital

After more than three years, the World Health Organization has declared that COVID-19 is over as a global health emergency. However, the organization also said the virus remains a threat and can still get people very sick. For many people, the pandemic has been “over” for a while but there are also plenty of people for whom the effects linger and that’s something to remember as we navigate this next phase.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CBC and ABC

Guest: Alex Boyd, Calgary-based reporter

The writ has dropped in Alberta and the campaign for premier is on. The NDP’s Rachel Notley would like to win back power, while UCP incumbent Danielle Smith must now see if voters agree with her vision for the province. It’s an election that will have ramifications for the rest of the country, as issues like energy and the environment are sure to be big factors.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CBC

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime reporter

After two Toronto police officers stole drugs for their personal use from evidence lockers, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) investigated and found a lax and dated system that all but opened the door for abuse. The report calls for greater restrictions on access to evidence by officers, just as it is becoming clear that such thefts are affecting cases before the court.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CityNews

Guest: David Miller, former mayor of Toronto and managing director of the C40 Centre for City Climate Policy and Economy

While other issues have grabbed more headlines, Toronto faces no more fundamental challenges over the next few years than its billion-dollar budget gap and a provincial premier eager to force his will on the city. David Miller draws on his experience as Toronto mayor (and on lessons learned in the schoolyard for how to confront bullies) to offer his perspective on the way ahead, the power of a mayoral mandate and where to find a sense of optimism for the city.

This episode was produced by Ed Keenan and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Raisa Patel, federal politics reporter

Bill C-11, Canada’s new Online Streaming Act, is now law. Considered a refresh to the outdated Broadcasting Act, there are still several questions about how this law will affect streaming platforms and what discoverability of Canadian-made content will look like. And what about cat videos? While the government insists the act doesn’t cover user-generated content, critics are not so sure.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: The Cat Academy/YouTube

Guests: Nagwa El Mamoun, Safiya Abbadi and Omar Mosleh

It’s been just over two weeks since violence erupted between two rival military factions in Khartoum, the Capital city of Sudan. The Canadian government has airlifted citizens out, but says that it may not be able to do so in the future. Nagwa El Mamoun, a Canadian who was in Sudan when the fighting broke out, her daughter Safiya Abbadi and Toronto Star journalist Omar Mosleh join to share the Canadian family’s story and discuss what led to this conflict.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: BBC

Guest: Peter Edwards, crime reporter

The theft of $20 million in gold and other high-end items from Pearson airport was likely a well-planned professional job, but authorities are tight lipped about what happened so we are left to only speculate. To gain insight, long-time organized crime journalist Peter Edwards reached out to a former professional criminal (who did prison time for his role in a securities heist) to discuss how such a heist could happen at Canada’s largest airport. Edwards takes us through what it takes to pull something like this off and compares the incident to other high profile and bizarre heists in Canadian history.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Soundstripe

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, federal politics reporter

Over 100,000 federal civil servants went on strike on April 19, impacting government services like passport offices, immigration support and the Canada Revenue Agency. The issues include higher wages, remote work, seniority rights and contract workers. A week later, there was motion in addressing some of these, but the union says it has “compromised” on its significant wage demand. Meanwhile, political leaders in Ottawa are using this strike as a way to speak to the labour vote and are walking a very fine line.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: Global News

Guest: Steve McKinley, Atlantic correspondent

Nurses are in demand across the country, so much so some provinces are offering perks like cash incentives to entice them to come work and live there. While this is good for people in the profession, will it actually work to bring people back to the job or just result in a more unequal landscape across the country?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel, featuring columnists Emma Teitel, Shawn Micallef, Matt Elliott and host Edward Keenan

After a snooze of an election in October, Toronto thought it was in for four more years of John Tory’s bland inevitability. One career-ending political scandal later, the city has been thrust back into a wide-open campaign for the top job at city hall, one that’s drawn more than 50 contenders with no clear front-runner. With a handful of names that jump to the top of the list and a few key issues that appear likely to dominate people’s attention, it is conceivable that the weakest election mandate in Toronto history could give us the most powerful mayor we’ve ever had.

This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Crawford Blair and JP Fozo.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace, investigative reporter

Malcom Madsen went missing in Mexico in 2018, and when the authorities did little to pursue an investigation, his daughter, Brooke Mullins, took matters into her own hands. What followed was a true crime tale of private investigation, damning evidence and dealing with the varying interests of authority figures in a search for justice.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Two years ago, Cowessess First Nation announced the discovery of 715 unmarked graves near the site of a former residential school. The news shocked the world and ignited a national conversation on Canada’s colonial history. At the centre was Chief Cadmus Delorme, a young and vibrant leader, who came to office wanting to show that an Indigenous world view could work with, and even improve, Western-style development. Delorme had no idea that he would become the centre of a national reckoning on residential schools. He joins the podcast to discuss what it means to lead a modern first nation and why he’s stepping down after seven years.

Audio sources: CBC, CPAC, Global News

This episode was produced by Alex Boyd, Alexis Green and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief

Redevelopment at Ontario Place just took an “experimental” turn. The Ontario Science Centre will now be moving to the waterfront site, entwining the futures for these two institutions and tourist draws. There’s plenty of push back, from people in the science centre’s current neighbourhood to Toronto mayoral candidates and citizens who disagree with the province’s plans.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News, CityNews, CP24 and CBC

Guests: Kris Rushowy, Queen's Park reporter, and Matt Bradley, teacher and Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program co-ordinator

Ontario is facing a skilled trades shortage and is looking at changing the education system to get more students thinking about, and working in, these fields. There are many issues to tackle, including how these fields are promoted and finding capable trades teachers. As well, some critics also worry that literacy and numeracy skills would suffer if these mandatory classes are adjusted.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Jeremy Hansen, Canadian Space Agency astronaut

Col. Jeremy Hansen, a CAF fighter pilot and Canadian Space Agency astronaut, has been named to NASA’s Artemis II mission, the first scheduled crewed mission of the Space Launch System with the Orion spacecraft. It will leave Earth’s orbit and perform a lunar flyby, the first time people have travelled by the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and the first time a Canadian has reached deep space. It’s an ambitious flight, an assignment he says he is still getting his head around as he pulls from all of his experiences to prepare. Why should this mission get Canada’s attention and why is it important? What is Canada doing in space? The rookie space flyer explains.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Audio sources: NASA

Guest: Stephanie Carvin, associate professor at Carleton University and former national security analyst

According to leaked documents from the Pentagon, a Canadian pipeline was successfully hacked in February. The FBI has arrested the suspected leaker, but the information is out there and could have wide-reaching ramifications, especially for the war in Ukraine. Today, we are joined by national security expert Stephanie Carvin to discuss what the leaks say about the security of Canadian infrastructure.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

On this episode of This Matters we bring you a bonus episode of The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman. Chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan brings you along for the ride as he and the Toronto Star argue in the courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada, to unseal documents related to the Sherman homicide investigation, and the multi-billion dollar estate of Honey and Barry Sherman, which the police say is part of their probe. You can currently listen to episodes 1, 2, and 3 (4 is available for subscribers) of The Billionaire Murders wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

Guest: David Rider, City Hall bureau chief

Ontario Place is becoming an election issue in the Toronto mayoral byelection. It is early days, but the province’s controversial plans to redevelop the waterfront site is something candidates are already using to stake out their ideological turf while also signalling how they plan to deal with the Ontario government and Premier Doug Ford.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CityNews

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter

More than 6.5 million adult Canadian do not have a primary care practitioner, like a family doctor. There have been several reports pointing to this gap of access to medical care with a number of recommendations to help solve the problem and create more equitable access to health care for everyone. Megan Ogilvie, the Star’s health reporter, joins “This Matters” to talk about the issue.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

When forty per cent of farm operators retire in the next decade, an influx of skilled labourers will be needed to fill the gap. A new report says targeted immigration is one step to keep the sector sustainable, but it also calls for a better understanding of the needs of the agricultural business sector to attract more workers.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Today, we're bringing you an episode of It's Political with Althia Raj.

This week on “It’s Political,” we mark April’s high religious holidays, such as Easter, Ramadan, Passover and Vaisakhi, with a conversation on faith and politics. How it influences MPs’ policy positions, where they believe the line between state and church should be drawn, and the impact of political parties using religion as a wedge.

First, we’ll look at the rising numbers of religious hate crimes and a new report by Cardus that suggests Canadians have polarizing views on religion. Canada’s former ambassador for religious freedom, Andrew Bennett, will walk us through his research.

Then, we’ll hear from Amira Elghawaby, the Trudeau government’s recent appointee as Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia, on why she believes her role is necessary.

After, we’ll sit down with Liberal MP Iqra Khalid, Conservative MP Marilyn Gladu, NDP MP Daniel Blaikie and Liberal MP Anthony Housefather for a conversation on how their faith influences their politics.

In this episode: Mississauga—Erin Mills MP Iqra Khalid, Sarnia—Lambton MP Marilyn Gladu, Mount Royal MP Anthony Housefather, Elmwood—Transcona MP Daniel Blaikie, Andrew Bennet, Cardus’ program director of Faith Communities, Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia of Canada. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Some of the clips this week were sourced from: CPAC, the House of Commons, the Senate, CBC, CP24, BBC, CityNews, CTV, Andrew Scheer’s Facebook page, Global

“It’s Political” is produced by Althia Raj and Michal Stein. Kevin Sexton mixed the program. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

Guest: Kate Allen is a Climate Change Reporter at the Star

Chlorofluorocarbons, a.ka. CFCs, are chemicals that were used in all kinds of household items in the 70s and 80s, but they were found to be causing a massive hole in the Earth’s ozone layer. The world committed to act and their use was banned and replacements were found and the ozone layer is now healing. But new research shows that some CFCs are mysteriously rising. What does that mean and how will it affect the environment?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

Violence on transit is an issue that is plaguing cities across North America, including Toronto. Answers to problems have not been clear. In fact, Toronto’s temporary solution to introduce more policing has now ended. What are other cities doing? Authorities in New York doubled down with policing while Philadelphia took a more supportive, service approach. What can Toronto learn?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Christina Clark-Kazak, associate professor in the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa

In the aftermath of U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Canada, changes were made to the Safe Third Country Agreement, a key immigration policy to close a loophole that enabled migrants to claim asylum in the U.S. or Canada through unofficial ports of entry. After Roxham Road acted as unofficial route into Quebec for over 40,000 migrants last year, the route is now closed and experts fear this will only drive people to take more dangerous paths.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CBC and CTV

Guest: Steve McKinley, Atlantic correspondent

After two and a half years and more than $20 million, the Mass Casualty Commission inquiry has released its final report, looking back on the worst mass shooting in Canadian history. The 130 recommendations within envision a full overhaul of Canada’s national police force, a strengthening of gun control laws, and more attention to preventing gender-based and domestic violence. Steve McKinley, the Star’s Atlantic correspondent, joins “This Matters” to talk about RCMP failures and inadequacies surrounding the massacre that left 22 victims dead in Nova Scotia three years ago.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, JP Fozo and Paulo Marques

Audio Sources: CBC, CPAC

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter

In December, eight teenage girls were accused of allegedly swarming and killing a man in downtown Toronto. This shocking crime is now making its way through the criminal justice system, and due to the ages of the suspects, there are limits on what can be reported on the crime. Jennifer Pagliaro, a crime reporter for the Star, has been following the case through bail hearings, and joins us to tell what she can and can’t say about this incident and what it says about the escalation of young people perpetrating more serious crimes in the Greater Toronto Area.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

With the start of the Jays season, This Matters is broadcasting today's opening day episode of Deep Left Field from the Star's Mike Wilner.

Guests: Blue Jays Opening Day starter Alek Manoah, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right fielder George Springer, closer Jordan Romano and catcher Danny Jansen.

This week in Deep Left Field, it's the Opening Day Extravaganza! We kick off our third year of the podcast by setting up the season with some of the most important players on the Jays' roster as they look to win the AL East for the first time since 2015. Opening Day starter Alek Manoah, leadoff hitter George Springer and slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. talk about building off last season and just how good this team can be in 2023, then Jordan Romano and Danny Jansen team up to give us the rundown on the team and tell us how many times they'll be shaking hands at the end of games this year.

Guest: Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa Bureau Chief

The new federal budget spends $497 billion in all manner of ways, with a host of new green incentives, a grocery rebate for some Canadians and a dental care plan for others. The rich will be taxed more, there is money for the development of a lunar rover vehicle but there is no allotment to help bail out Toronto from its budget shortfall.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC and CPAC

Guest: Christine Dobby, business reporter

Scam calls are an annoying and growing problem that cost Canadians $57 million in losses last year. With a technological arms race between con artists, phone companies and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), there is no clear path to stop calls. Some will always get through, making awareness one of the best tools to make sure you don’t get taken.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: @AlecBenfica on YouTube

Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter

Peel Region is being studied for potential governance changes and Mississauga wants out. The city is the economic powerhouse of the region and feels it pays for services in Brampton and Caledon that could be repurposed to its own causes. Brampton and Caledon worry dividing shared infrastructure and services like utilities could be costly and cumbersome. Amalgamating all three municipalities is also potentially on the table.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CP24, CBC, City of Mississauga and Twitter (@BonnieCrombie)

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief

Ontario’s record-breaking $204.7 billion spending plan spreads money around to a lot of places, injecting dollars in health care, education and a number of programs, including Indigenous mental health. That said, critics feel there is little to help people who are struggling with the high cost of living and inflation. The Ford government says this budget puts the province on track to balance the books next year, but at what cost?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Government of Ontario

Guest: David Rider, City Hall bureau chief

The mayoral byelection is June 26 and already it is looking like this will be the most wide-open competition for the city’s top job in years. Candidates of all political stripes and types of notoriety have said they intend to, or are considering, running. The list already includes current councillor Josh Matlow, former councillor Ana Bailão, former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders and Liberal MPP Mitzie Hunter, with more big names expected to throw their hats in the ring.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CP24 and CityNews

Guest: Moira Welsh, Toronto Star journalist leading The Third Act project

A growing number of older women are facing poverty in Canada. It is a situation that can be brutally isolating as well as physically and emotionally exhausting. According to government data, it is also an issue affecting more women in their senior years than men. Journalist Moira Welsh, author of “Happily Ever Older: Revolutionary Approaches to Long-Term Care,” joins the podcast to discuss her latest story. It is part “The Third Act,” a Toronto Star partnership with the National Institute On Ageing that pushes Canada to do better for its older adults.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Alyshah Hasham, City Hall reporter

Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway is a perennial debate from all directions, and just as the mayoral race gets underway, we have arrived at the debate about the $1.2-billion future of the eastern section. Josh Matlow, a city councillor and recently-confirmed mayoral contender to replace John Tory, says going forward would be a “historic mistake” and, along with a handful of community groups, is urging for an updated accounting of the cost of the plan with an eye to maybe shelve it. Other mayoral contenders are also beginning to speak up on what may possibly be a key election issue. Today we talk about our love/hate relationship with the Gardiner and why this debate runs through the heart of what this city means to us.

Audio sources: CTV and CityNews

Guest: Chay Ornthanalai, associate professor at the Rotman School of Management

Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th largest bank in the United States yet, in less than two days, it collapsed and marked the single largest American banking failure since the financial crisis of 2008. Ripple effects from SVB’s collapse continue to hit similar institutions, have reached Credit Suisse Group (itself moving to sell) and ignited a political blame game. Chay Ornthanalai, an associate professor at the Rotman School of Management, joins “This Matters” to explain what went wrong and explore why it is unlikely for such failures to happen in Canada.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Allan Woods, staff reporter

Just as Roxham Road in Quebec became a crossing point for thousands of migrants hoping to enter Canada to avoid deportation in the United States, a new northern border phenomenon has people from countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and India using Canada as an entry point to the U.S., often making a perilous journey. Called “southbounders” by the RCMP, officials on both sides of the border say there has been a sharp spike in the number of people attempting this dangerous crossing. Republicans are leveraging the issue as political fuel and now cross-border issues are expected to feature heavily in the U.S. President Joe Biden’s upcoming visit to Canada next week.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Caitlin Chin, a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC

The social media app TikTok has attracted billions of users but concerns have grown over its roots in China and countries around the world, including Canada, have banned TikTok from government devices. Now, in the last 24 hours, the Biden administration has escalated a heated debate on TikTok’s security implications by issuing an ultimatum to the company: sell TikTok or be banned. We look at how the trendiest social platform of this generation ended up at the centre of an uproar involving national security, political panic and a serious ultimatum by the American president.

Audio sources: CNN, CNBC, NBC

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Rob Cribb, investigative reporter and director of the Investigative Journalism Bureau

Hate is on the rise on university and college campuses across the country. Wanting data, The Star and the University of Toronto’s Investigative Journalism Bureau sent requests to over 80 schools across Canada to find out how they track and deal with racist, homophobic and other hate-motivated incidents. The picture that came back is troubling but also incomplete, as both students and some administrations look for answers to this growing problem.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News

Guest: Matt Juniper, associate partner at PRAXIS

Last year, the largest ever global trial of a four-day work week began in the midst of a work culture reckoning and a pandemic. Companies across the world, including dozens across the U.S and Canada, signed up and now, the results are in. Companies are commiting to the four-day work week model. Matt Juniper, associate partner at full service marketing communications agency PRAXIS, shares some compelling insights.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Today, we're bringing you an episode of It's Political with Althia Raj.

Althia takes stock of the supply and confidence agreement the Liberals and NDP agreed to last March. In exchange for supporting the Liberal government on confidence matters until June 2025, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh received assurances Ottawa would enact a dental care program for low and middle income Canadians, as well as move ahead on a number of shared priorities, such as pharmacare, housing, climate change and reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous Peoples.

One year later, how have things panned out?

In this episode: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, former MP David Christopherson, former NDP director of issues management Ian Wayne, former NDP national director Karl Bélanger, Abacus Data CEO David Coletto, long-time New Democrat Dennis Van Meer, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Some of the clips this week were sourced from the CPAC, the House of Commons, CBC and CTV.

“It’s Political” is produced by Althia Raj and Michal Stein. Kevin Sexton mixed the program. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

Guest: Robyn Paul, Retool the Ring

At the end of their education, engineers receive a coveted ring in a ceremony full of symbolism, steeped in secrecy. It is called The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer and it has come under fire for failing to reflect the contemporary views and face of engineering in Canada.Retool the Ring, an informal organization, is part of the drive for that change, claiming the ritual contains “outdated and harmful world views, including colonialism, racism and sexism.” Robyn Paul, a co-facilitator, joins “This Matters” to explain.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Alex Boyd, staff reporter

The 15-minute city has long been an urban planning ideal, where people lived close to everything they need. It has recently become twisted by those who feel it might be something that could lead to the next lockdown, sparking protests online and in cities across the world, including in Canada. How did a seemingly benign planning theory become so controversial?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CityNews, @T_seaward on Twitter and @andrewknack on TikTok.

Guest: Victoria Gibson, Affordable Housing reporter

Sometimes even beloved neighbours and friends can slip away unnoticed at life’s end, with their memory frozen in time. That’s what happened to Charles Parris, 81, of Henry Street in Grange Park. He died at home, remains quietly buried, but worldly belongings remained. For 10 months, his Toronto Community Housing Corp. apartment sat uninhabited despite a raging housing crisis. Such vacancy limbo seems to be connected to another growing problem — an increasing number of unclaimed bodies. Victoria Gibson tells a haunting story on “This Matters.”

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Kris Rushowy and Isabel Teotonio, reporters

Bomb threats, death threats and police activity are the new reality for teachers and students at Oakville Trafalgar High School after photos of educator Kayla Lemieux made international headlines and left parents unnerved by action from the Halton District School Board. As the situation escalates, sudents say they feel unsafe and their learning environment is disrupted while the board scrambles to get support for a new “professionalism policy” and hire an outside adviser to help manage the uproar.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Audio Sources: CHCH News, Twitter

Guest: Megan Ogilvie and Kenyon Wallace, reporters

A group of orthopedic surgeons is leasing operating rooms from Ottawa’s biggest hospital. It’s a controversial move that the company says will help alleviate surgery wait-times in the province. But health care advocates are concerned and want more information about the arrangement. Why is a private corporation operating inside a public hospital? And will we see more of this in the future?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News and CPAC

Guest: Peter Edwards, crime reporter

Canada’s list of most wanted fugitives lives at Boloprogram.org (“bolo” meaning “be on the lookout”). These criminals are being hunted by authorities, both here and around the world. Currently, there is a $250,000 bounty for information leading to the capture of Rabih Alkhalil, a convicted multi-murderer who walked away from a British Columbia prison last July in a dramatic and daring escape. Peter Edwards has written a book about these criminals and joins “This Matters” to share his expertise.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa Bureau Chief

Ottawa is buzzing over news about the possibility of foreign interference in the last two federal elections. While government officials say those elections were free and fair, several reports and specific allegations of such attempts has Parliament looking at the issue. As top security officials testify, Canada’s election watchdog confirmed it is launching an investigation, while others call for a public inquiry.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Canadian Press, CPAC, CBC, Global News

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, Health Reporter

Last year, a group of doctors anonymously made serious allegations of abuse of power by hospital leadership at Trillium Health Partners. It triggered an independent investigation and the findings have finally been made public a year later. While the report said there wasn’t enough information to substantiate some of the more serious claims, it did lay out a series of recommendations on how to improve the workplace culture. Trillium Health Partners has always strongly disputed these allegations and repeatedly said it welcomed the third-party investigation. We take a look at the timeline of events and what has happened since.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Raisa Patel is a reporter in the Star’s Ottawa Bureau

Google has been conducting a secret test that filters out online news results for a small percentage of Canadians as a result of their concerns over Bill C-18, the Online News Act. This has raised the ire of several government officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and now the company’s top executives have been summoned to appear before a Parliamentary Committee to discuss the search engine giant’s actions.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar

Guest: Jim Rankin, Toronto Star reporter

There finally might be a way to track a long-standing dark side of Canada’s criminal justice system — the issue of wrongful convictions — through a new database. It’s hard to put a number to just how many people are languishing behind bars for something they did not do. The launch of a new database by the Canadian Registry of Wrongful Convictions could help pave the way for reforms just as the government introduces long awaited legislation that aims to make it easier and quicker for people who may have been wrongfully convicted to have their cases reviewed. Star reporter Jim Rankin talks joins to discuss.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Alex Boyd is a reporter in the Star's Calgary Bureau.

It has been almost two years since Justin Trudeau committed to sharing Canada’s vaccines with the world. Two years later, the results are in. By New Years day 2023, Canada had donated the equivalent of 196 million doses. That’s four million shy of its 200 million target. Government officials have celebrated the milestone, but there are many asking, could Canada have done more?

Audio Sources: Global News

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Raju Mudhar and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Patrick O'Rourke, Mobilesyrup.com Editor-in-Chief

Netflix’s crackdown on password sharing arrived in Canada this week, with the streaming service warning users who let others mooch off their accounts that they could be paying more for sharing. There are still lots of questions about how this will all work, and whether consumers will pay up or cancel the service in retaliation.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CTV

Guest: Bruce Arthur, sports writer and Star columnist

Canada’s national women’s soccer team is playing in the SheBelieves Cup in Orlando, Fla. this week, an important warm-up event in the lead-up to the World Cup five months from now. Instead of wearing red and white jerseys during our national anthem, the team has been wearing purple T-shirts, emblazoned with the words “Enough is Enough.” The protest is the latest in an ongoing and increasingly tense labour dispute with Canada Soccer, the team’s governing body. The colour purple symbolizes gender equality and is a nod to the team’s fight to be paid and treated equally to the men’s national team.

Audio Sources: ESPN, Sportsnet and TSN

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Raju Mudhar and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Charles Burton, Senior Fellow from Macdonald-Laurier Institute

When the alleged Chinese spy balloon floated across the United States earlier this month, it ignited a firestorm of concern about Beijing’s surveillance program. U.S. President Joe Biden called it a violation of U.S. sovereignty while, after other unidentified objects over North American airspace became of interest, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau acknowledged “a very serious situation.” The reaction spoke volumes about U.S. and Canadian concerns, while Beijing insisted the initial white orb was an errant civilian airship. Charles Burton, a Senior Fellow from Macdonald-Laurier Institute and expert in China-Canada relations, joins “This Matters” to discuss what we’ve seen in the skies, surveillance technology and the state of our relationships with China.

Audio sources: Warner Bros. Television

This Matters would like to introduce a new podcast from the Toronto Star, by playing episode 1 of “The Billionaire Murders: The hunt for the killers of Honey and Barry Sherman.” Episode 2: The Bodies is available wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Episode 1: The Man on the Inside

Where are Honey and Barry Sherman? It’s a typical day for these eccentric billionaires but they’re not answering the phone. After a gruesome discovery, the Sherman children decide to tear down the mansion where they grew up. Before wreckers arrive, a mysterious intruder discovers signs of an investigation gone wrong.

This series probes the strange case of the famous Toronto couple who were found strangled in their north Toronto home in 2017. For five years, Kevin Donovan has covered the case for the Star, fought court battles to access documents on the police investigation and the Shermans and their estate, and wrote a book about it.

Guest: Ali Mustafa, Istanbul-based correspondent for TRT World

The United Nations has launched an appeal for $1 billion in aid to help victims in Turkey as the country reels from massive decimation and displacement after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck near the Syrian border and left over 40,000 dead. As hope is running out for survivors, questions have arisen about why the earthquake was so deadly in a region that’s prone to them. Had the government not taken proactive steps? Could an unprecedented tragedy that might take generations to process change the entire political landscape of Turkey?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Guests: Justin Piché, University of Ottawa

A landmark report from the Ontario Chief Coroner’s Office has revealed there were almost 200 inmate deaths in Ontario jails in just eight years, almost all of which were preventable. There is an obvious need for reforms, but are more jails and more staffing the answers to a complex, systemic issue with roots that extend beyond our correctional facilities? Justin Piché, associate professor in the Department of Criminology at University of Ottawa, joins “This Matters” to discuss.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Guests: Noor Javed and Charlie Pinkerton

Premier Doug Ford’s ties to developers are under scrutiny again. As reported by The Star’s Noor Javed and freelance journalist Charlie Pinkerton, several well known developers attended wedding events the Ford family held to celebrate the nuptials of one of the premier’s daughters. Ford says he’s done nothing wrong and that his guests have been his friends for years, but many people feel the developer relationship is too cosy and with his government opening up and fast-tracking land development, many are poised to benefit.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News and City News

Guest: David Rider is the Star's City Hall Bureau chief.

An hour after the Star’s City Hall reporters David Rider, Ben Spurr and Alyshah Hasham reported Mayor John Tory was having a consensual affair with a 31-year-old staffer, John Tory announced his resignation, confirming the inappropriate relationaship. The news came as a shock for a politician who sailed to victory months ago, and comes at a crucial time for the city, as it needs to pass a budget and now call a byelection for Mayor. We talk with the Star’s bureau chief David Rider about how this story came together and what happens next.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CTV News

Guest: Ben Spurr, City Hall reporter

CaféTO is a city program created during the pandemic to help restaurants generate business by allowing them to build patios around their establishments on sidewalks and road lanes. While it energized the city’s street culture, it also caused more traffic and congestion. As city hall created new rules and fees for it to become a permanent fixture, restaurateurs balked at what they considered extravagant costs to keep it going. It came to a head at this past week’s council meeting where the program and its future was debated.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: City News

Guest: Tonda MacCharles and Robert Benzie

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau revealed a $46.2 billion, 10-year deal in health funding this week, writing a prescription to help deal with a health care crisis. Calling it a “major federal investment,” the plan includes an immediate injection to tackle the crisis in pediatric hospitals and emergency rooms, ongoing wait times for surgeries and other key health issues. Tonda MacCharles, senior reporter in the Star’s Ottawa bureau, and Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief, take us behind the scenes and into what broke Canada’s political stalemate on health-care funding and give insight into when much needed dollars will flow from Ottawa at last.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Estair Van Wagner of Osgoode Hall Law School

A recent court ruling in Waterloo concluded the city could not evict people from an encampment if there was not adequate shelter space available in the system because it was a violation of their human rights. This could have ramifications over how other municipalities deal with unhoused people but, like with most legal decisions, it is complicated. Estair Van Wagner, a professor at York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School and advocate for the rights of the unhoused, takes us through the ruling and how it might change how the City of Toronto may deal with unhoused people.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guests: Raisa Patel and Asmaa Malik

It was Jan. 26 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Amira Elghawaby, a visibly Muslim woman, as point-person on Islamophobia and just days later, Elghawaby found herself at the centre of a media storm with government officials calling for her resignation. Why? A 2019 opinion piece Elghawaby co-wrote about Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 resurfaced, in which she quoted from a poll that said support for the bill was linked to anti-Muslim sentiment. New reaction saw a dizzying wave of criticism from Quebec and members of the federal government that gave her the job, raising serious questions about Islamophobia in this country. Toronto Star Raisa Patel and Asmaa Malik, an associate professor of journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University, join “This Matters” to discuss.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paolo Marques.

Audio sources: CPAC and Global News

Today, we're bringing you the first episode of season 2 of It's Political with Althia Raj. She welcomes the Star's Susan Delacourt, in conversation with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

This week on “It’s Political,” we bring you Toronto Star’s columnist Susan Delacourt’s interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The two sat down together on Jan. 17 in Windsor, Ont., for a candid conversation on his future and the future of his government. In this episode: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Toronto Star columnist Susan Delacourt. Hosted by Althia Raj. “It’s Political” is produced by Althia Raj and Michal Stein. Kevin Sexton mixed the program. Our theme music is by Isaac Joel.

Guest: Jessica Mudry, associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University

When the change in recommended guidelines for alcohol use was served last month, the reaction was spirited. While once the guideline said 10 to 15 drinks per week was the recommended maximum, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) now says no amount of alcohol is good for your health and anything beyond two glasses a week increases your risk for alcohol-related consequences, from injury to cancer. The updated recommendations, funded by Health Canada and based on solid research, have not been well received and met with disbelief, displeasure and denial. Jessica Mudry, an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Professional Communication, joins “This Matters” to talk about how the guidelines are being received and how they could have been better communicated.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Audio Sources: CHCH News

Guest: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter

While hospitals are still struggling with staff shortages and overflowing ERs, some have also been pushed to the front lines of Toronto’s homelessness crisis. As almost 5,000 homeless Torontonians came through St. Michael’s downtown trauma centre last year, some were there simply because they had no place to stay. It prompted hospital staff to launch an outreach program that connects patients to crucial supports beyond just immediate medical care. This includes providing a warm bed, clothes and even free legal advice to the city’s vulnerable. We take a look at the scope and span of this program.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

Audio Sources: City of Toronto

Guest: Dr. Sean B. Rourke, a clinical neuropsychologist and scientist with MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital.

Smart vending machines have launched on Canada’s east coast. They’re the first of what will be 100 nationwide. But instead of dispensing chocolate or candy, these machines hold life-saving supplies like HIV tests, naloxone kits and unused needles. They’re called Our Healthbox and they’re designed to reach communities underserved by traditional health care. Today, we’re joined by Dr. Sean Rourke, a clinical neuropsychologist and scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, who is leading the initiative. You can learn more about OurHealthbox and whether your community is eligible for a Healthbox here: https://www.ourhealthbox.ca/

Sources: CBC

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Maurqes.

Guest: Katie Daubs, feature writer

Scarborough is the former city and Toronto borough that feels like it never gets any respect. Now as the federal government looks to update electoral districts based on population and density, slices of the Scarborough-Agincourt and Scarborough Centre ridings might be annexed into two North York ridings. These moves have left residents upset with many fighting the decision.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: @scarboroughspots on Instagram

Guest: Marco Chown Oved, climate change reporter

After the Consumer Product Safety Commission in the U.S. said it was considering banning new gas stoves amid research that links them to childhood asthma, Republican lawmakers, conservative pundits and right wing social media commentators were aflame with reaction. They imply it is an infringement on freedom, but the science is clear. In addition to health concerns, natural gas includes methane, a catalyst in climate change that is 86 times more warming than carbon dioxide. Marco Chown Oved, a climate change reporter, joins “This Matters” to share the burning truth behind gas stoves and how it fanned the flames of a culture war.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques.

Audio Sources: MSNBC, Forbes, Relaxing Sounds

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

There have been 10 high-profile, violent incidents reported on TTC vehicles and property in just over a week. With so many seemingly random attacks, passengers are on alert as authorities look for answers and ways to make the transit service safer. This comes after another wave of incidents last year, as ridership remains down after the pandemic and the TTC considers service cuts and a fare hike. With the transit system, Toronto police and Mayor John Tory weighing in, there are short-term solutions and long-term ideas to stop the disturbing trend.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC, Citytv and CTV News

Guest: Grant LaFleche, investigative reporter at The Hamilton Spectator

It was only a year ago the so-called “Freedom Convoy” held a three-week demonstration in Ottawa, later termed an “occupation” by politicians and police. It was a protest that started out fighting against vaccine mandates against truckers, but became a home for all kinds of grievances across the far right political spectrum. But what could have been a galvanizing event for these groups has instead become splintered and many feel it’s unlikely a similar event will ever happen again.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guests: Brendan Kennedy and Morgan Bocknek, investigative reporters, and Leah Mosier-Farquharson, TMU student

A string of sexual assaults and security incidents on the Toronto Metropolitan University campus have left many students and faculty members worrying for their safety and deeply critical of the school’s response. After two women were assaulted at Kerr Hall last year, some students were so frustrated by a lack of information from the administration that they formed their own security network on social media. We talk to Star investigative reporters Morgan Bocknek and Brendan Kennedy about what happened and TMU student Leah Mosier-Farquharson about the impacts on campus.

A Toronto Metropolitan University official said the campus is safe and TMU has increased security in the building where two people were attacked.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Matthew Van Dongen, The Hamilton Spectator

The City of Hamilton has found that nearly 400 million litres of sanitary sewage from 61 homes has leaked into Hamilton Harbour, an industrial area, over a 26 year period. It is a messy situation, but one that was only found after attention was called underground in 2019 when a Hamilton Spectator investigation revealed that 24-billion-litres of sewage had leaked into Chedoke Creek, a recreational area frequented by area residents, over four a year period. The city knew about that problem, but kept the find private and did nothing to stop it. Matthew Van Dongen, a transit and environment reporter at The Spectator, joins “This Matters” to share details about efforts to inspect, clean up and have more transparency at Hamilton’s City Hall.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Crawford Blair and JP Fozo.

Audio sources: CHCH News

Guest: Dhriti Gupta, staff reporter

There were more than one million visits to food banks across Canada in 2022, according to Food Banks Canada. It is the highest number on record. In addition to this surge in demand, food banks are grappling with rising food costs. One of them is the Allan Gardens Food Bank in Toronto, which has seen an almost 50 per cent increase in individuals served in just a year. Through the lens of this food bank, we try to understand the larger problem of food insecurity and what needs to happen next.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Dr. Fahad Razak, internist at St Michael’s Hospital

The XBB.1.5, known by the nickname “Kraken,” is the latest COVID-19 subvariant of concern. Found to be highly transmissible, health experts are already seeing surges in other parts of the world like Europe and the United States, where there are higher case counts and hospitalizations. The same effect is likely to happen here. Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist at St Michael’s Hospital and a professor at the University of Toronto who served as the head of the province’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, joins “This Matters” to share what we know.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: BBC, PBS, Euronews

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

Canada needs more immigrants to help fill labour shortages, yet so many people who come here find roadblocks and issues in pursuing work in their chosen fields. It has been a recognized problem for decades, but it persists. There has been some change for the better, including better information for prospective newcomers, but skilled immigrants still face challenges.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter

Faced with a triple-demic including flu, RSV and COVID-19, children have been hit by wave after wave of illness and filled up the pediatric hospitals across the province. It was a situation some doctors said could have been a catastrophe. By working together in an unprecedented way, moving children wherever beds were available, this is the story of how the health care system dealt with the surge of sick kids and avoided the worst of outcomes.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park bureau

The Ontario government has unveiled their plan to deal with surgical backlogs in the province by moving some procedures to private clinics. Critics fear this move will pull staff away from hospitals, and say this is moving the province toward more privatized, two-tiered health care that will cause further issues to the existing public system.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News

Guests: Betsy Powell and Alyshah Hasham, staff reporters

Mass surveillance is everywhere and adding to the use of video in police investigations and in-court cases. The head of the Toronto Police Service’s Homicide squad credits cameras and video for helping push their solve rate above 80 per cent, but what is the price of that safety? What are the legal and ethical concerns about video becoming so prominent in our judicial system? What if the images don’t tell the whole story?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC and Global News.

Guest: Ed Keenan, city columnist

A few months ago, Toronto Mayor John Tory was asking other levels of government to help cover $2 billion in budget shortfalls and yet, the mayor has now announced more money for police, transit safety and more. What changed? Not much. While the city is raising property taxes and making some cuts, there is a huge budget hole that will need to be dealt with eventually.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Breakfast Television, CP24

Guest: Gábor Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights

The airline industry’s meltdown over the holidays has the House of Commons transportation committee convening an emergency meeting to grill company executives about exactly what went wrong. While Canada has adopted a passenger bill of rights, critics say it has not been effective. Gábor Lukács, president of Air Passenger Rights, an independent consumer advocacy group for air travellers, joins “This Matters” to share what you need to know if you experience air travel chaos.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, staff reporter

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) organization remains a symbol of Canadian history and national pride, even though the recent history of the police force is littered with internal scandals including racism in hiring and sexism within the ranks, in addition to heavy criticism for their handling of high profile crimes. Does the force need a revamp? A recent Star series looked at the force now and how it might need to adapt.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC, Global News and P.A.T. Film Services

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

As TTC ridership is down, violent incidents are up. As the service still recovers from the pandemic, a spate of violent crimes on TTC vehicles and in and around stations is making many riders worry about their safety while riding the transit system. More security is planned to help the problem, along with a fare hike and service cuts in the proposed 2023 budget. Will the TTC get back to the days of its Red Rocket glory?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC and City of Toronto.

Guest: Jim Rankin, staff reporter

Twenty years ago, the Star published a landmark and controversial investigation examining data that showed police interaction with racialized people occurred at a higher rate, kicking of years of stories that reinforced this initial conclusion. This past year, after looking at their own data, acting Toronto police chief James Ramer apologized for police interactions with the Black community. The problems persist through all areas of law enforcement despite the acknowledgments.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CBC and Globe and Mail

Guest: Katie Daubs, feature writer

There have been an increasing number of coyote sightings and attacks across the GTA. Often portrayed as smart, dangerous animals, the truth is that there is another animal to blame for the their encroachment into urban areas — humans.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: CTV News

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter

Imagine having your license suspended and you didn’t know it was in jeopardy? It all comes down to medical condition reports (MCRs), widely used forms that some medical professionals must file when patients have potentially dangerous conditions that “warrant a licence suspension,” according to the ministry. Doctors are paid to submit the form and sometimes they don’t have to inform a patient. A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health has found these reports and suspensions have been applied haphazardly and they have had a devastating affect on a person’s life.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Tess Kalinowski, real estate reporter

2022 was a roller coaster year in the GTA’s real estate market and, just as we hit a peak, things are now speeding downhill. Falling prices, a lack of inventory and rising interest rates all contributed to the downturn in the market and will continue to be factors moving forward. Don’t fret. There are experts who feel that as the weather warms up, people on the sidelines might start re-engaging in the market.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

This episode originally aired January 4, 2022.

Guest: Christine Sismondo, author of “America Walks Into a Bar” and the upcoming “Cocktails: A Still Life”

Happy New Year! By now, hopefully your hangover from new year celebrations are long gone and you are focusing on the year ahead. One thing that many people do after holiday season is decide to cut alcohol intake for the month of January as a way to reset and refresh. While some people do Sober October, more mark Dry January to abstain from alcohol. How did it get that way? Is a zero-tolerance policy the best way to go? We get some history, tips and advice from someone who’s been thinking about consumption for a long time.

This episode originally aired on February 11, 2022.

John Honderich, who has served as both editor and publisher of the Toronto Star, as well as chair of Torstar, died on Saturday, February 5, at 75. “This Matters” spoke to some of John’s former friends and colleagues about his positive impact to journalism and the people around him.

Any charitable donations be made to the John Honderich City Builder Fund through United Way Greater Toronto: www.uwgta.org/johnhonderich

This episode originally aired on November 7, 2022.

Guest: Moira Welsh, investigative reporter

The devastation faced by Ontario’s long-term care residents during the pandemic may have fuelled a reckoning and a collective question: how do you want to spend the final years of your life? That’s the focus of The Third Act, an ongoing series produced by the Star in collaboration with Toronto Metropolitan University and the National Institute on Ageing, which aims to explore real world solutions that could make a genuine difference to Canadians as they age. The conversation is at a critical juncture as Ontario’s health care sector is in crisis and almost a quarter of Canada’s population set to become seniors in the next few decades. While some places are reframing old-age care, why is Canada behind? Moira Welsh explains.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

This episode originally aired on November 15, 2022.

Guest: Lex Harvey, staff reporter

The Arctic town Svalbard is about as remote as you can get. It’s an archipelago located on top of the world. Residents carry guns and live alongside polar bears, they can see the northern lights during the day and they’re not allowed to give birth or die there. It is also the fastest warming place on Earth and experiencing the worst effects of climate change where residents live under constant fear of the next disaster. Svalbard serves as a stark warning to the rest of the world. Star reporter Lex Harvey takes “This Matters” listeners on a tour and a wake-up call.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

This episode originally aired on November 29, 2022.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

The Toronto police cold case unit has announced the arrest of Joseph George Sutherland, 60, for allegedly committing the murders of local women Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice in 1983. After 2008 testing of evidence confirmed one man was responsible for both murders, advances in genetic sequencing and forensic genealogy would lead police to arrest Sutherland in Moosonee, Ont. The charges against Sutherland have not been proven in court.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: Toronto Police Services

Guests: Katie Daubs is a feature writer at the Star. Kris Rushowy is a Queen's Park reporter for the Star.

Holiday romance movies are everywhere. They started as a staple of the Hallmark brand, but now have spread to others like Lifetime, Netflix and more. Many of these new holiday films are filmed right here in Ontario, so beyond spreading the spirit of the season, they also provide a beneficial economic impact to this region.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar. The holiday movie script generator was created by Katie Daubs and Cameron Tulk.

Guest: Noor Javed covers 905 municipal politics for the Star

According to the findings of a Star co-investigation with The Narwhal, documents show that the government is quietly considering expanding the Bradford Bypass from four to eight lanes. This highway is already controversial because the planned route threatens many ecologically sensitive areas and now, could potentially double in size.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CityNews and Global News

Guest: Kate Allen, climate change reporter

Will the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) be a “Montreal moment” in the fight to save the planet’s biodiversity? That’s how Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister of environment and climate change, described the conference while announcing what some are calling a historic and transformational agreement. While it takes Indigenous and global equity issues into account, some critics say there is more work to be done to hold governments accountable to ensure the deal’s ambitious targets.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Canadian Press

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter

Car jackings and pharmacy thefts are on the rise, with many of the crimes committed by younger people. With a stolen luxury car fetching up to $10,000, it is believed the high risk, high reward is driving the increase of these types of criminal activities. As more teenagers commit these crimes, the bigger question is how to help and support youth, and prevent them from getting involved and trapped in these cycles of crime and violence.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: David Rider, City Hall bureau chief

Ontario Place is in the news as the plans for a massive spa on the site move through City Hall. While the 155-acre site on Toronto’s waterfront is an urban park now, the new plan includes a five-level subterranean parking lot for more than 2,000 vehicles that taxpayers might be on the hook for. The place where many made memories might look very different in the future.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Retro Rabbit Years, Classic 90’s Commercials and The W/O/C Archives (YouTube)

Guests: Nichelle Laus, former police officer, business owner and TikTok creator, and Stephen Lautens, an author, lawyer and podcaster

Deck the halls for holiday times, fa la la la la, la la la la.

Keep an eye out for these crimes, fa la la la la, la la la la.

These are scams for the season, fa la la la la, la la la la.

Play this podcast for that reason, fa la la la la, la la la la!

