Ontario Today Phone-Ins from CBC Radio

Canada's Taxpayers Ombudsman François Boileau responds to the fact that most incoming calls to the Canada Revenue Agency go unanswered. We also hear from Marc Brière, president of the Union of Taxation Employees.

Our guest for the first half hour is Phil Demers, a former Marineland trainer and now anti-captivity advocate. We also hear your calls about what you'd like to see happen at the park.

Our regular gardening expert Paul Zammit talks about the boost milkweed can give your garden (and the monarch butterfly) and he takes your gardening questions.

Generations researcher Jean Twenge hears your stories. Her latest book is called: 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World.

Our guest for the hour is Carolyn Webb, she manages the Ontario Chapter of the Coalition for Healthy School Food Program and she's a program director with Farm To Cafeteria Canada.

Your thoughts on the state of the buy Canadian push, now that many of Canada's counter tariffs have been removed. Our guest for the hour is Moshe Lander, senior lecturer in economics at Concordia University. And we're also joined by Timothy Dewhirst, marketing professor at the University of Guelph.

Paul Zammit, professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College, answers your questions and he weighs in on zone changes to Canada's plant hardiness map.

We hear about how much school is costing families in Ontario this year and we hear from Globe and Mail consumer affairs reporter Mariya Postelnyak.

From roller coaster rides...to midway games....to corn dogs and funnel cakes...Listeners share stories of going to carnivals, fairs and ex's in their region.

Hear students from across Ontario tell their stories about the challenges this year. We're joined by two guests. Both are heading into grade 12 and both sit on the Ontario Student Trustees' Association leadership board: Carter Peios in Courtice, Ontario and Nieve Xiao in Ottawa.

New guidelines from a team of doctors says smokers trying to quit should NOT reach for e-cigarrettes or vapes as part of their strategy for butting out. Dr. Eddy Lang, a member of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, explains why doctors are taking this approach, and we hear listeners share own stories of trying to quit smoking. Also, how the $7.1 billion the Ontario government is expected to receive from tobacco companies might help with reducing smoking rates across the province.

As Ontario's Minister of Education talks about reviewing the future of school board trustees, we hear your reaction with Sachin Maharaj, an Assistant Professor in the University of Ottawa's faculty of education.

Your thoughts on the thrills and risks of e-scooters with Teresa Di Felice, assistant vice president of government and community relations with CAA South Central Ontario.

As summer holidays draw to a close for many, our expert gardener answers questions from listeners about tending to the garden at the end of the season, and how to plan ahead for next year.

You tell us the back story of how you got interested in space. We hear from retired Canadian astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield.

Your stories from across the province with Simon Donner, climate scientist and co-chair of the Net Zero Advisory Body to the federal government.

The killing of an eight-year-old boy, struck dead by a stray bullet in North York, has sent shockwaves across the province. We hear from a family spokesperson and anti-gun violence advocate, Marcell Wilson, along with York South-Weston Coun. Frances Nunziata.

As Ontario moves toward ending remote work for public servants, we hear what impact that is having on workers and downtowns. Our guests are Linda Nazareth, economist and host of the podcast Work and the Future, and research scientist A.J. Wray.

Paul Zammitt is back and talks about getting the most from your tomato plants this season and takes your questions. He is a professor horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

We hear your stories trying to get to destinations amid flight cancellations at Canada's biggest airline and we hear from Martin Firestone, president of Travel Secure, a travel brokerage in Toronto.

You tell us about what Gen Z is facing in terms of their abilities to earn and save money and we hear from frequent CBC personal finance contributor Shannon Lee Simmons. Her new book is for teens and it's called Making Bank: Money Skills for Real Life.

We hear how your plans are being affected by canceled flights and a potential strike this weekend at Air Canada and we hear from John Gradek. He's a lecturer in supply networks and aviation management at McGill University.