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter

Chances are, like most Canadians, you have no idea how the country’s big pension funds are investing your money. A report is revealing that multiple federal and provincial funds are investing in Chinese companies complicit in human rights abuses and pension funds of several other Western countries have done the same. Jeremy Nuttall, an investigative reporter for the Star, joins “This Matters” to share what we know.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

Public transit is something that is always difficult to get built in the Toronto area. Case in point: several transit lines are to be built in the next decade, and already skirmishes are happening. There have been complaints about the state of the years-delayed and overbudget Eglinton Crosstown, concern about the fate of mature trees at Osgoode Hall and questions from parents and kids at an east end school where transit work is underway. Metrolinx, the agency responsible, is taking a heavy hand of community complaints. Is it all par for the course or are there bigger questions to be asked?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: Breakfast Television and CityNews

Guest: Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter

It has been five years since the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman. The police say it is an active investigation, but there are have been no arrests and only one very mysterious suspect. Noting a lack of progress, family members have increased the cash reward up to $35 million for information that leads to the culprit or culprits. What do we know about the day the Shermans were killed and, five years on, where is the police investigation currently focused?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CBC

Guest: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter

Hundreds of people looking for a place to stay are being turned away from Toronto’s shelter system every night. As winter arrives and the weather gets colder, encampments are being cleared, temporary shelters in hotels are closing and the shelter system is operating at or near full capacity. It is a cold, desperate situation for many. Affordable housing reporter Victoria Gibson joins “This Matters” to talk about the many issues those facing homelessness face right now.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Kelsey Piper, senior writer at Vox.com

ChatGPT by OpenAI and Lensa AI are two generative artificial intelligence tools that have been going viral. There are fun uses of artificial intelligence (AI) that show the possibilities of how these might start to influence and change the world as the technologies continue to improve and get better. That said, there’s a good reason that AI and the machines battling with humans is a such a huge theme in science fiction. Even these fun tools are already forcing people to ask questions about ethical uses of AI and that’s just the beginning.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: NBC and Cleo Abram (@cleoabram) on TikTok

Guests: Brian Rosborough and Colin Best, Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)

The Ontario government’s new housing bill has many municipal politicians upset about the removal of development charges, as they are typically used to build the necessary infrastructure in communities. There have been huge estimates for that funding shortfall, and while the province told some municipalities they are willing to work through an audit process, many fear the possibility of large property tax hikes to make up the difference. Brian Rosborough, executive director of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), and Colin Best, AMO president and Halton regional councillor, explain some of the cost and effect of the new housing bill and how municipalities are calculating these numbers.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CityNews and CTV

Guest: Isabel Teotonio, education reporter

After months of neglect and violent incidents, the situation at York Memorial Collegiate Institute has reached its breaking point. Students staged a walkout last week to point to the number of issues at their school that they say has made for an unsafe learning environment. Students, parents, teachers and the Toronto District School Board are focused on fixing the problems, but this dire situation also comes at a time when the board has just tabled a report looking at how to deal with the increasing incidents of violence in and around schools.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News, CBC, CTV News and CityNews

Guest: Susan Clairmont, Hamilton Spectator justice columnist

How long should offenders with more than one murder conviction stay in prison before they are eligible for parole? According to the Supreme Court, the answer is 25 years. Earlier this year, the court found the practice of consecutive life sentences (serving more than 25 years before parole eligibility) to be cruel and unjust. While this is a decision that only affects a few high-profile criminals, it reminds us of some of the worst crimes in Canadian history and will have a direct impact on the families of homicide victims.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter, and Weronika Drab, mother

While a fraction of babies with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are hospitalized each year in Canada, that’s still about 12,000 infants and this year’s burst of infections have hit an already strained hospital system harder and earlier than usual. Joining “This Matters” to discuss are health reporter Megan Ogilvie to talk about what health care professionals are seeing on the front lines and Weronika Drab, who shares the terrifying medical journey when her seven-week-old baby was struck with the virus.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Joanna Chiu, staff reporter

China saw its largest protests in a generation this week. In more than 20 cities across the country, protesters demanded an end to Beijing’s draconian zero-COVID policy, which expanded to dissent against President Xi Jinping’s repressive regime. As of this recording, at least six cities across China have since eased COVID restrictions. Some say an end to zero-COVID may be in sight. Did the protests spark change? Has this exposed faultlines in Xi Jinping’s previously iron-clad control over China’s citizens?

Audio sources: CNN, Reuters

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques, Joanna Chiu and Alexis Green.

Guest: Kieran Leavitt, politics reporter

Alberta’s Premier Danielle Smith has fulfilled her campaign promise and launched the Alberta Sovereignty in a United Canada act, which aims to allow the province to ignore and potentially alter federal laws it deems harmful to Alberta or its citizens. While Smith says the plan is legal and constitutional, experts are already warning this could be the beginning of another conflict over federal versus provincial powers and citizen rights.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CPAC

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

Will a former refugee’s trip to see his dying father cost him his status in Canada? A growing number of ex-refugees have lost protected status in Canada as few know they can be pursued by Canadian border officials and faced with deportation after using an old passport or returning home. It’s a little-known process called cessation that for some has grave consequences. Immigration reporter Nicholas Keung joins to explain.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques, Sima Shakeri and Alexis Green.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

The Toronto police cold case unit has announced the arrest of Joseph George Sutherland, 60, for allegedly committing the murders of local women Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice in 1983. After 2008 testing of evidence confirmed one man was responsible for both murders, advances in genetic sequencing and forensic genealogy would lead police to arrest Sutherland in Moosonee, Ont. The charges against Sutherland have not been proven in court.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: Toronto Police Services

Guest: Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa Bureau

Live testimony at the inquiry into the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act during the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests in Ottawa last winter has concluded after six weeks. The final day of hearings saw Prime Minister Justin Trudeau take the stand to defend his decision. Tonda MacCharles was in the room and joins “This Matters” to discuss.

Audio source: Pubic Order Emergency Commission

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

Guests: Star reporters Noor Javed and Brendan Kennedy and Emma McIntosh from The Narwhal

The Ontario government has decided to change its position and build on the Greenbelt, a series of protected lands around the GTA. It has identified 15 parcels of lands that could potentially be opened up for development, but who owns these lands and who stands to benefit in their change of status? Star reporters Noor Javed and Brendan Kennedy and Emma McIntosh from The Narwhal did a joint investigation join us to discuss their findings.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Tess Kalinowski, real estate reporter

The Ontario government’s new housing bill is a massive piece of legislation that changes many of the rules and established practices for development in this province. While there is everything from removing development charges to changing planning and zoning rules to stripping powers from environmental agencies, many are concerned there aren’t enough provisions to create affordable housing. The government says its necessary to solve the housing crisis.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Guest: Matt Elliott, contributing columnist

The City of Toronto is facing a $2.3 billion budget shortfall for this and next year’s budget. Mayor John Tory has been sounding the alarm, asking both the provincial and federal governments for a bailout and warning that there will be massive service cut, tax hike or both if one doesn’t come soon. There hasn’t been much response or cash flow yet, but it is clear there are issues about how the city plans its budgets and its use of revenue tools.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CP24

Guest: David Rider, City Hall Bureau Chief

With an eye to an ambitious Ford government housing plan, Toronto Mayor John Tory asked and received even stronger mayoral powers than he already had been given over the summer. It was a move that caused an uproar in municipal politics. While some councillor called it a power grab, others are calling it an unprecedented, undemocratic move that will sideline councillors even further. How will the new powers work and what will this mean for Toronto?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter

There have been several violent incidents, including stabbings and gun-related incidents, around many GTA schools in recent weeks. An 18-year-old was shot and killed outside of Woburn Collegiate on Oct. 31, while last week another shooting in Brampton left an 18-year old seriously injured. With one 17-year old arrested after the Brampton incident, advocates say it feels like those involved in these crimes are getting younger.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar

Guest: Todd Coleman, epidemiologist and assistant professor of health sciences at Wilfred Laurier University

The president and CEO of SickKids begged people last week to wear a mask as pediatric ICUs across Ontario hit a breaking point. She’s not alone in that wish. Calls have been growing for the province to bring back mask mandates as health experts warn of a difficult viral season with a “triple threat” of the flu, RSV and COVID-19. Despite this, Ontario’s top doctor Dr. Kieran Moore has so far only encouraged people to voluntarily mask indoors and he has not inspired many. Do we need a mandate to follow public health advice and mask? We take a deep dive into government messaging and public psychology around masking.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Allan Woods, global and national affairs reporter

While facing federal investigations for trying to overthrow the 2020 U.S. election results and inspiring a riot at Capitol Hill, former president Donald Trump has announced he wants to run for president again. His third attempt for power comes in the wake of an underwhelming midterm display for the Republican party and a moment of reckoning on whether to roll out the red carpet for a candidate whose refusal to accept defeat in 2020 pushed American democracy to the edge. Looking toward Florida governor Ron DeSantis and former vice-president Mike Pence, there are also new players in the game. The Star’s Allan Woods breaks down the implications.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Bruce Arthur, sports columnist

World Cup fever is hot! So is Qatar. Sweltering temperatures and how the authorities plan to treat exuberant, international football fans are two of the big questions as this tiny nation prepares to welcome soccer fans from all over the world. This World Cup has been controversial since it was awarded in 2010, and only remains so as it gets underway. It is extra special for Canadian fans as it is the first time since 1986 that the Canadian men’s team has qualified. Is this the beginning of an international football renaissance for our squad?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Lex Harvey, staff reporter

The Arctic town Svalbard is about as remote as you can get. It’s an archipelago located on top of the world. Residents carry guns and live alongside polar bears, they can see the northern lights during the day and they’re not allowed to give birth or die there. It is also the fastest warming place on Earth and experiencing the worst effects of climate change where residents live under constant fear of the next disaster. Svalbard serves as a stark warning to the rest of the world. Star reporter Lex Harvey takes “This Matters” listeners on a tour and a wake-up call.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter

A joint investigation between the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau followed the life — and death — of Michael Fraser to offer a glimpse into the complexity and ethics of Canada’s legislation around medically assistance in dying, and those that believe it is their only option. The Star’s Robert Cribb, along with Charlie Buckley, Thea Gribilas and Declan Keogh of the Investigative Journalism Bureau, were behind the investigation.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter

Building on Ontario’s Greenbelt has long been a hot-button political issue in this province, and one that many politicians have stayed away from. Now, citing the need for new housing, the Ontario government has backtracked on promises not to develop on it and proposed a land swap that could open up 15 areas and thousands of acres to new development. Advocates are concerned these moves could have damaging consequences to the environment and contribute to more urban sprawl, while the government says millions of people are moving to Ontario over the next decade and need a place to live.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Global News, Ontario Proud

Guest: Julia Levin, national climate program manager for Environmental Defence

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change — or COP27 — is underway this week in Egypt with more than a hundred world leaders attending. For the first time, climate justice, climate colonialism and reparations are on the agenda. Frontline countries from the Global South who have dealt with some of the worst impacts are making their case for loss and damage. Julia Levin is attending COP27 at Sharm-el-Sheikh and talks about the significance, the developments and the controversies.

Audio source: CBC, TIME and UN

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

Guest: Dr. Dan Flanders, a pediatrician

COVID-19, cold and flu season, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are combining to create a three-headed monster that is making a lot of kids sick and overwhelming children’s hospitals across the province. Beyond that, a shortage of over-the-counter medications for children like acetaminophen (Tylenol), and ibuprofen (Advil), as well as the commonly-prescribed antibiotic amoxicillin, has plenty of kids needlessly suffering and parents stressed. Dr. Dan Flanders, a pediatrician and owner of Kindercare Pediatrics, joins “This Matters” to diagnose what brought us here and share what parents can do to get their kids through this sniffly season.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Karim Bardeesy, Toronto Metropolitan University

As many Canadians moved from the office to work remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in electronic surveillance by employers and an increased demand for related technologies. The intrusive surveillance has been allowed as workers have limited privacy protections, but things might be changing in Ontario. The provincial government passed legislation in April requiring some employers to have an electronic monitoring policy and to disclose it to their employees. Karim Bardeesy, co-founder and executive director of the Leadership Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University, co-authored a report on workplace surveillance during COVID-19 and joins “This Matters” to discuss the significance of this legislation and the multiple ways our bosses could be keeping an eye on us.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Moira Welsh, investigative reporter

The devastation faced by Ontario’s long-term care residents during the pandemic may have fuelled a reckoning and a collective question: how do you want to spend the final years of your life? That’s the focus of The Third Act, an ongoing series produced by the Star in collaboration with Toronto Metropolitan University and the National Institute on Ageing, which aims to explore real world solutions that could make a genuine difference to Canadians as they age. The conversation is at a critical juncture as Ontario’s health care sector is in crisis and almost a quarter of Canada’s population set to become seniors in the next few decades. While some places are reframing old-age care, why is Canada behind? Moira Welsh explains.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

Guest: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, investigative reporter, Toronto Star

Never-before-seen fatality reports filed to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board from the start of the pandemic’s to the end of 2021 were accessed by the Star’s Sara Mojtehedzadeh. These reports show that the manufacturing sector in Ontario suffered more fatalities than any other industry. Star investigative reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh explains.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

Guest: Deborah Dundas, Toronto Star books editor

Once again, it’s award season for books in Canada and also a great time to curl up cozily with your favorite book or audiobook over the upcoming holidays. Canada’s prestigious literary award, the Scotiabank Giller Prize has announced its shortlist and will be announcing a winner as soon as next week. Some awesome titles have also been released this fall along with all these Giller nominees. Star books editor Deborah Dundas talks about the Giller big names and the worthy fall titles to add to your reading lists.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green.

Guest: Kris Rushowy, Queen's Park reporter for the Star.

This week has seen some unprecedented action in the labour dispute between CUPE and the provincial government. Ontario is passing back-to-work legislation and invoking the notwithstanding clause to get the bill through, which many feel tramples on workers’ rights. CUPE is now planning a walkout on Friday, with their workers facing potentially massive fines in penalties. At the moment, both sides are negotiating, but this is a situation that could have huge ramifications for the labour movement and for education in Ontario for the foreseeable future.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Eris Nyx, cofounder of the Drug User Liberation Front

Death from drugs has become an epidemic in Vancouver, so the Drug User Liberation Front is a group that has decided to buy, test, package and then sell drugs to people who are at high risk of fatal overdoses. While it’s currently being run under the auspices of a health research project, it is illegal, but something that they feel is necessary to try and help at-risk people in the community.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guests: Dreddz, a community worker and an advocate for homeless issues who is currently in the shelter system; A.J. Withers, who is the Ruth Wynn Woodward Junior Chair in Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University

Toronto’s homeless shelter system is at capacity, and hundreds of people seeking shelter every night cannot be accommodated. It’s a desperate situation as the number of people seeking help is growing every month and it’s likely only going to worse as the weathers turns, but also because the city is closing a number of temporary shelters it opened during the pandemic, some in hotels, which advocates say is going to cause even more upheaval for unhoused people.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen's Park bureau chief

The Ontario government unveiled its massive new housing plan this week, with sweeping changes and housing targets for municipalities across the province, all to get to the goal of building 1.5 million homes in the next decade. Critics are already concerned about density, availability of tradespeople to build the homes, impacts on affordability and the environmental considerations, but also, without penalties for not hitting targets, how is the government going to actually make this happen?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CPAC

Guest: Patricia Jaggernauth, former CP24 broadcaster

Former CP24 broadcaster and Toronto television personality Patricia Jaggernauth has spoken out about an allegedly systemic pattern of racism, sexism and discrimination and filed a human rights complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC). Her announcement comes as the CP24 parent company, Bell Media, has been in the news over the treatment of employees at sister network CTV News. “This Matters” reached out to Bell Media for a response regarding Jaggernauth’s human rights claim and a Bell Media spokesperson emailed us the following statement:

“We do not comment on matters involving current or former staff members, but can confirm that Bell Media takes allegations of any potential discrimination or workplace misconduct very seriously, and are committed to a safe, inclusive, and respectful work environment where employees can thrive. If a matter is brought to our attention where an employee did not feel adequately supported, a process is triggered to review and address when required.”

Patricia Jaggernauth is on today’s “This Matters” episode to share her story.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Jim Stanford, director at the Centre for Future Work

The Competition Bureau is investigating if the Canadian grocery industry is contributing to skyrocketing food prices. Coming on the heels of the news that Loblaws and Metro are freezing prices on their in-house brands as part of a goodwill gesture to consumers, there are reports pointing to corporate profiteering leading to higher prices. This is colloquially referred to as “greedflation,” and if it’s happening, the bigger question is what, if anything, can be done about it? Jim Stanford, director at the Centre for Future Work and contributing columnist at the Star, joins “This Matters.”

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CPAC and CBC

Guest: David Rider, City Hall Bureau Chief

After a long election campaign, it comes as no surprise to many that John Tory won a third term as mayor of Toronto. What is surprising is the new makeup of council, with many progressive, diverse candidates winning seats. Some won in surprising wards, while a number of other familiar faces easily took their seats as voter turnout was around 29 per cent. The new look at city hall is something that everyone is going to have to get used to, as there are looming problems ahead for the city including a billion-dollar budget hole.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CP24

Guest: Alex Boutilier, Global News national reporter

The inquiry into the federal government’s unprecedented use of the Emergencies Act during the so-called “Freedom Convoy” protests has almost reached its third week. Testimony from civilians, government and security stakeholders have shed new light and heightened tensions after revelations about the response of Ottawa police in handling the crisis. Alex Boutilier, national reporter at Global News, joins “This Matters” to share what we know so far.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Alyshah Hasham, crime and court reporter

Jacob Hoggard, the former lead singer of the band Hedley, has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexual assault. The Canadian rock star was sentenced by a Superior Court justice on Thursday, after a jury found him guilty following a trial that began last May. The case has opened up an important conversation around consent and how it is perceived by the justice system and our society. The sentencing of Hoggard may have larger implications in a country where only one in 15 reported cases of sexual assault end with a conviction.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: DT Cochrane, economist with Canadians for Tax Fairness

Canada’s largest corporations avoided paying $30 billion in taxes last year, according to a new report from the non-profit organization Canadians for Tax Fairness. Compared to previous years this was due to record profits and a very low tax rate, and lower than the one stipulated in the tax code. How did this happen? While it all appears to be legal, is it fair? We talk and explain the tax gap and how more information about these practices could benefit all Canadians.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Jonathan Franks, crisis management consultant and president of Lucid Strategies

Hostage diplomacy is on the rise and some experts believe that more civilians are in the crosshairs of governments using this tactic for their own purposes. Canadians are familiar with the case of “The Two Michaels,” who were imprisoned in China and only freed after Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was released from Canadian custody. Many are now watching the case of WNBA star Brittney Griner and Canadian-born Paul Whelan as they are being held in Russia. While there are rumours of a deal that may be able to free them, there are no easy paths or outcomes when human lives are being used as pawns in international diplomacy.

This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar

Guest: Edward Keenan, city columnist

As municipal elections across Ontario enter their final week, the Toronto election has been bereft of interest. Sure, housing and affordability are big issues, but those will require all levels of government working together to tackle. There are a lot of small things that add up to big quality of life improvements when living in a city, and it’s some of those where it feels like the city is dropping the ball. The Star has been exploring these issues in the “Can’t We Do Better” series.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CARP

Guest: Nora Jenkins Townson, founder of Bright and Early

After two and a half years of lockdowns and working from home for millions of Canadians, many employers are expecting workers to return to the office. But according to a recent survey, four out of five Canadians would prefer to continue working from home and human resource experts are warning companies to remain flexible with their back-to-office demands or risk losing employees. Is it even possible to go back to a pre-pandemic work practices and culture or do employers need to find ways to adapt to a new reality? Nora Jenkins Townson, founder of Bright and Early, a modern HR consultancy focusing on designing human-centred, inclusive workplaces joins “This Matters.”

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley

Guest: Philip Cross, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute

Many of the country’s top economists are predicting that a recession is coming, and it will hit harder and last longer than previously forecast. The Canadian housing market has been pegged as being one of the most distorted in the world and, while interest rates are rising in order to combat inflation, that has often led to a recession. What would a recession look like now and is it inevitable? Philip Cross, a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and former chief economic analyst at Statistics Canada, joins “This Matters” to break down the indicators for us

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: Bloomberg

Guest: Judy Dempsey, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and editor-in-chief of Strategic Europe

As Russia rains rockets down on a devastated Ukraine in retaliation for land victories in the Kherson region and for attacking the bridge to Crimea, the war trudged past its eight month with no real sign of diplomatic efforts to come to a peaceful conclusion. As allies try to send more weapons and support to Ukraine, Russia is trying to rally and reinforce its troops by calling up more civilians to join the fight. How does this conflict end?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paul Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC, BBC, CPAC, PBS and CNN

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Guest: Jon Festinger, adjunct professor at the Allard School of Law

The federal government is changing how the internet is regulated in Canada. Bill C-11, also known as the Online Streaming Act, is new legislation that will give the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) the task of regulating companies like Netflix, YouTube and TikTok, similar to what it does with radio and television broadcasting. Many critics point out that internet streaming is very different and question if a similar approach is the right idea. There are also concerns about where user-generated content fits in. Jon Festinger, an adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia’s Peter A. Allard School of Law and a faculty member in the Centre for Digital Media, joins “This Matters” to discuss.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Will Oremus, Washington Post journalist

Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter in April for $54.20 U.S. a share and, after signing to buy it, proceeded to act like a man who clearly wanted out of the $44 billion deal. Musk and Twitter were set to go to court, but the business giant and tech investor sent word last week he plans to honour the terms of the purchase and close the sale. What happens now? Plenty of employees are fearful for their jobs and some of the moves Musk said he wants to make. Wanting less moderation and more free speech, could that lead to more growth?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Bloomberg

Guest: Bruce Arthur, columnist

Developments with Hockey Canada have sparked a national conversation after revelations the organization spent millions in settlements following sexual misconduct claims that go back decades. There has been a push for change as the government amplifies its probe into Hockey Canada’s top leadership and big name sponsors like Tim Hortons, Scotiabank, Telus and Canadian Tire have been falling like dominoes. There are dire questions about the future of the game’s governing body and a larger conversation about sexual violence and misogyny in Canada’s hockey culture. Columnist Bruce Arthur joins “This Matters” to share his opinion.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley

This Matters is broadcasting a special playoff edition of Deep Left Field, the Star’s baseball podcast, hosted by Mike Wilner. He chats about the season and upcoming playoffs with Blue Jays ace, Alek Manoah, interim manager, John Schneider, and pitcher Ross Stripling, who were all chosen to win end-of-year awards by their fellow Blue Jays.

Guest: Enoch Wu, founder of Forward Alliance, a Taiwanese NGO focusing on national security.

Last month Toronto Star journalist Joanna Chiu, a reporter covering national and international news, visited Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy at the centre of growing global tensions. China views Taiwan as a breakaway province that must be reunified, by force if necessary. It’s a growing source of conflict that some observers worry could tip into full blown war. Today, Chiu brings us a special conversation with Enoch Wu, the founder of Forward Alliance, on the biggest challenges facing Taiwan. Enoch’s interview is part of a larger multimedia package highlighting Taiwanese voices. You can read and watch the entirety of Chiu’s series, “View from Taiwan,” on thestar.com.

Audio source: NBC

This episode was produced by Joanna Chiu, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Alyshah Hasham, crime and court reporter

A coalition made up of sex workers and advocates is taking the government to court to challenge a federal law from the Harper era that experts say is putting marginalized people in peril. Monday was the first of a five-day landmark Superior Court hearing that advocacy groups are hoping will be the first step in getting sex work fully decriminalized in Canada. Current laws regarding sex work have long come under fire for endangering sex workers, people who are often the most vulnerable to gender-based violence. Alyshah Hasham, crime and court reporter for the Star, explains.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Morgan Bocknek, investigative reporter

After celebrity megachurch pastor Bruxy Cavey was arrested and charged with sexual assault in June, the Meeting House — once one of the most prominent megachurches in Canada — has been surrounded by scandal. Many other accounts have come to light and the church has acknowledged that three other former pastors have faced similar sexual misconduct allegations. We take a look at what happened.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Alexis Green

Guests: Anonymous member of 1500Tasvir and Pardis Mahdavi, author of “Passionate Uprisings: Iran’s Sexual Revolution”

A protest that erupted in the wake of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death allegedly at the hands of Iran’s so-called morality police is now spreading like wildfire across the country and creating a serious challenge for the Islamist government. It’s being called one of the largest and most inclusive resistance movements in the country as people revolt against an oppressive regime, growing inflation, and a total lack of social and political freedom. The protesting continues as state forces intensify a crackdown against protesters, scores are dead and the internet almost totally blacked out. We deep dive into a movement that is being led by the women of a new generation with the rallying slogan “Women, life, freedom.”

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques.

Audio sources: The Guardian

Guests: Star reporters Megan Ogilvie and Kenyon Wallace

We all know the COVID-19 pandemic started for most of the world in March 2020, but how do we decide when it is over? U.S. President Joe Biden recently declared the pandemic over, and it might be easy to agree as the world appears closer to normal. Canada is about to lift its travel requirements and, for many, masking has become a memory. But for a lot of people, like the immunocompromised and the medically vulnerable, it is just as dangerous out there and the pandemic is far from over. How do we find a way to live with the virus that captures both of these extremes?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar

Audio Sources: CBS News, CPAC

Guest: Dr. Alika Lafontaine, president of the Canadian Medical Association

As the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches to remember the Indigenous children who died in residential schools, the question remains: how does a country move forward with reconciliation without coming to terms with its past? Dr. Alika Lafontaine is the Canadian Medical Association’s first Indigenous president in its 155-year history and joins today’s episode to speak about how close or far we are from true reconciliation, and how Canada’s dark colonial legacy extends beyond residential schools to virtually every institution, including health care.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Alex Ballingall, politics reporter

Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre has sent a strongly worded message denouncing the online group Diagolon after a clip emerged of de factor leader Jeremy Mackenzie threatening to sexually assault Poilievre’s wife, Anaida. It is the latest bit of news about the loose knit, online organization that espouses beliefs like white supremacy, antisemitism and conspiracy theories. The group has also been tied to some weapon-related incidents, while those involved tend to chalk up their views as a part of their humour or satire. How seriously should we take Diagolon?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.`

Guest: Alexander McClelland, member of the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization

The ongoing criminalization of HIV non-disclosure continues to perpetuate harmful stigma against people living with HIV has advocates noting how existing laws are overly punitive. A recent court decision also takes note of that. In 2013, Jennifer Murphy was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to more than three years in prison after having unprotected sex without disclosing her HIV status. The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned her conviction last month, noting Murphy’s undetectable viral load meant there was no realistic possibility of transmission of the virus. Alexander McClelland, assistant professor at the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Carleton University and a member of the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization, explains the implications.

Guest: Sahar Habib Ghazi, South Asia editor for Vice World News

As Atlantic Canada deals with the fallout of Hurricane Fiona, Pakistan continues to grapple with one of the most cataclysmic floods in its history. Over 33 million people have been affected in a country that is now one-third underwater. As of Friday, more than 1,600 have been killed and millions more have been displaced. Experts say a country that contributes less than one per cent to global carbon emissions has become a case study for the worst consequences of climate change. Pakistani journalist Sahar Habib Ghazi has been on the ground covering the catastrophe, trying to find out whether Pakistan has cause and a case for climate justice.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques.

Audio sources: PBS, CNN, DW

This Matters would like to share another Toronto Star podcast episode, welcoming back 'It's Political with Althia Raj.' Listen here then subscribe or follow in your podcast feeds.

This week on "It’s Political," Althia focuses on Pierre Poilievre’s leadership. First, she’ll take a look back at the divisive leadership race and Poilievre’s big win. Then she sits down with Yan Plante, the former chief of staff to transport minister Denis Lebel in Stephen Harper’s government, and Melanie Paradis, a long-time advisor and deputy campaign manager to Erin O’Toole during his successful leadership bid, to discuss Poilievre’s first few days as Official Opposition leader, his messaging and voter coalition and what to watch for as he puts his mark on the party.

In this episode: Toronto Star reporter Stephanie Levitz, Hamish Marshall from Pierre Poilievre’s leadership campaign, former Conservative staffer Rudy Husny and Philippe J. Fournier of 338Canada.com, as well as TACT vice-president Yan Plante and Texture Communications’ president Melanie Paradis, both former senior Conservative advisors. Hosted by Althia Raj.

Thanks this week to Toronto Star reporter Kieran Leavitt, as well as CBC, CPAC, CTV, and Pierre Poilievre’s Facebook page.

“It’s Political” is produced by Althia Raj and Michal Stein. Sean Pattendon mixed the program. Theme music is by Isaac Joel.

Guest: Edward Keenan, Toronto Star journalist

Edward Keenan was the Star’s Washington bureau chief from 2019 until just a few weeks ago. Over his brief tenure, he witnessed two impeachment trials, the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest mass street movement in the form of Black Lives Matter, a disputed election, an unprecedented insurrection attempt at the Capitol and the overturning of Roe v Wade. He’s back home in Toronto now and talks to “This Matters” about his experience and impression through one of the most surreal and turbulent times in the country’s history.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Heather Scoffield, economics columnist

The latest inflation numbers are in and while it looks to be slowing slightly due to lower gas prices, all other signs show that Canadians are paying higher prices for all kinds of consumer goods. With the Bank of Canada raising interest rates, property values continue to fall and many worry that it will trigger a recession. Heather Scoffield, The Star’s economics columnist and Ottawa bureau chief, explains the latest numbers and why more creative solutions are needed.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Maayan Ziv, disability advocate and the founder and CEO of AccessNow

When disability advocate Maayan Ziv flew to an accessibility conference in Israel last week, she found herself stranded and traumatized after her wheelchair was severely damaged in transit. Her all too common experience has opened up a conversation on accessibility and mobility obstacles for disabled people at the hands of airlines. Federal law requires people who use wheelchairs to sit in an airplane seat during flights while their wheelchairs are stowed in cargo. This has led to many incidents of wheelchair damage and people getting hurt. Disability advocates say this needs to end.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Kelly Matheson, a recently retired teacher, and David Macdonald, senior economist at Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

During the pandemic, Americans quit their jobs in such high numbers that the trend was dubbed The Great Resignation. Economists watched for signs of it in Canada, but it just did not happen here. It seems instead more people are retiring, and many at a younger age. The Great Retirement could have serious ramifications as it affects industries like health care and education, and leaves the question if it could become more widespread.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Madison Dyck, youth climate activist

Climate activists brought the Ontario government to court last week, alleging the provincial climate plan fails to protect them and future generations. The landmark lawsuit dates back to 2018 when Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government repealed the Climate Change Act and replaced it with an act that has weaker emission reduction targets. Who is behind the legal action? Seven young climate activists under the age of 30. They have grown, graduated and moved across the country since the case was launched, but they’re still fighting the fight that could shape all our futures. Madison Dyck, a student from Thunder Bay, is one of the seven.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

On the patio of a pub near Green Park in London, the Star’s Rosie DiManno and Canadian journalist Lisa LaFlamme, on special assignment for City News, discuss what they are seeing as the city prepares for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday.

This episode was produced by Rosie DiManno, Lisa LaFlamme, Raju Mudhar and Sean Pattendon.

Guests: Angela Mashford-Pringle and Courtney Skye

The death of Queen Elizabeth II last week fuelled a wave of global grief, but also reawakened memories and ignited conversation of a brutal colonial legacy and the future of the British monarchy. The monarch’s 70 years on the throne have been both celebrated and questioned. Her reign included seven decades of silence for Indigenous peoples of Canada who faced treaty violations, residential schools and countless missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. As King Charles III ascends to the throne, we speak with two Indigenous women about why the monarchy does not represent the same thing to everyone. Joining “This Matters” is Angela Mashford-Pringle, an Algonquin woman from Timiskaming First Nation, who is assistant professor and associate director at the Waakebiness-Bryce Institute for Indigenous Health, as well as Courtney Skye, a Mohawk woman (Turtle Clan) from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory who is a research fellow at Yellowhead Institute.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Rosa Saba, business reporter

The future of cannabis retail is headed for a reckoning that could see a third of stores across the country close. Once thought to be a product that would be a license to print money, the retail cannabis space is dealing with a number of issues including steep competition, oversaturation in some markets and distribution issues while still having to contend with the illegal market. With more consolidation expected, experts are predicting a wave of closures for the cannabis industry.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Kevin Donovan, Chief Investigative Reporter

Reality television is a genre that has taken over the airwaves with all kinds of dating series and extreme competitions. Some find the genre shallow. But in one recent attempt, a producer gathered altruistic entrepreneurs to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems, like racism and poverty. However, it turns out the television show had a problem with reality. It didn’t really exist as discussed, leaving many contestants feeling confused and swindled. The Star’s Kevin Donovan joins to discuss his latest investigation, which looked at “4 Days To Save The World,” a reality series aimed at changing the world.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources: H2HTV

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, politics reporter

Pierre Poilievre is the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. The front-runner for much of the leadership campaign, he won a decisive victory over his rivals and is now poised to shape the Conservative party. That has raised concern from critics who say that not only are some of his ideas very classically conservative, some court conspiracy theories. We can only find out more as Poilievre has the top job, the responsibilities that come with it and his eyes set on winning his next federal election campaign.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CPAC

Guest: Omar Mosleh, staff reporter

The stabbing rampage in the James Smith Cree Nation has left that community reeling. The fatalities, injuries and subsequent manhunt for suspects left a trail of trauma and many questions unanswered. An entire community has to pick up the pieces, heal and move on, and ensure something like this never happens again. Toronto Star staff reporter Omar Mosleh joins “This Matters” from Saskatchewan.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: APTN

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

With a number of recent traffic-related collisions resulting in fatalities and kids on the sidewalks with classes back in session, road safety is back under the microscope. While the City of Toronto has Vision Zero, an initiative to reduce traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on city streets, many road safety advocates feel the measures are not strong enough and much more could be done to make the city’s streets safer.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: City News

Guest: Christine Dobby is business reporter at the Star

Ontario’s bingo halls are looking at lot like casinos with rows of modern gaming machines. The question is, are they slot machines? Because if they are, they may be in violation of provincial law that prohibits slot machines in bingo halls. Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says the machines follow the law. Business reporter Christine Dobby investigates.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar

Guest: Jason Miller, crime reporter

Peel police used force on Black people 3.2 times more often than their share of the population, a report on 2021 police data has shown. With only minimal improvement from 2020, the results are not a surprise to both police and the community. The police service has faced criticism after a series of high-profile killings of racialized men in crisis and questions about over-policing of certain communities, de-escalation strategies and whether the police should be front-line responders to mental health emergencies. If the service has launched anti-racism initiatives to address these concerns, why has the data remained significantly unchanged? The Star’s Jason Miller, a crime reporter covering the Peel region, joins “This Matters” to discuss the recent report and what it means for the community.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Alex Boyd, reporter

Health Canada has authorized a new type of COVID shot from Moderna. It is a bivalent vaccine which means it is essentially two vaccines in one, in this case targeting the original virus and the Omicron variant BA.1. The new vaccines are arriving in Canada just ahead of a predicted COVID surge this fall. Toronto Star reporter Alex Boyd tells us more about bivalent vaccines and what this means for the future in a world where the virus isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen's Park Bureau chief for The Star

Bill 7, also known as the “More Beds, Better Care” act is now law, and gives the government and medical authorities more power to potentially move patients from hospitals to long term care facilities that may not prefer to go too. The government says it is a necessary move as Flu season and an expected Fall COVID surge. Critics fear that beyond trampling patients rights, it’s just the beginning of more privatization of the province’s health care system.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio Sources in this episode: CPAC and CHCH News.

Guest: Syed Hussan, the executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change

Crowded bunkhouses. Rat-infested food. Verbal abuse and threats of termination. These are among the allegations made by Jamaican migrant workers on two farms hours from Canada’s biggest city. The allegations were made earlier this month in an open letter to Jamaica’s Ministry of Labour. They are unproven, but critics say they are not surprising. The Star reached out to the two farms named in the letter, who both dispute the allegations. Our guest, Syed Hussan, Executive Director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, says the problem is larger than a few employers. He joins “This Matters” to discuss the allegations and the changes he says should be made to Canada’s seasonal agricultural worker program.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon

Audio Sources: CBC and Global News

Guest: David Rider, City Hall Bureau Chief

Municipal elections are coming soon across the province with campaigns just about to get underway. While Toronto Mayor John Tory seems to be safely heading toward a third term, there are plenty of interesting and competitive races for councillor seats in many wards. Here’s what you need to know at the outset of the campaign.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar

Audio Sources: Global News, CityNews

The following episode contains graphic language and references to sexual and racial violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Guests: Erica Ifill, The Hill Times columnist, and Rachel Gilmore, Global News reporter

The past two weeks have seen a peak in the wave of hate washing over Canada fuelled by political polarization, divisions over masks and vaccines, and a growing far-right movement. It resulted in what appears to be systematic and organized digital hate campaigns against mostly women and journalists who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) across Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton. Journalists have been sent a torrent of racist, homophobic, misogynistic and violent abuse via email, with threats and content so disturbing police have been contacted and conversations with stakeholders in play to assure their safety. Journalists Erica Ifill and Rachel Gilmore join host Saba Eitizaz for a difficult conversation with about where it all started and what it’s like to be the target of hate. The shared pain and trauma might be personal, but the implications of what’s going on could impact an entire nation. The following episode contains graphic language and references to sexual and racial violence. Listener discretion is advised.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Amanda Watson, senior lecturer and sociologist at Simon Fraser University

It’s been two weeks since journalist Lisa LaFlamme announced she’d been let go from her job as chief news anchor and senior editor at CTV National News. The decision came two years before LaFlamme’s contract was up and despite the fact she presided over one of Canada’s most watched newscasts. The network said a “business decision” and “changing viewer habits” inspired the action, but many aren’t buying it. We take a look at how LaFlamme’s dismissal has sparked a national conversation on sexism and age discrimination in the media and other workplaces.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques

Audio Sources: CTV News, Twitter

Guest: Marco Oved, climate change reporter.

The air travel industry is betting big on sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) to drastically cut the amount of airplane emissions over the next few decades. It is a solution that will work with existing aircraft, but there are plenty of questions including the supply and the cost. Is the industry latching on to a solution that sounds good in order to avoid some of the really difficult questions? Some believe the only way for the airline industry to really reduce emissions is to radically reduce the number of flights.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Diane Therrien, mayor of Peterborough

It was a tweet read across the country that got her city trending on Twitter. Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien called a group of QAnon-linked demonstrators who came to her city imbeciles and with a few uncensored expletives, told them to leave. Response to Therrien’s tweet has been varied. Some credit her for taking a strong stance against conspiracy theorists causing a ruckus, others say it was overly crass and offensive. But Therrien’s tweet is not a flippant comment. It was a culmination of years of trying to manage a government through a polarizing pandemic, a testament of burn out in municipal government, and a little bit of personal exhaustion in a job she says has not always been enjoyable. Therrien joins “This Matters” to discuss what was ultimately behind her tweet and why she’s deciding to leave politics, at least for now. As a warning to listeners, this conversation includes profane language.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques

Guest: Alex Boyd, Toronto Star journalist

While there are many reasons including equity and access issues that can prevent someone from getting a vaccine, some have chosen not to because of the myth that COVID-19 vaccines have led to hundreds of deaths in Canada and abroad. If billions of vaccine doses have been administered around the world, how did some people end up taking the view a vaccine could kill them and data proved it? How did misinformation that COVID-19 vaccines are killing people take root and end up becoming one of the biggest dividing lines in Canada?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques

Guests: Rob Hickey and Erin Sheldon, parents of Maggie Hickey

The government has given the Hickey family an awful choice. Maggie Hickey has Angelman syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes significant physical and intellectual disabilities. While she is non-verbal and developmentally delayed, she is a happy 19-year-old woman with a group behind her supporting her needs. The arrangement is called a Microboard, a group of individuals including her parents, personal support workers and others who all help take part in decisions about her care and help keep her independent. But now some of Maggie’s home care funding has been cut because some government agencies don’t recognize the arrangement. Her parents join “This Matters” to discuss why they are launching a human rights complaint to fight for their daughter’s rights.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar

Guest: Allan Woods, a Montreal-based reporter for The Star

Quebec’s controversial Bill 21 has been law for three years now, and what’s known as the secularism law continues to cause controversies. The most recent one centres on a well known writer and his offence of a picture of an international student on a school’s website. As Quebec prepares to enter another provincial election, Bill 21 is sure to come up again as court challenges to the law loom in the future.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar

Audio Sources: CSPAN, CBC and Global News

Guest: David Rider, City Hall Bureau Chief

Ontario has brought in new legislation to give “strong-mayor” powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa. As it turns out, there are some strings attached. “Strong-mayor” powers generally are supposed to help a mayor cut through red tape and push their agenda through, but now it is clear mayoral powers will be tied to provincial priorities and it’s unknown how those will be decided. Many experts feel that while this will make the mayor stronger in council, it will make them more beholden to the province.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar

Audio sources: CP24 and Global News

Guests: Star reporters Jennifer Yang and Sara Mojtehedzadeh, as well as Anna Seto, a hospital nurse who joined a temp agency during the pandemic

A Star investigation has revealed that the use and costs associated with using nurse supplied by temp agencies is skyrocketing. Some hospitals have said the costs have grown over 500 per cent, and some agencies may be taking advantage by increasing their rates. Nurses are also choosing to go to work for them because agencies pay more and offer a better work-life balance. What is the larger toll on the health care system? Is this sustainable?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Kristin Rushowy, Queen’s Park reporter

As children prepare to return to classrooms in the fall, the Ontario government seems to be pushing for some kind of pre-pandemic “normal.” Mask mandates have been lifted, there’s a push to bring back extracurricular activities and a new “catch-up” plan has been announced to help kids bounce back from COVID related disruptions. The Star’s Kris Rushowy joins “This Matters” to explain what the back to school season will look like.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Abi Bond, Executive director of Toronto’s Housing Secretariat

Rents are rising at record rates across the country. While the pandemic brought rent costs down and created higher vacancies, now the rental market is surging because there is a lack of supply. Landlords are also using tactics like renovictions to get tenants out. The City of Toronto recently tabled a new report that looks at ways to help renters and fight against renovictions. Toronto’s top housing official joins “This Matters” to talk about how the city is trying to create more affordable housing.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter

Controversial politicians in Brampton, Richmond Hill and Mississauga have caused several issues for the municipal governments in those communities recently. While the reasons are very different, there has been all kind of political manoeuvring, lawsuits filed and city council meetings disrupted or cancelled. One issue this exposes is the lack of mechanism to punish or remove an elected official from office, other than voting them out in the next municipal election.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CityNews, CTV and CAGRichmondHill.

Guest: Dr. Makini McGuire-Brown, chair of International Physicians of Ontario

With emergency rooms closing due to staff shortages and a critical lack of family doctors across the country, many internationally trained doctors who have immigrated to Canada are asking why it’s so difficult for them to practice medicine here. From a lack of residency positions to programs that help them transition to our health care systems, these doctors say a valuable human resource is not being tapped as the health care system gets closer to a breaking point.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar

Audio Sources: CPAC

Guest: Ben Spurr, City Hall reporter at The Star.

There’s a bike fight brewing in High Park. Some park users feel that too many cyclists are speeding through the park. Their complaint sparked a police investigation and ticketing blitz. One police car even got hit by a cyclist. Now cycling advocates feel that riders are being unfairly targeted and that this has been a waste of police resources. What it definitely shows is another fight in the city were pedestrians, cyclists and drivers are once again in conflict over how public space should be shared.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Kayla Bailey, project manager Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen

Many women working in the trades sector like construction, say they have faced hostility, sexism and harassment on the job often without recourse. It’s happened enough that the provincial trades council has made a new committee that seeks to address the issues women face regularly, and also look for long-term strategies on improving this sector and making it more welcoming for women. That’s crucial in a sector facing a severe labour shortage. Kayla Bailey, a journeyperson steamfitter, gas fitter and welder in Toronto, has worked in the sector since 2014 and is now project manager for this new committee. She joins “This Matters” to share her experience.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Matthew Ball, author of “The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything”

Many of the world’s biggest companies are investing heavily in, and betting big on, the metaverse. There are different visions of what the metaverse might look like depending on who’s speaking, but regardless it will be the next big evolution of the internet as how we interact with it becomes more immersive. It will all take time because there are several challenges and technologies that need to mature before it happens. Matthew Ball, author of “The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything,” joins “This Matters” podcast, to talk about how the metaverse is defined so far and shed light on the road leading to how it may be created.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

**Guest:** Joanna Chiu, staff reporter

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years earlier this week. The visit lasted only 19 hours but was long enough to infuriate the Chinese government. Hours after Pelosi landed, Beijing announced unprecedented military drills off the coast of Taiwan. The standoff continued on Friday, with China suspending dialogue with the U.S. on a range of issues from climate change to military relations to cross border crime. Star reporter Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star staff reporter and author of author of the book “China Unbound,” explains the significance of this week’s visit, why there are worries about war and what an ensuing conflict could mean for Canada.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Clip sources: CNN, The Sun, Yahoo News, Bloomberg, The Print

Guest: Anna Barford, Canadian Shipping Campaigner with Stand.earth

While cruise ship lines took a hit during the pandemic, business is back in full swing. Cruise ships are floating cities on the water and generate all kinds of waste. Surprisingly, U.S. rules around dealing with such waste are much more stringent compared to Canada where we have lax regulations. According to a recent report from Stand.earth and B.C.-based West Coast Environmental Law, ships travelling along the Canadian West Coast are incentivized to dump waste in Canadian waters as it is cheaper and easier.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CNN and NPR

Guest: Olivia Bowden, staff reporter

There has been global momentum to end Pap tests for cervical cancer and replace them with less intrusive and more effective HPV testing. As countries around the world and even some provinces in Canada start this transition in reproductive health care, medical professionals say Ontario is lagging far behind. The stakes go well beyond comfort. Star reporter Olivia Bowden explains why Ontario has delayed making the change and what it says about how we talk about the safety and pain of those with female reproductive organs.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Warning: This podcast contains graphic content

Guest: Farrah Khan, manager of Consent Comes First at Toronto Metropolitan University

The inquiry into Canada’s worst mass shooting has put a spotlight on how survivors of intimate partner violence often face anger and backlash. After Lisa Banfield was brutally assaulted and held captive by her common-law husband one night in April 2020, 22 people were killed as he went on a murderous shooting rampage. Countless people were impacted by devastating trauma, pain and anger as a result of the gunman’s actions, and Banfield was put under a harsh spotlight. Gender rights advocates say Banfield was unfairly criminalized, criticized and accused of abetting the shooter, and her own trauma as a victim of abuse was never acknowledged. There are now concerns the reception to Banfield will deter other women from reporting abuse.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Jacob Lorinc, business reporter

As prices fall and listings get pulled off the market, experts are projecting a historic correction to come for the Canadian housing market. There already was limited supply, but the confounding thing is that with rising inflation rates, housing affordability will remain a challenge for many people despite lower home prices. Now the two big questions are: How long will it last and how far will the market fall?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC, Global News, CityNews

Guests: Mohammed, Afghan human rights activist, and Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

Nearly one year after the U.S. and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover, thousands of Afghans are still trapped in the country, waiting for Western visas. Many of them are in danger precisely because they were allies of the West and now face repercussions at the hands of the Taliban. While Canada made a commitment to resettle 40,000 Afghans through a special immigration program, Star sources have revealed that the window is closing and the program could wrap up soon. We take a look at what’s going on and what it could mean for Afghans who are still stuck in limbo, fearing for their lives as a price for helping Canada.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Brandi Morin, freelance journalist

Pope Francis is in Canada this week on a pilgrimage of penance, meeting the survivors of the residential school system in which the Catholic Church played a major role — a forced assimilation of Indigenous peoples that destroyed families, cultures and created a legacy of trauma. Brandi Morin, an award-winning French, Cree, Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6, has been bearing witness as her own life is intertwined with the brutal history of the schools. We caught up with her to try to understand this moment and discuss what it will take for it to truly mean something.

The Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of a residential school experience. Support is available at 1-866-925-4419.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Len Tooley, evaluation director at the Community-Based Research Centre

With more than 16,000 recorded cases in 75 countries so far, the World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox outbreak as a global health emergency. Five people have died worldwide since the outbreak began in May. Len Tooley is one of the 681 Canadians who have contracted monkeypox in the last two months. He says the community of gay and bisexual men currently most at risk have been largely left in the dark by public health on what to do if they get sick. He shares his experience on “This Matters.”

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Richard Warnica, feature writer

Toronto Pearson International Airport has just been named the worst airport for delays in the world. The ranking comes after months of media reports of long lineups, cancelled flights, lost luggage and traveller horror stories of being stuck here. It has gotten so bad that polls show people will not travel until some of the problems are sorted out, but no one is sure when that might be.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Larry Savage, professor of Labour Studies at Brock University

With organizing efforts underway at Starbucks, Amazon, Apple and many more employers, unions and the labour movement are having a moment. Unions are fighting for higher wages and benefits for workers as workplaces try to return to normal after COVID-19 and sky high inflation makes for a higher cost of living. With a tight job market, workers should have some leverage but as economic signs point toward things like a recession, the actions of the unions and the labour movement could become even more important for workers.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources in this episode: CHCH News, CNN, Global News, CBC

Guest: Blair Feltmate, University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation

This week has seen yet another in climate firsts as a scorching heat wave has swept across the globe. As Britain recorded its hottest-ever temperature at 40.2 C on Tuesday, things weren’t any better in Europe with sweltering temperatures and wildfires raging across several countries including Portugal and France. Here in Canada, accelerating climate change means that higher temperatures are on the horizon for us too. Last summer, British Columbia’s heat dome claimed over 600 lives and science tells us that the worst is yet to come. So the question is: are we ready? Blair Feltmate, professor & head of University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation, joins us to discuss our shared future.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Audio source: CBS News

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief

The Ontario government is going to give enhanced powers to the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa. Described as being similar to U.S. style “strong-mayor” systems, it’s an idea that has been discussed for years as a way to quickly push the mayor’s authority and potentially expedite things like financial matters and appointments. But critics say Premier Doug Ford is once again messing with a municipal election right after it has gotten underway, just like he did in 2018 when he slashed Toronto city council from 47 to 25 seats. The “strong-mayor” plan will change this ongoing race and city governance in the future.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Alex Ballingall, Toronto Star reporter

In recent months, and in the wake of alarming killings like the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, some Canadian politicians say fear of violence has become a regular hazard of the job. We take a look at the tense political climate that’s forcing public officials to amp up their security, what this means for the future of politics in this country, and where all this rage is coming from.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn.

Audio sources: Global News and CityNews

Guest: Marco Chown Oved, Toronto Star reporter

A Star investigation has found that Canada’s three largest supermarket chains are actually making money from inflation. Grocery prices have been rising faster than overall inflation because of the disruption of labour, supply chain and manufacturing costs, and a war in Ukraine, but there’s another factor driving prices up — profit. A deep dive into the financial statements of Loblaw Companies Ltd., Empire Company Ltd. (which owns Sobeys) and Metro Inc. reveals that these grocers are raising prices more than they have to and making Canadians pay for it.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

**Guest:** Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the Canadian Medical Association

Despite spending much of the pandemic trying to ensure that hospitals were not overwhelmed, incredibly long waits at emergency departments at hospitals across the country are becoming the norm. In Ontario, the average wait time for an ER visit is 20 hours and anecdotal stories of patients waiting hours and even days for treatment keep adding up. There are several reasons for this, from pandemic burn out-caused staff shortages and other issues in the health care system, like a lack of family doctors across the country. Experts are sounding the alarm as things must change to improve the situation.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: May Warren, Toronto Star reporter

Fourth COVID-19 vaccine doses are now open to all Ontarians older than 18 years of age. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore made the much awaited announcement to expand eligibility on Wednesday, but the tone of the announcement left many confused. Dr. Moore said that healthy, currently vaccinated people continue to have significant protection against the worst effects of COVID, and can, if they want, wait for a new vaccine in the fall that will better target Omicron variants. So, should you get a shot right now or not? Reporter May Warren helps you make that decision.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, politics reporter for the Star

With just under two months left in the Conservative party leadership race, it’s been a wild week that still hasn’t been settled. Disqualified leadership candidate Patrick Brown is using legal means to see if he can remain in the race, but also throwing his support behind leadership candidate Jean Charest. He and Pierre Poilievre are the front-runners for the top job in an important contest where things like traditional conservative values are being challenged by a new populism, which is what the party has to wrestle with and reconcile as they choose a new leader.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources used in this episode: Global News, CTV, CBC, CPAC.

Guest: Christine Dobby, business reporter at the Star, joins us to talk Rogers fallout and the new requirement for telecom companies to help each other during outages.

The Rogers network outage affected Canadians, businesses and services across the country, and now the federal government wants to make sure it never happens again, mandating that the country’s telecommunications companies come up with formal agreements to help each other — and consumers — when one is experiencing a serious network disruption. Of course, how all that will work remains to be seen as does whether it will actually make a difference next time?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources used in this episode: CBC, Global News

Guest: Edward Keenan, Washington Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star

Last month, as Ketanji Brown Jackson made history as the first Black woman to be sworn in as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, the moment was almost overshadowed by a series of decisions by America’s top court that will change the very shape of the future. One after the other, the Supreme Court struck down abortion rights, rolled back gun restrictions in New York and severely curtailed the powers of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions and counter global warming. Ed Keenan talks about the current shape of a Supreme Court that seems to be moving the United States staunchly to the right.

Audio Sources: NPR, NBC, Bloomberg, CBS News, Washington Post, Fox News

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Jacques Gallant, politics reporter

As Bill C-5 moves through the legislative process, Canadians who have been convicted of simple possession of drugs could see their records disappear in the next few years. Although it won’t be an amnesty, the government is using a system called sequestration that would effectively hide the records. It’s another sign of the changing way authorities are dealing with illegal drugs and how people are punished for having them.

This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Armine Yalnizyan, Economist & Atkinson Fellow

Throughout the pandemic, nurses worked long hours with fewer resources and made major sacrifices to keep us safe. For some, perks that made the job appealing like stable income and a pension are wearing off as other issues remain unaddressed. This includes Ontario’s Bill 124, wage cap legislation as the cost of living and inflation continues to rise. As burnt out and exhausted nurses are leaving the profession in large numbers, a growing number of nurses have found an alternative where they can set their own hours and choose the jobs they want, all while earning more money. It’s called agency nursing and it’s skyrocketing across the country. Canadian economist Armine Yalnizyan talks about this new trend and what it could mean for the future of health care.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guests: Dr. Grace Parraga, Tier 1 Canada research chair in lung imaging at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, and Dr. Michael Nicholson, a respirologist with the post-acute COVID-19 program at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ont.

An estimated one in ten COVID survivors suffer from long COVID. The cause of the condition has puzzled doctors and long COVID sufferers are frustrated by the lack of knowledge and support. With an estimated 200 symptoms associated with long COVID, it’s hard to diagnose and treat. Now, an Ontario research team has made a discovery that could be key in helping to diagnose it and potentially find treatments.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Rosa Saba, business reporter at the Star

The Bay is spending millions on reinventing itself to appeal to Canadians. With a history that predates Canada, the company has a long tradition that in some ways hampers it, as young people think of it as their grandparents’ store. The company is updating its product offerings in-store and its automation for its online operations, which has plans to offer same-day delivery across much of Canada. Are they making the right moves? Or is it too little, too late?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Dr. Andrew Boozary, physician and executive director of UHN’s Gattuso Centre for Social Medicine

A pilot project called Food Rx, run in collaboration with the University Health Network (UHN) and the non-profit FoodShare, is aiming to tackle growing food insecurity in Toronto with a “doctor’s prescription” for regular home delivery of fresh fruit and vegetables. Nearly one in five Toronto households have inadequate or insecure access to food due to lack of money, and it has become a serious public health issue. According to the latest Who’s Hungry report by the Daily Bread and North York Harvest Food banks, visits to food banks skyrocketed by 47 per cent last year. Pilot programs like Food Rx are much needed but what does it say about a system where health care workers are providing prescriptions for food and will it work as food inflation continues to rise?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Alex Ballingall, politics reporter for The Star

As Ottawa prepares for a larger and less COVID dampened Canada Day, protesters are making their way to the city to protest vaccine mandates, health restrictions and other freedoms they feel have been curtailed. Thinking back to some organizers who were involved with this past winter’s “Freedom Convoy,” which occupied the city for weeks, some of the city’s residents are worried about this being a sequel. The organizers are promising peaceful demonstrations but also more demonstrations over the summer. Will Ottawa’s police ensure a repeat won’t happen?

       Guests: Trevor Mansen, co-chair ODSP Action Coalition, and Anne Jensen, mental health and disability advocate            Ontario’s Disability Support Program (ODSP) which provides income and employment support to people with disabilities has been criticized by advocates for being out of touch with economic realities. The most a single person can receive through ODSP is $1,169 per month, or $14,028, annually. That's about 30 per cent below the province's poverty line of roughly $20,000. The Ford government has promised a modest ODSP boost of 5 percent – but is it anywhere near to the skyrocketing cost of living in this province? We ask two people on ODSP what it’s like to get by on so little.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Jacob Lorinc, Business Reporter at The Star.

The message early in the pandemic was simple from many employers: Get vaccinated. Now, as vaccine mandates are being lifted, some employees who were suspended or laid off for choosing not to get vaccinated are fighting back, often through their unions or civil lawsuits. The other issue is the vast majority of employees are vaccinated, many of whom are in favour of some type of rules in the office, so that they feel safer about heading back. Some employers are experimenting with radical solutions, but what is the fair and equitable way forward for all?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Rosemary Westwood, reproductive health reporter

The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade — a nearly 50-year-old constitutional right for a woman to end a pregnancy — will lead to bans on abortion in more than half of U.S states. That means abortion clinics will be forced to close in large swathes of the country. According to Planned Parenthood, more than 36 million people could lose abortion access. Rosemary Westwood, reproductive health reporter and host of the podcast “Banned,” explains how one Mississippi case led to the end of the protected right to legal abortions and what this new reality in the U.S. means.

UPDATE: A Louisiana court has temporarily blocked the state’s trigger laws on abortion. The blocking is temporary and a hearing on the matter has been set for July 8. Abortions can resume in Louisiana in the meantime.

Audio sources: Reuters, New York Times, PBS, CNBC

Guest: Allan Woods, global and national affairs reporter for the Toronto Star

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth long month, you may wonder, what’s it like in Russia? In a country slipping into further isolation and sanctions, where information is tightly guarded, do Russians support this war or are they living in fear of government surveillance and censorship at home? According to Star reporter Allan Woods, the answer is as complicated as the country. Like many journalists, Allan fled Russia when the war broke out. He had lived in Moscow for over four years. He made a recent trip back to Moscow and he gives us a glimpse into a city that appears as electric as ever — at least on the surface.

Audio sources: France24, PBS, Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Jon Wells, feature writer for the Hamilton Spectator

Hamilton has a long history of organized crime. One of the biggest events in its history was the killing of Johnny “The Enforcer” Papalia in broad daylight on May 31, 1997. Ken Murdock was the man who pulled the trigger. Jon Wells, a feature writer at the Hamilton Spectator, tracked down one of Canada’s most notorious hit men and joins “This Matters” to talk about what it was like speaking to a killer in search of a story.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

**Guest:** Erica Pimentel, assistant professor at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University

 Cryptocurrencies have been spiralling downward for the past two months after bitcoin’s value fell below $20,000 U.S., several exchanges halted trading and one company announced layoffs of their workforce. It’s a fast turnaround for a sector that is otherwise known for making people incredibly rich. Many are asking if this is just a bump in the road or the beginning of fundamental change, including more regulations on the sector.

 *This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.*

Guest: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter

Hundreds of tenants of Swansea Mews, a beleaguered west Toronto community housing complex, have been thrown into turmoil after a ceiling collapsed and the complex was later deemed structurally unsafe. Residents have now been told they would need to relocate to motel rooms and dorms. There is no timeline for how long they will be displaced. What will the future look like when community housing in the city has been in dire straits for years? Toronto Star reporter Victoria Gibson explains the latest developments at Swansea Mews and how that sheds light on systemic issues within the Toronto Community Housing Corporation.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques

Guest: Raisa Patel, Toronto Star reporter

As of June 20, Ottawa scrapped “proof of vaccination” requirements for air passengers on domestic or outbound international flights, as well as for rail travellers, and federal bureaucrats and federally-regulated workers like airline employees or those who process passports. The move comes as passengers have been expressing frustration over long delays, cancelled flights and endless queues at the airport. Ottawa-based reporter Raisa Patel explains what the new rules are and how we came to be here.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guests: Angelyn Francis and Annette Ejiofor, Toronto Star journalists

After decades of systemic racism and discrimination have punished Black Americans at school and at work because of their natural hair, at least eight U.S. states have made race-based hair discrimination illegal and now CROWN (Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Act is awaiting Senate approval. Canada also has a long history of hair discrimination against Black and Indigenous people. Is it time for Canada to make hair discrimination illegal?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

On Wednesday, the Toronto Police Service unveiled a landmark report that made clear there is systemic discrimination in their policing. Including use of force statistics from 2020, the results show that many racialized people face over policing, in particular, Black and Indigenous people. This comes as no surprise to many of Black and Indigenous communities, but now the police have acknowledged the problem with their own data and say they have started with recommendations to fix it. Will it make a difference?

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: David O'Brien, youth worker and director of mental health for ETA

It is evident that violent attacks committed by angry young men, regardless of the ideology behind them, are increasing. Whether motivated by white supremacy, incel subculture or other extremist belief, the path toward radicalization usually starts online and can end in violence. ETA is a GTA-based service that tackles hate and extremism in young people, often working with people who other agencies often refuse — or are unequipped — to deal with. Youth worker David O’Brien joins “This Matters” to talk about the approach to working with these individuals.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

**Guest:** David Rider, City Hall Bureau Chief

The fate of ActiveTO is up for discussion at City Council this week. Established in April 2020 at the start of the pandemic lockdown, the program shut down major roads to let people ride their bikes and exercise while remaining physically distanced. As with anything that affects traffic in this city, it had its detractors, but for a long while, was held up as a success. Now, with complaints from high profile business-types like Toronto Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro, the question is whether this program has run its course or if there is some part that can be salvaged.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Steve McKinley, Halifax bureau

There is an interesting project off the East Coast involving tidal energy that has accomplished something that no previous one has. Sustainable Marine’s floating tidal turbine platform PLAT-I 6.40 has connected to the Nova Scotia grid, converting the power of the world’s largest tides into electricity. With looming deadlines requiring more green energy from renewable sources, reporter Steve McKinley of the Toronto Star Halifax bureau joins “This Matters” to talk about how tidal energy could be one solution to moving people off fossil fuelled power.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Alex McKeen, reporter

Last June, a wildfire decimated the small town of Lytton, B.C. after three days of record-breaking heat. Months later, floodwaters drowned the farming region of Abbotsford, B.C. and left four people dead and the B.C. interior cut off for months. Canada is warming twice as fast as the world average and will no doubt experience a greater number of climate disasters in the coming years. After the ash settles from a fire or the water from a flood drains away, do we rebuild or retreat? B.C.-based reporter Alex McKeen visited both affected towns and talks about the tough choice ahead.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Paulo Marques

Guests: Rachel Mendleson, investigative reporter at The Star and Steve Buist, investigative reporter at The Spec

A recent Torstar investigation found over 600 cases where a judge found police forces committed serious breaches and violations of people’s Charter rights. As well, nine forces were found to have systemic breaches of not respecting these rights. It is a national problem. The consequences of this are criminal cases being thrown out with alleged suspects walking free as some innocent people have their rights trampled on.

Guest: Alyshah Hasham, courts reporter

Warning: Contains graphic content.

After six days of intense deliberations and being deadlocked twice, a jury has found Canadian rock star Jacob Hoggard guilty on one of three charges. Despite similarities between the accounts of his accusers, jurors were “really internally struggling” over Hoggard’s charges and Hoggard was found guilty of sexually assaulting a young Ottawa woman but not guilty of raping and groping a teenage fan. Alyshah Hasham, courts reporter for the Star, joins “This Matters” to explain the significance of the verdict and whether it can shine a light on how the justice system — and our society — perceives consent and victims of sexual violence.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Justin Ling, Freelance Investigative Reporter

As the Conservative leadership race continues, several leadership hopefuls are embracing conspiracy theories in order to win support. For instance, some are engaging in theories like the idea that the World Economic Forum is a deep state illuminati that runs the world. It remains to be seen whether it is a politically savvy move that helps them win this race, or a move that could blow up on them, but what is clear is that there are Canadians who are engaged with these ideas and how that could shape our politics bears watching.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Jeremy Grimaldi, crime reporter at Yorkregion.com

With other 200 charges and 20 suspects, last year’s Project Platinum was hailed as a successful operation led by York Regional Police. Now, several of those charges have been dropped. It’s not the only high profile case in the region that has fallen apart. From organized crime to drugs and gambling, we take a look at why and how some criminal activities have ended up unprosecuted.

**Guest:** Stephanie Levitz, politics reporter for The Star

In the shadow of mass shootings in the U.S., and another grim look at America’s lack of gun laws, Canada made a move to tighten its own. Earlier this week Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Bill C-21, which would place a national freeze on handgun sales as part of the latest move to tighten gun laws. We take a look at the content and context surrounding the new law.

Guest: Christine Dobby, business reporter

If you’re a working Canadian, chances are your retirement investments are going into at least one of the country’s big eight funds. But, do you really know where your money is being invested? The country’s eight largest public sector pension funds collectively control about $2 trillion dollars in assets, making them a huge investing force across the world. They say they’re investing responsibly. If they are, why won’t they tell us what they’re investing in? The Star’s Christine Dobby looked for answers.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Lex Harvey, politics reporter

On the eve of Ontario’s election, we take a look at the provincial party leaders and how they fared under The Star’s fact-checking process. While touting their own policies and achievements and attacking their rivals, how honest were Mike Schreiner, Andrea Horwath, Steven Del Duca and Doug Ford? Lex Harvey, Star politics reporter and fact checker, joins us to explain how the did.

This episode was produced by Matthew Hearn, Brian Bradley, Alexis Green and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Bailey Martens, Toronto Star reporter

Despite 2.6 million people in Ontario being disabled, there is no policy mandating barrier-free housing for those who need it. There is not even a mention of housing in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). For many people with disabilities in this province, the search for housing is as challenging as the lack of options. Star reporter Bailey Martens spoke to one family that had to move eight times in eight years to find wheelchair accessible housing for their young child. She tells their story on today's episode.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Edward Keenan, Washington Bureau Chief

Despite calls to cancel, the National Rifle Association’s annual meeting went ahead as planned in Houston this weekend, a mere 482 kilometres away from Uvalde, Texas where just days prior one of the deadliest school shootings in the U.S. in over a decade left 21 people dead (including 19 children). Two weeks before that, 10 people were shot dead at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York in an act called “a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism.” As the horror keeps repeating itself, how is it that nothing has changed even when data shows most Americans want some form of gun control?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Audio sources: CPAC, The Hill, Toronto Star

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief

With less than a week until the June 2 election in Ontario, and as most polls point to a Progressive Conservative victory, there are still plenty of questions about how things could shake out. Premier Doug Ford has been campaigning like a front-runner, as the Liberals and NDP put up a good fight. But with plenty of races expected to be close, strategic voting is a card both of those parties will likely try to play.

Guest: Moira Welsh, investigative reporter

In the middle of the pandemic, when baby boomers hit the milestone age of 75, they awakened to the reality of growing old in Ontario and they’re not going quietly into nursing homes. They want to age with purpose, energy and love. Their message to politicians? Get rid of the medicalized culture of nursing homes. Moira Welsh, investigative reporter and author of “Happily Ever After: Revolutionary Approaches to Long-Term Care,” discusses the future of aging in Ontario and whether real change is coming in elder care.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: May Warren, reporter for the Toronto Star

As of Wednesday, the Public Health Agency of Canada says there are 15 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Quebec, and health officials are investigating more, including four in Toronto. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 90 confirmed cases in 12 countries, including Canada. What’s going on? Is it time to worry or are we just hyper anxious since COVID took over our lives? We might not have all the answers yet, but we spoke to Star reporter May Warren to find out what we do know about monkeypox so far.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn.

Guests: Sylvain Charlebois is a Canadian researcher and professor in food distribution and food policy at Dalhousie University.

A recent Angus Reid poll showed that almost half of Canadians are finding it difficult to feed their families due to rocketing inflation of food prices at the grocery store. In April, food prices rose on average of 9.7 percent, the highest jump in over 30 years. Experts say Canadians might need to prepare for a while for these type of prices for a while, as relief is not coming quickly.

Raju Mudhar is a co-host and producer on the Star’s podcast team.

This Matters would like to let you know about another Toronto Star podcast, ‘Death in a Small Town,’ hosted by Kevin Donovan. We are broadcasting episode 1, Just Another Day. Episode 2 is available at thestar.com/deathinasmalltownpodcast or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Episode 1: Just Another Day
Roll out of bed, get the kids to school, then off to work. Just before noon, disaster. A mysterious injury to young Nathaniel McLellan puzzles doctors at two hospitals and sparks what would become a six-year police investigation.

Episode 2: Suspicion is available at thestar.com/deathinasmalltownpodcast or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Auto thefts are soaring in the GTA, which is now punctuated by a carjacking spree that saw several incidents in the past week, including one involving Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner. There have already been more carjackings in Toronto in 2022 than in all of the previous year, and police warn that some of these are turning violent. By looking at the data, we look at where it’s happening across the city and talk about what you should do if it happens and some potential tips to secure your vehicle.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CTV News and CityNews

**Guest:** Karon Liu, Food writer at The Star.

The Michelin Guide to restaurants is coming to Toronto. This dining guide is known around the world for its three star rating system which highlights some of the best restaurants in the world. That said, it also has its critics as many believe it caters to higher end restaurants and there have been unintended consequences with many establishments after the ratings have come out. Will it accurately represent Toronto’s food culture? Or bring irrevocable change

**Guest:** Brendan Kennedy, social justice reporter on the Star investigations team

A Toronto Star investigation has revealed that Canada confines hundreds of non-citizens in conditions meant for a criminal population. On any given day, there will be roughly 200 to 300 immigrants in Canadian detention. Immigration detention is not supposed to be punitive, so why are nearly half of these detainees being held in maximum security jails, indefinitely? How does this sit with Canada’s global reputation for the ease and friendliness of its immigration system?

Guest: Richard Warnica, Business feature writer

Plastic recycling in Ontario has been called a “green lie.” For instance, Canada produced about 1.9 million tonnes of plastic packaging in 2019, according to a recent report commissioned by the Canada Plastics Pact. Of that, the authors estimate just 12 per cent was sent for recycling. Now, things might be changing. Ontario is modernizing the recycling regime in the province, putting more of the onus on companies to deal with their packaging waste. Along with action from Ottawa, now could be the time where we all get more real about recycling and making it actually work.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

**Guest:** Martha Paynter, registered nurse and author of “Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada.”

The U.S. Supreme Court may soon strike down its 50-year-old landmark ruling ending constitutional protections for abortion, according to a draft decision leaked to Politico. The ruling would mean U.S. states decide whether and how to restrict abortion or ban it outright. In Canada, we had our own Supreme Court decision that decriminalized abortion in 1988 but, while it’s not being threatened in the same way, barriers still exist. Reproductive rights can often boil down to geography, equity, income and race.

 *This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.*

Guest: Rosa Saba, Business Reporter

Leaving on a jet plane, don’t know if I’ll be making my flight out of the airport? That’s not how the song goes, but it’s a reality for many people in Canadian airports right now, as they face long lineups, wait times and other issues caused by an uptick of travellers and staff shortages at many flight terminals. As some passengers even are missing their flights, airport related companies are trying to staff up to meet the demand. But solutions take time, so flyers might want to pack a healthy dose of patience with their carry-ons.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Noor Javed, Star reporter

Did you know that Toronto used to be a leading city for cricket a few decades ago? As the sport continues to be one of the fastest growing sports in Canada, with an increasing number of immigrants from cricket-loving countries, the city is looking to regain lost cricketing glory and become a premiere city for the sport. There is a 20-year strategy to get there, but cricketers fear this long-term vision might be too late since facilities have deteriorated badly and players are already moving toward greener pitches in the suburbs. Toronto Star reporter Noor Javed explains the battle of the pitches.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guests: Nadine Yousif and Cristina Selva

As the pandemic surged in Ontario, the opioid crisis hit another peak. While opioid related deaths increased by 60 per cent in 2020, nearly one in three employed people who died were construction workers. To address the disproportionate impact of the opioid crisis on the construction workforce, Ontario passed a law mandating that naloxone, the drug that temporarily reverses the effects of opioid overdose, be available at construction sites across the province.

The Star’s mental health reporter Nadine Yousif explains how bad opioid use is in the industry and whether the new law will be enough to tackle a crisis already at boiling point. Also in this episode, we speak to Cristina Selva, the executive director of the College of Carpenters and Allied Trades, who has lost several members to overdose.

Guest: Christine Dobby, Business Reporter

You don’t have to look far to see those who experienced terrible financial hardship over the past two years. We don’t talk about our finances. But a recent report has painted a harsh picture just the same. The report published by ACORN, a non-profit organization advocating for moderate to low-income Canadians has revealed that more and more people were forced to take out instalment or payday loans during the pandemic–and many are trapped in a vicious cycle, paying off interest rates of up to 60 percent.

Star Business Reporter Christine Dobby explains how high-cost lenders operate and whether the government should have done something to help prevent Canadians from falling through the cracks and into a crushing cycle of debt.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Jacques Gallant, Political Reporter

A yearlong review by a panel of former military personnel has recently concluded that military leadership failed to tackle systemic racism and discrimination within its ranks for the past two decades, despite numerous calls to action. The panel that was created to identify racism, discrimination and hate within the forces also concluded that the military is failing to root out white supremacists in the ranks and struggling to keep new ones out. “Racism in Canada is not a glitch in the system; it is the system,” reads the report. The Star’s Political Reporter Jacques Gallant explains.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guests: Ben Spurr and Jim Rankin, Star Reporters

At the beginning of the pandemic, bikes became a hot commodity as people looked for ways to enjoy the outdoors. Cities like Toronto added more bikes lanes and even shut down streets for events like ActiveTO, so people could enjoy it. But now looking at the data, emergency room visits from cyclists were up across Ontario with many young people injured. More riders accounted for some of these visits, but the findings also point to the lack of cycling infrastructure that could make riding in cities safer.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime reporter

The Ontario election campaign is officially underway. Today, we zero in on an early pledge from Liberal leader Steven Del Duca who says that his government will ban handguns within a year if elected on June 2. Crime reporter Wendy Gillis joins us to explain what’s behind this pledge, why it is so contentious, and whether there is real political will to follow through.

This episode was produced by Jennifer Pagliaro, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

This Matters would like to let you know about another Toronto Star podcast launching today. ‘It's Political with Althia Raj’ is the Star’s new Canadian politics podcast. Every two weeks, Raj brings listeners behind the scenes on Parliament Hill with exclusive interviews, in-depth reporting and thoughtful analysis. Join us as we explore the ins and the outs of the drama unfolding in Ottawa with humour and intelligence.The first episode drops Thursday, May 5. Listen and follow or subscribe at thestar.com/itspolitical.

Guest: Arif Husain, Chief Economist at World Food Programme

 Ukraine was forced to close its four Black and Azov sea ports earlier this week and, as one of the breadbaskets of the world, this cut off access to the country’s rich grains. These ports help feed 400 million people, many of whom live in the poorest countries in the world. Even before the war began, global food prices were at an all-time high and now experts fear how the closed ports will add to the global food crisis. Arif Husain at the World Food Programme talks about the consequences.

 *This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn*

Guest: Edward Keenan, Washington Bureau Chief

Protests erupted in Washington D.C. Monday night after a draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito leaked to Politico suggested the country's highest court might be poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the almost fifty-year-old landmark ruling that gave women the constitutional right to abortion. The document – which was circulated among Supreme Court justices and supported by Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, among others – is creating shock waves and could change the very shape of America's socio-political landscape for decades to come. Edward Keenan, The Star's Washington Bureau Chief, explains.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Jacob Lorinc, business reporter

Want a smoothie with a side of outsourcing? That’s what customers are seeing at several Freshii locations in Ontario. Instead of a regular cashier, a virtual customer service agent takes your order before actual staff in the restaurant prepare it. Called Percy, a virtual cashier is based in other countries, like Nicaragua or Pakistan, where they earn much less than Ontario’s minimum wage. This is a new customer-facing approach that could be a disruptive force in this sector in the coming years.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park Bureau Chief

The Ontario government just released a record budget for spending, with over $198.6 billion allocated to things like health care, education, tax cuts and much more. With the provincial election writ dropping soon, there’s no way the budget can be passed before June 2 so instead it serves as the platform for Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives. With the other parties also releasing their plans to give Ontario voters a different choice, this budget plans signals that the election campaign starts now.

Guests: David Rider and Jennifer Pagliaro, The Star’s City Hall bureau

With a municipal election coming in October, change is coming to city hall. While Mayor John Tory will be seeking his third term, it is in the race for council seats where a lot of the action and interest will be. While there are no political parties tied to Toronto’s council, there are political factions and the political makeup and dynamics of the inner workings of council will be different after the depature of some left-wing councillors.

Guest: Nadine Yousif, mental health reporter

A recent survey conducted by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) has found disturbing trends. More than half of the 2,200 kids in grades 7-12 surveyed are not just reeling from the effects of the pandemic, they are anxious about climate change and the future. This is an eye-opening glimpse into how young people across Ontario have been coping over the last two years and is a snapshot of a generation that has grown up with the knowledge that they are set to inherit the Earth’s worsening natural disasters. The Star’s mental health reporter Nadine Yousif explains the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey.

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Paul Kershaw, a professor at UBC’s School of Population and Public Health and founder of Generation Squeeze, a non-profit that works for generational fairness

They say timing is everything, but should it be when it comes to home ownership? Canada’s wealth gap is not just driven by income, but also by real estate with much determined by if and when you bought your home. As real estate prices soar, many are priced out of the market and very little is being done that will make houses more affordable. Part of the issue is how existing homeowners think about their home as an investment and how resistant they are to anything that might affect the value. For those who are stuck outside the market, it’s time to rethink how to solve this problem and perhaps look at more radical solutions.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, a reporter in the Star's Ottawa Bureau

The Conservative party leadership race is underway and while the goal is to find a new leader, some think this contest could be for the soul of the party. While there candidates pushing more socially conservative views against others with more progressive stands on issues, there are also populist and further right-leaning factions. Somewhat alarmed by the latter, there is now a centrist coalition that wants the party to court the middle ground as a path to electoral victory. Will it work? How do all these disparate groups live in the same organization?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar

Guest: Megan Ogilvie & Kenyon Wallace, Star reporters

Last week, Ontario expanded eligibility to testing and antiviral treatments such as Paxlovid for high-risk individuals as the sixth wave of COVID continues to gain momentum. Paxlovid is now also available with a prescription at dozens of pharmacies across the GTA. But questions still remain around how to get a dose of the drug, where to find it and why those who need it the most in the hardest hit areas are still finding it a challenge to get a COVID treatment pill that could keep them out of the hospital. Star reporters Megan Ogilvie and Kenyon Wallace have the answer to your most pressing questions.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Heather Scoffield, economics columnist and the Star's Ottawa Bureau Chief.

Inflation hit a 31-year high, rising to 6.7 per cent in March, with escalating prices across many sectors. Grocery store and gas bills in particular are where many people are feeling it, and the gas prices have risen almost 40 per cent from a year ago. There are several causes to inflation, but the one thing that experts know is that these higher prices are here to stay for a while. Governments and central banks are doing what they can to temper the spike, like raising interest rates, but it’s a very careful balancing game, as that can often lead to a recession.

Guest: Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporter

Almost two years after the first COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Canada, the excitement is somewhat over. Most Canadians are now vaccinated and demand is grinding to a halt. The rush for vaccines has also slowed down considerably after recently lifted mandates. This means that millions of doses are lying unused, just weeks or months away from expiring. And millions of vaccines have been thrown away. Vaccination continues to lag in low-income countries. In the meantime, just how many vaccines are we tossing in the garbage and can Canada actually do anything to prevent this vaccine wastage?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, professor and satellite imaging specialist at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

Satellites and social media are working together to give new perspectives and viewpoints on the war in Ukraine. The amount and frequency of images, sophistication of technology and ever easier access for researchers and enthusiasts have created a new kind of theatre of war, that is already having ramifications, as it has exposed troop movements and war atrocities. The bigger questions are what kind of effect will it have on conflicts going forward and how could it change things like military tactics, intelligence gathering and how information about conflicts is verified.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Ben Spurr, the Star’s transportation reporter.

It has been a terrible week for tragic events on public transit, with New York City dealing with a subway shooting, a murder outside of Sherbourne station and a woman getting pushed onto the tracks at Yonge station. While these are nightmare scenarios for any transit service, there are all kinds of incidents that occur every year on the TTC, and through a Freedom of Information request, the Star got the data on all of the incidents on the bus network over a five-year period and it tells exactly where the most crimes occurs and who the targets of it are.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, Star reporter

As Toronto Police say the average age of those linked to gun violence continues to drop, Sunnybrook Hospital is taking action because “patching people up and sending them home” isn’t working. Today, we are joined by Star reporter Wendy Gillis, who’s been following the rollout of the new program designed to stem this tide.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Niki Thay.

Guest: Alex Boyd, Star reporter

COVID-19 continues to circulate with the very transmittable Omicron variant BA.2 now dominant, just as most parts of the country have dropped mask mandates, restrictions are lifting and the future is anything but certain. While Omicron cases might be generally less severe for those who are vaccinated, vulnerable people are still at high risk and that’s why a fourth round of the vaccine has become available for some. Toronto Star reporter Alex Boyd gives us an explainer on booster shots, how they might be rolled out and whether you or someone you know might need one.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matt Hearn.

Guests: Sara Mojtehedzadeh and Rachel Mendleson, Star reporters

While Ontario Premier Doug Ford touted rapid tests as a "game changer" and directed for them to be distributed to hot spot neighbourhoods to help quell the virus, a Star investigation found that only one fifth of 20 million tests ended up in those areas in the first 10 months of the province's taxpayer-funded screening program. In fact, privates schools got more tests than many other industries that were hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. How did this happen? Who else won and lost in the inequitable distribution of these rapid tests?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matt Hearn and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Alex Ballingall, Ottawa Bureau

The latest report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been damning. It’s now or never, as scientists warn the world must cap global greenhouse emissions or risk irreversible damage and the worst effects of climate change. Ottawa has now unveiled an ambitious new $9.1 billion road map to meet Canada’s climate targets by 2030. Star reporter Alex Ballingall explains what it’s all about and whether it is enough to rise up to the climate challenge.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Jennifer Yang, investigative reporter

Even if you’re not a dog owner, it is always nice to check out your local dog park to see which furry creatures are out for an afternoon romp. But where do those dogs came from? Toronto Star investigative reporter Jennifer Yang’s ongoing investigation about one popular dog rescue in particular, Redemption Paws, sheds some light. Many people adopted pets during the pandemic as companions in an uncertain time, but the relatively unregulated dog rescue industry has spelled disaster for some.

Redemption Paws did not respond to a request for an interview for this episode. CEO Nicole Simone previously responded to requests for comment, which can be read here, here and here. An excerpt of a statement provided by Simone can be read here.

This episode was produced by Jennifer Pagliaro, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

This Matters is running today's opening day episode of Deep Left Field, the Toronto Star's baseball podcast, with host Mike Wilner. He gets down on the field with the Jays. It's a longer episode today but if you are a Jays fan, you'll want to stick around.

Guests: Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, pitchers Jose Berrios, Alek Manoah and Jordan Romano, catcher Danny Jansen and third base coach Luis Rivera. Plus 10 Questions with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guest: Dr. Tim Sly, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus from the School of Public Health at Ryerson University

Ontario is in the sixth wave of COVID-19. It is not known how many people are infected, but anecdotally, it certainly feels like a lot. With Omicron subvariant BA.2 now dominant and others on the horizon, this is another sign that while we may be sick and tired of COVID-19, this disease does not listen to proclamations that it is over. Despite the lifting of mask mandates, experts say you should take precautions against this wave and it is something we need to take seriously.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Brian Bradley and Sean Pattendon.

Guests: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter, and Gru, a resident of a temporary shelter

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Toronto leased a number of hotels to augment the number of homeless shelters and allow adequate space between residents. These temporary shelters now account for 27 sites housing over 3,000 people and 40 per cent of people experiencing homelessness in Toronto. Now the leases are coming up and the city is looking at a number of options to take these temporary shelters out of the system, and find a way for the residents to not end up back on the streets.

Guest: Dr. Siddharth Sridhar, virologist at the University of Hong Kong

If it feels like suddenly COVID-19 is everywhere again, that is because it probably is. As Ontario’s indicators point to a sixth wave, the Omicron variant hit Hong Kong and New Zealand hard within weeks. Its impact could not have been more different. While COVID is spreading at the fastest rate in New Zealand, Hong Kong marked the highest COVID death rates in the world. What’s allowing New Zealand better outcomes in managing Omicron and what is driving deaths in Hong Kong? Today we discuss a tale of two countries.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Niki Thay

Guest: Brandi Morin, a French, Cree, Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6, reporting from Rome

After a week of historic meetings between the Pope and 32 Métis, Inuit and First Nations delegates, a formal apology has been issued. To a crowd of nearly 200 on Friday morning, Pope Francis apologized for the Catholic Church’s role in Canada’s residential school system. A system that ripped more than 150,000 indigenous children from their homes and placed them in the care of strangers. A system that led to the deaths of thousands of children, discovered in unmarked graves.

Brandi Morin, a French, Cree, Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6, Alberta was in Rome, taking this moment in.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Lauren Haw, CEO and Broker of Record at Zoocasa

Spring is usually the busiest time of the year for the real estate market, but many are wondering what this year might look like two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. There are many trends that seem to be turning, and changes like workers returning to the office are starting to take effect. One issue that remains is the lack of inventory of houses to buy. Many hope this season will improve on that situation and the real estate market starts to look a little bit more normal, whatever that looks like now. We chat with a real estate agent about what she thinks the market has in store for us.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Laura Armstrong, sports reporter

It almost seems like a fantasy to long-time followers of the sport but the Canadian's Men's National Team has qualified for the World Cup and are heading to Qatar in November. The team has been on a remarkable run, climbing the rankings over the past year and making it so punching their ticket became almost inevitable as opposed to something that has eluded this team for almost four decades. This team looks like it could just be getting started. First, a look back at the journey so far and what comes next.

Audio sources: Sportsnet, ONE Soccer

Guest: Robert Benzie and Tonda MacCharles, Star reporters

With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford signing on the dotted line confirming the province of Ontario is in, Canada will have a national child-care program for the first time in history. With the province having one of the highest child-care rates in Canada, the federal government has earmarked 13.2 billion for Ontario over six years. Parents could see fees reduced by up to 50 per cent by the end of the year, with costs dropping to as low as $10-a-day by September 2025. The timing couldn’t be better. The country’s fiscal year-end is this week and the province is just nine weeks out from an election. In this episode, we talked to reporters from the Star’s Queen’s Park and Ottawa bureaus to unpack the plan, why Ontario took so long and what it means for Canadians.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Rosa Saba and Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Star reporters

Jerry Dias was one the most high-profile and well known union leaders in Canada, but now Dias is under investigation for breaching union rules and allegedly accepting money from a supplier and then trying to share it with another employee. The consequences for the former head of Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, have been swift but there plenty of a questions remain about how and why this happened, as well as what the labour movement can do to root out potential corruption at its highest levels.

Guest: Arthur Brooks, author of the bestselling book, “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life”

What if everything that brought you to success, happiness and satisfaction in the first part of your life does a terrible job to prepare you to find those things in the latter half of it? That’s something that Arthur Brooks decided to tackle in his latest book. For all Brooks has accomplished — he’s a Harvard professor, columnist at The Atlantic and a bestselling author — the research on this book started out for himself, trying to figure out how to find happiness and fulfilment as he got older. Now he’s sharing the results and we discuss his findings.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Dr. Samantha Nutt, War Child Canada and War Child USA

It’s been exactly a month since Russia invaded Ukraine. According to the United Nations, more than three million people have been forced to flee. Half of those are children. In addition, Ukrainian officials say more than 100 children have been killed. Children have nothing to do with war and yet it impacts them more than anyone. One in every six children across the world continue to live in active conflict zones, caught up in violence not of their own making. In today’s episode, Dr. Samantha Nutt, founder and president of humanitarian organization War Child Canada and War Child USA, joins to look at how children are scarred by war.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Susan Delacourt, national columnist

With a deal in hand with the federal NDP, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government will be staying in power until at least 2025. Effective immediately, Trudeau has promised to roll out an NDP plan for dental care, pharmacare, climate change and other policies – all items that have long been on NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's wish list. Both leaders say they're seeking stability but the move has infuriated Conservatives, with interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen calling it a power grab. Veteran politics reporter and the Star's national columnist Susan Delacourt gives us the view from Ottawa.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Richard Warnica, business feature writer

Ontario's Blue Box paper and plastic recycling program is in the midst of the overhaul, catching up with jurisdictions all over the world by putting more of the responsibility for getting rid of waste packaging on to producers. The made-in-Ontario solution has left no one happy, including industry stakeholders and environmental experts. Both are asking for clarity as deadlines loom to make proposed changes. Will the new regulations gets tossed to the curb, or will they be recycled into something that may work?

This episode discusses several parties, including the Ontario government and Green For Life. Below are their responses when asked for comment:

"From our perspective, there's no disagreement," he said. "They think that we are the big bad guys that are going to get in and drive up costs significantly once we control the market. And it couldn't be further from the truth." — Patrick Dovigi, founder and CEO of Green For Life Environmental, Ontario's largest waste management company

"We are working to deliver a blue box system that will make recycling easier by standardizing what goes in the blue box and expanding services to more communities across the province....We have made sure we have a process that ensures broad collaboration and brings all parties together in pursuit of the best possible recycling system, and one that will be a North American leader." — a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Guest: Alyshah Hasham, courts reporter

A recent court ruling in Brampton, where a Superior Court judge ordered a man to pay his ex-wife $150,000 in damages for a 16-year pattern of abuse, might change how courts look at domestic violence. In considering such cases "often go beyond assault and battery to include complicated and prolonged psychological and financial abuse," experts say there is a new pathway for survivors to seek fair compensation in the civil courts. The Star's courts reporter Alyshah Hasham explains.

Guest: Katie Daubs, feature writer

Many of us have gotten that call from someone saying they are returning your call even though you never dialed their number. Then there are calls about owing money to the Canada Revenue Agency or border security. It’s something the scam operators do that’s called spoofing, which along with robocalling technology and humans armed with scam scripts are all part of the process of trying to trick people into giving up banking information or other personal data. This kind of phone fraud is a huge problem, and while both authorities and telecommunications companies are trying to tackle it, people still need to be careful, and most importantly, know when to hang up.

Guest: Noor Javed, reporter for The Star who focuses on municipal politics and affairs in the 905 region.

As Premier Doug Ford pushes ahead with two major highway projects, how those roadways actually get built is a not-often considered process. Unless, of course, you happen to live next to one of the open-pit mines needed for the gravel to build them. Those residents and environmental activists say there are serious concerns with the growing number of mines across the GTA and a lack of regulations to stop them.

Guest: Karon Liu, food reporter

Two years of a pandemic have changed the hospitality industry, including the way we look at labour, essential workers, the way we eat and our relationship with food. The Star’s food reporter Karon Liu and food writer Suresh Doss have kept us updated by sharing the best of what the city has to offer our taste buds from a hidden food court at the back of a flea market to a delicious new pierogi spot in an old church basement. Liu joins “This Matters” to discuss the latest pandemic food trends.

Guest: Grant LaFleche, investigative reporter

Ontario is the wild west when it comes to regulations for ownership of exotic animals and the running of zoos and other animal exhibitions. This has led to some people opening roadside zoos in rural communities, leaving local governments dealing with all kind of problems including attacks and bites. There is also consideration for the animals, as there are no real requirements for a standard of care or for the owner to have proper animal handling certification. This has led to some gruesome outcomes. Grant LaFleche, an investigative reporter at the St. Catharines Standard and member of The Star's investigations team, joins “This Matters” to talk about Ontario’s Tiger King and an exotic animal’s grisly death.

Guest: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park reporter

Ontario will be dropping mask mandates in most settings including schools on March 21, right after March break. Ontario’s top doctor Kieran Moore cites the province’s vaccination rates, decreasing case numbers and a decline in hospitalizations as reasons to ease some of the rules, and has indicated all other COVID public health measures may be lifted at the end of April. Many health professionals are worried the province is moving too fast and have spoken out. There is also a new Omicron subvariant in town to consider. Reporter Rob Ferguson of the Star’s Queen’s Park Bureau joins “This Matters” to clarify the ground rules come next week and explain why lifting a mask mandate doesn’t necessarily mean we should lift our masks mask.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Patricia Lakin-Thomas, York University professor

It is time to spring forward! Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend. Clocks shifting ahead an hour on Sunday not only may make you feel a little tired, it’s a much bigger deal than you may think. To some scientists, changing the time twice a year — which is not done in large parts of the world — is one of the world’s biggest experiments, and generally points to negative outcomes like an increase in heart attacks and traffic accidents. The problems don’t end there and thus, there are movements to abolish it. Today we speak to Patricia Lakin-Thomas, a York University biology professor who runs the Clock Lab.

Today, we will be taking you to Ukraine, speaking with those who are trying to escape war, which for some includes leaving their homes, their families and their lives. Journalist Johanna Chisholm reports.