Whether it was an old stereo, a classic car or a toaster -- you tell us why you put in the work to keep something running. Our guests for the hour are the founder of the Burlington Repair Cafe, Lawson Hunter, and Stefanie Bruinsma, a mechanic and founder of AutoCate.

Sahir Khan, executive vice-president at the Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy at the University of Ottawa chats with callers about the big shifts federal bureaucrats are bracing for and the mistakes to avoid.

We hear advice on keeping your lawn healthy during these hot days with limited rain from Mary Shearman Reid, owner of the Green Thumb Garden Centre and certified landscape horticulturist manager. She also takes your gardening questions.

As Toronto remains under a heat warning, we hear what it's like to work outside right now. Our guest is heat expert Glen Kenny, research chair in human environmental physiology at the University of Ottawa.

Your stories with Winnie Chen, a content creator who hosted a giant picnic in a Toronto Park, where more than thousand strangers turned out. Also with us, Pete Bombaci, Founder of The GenWell Project dot org, which leads the "Talking to Strangers" campaign and has developed national guidelines for social connection.

Your stories about giving kids more unstructured play this summer and we hear from child and youth psychologist Janine Hubbard.

Your stories with guests Jon Allen, former Canadian ambassador to Israel and Raja Khouri, former commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner and founding president of the Canadian-Arab Institute.

Mary Shearman Reid, greenhouse owner and certified landscape horticulturist manager, offers some tips on moving plants around in August and takes your gardening questions.

For a second time, Pierre Poilievre is facing dozens of opponents in a race, this time in Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot riding where more than 200 names are on the ballot. We hear your reaction and we speak with Jean-Pierre Kingsley, a former Chief Electoral Officer of Canada.

From snake encounters to extreme weather -- we hear about your camping weekends, canoe trips and other excursions that left you in awe of the power of nature. Our guest is wilderness survival expert David Arama.

We hear about your struggles to manage screens this summer and hear from a leading researcher in this area: Caroline Fitzpatrick. She is the Canada Research Chair in Digital Media Use by Children and a professor of education at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Your stories with registered psychotherapist Shikha Seeboruth, clinical director of the Therapeutic Way Counselling and Psychotherapy Services. Also joining us to talk about legal issues: lawyer and mediator Hilary Linton, president of Riverdale Mediation in Toronto.

Your stories on the job hunt and we hear from two guests: 21-year-old Aleksi Toiviainen who is a co-founder of Vote 16 and Wendy Cukier, professor at the department of entrepreneurship and innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Paul Zammit starts the show with a few tips for people who might want to snap up deals at the local garden centre. He's also answers your gardening questions. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

Since Ontario made beer available in grocery stores and convenience stores, The Beer Store has been closing dozens of outlets and leaving many people without a way to get a refund on the deposit they paid on their beer can or bottle. Our guest is York University research scientist Cal Lakhan, an expert on Ontario's recycling programs.

From standing ovations to sticky floors, what you love and hate about how people act at the movies. Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail's deputy arts and film editor, weighs in amidst the summer blockbuster season.

Justice Carroccia said Thursday she didn't find complainant E.M.'s evidence "credible or reliable." We hear your reaction to the case involving five former players with Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team. Our guests are Toronto-based criminal lawyer David Butt and Kat Owens, interim legal director at the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund in Toronto.

Vending machines, laundromats and parking lots -- they are examples of so-called boring businesses, we hear your stories about running them. Our guest for the hour is the Globe and Mail's retirement reporter Meera Raman and we also hear from search fund founder Fenton Jagdeo who runs the fund Boring Ventures.

You react to new research on police data on officer use of force. Researcher Kojo Damptey shares his findings that suggest the over representation of Black, Indigenous and Middle Eastern people continues in communities across the province. London Police Deputy Chief Treena MacSween also joins us to talk about efforts to address the issue in that community.

Our guest today is David Rider, a senior politics reporters for the Toronto Star. We hear your thoughts on the growing use of Automated Speed Enforcement in cities like Ottawa and Toronto and the growing backlash by some drivers.