This episode was produced by Johanna Chisholm, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Matthew Hearn and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Jim Williams, president and energy economist at WTRG Economics

As the world watches the horrors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ripple effects are being felt around the globe. With ever harsher sanctions effectively banning Russian imports, including oil, gas prices keep jumping higher as this conflict continues on. But that isn’t the only reason why prices have jumped at the pumps. Other factors are a low supply and an increase in demand as the world opens up with pandemic restrictions lifting. Experts say these surging prices could be here for a long time, and while countries and governments search for solutions and more capacity, people should prepare for pain at the pumps for the foreseeable future.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Lauren Markham, journalist and author

As Europe opens its doors to more than two million Ukrainians fleeing the horrific Russian invasion of their country, there are others for whom the doors are not left quite as open. The United Nations refugee convention states that a refugee should not be returned to a country that endangers life or freedom. It is international law, but not all laws are applied equally and sometimes they aren’t applied at all. For millions fleeing war, persecution, conflict and climate crises, a new form of brutality awaits them even at the place of refuge. Lauren Markham, a California-based journalist covering migration and author of the 2017 book “The Far Away Brothers,” explains why the basic human right of seeking safety is becoming the reason for thousands of deaths.

Today, we are taking you to Novoiavorivsk, a small town outside Lviv, Ukraine near the Polish border. Reporter Johanna Chisholm spent time there over the weekend, speaking with the townspeople on the different ways this war is both tearing them apart and banding them together; the ways in which they attempt to help each other and search inward for personal resolve. People who would ordinarily find themselves clocking in for work are now part of a well-oiled machine sewing balaclavas, watching check points or helping out in any big or small way they can. There's a war raging, and they are finding ways to contribute if they can’t be one of the thousands who can pick up arms. Here we bring you the stories from a town on the edge of war and the people who have come together to stand on guard.

This episode was produced by Johanna Chisholm, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Matthew Hearn and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted about speaking to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday, there was an urgent plea between the lines of the diplomacy: help stop Russia's relentless attack on Ukraine. Canada has rolled out new measures since the assault began, including trade restrictions on Russia, lethal aid for the military and a new fast track to Canada for Ukrainians fleeing the war. But as Europe's greatest security crisis in decades escalates seemingly undeterred by global warnings, the question being raised within Ukraine and around the world is: what will it really take to stop Russia? Tonda MacCharles shares the view from Ottawa.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Guest: Dr. Dawn Bowdish, professor of medicine at McMaster University and Canada Research Chair in aging and immunity

As many of look ahead to learning to live with COVID-19 and embrace the lifting of restrictions and mask mandates, there are still a lot of people who will have to remain vigilant and live the same type of isolated lives that others have had for the past two years. The immunocompromised, young children who still cannot get vaccinated, people with disabilities and some seniors are all groups that will likely have to keep up precautions and navigate a world that is otherwise ready to move on from the pandemic.

Guest: James Lewis, senior vice president and director, Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies

Russia has been using cyber attacks on Ukraine for years, and now both sides are escalating their use of technology and information warfare amid the ground conflict. Experts are watching this conflict as there will be new and innovative uses of strategies like hacking and malware to disrupt forces. There are fears such digital warfare could spread to other shores where civilian or military infrastructure could potentially be a target.

Guest: Alex Boyd, reporter for the Toronto Star

Canada currently has enough COVID-19 vaccines to double vaccinate the country six times over. That is a bigger stockpile per person than any other country in the world. Granted, not all of those vaccines have been authorized yet, but it’s a strategy that has helped ensure a steady supply and helped Canadians get vaccines sooner than others. But a stockpile comes at the expense of other countries who have been left waiting, such as Africa where the vaccination rate is just over 10 per cent. Noting the inequity, scientists in South Africa have turned to making their own vaccines. Star reporter Alex Boyd visited the Afrigen Biologics Facility in Cape Town, where the first M-RNA vaccine prototype was produced.

Alex’s reporting was made possible by funding from the R. James Travers Corresponding Fellowship, an award that honours the legacy of Canadian journalist Jim Travers.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alex Boyd, Matthew Hearn and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Alex Boyd, reporter for the Toronto Star

The excitement in getting a COVID-19 vaccine is something almost 85 per cent of Canadians can relate to and for most of us, the opportunity came and went months ago. But in Angola, a country in southwestern Africa, that moment is only just coming for many people. Like most low-income countries, Angola has struggled to get the vaccine. When the first Canadian shipment of vaccines arrived there last November, 85 per cent of Angolans hadn't even had a first shot yet. Star reporter Alex Boyd was on the ground as vaccines rolled out at last and spoke both to those working around the clock to get vaccines into arms and with those who waited in endless lines to get that one shot.

Alex's reporting was made possible by funding from the R. James Travers Corresponding Fellowship, an award that honours the legacy of Canadian journalist Jim Travers.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alex Boyd, Matthew Hearn and Sean Pattendon

In today's episode, we bring you urgent voices from inside the war in Ukraine including a Ukrainian-Canadian father desperate to get his family out, and Sara Firth, a British foreign correspondent in Kyiv. The first conversation in the podcast was edited for clarity and to eliminate any people or place names that could identify our speaker or his family, as we are not revealing his identity for his safety.

In what is being considered Europe's greatest security crisis in decades, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Thursday with its military attacking the country from three sides leaving desperate people to flee bombs and bullets, and seek refuge in makeshift bomb shelters. While countries including Canada are responding to the invasion with economic measures and sanctions, Russia continues to proceed into Ukraine with alarming speed.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn with files from Alex McKeen

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter
Host: Saba Eitizaz

Canada's hate problem has reached new heights, an investigation by the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau has found. Canada has the highest social media footprint of hate groups, higher than the United States and the U.K., and data reveals the justice system has failed to stop the purveyors of hate and discrimination who keep on targeting vulnerable groups. Robert Cribb, Toronto Star investigative reporter, joins "This Matters" to tackle two key questions: How bad is Canada's hate problem? Why does it keep repeating itself?

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Alex Ballingall, Ottawa Bureau

Ottawa’s streets have been cleared of protesters and now the aftermath truly begins. With civil suits have been filed, policing costs are estimated to be millions of dollars and the government still dealing with the Emergencies Act, there is still much to be sort out. Many of the ringleaders of the protesters have been arrested and now they start their journey through the court process. Like the protests, bail hearings already held were eventful and a bit strange.

Guest: Edward Keenan, Washington Bureau Chief
Host: Raju Mudhar

After weeks of posturing, on what President Vladimir Putin is calling a peace keeping mission, Russian forces have entered Ukraine. It is the culmination of weeks of troop buildups on the border. Despite several attempts at diplomatic resolutions, many NATO countries including the U.S. said this would happen. Now the world watches and attempts to find new ways to isolate and punish Russia for this incursion, but also try to find a way to deter any further escalation that may lead to armed combat.

Guest: Edward Keenan, Washington Bureau Chief
Host: Raju Mudhar

After weeks of posturing, on what President Vladimir Putin is calling a peace keeping mission, Russian forces have entered Ukraine. It is the culmination of weeks of troop buildups on the border. Despite several attempts at diplomatic resolutions, many NATO countries including the U.S. said this would happen. Now the world watches and attempts to find new ways to isolate and punish Russia for this incursion, but also try to find a way to deter any further escalation that may lead to armed combat.

Guest: Michael Daly, professor of space science and research chair in planetary science at York University

“Don’t Look Up” is the latest film to join the killer-asteroid-threatens-the-Earth genre of films. While that narrative has been the basis of plenty of science fiction, it is a potentially real scenario that NASA scientists are thinking about. In November, the space agency launched its first planetary protection mission called the NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). DART will hit an asteroid and then measure the effects of that collision. Will it knock it off course? If so, we may have a new tool to deal with wayward space rocks that are looking for trouble with planet Earth.

Guest: Bruce Campion-Smith, Public Editor

As reporters seek to cover the so-called “Freedom Convoy,” they have been threatened on the streets and online. The hostility is even greater if the journalists are women or from other vulnerable groups.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Grant LaFleche, investigative reporter with the St. Catharines Standard and part of the Star's investigative team

Crowdfunding has long-allowed people to fund projects they feel passionate about, so it may not be a surprise when crowdfunds came about in support of the "Freedom convoy" in Ottawa. After the Canadian government stepped in to freeze some of the funds and prevent distribution, hackers breached the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo and leaked donor lists to journalists and researchers to give a better picture of who is supporting the demonstrations. As this causes a stir across the country, the federal government's invocation of the Emergencies Act has authorized new powers to try and control these crowdfunding efforts.

       Guest: Pauline Boss, author of “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a time of Pandemic and Change”                       COVID-19 has snatched more than 30,000 lives in Canada, more than 900,000 in the U.S. and millions more around the world. But it has stolen so much more. Whether it’s the thought of loved ones dying alone or the inability to gather for a funeral, countless have suffered in the isolation of lockdowns and physical distancing. While not a matter of life and death, it can be hard to come to terms with other losses, be it weddings, graduations, or other missed events that shape our days. Following this time of collective loss, people are longing for closure and a way to move on. But do we actually need to? Social scientist Pauline Boss explains why not getting closure might actually be the healthiest path as we seek to move forward with life through – and beyond – the pandemic. *This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.*

Guests: Jacob Lorinc, Business Reporter, The Star, and Tonda MacCharles, Senior Reporter for the Star’s Ottawa Bureau.

As the “Freedom Convoy” protests that have paralyzed Ottawa’s downtown enters its third week, Canadians saw police dismantle a blockade at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor after a weeklong protest. The demonstrations in Windsor disrupted a route that carries hundreds of millions of dollars in goods everyday and had already had a ripple effect into other industries like automotive manufacturing. Police moved in quickly and promptly quelled the disruption. In Ottawa, as the authorities look to invoke acts with more powers to deal with the occupation, several Ottawa residents have started to counter protest on their own, as they fail to see any semblance of a plan to deal with the protesters.

John Honderich, who has served as both editor and publisher of the Toronto Star, as well as chair of Torstar, died on Saturday, February 5, at 75. “This Matters” spoke to some of John’s former friends and colleagues about his positive impact to journalism and the people around him.

A small private funeral for family was held on Thursday, February 10. A public celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers and in remembrance of John’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the John Honderich City Builder Fund through United Way Greater Toronto: www.uwgta.org/johnhonderich

Guest: Kathleen Newman-Bremang, deputy director at Unbothered, Refinery29’s sub-brand made for and by Black women

Black women are exhausted. Two years into a pandemic that includes the bitter taste of racial inequities, reckonings and the brutalization of Black bodies, the pursuit of societally imposed standards of “excellence” is losing its appeal. Not only are Black women dropping out of the workforce in staggering numbers, many are asking themselves when does attempting to attain an ambiguous definition of exceptionalism become a descent into harm. In her latest article, editorial director and writer Kathleen Newman-Bremang challenges the notion and pursuit of Black exceptionalism as defined by society, and asks if embracing radical “mediocrity” is another way of reclaiming your power.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Diana Chan McNally, training and engagement co-ordinator for the Toronto Drop-in Network

Host: Jennifer Pagliaro

As the city grapples with another pandemic budget and how to pay for basic city services, there are calls for an increase to funding to help the city's most vulnerable. On one point, advocates approached the budget committee to plead for resources to provide menstrual and incontinence products to clients who use drop-in spaces all over the city — people who are low-income, precariously housed and those experiencing homelessness. Even though the city added over $220,000 in funding for free menstrual products in city-funded shelters and other spaces in 2020, that money has not benefited a network of over 50 drop-in sites that mostly rely on fundraising to provide their clients a place to rest, something to eat and access to other services. Now there is a push to increase the city's funding to make sure more people are served.

Guest: Carolyn Bennett, federal minister for mental health and addictions

When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled his cabinet last fall, Carolyn Bennett was named the first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. There were many different opinions about the appointment and her mandate, but inevitably they all came down to how the pandemic has ensured that mental health is on our minds like never before. The minister concurs that “more and more people are willing to share that they are struggling,” but as experts warn, concrete policy decisions and not just symbolic gestures are critical at this point in time. Canada’s first Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett joins “This Matters” to explain what her next steps look like and the priorities of her mandate.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

Ottawa remains under siege and in a state of emergency, as declared by the city mayor on Sunday. There were other Freedom Convoy demonstrations across the country this weekend, including in Toronto, but their effect was mitigated as other police forces and other authorities learned from Ottawa police's missteps and managed to control protesters. Protesters and police from around the world are watching what is happening in Canada's capital and many wonder if a new playbook for civil disobedience and how to handle it are being written right before our eyes.

We are rebroadcasting episode one of Torstar partner podcast, Between Us With Wes Hall. In the first episode of a series that explores the journeys of BIPOC visionaries in Canada, the entrepreneur sits down with iconic Canadian rapper, producer and Vice President of A&R at Universal Canada, Kardinal Offishall. They have a conversation about perseverance, being Black in the boardroom, and pushing for change in the Canadian music industry. It's a frank and open discussion about experiences and perspectives on race, family, money, success and failure.

Subscribe to Between Us With Wes Hall wherever you get your podcasts and at thestar.com/betweenus

Guest: Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, an infectious disease physician at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga

The Omicron wave might be cresting and the province is starting to reopen things more widely, but it's hard to tell where things are. Ontario's extreme yo-yo effect of opening and jumping between lockdown is something that has also a psychological impact on how the people here react to news of rising numbers and news of future shift. Are people here ready to live with COVID-19? A doctor makes the case why we need a culture shift on how we think about this disease.

Guest: Morgan Campbell, senior contributor for CBC Sports and a former Star reporter

On the first day of Black History Month, the NFL was rocked by allegations contained in a class-action lawsuit by Brian Flores, former head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Flores outlined alleged proof that exposes the racist hiring policies of the NFL around the hiring and firing of Black people. None of the allegations have been tested in court, but part of the proof stems from a text message from another coach along with a long and damning history of how the league has treated Black players and coaches. It may be difficult to prove these kind of allegations but, whatever happens, Flores is taking this step knowing that it will likely be a career-limiting — or even, sacrificing — manoeuvre.

Clip source: Mike Greenberg interviews Brian Flores on ESPN's Get Up program, available on Youtube.

Guest: Ben Spurr, Transportation Reporter
Host: Jennifer Pagliaro, City Hall Reporter

A freedom of information request filed by the Star’s Ben Spurr revealed emails that show staff inadvertently included projections in an attachment in a report in January 2021 that overstated the number of riders, residents and jobs Tory’s $1.46-billion SmartTrack program would serve. Spurr joins Jennifer Pagliaro to discuss his recent story: A report on the mayor’s transit plan mistakenly included inflated numbers. City staff knew but failed to fix them before council voted

Don Peat, a spokesperson for the mayor, said Tory and his office had no knowledge of staff’s handling of the report until contacted about it by the Star. The mayor and council “rely on the expert advice of city staff on this and countless other matters and we are confident they approach this with the utmost professionalism and commitment to the city of Toronto,” he said.

Guest: Moira Welsh, investigative reporter and author of the book "Happily Ever Older"

In the latest Omicron wave, many long-term care homes have had to go into lockdown, forcing residents back into social isolation. But there's an added staffing crisis as well. With their caregivers and health workers burnt out, leaving for good or sick themselves, older people are losing their essential support systems and residents are facing unprecedented loneliness and depression. Investigative reporter Moira Welsh explains what it's been like for the emotional health of the residents in some of those homes.

Guest: Supriya Dwivedi, contributing columnist at the Star and senior counsel for Enterprise Canada

What will the political aftermath be from the trucker convoy and their protest in Ottawa? With plenty of signs promoting white nationalism and acts like defacing a Terry Fox statue and stealing food from homeless shelters, a fringe movement has now exposed itself and could have lasting ramifications to this country's political scene. A number of members of Parliament have expressed solidarity and support for the protesters, and how this event will be framed and perceived in the days and months ahead could reshape right-leaning politics in this country.

Clips in this episode include:

Member of Parliament Brad Vis speaking to CPAC
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking from his press event after the protest, via Global News
Conservative Party of Canada leader Erin O'Toole comments from his Instagram account

Guest: Lex Harvey, reporter at The Star

Ivermectin has become a much more well known drug during the COVID-19 pandemic as it has made news as the treatment choice for many high profile anti-vaccine people. While the drug has some known medical uses for humans, it has not been proven to help prevent or cure the virus. That hasn't stopped people from trying to get it, and in fact, there are networks to help those interested in procuring it. An undercover Star investigation recently looked into ivermectin and how some Canadians are getting their hands on it.

Guest: Lisa Brosseau, a bioaerosol scientist & industrial hygienist at the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

With most of us interested in having the best level of protection against the highly transmissible Omicron variant of COVID-19, a growing number of doctors around North America say a cloth mask doesn’t cut it and medical masks or respirators (like an N95) should be worn for maximum protection. Which mask is the safest bet? Can we still get away with a cloth mask? Will N95 masks be mandatory? What are the most effective ones for kids? What are the best practices for handling your mask? We try to tackle some of these questions with a “mask expert” who has over 25 years of experience with respiratory protection and workplace health & safety.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Bruce Sellery, CEO of Credit Canada Debt Solutions, personal finance author and host of “Moolala” radio show and podcast

Canadians have been experiencing sticker shock with the rising price of all sorts of goods, including groceries and gas. Inflation has hit a 30-year high and while it’s been caused by the pandemic, it’s only going to make it harder for everybody to recover and maintain their quality of life. As people prepare for interest rates to rise, it often feels like there is nothing we can do about inflation, but there are ways we can all attempt to mitigate it.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Dr. Nathan Lachowsky, an associate professor from the University of Victoria

The ban that restricts gay, bisexual and some trans men from donating blood might soon officially end in Canada. Last December, Canadian Blood Services applied to Health Canada to scrap the current screening method — called outdated and discriminatory, by many — in favour of new screening criteria based on sexual history and behaviour. Dr. Nathan Lachowsky, an associate professor from the School of Public Health & Social Policy at the University of Victoria, joins “This Matters” to explain the ban’s origins, where we stand now and how proposed changes will ultimately benefit the health system.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Guests: Jacob Lorinc, business reporter at the Star, and Peter Ramsay, a long-time restaurant worker who changed careers

As restaurants prepare to reopen after another pause on indoor dining, many will also have to contend with hiring and training new staff after more than 200,000 workers have left the service industry during this pandemic. With several sudden lockdowns and pandemic financial hardships, many workers explored new skills and moved to other industries. This could make recovery even tougher for restaurants but could also have greater economic implications as industries search for workers to fill the gaps.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter at the Star

It's not uncommon to see horses and uniformed officers patrolling Toronto's downtown streets. The mounted unit is a long-standing tradition in this and other North American cities. Once again in 2022, city services are feeling squeezed as city hall debates another pandemic budget and critics are left wondering what purpose horses have in a modern police force? Wendy Gillis, The Star's expert in crime and policing, joins guest host Jennifer Pagliaro to discuss.

Guest: Julian Savulescu, professor and director of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has overwhelmed hospitals around the world. Some are making bold moves when it comes to the unvaccinated, such as in Quebec where Premier François Legault announced taxes may be imposed on the unvaccinated. France and Italy already have vaccine mandates. Austria is set to enact a policy of heavy fines on any adults that haven't gotten their jabs. All of these policies are raising questions about whether coercive measures work and what kind of ethical territory we would be entering if this becomes the norm.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Olivia Bowden, staff reporter for the Star

Peel Region is behind the provincial average in vaccinating children age five to 11 and community health professionals say it will take a strong outreach effort to address and increase trust. As of last week, close to 40 per cent of Peel children have received at least one dose. One part of the region has a vaccination rate as low as 21.6 per cent. This is compared to about 47 per cent of the Ontario population in the same age range. The figures are all the more concerning as schools reopen and the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to drive case counts, hospitalizations and ICU admissions.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Matthew Hearn.

Guest:Howard Bryant, senior writer at ESPN and Meadowlark Media

While the vast majority of athletes in most sports are vaccinated, there are high profile stars that choose not to and seem to be pressuring for accommodation. Tennis player Novak Djokovic’s recent fight to play at the Australian Open pitted him against politicians and public pressure as well as border agents. NFL star Aaron Rodgers and the NBA’s Kyrie Irving are also elite athletes who have been in the spotlight for their stances. In Irving’s case, at first he was sent away from his team, the Brooklyn Nets, but as they have struggled on the court, he’s been welcomed back on a part-time basis. We may still be in a global health crisis, but many sports leagues are tired of the pandemic and seem to be willing to play whatever terms are necessary to move past it.
This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.

Guest: Steve McKinley, reporter in the Star's Halifax Bureau

In a world where people are celebrated for what they do on screens, it makes sense that medical personnel were celebrated early on in the pandemic. With daily press conferences, some people like Dr. Bonnie Henry in British Columbia, Dr. Deena Hinshaw in Alberta or Dr. Horacio Arruda in Quebec got a lot of screen time and were recognized for their calm demeanours and knowledge about how best to deal with the pandemic. But as time has gone on, the messaging has changed. Canada's "celebrity" doctors are learning that fame can cut both ways with some having to take measures to ensure their personal safety

Guest: Edward Keenan, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief

As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads rapidly and infects people, stark contrasts in approach by Canada and the U.S have become evident. Most Canadians have cancelled plans, huddled into lockdowns and braced for public health restrictions. Meanwhile across the border, America is open for business even as the country shattered a global record with more than 1.35 million COVID-19 cases in a single day.

Guest: Saunia Ahmad, clinical psychologist and director of the Toronto Psychology Clinic

The surge in depression and other mental health issues in the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic has been well-documented by health care professionals. It is OK to not be OK. Mental health experts say it is normal to be feeling increased levels of anxiety and stress as government restrictions, public health measures and the cost of COVID linger far longer than any of us expected. So, in the midst of the current unpredictability of our lives and the futility of any plans, is there a way to get through this, build up our coping mechanisms and try to practise self-care? Saunia Ahmad, a clinical health psychologist and director of the Toronto Psychology Clinic, joins "This Matters" to help upgrade our mental health tool box.

If you need help, or just someone to talk to: Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

Guest: Wendy Long, founder of Afghan-Canadian Interpreters

When Canadian forces were deployed in Afghanistan, they relied on local Afghans to help them navigate a dangerous conflict zone, the unfamiliarity of geography, language and culture. But since last year, after the U.S.-led NATO withdrawal and Taliban occupation of Afghanistan, those who risked their lives to help the coalition forces — including Canadians — are at risk of facing violent retribution. So far, less than a 10th of the 40,000 Afghans the government pledged to bring in to Canada have arrived. Wendy Long is the founder of Afghan-Canadian Interpreters, an organization that helps Afghans escape and settle in Canada. She joins “This Matters” to explain further.

Guest: Kris Rushowy, Queen's Park Reporter at the Star

With the Omicron variant raging throughout the province, the government has decided to hold firm and reopen schools on Jan. 17. The decision has split many parents. Some are happy schools are going to reopen quickly, while others are concerned they may not be safe. The government says it is taking measures to ensure safety for kids, but outbreaks and staff shortages are likely with the Omicron variant's increased transmissibility. Are open schools better than the homebound alternative? That's the question every parent of school age children in the province is wrestling with.

Guest: Birgit Umaigba, an ICU/ER nurse based in Toronto

The ongoing wave of the Omicron variant is straining Ontario’s hospitals to a breaking point. At least two hospitals in the GTA do not enough nurses to take care of sick patients and recently declared a Code Orange, a rare move that means hard choices for health care workers about who gets care and who does not. The nursing shortage has been inching its way into hospitals across Canada for years, and now COVID-19-related burnout and nurses walking off the job are adding to it. Toronto-based ICU nurse Birgit Umaigba joins “This Matters” to give us a glimpse of the challenges inside the profession.

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative reporter for the Star

A joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the Investigative Journalism Bureau has done an analysis of key mental health indicators for First Nations youth, including antidepressant prescriptions, suicide attempts, self-reported disorders and access to support, revealing a strained system of care failing to meet the needs of desperate young people. As Indigenous youth in Canada suffer from some of the highest rates of suicide in the world, culturally relevant counselling and community healing practises are few and hard to access. Star reporter Robert Cribb headed the Toronto Star series Generation Distress and joins “This Matters” to explain how mental health support tailored to Indigenous culture remains out of reach for youth in crisis and how the system is failing them.

Guest: Ed Keenan, The Star's Washington Bureau Chief

It has been one year since the insurrection of the U.S. Capitol building by rioters who felt the 2020 election was stolen from former president Donald Trump. Despite the attack failing, the event cast a long shadow over the American political system, as many Republicans continue to push what some call "The Big Lie." As U.S. President Joe Biden gets ready to tackle his voting rights agenda, many experts feel the spirit of U.S. democracy could be at stake.

Guest: Ed Tubb, assignment editor focused on COVID-19 data

The recent surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has broken the province's testing regime, rendered contact tracing useless and made an already high case count almost impossible to calculate. With warnings about our health care system in danger of being overwhelmed, there is still a lot we can learn by paying attention to the data. The focus needs to be on things like hospitalizations or people in the ICUs to get an accurate picture of how this highly transmissible variant is affecting Ontario.

Guest: Christine Sismondo, author of “America Walks Into a Bar” and the upcoming “Cocktails: A Still Life”

Happy New Year! By now, hopefully your hangover from new year celebrations are long gone and you are focusing on the year ahead. One thing that many people do after holiday season is decide to cut alcohol intake for the month of January as a way to reset and refresh. While some people do Sober October, more mark Dry January to abstain from alcohol. How did it get that way? Is a zero-tolerance policy the best way to go? We get some history, tips and advice from someone who’s been thinking about consumption for a long time.

We are taking a short break over the holidays and are rebroadcasting some memorable discussions. This episode was originally published February 19, 2021.

In 2008, Canadian journalist Mellissa Fung was abducted while on assignment in Afghanistan. She survived 28 days of torture and captivity inside a hole in the ground. In her new documentary “Captive,” she makes the rare and difficult move to use the lens of her trauma to revisit the story of the Nigerian school girls who were kidnapped and brutalized by Boko Haram militants. Fung speaks to “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz about the survivors, their struggle to move on and the strange complexity of shared trauma.

Correction – The audio has been updated to reflect that Mellissa Fung was kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2008, not five years ago as stated in the original version of this podcast.

We are taking a short break over the holidays and are rebroadcasting some memorable discussions. This episode was originally published July 30, 2021.

GUEST: Professor Jean-Nicolas Reyt, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at McGill University

A recent study in Iceland involving thousands of workers has brought back the buzz around a shorter four-day work week. As the pandemic has accelerated the movement to work smarter and not longer, we explore the tantalizing possibilities — and potential problems — with a four-day work week in North America.

We are taking a short break over the holidays and are rebroadcasting some memorable discussions. This episode was originally published January 12, 2021.

The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team are ranked as one of the top teams in the world, but were passed over for the upcoming World Games likely in part due to their fight for sovereignty. This slight inspired an act of sportsmanship that has helped bring two nations closer together. Rex Lyons is a former player and board member of the Iroquois Nationals, and he joins “This Matters” to explain this remarkable sports story.

We are taking a short break over the holidays and are rebroadcasting some memorable discussions. This episode was originally published February 9, 2021.

The pandemic has shrunk people’s lives. We’ve been limited to seeing the people in our homes, some family and maybe close friends. What happens when lose contact with acquaintances and serendipitous interactions in the world? The loss of this engagement and relationships can have a detrimental effect on our lives. Amanda Mull, staff writer for “The Atlantic,” wrote an article about this and joins “This Matters” to discuss.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Rosa Saba, business reporter for the Star

Ontario, unlike elsewhere in Canada, has had a much lower minimum wage for liquor servers leading to a culture of tipping, not just for great service but to help balance the wage disparity. Now, starting in 2022, front-of-house workers in hospitality will see a $2.45 hourly pay increase to align closer to the minimum wage. But Ontario’s minimum wage is still far from the $20 per hour living wage needed, according to the Living Wage Network. So, should we keep tipping? What will happen to our “culture” to tip? Business reporter Rosa Saba has some tips for “This Matters” listeners.

Guest: Patty Winsa, data reporter for the Star

We have all seen the huge price that front-line workers have paid during COVID-19. Nurses have been at the forefront of this battle in clinics, hospitals and long-term care homes. Nearly two years into the pandemic, nurses are now leaving the profession in worrying numbers. While COVID-19 has added to burnout and pushed nurses off the job, the shortage has actually been inching its way into hospitals across Ontario and Canada for years. Data reporter Patty Winsa explains how bad the current nursing shortage is and why it is happening.

Guest: Dr. Gaibrie Stephen, ER physician and member of the Decent Work and Health Network (DWHN)

We all remember the haunting posts on social media — doctors across the province sharing stories of their patients who caught COVID-19 at work and fell seriously ill, or spread it to their families. As a result, the Ontario government implemented a temporary three-day paid sick leave program that’s now being extended till the summer of 2022. Nurses, doctors and health care providers say it’s not enough. An emergency room physician from Peel region joins “This Matters” to make the case for paid sick days and talk about how doctors ended up fighting on two front lines — the virus and the system that exposes the most vulnerable to the worst of it.

Guest: Nicole O’Reilly, courts and crime reporter for The Hamilton Spectator

It was a story that has become infamous within the cryptocurrency community. In early 2020, an early bitcoin investor reportedly had $46 million worth of the cryptocurrency stolen through a phone hacking attempt. After reporting it to the authorities, an international investigation led police to Hamilton, Ont., where an arrest was made and $7 million in bitcoin recovered but plenty of questions remained unanswered. Now, the suspect — a teen who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act — is starting his journey through the criminal justice system.

Guest: Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter at the Star, and author of The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman

It has been four years since the bodies of Barry and Honey Sherman were found murdered in their Toronto home. Despite the fact the that couple were very wealthy and high profile, there have been few updates from the police and no arrests made in this crime. Recently, the Toronto Police gave an update on the case, and released a short video with information about someone they believe to be a suspect. Kevin Donovan has been reporting on this case since it happened, and as some official documents have shown, his work has helped push the official investigation. He joins This Matters to to discuss the latest developments.

Guest: Carine Abouseif, features editor at The Walrus

Editor's note: This episode was recorded in November 2021, before the Omicron variant made in-person meeting a much higher risk. There are at this time no lockdowns but please note this conversation took place before case counts were rising exponentially.

COVID-19 has brought a massive shift in the way we interact with our health care system. Since the lockdowns began, health care professionals and governments scrambled to create a telehealth system to minimize face-to-face interactions and avoid undue risk. In 2018, only 8 per cent of patients reported having had a virtual visit with their health care provider, according to the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). Now that number has shot up, but the rise of virtual care has also raised important questions about health care in this country, what exactly a doctor is paid to do, what quality care looks like and how do we help those who have the least access to it. Journalist Carine Abouseif explored all of this in an article for The Walrus and she joins "This Matters" to talk about the past, present and future of virtual health care in Canada.

Guest: Rosa Saba, business reporter for the Star

If you've been feeling price sticker shock at the checkout counter lately, you're not alone. Canada is bracing for what experts are calling a "perfect storm" as inflation hits the food aisles and prices skyrocket. The latest Food Price Report, released from Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab says Canadians should expect to see the biggest annual increase in food bills on record as the world reels from COVID-19, supply chain issues and climate change. Business reporter Rosa Saba explains what we should expect in the next year and shares some tips for grocery shopping on a budget.

Guests: May Warren and Lex Harvey, reporters at The Star

Hark! The Omicron variant threatens to put a damper on holiday plans as many people are trying to balance seeing their loved ones with a now what seems to be a more transmissible variant of COVID-19 spreading rapidly. With that in mind, The Star reached out to dozens of health care professionals to ask how they feel about the holidays and how they plan to spend them. They shared ideas of how to mitigate spread and talked about precautions people should take in this season.

Guest: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, work and wealth reporter for the Star

A recent Star investigation has revealed a tangled thread of wage theft, threats and intimidation, all a systemic pattern of abuse within Canada's long-haul trucking industry. Now, truck drivers from Brampton, Ont. are mobilizing and fighting back through a public campaign, as the trucking companies facing allegations have denied any wrongdoing. Work and wealth reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh joins "This Matters" to talk about her investigation and what the stakes are in this mounting crisis.

Guest: Josh Rubin, business reporter at The Star

Is it time to say a final "cheers" to The Beer Store? The provincial government wants to change alcohol sales in Ontario are and has already loosened some things during the pandemic. The Beer Store is losing money with a continually dropping market share as beer retails in more outlets outside their stores. The contract between the province and The Beer Store's owners is up in 2025, and with that deadline looming and little news of negotiations, the retail outlet's murky future is as clear as a dark stout.

Guest: Kerry Gillespie, sports reporter for the Star

Are Olympians born or are they created? While Canada has a big athletic talent pool to choose from, there are athletes flying under the radar who have world-class abilities but perhaps not the sport to match them. The RBC Training Centre is aiming to find “diamonds in the rough” of Canadian athletes, putting them through tests and trials of their athletic prowess to see if one day they could become Olympians for Team Canada. It’s not just a far-fetched dream. It’s already led to gold medallists. Today on “This Matters,” we take you inside the lab and talk about the state of amateur sports in Canada.

Guest: Jake Roach, senior writer, computing at Digitaltrends.com

If you've tried to buy a hot ticket item online like a new video game console, PC graphics cards or high end sneakers, you know that it is a race against the bots to purchase it. Now, as the holiday season approaches, these programs are spreading to other highly sought after items like toys, prompting members of U.S. Congress to table the Stopping Grinch Bots Act. Building on legislation that first targeted concert tickets which have long been scooped up by scalper's bots, there are plenty of questions about enforcement, jurisdictions and whether it will have any effect at all.

Guests: Natasha Shakespeare, mother of a 13-year-old girl facing bullying and harassment at school, and Shree Paradkar, The Star's race and gender columnist

Warning: Graphic content outlining anti-Black racism and antisemitic abuse.

There has been an explosion of anti-Black racism in schools across Ontario, often intersecting with other forms of hate, including antisemitism. Black parents are now reaching out to advocacy groups, media and legal experts in a desperate bid for the safety of their children in their own schools. In today's episode, mother Natasha Shakespeare shares the harrowing story of how her 13-year-old daughter was targeted by anti-Black violence at not one but two schools in Ontario. Later on, Star journalist Shree Paradkar explains why these incidents are happening so frequently and what, if anything, is being done to stop them.

Guest: Danica Samuel, reporter for the Toronto Star

With hundreds of ethnicities, cultures and unique neighbourhoods, one of the great points of pride for Toronto is its diversity. The City of Toronto wants to define what exactly this is through a "cultural districts" program that would identify different cultural enclaves as being worthy of being preserved. Who gets to decide what should be preserved? Would a "cultural district" designation make these places more secure or is it more red-tape? We parse through what this program is to ultimately answer: who gets to decide what stays and what goes in an ever-changing city.

Guest: Kevin Donovan, The Star's chief investigative reporter

With films like "Gone in 60 Seconds" to "The Fast and The Furious," the world of car theft has been portrayed as a glamorous life full of high stakes and rollicking action. In fact, the modern car thief has high tech tools and they usually work in groups. Cars stolen in the middle of the night and are often on their way to being shipped out of the country before you even wake up. That's what happened to journalist Kevin Donovan's car, and despite what the authorities said and long odds, it was actually recovered. From there he dove into finding out how the world of auto theft works.

Guest: Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, infectious diseases physician at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga

News and serious worry over the Omicron variant of COVID-19 spread almost as quickly as the virus itself. The World Health Organization says the newest, potentially more contagious variant poses a “very high” global risk. The UK’s Health and Security Agency calls it “the most worrying we’ve ever seen.” In the span of a week and a half, the Omicron variant has been detected in more than a dozen countries around the world. But what do we really know about Omicron? What makes it more transmissible? Given what we know about how COVID works, how worried should we be? Today on “This Matters,” we go to the basics with an infectious diseases doctor to explain why scientists believe the variant is more transmissible, talk through what we know and perhaps more crucially, what we’re still waiting to find out.

Guest: Alex Boyd, Calgary-based reporter for the Toronto Star

The latest Omicron variant has starkly reminded the world about what global health advocates have been shouting about for more than a year – if vaccines aren't shared, the virus and its variants will spread. Canada has followed dozens of other countries in announcing more travel bans on African countries, and many in South Africa are feeling like they're being punished for alerting the world about Omicron. And just as it came made its presence known in the pandemic, Star reporter Alex Boyd was travelling across Africa to report on exactly these issues. She made it back to Canada from South Africa right under the wire, just hours ahead of the travel ban. She joins "This Matters" to talk about Canada's initial quarantine confusion and how vaccine inequality in the Global South is connected to what's unfolding now.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace, investigative reporter for the Star

The start of the school year in Canada was in effect a real-time experiment of how COVID-19 could spread among a mostly unvaccinated population. Despite vaccine mandates among school staff, mask use, physical distancing and ventilation, the vast majority of elementary school-age children are unvaccinated with their vaccine rollout only now in its initial stages. COVID outbreaks have surged in Ontario schools since November leaving the question about what we can do to slow the spread before the holidays.

Guest: Andrew Young, founder and director of Vaccine Hunters Canada

For more than a million Canadians, volunteers for Vaccine Hunters Canada have been heroes and messengers of hope in the difficulties of the pandemic. After the initial rollout of vaccines in spring 2021 were plagued by shipment delays, miscommunication, massive lines that stretched for hours that were no guarantee you'd get a shot, Vaccine Hunters Canada stepped in. The grassroots, citizen-led volunteer team sourced information on where to get the vaccine, confirmed the eligibility requirements and then shared that information across social media channels in a clear and accessible way. After a brief hiatus in the late summer, they're back to connect Canadians to children's vaccines as talk about third-dose boosters over the winter heats up. We talk to the founder of Vaccine Hunters on the community of helpers that have helped transform the pandemic.

Guest: Brandi Morin, French/Cree/Iroquois human rights journalist who lives in Treaty 6 territory

Last Friday, RCMP arrested award-winning journalist Amber Bracken and documentary maker Michael Toledano, as well as 15 others, as part of a raid on one of the camps set up to keep TransCanada Energy's Coastal GasLink gas pipeline out of Indigenous territory. Many say the multibillion-dollar gas project — one of the largest private sector investments in Canada — violates both Indigenous and international laws. The consequent standoff in the territory of the Wet'suwet'en is raising serious questions about the role of the RCMP when it comes to Indigenous communities, and what the current situation means for press freedom and access to information on this issue.

Guest: Emma Westecott, associate professor of game design at OCAD University and co-director of the Game: Play Lab

The Metaverse is coming. Long thought to be one of the next great leaps in shared digital spaces, the idea of the Metaverse recently got a boost from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg when he announced the company is investing $10 billion and rebranding its own platform with the name Meta. But Facebook is not alone. There are already game worlds and platforms like Fortnite and Roblox that are building elements of it. There is a long way to go before we get to something that’s been depicted in movies like “The Matrix” and “Ready Player One.” But as development really gets underway, now is the time to be asking what do we want the Metaverse to look like and how to make it beneficial for everyone?

Guests: Canadian astronaut Dr. Dave Williams and Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporter

What if the answers and solutions of the pandemic are found in the stars? The two industries of space and medicine are more closely aligned than we may think, as many of the technologies we use today were first tested in the rigours of space. Can space exploration and research help us find our way through this pandemic and prevent the next one? We talk to one of Canada’s most decorated and experienced astronauts, Dave Williams, to learn the future of medical care is already being pushed to the limits in space.

Guest: May Warren, reporter for the Toronto Star

With winter months bringing in an uptick in COVID-19 cases and a relatively static vaccination rate, Canada's top health officers are urging people to double down on masking because masks are the last line of defence against the virus. With a major shift (again!) in the conversation and culture around masking and new data available, reporter May Warren joins "This Matters" for a little bit of a refresher on masks, how we should wear them and why we're still talking about them. See Health Canada's latest guidelines and policies on masks here.

Guest: Megan Ogilvie is a health reporter at the Star

Parents of children aged 5 to 11 can now book their children for their first dose of vaccines across Canada. It’s been a long wait for this cohort, which is the largest unvaccinated group in Canada. Most parents — who have had to live through plenty of invasive COVID tests at the first sign of symptom — now have an option to get their kids more protection against this disease. But will it be another mad rush to book online, only to come up empty? Or will things be better this time around? Also, for many parents, getting the shot booked is just the first hurdle, now you’ve got to deal with a youngster who has to face a needle. This episodes provide some initial observations on the booking process and some helpful tips and advice.

Guest: Adrienne Appell, toy trends expert and senior vice-president of marketing communications of The Toy Association

While many industries were devastated by the pandemic, the toy industry enjoyed record breaking sales. One of the most interesting trends to come out of the past two years is that growth shows adults are buying toys for themselves, which the industry has dubbed the “kidult” category. From expensive Lego sets to collectibles for fans of all kinds, there are now toys for people of all ages and also in every price range. This trend is being fuelled by many factors including social media, people trying to recapture their youth and the emphasis on self care and wellness.

**Guest:** Edward Keenan, Washington Bureau Chief for the Star

It’s been five years since the last trilateral summit between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. on trade, co-operation and diplomatic relations. Now this week, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the first North American leader summit since 2016. It was nicknamed the ‘Three Amigos’ summit. It’s being seen as a potential new phase in Canada-U.S. relations following the strained ties of the Trump era, but with Biden struggling with plummeting approval ratings and domestic priorities, many wonder if he is listening to the concerns of allies. The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan recaps the highlights of the summit and the impact on the Canada-U.S. relationship.

**Guest**: Kieran Leavitt, Toronto Star politics reporter

For decades, adding fluoride to the water supply of many Canadians towns and cities has been standard public health protocol. Fluoridation has proven to slow tooth decay, and the practice has widespread support among doctors and dentists, including the World Health Organization, Health Canada and the Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry. But there remains a vocal opposition against fluoride in Canada’s water supply, borne out of distrust of government and science. The City of Calgary has recently voted on whether to restore fluoride in their tap water, the latest in a long, fraught history over the chemical compound. Alberta-based journalist Kieran Leavitt joins “This Matters” to chat about how a widely-supported public health measure has become a battleground of politics.

Guest: Dr. Naheed Dosani, Toronto-based palliative care physician and health justice activist

Even as health care workers were being hailed by many as heroes for facing the deadly COVID-19 pandemic on the front line, many were also targets of online hate, racism and xenophobia. The digital harassment has seeped into real-life with anti-vaccination protests outside hospitals where there have been reports of violence and abuse. Dr. Naheed Dosani joins “This Matters” to talk about the nightmare that has been the last 18 months and what needs to happen next to protect them.

Guest: Ruke Okome, program manager of the after-school program Free Play for Kids

Alphonso Davies, Canadian soccer superstar, has become a world-renowned name with highlight reel goals, pride in his country and awards-laden recognition of his sporting excellence. He will soon return home to Edmonton as Canada faces a crucial match in its qualification for the World Cup where Free Play for Kids, the after-school program that Davies attended, continues to give a safe space for marginalized and often racialized kids. Free Play for Kids may have Davies as an alumni but its impact stretches to the next generation with aims of empowering future leaders in the community. Today on "This Matters," we go inside the program to learn how the lessons being taught are more than sports.

Guest: Liam Casey, Canadian Press reporter

Ontario is the only province that has legislation that bans pit bulls. Since it’s enactment over 15 years ago, dog lovers have had issues with the ban, from the determination of dogs, the enforcement and seizure of animals, the lack of personal responsibility of owners and little to no recourse for owners of dogs who haven’t done anything wrong, but fit the description of the breed. In recent weeks, there was a groundswell of support after a dog name Dwaeji was taken from his family in Vaughan. With a lot of public and political pressure, many thought change might be on the horizon, but after the dog in question was released, he bit a 13-year-old boy, once again, raising the issues that got these type of dogs banned in the first place.

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star

In the middle of societal and racial reckonings, many Canadians are asking questions about their shared histories, education and how reliable the stories of our past are. Are they written by the people and communities they’re reflecting or is it colonial history? Some of Canada’s biggest museums are now are taking a hard look at their exhibits and storytelling, especially when it comes to Indigenous history, which has often be treated as separate from Canada’s past rather than a central part of it. The work of “decolonizing” the spaces where we share our stories has begun but what does that actually look like?

Guest: Corey Mintz, freelance food reporter and the author of the upcoming book “The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After”

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that in a lot of cases what was once normal couldn’t sustain a lot of people. Among many things, the pandemic highlighted longstanding issues within the restaurant industry, such as low pay, worker protections, burnout and delivery apps eating into profit margins. The impact on restaurants closing and reopening through lockdowns, and not having every table filled, was also visibly apparent. Toronto Star food reporter Karon Liu guest hosts “This Matters” to speak with Corey Mintz, former Star restaurant critic and author of the new book “The Next Supper, The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After,” about these issues and what diners can do about it.

Guest: Robert Benzie, The Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief

It seems like the Progressive Conservatives believe the road to next year’s election will be paved with new highways. Recently, Premier Doug Ford announced the province would fund the Bradford Bypass, a new 16 km road that would connect Highways 400 and 404. As well, the Ontario government has proposed plans to build Highway 413, a new 60 km freeway that would connect Milton to Vaughan, despite opposition from the municipalities that it would affect. There are a lot of questions about the specifics of these new roads, but also about some of the motivations behind them. Is this the kind of wedge issue that the PCs hope will propel them to re-election? Or is this a road to nowhere?

Guest: Monte McNaughton, Ontario Labour Minister

The last two years of this pandemic hit everyone differently. It is undeniable that its impacts were not equitable and those with precarious jobs — including frontline essential workers — paid the most disproportionate price. Now the government that was previously criticized for favouring businesses over workers seems to be trying to make amends. Last week, the province announced the minimum wage would be raised to $15 an hour starting January 2022. Ontario has also proposed an omnibus bill that includes a number of labour-friendly policies like more rights for temporary and migrant workers, and a new right to disconnect. But many note that the minimum wage is not a living wage, and others ask if these new changes might be a case of too little too late just around the corner from a provincial election. Ontario's Labour Minister Monte McNaughton joins "This Matters" to answer questions and clear confusion around the proposed new labour legislation.

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, City Hall reporter for the Star

It’s been three years since cannabis was legalized in Canada, and you can see the results on many streets around the GTA. In Ontario, there are now just over 1,000 cannabis stores. Toronto has over 300 alone, with another 200 in the process of getting approval. The issue is that many of them are in neighbourhoods and often right next each other, creating clusters that are in direct competition with each other. With little or no regulations about distancing between stores, and several structural issues within the province’s regulations for cannabis sales, the really big question is whether all these stores can survive or if the weed boom will go up in smoke.

Guest: Deborah Dundas, Star Books Editor

Canada’s prestigious literary award, the Scotiabank Giller Prize recently announced its shortlist — which is not short on diverse Canadian literature — and we’ll have a winner on Monday in an actual in-person award ceremony after nearly two years of this pandemic. The Toronto Star’s Books Editor Deborah Dundas is on “This Matters” for a breakdown of the Giller Prize 2021, the nominees and potential winners and recommends some of Canada’s best, buzzworthy book titles to add to your holiday reading list

Guests: Peter Edwards is a reporter covering crime at the Star. Luis Najera is a journalist who covers crime, and is in exile from Mexico. They are the co-authors of The Wolfpack: The Millennial Mobsters Who Brought Chaos and the Cartels to the Canadian Underworld.

When many of us think of organized crimes, the images that endure are those of mafia movies from the 70s, or shows like The Sopranos. In their new book, The Wolfpack: The Millennial Mobsters Who Brought Chaos and the Cartels to the Canadian Underworld, author’s Edwards and Najera paint a picture of diverse, digitally savvy criminals who hook up with the Mexican cartels and help them build their beachhead into Canada. Filling in the backstory behind many crimes in Canada over the past two decades, it’s a fascinating look at how criminal organizations work now.

Guest: Heather Scoffield, Toronto Star’s Ottawa bureau chief and economics columnist

COP26, the United Nations-led summit on climate change is underway in Glasgow, where world leaders and their delegates are meeting for a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change. Despite the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, many of the world’s biggest emitters have not backed up promises with concrete policies. Climate activist Greta Thunberg has accused leaders of empty words and “blah, blah, blah” when it comes to taking the threat seriously. The world is heading to a 2.7 degree Celsius increase by 2050, according to the UN’s latest report on climate change. Are countries around the world treating climate change with enough urgency? Will COP26 be a turning point or a final missed opportunity to stop the climate crisis?

Guest: Nadine Yousif, reporter covering mental health issues, the Star

New data shows that the number of teachers taking sick leave during the pandemic has doubled over the past two years of the pandemic. Researchers at Brock University have done early research that shows teachers are dealing with higher levels of stress and burnout, in large part due to the disruptions to the education system brought on by COVID-19. From the demands of remote, virtual and hybrid schooling, to the ever-present threat of students and teachers catching COVID-19 in a classroom setting, it is has been an extraordinarily unsettling time for many educators, which also has an effect on the students and the system as whole.

Guest: Liam Casey, reporter at The Canadian Press

Trying to tackle the issue of homelessness is a difficult one, as there is no one singular fix. But one issue for many people living on the streets is that they dislike the shelter system, which in many communities is seen as the only real solution. During the pandemic, the feeling of unease best showed itself as many people experiencing homeless set up tents in public parks throughout the province. In Kitchener, a radical new idea called A Better Tent City was undertaken by citizens in that community. Using sheds and creating a communal space, this homeless encampment has been embraced by officials in the community and is being accepted by those that are seeking help. It’s certainly not perfect, but it is a new approach that already has other communities asking about a closer look.

Guest: Tess Kalinowski, real estate reporter for the Star

Toronto’s hotel industry has been one of the hardest hit in the COVID-19 pandemic. With the start of the first lockdown, hotel rooms emptied as dozens of hotels were closed completely. Thousands of workers were badly impacted by the loss of jobs and working hours. Many just never came back.

As more people are vaccinated and travel restrictions get lifted, hotels are slowly coming back to life. But experts say there’s still a long, difficult road to recovery for a city that was at its peak of marketing itself as a global destination before the pandemic. On “This Matters” today, we take a look at what it will take for Toronto’s hotel and tourism industry to bounce back, nearly two years after the first lockdown all while reeling with financial losses and a severe staff shortage.

Guests: Shawn Micallef, columnist, and Gilbert Ngabo, reporter

Toronto is one of the major Canadian cities where collisions with pedestrians are at a dangerous high. More than a hundred pedestrians were killed on Toronto roads between 2018 and 2020. Among those, 69 per cent were age 55 years or older, according to the Toronto Police Service. It’s been nearly five years since the launch of Toronto’s $123-million Vision Zero plan with aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. The city hasn’t come close to that target even with an unprecedented decline in car use last year. There have been 46 casualties in 2021, and the year hasn’t ended yet. October has been particularly deadly with a string of traffic deaths that included a 17-year-old girl and a much-loved couple.

Today on “This Matters,” columnist Shawn Micallef and reporter Gilbert Ngabo talk about why Torontonians are dying on the streets of their city, and what needs to happen for the roads to be safe, accessible and equitable for everyone.

**Guest:** Omar Mosleh, Toronto Star reporter

The medical community is only beginning to understand long COVID, the debilitating and often mysterious symptoms so-called “long hauler” patients face that can last for months after they’ve fought the virus. Even less is known about long COVID in children, flipping the misconception that the worst of the illness only impacts adults and seniors. To date, only people 12 years of age and older have been approved by Health Canada to receive a COVID vaccine in Canada. The children and families affected with long-haul symptoms are speaking out about how their lives have been turned upside down, and now the questions and calculations they’re making with an approved COVID vaccine for children in the works.

Guests: Dr. Louis Kwantes, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and Jory Bocknek, veterinarian

The phenomenon of the pandemic pet boom is real. According to an Abacus Data research poll, more than 900,000 Canadians got a pet who didn't have one before. Animal shelters and rescue organizations have seen a dramatic rise in requests from hopeful pet owners. But all those new pets have led to an unprecedented demand in veterinary care, which was already stretched to its limits pre-pandemic. If there's an emergency for your four-legged family member, can you get them medical care? Veterinarians and medical associations say the situation is reaching a breaking point with the ever-growing number of pets in Canada.

Guest: Christine Dobby, Business Reporter at the Star

It has been an extraordinary week at the highest level of power at Rogers Communications, one of Canada's largest telecommunications empires. A battle for control has been underway, pitting Edward Rogers against other family members as he attempted to change the company's CEO and put his hand-picked replacement in his place. While that manoeuvre was thwarted, the power struggle has resulted in Twitter storms from Martha Rogers, Edward's sister, and John Tory, the mayor of Toronto, being called in to attempt to mediate. Now the company seems to find itself with two board of directors, with each claiming legitimacy. On top of all that, exclusive Star reporting confirmed that Edward tried to meddle with the Raptors' leadership this past summer, in a manner that may show some patterns to his corporate activism. With 24,000 employees and the ongoing $26 billion acquisition of former rival, Shaw Communications, there is at lot stake for one of Canada's largest media empires.

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, Toronto Star health reporter

It's well documented and well-known now that pregnant people and their unborn babies are at significantly high-risk due to COVID-19, with many requiring hospitalization and intensive care. Six months ago, COVID's third wave in Ontario saw more pregnant people in ICU's than both the previous waves combined. Now we are seeing similar tragedies play out in Alberta as the province grapples a devastating fourth wave. Babies are being delivered while pregnant patients are on ventilators. This is why there was such the push and prioritization of vaccination for those who are pregnant. There is now global data proving that the vaccines have no risk for pregnant people, in fact it could save lives. Yet, vaccine rates of pregnant people remain low in Ontario and vaccine hesitancy remains high. There are multiple reasons for that and they're important to understand.

Guest: Star journalist Morgan Bocknek and Keanu Uchida, professional dancer

An exclusive Star investigation has found allegations of widespread sexual harassment and predatory behaviour by Break the Floor (a big part of the dance community of North America) coaches over their younger students. Eight former staff and students allege BTF employees, famous in the dance world, initiated sexual conversations, propositioned them for sex, sent them nude photos, sexually harassed them at work or engaged in sexual relationships with them.

Break the Floor CEO Gil Stroming did not respond to specific questions, though told the Star that the dance company did not have “fully thought out policies and procedures regarding this” and, “over the last year and a half we have worked very hard to make BTF a better and safer environment for everyone,” and, “we could have and should have done better.” BTF has undergone training and revised its code of conduct, the company said in a statement. “We are truly heartbroken that anyone has been subject to inappropriate behaviour by any person associated with Break The Floor,” the statement read. “We remain committed to these initiatives and will continue to learn and be better.”

Guests: Star reporters Noor Javed, who covers 905 municipal politics, and Kris Rushowy, Queen’s Park reporter

Earlier this year, the Ontario government controversially used the notwithstanding clause to push through a new election advertising law which, despite being found to be unconstitutional, added new restrictions on third-party advertising to curb large scale, American-style special interest political fundraising in the election process. Now, exclusive Star reporting has found that a sitting minister contacted Elections Ontario and asked it to look into at least three small community groups to see if they were in violation of the new laws. Critics say it could lead a muzzling of political dissent in the province and change the rules for political advocacy.

**Guest:** Rosa Saba, Business Reporter at The Star

With vaccine mandates now being enforced in many establishments, workplace mandates are now proliferating across many businesses as they try to return to normal. This raises questions about employer and workers rights if an employee chooses to remain unvaccinated. It’s something we are seeing play out on large stages, like the NBA, where star player Kyrie Irving has been told to stay away from his team until he decides to get vaccinated. But we are seeing it all across North America, as health care workers and police officers and others choose to remain unvaccinated. In Canada, the question is, can people be fired with cause? Do accommodations need to made? Is the employee eligible for Employment Insurance? These are all questions that need to be worked through and dealt with by all kinds of organizations and their personnel.

**Guest:** Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington Bureau Chief

More than 18 months it closed due to the pandemic, the world’s largest undefended border will reopen in November. The closure has resulted in long delays and frustration, and fraught with clear-as-mud guidance around the air travel and policies around mixed doses and vaccination. As Canadians get ready to cross the land border once again, we sort through the many questions that still remain on how the reopening will work amidst the politics of the pandemic.

Guest: Shawn Micallef, contributing columnist for the Star

This summer, the city of Toronto spent almost $2 million on private security guards and police to forcefully clear encampments in public parks. Despite the obvious need for housing, council has once again delayed a decision on legalizing rooming houses citywide, a debate that's been ongoing for ten years at City Hall. Rooming houses, also called multi-tenant homes, are currently illegal in most of Toronto, yet they are said to be an accessible and affordable living option for students, newcomers, and individuals with low income in a city where the cost of living is among the highest in Canada. Columnist Shawn Micallef joins "This Matters" to explain the significance of rooming houses, renters' rights and why encampment clearing should not have taken place the way it did in the middle of a pandemic and an escalating housing crisis.

**Guest:** David Johnston of the Schulich School of Business at York University

With the holiday season fast approaching, many retailers have been ramping up their efforts to make sure there is enough stock on the shelves for consumers to buy, but experts warn that disruptions in the global supply chain are already resulting in product shortages, delays in delivery and higher prices. There are container ships lined up outside of U.S. ports waiting to off-load their freight, and there aren’t enough docks or truck drivers to move the goods through. While COVID-19 has exposed some of the weak links in our global supply chain infrastructure, many issues were already there and experts are warning it might be some time before things return to normal.

Guest: Nicholas Keung, immigration reporter

The pandemic, travel restrictions and the recent refugee crisis in Afghanistan have created some serious issues within Canada’s immigration system. From refugees, to permanent residency holders trying to make their landing in Canada, to those already living in the country waiting for citizenship, everyone has been in limbo as the backlog piles up. To try and address some of this, the federal government announced a special one-time immigration program in April, as a potential pathway to permanent residency for those already in Canada who might be eligible. To qualify, applicants needed to jump through a lot of hoops and navigate a tricky new system, all within a limited time window for limited slots. For thousands of students and workers, this was their only chance to make a life in Canada. Now those who made it that far are in danger of having their dreams dashed, all potentially because of a computer glitch. The Star’s Immigration Reporter Nicholas Keung joins “This Matters” to explain.

Guest: Alex McKeen, Toronto Star reporter

For much of the pandemic, New Zealand has avoided mass outbreaks, a large number of deaths and high case counts, and in doing so has been heralded by COVID-Zero supporters as the poster-child of the strategy to eliminate the virus. But that’s all come to an end as New Zealand, like a number of other nations, has all but abandoned the official strategy. The goal now is low rates of transmission, rather than total elimination. The COVID-Zero movement has drawn a number of supporters from epidemiologists and public health experts as well its share of criticism from people who compare the approach to the anti-vax movement. Where does the goal of eliminating COVID spread go now? Is it even possible to achieve? Why is the dream of eliminating COVID spread such a controversial one?

COVID-19 showed how under-resourced and ill-equipped many Canadian nursing homes were to cope with a crisis. It also opened up an important conversation on structural and systemic issues within the long-term care industry — and the right of senior citizens to a better quality of living. Ontario has now opened up legislation on this front for the first time in more than ten years. Star investigative reporter Moira Welsh explains what the current state of Ontario’s long-term care is and what those changes could look like.

Guest: Tess Kalinowski, real estate reporter at The Star

The real estate market has been one of the few things that this pandemic has not really disrupted. After an initial lockdown, the Greater Toronto Area market has been soaring to new heights in terms of prices and sales. After 21 months of the pandemic, there is cautious optimism that the market might return closer to normal — at least in terms of a sense timing — but there will remain challenges, mostly exacerbated by a lack of houses for sales.

Guest: Ben Spurr, the Star’s transportation reporter

The pandemic has been near catastrophic for public transit. Ridership dropped for the TTC, costing the transit service millions in fare revenue and the Ontario government more than $140 a ride as the province covered the cost of near-empty GO Transit and UP Express trips. But the worst could still be to come and the fear of the "death spiral" remains a real possibility. Today on "This Matters," we explain the pain and drain of the "transit death spiral" and whether how we move in a city post-pandemic will be led by cars instead of buses and subways.

Guest: Kieran Leavitt, politics reporter for the Star

The fourth wave in western Canada has become a crisis. COVID-19 patients in Alberta are dying at four times the rate of the national average as the province leads Canada in active cases and deaths. After a sharp uptake when vaccines were first available, Saskatchewan’s vaccination rate has stalled and now ranks as the lowest of all provinces. We look at the political decisions in Alberta and Saskatchewan that brought them to this moment and whether they can control the fourth wave.

Guests: Robert Cribb & Marco Chown Oved, investigative reporters at the Star

In what is being called the largest collaborative journalism project in history, hundreds of journalists around the world have released their findings from The Pandora Papers, which detail the financial details of how the ultra-rich move and hide money around the world in tax havens and through other mechanisms. The findings include some well-known world leaders as well as other wealthy and famous people. There were several revelations about prominent Canadians, and by shining a light on these dealings it opens up questions about what can and should be done about it.

NOTE: The following people are discussed in this episode and, when reached for comment, provided these statements.

David Tassillo’s wrote a statement saying the offshore structure the Star “was the first and only I have ever set up on behalf of MindGeek, and the transactions and structure were entirely appropriate.”
Elvis Stojko told Pandora Papers partner the CBC he did this on advice of his longtime lawyer and he was that the trust was closed in 2012.
Lawrence Stroll’s personal financial adviser, Jonathan Dudman, responded to the Star saying Superwit Profits was a “small business” originated by Stroll’s friend Tang in 1998.
The King’s of Jordan’s lawyers, in written correspondence, said there is nothing improper in the king’s ownership of properties through offshore companies and that he has not misused public money or aid.

Guest: Jacob Lorinc, Toronto Star business reporter

Ontario's anti-vaccine movement has expanded. Hundreds of businesses have formed a network to refuse the new vaccine certificate rules, and take a pass on screening for unvaccinated customers. Mayor John Tory says the city has received more than 500 complaints of these violations, but there doesn't seem to be any clarity on implementing Ontario's mandatory vaccine rules. Business reporter Jacob Lorinc joins "This Matters" to explain why hundreds of businesses are going back to business as usual and ponder Ontario will flatten the curve of the fourth wave and end a pandemic if vaccine rules are actually just suggestions for some.

Guest: Erica Ifill, columnist for the Hill Times

Green party leader Annamie Paul's resignation came after a defeat in her own Toronto Centre riding but it was a long time coming. After the party's own internal report leaked earlier this year and revealed the extent of systemic racism within, many said that she was set up to fail and the outcome was built into the system from the onset. A study of Paul's journey as leader of the Green Party of Canada has also been considered by many as a microcosm of misogynoir, and the systemic failures reserved only for the Black and racialized women. Erica Ifill, columnist for the Hill Times, co-host of the "Bad + Bitchy" podcast and founder of equity and inclusion consultancy Not in My Colour, joins "This Matters" to help unpack whether it's "just politics" when a strong, outspoken Black Jewish woman steps away from her platform and potential, or was this a sinister reflection of Canada's real problem with racial double standards.

As Canada reflects on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Star reporter Olivia Bowden wrote a piece titled: How do you teach children about residential schools? Mix history with kindness. Olivia was on the show in August and we are rebroadcasting her episode, as it is as relevant today as it was then.

Guest: Olivia Bowden, Toronto Star reporter

As Canada goes through the painful process of identifying hundreds of Indigenous children’s remains who were buried in unmarked graves outside the sites of former residential schools, conversations have turned to what to do next with the locations, how to commemorate the children lost and how to honour those victimized. For some in Indigenous communities, those discussions have actually been taking place for decades.
Olivia Bowden visited the site of the former Mohawk Institute residential school, now a part of the Woodland Centre under the ownership of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, to listen and try to understand how Canada should move forward in addressing the horrific legacy of the residential school system and honour the Indigenous children that were its victims.

Guest: Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporter covering COVID vaccination

As parents await news on vaccines for younger kids, Pfizer recently announced shots for children aged five to 11 are not far away. While the world awaits for it to be officially approved, there are still questions about efficacy, timelines and rollouts. But with spiking cases among children in the U.S. and other symptoms like “long COVID” showing up in younger people, the clock is ticking to get the largest remaining cohort their jabs too.

Guest: Jacques Gallant, Toronto Star political reporter

Whenever a politician gets into trouble, people look up the steps for recourse but the truth is it's very difficult to remove an elected official from office. Such a mechanism is once again in the spotlight in part due to Kevin Vuong, a controversial politician who recently won a seat as a Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York in Toronto. Amidst growing calls for his resignation, he currently remains adamant he will serve out his term. Will it happen? Options are few and rarely used.

Guests: Joanna Chiu and Jeremy Nuttall, Toronto Star reporters covering Canada-China relations

After nearly three years, Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, have been freed from Chinese detention. With their release coming in lockstep with the resolution of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s legal case, many former diplomats and analysts say the ordeal was clear evidence of ‘hostage diplomacy.’ Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star’s Canada-China politics reporter and author of the book China Unbound, and Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star, join “This Matters” to discuss.

Guest: Rosa Saba, Toronto Star business reporter

A vaccine certificate system is now the rule of law in Ontario. Customers will have to show proof of vaccination in many public spaces and businesses, like indoor dining at restaurants, gyms and sporting events. After months of debates and doubts from the Ontario government, the passports are being touted as a way for businesses to avoid another set of lockdowns in the fourth wave. But there are many questions over the reality of how the vaccine passports work. Why isn't the passport on an smartphone app like Quebec's system? How easy is it for bad actors to forge their certificates? Is it on businesses to enforce the passports at the door? Today on "This Matters," we have your need-to-know guide for how the vaccine passports are working right now.

Guest:Will Oremus, tech journalist for the Washington Post

It has been a very bad few weeks for Facebook, the world’s largest social network, whose platforms also include Instagram and WhatsApp. Through a number of leaked documents, it became public that Facebook has been aware of the negative effects of its platforms on a number of levels. For instance, use of Instagram is said to have a detrimental effect on the mental health of teenage girls. and also it was reported that human traffickers were using the platform to target and recruit. The company’s own research points to problems its platforms exacerbate, and the pattern reveals that the company just moves on without making changes or addressing the known issues. Today on “This Matters,” we discuss why and how that occurs and what can and should be done about it.

Guests: Heather Scoffield and Susan Delacourt, Toronto Star Ottawa bureau

Climate, affordability, housing, child care, the economy, health, race relations, guns, reconciliation: today on “This Matters,” we look forward to what we can expect from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s third mandate. Heather Scoffield, economics columnist, and Susan Delacourt, national columnist, from the Star’s Ottawa bureau join to discuss.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Gerald Butts, former Trudeau campaign strategist and principal secretary, and James Moore, former MP and minister of industry

After calling a $600 million federal election, the results are basically the same — Justin Trudeau will remain Canada’s prime minister with a minority government. To unpack everything that went down Monday, guest host Althia Raj is joined by Gerald Butts, Trudeau’s former principal secretary who is now the now vice chairman of Eurasia Group, and James Moore, former Conservative MP and minister of industry for the Harper government who is now a senior business advisor at Denton’s.

Sources: CTV News, CPAC, CBC, CTV Question Period

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Tonda MacCharles, Toronto Star Ottawa bureau, and Clifton van der Linden, CEO of Vox Pop Labs (makers of The Signal, the Star’s poll aggregator)

Polls suggest opinions are mixed and this could be one nail biter of a federal election. Today, Althia Raj speaks with Tonda MacCharles and Clifton van der Linden, and they take a look at the state of the race as we wait for results to trickle in from the polls.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Lex Harvey, who has been fact checking the party leaders on the campaign trail for The Star

Are Canada’s leaders being honest on the campaign trail? Fact checking leaders has become en vogue over the past decade, in part due to former U.S. President Donald Trumps regular speeches filled with exaggerations, misinformation and false claims. In the pressure cooker of a campaign, fact checking leaders is a good barometer of our democracy, and no matter what you feel about this election, you may surprised at the results of The Star’s audit.

Guest: The Star’s political reporter Raisa Patel

Many say race wasn’t really a top-of-mind election issue until last week’s federal leader’s debates, and the conversation remained at surface-level, without getting into what actually is — or isn’t — on party platforms to tackle systemic racism. So, what exactly are Canada’s electoral candidates saying on how their party will address racism beyond just the reactionary statements and controversies?

Guest: Heather Scoffield, the Star’s Ottawa bureau chief and economic columnist

Affordability is at a crisis level in Canada. From sky-high housing and rental costs, to childcare, to cellphone bills — the cost of living is putting a vice grip on the finances of middle-class and young Canadians. But it’s not a new problem to be tackled in federal elections, rather one that has been at the centre of campaign promises in 2015 and 2019 too. So what’s different this time? How do the party leaders say their fiscal policies will solve housing supply-and-demand issues and fix the financial pressures that Canadians are facing. We look behind the numbers to see whether the promises of party leaders will properly tackle affordability.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Alex Ballingall, Ottawa based politics reporter joins to talk climate change in the election.

As wild fires burn in Western Canada, it seems like a day does not go by without further news about the climate crisis and the worsening shape of the planet, and the real consequences we are already seeing. Many experts are saying that changes need to be made immediately to tackle the problem, and in this election all the parties have released their platforms to how they would do that. We take a look at the plans and discuss how the issue of climate change has been in a factor in the election so far.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Host Althia Raj sits down with the Star’s Heather Scoffield, Richard Warnica an Jeremy Nuttall

After four weeks of campaigning, the federal party leaders head into the home stretch. Polling puts the Liberals and the Conservatives basically neck and neck nationally. But on the ground? What does the contest really look like? Today, we’ll take a deep dive into three battleground ridings. Heather Scoffield is the Star’s Ottawa Bureau chief and economics columnist. Richard Warnica is a business feature writer, who has joined the politics team for the duration of the campaign. And Jeremy Nuttall is a Vancouver-based reporter who covers politics in B.C. for the Star.

Guest: Michelle Shephard, a journalist, author and filmmaker who was the Star’s national security reporter for nearly 20 years

Everyone who is old enough has some kind of memory of where they were and what they were doing on September 11, 2001, when the two towers of the World Trade Centre in New York were brought down by commercial planes hijacked by members of the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives.

9/11 led to two decades of wars, including the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, hundreds of thousands of dead, a complete shift in border and security laws, personal freedoms – and implications for Muslims that continue today. With the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving the same Taliban back in power that the war was meant to topple, many are questioning the last twenty years since 9/11 and what it all meant.

Michelle Shephard, a journalist, author and filmmaker who was the Star’s national security reporter for nearly 20 years joins me as we talk about where we were then, where we went and how we ended up here.

We’re almost towards the end of the second year of the pandemic and, not surprisingly, the data shows that we’re not at the best version of ourselves anymore. A recent Angus Reid poll has revealed surprisingly low rates of empathy among Canadians. Especially when it’s between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. The Star’s mental health reporter Nadine Yousif joins to talk about what this new poll reveals about empathy and sympathy and why our reserves are running out.

Guest: Omar Mosleh, Toronto Star reporter

After more than a year of COVID anxiety, lockdowns, working from home and helping kids with online learning, this is back to school week in the GTA. But as many parents are sharing their children’s day back to school, some are sharing their child’s disappointment in being left out. They say their children with special needs and complicated medical conditions are feeling abandoned after being told they might not be able to return to class because there are not enough nurses to care for them. Star reporter Omar Mosleh joins “This Matters” to explain why many medically fragile children are still not be able to go to school and the real reasons behind Ontario’s current nursing shortage.

Guests: Susan Delacourt, Toronto Star national political columnist and Grant LaFleche, investigative reporter for the Star and St. Catharines Standard

Forget the election issues. The biggest story of Canada’s federal election campaign so far has been the protesters disrupting the rallies of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and the harassment towards other candidates like NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. And now, the disruption has been escalating to aggressive and dangerous behaviour. Over the Labour Day weekend, members of the anti-lockdown, anti-vaccination crowd threw stones at Trudeau after a campaign event. Who are these protesters? How did Canadian politics get this toxic and dangerous? What kind of Canada will we have after Sept. 20, 2021? We report from the campaign trail and inside the network of raging protesters.

This is a rebroadcast of an episode first aired on December 2, 2020.

Social media harassment is about more than words. It is violence and it is dangerous. We’ve witnessed a lot of ugliness during these polarizing and pandemic times, and a lot of it has been directed at women, particularly women of colour. As cyber misogyny has increased steadily, so have challenges to the notion that women’s online harassment is a matter of specific and particular concern. But in fact, ramifications impact everyone and the facts are black and white. Women are harassed more than men and the violence carries discriminatory harm that becomes rooted in our history.

Shree Paradkar, The Star’s race and gender columnist, joins “This Matters” to discuss.

Guests: Jennifer Yang and Megan Ogilvie, Toronto Star health reporters

Back to school is almost here, kicking off the return of morning COVID screening for parents with their kids. With more data now available, the province has recently made some changes for that screening. In particular, runny noses have been removed from the screening guide — a relief for many as the first signs of sniffles previously caused parents to scramble and filled up testing centres. This year will see more take home tests, HEPA filters in classrooms and ventilation upgrades. Will these changes stop the rising case counts being brought on by the more transmissible Delta variant or are schools headed for another shutdown?

Guest: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park reporter at The Star

After months of debate, Ontario has revealed details of its vaccine passport program. Called late and inconsistent by critics, Premier Doug Ford admitted he was reluctant to bring in such a program due to fears of a “split society.” There are still many questions about how exactly the program will work, but with Delta variant case counts rising, schools starting back up and fears of another lockdown on the horizon, proponents hope that vaccine certificates can be another tool in helping to slow down the fourth wave of the pandemic. With a backdrop of increasing protests around these measures around the country, a Queen’s Park insider discusses what changed this government’s mind and how they will navigate what comes next.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star

Amidst a growing fourth wave, the spread of the Delta variant and questions over how long immunity lasts, a number of nations around the world, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Israel and Canada are either considering or have begun COVID vaccine booster programs. But now, the World Health Organization has officially called for a moratorium on vaccine boosters, particularly in high-income nations. We explain the timeline of vaccine boosters, who is getting them right now and the ethical minefield that come with them as billions around the world await even a first dose.

Ali Raza Yesa is an Afghan educator and founder of the Star Educational Society, a network of language schools across Afghanistan. With the West now withdrawn from Afghanistan, he has left his homeland and his schools have been shut down. He joins “This Matters” to talk about his life in Afghanistan and a lifetime of work that will remain unfinished for now.

Guest: Josh Rubin, business reporter for the Star

Because neither the federal or Ontario provincial government have created vaccine passports for the public yet (while other provinces have started plans of their own), live event businesses and franchises are taking matters into their own hands to create new rules for customers. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Toronto International Film Festival and Mirvish Productions are all mandating attendees to either show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test before going inside their venues. Do businesses have the legal power to enforce their own COVID rules? Can mandates prevent another business lockdown in the fourth wave? As big organizations push forward on vaccine mandates, does this pave the way for small businesses to do the same?

Guest: Lior Samfiru, employment lawyer and co-founding partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP

Vaccine mandates in the workplace aren’t hypothetical anymore. They are real. The federal government has one for their employees, as does the Ontario government for people in high-risk settings. Those new rules are filtering down to private business, with Canada’s big five banks and Air Canada ordering their employees to get vaccinated in the return to work. But is it legal? Can your employer make you get vaccinated? If you refuse, can they legally fire you? We parse through all the details of employment law, explain the ins and outs of rights for employers and employees alike, along with the legal challenges to come.

Guest: Nicole O’Reilly, crime reporter from The Hamilton Spectator

It has been over four years since Angelo Musitano, a prominent member of the Musitano crime family in Hamilton, was gunned down in his driveway. His murder was the result of a sophisticated, mob-driven operation intricately planned, executed and now shared in “Trigger,” an investigative series from The Hamilton Spectator. In the series, crime reporter Nicole O’Reilly explored all that led up to the homicide, the complex police investigation that followed and the inner workings of the mafia. She joins “This Matters” to share the details and the conclusion of the court case against the only person ever arrested and charged in Musitano’s murder and the murder of an innocent bystander in York region.

Guest: Julie S. Lalonde, women’s rights advocate and author of “Resilience is Futile”

Did you know that there is a country in the world where one woman or girl is killed every two and a half days? That country is Canada. According to a report by the Canadian Femicide Observatory, Canada saw an increase in femicide from 2019 to 2020. The report also reveals that almost 100 girls and women were killed in the first half of 2021. Most were killed by men, an intimate partner or someone they knew. Today on “This Matters,” women’s rights advocate and author Julie S. Lalonde talks about how these disturbing numbers are linked to misogyny and what we need to do to help women at risk, before it’s too late for them.

Guest: Nichole Jankowski, freelance journalist who wrote on 6ixBuzz for Toronto Life

6ixBuzz began as a simple meme and joke Instagram account on all things Toronto, but in just a few short years, it has grown into a media empire with two million followers on Instagram, tens of thousands more on YouTube and contracts signed with major music labels. Their posts garner comments, outrage and above all, attention, and their followers include rapper Drake, Premier Doug Ford and New Democratic Party party leader Jagmeet Singh. 6ixBuzz’s rise is deeply controversial. While some laud them for being a voice for Gen Z and racialized communities, others say they represent the worst of the internet: a toxic space fostering racism, homophobia and bigotry. The company has also been under fire for labour practices. Among the biggest questions, there is secrecy and threats. We dig into the rise of one of the biggest brands in Toronto with the journalist who’s come closest to finding the answers.

Sources: Instagram, CBC Toronto, CTV Toronto

There is a sense of uncertainty, fear and deep anxiety for Afghan women following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Many are afraid of a return to a repressive past and reversal of painstaking progress made. Many also feel betrayal about how the country has been treated over the years, and the abrupt departure by the west. Today on “This Matters,” we are joined by two Afghan women on opposite ends of the world as we try to process what is unfolding in Afghanistan and how they feel about it.

For more information on the featured Canadian Campaign for Afghan Peace with the goal of helping Afghans inside Afghanistan, you can visit: https://ayedi.ca/ccap/

Guest: Dr. Karina Top, pediatrician, vaccine researcher and associate professor at Dalhousie University

In what is increasingly being called a pandemic of the unvaccinated, the largest cohort that cannot receive vaccines yet are children under age 12. With the Delta variant spreading rapidly and the fourth wave accelerating, there has been a surge in cases and hospitalizations of children with COVID-19 in the U.S. There are fears something similar could occur in Canada, just as kids go back to school. Experts predict that cases will rise when school starts, but with Canada having one of highest rates of vaccination in the world and the enforcement of other precautions, the goal is to keep kids as safe as possible.

Guest: Craig Whitlock, Washington Post investigative journalist who broke The Afghanistan Papers

While many question the United States government’s decision to withdrawal from Afghanistan, within the government it has long been known it was an unwinnable conflict. The truth is laid bare in The Afghanistan Papers, a 2019 Washington Post investigation that included a series of documents and recordings with U.S. officials speaking frankly about the conflict. Much of this week’s events were telegraphed in that document, but there are larger questions. What happens next? Where does American foreign policy go from here?

Guest: Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star reporter covering Canada-China relations and author of “China Unbound”

It’s been almost three years since former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor (collectively known as the “two Michaels”) were arrested by the Chinese Communist Party. The move was seen as retaliation against Canada’s arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is currently standing trial for possible extradition to the United States. Now, just this month, Michael Spavor was found guilty of espionage charges and sentenced to 11 years in a Chinese prison, while another Chinese court rejected Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg’s appeal against a death sentence for drug trafficking. It all seems so shocking, but as Star reporter Joanna Chiu reports, this form of hostage taking diplomacy and death threat diplomacy is not new. Why is no one talking about other Canadians that have been taken as political prisoners by China?

Guest: Dr. Margaret Harris, infectious diseases expert and spokesperson for World Health Organization

As the pandemic continues, low-income and developing nations remain left behind in vaccination efforts. The reason is simple. Many countries cannot afford vaccines because the contracts tied to them are tied to the most powerful nations in the world. Can a pandemic truly end if billions around the world don’t have access to vaccines? COVAX, a program developed by the World Health Organization, is designed to solve that problem by bridging the gap between have and have-not countries. We’ll talk about the challenge and cost of delivering doses, the responsibility of rich countries to share, and why failures affect all of us.

Guests: Susan Delacourt and Alex Boutilier of the Star’s Ottawa bureau

After months of speculation, it’s happening: the Canadian federal election is set for September 20. The stakes are historic and could not be higher. Who should lead Canada out of the pandemic? How does this country begin to recover economically? What do Canadians care about most right now? We gather a political roundtable to discuss the 36-day campaign ahead, the state of the Liberals, Conservatives, the NDP and the Greens, and the expected talking points for the weeks ahead.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Toronto Star Queen’s Park bureau chief

A majority of Canadians say they are in favour of vaccine passports, the documentation proving people who enter a public space, like restaurants, gyms or arenas have a full set of vaccinations. They are the latest tool in the great balancing act of COVID safety measures with reopenings and the fourth wave as The Delta variant continues to spread. The pressure is now on the Ontario government to mandate a passport system of its own, just as jurisdictions such as Quebec, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and other international destinations have already created similar systems. And yet, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has steadfastly said no to any vaccine passports in the province. Why is the province going against the calls of Canadians, businesses and health care professionals? Could there be changes soon?

This episode was edited to remove a statement about whether a business refusing an unvaccinated customer does or does not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Guest: Ed Tubb, Toronto Star assignment editor focused on COVID-19 data

With rising case counts and other indicators, the fourth wave of COVID-19 is here and just getting started. The Delta variant is more infectious than other forms of the virus and could have a serious impact on our health care systems. Unvaccinated people will bear the brunt of the latest wave, but there are others who are also at risk.

Guest: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, work and wealth reporter for the Toronto Star

Robots have arrived in Toronto and they’re delivering your food. You may have come across Geoffrey, an adorable pink robot with hearts for eyes, who offers contactless, affordable delivery at the tap of a smartphone. The company behind Geoffrey is claiming it to be a safe alternative for delivery services that emphasizes buying local just as our reliance on gig workers for delivering our orders has increased. But as Star reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh found out, sometimes the way Geoffrey is run isn’t local at all and the concept of delivery-by-robot raises some serious questions about implications for gig workers who have already been heavily impacted by this pandemic.

The biggest COVID-19 fashion trend was face masks. But what comes next? Will we ever really be formal again? A fashion professor talks to us about how fashion will change in a post pandemic world.

Guest: Jack Froese, Chair of National Zero Waste Council

 Canada has a real problem with food waste and we’re all responsible. According to Second Harvest, 58 per cent of all food produced in Canada — the equivalent of 35.5 million tonnes — is lost or wasted every year. That comes out to $31 billion at the food production and consumer level. The cost of all this waste is obvious financially, but there is a huge cost environmentally too. How can Canadians and companies change their habits and processes to be less wasteful? We get into the tips and tricks of how to reduce food waste and save your money at the same time.

As a bonus episode, This Matters is broadcasting an episode from another Toronto Star podcast. Tokyo Daily, hosted by Brendan Dunlop, recaps the Canadian women’s national team’s historic gold medal win with the Toronto Star’s Laura Armstrong, on a day that Canada won three medals over the span of one hour. Christine Sinclair is one of the greatest soccer players of all-time, and now an Olympic champion.

Dunlop also recaps a memorable day of these Olympics with medals from Mohammed Ahmed in the 5,000-metre race, Andre De Grasse adding to his medal count in the men’s 4x100-metre relay and Evan Dunfee in the race walk.

Guest: Nadine Yousif, the Star’s mental health reporter

The Tokyo Olympics have been historic in many ways. The games took place in the middle of a global pandemic, Canada’s female athletes are bringing in the gold and glory, and mental health has been brought to the centre stage. Olympians have rallied around U.S. gymnast Simone Biles’ decision to bow out of team finals, the latest example of a high-profile figure publicly putting their mental health first. Her decision is being celebrated by many, as it shows that even superhuman athletes struggle with pressure from work, and mental health struggles can affect everyone. It is OK to not be OK.

Guest: Ed Keenan, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief

This week New York City became the first city in the United States to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for indoor spaces and activities. Just two months after Washington Bureau Chief Ed Keenan reported about the city’s reopening joy and successful vaccinations, COVID cases are rising in all 50 U.S. states, driven by the Delta variant and surging in places where vaccinations rates are low. What changed the game so quickly in the U.S.? Health experts said it comes down to who got vaccinated and who did not. Today on “This Matters,” we take a look at what happened and what this might mean for Canada.

Guest: Olivia Bowden, Toronto Star reporter

As Canada goes through the painful process of identifying hundreds of Indigenous children’s remains who were buried in unmarked graves outside the sites of former residential schools, conversations have turned to what to do next with the locations, how to commemorate the children lost and how to honour those victimized. For some in Indigenous communities, those discussions have actually been taking place for decades.
Olivia Bowden visited the site of the former Mohawk Institute residential school, now a part of the Woodland Centre under the ownership of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, to listen and try to understand how Canada should move forward in addressing the horrific legacy of the residential school system and honour the Indigenous children that were its victims.

Guest: Kana Enomoto, senior expert at McKinsey & Company, national leader in mental health, substance-use policy, data and programs

Recent data released by global management consulting firm McKinsey and Company has shown that COVID-19 has profoundly impacted employees’ well-being. Almost a third of respondents reported having anxiety, while at least 28 per cent experienced burnout. Women, especially racialized women, have been the hardest hit with their participation in the workforce at a historic low. Today on “This Matters,” Kana Enomoto explains what it’s like for working women getting ready to return to the office, carrying all the trauma and exhaustion of the past year and how they will need to be supported by employers.

GUEST: Professor Jean-Nicolas Reyt, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at McGill University

A recent study in Iceland involving thousands of workers has brought back the buzz around a shorter four-day work week. As the pandemic has accelerated the movement to work smarter and not longer, we explore the tantalizing possibilities — and potential problems — with a four-day work week in North America.

Guest: Moira Welsh, investigative reporter for the Star

The case of the MV Miner is a siren call to the question of what happens to “dead ships” that come from Canada and the dire consequences of neglect. Nova Scotians know the story well after the giant vessel full of chemicals and fuel became adrift and ended up in a protected area. It took $20 million and four years to remove. What happens to the rest of Canada’s “dead ships” that face a perilous journey across oceans? A Star investigation explains why a lack of oversight and big money has created an industry of potentially damaging and dangerous derelicts.

    We all saw “Friends,” but what if we told you it was a universal truth? New research shows two-thirds of the friends end up together. Danu Stinson, Associate professor of psychology at the University of Victoria talks about the relationship science around dating and friends.

Guest: Stephanie Nolen, the 2020-21 Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy

Stephanie Nolen is on “This Matters” to talk about her extensive reporting on the impact of COVID-19 in Canada, where it hit the hardest, who fell through the cracks and what institutions created those vulnerabilities.

Nolen’s Atkinson series “What COVID Reveals” featuring her in-depth reporting is available at thestar.com.

Guest: Robert Cribb, Toronto Star investigative reporter and director of the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto

The opioid crisis has been raging, with deaths surging in Toronto, climbing 80 per cent from 2019 to 2020. Now, new research shows that this city’s street supply of drugs is growing more toxic, stronger and potentially more deadly with additives that make it harder to bring back people who overdose. Today on “This Matters,” we look at the opioid crisis now and explain how these drugs are more dangerous than ever.

This Matters is happy to share that sports broadcaster and author Brendan Dunlop hosts “Tokyo Daily,” the daily Summer Olympics podcast, also from the Toronto Star. Each day during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Brendan will recap the Canadian headlines and talk about the major stories with Star journalists on location in Japan and at home, ex-Olympians and other experts. Listen to the show every afternoon.

Listen to the trailer here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Guest: Rebecca Cotter, GTA-based event specialist

It is summer and many of us are gathering again, from inviting friends over for a pool party to getting together for meetings, holidays, festivals and weddings. But there are more considerations than there were before. COVID-19 has redefined how to gather safely and changed our rules of etiquette for everything from handshaking to screening to the inevitable talk with guests about vaccination status. Here’s how to approach a large-scale event or a pool party at home with pandemic protocols in mind.

Rebecca Cotter, GTA-based event specialist

It is summer and many of us are gathering again, from inviting friends over for a pool party to getting together for meetings, holidays, festivals and weddings. But there are more considerations than there were before. COVID-19 has redefined how to gather safely and changed our rules of etiquette for everything from handshaking to screening to the inevitable talk with guests about vaccination status. Here’s how to approach a large-scale event or a pool party at home with pandemic protocols in mind.

Guest: Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist and assistant professor at University of Toronto

There are plenty of positive signs regarding COVID-19 in Canada, with vaccination rates leading the world and case counts coming down, but the fourth wave is on the horizon. There are worrying signs in several countries around the world, with some jurisdictions considering further mask mandates and lockdowns. All we know so far is that the fourth wave is going to be different, so an epidemiologist takes us through what it might look like.

Guest: Nicholas Schiavo, founder of No Conversion Canada

There was an important piece of legislation brought to the Senate last month, but with senators now on summer break and the possibility of an election looming, that legislation might be lost. Bill C-6 would ban conversion therapy, a widely discredited practice that claims to change someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The practice is banned in some jurisdictions, but not Canada-wide. The bill has been called a “historic piece of legislation” and if the bill dies on the order paper because of the roadblock in the Senate, some say it will only lead to more irreparable harm on LGBTQ people.

Guest: Dania Suleman, a lawyer and author from Quebec

The National Council of Canadian Muslims wants the government to show they’re serious about tackling violent and systemic Islamophobia. This week, the council released a list of 60 calls to action to implement policy change at a federal, provincial and local levels. The NCCM is also calling on governments to challenge Bill 21 in Quebec, the law that bans public service workers from wearing of religious symbols. Dania Suleman, a lawyer and author from Quebec, explains the impact and implications of this particular law from a Canadian Muslim woman’s perspective.

Guest: John Moores, associate professor and York University Research Chair in Space Exploration

In the future, we may say space tourism really began in July 2021. Following Virgin Galactic’s recent successful suborbital flight, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is set to blast off and achieve an even higher orbit. With estimates that space tourism could be worth $5 billion by 2025, both billionaires are not only looking to the stars, but also at an opportunity to make it a lot closer for people who can afford to pay for the incredibly expensive ticket price.

Guest: Hannah Brown, manager of the criminal justice system reform program at Humane Canada

During COVID-19, domestic violence numbers spiked to the point where we began to call it “the shadow pandemic.” Alongside that, data across North America has begun to reveal “the violence link” which means that often cruelty towards the family pet is intertwined with other violence within the home. Hannah Brown, of Humane Canada explains the “violence link”–and why no one in danger should have to choose between their own personal safety and that of a much-loved pets’.

Directory of shelters in Ontario with pet services: http://www.oaith.ca/assets/library/SHELTERS%20and%20PET%20SERVICES%20Oct%202018.pdf

Directory of shelters in Canada and the U.S with pet services: https://safeplaceforpets.org/

Guest: Professor Nina Kohn, law professor at Syracuse University and expert on elder law and conservatorships

Britney Spears is fighting to free herself from a decade-long conservatorship under her father James and yesterday, she might have reached a milestone win when a California court judge agreed to let the pop star choose her own lawyer. Today on “This Matters,” we take a look at exactly how conservatorships work in the U.S. and whether a pop icon’s cry for help has started an important national conversation on the need for reform on conservatorship laws.

Guest: Dr. Andrew Young, assistant professor of systematic entomology at the University of Guelph

The bugs are back. With summer in full bloom and many of us enjoying the great outdoors, it’s a good time to remember that there are plenty of creepy crawly critters out there. Some are really making their presence known. From cicada to tick to caterpillar moth infestations, there are plenty of insects that want to take a bite out of summer. We talk with an expert on why we are seeing some of population spikes and what are the best common sense tips when dealing with these creatures.

Guest: Sunny Handa, technology group lead at Blakes, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Cybercrime is growing at an incredible rate. Ransomware attacks are up and according to the experts, companies are willing to pay to get their data back. Hackers are increasingly sophisticated in how they breach companies but also in the way they deal and negotiate with the companies they are attacking. We talk with a lawyer who has handled hundred of these types of cyber attacks.

Guest: Ben Spurr, The Star’s transportation reporter

Tax avoidance isn’t tax evasion, but is it fair? A new report from the non-profit Canadians for Tax Fairness says ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft could be avoiding millions of dollars in taxes by classifying their workers as contractors instead of employees. This isn’t illegal, but is it time to take a look at the rules governing corporations’ tax laws? Today’s episode breaks down how the report arrived at such a number, and what it means for workers, riders and even public transportation systems.

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, Toronto city hall reporter for the Star

Toronto continues to reopen alongside the staged plan created by the Ontario government. How we progress and when reopening happens depends on many factors: vaccination rates, case numbers and other public health data. But the City of Toronto is getting ready with a ‘playbook’ plan for businesses, twinned with a renewed push for vaccinations in the city’s marginalized communities. Today’s episode takes a look into the reopening plans in the months ahead, with a sense of when Toronto will become a thriving city again.

Guest: Nadine Yousif, mental health reporter for the Star

A new report by Sick Kids has revealed worryingly high rates of depression and other mental health issues in kids in the aftermath of the second wave of COVID-19. They did not just bounce back as many experts had predicted earlier. On “This Matters” today, we talk about what’s next as kids prepare to return to school in the fall amid deep concerns from medical health professionals who say going back to the “old normal” might not be enough to undo the harm of pandemic-related disruptions.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe atthestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Nadine Yousif, mental health reporter for the Star

A new report by Sick Kids has revealed worryingly high rates of depression and other mental health issues in kids in the aftermath of the second wave of COVID-19. They did not just bounce back as many experts had predicted earlier. On “This Matters” today, we talk about what’s next as kids prepare to return to school in the fall amid deep concerns from medical health professionals who say going back to the “old normal” might not be enough to undo the harm of pandemic-related disruptions.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe atthestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Omar Mosleh, Edmonton-based reporter for the Star

A wave of terrifying racist attacks in Alberta has the province on edge. The targets have been Muslim women, most of them Black and wearing a hijab. The Muslim community says Islamophobia and anti-Black racism have always been a problem in the province, and the pandemic might have made it worse. The Star's Edmonton-based reporter Omar Mosleh joins "This Matters" to talk about what's going on in and whether it's a snapshot of Canada's larger Islamophobia problem.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Robert Cribb, investigative and foreign affairs reporter at the Toronto Star

The Star’s Robert Cribb speaks to “This Matters” about a recent investigative collaboration that took a deep dive into the disturbing world of the garment manufacturing industry, its global supply chain and how the pandemic has devastated workers who were working under very questionable conditions to begin with. The story was produced by reporters of the Global Reporting Centre, including academics and journalists from the Toronto Star.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Kareem Clark, post-doctoral associate in neuroscience at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute

With all the time in COVID-related lockdown, you and your brain are likely out of practice at social interactions. Studies and research have shown even short periods of social isolation can have detrimental effects, including our mental abilities. The good news is the brain can quickly adapt to new efforts to socialize, something to keep in mind as the world reopens and there are more opportunities to reunite.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Brendan Dunlop, host of the Star’s Headers and Footers UEFA Euro 2020 podcast

Canada is not among the traditional superpowers of world football (or soccer, if you like). But a new generation of the brightest talents in the game — Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David — are giving Canadian footy fans a reason to dream of competing with the biggest names and nations of the beautiful game. It’s been over 30 years since Canada’s men’s national team made it to the World Cup. Can they land a spot in next year’s tournament? We talk about the highs and lows of Canadian football, the growth of the game in Canada and why the years ahead might be the best to come.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Ontario NDP MPP Sol Mamakwa, and Samanta Krishnapillai, founder of On Canada Project

The calls to cancel Canada Day are loud. After more than 1,000 bodies of Indigenous children have been found in unmarked graves at former residential schools, many are questioning whether it is appropriate to celebrate national pride while a deep national trauma is ongoing and being reckoned with. After multiple Canadian cities have cancelled their festivities, should Canada Day be cancelled nation-wide? Is this a moment, not for fireworks, but for deep reflection, conversation and action over Canada’s colonial history and present reality?

Guest: Erin Benjamin, president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association

With over 85 entertainment venues closed across the country during this pandemic, the people behind the concert halls and performance spaces that managed to survive repeated lockdowns are now cautiously optimistic that business can get back to normal. But there is still a long way to go with a confusing patchwork set of rules across the country. You can’t just turn performances on like a tap, but the bands (and plays, ballet, symphony and more) should be playing on soon.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

With eye doctors embroiled in a pay dispute with the Ontario government over what OHIP covers of an annual eye exam, the province’s optometrists have threatened to not accept OHIP-covered patients — which most affects patients under 18 and above 65 — come September unless the province agrees to legally-binding negotiations on the issue. Dr. Salaba joins us to explain the doctor’s case.

Guest: Dr. Sheldon Salaba, Hamilton-based optometrist and president of the Ontario Association of Optometrists

June is Pride month. It’s a month that is a celebration of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, a recognition of a decades-long struggle for rights and equality and a reminder that this struggle is ongoing. Brian Bradley joins on “This Matters” to talk about how that struggle is going in Hamilton, Ont., two years after Pride Hamilton organizers had to grapple with violent hate by far-right groups and questionable response from their local police service to protect them. They’re taking their fight all the way to the human rights tribunal and making history along the way.

Guest: Brian Bradley, Digital Producer, Toronto Star

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Most of us knows someone who mistrusts some element of the COVID-19 vaccine. Access, miscommunication, cultural barriers and the historic traumas that some communities have associated with the health system are all factors behind that mistrust. Data shows that more than a quarter of Canadians have yet to get their first dose. So, how are vaccine advocates working towards turning a “maybe” into a “hell yes?” Dr. Tajinder Kaura joins me on “This Matters” to explain.

Guest: Dr. Tajinder Kaura, ER physician in Peel Region, member of South Asian COVID-19 Task Force and the This is Our Shot campaign

While there are fresh concerns over the Delta Plus variant of COVID, the Delta variant itself is reaching a tipping point in Ontario. For much of the pandemic, Canada has lagged a few weeks behind the UK in cases — but what happens across the Atlantic, usually happens here. We look into the latest data in the UK, explain why Delta spreads so quickly and what Canada should be learning now.

Guests: Health reporter Jennifer Yang and Investigative reporter Kenyon Wallace, Toronto Star

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

COVID vaccines approved and circulated by Health Canada — Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca — are safe and effective, but one of these is not like the other. AstraZeneca is a viral vector vaccine and it has faced waves of bad press, poor communication and changing guidelines. Many question its use. In a time of reopening and specific restrictions, why is an effective vaccine that millions of Canadians have received getting short shrifted? What happens to the thousands of AZ doses Canada still has available?

Guests: May Warren and Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporters on COVID and vaccines

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Kofi Hope and Zahra Ebrahim, co-founders of Monumental and part of a team leading the AllOut campaign, join “This Matters” to talk about the systemic barriers that lead to a lack of representation of racialized communities in the Canadian outdoors, how this fuels damaging stereotypes and the growing movement to get more Indigenous, Black and people of colour outside.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

In the works for almost four years, reporter Kevin Donovan’s five-part series “Death in a Small Town” explores the death of a child and the turmoil it plunged his family into. Nathaniel McLellan was 15-months-old and acting strangely at his daycare when his parents, Rose-Anne and Kent McLellan, were summoned to take him to the hospital. What followed was a tumultuous journey of a seemingly tunnel visioned investigation, conflicting medical reports and a family’s ongoing fight for justice. Kevin Donovan joins “This Matters” to discuss the story and add some personal commentary to the investigation.

It was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who said “young people aren’t facing a housing problem, they’re facing a housing crisis.” The red hot real estate market has seen growth at a record pace, and many young and first-time buyers have found themselves priced out of buying a home. To address that, the government recently made changes to the mortgage stress test. We take a look at the test, and many of the issues facing those who are trying to buy a home in this market.

For the first time in its history, the Ontario provincial government invoked the “notwithstanding” clause to override the courts on a campaign law that was deemed unconstitutional by an Ontario Superior Court judge. The Ford government’s critics call the usage of the clause an attack on democracy and an effort to silence Premier Doug Ford’s opposition. Today we dive into how this “nuclear option” works, why the Ontario government flexed it’s power and if it could end up paying a price for it at election time.

Guest: Robert Benzie, The Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

With the rise of the worrisome Delta variant, Ontario is accelerating second doses of COVID vaccines in hot spots across the province, as well as shortening the length between doses from 12 to eight weeks for people who got AstraZeneca as their first shot. In addition, some have a choice on their hands as vaccine mixing is also now allowed, including for those who have had AstraZeneca. Yet with mixing and matching, there is also mixed messaging. Today we talk with a professional science communicator about how to handle the infodemic, and everything you need to know about getting a second dose.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Political leaders have publicly condemned the murders of a Muslim family in London, Ont. Terrorism charges have been brought against the alleged killer. But many Muslim Canadians say words are no longer enough, action must be taken to prevent more hate crimes. From fierce opposition against Motion 103, a motion in the provincial legislature to recognize the need to quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear and condemn all forms of systemic racism and religious discrimination, to the bill forbidding teachers, police officers and many government officials from wearing religious symbols in Quebec, anti-Muslim hatred and sentiments have seeped into Canadian institutions and politics. We speak to Iqra Khalid, the Liberal MP who authored Motion 103, on what the work of dismantling Islamophobia in Canada means.

For those experiencing grief, confusion and trauma as a result of these events, Naseeha provides mental health tools to the Muslim community. You can call for support at 1-866-627-3342

Guest: Edward Keenan, the Toronto Star's Washington Bureau Chief

While former president Donald Trump has effectively been muzzled on social media, his power and influence continue to grow as Republicans line up behind the man who still casts a long shadow over the party. His Big Lie — that the last election was rigged so he wouldn’t win — continues to gain support across the GOP’s base, and is being used to fuel restrictive voting bills in several states, prompting experts to warn that American democracy is at a breaking point.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Noor Javed, Toronto Star reporter
Muslim Canadians have felt profound grief in the wake of the hateful attack in London that left four members of the Afzaal family dead, and one 9-year-old boy orphaned. There is also a sense of betrayal and anger that despite political promises and platitudes, Islamophobia continues to rise in Canada, unchecked. Toronto Star reporter Noor Javed joins “This Matters” to talk about her frustration and fears, sentiments shared by many Muslim women and families across Canada right now.

For those experiencing grief, confusion and trauma as a result of these events, Naseeha provides mental health tools to the Muslim community. You can call for support at 1-866-627-3342

Guest: Hayden King, educator and director of the Yellowhead Institute

It was a powerful image seen across Canada: the statue of Egerton Ryerson, chief architect of the residential school system, torn down at the namesake university campus in Toronto. More than 300 signatures from students, faculty and associate deans from Ryerson University back the sentiment behind the event. They want the name to be abolished and (for now) replaced as “X University.” The pressure continues to mount after the discovery of remains of 215 Indigenous children at a former residential school site in Kamloops, B.C. We dive into why this fight at one university campus is a reflection of the much bigger reckoning of truth and decolonization in Canada.

Guest: Dr. Fahad Razak, epidemiologist and internist at St. Michael’s Hospital, and member of Ontario’s Science Advisory Table

With 58 per cent of Canadians (and counting) having received a first dose of a COVID vaccine, many are eagerly diving into a “one-dose” summer. Now, Ontario is moving up its Step 1 reopening plans and with more vaccine shipments on the way, it will be a “two-dose” vaccinated summer for some. Today, we answer the many questions for the months ahead. How much protection does one jab give you? What does a safe reopening look like? When can we travel again?

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Karon Liu, food reporter for the Toronto Star

What’s going on with Canadian butter? For more than a year, hawk-eyed bakers, chefs and food experts stuck at home have noticed something odd, a hypothesis that has morphed into a low-stakes but viral conspiracy theory: the butter we’re now using is physically firmer and melts slower. Is this true? How would we prove or disprove ‘Buttergate’? Toronto Star’s food reporter takes us down the winding path of food scientists, palm oil plantations, dairy farms and the ultimate arbiter of butter: his dad.

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It sounds counterintuitive, but according to some research, more restaurants opened than closed in Toronto during the pandemic. Data from Yelp, found by Shauna Brail and her team for the Toronto: After the First Wave project, tells a different side of the restaurant story than we typically hear about this struggling sector. As Ontario looks to reopen, we discuss what will that look like for diners and an industry that is trying to get back to normal. Guests: Shauna Brail, urban planner and associate professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga Institute for Management and Innovation and Karon Liu, Food Reporter at The Star

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

**Guest:** Ed Tubb, Toronto Star journalist focused on COVID-19 data

With declining case counts and other positives indicators, it looks as though Ontario might have finally turned the corner of the devastating third wave. With rumours of the province potentially opening earlier than expected, there may be better days on the horizon.

But not all the numbers are rosy. There are signs pointing to the rise of one of the more transmissible COVID variants becoming the dominant strain here. There are also those who are slow and hesitating to get vaccines, which slows progress. Today, we look at the most recent data to get an accurate of picture of where Ontario is at this moment.

 If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

An Indigenous archaeologist reflects on the discovery in Kamloops, explains how radar technology helps find burial sites in a culturally respectful way and the reckoning that will follow in finding the full truth behind Canada’s residential school system.

Guest: Kisha Supernant, Director of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology and associate professor at the University of Alberta

The horrific discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation grounds is a glaring reminder of Canada’s racist legacy and a country’s shame. Cree/Iroquois/French human rights journalist Brandi Morin joins “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz to discuss the enduring trauma of Canada’s residential school system, why many Canadians didn’t grow up learning about it and whether truth and reconciliation can really take place without a reckoning with history and continuing racism.

A warning that the following discussion might be distressing to some listeners.

The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of a residential school experience. Support is available at 1-866-925-4419.

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Ontario law gives people facing domestic violence, abuse and trafficking priority access to social housing. Those applications spiked by more than 50 per cent last year — a disturbing reflection of the violence that erupted during the pandemic. The Star’s affordable housing reporter Victoria Gibson is on “This Matters” to talk about these soaring numbers, how important stable housing is for survivors of domestic and how tricky it might be to actually find it.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Shawn Micallef, contributing columnist on Toronto and urbanism, Toronto Star

Public parks and city streets have been a lifeline for Torontonians, cooped up in their homes and apartments, throughout the pandemic. But there’s a hitch to being outside: when nature calls, where do you “go?” The access to public bathrooms (or lack thereof) in Toronto has become glaring, especially with closed stores, cafes and restaurants, changing the way people spend their time outdoors. We explore how this one issue is a symptom of a bigger and more insidious problem in Toronto: who gets the right to enjoy public space and who gets left out?

Ontario’s first Poet Laureate, spoken word artist Randell Adjei is on “This Matters” to talk about his life, his work and his plans to bring beauty and poetry into our lives during these exceptionally dark times of the pandemic—and shares some of his tremendous talent and poetry with us.

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Guests: Anoosha Keshav, Grade 12 student and Kim Moran, CEO, Children’s Mental Health Ontario

Ontario is slowly reopening and the school year is coming to its close. For the high school graduating class of 2021, it looks like some form of video conferencing solution for a virtual graduation ceremony is on the table as their final send-off. For one student, that is not good enough, so she started a Change.org petition that garnered thousands of signatures asking for and suggesting ways to hold a safe graduation ceremony outside.

Guest: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Toronto Star’s Work and Wealth Reporter

In COVID’s third wave, workplaces are the single largest outbreak settings, according to Ontario’s provincial data. More than 23,500 Ontarians have contracted COVID from work, many of them in industries like warehousing, manufacturing and food processing, the very sectors helping support millions through the pandemic. 15 months on, what’s our big blindspot in how to slow down transmission? Is there a fundamental misunderstanding by the province and by businesses, in how COVID actually spreads? We explore how aerosol and ventilation could be the key to safe workplaces.

Guest: Edward Keenan, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief.
New York, America’s biggest city, officially reopened this week after a year of devastation, grief and loss as one of the worst hit cities by the COVID pandemic. Edward Keenan, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief, was in the Big Apple to capture all the post-lockdown joy and he joins “This Matters” to tell us about what their post-pandemic world is like and whether Canadians can hope to see the same happening in their near future.

An Ontario judge has recently ruled that an employee of an ophthalmic clinic who was laid off early in the pandemic was actually terminated, and eligible to sue for constructive dismissal. Some legal experts have been predicting this all along and say this could mean thousands of lawsuits in the coming years after so many lost their jobs last year. On today’s episode of “This Matters,” we try to understand what this means, what it means for those out of work and if thousands of employers could now be on the hook.

Guest: Rosa Saba, Business Reporter, Toronto Star

Being indoors is a well-known recipe for COVID-19 transmission: poor ventilation, aerosol particles in the air and prolonged exposure. But more than a year into the pandemic, the evidence is clear that the risk of outdoor transmission, especially when distanced, is extremely low. This is likely welcome information to golfers missing the golf course, and other athletes missing outdoor recreation facilities that are closed.

In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says less than 10 per cent of COVID transmission is happening outdoors, while other studies have shown the real number is actually much lower. On today’s episode, we walk through the latest science, assess the risks and answer the questions you want to know about a summer spent outside.

Canada’s vaccine has been plagued by problems. Fast-changing rules, buggy websites and last minute openings have turned finding a jab into a holy grail-like quest. Through it all, Vaccine Hunters Canada have been a lifeline to get a vaccine appointment for thousands of Canadians. They are a group of volunteers who have managed to spread information quicker and more efficiently than official government channels. “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung talks to Vaccine Hunters co-founder Josh Kalpin, and director Sabrina Craig.

As we all struggle with the weight of what we have lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists say you can measure that loss by calculating the years of unlived life that COVID took from those who died. Toronto-based science and business journalist Kat Eschner wrote about it for the New York Times and she joins “This Matters” to talk about it.

The minute you mention Unidentified Flying Objects or UFOs, there are some who are ready to custom fit you for a tin foil hat. But the truth is there are more people who are taking this very seriously. Daniel Otis, a freelance journalist has been looking into how the Canadian Governments tracks unidentified flying objects joins “This Matters” to discuss what’s he found.

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A new pathway designed for recent international graduates and essential migrant workers already in Canada is offering permanent residency to 90,000 people. There is a limited time window for applications and specific eligibility requirements, so the heat is on because for many, it is their only chance to make their immigration dreams come true. Immigration reporter Nicholas Keung talks to “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz about how the program works, why it is needed and how applicants can navigate it.

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Just as Gen X went from being slackers to pragmatic when the vaccine eligibility hit the 40+ age demographic in Ontario and they rushed out to get jabbed, the AstraZeneca vaccine has gone from being selfie-worthy to the shot that no one wants. Alex Boyd is a Star reporter who has been covering vaccines during the pandemic and joins us to talk latest AstraZeneca news.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Despite more vaccinations around the world, infectious disease experts are coming to a consensus that COVID, as a viral strain, isn’t going anywhere soon. Instead, it’s likely to be endemic, meaning the virus will become a constant in our lives like seasonal mutations of the flu. A major factor in how well we control COVID in the years to come will be dependent on herd immunity. What does this mean? Is it even achievable? Dr. David Fisman, an epidemiology professor at University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, explains how the world is “going to have to figure out how to live with an endemic pathogen that’s nasty.”

Ask any parent with young children in daycare and they’ll have plenty of COVID-19 testing stories for you. With higher rates of COVID transmissions, many parents and families have caught the virus through their child’s daycare or opted for trips to testing centres with the appearance of every sniffle or fever. Some experts have advised people to pull their kids from daycares, but that is just not possible for many families. In a move to help families and try to get a track of spread, there is a new testing program in the daycare setting to make the process a little easier. Jennifer Yang, a Health Reporter for the Star, joins us to talk daycares, outbreaks and the new testing program.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

To many doctors across Canada, the latest statement from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) left a lot to be desired. NACI’s guidance on mRNA vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna) being “preferred” over viral vector vaccines like AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson seemingly contradicts the messaging from public health officials who say the best shot is the first one you can get. On “ThisMatters,” we explain how the advisory panel’s advice can fuel vaccine hesitancy and why Canada can’t afford bad public health messaging. Guest: Sabina Vohra-Miller, founder of the web site “Unambiguous Science”

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The Canadian government is mired in controversy over Bill C-10, an attempt to modernize regulation of streaming services and social media companies. Facing backlash, the government has promised to amend the bill and in the process has shown how difficult regulating online content can be. Emily Laidlaw, a research chair in Cybersecurity Law and an associate professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, joins “This Matters” to talk Bill C-10, the challenges of online regulation and what comes next.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Alberta’s COVID case numbers per capita are the worst in Canada and higher than almost every U.S. state. The test positivity rate in the province has reached 12 per cent. While Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has announced new restrictions to combat these trends, what decisions led up to this crisis? Why has Alberta resisted stronger restrictions, and how does political culture and industry play into the decision making? We explain how Alberta charted a different course than the rest of Canada and where it’s headed next.

Guest: Alex Boyd, reporter in the Star’s Calgary Bureau

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Guest: Ashleigh Tuite, infectious disease epidemiologist, mathematic modeller and assistant professor at the University of Toronto

Ontario’s third wave is being fuelled by variants of concern (VOC), which make up more than 70 per cent of the cases in the province right now.The B.1.1.7 variant is the most common one in Ontario, but the other variants are here as well. Tuite joins us to discuss how these variants are being tracked, how a variant of interest can graduate to becoming a variant of concern and whether these are here to stay for the long haul.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

After a year of racial reckonings against growing police brutality and a string of deaths involving Black and other racialized people in crisis, the City of Toronto is investigating a new model for frontline, non-police response to mental health crisis calls. On today’s episode of “This Matters,” we discuss this radical shift in how such crisis calls are carried out in hopes that they do not become a matter of life and death. Guest: Nadine Yousif, Toronto-based Star reporter covering mental health.

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The pandemic lead to one of Canada’s worst economic years on record. Millions of Canadians have lost their jobs and been put in dire financial circumstances. An emergency fund may seem like a solution, and according to the Bank of Canada, household savings have hit an all-time high of $180 billion. With that said, what are the smartest ways to put those savings to work? Can we invest and get out of debt? How do we position our finances for a post-pandemic future? Guest:Preet Banerjee, personal finance expert and host of the “Mostly Money” podcast.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Peel region is a gateway to Ontario and a manufacturing hub. The region also has one of the highest COVID case rates in the country. Freelance journalist Fatima Syed joins “This Matters” to trace the story of Peel region during a pandemic, explaining how residents were neglected at every step and how this is the result of factors including racial discrimination, disparity and difference when it comes to Canada’s racialized communities who bore the brunt of COVID’s impacts.

Guest: Fatima Syed, Peel region-based freelance journalist and host of the upcoming Canadaland political podcast “The Backbench.”

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Guest: Rosa Saba, business reporter for the Toronto Star

The big three of Canada’s grocers: Loblaw, Metro and Empire created “hero pay” for cashiers, shelf stockers and other essential working staff at the start of the pandemic last year. But the pay bumps didn’t last long and most grocers got rid of it by June (Empire Co., which owns Sobeys, has since brought it back). But there is one major retailer that has stood out: Costco who made the pay increases permanent. They also offer higher wages, paid sick leave and benefits. Will the end result of “hero pay” be a new era of better business practices and corporate responsibility?

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief

Paid sick days has arguably been the number one political issue that has continually dogged Premier Doug Ford’s provincial government through the pandemic. The premier was resolutely against them initially, but last week he changed his tune and promised the “best paid sick days program in North America.” It sounds great, but it may not be so simple. Robert Benzie, The Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief, discuss the Ford government’s new plan for paid sick days and the political minefield it has become for this government.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

It’s 2021 and many people in Canada’s First Nations still do not have clean drinking water. The startling fact is laid bare in “Clean Water, Broken Promises,” an extensive report from Concordia University’s Institute of Investigative Journalism which brought together 70 students from 10 universities, professional journalists from six news outlets across Canada for two years of extensive reporting in a collaborative investigation. Two of the key members of the investigative team join “This Matters” to discuss the toll of the water crisis on generations of First Nations communities. Guests: Annie Burns-Pieper, former managing editor of the Institute of Investigative Journalism (IIJ) at Concordia University and Brittany Hobson, reporter at APTN News.

Toronto Star partner SCOREGolf's new podcast Next Round's on Me sat down with LPGA LA Open champion Brooke Henderson. Subscribe to their podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Adam Stanley is joined by Brooke Henderson for an exclusive conversation after her win on the LPGA Tour at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open. Brooke talks about her 10th LPGA victory – a record for Canadians – and how she was able to come from four shots back to claim the title. SCOREGolf editor Jason Logan joins Adam to help analyze Brooke’s win.

Guests: Natasha Calvinho, criminal defence lawyer, and Toronto Star reporters Alyshah Hasham and Jim Rankin

“This Matters” takes a look at the Ontario government’s confusing flip-flop messaging on police enforcement of COVID-related, stay-at-home orders. Although the province backed down from last Friday’s controversial announcement granting police powers to arbitrarily stop and question anyone, the rules still allow police to stop anyone if they have “a reason to suspect” stay-at-home orders are being violated. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says its worried that these discretionary police powers will put racialized and vulnerable people at risk.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Kenyon Wallace and May Warren, Toronto Star reporters

The Ontario Science Advisory Table has given scientific data, modelling projections and recommendations to the Ontario government since the beginning of the pandemic. But in the midst of a worsening third wave, there is concern the advice is not being taken by the provincial government who, in several instances, have instituted policy that is counter to what the science and data say. Pressure against the government grows as doctors and health experts are becoming more outspoken against the decisions being made in Ontario.

Listen to this episode and more at “This Matters” or subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Today we speak with Dr. Homer Tien, the new head of Ontario’s vaccine task force. This is the first time Dr. Tien is talking about vaccines for the province on Ontario since he assumed the lead of the task force. He’s served 25 years as a trauma surgeon with the Canadian Forces, worked as a trauma surgeon at Sunnybrook Hospital and is now the president and CEO of Ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance service. We get into details of the confusion around Ontario’s vaccine rollout, the province’s supply and where vaccines are going, and how communication could always be better.

Healthcare professionals have been sounding the alarm about over-crowded Intensive Care Units and hospitals as Ontario is gripped by the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fuelled by the more virulent variants of concerns, hospital patients are tending to be younger, with many families arriving sick with the disease. Ontario’s hospitals are already taking extraordinary measures, like transfering patients, creating field hospitals, suspending surgeries and more to ensure that the entire health care system does not buckle under the strain brought on by the third wave of COVID-19 patients.

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter, Toronto Star

       Canada’s vaccination program has been plagued with problems across several provinces, ranging from delayed shipments, supply chain problems, uneven distribution, communication and booking issues. While our case counts are less in comparison, many Canadians are feeling pangs of jealousy watching the United States vaccinate an average of more than 3 million people per day. Deep into a third wave, it appears the COVID fortunes between Canada and the U.S. have been reversed. We talk about the factors that are leading to a vaccine gap between Canada and its biggest ally, the consequences for the border and whether Canada can step up its record in the next several months. Guest: Alex McKeen, Toronto Star

A serial killer who preyed on men for almost a decade. A daughter whose body was found by her mother 100 feet from where she went missing. A woman whose remains could have been identified sooner. These are some of the cases retired justice Gloria Epstein took a look at in her just released Independent Civilian Review into Missing Person Investigations, which took a deep dive into the work of the Toronto Police Service. Finding systemic failures, technological mistakes and biases coloured these investigations, the massive report has many recommendations that aim to fix flaws so these issues will not occur again in the future. Toronto Star crime reporter Wendy Gillis joins “This Matters” to discuss the findings.

The Ontario government says vaccine focus and eligibility have expanded to high risk postal codes where they say are residents who are essential workers, low-income and/or racialized, but many who need it most still don’t have access while wave three of the COVID pandemic is showing no sign of slowing down.

Today on “This Matters,” we take a look at how difficult it’s been for Ontarians to navigate the vaccine rollout framework and why those with the most means and resources, not necessarily those most at risk, might still be the ones getting a shot sooner.

 Guests: Ray Lai, Markham Vaccinates co-organizer and Toronto Star reporter Olivia Bowden

The Ontario government has turned its vaccine focus towards the hardest hit neighbourhoods and essential workers. It is a critical move to slow the spread of COVID-19, yet there is little clarity on how exactly the move will be implemented. Dr. Lawrence Loh, Peel’s chief medical officer, and Sara Mojtehedzadeh, The Star’s work and wealth reporter, discuss what that kind of mass vaccination look like and why it is necessary.

It’s Amazon’s world and we are all just living in it. The pandemic has helped the company grow even bigger and more powerful, but at what cost? The spotlight has revealed work practices, treatment of employees, COVID outbreaks and impacts on towns and cities. Alec MacGillis, reporter for ProPublica and author of “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America,” joins “This Matters” to discuss the tech and retail giant’s effect on society.

Ben Spurr, The Star’s Transportation Reporter, and Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief, bring us up to speed on four huge transit projects, including a potential new massive transit hub near Toronto’s eastern waterfront, and how Metrolinx keeps increasing its powers as it tries to build transit throughout the city.

Bill C-21, the controversial gun control proposal, is set for another debate next week in Canadian Parliament. The proposal, which came after the tragedy of the Nova Scotia shooting, includes a controversial buyback program of blacklisted firearms. But in a debate that is usually divisive, Bill C-21 has both gun rights and gun control advocates fuming. Neither sides see the bill as a solution to curbing gun violence. We explain why the bill is actually uniting both sides and where the buyback program may be falling short. Guest: Douglas Quan, Toronto Star reporter

Another lockdown, another stay-at-home order in Ontario. The third wave is hitting the province hard as COVID variants spread, the vaccination rollout buckles and a paid sick leave program remains a no-go for the Ontario government. Despite all the warnings from doctors and other medical professionals, how did we get here again? Will safety measures work this time around?

Guest: Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star columnist covering COVID-19

With the April Break just days away, many schools in Ontario have shifted to remote learning in the face of rising case counts from the variants of concern which are spreading rapidly. Schools have not been a high factor in infection, and the province has insisted they are safe places for children, but after Peel Region’s Medical Officer of Health decided to shut down schools in the area, others followed suit including the Toronto District School Board. Who knows what come next? With Ontario moving to a new state of emergency starting Thursday, will this end up the start of summer vacation? Kris Rushowy, Queen’s Park bureau reporter and education for The Star, joins us to discuss how we got here and what comes next.

The mask has become a symbol of all we’ve been through in the age of the pandemic. Amy Dempsey traced the trajectory of Toronto’s “mask life” and joins “This Matters” to talk about how a piece of cloth became both protection and a political symbol. As well, we mark the “maskiversary,” one year since the day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advocated mask wearing and warned of “speaking moistly.”

Guest: Amy Dempsey, Toronto Star’s investigative feature writer

Guest: Steve Buist, investigative reporter and feature writer at The Star

The Ontario government has resurrected plans to build Highway 413, a new road that runs from Vaughan to Halton Hills. There are several controversial aspects to this planned route and a joint Toronto Star/National Observer investigation has found that a number of developers are set to benefit if this road is built. Looking at land registries, lobbying funds, changed laws and more, there appears to be quite a potential windfall for a number of developers if the Ontario government manages to go ahead and construct this highway.

This is a rebroadcast from March 12, 2021.

Public health officials, city mayors and small businesses have called for it: paid sick leave. It has been cited as a factor that’s been proven to slow the spread of COVID-19 — without the protection of paid sick leave, employees often feel forced to go to work even while sick and symptomatic, to avoid missing a pay cheque or losing their jobs. The Ontario government has said for months it has no plans to create a paid sick leave program of its own but the pressure, both internally and publicly, is ratcheting up on the Ford government, ahead of the 2021 budget. Robert Benzie, Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung, about the months-long political fight over paid sick leave in Ontario and what might be expected in the coming weeks.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

It’s April 1 and Major League Baseball — and spring — has officially started. We’re bringing you a special episode today, simulcasting the launch of Deep Left Field, a new baseball podcast from the Toronto Star, featuring long-time Blue Jays radio voice, Mike Wilner. Today, Mike speaks with Toronto Blue Jay pitcher Jordan Romano, MLB.com’s Alyson Footer and Kim’s Convenience’s Paul Sun-Hyung Lee.

Let’s play ball and we hope you'll listen to Deep Left Field wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

A reckoning of anti-Asian racism and violence has been ongoing in the wake of the shooting in Atlanta that left eight people dead, along with the thousands of reports of anti-Asian incidents during the pandemic. With both Canada and the U.S. have torrid histories of racism, how have long-running stereotypes and the ‘model minority myth’ of Asian Canadians and Americans turned into violence? Three Asian-Canadian journalists talk about the myth playing out in their lives, how it’s wielded as a weapon of anti-Asian and anti-Black hate and what unlearning it means.

Guests: Toronto Star journalists, Angelyn Francis, equity and inequality reporter, and Evelyn Kwong, team editor, speak to This Matters host, Adrian Cheung

After several extended deadlines, Canada has a new medical assistance in dying (MAID) law that will broaden who will be able to make end-of-life decisions. That said, some of the most controversial aspects still need to be hammered out and several people are unhappy and critical of the new law. Jacques Gallant has been covering MAID for The Star and joins to explain what’s new in the law, what still remains up in the air and what comes next. Guest: Jacques Gallant, Star Reporter who covers legal affairs and federal politics

The Olympics are one of the world’s most complex international events to stage, even in a “normal” year. How will that be done safely during a pandemic? One year after the historic postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games, we take you inside how Canadian athletes and staff are preparing for the summer games with a decorated Olympian and leader of Team Canada.

Guest: Marnie McBean, four-time Olympic medal winner, Chef de Mission of Team Canada for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign started on the same day as the U.S. back in December, but four months later, our results lag far behind not only our neighbours to the south but at least 30 other countries. With millions of vaccine doses coming to Canada but only 1.57 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, how long will it take to get shots into 38 million Canadians? Dr. David Naylor, co-chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, joins “This Matters” co-host Saba Eitizaz to discuss.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Vaccine supply and rollout are top issues in Canada right now and the hope is that as more Canadians get their shots in the arm, life will start to return to normal even in our politics. The pandemic made sure the past year would not be politics as usual, but as more and more people are inoculated, there are signs that politicians are champing at the bit to get back to normal. Will we go back to partisan divides? What issues will emerge in a post-pandemic world? Susan Delacourt is a Star columnist and long-time watcher of the Canadian political scene. She joins us to talk about vaccines, political favour and fallout, and what will happen next on the post-pandemic political landscape.

As our senior citizens are booking and lining up to get their vaccinations, many grandparents can’t wait until they hug their grandchildren sometime soon. While vaccine priority is aimed at our most vulnerable, questions remain about when young children and teenagers will eventually get inoculated against COVID-19. While they are at lower risk, there needs to be more clinical trials to determine proper dosage for younger people and efficacy. Dr. Karina Top joins us to explain where this is at and what parents should keep in mind as they wait until vaccines are ready for the next generation. Guest: Dr. Karina Top, a pediatrician and vaccine researcher at Canadian Centre for Vaccinology

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer have become the new buzz words of our generation and may be the top contenders for conversation at awkward family dinners. COVID-19 vaccines might be saving us but they are also breaking down friendships and families as difficult, polarizing conversations crop up around the efficacy or safety of these vaccines. On today’s episode, we get a crash course on vaccine hesitancy and how to talk to those we love about the “V-word.”
Guest: Maya Goldenberg, associate professor of philosophy at the University of Guelph and author of the book “Vaccine Hesitancy: Public Trust, Expertise, and the War on Science.”

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Millions of Canadians want to know — of the four COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada — which one is the best one? Numbers and statistics are flying around and it’s fair to have a lot of other questions. Are the Moderna and Pfizer shots really the ‘Cadillac’ of vaccines? Is the AstraZeneca shot effective? Does it matter which vaccine you get? We explain what vaccine efficacy really means and why comparing them is like comparing “apples to oranges”, the real differences between the ‘jabs’ and why out of all the numbers, 100% is the big one to focus on. Guest: Dr. Sumon Chakrabarti, infectious disease doctor, Trillium Health Partners

Produced by Adrian Cheung, Morgan Bocknek, Sean Pattendon

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Guest: Alex Boyd, Star Reporter based in Calgary, who has been focusing on vaccines.

As more and more vaccines get into arms in Canada, the thorny issues of how to denote people’s vaccination status has become a topic of discussion. There are already several countries using some form of vaccine passport to enable easier travel. However, they are leading to another set of issues including questions of privacy, equality and if a passport would be a false sense of security when we don’t know for sure that a vaccine stops transmission. There are also several practical issues as to how they might work. Will they be something we see in Canada? Are they what the world needs to jump-start economies and restart travel and tourism? We discuss how they are being used so far and what worries experts and bioethicists if they become commonplace around the world.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, Toronto Star’s crime reporter

In Ontario, the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) investigates cases of assault, serious injury and death, when a police officer is involved in the incident. A new research report looking into 15 years worth of SIU charges and their outcomes found a majority of cases ended in a withdrawal of charges or acquittal. We look deeper into the numbers to understand how cases play out in the courts and whether rules are different for police officers in the criminal justice system.

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As many look to the vaccines as the light at the end of COVID-19 long, dark tunnel, the many people who have been suffering long-haul symptoms are still looking for answers and treatment for their medical problems. While some countries are tackling these long-term issues, some in Ontario feel frustrated and forgotten. May Warren is a reporter with the Star's health and science team, and has been speaking to long-haulers throughout the pandemic. She joins "This Matters" to discuss their search for answers.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

With a difficult year, new rules and a looming deadline, sorting out the paperwork and details for one’s income tax can be stressful for many. It is even more so when filing for a pandemic year that saw job loss, financial aid and remote work. Knowing this, business reporter Rosa Saba and host Saba Eitizaz collected questions from listeners and on this episode of “This Matters,” they sat down to answer all your burning tax related queries for this slightly trickier tax season.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

In the early 1920s, the world began to transform. The job market exploded. Culture, nightlife and the arts flourished. Long-held beliefs about gender, race, religion and politics were being challenged. It was the Roaring Twenties. A century later, as we begin to climb out of the COVID-19 pandemic, could we be headed for a Roaring Twenties in the 2020s?

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Public health officials, city mayors and small businesses have called for it: paid sick leave. It has been cited as a factor that’s been proven to slow the spread of COVID-19 — without the protection of paid sick leave, employees often feel forced to go to work even while sick and symptomatic, to avoid missing a pay cheque or losing their jobs. The Ontario government has said for months it has no plans to create a paid sick leave program of its own but the pressure, both internally and publicly, is ratcheting up on the Ford government, ahead of the 2021 budget. Robert Benzie, Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung, about the months-long political fight over paid sick leave in Ontario and what might be expected in the coming weeks.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

Dr. Allen Upton talks to "This Matters" host Saba Eitizaz about how Black health leaders pushed for a grounbreaking pilot project to find out why COVID-19 was disproportionately impacting Black communities and what the research has revealed so far. He also talks about his work on the Black Scientists Task Force launched by the City of Toronto to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misconceptions.

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Despite restrictions, immigration data shows more than 322,000 people were granted work permits under temporary foreign worker programs. The second largest number of permits went to migrant workers. What do the numbers suggest about Canada’s priorities on immigration, especially in a pandemic? Who gets left out? Nicholas Keung, Toronto Star’s an immigration reporter who often covers refugee issues, joins “This Matters” to talk through the numbers, what this means for permanent residents with dreams of citizenship and whether there is a fundamental shift underway with Canada’s immigration policies.

Ontario is now fully in reopening mode after Toronto and Peel Region moved into the grey zone on Monday. Yet despite this sign of progress, case counts are inching upward and hit 1,600 earlier this week. With concerning COVID variants circulating and the vaccine rollout really getting underway, a lot of numbers are flying around. To help sort through them, “This Matters” is joined by Ed Tubb, a Star assignment editor who has been tracking and reporting on COVID-19 information for the past year.

Research has revealed despite a steady growth in recent years, Canadian businesses owned by Indigenous women already up against systemic barriers have fallen prey to COVID. Tabatha Bull, an Anishinaabe woman from Nipissing First Nation and the president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, joins “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz to speak about how we level the playing field for Indigenous women in business and why it is essential for Canada’s economy to do so.

There’s a reason why some people refer to COVID-19 variants as “scariants.” If widespread, some of the modelling numbers are quite scary and eventual cases could overwhelm our health care system. If that happens some are worried the Health Care Consent Act of Ontario, a law that states a person has the right to consent to or refuse treatment, could potentially be suspended. Mariam Shanouda and Jessica De Marinis are lawyers at the ARCH Disability Law Clinic and join “This Matters” to explain why people should be concerned.

The airline industry is in a financial tailspin as travel remains limited and borders of many countries are restricted because of COVID-19. In Canada’s aviation industry, airlines are under more pressure than ever before. The largest airlines are laying off thousands, while smaller ones could face bankruptcy. Robert Kokonis, founder of aviation consulting firm AirTrav, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung on the dire state of the industry, why the costs will be passed onto flyers (eventually) and what the federal government should be doing to help.

In Canada’s non-profit sector, where many disenfranchised and racialized communities are considered, there is actually a diversity problem. A recent survey has revealed BIPOC are not represented in leadership at the table in their boardrooms. Today on “This Matters,” we hear a powerful personal story of what that looks like from Soofia Mahmood, an immigrant who works in non-profits. Later, Toronto Star reporter Nicholas Keung explains what the data reveals and what the impact is on the ground.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Hundreds of encampments have popped up in Toronto’s city parks since the start of the pandemic. On “This Matters” we hear first-hand stories from Dom, an encampment resident who lives in Alexandra Park, who shares his experience surviving on the street. Lorraine Lam, an outreach worker from Sanctuary Toronto, joins part two of the episode to talk about what the city needs to do to help the most vulnerable.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

If you’re feeling tired and rundown: you’re not alone. There’s a name for what you’re feeling — pandemic fatigue — a biological response to your brain processing the “fight or flight” instinct over and over again, with no definitive timeline on when the pandemic will end. Steve Joordens, psychology professor at the University of Toronto Scarborough, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung about the fatigue we’re all facing, what “staring at the bear” does to your brain and strategies on how to re-fill your mental ‘tank’ through the pandemic.

The boys of summer have reported for Spring Training, and thanks to some new additions, excitement for the Blue Jays is very high. Gregor Chisolm and Mike Wilner, the Star’s baseball columnists, join “This Matters” to talk about the team’s prospects, what the new additions add and why Toronto sports fans have reason for hope.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Digital culture has long had an impact on our relationship with our bodies. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has fed into that too. Managing our health is harder than ever. One result is an alarming rise of people with eating disorders. On today’s episode, mental health reporter Nadine Yousif talks to “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz about eating disorders, why they are on the rise and why we need to take the rise in cases seriously.

If you need information about understanding or finding help for an eating disorder, click here.

https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/understanding-and-finding-help-for-eating-disorders/

A new voice chat-based social media app called Clubhouse has become the talk of tech town. Clubhouse offers something different in the social media space in that it’s focused on audio. Data shows downloads just crossed 10 million in the Apple app store. The majority of those were just in the month of February alone. For an app that was little more than a blip on the radar until recently, it has also caused a fair share of controversy. On February 8, China blocked access to the app across the country, adding it to a list of thousands of websites and apps the ruling party doesn’t want the people to see or use. The Star’s Vancouver-based reporter Joanna Chiu joins “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of Clubhouse.

The Conservative Party of Canada is in a rebuilding phase as leader Erin O’Toole says there is “no place for the far right” in the party and has signalled a shift to the middle of the political spectrum. Susan Delacourt, national columnist for the Toronto Star, joins “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung to talk about the current state of the Tories, the idea of centrism in 2021 and what the long game strategy is for Canada’s official opposition party.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

The battle over the multibillion dollar estate of Barry and Honey Sherman is something worthy of Shakespeare or HBO’s “Succession.” From business to charitable pursuits, the children of the Shermans are in a bitter dispute over how to manage their fortune. Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter at The Star, has been investigating this case since the December 2017 double homicide and wrote the book “The Billionaire Murders.” He joins “This Matters” to detail what happened to the Sherman family and fortune, and gives an update on the investigation.

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In 2008, Canadian journalist Mellissa Fung was abducted while on assignment in Afghanistan. She survived 28 days of torture and captivity inside a hole in the ground. In her new documentary “Captive,” she makes the rare and difficult move to use the lens of her trauma to revisit the story of the Nigerian school girls who were kidnapped and brutalized by Boko Haram militants. Fung speaks to “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz about the survivors, their struggle to move on and the strange complexity of shared trauma.

Correction – The audio has been updated to reflect that Mellissa Fung was kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2008, not five years ago as stated in the original version of this podcast.

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The Province of Ontario is facing several battles over zoning after use of a tool called MZOs — Ministerial Zoning Orders — was found to expedite the planning process for new development. Some communities are fighting back against the controversial practice. Noor Javed, a Toronto Star reporter, has been following a story in Stratford, Ont. where the community successfully lobbied against the development of a controversial glass factory that benefited from MZOs and in doing so, may have set the standard on how to combat them.

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As lockdown orders have eased, many elements are still at play in the fight against COVID-19. Dr. Colin Furness, epidemiologist at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, joins “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung to sort through the science of face masks, the vaccination program, debates around reopening and a possible third wave down the road.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

Are your travel plans up in the air? Do you want to make a run for the border? Canadians have been warned about non-essential travel, but for those who still cross borders the federal government has enacted tougher measures and now requires COVID testing and quarantining when entering Canada. Those who try to dodge the rules will face possible fines. Will it help curb case numbers? Critics say there are still loopholes to travel through. Jacques Gallant, a federal politics reporter, has been following the travel file. He joins us to discuss the government’s latest moves.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Millions of Canadians say their lives are noisier than they were before the pandemic. Today, Brian Bradley, digital producer for the Star, tells us about the impact of the symphony of noise in downtown Toronto, especially for those whose professional livelihoods depend on peace and quiet, like musicians and performers. Later on, Vancouver-based reporter Joanna Chiu helps cut through the noise and talks about what kind of sounds are driving us batty and how they can affect our health.

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Advocates and families are calling for more cultural inclusivity for Canada’s aging immigrant population living in long-term care, where there is more people of colour than ever before. Toronto Star reporter Olivia Bowden talks to “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz about what we mean by cultural inclusivity and why we need it in long-term care.

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Toronto Public Health (TPH) defines a workplace outbreak as “two or more people who test positive for COVID-19 within 14 days that are connected to the workplace setting.” Rosa Saba, business reporter for the Toronto Star, joins “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung to sort through the details of workplace outbreaks, and what public health and businesses are doing to report outbreaks to the public when and where they happen.

The pandemic has shrunk people’s lives. We’ve been limited to seeing the people in our homes, some family and maybe close friends. What happens when lose contact with acquaintances and serendipitous interactions in the world? The loss of this engagement and relationships can have a detrimental effect on our lives. Amanda Mull, staff writer for “The Atlantic,” wrote an article about this and joins “This Matters” to discuss.

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A Reuters report looking at the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has revealed that Canada has been deporting thousands of people since November last year, and lawyers say these deportations are ramping up even as COVID-19 rages, putting people needlessly at risk.

The government says the deportations were necessary and done safely.

Maureen Silcoff, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers talks to “This Matters” host Saba Eitizaz about how mass deportations during a devastating pandemic could potentially become a serious health and humanitarian concern.

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It’s a story fit for a Hollywood script: anti-corruption crusader survives an assassination attempt, taking on an iron-fist government, inspiring thousands to take to the streets in protest. But this is Russia’s reality and one of the biggest political stories in the world. Alexei Navalny, opposition leader and political enemy of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has been sentenced to prison after returning to Russia, following a widely-reported poisoning. Isabelle Khurshudyan, Moscow-based correspondent for the Washington Post, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung about the mass protests in Russia, Navalny’s fight with Putin, and whether this amounts to a real threat against the Kremlin for the first time in decades.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters

With the Ontario government announcing its plan for all schools across the province to reopen, parents responded with a mixture of joy and uncertainty. The majority agrees kids should go back to the classroom, but concerns about safeguards remain as new more contagious variants of COVID-19 spread through the community. Kris Rushowy is a reporter for the Star’s Queen’s Park Bureau who has followed the school element of the pandemic. She shares what to expect and what we still don’t know about the “lesson” plan.

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As governments look for new ways to regulate big technology companies and social media networks, Google and Australia are locked in a dispute that has other nations and industries watching closely. Australia is working on a plan to have online companies compensate publishers whose content they link to. Google says they are in an untenable position and warned the plan may cause them to pull their search engine from the country. Toronto Star reporter Kieran Leavitt has been covering this story and joins “This Matters” to explain what is happening and how it could affect plans in Canada.

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Tenants and landlords in Ontario fight the same fights — an unsteady economy, unemployment and missed rent payments — and since the pandemic began, they have only gotten worse. The Star’s affordable housing reporter Victoria Gibson talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung on the precarious living situation of thousands, details of the second eviction moratorium and what a long-term fix to a long-standing problem could look like.

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QAnon, the Boogaloo movement, the Proud Boys — names once lurking on the fringes of the internet are now making mainstream headlines. On today’s episode, Saba Eitizaz talks to Amarnath Amarasingham, a veteran researcher on terrorism and political violence, about what could be next for the American far-right and whether there are some global parallels to how they operate.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

While we acknowledge Black History Month every February, there is a need to extend learning and acknowledgment and not ignore it for the rest of the year. Considering this and the work of Black Lives Matter, four Black teachers at a Toronto high school have come up with a unique course to ensure that learning is ongoing. Toronto Star reporter Angelyn Francis takes us through the story and discusses why we need to keep talking about anti-Black racism in Canada.

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Statistics Canada data shows more than 50,000 Toronto residents left between July 2019 and July 2020, while surrounding areas saw a population boom. The COVID pandemic had a big part in that. But what happens to Toronto now? David Rider, Toronto Star’s city hall bureau chief, joins “This Matters” about a shrinking Toronto and the opportunities for reinvention of how this city works in the long-haul.

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A joint investigation between the Toronto Star and the Guelph Mercury Tribune reveals how products of some of the biggest Canadian companies can be traced to manufacturers in China that have been accused of human rights violations. Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star, and Graeme McNaughton, reporter for the Guelph Mercury Tribune, join “This Matters” to talk about the revelations of their reporting, how the supply chains of major brands are tied to forced labour and the call for more accountability from business and governments.

When reached for comment on the investigations, the companies discussed in this episode had the following responses:

Following this story, Bombardier says they “do not anticipate further shipment from KTK China in the near future as those were deliveries on long lead items, prior to current regulations.”
Costco did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Greg Nakonechny, the Brick’s vice-president for legal and corporate secretary, said The Brick “has in place a program, including audits, to ensure vendors comply with its standards, including a prohibition against forced labour.”
Jim Estill, Danby’s CEO, said the company “takes very seriously the working conditions and safety of everyone who works in our supply chain. We would never knowingly use factories that use forced labour.”

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The GTA’s tow truck turf wars are once again in the news. Despite high profile busts in York Region, there have been more shootings and incidents of arson as organized crime factions battle over this lucrative industry. Three GTA police officers have been charged with bribery and extortion in the ongoing investigation. The Star’s Peter Edwards has written extensively on organized crime and gives us an update on the cops, corruption and this crime wave.

For those of you looking for a good book to curl up with during this lockdown (and also, winter!) this episode has got you covered. The Star’s books editor Deborah Dundas joins us today to talk about the latest news from the world of books and to recommend some of those buzz worthy titles to add to your reading list. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Devastation has swept through long-term-care facilities all through the COVID pandemic and shone a harsh light on how under-resourced and ill-prepared facilities are to cope with a crisis like this. Despite some government support in the first wave, things are only getting worse in the second. How do we protect those who once protected us? Star reporters Moira Welsh, who literally wrote a book on long-term care, and Donovan Vincent, an expert on housing, join us to explain where we are and where we can go.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

On his first day in office, Joe Biden signed 17 executive actions relating to protections against deportations of immigrant children, the Paris climate accord and a new leader in COVID response. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, talks to “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung about the final days of the Trump presidency, what to expect from Biden and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in their first 100 days and what the Canada-U.S. relationship looks like now. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

If ever there was something that figuratively needed a shot in the arm, it's the vaccine rollout across Canada, and unfortunately due to manufacturer delays, many Canadians will be waiting a while longer until they get that literal shot in the arm. The Star's Alex Boyd has covering vaccines and joins us to talk about what the holdup is and what other COVID-19 medicines we are waiting for and why.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Just as Canada and countries around the world struggle to contain COVID, another wrench has been thrown into the mix. How does a virus mutate? Should you be worried about the COVID variants? Does it affect how existing vaccines work? Two experts, two interviews: Dr. Tony Mazzulli, Microbiologist-in-Chief of the University Health Network and Mount Sinai Hospital’s microbiology department, along with Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease expert and clinician at the University Health Network, join “This Matters” host Adrian Cheung to demystify the science behind virus mutations, what to know about protecting yourself and what can be done to control the new strains of the virus.

In late 2020, a scientific breakthrough happened that had nothing to do with COVID vaccines. Singapore became the first country in the world to authorize the sale of lab-grown meat. Matt Simon, science reporter for WIRED Magazine, talks to host Adrian Cheung about the mystery behind the meat, fact checks the claims made by cultured meat companies and discusses why the future of meat might (or might not) be found inside of a test tube. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe here.

Disinformation and misinformation can make us emotional and angry and can even lead to violence. So how do we learn to recognize that and better assess the information we are flooded with? On today’s episode, disinformation expert and critical thinking advocate Helen Lee Bouygues talks about the power and the dangers of dis- and misinformation in a hyperpolarized world and how we can improve our critical thinking skills in these uncertain times.

In the wake of the insurrection at the Capitol building, Donald Trump’s second impeachment and Joe Biden’s upcoming inauguration, eyes are on the U.S. capital.

As the end of Trump’s term comes a close, Toronto Star Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan sat down with his predecessor Daniel Dale, now a reporter at CNN, to discuss the current state of U.S. politics and just what it’s been like to cover Trump for the last six years.

In a wide-ranging interview, they discuss the storming of the Capitol, the second impeachment, how Dale began his fact checking journey, the parallels of covering Rob Ford in Toronto, the most dangerous lies Trump has told and what’s next for the incoming Biden administration.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

With warnings of “fall off [our] chair” coronavirus modelling data, Ontario Premier Doug Ford enacted what he calls a tougher lockdown, but critics are calling its guidelines confusing and contradictory and too little, too late. Rob Ferguson, a reporter in the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau, joins “This Matters” to explain the scary numbers, the new rules and the balance the government is trying to strike.

The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team are ranked as one of the top teams in the world, but were passed over for the upcoming World Games likely in part due to their fight for sovereignty. This slight inspired an act of sportsmanship that has helped bring two nations closer together. Rex Lyons is a former player and board member of the Iroquois Nationals, and he joins “This Matters” to explain this remarkable sports story.

Toronto’s Sidewalk Labs might have started with a splash and ended with a splatter, but “smart tech” to run cities is still part of a future we cannot avoid. On today’s episode John Lorinc, Spacing senior editor and Atkinson Fellow who has been working on a series about smart cities for the Toronto Star, talks about the their potential and how the COVID-19 pandemic might have helped paved the way for a smart city future in Toronto.

Ontario’s long-term care homes are in crisis once again, and doctors and medical experts are criticizing the province for delays in the vaccination rollout, a lack of transparency and its failures to address institutional problems in the LTC system. Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital and University Health Network, explains what lessons weren’t learned in the first wave, why ageism kills and what must be done now to save seniors in the months ahead.

On the day the U.S. Congress voted to certify the ballots confirming Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, a pro-Trump mob stormed into the U.S. Capitol threatening to upend the results of the election. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, joins “This Matters” to talk about what he saw unfold at the insurrection and how it shook American democracy.

If we buckle down for one last, longer lockdown, could we avoid a third wave of COVID-19, save lives and see improved economic outcomes? A new report says just that. Saba Eitizaz speaks with Robert Greenhill, executive chair of Global Canada, who spearheads a task force advocating for the new strategy called “the Canadian Shield approach.”

After pressure from advocates and health officials, Toronto will be naming employers with COVID-19 outbreaks that pose a significant risk to public health. It’s a change in policy many have long been calling for. Sara Mojtehedzadeh is The Star’s work and wealth reporter and joins “This Matters” to discuss what this means for essential workers and why the data is important.

COVID-19, among other things, has been a global pandemic of unemployment. Millions have been laid off, asked to take indefinite leave or outright fired. On “This Matters” today, host Saba Eitizaz talks to experienced career coach and talent recruiter Michelle Nadon about how one can go about kick-starting 2021 on a better note, whether it’s your career, a prospective new job or life in general.

This is a rebroadcast from July 6, 2020.

How do we travel now? What are the ways that are safest? Travel bubbles, a road-trip renaissance, camping, RVing, longer and more meaningful trips, visiting friends and family. Sarah Khan, travel writer, talks to Adrian Cheung about what the future of travel looks like and why this could be the great re-set on how we see the world. The way we travel has changed, perhaps forever.

This is a rebroadcast from May 8, 2020.

Murder hornets. Murder. Hornets. The Asian giant hornet has quite the moniker, given for its sting and appetite for the offspring of honey bees, and the threat it poses to honey bee populations. News recently emerged that these hornets were in North America. But eight months ago, after hearing about sightings, B.C. beekeepers John and Moufida Holubeshen first tracked, got stung, and then went home, got suited up with better defence and brought reinforcements to terminate and extract a nest of over 100 Asian giant hornets and 600 larvae. This is not the script outline for a B-movie. This happened and the Star’s Alex McKeen sat down with John and Moufida, who told their story of a showdown at Robins Park...at the end of Honey Drive (really, that’s the road where they found the nest).

This is a rebroadcast from June 9, 2020.

Desmond Cole, activist, journalist and author, offers his opinion in a conversation with Adrian Cheung, on the movement to defund policing and why he thinks the system of policing, as we understand it, should be abolished.

This is a rebroadcast from September 3, 2020.

Brain computer technology is at a point where the potential medical implications are so exciting many players are pursuing different approaches to the field. The potential ethics of using this technology are sometimes best explained in science fiction like “Black Mirror” and “The Matrix.” Neurotechnologist Graeme Moffat joins This Matters to discuss the latest in brain computer interface technology. He explains what’s important about Elon Musk’s recent Neuralink presentation where he revealed “Cyber Pigs.”

This is a rebroadcast from July 13, 2020. Full transcription available here (thanks to Access Now for transcribing).

A lot of us haven’t thought about the fact that the way we’re experiencing the world in the midst of a deadly virus, might actually just be every day in the life of a disabled person, even before a pandemic. Maayan Ziv, disability rights activist and the founder and CEO of AccessNow, a digital accessibility platform for the disabled, talks about the struggles and rights of Canada’s disabled community – and what we need to do to make inclusive and safe spaces for everyone in our collective experience.

This episode is a rebroadcast from December 1.

While Toronto transforms in the summer, it seems to go into hiding in the winter. But now with COVID considered, it may be wise to embrace the season as cities like Montreal, Quebec City and Winnipeg do. Can Toronto remake this city as a place that embraces winter (and finally shake that embarrassing incident about calling in the army to help clear the snow)? Columnist Shawn Micallef joins Adrian Cheung to talk about winterizing Toronto and how we can make the most of it in the long, cold months ahead.

Food writer and editor Suresh Doss specializes in highlighting the culinary gems in Toronto’s strip malls and plazas. He joins the Star’s food reporter Karon Liu on “This Matters” to talk about the particular challenges of food businesses in the suburbs, how younger generations are keeping their parents’ businesses alive and, of course, where he’s been getting takeout.

On this feel good episode of “This Matters,” host Saba Eitizaz talks to Toronto Star digital producer Andy Macdonald, who started our very own good news section, about some news stories that got us to smile this year. There is no doubt we really needed them!

Is it time to reset our relationship with digital technology and social media? Tech expert and director of Citizen Lab, Ron Deibert explores that question in “Reset: Reclaiming the Internet for Civil Society.” Deibert talks to Adrian Cheung about the true cost of our reliance on technology, the social dilemma we find ourselves in and how we can reclaim power in a world that keeps moving online.

From houses, condos and commercial, to apartment rentals and affordable housing, 2020 was a wild ride for real estate when many markets in the GTA managed to defy the pandemic’s ability to crush anything in its path. Tess Kalinowksi covers real estate for the Star and joins “This Matters” to discuss the real estate market and the year that was.

Four Indigenous skulls were gifted from one famous doctor to another almost 150 years ago. Could they still exist? From a letter found written by Dr. William Osler, two current day doctors picked up the thread and undertook an investigation that lasted over two years, crossed continents and brought a man to come out of retirement to pick up the case. David Bruser, investigations editor at The Star, joins “This Matters” to discuss the fascinating story.

We wouldn’t have COVID-19 vaccines or know what we know about them without the people who went in blind — those who participated in the clinical trials to check for safety and efficacy. Ian Haydon from Seattle, WA, was one of the earliest volunteers for the Moderna vaccine. In today’s episode, he shares with us what it was like to be a test subject and be part of shaping what we know about the much-anticipated vaccine.

A Star investigation has revealed the incredible toll on Amazon warehouse workers, based on internal company records. Worker injuries have spiked during COVID-19 with injury rates doubling in Toronto area sites since 2016. That is a significant rise. The injury rate is 15 per cent higher in Canada than in the U.S. The Star’s work and wealth reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh joins Saba Eitizaz to talk about the plight of low wage, temporary, warehouse workers whose rights have not been well protected even before a deadly global pandemic.

Facebook is facing an antitrust lawsuit brought forth by the Federal Trade Commission and 48 U.S. Attorney Generals accusing it of monopolistic behaviour. This may lead to unwinding its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp, two other popular social networks. John Biggs, editor-of-chief of Gizmodo, joins “This Matters” to discuss whether or not this could be the beginning of regulation and consequences for big tech companies.

Ontario marked the first recipient of the Health Canada-approved Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, with at least 96,000 more to follow by year’s end. Distribution will be the next challenge. Who gets the vaccine first? What “high priority” regions will be reached? What can we expect over the next 12 months? Toronto Star reporter Rob Ferguson joins “This Matters” to talk about the vaccine plans, the timeline on when you can expect to get vaccinated and why “immunity passports” are being considered.

Premier Doug Ford seemed to strike a different tone in the first half of the pandemic, but now some critics think he's back to business as usual. His recent move to grant degrees at controversial religious school and repeated use of a strong-arm development tactic has conservationists concerned. Martin Regg Cohn is the Star's Ontario Politics columnists and he joins “This Matters” to discuss the Ford Government's controversial moves.

Crime is like a virus in a pandemic. Just this week, news broke a hacker gained access to documents related to Pfizer and Biontech’s vaccine and in another case, $11 million was stolen from pandemic relief funds in Ontario. The Star’s Peter Edwards and Robert Benzie joins “This Matters” to discuss how organized crime is at play in these uncertain times and how the authorities are trying to track down Ontario’s missing money.

Kaavan, once dubbed the world’s loneliest elephant, captured worldwide attention last month when he was rescued from miserable conditions at a zoo in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad where he was held for 35 years and sent to an animal sanctuary in Cambodia. There was one key person behind the effort to move him: pop star Cher. Secunder Kermani reports on Pakistan for the BBC, and he joins Saba Eitizaz to tell the story of how it took several animal rights organizations, a court order and a pop star to win the freedom of one lonely elephant.

In the second wave of COVID-19, just as The Star reported in the first, Toronto Public Health data shows the inequality of the virus and who is impacted most. High positivity rates reveal racialized people and poor people — who often working essential but low-paying jobs — are more likely to be exposed to the virus and yet often have fewer options and resources. Toronto Star reporters Jennifer Yang and Kate Allen join “This Matters” to discuss how in pandemic times, all is not equal.

A vaccine has been a hope for many locked in, exhausted people grappling with the pandemic and today we learned an option for vaccination is a lot closer for Canadians than we thought. There has been a lot of buzz, curiosity and questions around vaccines, so we have asked one of Health Canada’s top doctors to shed light. Dr. Supriya Sharma is chief medical advisor at Health Canada and she joins “This Matters” to talk about how COVID-19 vaccines are being assessed and what it will be like to take one.

Christopher Lau and his 10-year-old son join Raju Mudhar to discuss their father-son investigation into why the odds of getting prized Tim Hortons NHL cards did not appear to be in their favour. After getting ankle deep into the card collecting world, there appeared to be possible answers to why prized cards seemed to be missing, fuelled by high resale values and collectors who weigh the risks, and the cards.

After being reached for comment, Tim Hortons provided “This Matters” the following response:

“In response to feedback we received from our guests during past years of this program, we proactively updated security measures in place for our hockey card program, and developed clear training materials for restaurant owners and team members to ensure everyone can have equal odds of receiving any one of the cards in our Tim Hortons NHL Trading Card sets. Restaurant owners work hard to ensure these rules and security measures are being followed and to date in 2020, we have not directly received a complaint about this issue from any of our more than 4,000 locations across Canada. However, if any guests are concerned about sales of hockey cards at a restaurant, we ask them to visit https://www.timhortons.ca/contact-us and share details about their experience so we can investigate further.”

“This Matters” heads back to the ER with Dr. David Carr, an emergency room physician in Toronto, to share the experiences of frontline health care workers, the health care lessons that have been learned, and what his best day of the pandemic means for everyone else.

Social media harassment is about more than words. It is violence and it is dangerous. We’ve witnessed a lot of ugliness during these polarizing and pandemic times, and a lot of it has been directed at women, particularly women of colour. As cyber misogyny has increased steadily, so have challenges to the notion that women’s online harassment is a matter of specific and particular concern. But in fact, ramifications impact everyone and the facts are black and white. Women are harassed more than men and the violence carries discriminatory harm that becomes rooted in our history.

Shree Paradkar, The Star’s race and gender columnist, joins “This Matters” to discuss.

While Toronto transforms in the summer, it seems to go into hiding in the winter. But now with COVID considered, it may be wise to embrace the season as cities like Montreal, Quebec City and Winnipeg do. Can Toronto remake this city as a place that embraces winter (and finally shake that embarrassing incident about calling in the army to help clear the snow)? Columnist Shawn Micallef joins Adrian Cheung to talk about winterizing Toronto and how we can make the most of it in the long, cold months ahead.

Despite the name, access to rapid tests for COVID-19 in Canada is moving at a glacial pace. The federal government has purchased 38 million tests and rolled out 5.5 million to the provinces, where they are used in a limit capacity or just stockpiled for future use. What is the hold up? Star reporter Jacques Gallant joins This Matters to discuss why the drive for rapid testing isn’t moving faster.

The COVID-19 pandemic stirred the greatest shift in our workplaces in a generation when 3.4 million Canadians moved from their offices to work from home. That is not going to change anytime soon. Now what happens to the thousands of offices and retail spaces that used be filled up? Is there a way we can re-purpose these spaces and buildings to meet the needs of a post-pandemic life? City Hall columnist Matt Elliott joins This Matters to talk about the future of our office spaces.

Whatever you want to call it, the only way to characterize Trump’s post-election actions are extraordinary. From court challenges to pressuring state electors, the U.S. President took steps to stay in power despite how the vote turned out. With the transition underway, the Star’s Washington Bureau chief Edward Keenan joins This Matters to discuss what’s next for the Republican Party and the “Celebrity President.”

Until yesterday, despite cases rising and out-numbering bigger provinces, Albertans were free to dine out, shop and gather in groups even as Ontario went into lockdown and other provinces tightened restrictions. Alex Boyd, a Toronto Star reporter in Calgary, joins This Matters to explain what’s going on in Alberta, what the new measures mean and what the consequences might be for Albertans as the provincial government tries to balance public opinion, politics and a pandemic.

WARNING: This podcast contains sensitive subject matter, including suicide and self-harm, that could be triggering for some readers.

Young people are in crisis more than ever, often asking for help, with many having trouble accessing. The Star’s Generation Distress series looks at the many issues surrounding mental health, youth and the barriers they face. Robert Cribb is an investigative reporter at the Star, and director of the Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto. He joins This Matters to talk about this massive and important subject.

If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

Governments have been criticized for confusing, and at times, contradictory messaging and policies on COVID-19 restrictions. Roxanne Khamsi, science journalist and contributor to WIRED Magazine, joins This Matters to talk about the muddied waters of public health messaging and why that makes controlling COVID in the second wave that much harder.

Nearly two million school-age children in the UK, who qualify for government-subsidized school meals, were facing hunger due to schools closing during pandemic lockdowns, until Manchester United's Marcus Rashford stepped in. Shireen Ahmed, writer and co-host of the ‘Burn It All Down’ podcast joins Adrian Cheung to talk about Rashford, how he represents a new generation of athletes refusing to ‘shut up and dribble’ and who are using their voices to drive social and political change.

As concert halls and live music venues sit empty during this pandemic, the Canadian Live Music Coalition says 90 per cent of them are at risk of closing forever. Can they be saved through government support, some crazy scheme or is the hope of a vaccine their best bet? Jonny Dovercourt, co-founder and artistic director of Wavelength Music Series and author of “Any Night of the Week: A D.I.Y. History of Toronto Music (1957-2001),” joins us to discuss if the bands will play on.

According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, about 15 per cent of Canadians experience a wave of low emotions during the upcoming cold and dark days, or as we know it, the winter blues. Some experience a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder, known as SAD. It can actually impair daily life and lead to medical treatment. Dr. JianLi Wang, the Director of the Work and Mental Health Research Unit at the Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research in Ottawa, explains the ways we can assess ourselves, make sure we are okay and how fight back those pandemic winter blues.

The Toronto Star’s business reporter Rosa Saba joins Saba Eitizaz on This Matters to talk about the government’s dangling promise of nationalized child-care, what will it look like and how it can help regain lost ground and equal participation in an economy that will really need it now more than ever.

Since mid-March, Ottawa has imposed strict travel restrictions against foreign nationals, including holders of permanent resident visas. Meanwhile the clock is ticking for many whose permanent visas have expired or are near expiry. In today’s episode, the Star’s immigration reporter Nicholas Keung explains what is going on. Fatima Camara, a teacher from Belarus, also joins to share her family’s story of being stuck in limbo after getting their permanent resident visas and packing up their old lives.

Karon Liu, Toronto Star’s food and culture reporter, talks to Adrian Cheung about the inventive ways restaurants are changing for the long-term and how many small business owners are refusing to give up in an unprecedented crisis for their industry.

As many people have been forced to work from home and conduct their business remotely, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of high-speed internet for all Canadians. Access to fast, reliable internet in pandemic times and the digital age is not just about downloading files or streaming Netflix. It is about getting access to education, health and equal opportunities. Alex Boutilier, a national politics reporter with the Toronto Star, joins This Matters to talk about the digital inequality resulting from high speed internet access, what the digital divide means for Canadians and what it will take to end it.

People are calling Pfizer’s announcement of a potential COVID-19 vaccine a light at the end of the tunnel. But right now, it’s just an announcement that some say is “science by press release” and there are a lot of logistical hurdles to be passed before we get this particular shot in the arm. Alex Boyd is a Star Reporter who’s been following the Road to a Vaccine. She returns to This Matters to discuss the latest vaccine development news.

Ontario's COVID-19 case counts are reaching record numbers, but some health officials say they might be stabilizing. The Star's Ed Tubb has been focusing on the data and takes This Matters through what the numbers are telling us, where things are looking up and where there's cause for concern.

Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, returns to ‘This Matters’ to talk about the election win, the fallout for the US and what a Biden presidency means for the Canada-US relationship, for the next four years.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This version was originally broadcast on September 24, but much of what Geoffrey Skelley, of FiveThirtyEight, predicted could happen, happened. The presidency is settled. But Skelley discusses what could come next.

Joe Biden is the President-Elect, capturing more than 270 electoral college votes, with more than 4 million votes cast in his favour over Donald Trump. But like so much of his one-term presidency, Trump isn’t following convention. Before, and now after the election, he has claimed voter fraud, with no evidence. He claimed he won on election night, even though he didn’t. He and his campaign refuse to concede the presidency. Does that refusal mean anything?

Geoffrey Skelley, elections analyst for FiveThirtyEight, breaks down how Trump can dispute the results, why it could turn into an ugly fight at the Supreme Court level and what the legal checks and balances are to ensure the election winner serves as president.

This week in the U.S. Electoral vote, in Washington, D.C., and Oregon, voters chose to get on the path to decriminalize psilocybin for therapeutic use. This past August in Canada, four terminally ill cancer patients were given approval to use psilocybin as part of their end of life treatment. Psilocybin is the main psychoactive ingredient in “magic mushrooms.” Mushrooms and other psychedelic drugs have long been considered party drugs, but movements are afoot to study and use them for therapeutic purposes. Omar Mosleh is an Edmonton-based Star Reporter who joins This Matters to discusses the latest in research and attempts to find new uses for certain mood altering substances.

April 23, 2018, marks one of the darkest days in Toronto’s history. On a sunny afternoon, 25-year-old Alek Minassian drove a full-size van down Yonge Street and onto the sidewalk, hitting pedestrians. 10 people were killed and another 16 people were seriously injured in the attack. Toronto fell into a state of mourning, struggling to understand the violence. Minassian told police officers that his motivation stemmed from the so-called ‘incel’ subculture. More than two years after the incident, Minassian will be on trial next week, by judge only and done entirely over Zoom. He has admitted to planning and carrying out the attack in a court of law and the Crown says it believes he acted alone in the attack. Whether he committed the act isn’t up for legal debate. Alyshah Hasham, Toronto Star’s courts and justice reporter, breaks down what the trial will focus on, what Minassian is being tried for, and the complexity of handling a difficult court case over video conferencing.

Joe Biden told his supporters, “it ain’t over until every vote is counted.” But incumbent Donald Trump falsely claimed he won the election and with no evidence, claimed electoral fraud was afoot. In a year like no other, an election like no other, in a haze of disinformation and bogus claims, ‘This Matters’ parses through the facts of the US election. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, joins Adrian Cheung to break down what we know after election night, what we’re still waiting to find out, the fallibility of the polls, and what Canadians should make of an election they have no hand in.

It’s now officially the day after the U.S. election. As many expected, the race is still too close to call.

“Everybody was really eager to vote. Those who support Donald Trump really support him and those who want to be rid of him, really were eager to vote to be rid of him.”

That was the Star’s Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan who was a block away from the White House, speaking to Saba Eitizaz, in the early hours following the U.S. election, as part of the Star’s live coverage, rebroadcasted here.

This Matters will have more to come but as a nation and a world sit doing hypothetical electoral college math, Keenan talks about where this election is at right now. Trump? Biden? Courts? Chaos?

This Matters will have more to come but as a nation and a world sit doing hypothetical electoral college math, Keenan talks about where this election is at right now. Trump or Biden? Courts or Chaos?

Experts are warning people watching the U.S. election to be prepared for a deluge of disinformation. Today, This Matters looks at two perspectives that Star reporters have recently covered regarding this huge problem. Alex McKeen joins to talk about the surprising role Canadian’s play in creating and sharing disinformation, and then, Douglas Quans tells us what online platforms like Facebook and Twitter are doing to fight misinformation.

Jared Yates Sexton, host of ‘The Muckrake Political Podcast’ and the author of ‘American Rule’ says America is built on what he calls “foundational myths,” and how stories the United States tells itself, about itself, have often been used as justification for violence and abuse, for generations. Adrian Cheung talks to Sexton about how the doctrine of ‘American exceptionalism’ has led to this moment of reckoning and where the US is headed next, heading into a pivotal election.

Edward Keenan, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief, joins This Matters to discuss the upcoming U.S. election — in particular the view from up here and what Canadians are looking and hoping for after the big day in November.

Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, talks to Adrian Cheung about the state of the Canada/U.S. economic relationship. Together they parse through the promises and policies to figure out if Trump or Biden is better for the Canadian economy.

Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies have had blow back effects on Canada. Will that change depending on who wins the U.S. election on Nov. 3? Today, The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief Ed Keenan joins us on This Matters to discuss the upcoming U.S. elections through the lens of immigration policy and how Canada could be impacted.

The environmental protections (or lack of) that are proposed and acted on by the next U.S. president will have serious consequences for Canada and the rest of the world. Edward Keenan, Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, talks to Adrian Cheung about how the two presidential candidates view the threat of climate change, their promises on renewable energy and what it all means for Canada.

For Donald Trump, sewing confusion and chaos is part of the plan. As the election nears, the question is if this will work, and if he wins, what that could mean for Canada's future in the world. Edward Keenan is the Star's Washington Bureau Chief and he joins This Matters to discuss.

Whether it’s Trump or Biden, whoever claims the Oval Office will be able to affect just how and when the border reopens —something which will have an impact on Canadian economy and community and Canada’s traditional role as a close ally of the U.S. The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan joins Saba Eitizaz on This Matters to discuss the US elections just around the corner —and what the outcome could look like at the border.

The Ontario Government has upended the government by increasing the use of Minister's Zoning Order, a legislative tool that serves as the ultimate trump card in the development planning process. It's supposed to be a way to cut red tape, but is starting to raise red flags. Star reporters Noor Javed and Jennifer Pagliaro join This Matters to explain.

Halloween is going to be different this year, but let's not forget that the paranormal denizens of this city will also be missing out. Historian Bruce Bell takes a through some of Toronto's spookiest ghost stories, and explains the history behind them.

“Mr. Vice President, I am speaking.” In a way, hearing Senator Kamala Harris call it out put every woman triumphantly in her shoes — and started a conversation. Toronto Star journalists Evy Kwong, Jenn Moon and Angelyn Francis reached out to women across professional and cultural spectrums and they’re on This Matters to share those experiences and ask: Why do men interrupt women, why is it inappropriate and what can we do about it?

The first wave of this deadly pandemic shone a glaring spotlight on how under-resourced and ill prepared Ontario’s nursing homes were to cope with a situation like this. The Star’s investigative reporter Moira Welsh covered this and she is on This Matters today to explain what’s going on, what might be next —and, pandemic aside, are long term care homes making any systemic changes for the future?

The violence against Mi’kmaq fishers and community members stems from the interference of non-Indigenous fishers on the First Nations treaty right to fish for lobster in Nova Scotia waters. Pam Palmater, Mi’kmaq lawyer, professor and Chair of Indigenous Governance at Ryerson University, breaks down what the recent Supreme Court ruling means for the Mi’kmaq people, how this case is the latest example of systemic violence against Indigenous peoples and why the terms of “moderate livelihood” is a distraction from the real problems of racial injustice.

COVID-19 control measures, size of city council, road tolls: who gets to call the shots? The city or the province? Jennifer Pagliaro, city hall reporter for the Toronto Star, talks to Adrian Cheung about the push-and-pull relationship between City Hall and Queen’s Park, the powers Toronto has in controlling its fate and the case for “charter city” status for the economic recovery ahead.

How the Christine Jessop cold case was solved and keeps changing the justice system, from wrongful convictions to genetic genealogy. After over 35 years, Toronto Police say they have found the killer of Christine Jessop, a nine-year-old girl who cold case was one of most notorious in Canada. The Star's Alyshah Hasham explains how a new forensic technique helped break this case, and why it may offer hope for others.

Deborah Dundas, the Star’s Books Editor joins Saba Eitizaz on This Matters to talk about some of the top contenders in Canadian literature, how the pandemic is affecting the business and gives some excellent book recommendations that are absolute must reads.

Toronto Star reporter May Warren had COVID-19 in March, but at the time, she was not eligible for a test to confirm the diagnosis. A recent antibody test finally confirmed that. Today she joins This Matters to tell us about how that test went, what the results mean and what the importance of antibodies are in the fight against the pandemic.

This episode is a rebroadcast from Monday, September 21.

From bread baking to meal kits to everyone cooking at home more, The Star’s Karon Liu, a culture & food reporter, joins This Matters to talk about COVID-19 pandemic trends in food buying habits and how the industry is adapting.

COVID-19 has already taken out a few holidays, but now Thanksgiving, Halloween and even Christmas are lined up in its sights. Colin Furness, an infection control epidemiologist, talks to This Matters about how to navigate the festivities, pandemic style.

Ontario allows for doctors to bill for up to eight nerve blocks per patient, per day, without a limit on a frequency of those visits, an exclusive Toronto Star investigation looking into how chronic pain management has become big business in Ontario reveals. The tax-funded health system has paid more than $420 million for these kinds of nerve blocks since 2011. Star reporters Theresa Boyle and Jesse McLean were part of the investigating team who covered this and they join Saba Eitizaz on This Matters.

According to leaked data, positive coronavirus test result rates for over two-thirds of the neighbourhoods in Toronto are far above the threshold established by Public Health officials. Star reporters Kate Allen and Jennifer Yang join This Matters to discuss these alarming numbers.

When borders do reopen, what should that look like? Who should be allowed in? What public health protocols and benchmarks should Canada meet before we even consider it? Dr. Vivek Goel, professor at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health and member of the federal government’s COVID Immunity Task Force, talks to Adrian Cheung about the research of reopening borders and why a “blanket ban” on all visitors might not be a long-term answer.

Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter at the Star, has been covering the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman since it occurred. This week, his investigation takes him to the Supreme Court of Canada, in an effort to get court documents that are pertinent to the case. He joins This Matters to discuss.

‘This Matters’ breaks down the second wave of the coronavirus on two fronts — with Ed Tubb, Toronto Star editor, on the meaning of the latest numbers and Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star reporter, on what mental stress we are about to face and how we can beat the blues.

TikTok is embroiled in controversy over the U.S.-planned ban and forced sale. What does this mean for users in Canada? Emma Buchanan, a writer and researcher at Rogers CyberSecure Catalyst and a Ryerson Journalism student, joins This Matters to explain what’s happening with the social video app.

Assistant Editor of Chatelaine magazine, Radiyah Chowdhury, speaks to This Matters about the urgent need for the country’s mental health care to be more adaptive towards different races, cultures and communities.

Is a Chief Coroner the right man to lead Ontario’s COVID-19 response? Dr. Dirk Huyer is the top man in Ontario to oversee and help minimize spread of the virus but some public health experts and doctors are questioning his appointment. In addition, his office has been under fire for, among several points, inadequate analysis of mortality data. Rachel Mendleson, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star, talks to This Matters about her and Hamilton Spectator reporter Joanna Frketich’s deep look into Huyer’s role.

The University of Toronto’s law school has been accused of blocking the hiring of an international candidate as Director of the prestigious International Human Rights Program. Shree Paradkar, the Star’s Race and Gender columnist covered the story and is here to talk about what happened and how a university’s internal hiring process has become a matter of national and international controversy.

Two of the world’s biggest tech companies are about to face off in court. Epic Games picked a fight with Apple in August with a new feature on the popular game “Fortnite.” Epic says what’s at stake is how you download apps and pay on your device. Apple says this is about following the rules on the devices they make. Kyle Orland, senior gaming editor at Ars Technica, breaks down this business Battle Royale.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on whether he would accept the results of election day in November. What if Trump loses the election but refuses to leave the White House? Today on This Matters, Geoffrey Skelley, elections analyst for FiveThirtyEight, breaks down how Trump can dispute the results, why it could turn into an ugly fight at the Supreme Court level and what the legal checks and balances are to ensure the election winner serves as president.

For the political nerds listening (respect!), Geoffrey gets deep into the different simulations, at a state level, at an Electoral College level, how the Constitution gets wrapped up in what could a full-blown legal battle. A lot of that has been edited out of this version but you can find all of that in the What if Trump won’t leave? (FiveThirtyEight extended cut for political junkies) version of this episode on the “This Matters” podcast feed. Trust us, it’s fascinating stuff. But if you want to skip all of that, just keep listening right here.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This version is for you political nerds listening (respect!). This double-length episode goes deep into the different simulations, at a state level, at an Electoral College level, and how the Constitution gets wrapped up in what could a full-blown legal battle.

If you want to skip all of that, go to the 'This Matters' feed and just listen to the condensed What if Trump won’t leave? version.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on whether he would accept the results of election day in November. What if Trump loses the election but refuses to leave the White House? Today on This Matters, Geoffrey Skelley, elections analyst for FiveThirtyEight, breaks down how Trump can dispute the results, why it could turn into an ugly fight at the Supreme Court level and what the legal checks and balances are to ensure the election winner serves as president.

COVID-19 case numbers are spiking in Ontario and across Canada. We talk with Ed Tubb, who has been following COVID-19 data for The Star. He tells us what the numbers mean, what they are pointing too and what information we still don't know.

From bread baking to meal kits to everyone cooking at home more, The Star’s Karon Liu, a culture & food reporter, joins This Matters to talk about COVID-19 pandemic trends in food buying habits and how the industry is adapting.

This Matters lifts the veil on what QAnon is, how it’s spread like a virus in mainstream discourse, what responsibilities social media companies have in cracking down on it and why internet-fuelled (and false) beliefs carry real consequences.

Six months ago, QAnon was a little-known conspiracy theory on the fringes of the internet. Today it has hit the mainstream. QAnon is a big-tent conspiracy theory, falsely alleging the world is run by a cabal of devil-worshipping pedophiles. Their ideas have resulted in real-world violence and supporters have won legislative races in the U.S.

Amarnath Amarasingham, associate professor at Queen’s University and associate fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization, explains how QAnon has pushed believers to act out in violence and why the conspiracy theory carries a particular “religious” tone.

There is a global race on to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, and at the same time, nations are jockeying to make sure they will have enough when it arrives. The Star's Alex Boyd has been following this and joins This Matters to talk about the road to a vaccine.

New data shows not only is women’s participation in the workforce is at a historical low, but racialized, low-income and immigrant women have been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impacts. In today’s This Matters, the Star’s business reporter Rosa Saba talks about how the pandemic has been another setback for women and what can be done to regain lost ground.

Think of it as very early version of the movie Minority Report. Many police forces are using big data to automate surveillance and predict where crimes might occur. From facial recognition to social media analysis and more, technology and human rights lawyer Cynthia Khoo explains what we need to know about algorithmic policing and what it means for your rights.

How does racial trauma impact lives and careers? Can you get PTSD from your workplace? In today’s episode, Dr. Monnica Williams explains. Dr. Williams is an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Psychology. She has extensively studied the impact of racial trauma on people of colour.

WE Charity announced this week that it is ending all Canadian operations, a development set against the backdrop of a national political scandal. Jaren Kerr, a journalist who broke many stories about the inner workings of the WE organization, takes us inside and looks back at the charity that seemingly couldn’t falter, but now finds itself in a tailspin.

With many people facing the possibility of working remotely permanently, this pandemic is the right time to move out of the big city. The urban exodus is happening, at least for some, and today on This Matters, we speak with someone who has made the choice to leave the province, as well as a real estate agent who looks at the numbers.

The move to cashless business has a big cost. A 2019 study showed that 17 percent of the UK’s population would “struggle to cope in a cashless society.” Many in Canada will also be at a disadvantage. Brendan Kennedy, Toronto Star’s social justice reporter, joins Adrian Cheung to talk about how quickly Canada has embraced the cashless evolution, who is getting quickly left out and why a story often told in technological and economic terms is — at heart — a story about inequality.

Usually, a day after Labour Day, many kids, parents and teachers are ready and eager — and a bit nervours — to go back to school. But this year, during a pandemic, that nervousness is at a new high. What will this school year be like? What happends if a child or teacher in school tests positive for COVID-19? What about bussing? Or playing? Kids are kids, after all. The Star’s Kristin Rushowy sat down with Evy Kwong from the Star’s audience team to answer questions about back to school sent by readers and listeners in a Q&A last week.

This Labour Day, This Matters is rebroadcasting the first episode of the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle between a scrappy group of Toronto food couriers and the app company they work for.

Listen to all six episodes at thestar.com/hustled or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Toronto Police Constable Heather McWilliam was sexually harassed for years by her supervisors, including a sexual assault in the form of a forced kiss, and six years after she decided to fight back — the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ruled in her favour. Constable Heather McWilliam shares her story with the Toronto Star.

Former Chief of Police Mark Saunders said at the time of the decision “The findings by the Human Rights Tribunal are serious and concerning to me as Chief of Police.”

The department has also issued a statement saying that an external law firm has been contracted to provide mandatory sexual harassment training for all members of the Division — which will eventually be expanded to every member of the Toronto Police Force. There are also plans to address procedural issues in cases like these — as ordered by the Tribunal.

Brain computer technology is at a point where the potential medical implications are so exciting many players are pursuing different approaches to the field. The potential ethics of using this technology are sometimes best explained in science fiction like “Black Mirror” and “The Matrix.” Neurotechnologist Graeme Moffat joins This Matters to discuss the latest in brain computer interface technology. He explains what’s important about Elon Musk’s recent Neuralink presentation where he revealed “Cyber Pigs.”

The multibillion-dollar skin whitening cream industry has until recently bombarded people with images of white skin being more desirable. As the Black Lives Matter movement gained traction in calling out racism around the world, it also pressured top brands to rethink their products. Some experts are worried nothing has really changed. Amina Mire, author of the book “Wellness in Whiteness: Biomedicalization and promotion of Whiteness and Youth Among Women” and an associate professor at Carleton University talks to This Matters about what we need to know about “rebranded” skin whitening creams.

With COVID-19 quarantine, the air has been cleaner and the streets have an eerie stillness, but the light has never shone brighter on longstanding social, economic and racial inequality in our lives. The concept of noise in a city — and who gets the worst of it — is a direct reflection of those inequities. Matthew Braga, freelance writer on technology, science and culture, recently reported on this very concept: can it be this quiet for good? And quiet for whom? The answers to those questions are tied up in Toronto’s decades-long war against noise and the way it interweaves with class, privilege, race and power in this, and essentially, every city.

The Law Society of Ontario, which represents more than 55,000 lawyers says only 3.2 percent of Ontario’s lawyers are Black. This is no different from so many industries (including news media) but it still led Ryan Watkins — one of the city’s leading employment law experts — to conduct an analysis of 12 leading law firms of Toronto. He found the firms have more than 1,500 partners listed in Ontario and only 16 — or 1 percent — of them are Black. He speaks to Saba Eitizaz about why there are not enough Black lawyers, what that means for Canada and how we look at justice and the lack of Black representation in civic spaces.

After the SIU report cleared Toronto police officers of any criminal action, the police oversight organization remains dogged with criticisms by community members, lawyers and academics alike. Justice reporter Alyshah Hasham on the case, police accountability and the informal code of silence among officers known as the “blue wall of silence.”

To discuss the state of the movie industry, streaming, TIFF, drive ins, blockbusters, indies and, of course, a quick review of “Tenet,” Raju Mudhar talks with Peter Howell, former film critic at the Star, who now publishes his reviews at nightviz.ca.

Erin O’Toole is the new leader of the Conserative Party of Canada. National politics reporter Alex Boutilier joins Adrian Cheung to talk about the meaning of O’Toole’s win and what the future will look like for the Conservative Party as they aim to challenge the minority government Liberals.

In today’s episode, we will get a first-hand account from a military frontline worker about how the force’s responded to the pandemic and to the care and well-being of Canadians, and what can be done so that we don’t need to call in the military — for either a rescue or reconnaissance. Corporal Laila Ahmed is a CAF Medical Assistant who worked in Ontario long-term care homes and was part of what was called Operation LASER and she left her full time job at that time, as a registered practical nurse on the civilian COVID-19 frontline — to be a part of this operation.

A second wave of COVID-19 could be devastating for the economy already reeling under deficits. In today’s episode, Dr. Steven Hoffman, a professor of legal epidemiology, global health, law and political science at York, breaks down that potential scenario and what we need to learn now, to be prepared for the future.

Proponents of body cameras say they add accountability and transparency. Critics say they are expensive and simply do not work in terms of improving of changing police behaviour. To discuss this, we are joined by Kevin Walby, associate criminal justice professor at the University of Winnipeg. He studies policing and surveillance.

Are constant deep-cleans necessary? And is ‘hygiene theatre’ taking away time and resources from methods that are proven to slow down transmission, namely: mask wearing, physical distancing, hand washing and moving activities outdoors? Dr. Isaac Bogoch, infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital and University Health Network talks to Adrian Cheung about ‘hygiene theatre’, the new details we’re learning about infection and the best practices we can all adopt to keep safe.

Like all generations, there are ‘Covidiots’ and ‘Novidiots.’ Everyone is not the same. The Star’s culture reporter Karon Liu went digging and talked to many young people who are fighting the stigma of covidiocy.

The WE Charity controversy continues to rage on for the Liberal government and this week, the first victim has been claimed. Finance Minister Bill Morneau and MP of Toronto-Centre resigned from his post on Monday. And less than 24 hours after Morneau’s resignation, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is brought into the fold with a cabinet shuffle, becoming Canada’s first female finance minister. Tonda MacCharles, senior reporter on federal politics for the Toronto Star, talks to Adrian Cheung about Morneau’s resignation, the controversy Trudeau finds himself engulfed in (again), and the emerging image of a federal government sliding into crisis.

Politicians have been using artists’ music without permission for a long time, but Donald Trump is a new kind of offender. Neil Young has had enough. Entertainment lawyer Larry Iser tells us how a new lawsuit might stop the President from “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

Joanna Chiu, who covers China-Canada relations for the Star, joins This Matters to discuss the state of relations between the two nations, and the issues that are causing friction between them. With a number of issues that seemed to stem from the Canadian arrest of Meng Wanzhou and the subsequent detaining and imprisonment of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, that spat has coloured all interactions between the countries since. Add to that, global geopolitical and business tensions have now been exacerbated by recent developments like the new security law in Hong Kong and U.S. President Donald Trump two recent executive orders to ban WeChat and TikTok, and it’s clear that these issues show little sign of subsiding.

A bunch of bike lanes, a plethora of pop up patios and new landlocked beaches? What Toronto is this? Star columnist Shawn Micallef joins This Matters to talk about public spaces and the Toronto’s changing cityscape.

The belief that schools are the safest place for kids is not the lived reality for many students who faced problems even before the pandemic. Dr. Tyler Black, child and adolescent psychiatrist at the University of British Columbia, talks to Adrian Cheung on the mental stress of reopening schools and why the pandemic is the moment to reshape and rethink how education works in Canada.

York University researchers published a study reporting that while the Chinese diaspora in Canada faced incidents of harassment, they often ahead of the curve in responses to the pandemic, even compared to the advice of public health officials at the time. Adrian Cheung and Star reporter May Warren talk about the reporting of the new study, what early reporting on racial incidents missed out on and what lessons we can learn from our own communities during the pandemic.

The Star’s Queen’s Park Bureau reporter Kristin Rushowy joins Saba Eitizaz to try to answer some of the most burning questions that parents have about how to navigate a back to school season while still battling a public health crisis.

Advocates are raising the alarm as more than 20 percent of Toronto’s homeless population is made up of children — nearly doubled in number from just four years ago. There are currently thousands of children living in shelters across Toronto, and nearly 70 percent of them are younger than ten. The Star’s Affordable Housing Reporter Victoria Gibson spent time with some families in the system to understand the realities of child and family homelessness at a time when the city battles a pandemic.

Adrian Cheung and Toronto Star reporter Angelyn Francis break down the intricacies of the law, backed by the advice of employment lawyers, the changing societal acceptance of protests, and the cross-section of exercising your rights while potentially putting your job on the line.

You probably can’t stop checking your phone for another news article, another video, another chart to help you make sense of what’s happening. And there’s a (relatively) new word for it: ‘Doomscrolling.' Navneet Alang, technology columnist for the Toronto Star, and This Matters host, Adrian Cheung, talk about their terrible doomscrolling habits, why we’re all doing it and maybe, just maybe, how we can stop.

Investigative reporter David Bruser speaks to Saba Eitizaz about thousands of undocumented Torontonians who were brought here as children, grew up here and call Canada home and are being shut out of their own future and a higher education due to restrictive tuition and student loan policies.

These are Canada’s dreamers, living in the shadows of the only home that they have ever known — and they might have even less support than their American counterparts who have been under legal assault by the Trump administration.

"We have an opportunity to create a different reputation."

This episode is a rebroadcast from Thursday, July 23, where Mahesh Prajapat, Chief Operating Officer of CAS Toronto, tells Saba Eitizaz it’s time for CAS to stop trying to bring children in to the child welfare system — and focus on supporting the family instead. Since that episode ran, the Ontario government has announced initiatives towards over-hauling children’s aid to focus more on prevention and keeping families together — and to address the over representation of Black and Indigenous youth in the child welfare system.

According to Toronto Children’s Aid Society, Black Torontonians only represent 9 percent of the city’s population while Black children represent the highest percentage of children in their care. The most recent data shows 42 percent of children and youth in CAS-T’s care identify as Black, reflecting a number that hasn’t changed much in the last few years. Toronto’s Children’s Aid Society admits systemic racism is a problem, along with pre-conceived ideas about a parent’s ability to care for their child. So how do we fix this?

Doug Smith, Toronto Raptors beat writer for the Toronto Star talks to Raju Mudhar about the NBA's return, the Orlando bubble and the Raptors chances of winning another NBA Championship.

Who gets priority access to a vaccine? Should the first vaccines go to the most vulnerable and elderly populations? How do we define these terms? Who gets to decide? ‘This Matters’ talks to Daniel Ashlock, mathematics professor at the University of Guelph, about the artificial intelligence program being developed by his team, spread across three Canadian universities, that could help public health officials decide who needs the vaccine most — and how it should be used.

Landlord/tenant lawyer Caryma Sa’d and Star reporter Victoria Gibson talk to Saba Eitizaz about the many questions surrounding the recently legislated Bill 184 and why many tenants are fearfully referring to it as the “eviction Bill.”

Who was Pat Musitano? The Star’s Peter Edwards first ran into him in the early ’90s and has been writing about him and the Musitano family ever since. The Star’s organized crime expert takes us through everything we need to know about the life and violent death of Pat Musitano.

Gun violence in the GTA has grown at an exponential pace and does not appear to be slowing. Wendy Gillis, who covers crime and policing for the Star, joins us to discuss the alarming numbers and what might be done to fix the problem.

Jennifer Pagliaro, city hall reporter for the Toronto Star, talks to Adrian Cheung about the rules and forces that shape our living in a city, during a most uncertain time. During the pandemic, bylaws have been front and centre in regulating new standard of living: how to enforce mask wearing inside stores and businesses, social distancing regulations and proper re-opening protocols. Are they fair? What rules are being enforced? What and who is being left behind, as enforcement focuses on COVID-19 related calls?

According to Toronto Children’s Aid Society, Black Torontonians only represent 9 percent of the city’s population while Black children represent the highest percentage of children in their care. The most recent data shows 42 percent of children and youth in CAS-T’s care identify as Black, reflecting a number that hasn’t changed much in the last few years. Toronto’s Children’s Aid Society admits systemic racism is a problem, along with pre-conceived ideas about a parent’s ability to care for their child. So how do we fix this? Mahesh Prajapat, Chief Operating Officer of CAS Toronto, tells Saba Eitizaz it’s time for CAS to stop trying to bring children in to the child welfare system — and focus on supporting the family instead.

Robert Benzie, Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and David Rider, Toronto Star’s City Hall bureau chief joins This Matters to talk about the future of Ontario Place, the false starts and new hope for the waterfront, and the battle between the province and the city over a Toronto institution.

The Toronto Star exclusively reported this week that major bids from Canadian and international firms are being collected to redevelop the current grounds of Ontario Place on Toronto’s lakeshore.

Karon Liu, culture reporter at the Star and a former food writer joins This Matters to discuss how bars and restaurants are reopening in Ontario.

With questions at how every level of education may safely return, Kris Rushowy, a Queen’s Park Bureau reporter for the Star, who also spent many years as an education reporter, joins This Matters to explain where we stand right now and what a return to school might look like. We are almost at the middle of summer vacation, and parents and students from all levels of education are wondering what a return to school will look like in September.

All options are on the table, with a full return, full-time remote teaching, or some kind of hybrid model all being discussed by the Provincial government and the various school boards.

Andrew Clark, director of the Humber School of Comedy joins This Matters to talk about TV comedy's racial reckoning, as several sitcoms have excised episodes featuring blackface on streaming platforms. This is a part of larger racial reckoning in comedy which has also seen several white actors step down from voicing people of colour on animated series.

Months after testing negative, thousands of patients around the world — known as ‘long haulers — continue to face serious and often mysterious symptoms: skin rashes, short-term memory loss, shortness of breath and the loss of smell and taste. Two patients with long-haul symptoms, Hannah Wei and Hannah Davis, join Adrian Cheung to talk about their experiences with COVID-19 and why they’re pushing for more research into a virus with wide-ranging and unknown long-term effects.

Saba Eitizaz talks to Sara Mojtehedzadeh, The Star’s Work and Wealth Reporter, about a new report on occupational cancer in Ontario which looks at why sick workers or their surviving families might be left to suffer for years, often struggle to seek compensation and also prevent exposure in the first place.

Susan Delacourt, national political columnist for the Toronto Star, talks to Adrian Cheung about Trudeau’s ethics violations, why he continues to find himself in the middle of controversies and what this means for his ongoing legacy as prime minister.

Full transcription available here (thanks to Access Now for transcribing).

A lot of us haven’t thought about the fact that the way we’re experiencing the world in the midst of a deadly virus, might actually just be every day in the life of a disabled person, even before a pandemic. Maayan Ziv, disability rights activist and the founder and CEO of AccessNow, a digital accessibility platform for the disabled, talks about the struggles and rights of Canada’s disabled community – and what we need to do to make inclusive and safe spaces for everyone in our collective experience.

Edward Keenan, the Toronto Star’s Washington bureau chief, talks to Adrian Cheung on the Canada/US border issue, what the timeline of reopening could look like, and how the US — through the policies of its administration — is isolating itself from the rest of the world.

The good ol’ hockey game is about to come back, with the NHL set to confirm its choices of Toronto and Edmonton as its two hub cities where it will house players, teams and staff as it gets set to resume the season and hold the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It actually took a lot for the NHL to get here, and to discuss that, Raju Mudhar is joined by Kevin McGran, who covers the Leafs and The NHL for the Toronto Star. He’s here to tell us everything we need to know about the NHL’s hub cities plan.

Pizza Pizza has been voluntarily serving up customer information to the police without a warrant. The Star has learned multiple police investigators obtained phone numbers and then went to a contact at Pizza Pizza to search their data for information. This Matters is joined by Jim Rankin, a Crimes, Courts and Justice reporter at the Toronto Star, who broke this story.

Toronto’s Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vinita Dubey talks to Saba Eitizaz about the new mandatory mask policy, what we need to do to protect ourselves and others, and why there is such confusion and contention regarding this issue.

How do we travel now? What are the ways that are safest? Travel bubbles, a road-trip renaissance, camping, RVing, longer and more meaningful trips, visiting friends and family. Sarah Khan, travel writer, talks to Adrian Cheung about what the future of travel looks like and why this could be the great re-set on how we see the world. The way we travel has changed, perhaps forever.

John Sewell, former Toronto Mayor and member of Toronto Police Accountability Coalition, speaks to Saba Eitizaz about why the police are on the mental health frontlines and what can be done to avoid these tragic outcomes. One of the questions being raised is why are police the first responders to mental health emergencies and why are “wellness checks” being conducted with the help of guns and body armour?

Facebook’s current relationship status with advertisers: It’s complicated. Steven Levy, tech journalist at Wired and author of Facebook: The Inside Story, discusses the Facebook advertising boycott campaign. The #StopHateforProfit campaign has picked up support from hundreds of companies, including Unilever, Microsoft, Coca Cola, Starbucks and all of Canada’s ‘Big 5’ banks, to pressure the social media company to combat hate speech, fight misinformation and deal with threats of violence on the platform.

For Toronto’s cyclists, many of their dreams have come true, as the city has aggressively and quickly added a number of new bike lanes on several thoroughfares to provide more space for those travelling on two wheels. Toronto has added 40 kilometres of bike lanes to the city this spring. To discuss this, This Matters invited two Star columnists who have opined on this issue. Norris McDonald is a columnist in the paper’s Wheels section, while Matt Elliott writes about city affairs and municipal politics.

Wendy Gillis, Toronto Star’s crime reporter, breaks down the details of the Theriault trial verdict with Adrian Cheung. And they discuss how this case is playing into larger questions of community trust in policing and what justice looks like in Canada’s judicial system.

Some say the "extreme intoxication” defence sends the wrong message on sexual assault, and takes society back to a time when judges found ways to excuse violence against women. In today’s episode, Saba Eitizaz talks to criminal lawyer and social justice advocate Caryma Sa’d for her legal opinion the debate – and finds out what all of this could actually mean in a court room.

Three Canadian journalists discuss anti-Chinese racism. The Toronto Star’s digital producer, Evy Kwong, audio engineer/producer, Sean Pattendon, and host/producer, Adrian Cheung, are in conversation about their experiences as Chinese-Canadians during the pandemic. Then, an interview with Justin Kong, executive director of the Chinese Canadian National Council on how the organization is collecting data on racial incidents and the work that is being done within Asian-Canadian communities to dispel the ‘model minority myth.’

This Matters is joined by Travis M. Andrews, an internet culture reporter at the Washington Post, to discuss Kpop stans' and TikTok teens' efforts to flex their online muscle and embrace a new kind of political activism.

Paul Burns is the managing director of Twitter Canada and he discusses why his company is letting employees choose if they want to come back to an office. We are also joined by Kennedy Gordon, managing editor of the Peterborough Examiner, which has announced it is leaving its office spaces and becoming a completely virtual newsroom.

This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday. In the final episode of Hustled, Foodora couriers in Toronto are buoyed by a recent win. They want to create a gold standard for gig workers. We look to the Golden State.

EPISODE 6: Golden State

With a win under their belt, Foodora couriers in Toronto want to create a gold standard for gig work. In this final episode, we take a trip to California, the birthplace of the gig economy, to explore what the future could look like closer to home.

Diane J. Brisebois is the president and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, and with much of Ontario entering phase two of the reopening plans, she joins Raju Mudhar to talk about how the retail sector will respond to this turmoil and what comes next, from the economics for retailers, employees and consumers to the technology that will begin to be used. Ultimately, she says, health and safety is priority number one.

Hal Johnson, of ‘BodyBreak,’ talks to Adrian Cheung about the racism he faced in Canada’s media industry, how those incidents drove their will to make the famous show, and why systemic and structural racism continues to be a big problem today.

‘BodyBreak’, the popular mini-episodes on health, fitness and wellness is something many Canadians remember from the 1980s and ‘90s. But Johnson’s admission this week — that their main motivation was to fight back against racism — has added to a larger conversation about racism, anti-Blackness and diversity in Canada’s media industry.

Charlton McIlwain (@cmcilwain), Vice Provost of NYU and author of the book Black Software: The Internet and Racial Justice, from the Afronet to Black Lives Matter, talks to Saba Eitizaz about whether technology is out there to liberate and empower or to control people.

Andrew Lochhead started a petition to have the Dundas Street renamed, with over 10,000 signatures and City Hall looking int it. He and Melanie Newton, an associate professor of history of the Caribbean and the Atlantic World at the University of Toronto, join Raju Mudhar, to discuss the problematic past of the namesake and how a history of colonization and its monuments can harm.

This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle between a scrappy group of Toronto food couriers and the app company they work for.

EPISODE 5: Groundhog Day

An abrupt announcement from Foodora amid a global pandemic rattles couriers and raises questions about the company’s past. When a new player enters the scene, couriers wonder about the future of their jobs — and what they’ve fought for.

Listen here or subscribe at

How do film and TV come back safely? Emily Andras is the creator, executive producer and showrunner on supernatural horror western Wynonna Earp, and she joins Raju Mudhar to talk about television and film production and how it comes back in a COVID-19 world.

Like the rest of society, the business of film and television shut down in mid-March, affecting the plans of the some of the biggest entertainment entities in the world. As jurisdictions reopen, many productions can restart, but have to follow many restrictions to try to keep things as safe as possible on set.

Doug Smith, the Toronto Star’s reporter on the Toronto Raptors talks to Adrian Cheung about the Raptors’ championship run, his memories covering the franchise for 25 years and what a restarting NBA season, in the middle of a pandemic, will look like.

We revisit the magical 2019 NBA championship and its top moments, culminating in raising “Larry OB” on Thursday, June 13, 2019 — from Kawhi Leonard’s “The Shot,” to the all-out battle in the semi-finals, to toppling an NBA dynasty in the Golden State Warriors.

Morgan Campbell, a freelance sports writer, joins Raju Mudhar to discuss the new world of sports activism, and how the business of sport is responding. “Stick to sports” has been the catch phrase whenever people got uncomfortable or disagreed with what a prominent athlete had to say on an issue. It’s also an outdated idea, as athletes and sports have long been a part of social change. That has never been more evident than right now, as even some of the most apolitical athletes are speaking out in support of the protests against police brutality in the United States.

Desmond Cole, activist, journalist and author, offers his opinion in a conversation with Adrian Cheung, on the movement to defund policing and why he thinks the system of policing, as we understand it, should be abolished.

This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle between a scrappy group of Toronto food couriers and the app company they work for.

EPISODE 4: Pandemic

As COVID-19 grips the city, Foodora couriers find themselves working under even riskier conditions. While they receive praise from the public who have gained new appreciation for the food delivered to their doors, their lack of job protections stand in stark contrast to their essential designation.

Listen here every week or subscribe to Hustled.

Kate Allen, science and technology reporter at the Star, talks to Saba Eitizaz about why race-based data is necessary to find out how the COVID-19 is affecting racialized communities, and the impact of not having this information. The death of Leonard Rodriques—a black personal support worker who was sent home from the hospital despite debilitating Covid-19 symptoms—led to calls from health workers across Ontario asking for anti-Black racism to be declared a public health emergency and for the immediate collection of race-based data in the province and the country.

Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work, talks to Adrian Cheung about the big picture of Canada’s economy, why re-opening too quickly could lead to further disaster and ideas on how we can begin recovering financially from this mess.

Canada’s economic numbers are staggering, for all the wrong reasons. In the span of two months, more than three million Canadians have lost their jobs and another 2.5 million have had their work hours reduced. Unemployment has soared to 13 per cent as businesses and corporations have taken on mass layoffs.

A record number of Canadians are turning to government aid to keep their families and businesses afloat. Meanwhile, the GDP is shrinking at a record rate, at levels unseen in more than a decade. Many economists say a plunge of this severity is comparable to the Great Depression of the 1930s. In short: Canada, along with many parts of the world, have seen its economies devastated during the pandemic.

But where is the bottom? Have we seen the worst of it or is there more bad news to come?

On the streets of Washington, The Star’s Edward Keenan provides analysis on the extremes of the protests as well as the signs of everyday life unfolding around him, as well as seeing democracy in action. To give us a dispatch from Trump’s DC, the Star’s Washington Bureau Chief shares what’s he seen and checks the moods of a divided America.

It has been a week of protests and rage in the United States, as civil unrest takes over major cities over the case of George Floyd, a black man whose killing by police officers was captured on video.

Since then there have been protests in over 40 U.S. Cities, many peaceful, but instances of violence and looting, with curfews enacted in several jurisdictions. Washington, D.C., has seen its share of both, including at the White House, where President Trump has denounced the violent protests as “domestic terrorism.”

Trump’s approval ratings had already taken a hit from his heavily criticized approach to handling the COVID-19 pandemic, but now there are those that feel he has embraced authoritarian tactics, especially after having authorities violently disperse a peaceful protest so he could take a photo op.

Kanika Samuels-Wortley, assistant professor and criminologist at Carleton University and Wendy Gillis, Toronto Star’s crime reporter, are in conversation with Adrian Cheung, about the events leading to—and following—Korchinski-Paquet’s death, how systemic racism and anti-Black violence continues to play a huge role in Canada’s policing.

The sounds, videos and pictures of the mass protests against police violence and anti-Black violence in the United States has the world paying attention. Thousands have taken to the streets, in the wake of George Floyd’s killing by a Minneapolis officer. It’s an event that has added to a long history and repeated instances of police interactions and racialized people, that have disproportionately ended in violence and death.

In Toronto, 29-year-old Regis Korchinski-Paquet fell to her death after a police call to her apartment last week. The exact events of what led up to her death remain unclear, and now subject to an investigation by Ontario’s police watchdog. Her death has since spurred demonstrations of thousands of people in Toronto, as family and community leaders call for justice—protests that are not apart from the reckoning in the United States but, rather, part of it.

This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle between a scrappy group of Toronto food couriers and the app company they work for.

EPISODE 3: Oshidashi

Technology is at the heart of the battle between Foodora and its workforce. The app company says it’s simply a platform that connects customers with couriers — not an employer. In this episode, we explore the tension that lies just beneath the seductive veneer of convenience and efficiency created by apps.

Listen here every week or subscribe to Hustled.

Karon Liu, the Star’s culture reporter has a conversation with Saba Eitizaz, reminiscing about buffets, their cultural and culinary significance and whether we’re about to say a nostalgic goodbye to the traditional buffet.

For some, the idea of a buffet can bring back childhood memories of birthdays, Sunday brunches, road trips where you hoped the roadside hotels offer a full breakfast buffet, or where tropical island reviews can make it or break it. For others, the thought their stomach as a bottomless pit is enough to make them cringe—and that’s before the debates about the quality of that food, the associated waste, or… as is highlighted now more than ever—those tiny germs on every serving spoon. But one thing is pretty clear. Almost everyone in Canada seems to have an opinion on this style of dining.

And now experts are saying self-serve buffets might become a thing of the past as we learn to live with Covid-19. Some public health officers are warning people not to share food in social settings in this time of pandemic. With restaurants struggling to stay afloat through take-out and delivery during lockdown and isolation, is this the end of the traditional buffet during the age of the pandemic? And are Canadian’s really ready to say goodbye to something that seems to be baked into the fabric of our multicultural country?

Peter Edwards is a crime reporter at the Star, who has covered organized crime for years. He has written over 15 non-fiction books on the subject. He joins This Matters to break down the two truck turf wars in the GTA and what happens next.

A brazen crime spree has gripped the Greater Toronto Area for almost three years. A turf war between towing companies that has resulted in murders, arson, gang violence, threats and intimidation.

This past week, a number of police forces working together in an operation called Project Platinum announced 20 arrests and over 200 charges filed against a number of individuals involved in these crimes. They also seized weapons, over one million dollars in various drugs, including Fentanyl, $500,000 in cash, 11 tow trucks and much more.

Police allege that four distinct criminal organizations were involved and were fighting over much more than turf. They had a sophisticated scheme that involved insurance fraud at auto centres, physiotherapy clinics and more. It’s also not over. Police expect to make 30 more arrests in this ongoing investigation.

If you look at any of the numbers, the Greater Toronto Area’s real estate market is in free fall. New homes sales were down by 69 per cent, and several conflicting forecasts say prices could go up 7 per cent or potentially fall 18 per cent. COVID-19 has done what seemed impossible by actually cooling Toronto’s white hot market down, in what is usually the high point of buying and selling season.

Of course, for some people, this could be an opportunity. With prices expecting to be down for the next 18 months, some think that this is the time to get into the market, and in particular, the time that younger buyers might have their chance to get in. In fact, some experts believe that the market will need first-time buyers—and millennials upgrading—to help speed up the economic recovery.

To discuss the trends in the real estate market now, and whether it’s a good time to think about buying, Raju Mudhar is joined by Phil Soper, CEO of Royal LePage and Bridgemarq Real Estate Services.

Star reporters Wendy Gillis and Alyshah Hasham talk with Adrian Cheung about how women’s police stations could work and how domestic violence remains an urgent public health problem, especially during the pandemic.

Canada continues to grapple with a long-standing and disturbing trend of gender-based violence. Canada’s Minister for Women and Gender Equity Maryam Monsef calls the current pandemic, a “powder keg” for domestic violence, as victims remain trapped at home. One possible solution that experts say has worked in other countries is creating police stations for women—a place that focuses on supporting potential victims, rather than taking in accused offenders. It would also create a re-thinking of how police stations operate—and who they serve. Could a system like that create safer spaces in Canada?

If you—or someone you know—is at risk of violence, Wendy and Alyshah have put together a resource guide for getting help.

This Matters will broadcast the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled each Monday, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle between a scrappy group of Toronto food couriers and the app company they work for.

EPISODE 2: Delivery Hero

Sara gets a job as a Foodora courier to find out what life is like when your boss is an app. On the job, she uncovers some unexpected challenges and risks. In this episode, we meet several — much more experienced — couriers who explain the many reasons why they need more protection on the road.

Listen here every week or subscribe to Hustled.

Alex Boutilier, national politics reporter with the Toronto Star, who covers national security, joins host Raju Mudhar to discuss how CSIS is redefining how it views terrorism.

Incel-related terrorism is something that all Canadians became familiar with after the Toronto van attack in April of 2018 which left 10 people dead on Yonge Street. An online movement made up angry, sexually frustrated men who describes themselves as involuntary celibates, that act of terror was the event that cause Canadians to discover and understand what this ideology is all about. Unfortunately, Toronto has seen more of these types of attacks. In February of this year, a 17-year-old allegedly entered a Massage parlour in Toronto and attacked people there, leaving a 24-year-old woman named Ashley Noell Arzaga dead.

This week, police called it an act of incel terrorism and added terrorism related charges to that case, which experts says was a legal first and significant moment in terms of how our national security deals with these types of incidents. And then, in its annual report to Parliament, CSIS, Canada’s top intelligence agency announced that it is changing how it looks at terrorism, and in particular, reclassifying it in terms of the motives behind them. It also specifically mentioned incels as a threat that they are concerned about.

Kristin Rushowy, Toronto Star’s Queen’s Park reporter, talks with Adrian Cheung about the cancellation of the remainder of in-person classes in Ontario’s schools and what comes next. Everything from students’ mental health, how classes might look in the fall based on other jurisdictions, and labour relations is discussed.

Ontario’s government has extended the closure of schools until the end of June, meaning the remainder of in-person classes are finished for the 2019-2020 year. The decision impacts more than two million students province-wide. While the province says they have every intention of re-opening in September, the future remains uncertain (and frustrating) for students, educators and parents alike.

A deep-dive into what led to the Ontario government’s decision to finish off the school year online—and what the education system, already fraught with tension between teachers’ unions and the province, will look like after the pandemic.

In today’s episode of This Matters, we discuss provincial re-opening plans, economic and health risks of opening vs. staying locked down, and the fact that this is a disease that will be around for some time.

Saba Eitizaz talks to Dr. Vivek Goel who is the University of Toronto’s Vice President Research and Initiatives. He’s also a professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, and the founding head of Public Health Ontario, which was set up in response to the SARS outbreak.

This Matters introduces the first episode of the Toronto Star’s six-part podcast Hustled, where the Star’s labour reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh takes us behind the scenes of a David vs. Goliath battle between a scrappy group of Toronto food couriers and the app company they work for.

EPISODE 1: David vs. Goliath

A group of scrappy food couriers has just won a major legal battle against a multinational app company. It’s part of an ambitious effort to challenge the gig economy and become one of the first groups of app workers on the continent to join a union. In this episode, we go back to the start of the campaign and meet the characters behind it.

Listen here every week or subscribe to Hustled.

It’s Victoria Day Weekend, which means for many lucky people, it’s time to open up the cottage and get summer really going. Traditionally, May Two-Four weekend is all about fun, but as Premier Doug Ford put it in one of his briefings recently, “It’s not the party weekend it's been in the past.” While all communities have been dealing with the pandemic, cottage country has faced a unique set of challenges as these communities—that depend on seasonal residents and visitors—have been asking people to stay away for fear of their smaller health systems being overrun. Public health leaders echoed that sentiment and some communities tried to ban cottagers outright. Despite all the warnings, some high-profile politicians said one thing, and then zipped off to their lakefront properties. This weekend, community leaders expect a lot of cottagers to visit, but it is going to be a different weekend. To discuss how people should enjoy it, This Matters decided to talk about cottage country etiquette in the time of COVID-19, with Phil Harding, Mayor of the Township of Muskoka Lakes.

While most are isolating at home, hundreds of thousands of Canadians remain stranded abroad, with their families searching for answers. Canada’s foreign affairs minister François-Philippe Champagne calls the work of repatriating them, one of the most complex foreign affairs missions in Canadian history. Adrian Cheung talks to two guests for this episode: Scaachi Koul, culture writer for BuzzFeed News, who has two immunocompromised parents stuck in India, and Toronto Star’s immigration reporter Nicholas Keung, on why repatriation is proving so difficult and what the Canadian government is doing to bring them home.

To discuss sports re-opening plans, Raju Mudhar is joined by Dave Feschuk, sports columnist at the Toronto Star.

This past weekend, UFC 249 took place there, with zero spectators, 1 fighter testing positive for the virus, as well as two of his cornermen, who were pulled from the event, but that didn’t stop things. There are more bouts scheduled. The other major sports leagues are also cautiously trying to find their way back to some kind of re-opening. Are these the first actual steps to sports re-opening? Or is this just wishful thinking on the part of all the stakeholders that see the current seasons—and their bottom lines—evaporate?

Saba Eitizaz speaks to two mental health experts about how we can get through this safely, cope with the depression and the anxiety—and whether Canada is ready to deal with the long-term consequences of COVID-19, and an impending mental health crisis. Dr. Laura Hawryluck is Associate Professor of Critical Care at the University of Toronto and an attending physician at Toronto Western Hospital. Dr. Rima Styra is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at U of T. Both of them published a joint research from the frontlines on the effects of quarantine in Ontario during the SARS epidemic.

Several provinces, including Ontario, are beginning to slowly re-open parts of society. Restarting businesses is vital for people who need a pay cheque for their families and to give a shot in the arm to a flagging economy. But what if the workplace you’re returning to isn’t safe? What are your rights as an employee, in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic? Adrian Cheung talks to Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Toronto Star’s work and wealth reporter (whose own podcast on Foodora and the gig economy, Hustled, starts May 19) on what powers you have to keep yourself safe, and what responsibilities employers owe you, if you’re heading back to work.

Murder hornets. Murder. Hornets. The Asian giant hornet has quite the moniker, given for its sting and appetite for the offspring of honey bees, and the threat it poses to honey bee populations. News recently emerged that these hornets were in North America. But eight months ago, after hearing about sightings, B.C. beekeepers John and Moufida Holubeshen first tracked, got stung, and then went home, got suited up with better defence and brought reinforcements to terminate and extract a nest of over 100 Asian giant hornets and 600 larvae. This is not the script outline for a B-movie. This happened and the Star’s Alex McKeen sat down with John and Moufida, who told their story of a showdown at Robins Park...at the end of Honey Drive (really, that’s the road where they found the nest).

It was supposed to be a calling card for Toronto’s Waterfront. Using high technology and big data to help cut through the bureaucracy and reveal the neighbourhood of the future. Now it’s done, just another project that disappeared like so much other vaporware. Sidewalk Labs, a division of Alphabet and sister company of Google, arrived in Toronto with a raft of ideas and plans to help create a new neighbourhood called Quayside on this city’s Port Lands, a vast stretch of land on the east end of the city that is being redeveloped on the waterfront.

With several controversies, criticisms and communications issues between some of the stakeholders involved with the project, after two and half years of trying, Sidewalks Labs has decided to pull the plug on the project, citing economic upheaval and uncertainty over Toronto’s real estate market. Critics contend that Sidewalk always had their eyes on a bigger prize and made a number of missteps that may have led to this outcome.

To discuss why a project that arrived with such fanfare is leaving with a thud, Raju Mudhar is joined on This Matters by David Rider, the Star’s City Hall bureau chief, who along with his team, has been following this saga since it began.

The anti-vaccination movement remains a loud and outsized presence, even during a pandemic. Many continue to spread misinformation and are already turning their attention towards any future vaccines for COVID-19, saying they don’t want it, and that it shouldn’t be mandatory. But as the world depends on medicine and science for an answer to the coronavirus and an end to the pandemic—is the anti-vax movement actually being killed off by COVID-19? Adrian Cheung talks to Dr. Noni MacDonald from Dalhousie University. Her career spans nearly 40 years in public health and global medicine, including consulting with the World Health Organization. She makes the case for the success of vaccines and why--if and when a coronavirus vaccine is created--there will not be enough doses to make them mandatory for some time.

COVID-19 has exacerbated the fault line within this country’s long-term care facilities. Underfunded, overcrowded and with less oversight, these facilities were ripe for the kind of disaster that is unfolding in them across the country. As residents and healthcare workers die, beyond talk about fixing what is happening now, there seems to finally be an appetite from government leaders to try and tackle the problem head on. Raju Mudhar speaks with two of the Star’s Investigative reporters about this issue. Jesse McLean worked on a project looking at long term care homes and the first 100 days of COVID-19 in North America. It also looked back at previous government’s recommendations on what should happen in this type of emergency. In addition, Raju talks to Moira Welsh, who has been covering care for the elderly and long-term care facilities for much of her career. She has been speaking to residents and front-line workers to really see what’s happening on the ground in these facilities right now.

As many jurisdictions make preparations to reopen, there are several things that are key to the new hopes of finding a way forward to live with COVID-19. Two of the keys that have been touted by governments and public health officials are contact tracing and immunity passports. The first has been an important activity in the fight against virulent illnesses for years, but the big change now is that while it’s traditionally been handled by humans, COVID-19 just moves too fast for that to work, which is why a high tech app approach is being used in some countries, and in development in several more around the world. That said, advocates warn that the public healthcare gains will come up against privacy considerations. Immunity Passports are potentially even more controversial, as the implications involved with these documents can lead to the type of inequality depicted in dystopian science fiction novels. To discuss both of these ideas and efforts, Raju Mudhar is joined by Sandro Contenta, a feature reporter at the Toronto Star, who has recently done a deep dive into both of these topics.

In today’s episode, Saba Eitizaz speaks to Andrea Gunraj, the VP of Public Engagement at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, about the horror of victims potentially trapped in self-isolation with their abusers, how they can get help, and how it’s our responsibility to help them. There are two versions of this episode. This one and another one in today's feed titled “May days.” That version doesn’t have the term “domestic violence” in the title or description anywhere in an attempt to be more accessible for people at risk of violence who might feel safer listening to it. In addition, if you—or someone you know—is at risk of violence, the Star has put together a resource guide for getting help at thestar.com/pleasehelp.

The world seems to be changing every day, let alone every month. It’s now May and there are still so many questions about how our world will look with few answers. This Matters aims to answer those questions, on important stories and ideas, every day, Monday to Friday.

Foodora is bankrupt and leaving Canada. Now what? The popular meal delivery app is declaring bankruptcy and leaving next month. This, even while the demand for meal deliveries has arguably never been higher. The timing of the announcement is raising eyebrows with labour activists, as Foodora’s couriers have only recently won the right to unionize from Ontario’s labour relations board. Adrian Cheung talks to Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Toronto Star’s work and wealth reporter, on why one company leaving signals a much bigger problem for Canada’s gig economy.

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It might be time to start teaching that old dog new physical distancing tricks. With the news of two pet cats catching the coronavirus from their owners in NYC last week, public health authorities have revised their advice on what people who are sick with COVID-19 should do with their pets. As this virus is believed to have come from bats, there are plenty of questions about what might happen if it moves back to other animals. Raju Mudhar speaks with Scott Weese, chief of infection control at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College, for a look at the animal kingdom in the time of a pandemic.

There have already been COVID-19 outbreaks in correctional institutions across the U.S., British Columbia and Quebec. In Ontario, the largest outbreak has centred on the Ontario Correctional Institute (OCI), where of 109 inmates, 80 have tested positive, as well as 21 correctional officers. But it’s not just inside the jails and prisons, as the government is letting many low-risk offenders out to ease the burden on the system, and many are entering a different world, with less post-release support facilities in place. To discuss the prison pandemic, Raju Mudhar is joined by Alyshah Hasham, the Star’s courts reporter who has been following this story. As well, he talks with Derrick Peachey, a former inmate at the OCI, who was released in early April, about his experience inside the prison, and dealing with a very different world outside.

The way people move around and commute in cities has changed, perhaps forever. Is the time of COVID-19 actually the perfect moment to remake the transit and transportation networks in cities? Some say the countries that are preparing to make the streets more accessible, post-pandemic, are the places that are built to grow and succeed, not merely recover from it. Adrian Cheung talks to Ben Spurr, Toronto Star’s transportation reporter, on what Toronto and other major, dense cities are doing to adapt to big changes in transportation networks, and the very nature of how a society lives and moves in a city.

“It shouldn’t be a deterrent to seek emergent care because of COVID,” says Dr. David Carr. “You need to come here. We’re a safe place for you to come.” Some doctors and the Canadian Medical Association warn of a backlog of other serious illnesses, including cancer and heart attacks, that could be going untreated. Some of this is because potential patients themselves are worried about COVID-19 risks at hospitals and are not going to ERs until it’s too late. Adrian Cheung talks to Dr. David Carr, an emergency room doctor in Toronto, about why hospitals should restart for non-COVID-19 patients and the worries behind the “collateral damage.”

Does Canada have the data and the planning in place for an exit strategy that will help get through this crisis sooner than later and with minimal causalities? Saba Eitizaz talks to Amir Attaran to find out where we’re at in the fight against the virus. Attaran is a biomedical scientist, lawyer and professor at the University of Ottawa’s School of Epidemiology and Public Health, and was part of a cross-border study that revealed Covid-19 numbers are actually much higher than the government has predicted.

While most of the world continues to be shut down during the pandemic, in Taiwan, society continues to function. The tiny island state off the coast of China currently has less than 500 confirmed cases and deaths are in the single digits due to COVID-19, making it one of the best case scenarios in the world. Adrian Cheung talks briefly to Nick Zarowny, a Canadian in Taiwan, for a view of what life is like there, followed by an interview with Dr. Jason Wang of Stanford University School of Medicine, who has published a paper on the aggressive approach Taiwan has taken—and whether we could take those same measures in Canada and around the world.

Low-wage migrant workers are a significant part of Canada’s agricultural workforce—almost half of the agricultural labour that grows the year-long produce that lands in kitchens. Life has become even more uncertain for them as COVID-19 has led to travel bans and border closures. And the decrease in that essential workforce could also mean Canada’s food security is at risk. Saba Eitizaz talks to the Star’s Work and Wealth reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh about the crisis Canada’s essential migrant workers are facing, and why it took a pandemic to highlight the circumstances of a group that was already vulnerable and unprotected.

From drugs to gambling to theft and more, COVID-19 has also had an adverse effect on the criminal organizations and gangs that run these illegal enterprises. To discuss how organized crime has been affected by COVID-19, Raju Mudhar talks with Peter Edwards, a reporter on the Star’s Courts Crime and Justice team, who has also written 15 non-fiction books on organized crime, many of them becoming national bestsellers.

"If you don’t need to buy or sell you should be staying home right now," John Pasalis, president or Realosophy, a brokerage that takes a data driven approach to the market. For most, buying a home is the single largest purchase most people will make in their lifetimes, and like with everything in our society, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the real estate market in a number of ways.

Many Indigenous communities face big challenges: fewer doctors, inadequate housing and water that isn’t safe to drink. All of those issues, alongside systemic racism, can lead to especially bad health outcomes during a pandemic, Canadian public health officials say. Adrian Cheung talks to Dr. Janet Smylie, one of Canada’s first Métis doctors and a lead researcher on the inequities of health care for Indigenous people in the era of COVID-19. Dr. Smylie explains why First Nations, Inuit and Métis people are at a disproportionate risk and what must be done to fix the problem now.

Just as COVID-19 has changed almost every aspect of society, it is also definitely not politics as usual. Leaders are being forged in the crucible of a pandemic, and there is plenty of criticism and kudos to go around. But since COVID-19 has become a serious issue, Premier Ford has drawn praise from many corners for the way that he has handled this ongoing crisis. Raju Mudhar is joined by Martin Regg Cohn, political columnist based at Queen’s Park for the Star, to talk about how Ford style of leadership has changed, how he compares with Donald Trump and Winston Churchill and whether we might expect this to last.

Saba Eitizaz speaks to employment lawyer Hermie Abraham to help answer some of the questions around the emergency help--who is eligible, how they can apply and who might still be left behind, although the government is moving fast to expand the umbrella of financial protection-and with Star journalist, Rosa Saba about why some Canadians might have to pay it back.

Employees are taking care of business but are businesses taking care of employees? Within a matter of weeks, Canadians, and people around the world, have learned which industries and workers are essential for our survival. So are major companies doing enough to protect them? Is it time we consider how to make our economy more sustainable in a post-COVID world? Adrian Cheung talks to Toby Heaps and Michelynn Lafleche from Corporate Knights about the economic realities so many of us face—and especially in a time of crisis—what our workplaces owe us.

Star City Hall Bureau Chief, David Rider, talks with Dr. Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s public health guardian, on her life and the weight of the fight against COVID-19. Dr. de Villa, medical officer of health, is the eye of Toronto’s public health hurricane. David Rider got a few of de Villa’s precious minutes to check up on the doctor.

Some people can work at home, avoid transit, connect to colleagues and friends via Zoom, order supplies to their door, stockpile necessities, and avoid COVID-19. Others can't. Saba Eitizaz speaks to Ian Goldin, of Oxford, about how the Coronavirus has highlighted a class divide and what kind of world will we live in after this is over. Saba also speaks to the Toronto Star’s social justice reporter Laurie Monsebraaten about how this looks in Toronto and who are the most vulnerable falling through the cracks.

Raju Mudhar speaks to Kate Allen, the Star’s science and technology reporter, and asked under what circumstances it’s safe to go out for a stroll. The messages about physical distancing seem to be finally getting through to Canadians, as the mantras of “stay inside” and “stay at home” have been repeated over and over again by public health leaders. But that does leave us with a bit of a strange question: Is it okay to go outside for a walk?

Adrian Cheung talks to Ben Makuch, national security reporter for Vice News, about why some neo-Nazis and white supremacists view the COVID-19 pandemic as their moment to act out their racist ideologies.

Raju Mudhar speaks to fellow Toronto Star journalist May Warren about her experience with COVID-19. She discusses how she got COVID-19, how she couldn’t get tested and how much this disease beat her down, regardless of how young she is and revealing how community spread has been in Toronto longer than expected and how—without widespread testing—it’s hard to know how pervasive this is.

What is it really like to serve on the frontline of a pandemic? What are doctors and nurses seeing in emergency rooms? How are our healthcare workers coping with the mental stress of making life and death decisions at an unprecedented time, while also being exposed daily to COVID-19? Adrian Cheung talks to an ER doctor, Dr. David Carr, in Toronto. Carr has worked in emergency medicine for nearly two decades and gives a firsthand account on what healthcare workers are facing in the fight against COVID-19.

Yesterday, as Ontario races to get ahead of the COVID-19 curve, the government announced that children won’t be returning to class until at least May 4. In today’s episode, Saba Eitizaz talks with Dr. Sejal Patel, associate professor of Early Childhood Studies at Ryerson University—and a parent herself—about ways to cope and keep your kids engaged. Saba also speaks to Hema Lozano, a young mother of four, about some unique ways she’s come up with to keep her little ones learning.

From fraud to cyber-attacks and terrorism, bad actors may be trying to take advantage of this COVID-19 pandemic. Raju Mudhar discusses crime in the age of COVID-19 and how the actions of some could affect Canadians’ civil liberties with Stephanie Carvin, assistant professor at Carleton University and an expert on security issues, who has consulted for the US Department of Defence and worked as a security analyst for the Government of Canada.

Scientists all over the world are working on finding ways to test and develop vaccines for COVID-19. Raju Mudhar talks with a member of the team of researchers who collaborated to become one of the first to isolate the COVID-19 virus. Dr. Karen Mossman, now in self isolation and a professor of pathology and molecular medicine and VP of research at McMaster University, talks about what it took to isolate the virus, what creating a vaccine entails, and what is giving her hope.

When “accidental hero” Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, and more NBAers followed, it triggered a domino effect that shut the doors of every major sport in North America. After Canada was the first to announce it would not send athletes, the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics games were postponed until 2021. We are joined by Hayley Wickenheiser, four-time Olympic Gold medalist, who has been training to become an emergency room doctor, and Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star columnist.

We’ve barely had a chance to process the COVID-19 pandemic that has up-ended every element of our live. So what happens to our minds when we’re faced with a pandemic? Why do we panic buy and hoard items? How does fear of a virus turn into xenophobia and distrust of other people? Adrian Cheung talks to Dr. Steven Taylor, clinical psychologist from UBC and author of the book, “The Psychology of Pandemics,” in which he presciently says that a pandemic is imminent.

Many millennials and gen Xers are stuck in the middle, having to deal with young children and older parents who often have health issues. With older people more likely to be at higher risk to COVID-19, many people — particularly women — are feeling like they have to parent their parents, while keeping an eye on kids. To talk about these issues, we reached Dr. Nathan Stall, a physician who specializes in internal medicine and geriatrics at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

The term “flattening the curve” is everywhere, in personal discussion and the media coverage of COVID-19. But how far away is everyone from actually flattening it, here in Canada and around the world? What lessons can we learn for when the worst of COVID-19 hits us and our healthcare system? Today, Adrian Cheung talks to two infectious disease doctors, Dr. Albert Ko from Yale’s School of Public Health and Dr. Susy Hota from the University Health Network – on how being proactive vs. reactive changes the impact of the virus, and what it will really take to flatten the curve for good.

In the first episode of This Matters, a daily news podcast from the Toronto Star, the team works from home in self isolation like millions across the world. COVID-19 has resulted in the need for social distancing, self isolation and quarantine in what is already considered a lonely time. As the world gets used to its new normal, this social disconnection might become even more baked into people’s lives, straining already frayed communal ties. Or could it draw people closer together? Today, Saba Eitizaz talks with Dr. Ami Rokach, a clinical psychologist who has studied loneliness for forty years. She is also joined by the Star’s culture reporter, Karon Liu, who talks about navigating life, parties and partners while in self isolation.

Coming soon from the Toronto Star, This Matters is a daily news podcast that will help make sense of an increasingly frantic news cycle, one big issue at a time, Monday to Friday. Hosts Adrian Cheung, Saba Eitizaz and Raju Mudhar will cover issues that impact and affect Canadians.