Ontario Today Phone-Ins from CBC Radio

Author John Vaillant has done a lot of research into wildfires and written about the fires that devastated Fort McMurray in 2016. He wrote the book Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast. He joins us along with Niagara Falls, Ont. Fire Chief Jo Zambito and MPP Sol Mamakwa as listeners share their thoughts watching the evacuations and fires on the prairies.

We hear your insights on selling and buying condos in the GTA and we hear from TD housing market economist Rishi Sondhi about why he sees a brighter future for 2026.

Our expert gardener, Paul Zammit, takes your gardening questions. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

Stories from listeners on their best summer job to inspire those who are on the hunt right now. Our guest is Tim Lang, President and CEO of Youth Employment Services.

Your stories about street racing in Ontario. Our guests are Brampton Regional Councillor Rowena Santos and we hear from OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt with the highway safety division.

We hear your stories about the importance of food in the care for people with dementia and we hear from Navjot Gill-Chawla about what she has learned researching dementia care in the South Asian community through her work at the University of Waterloo.

We get your calls about Tuesday's throne speech and we are joined for analysis by Royal Military College professor Christian Leuprecht and David Paterson, Ontario's representative in Washington D.C.

Our expert gardener, Paul Zammit, takes your gardening questions. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

Ahead of King Charles's first visit to Canada since becoming King we hear from royal commentator and author Carolyn Harris about the significance of the visit and hear your views on the monarch and whether they have shifted over time.

We are joined for the hour by two Americans who moved to Canada during two different periods of political change -- Ken Greenberg arrived in Toronto in the late 1960s as a Vietnam War draft resistor and Anne Sullivan, who arrived in late 2024 to teach at York University. We also hear calls from Americans about their choice to leave the United States and any regret they have about that decision.

A tragedy on Highway 401 that killed three children on the weekend is turning our province's attention on impaired driving and what can be done to stop it. We hear from the Steve Sullivan, CEO of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) about how the organization is trying to reach young men who drive under the influence and we hear your calls about times when you made the decision to drive while impaired. 

The province has tabled new legislation aimed at making it easier for municipalities to crack down on encampments of homeless folks. Some cities are on side, others are not. What about you? The head of the Big City Mayors Association, Marianne Meed Ward - the Mayor of Burlington hears your stories. Also joining the show, Kaitie Burkholder Harris, the executive director of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa.

We hear from callers about how tariffs on the auto industry are affecting their lives and we hear from Greg Layson, digital editor with Automotive News Canada.

Could dill boost your tomato harvest? What about planting marigolds to keep your herb garden green and lush? Our expert gardener, Paul Zammit, tells us about the benefits of companion planting -- as in planting certain vegetables or flowers next to one another to deter pests. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College. He is also our expert gardener on Ontario Today. 

Ontario Veterinarian Cliff Redford hears your stories about saving animals. Dr. Redford is featured in a new documentary premiering on TVO this weekend about his adventures in wildlife rescue in India with his daughter Emily. We also hear from Sandy Donald, director of Ontario Wildlife Rescue.

We hear your thoughts about adult daytime sleep and speak with a sleep expert, Dr. Michael Mak, a sleep medicine specialist and psychiatrist at CAMH in Toronto.

A reality check on the rental housing market which has seen average rates in this province go down in many communities. Housing researcher Carolyn Whitzman says the decline does not show how affordable rentals are still out of reach for many renters. Whitzman is an adjunct professor and senior housing researcher at the School of Cities at the University of Toronto. Her book is called: Home Truths: Fixing Canada's Housing Crisis

CBC's Vatican analyst David Perlich and callers reflect on what we're learning about Pope Leo XIV. 

Victoria Day weekend is one of the busiest times of the season for gardeners. Our expert gardener, Paul Zammit, takes your questions. He is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

Bee Quammie, author of Book of Possibilities: Words of Wisdom on the Road to Becoming, joins callers for an inspiring conversation about solo parenting. 

Your favourite road trip destinations in the province and we hear from Ontario travel writer Ron Brown who has written more than 20 books about this province. Later in the show, we also hear from Brad Robinson, owner and CEO of Thrive Tours in Sault Ste. Marie.

We hear your stories planning for end of life care and comfort and we hear from Dr. Daniel Kobewka an internal medicine doctor at the Civic Hospital in Ottawa and a researcher with the Bruyère Health Research Institute and we hear from Rabbi Dr. Rena Arshinoff, a hospital chaplain with Baycrest in North York and expert in palliative care. 

Your stories and insights from Donna Kellway, a former defence lawyer now Crown attourney and president of the Ontario Crown Attorneys' Association and Tonya Kent, a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer. 

The sexual assault trial of former Canadian world junior hockey players centres on the issue of consent, a concept experts say is still not well understood. We flip the mirror on our own lives, and hear your stories grappling with what sexual consent really entails in your life. Our guests include Kaitlynn Mendes, Canada Research Chair in Inequality and Gender at Western University, and David Garzon, a director with White Ribbon based in Toronto. 

We get the latest on the Therme waterpark and spa project with Rob Benzie, Queen's Park bureau chief for the Toronto star.  

Our expert gardener, Paul Zammit, takes your gardening questions. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

Your stories of the hard work and heartache of growing up in a restaurant with Rachel Phan, author of the new book Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging.

As the largest school board in the province, Toronto District School Board, looks to cut programs we hear why school boards are struggling to balance their books this year. Our guests are Neethan Shan, chair of the TDSB and Kathleen Woodcock, president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association. 

Conservative voters weigh in on the federal election loss and the lessons learned with Shak Chambers, conservative strategist with Oyster Group and we hear from former Ontario MP and immigration minister Chris Alexander. 

Our guest for the hour is Nick Taylor-Vaisey, POLITICO's Ottawa bureau chief, and we hear from poll analyst and founder of The Writ, Eric Grenier. We also speak with Oakville East Liberal MP Anita Anand and Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill Conservative MP Costas Menegakis.

Paul Zammitt, our expert gardener, walks us through how to care for the popular garden shrub, hydrangeas, and takes your gardening questions. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

We hear your stories voting this election. Our guest for the first half hour is Samantha Reusch, executive director of Apathy is Boring.

We hear what you will remember about Pope Francis and we speak with Emma Anderson, a professor of religious studies at the University of Ottawa and Father Daryold Corbiere Winkler, an Anishinaabe pastor at St. Basil's Catholic Church in Ottawa.

We hear about your stories bringing in new fans to the fold -- whether they are wearing blue and white or red and black -- and hear from hockey commentator Parminder Singh. He's the : founder of Hockey Night in Canada: Punjabi Edition and a former play-by-play host. He is now the Punjabi voice for the NBA and a hockey commentator.

Your stories across generations with Paul Kershaw, founder of Generation Squeeze, which has produced an election platform analysis and Andrew Enns, executive vice president with Leger, for what the latest polling says about voter intentions. 

A check in on the final week of the election with Cristine de Clercy, the Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at Trent University, as well as poll analyst, Eric Grenier, host of the Writ podcast. He produces the CBC Poll Tracker for this election.

Our guest for the hour is child psychiatrist and McMaster University professor Dr. Jean Clinton. She hears your stories about concerns raised in the blockbuster mini-series. We also hear from Jonathon Reed, youth program manager at Next Gen Men.

Your stories with Janet Madume executive director for Welland Heritage Council and Multicultural Centre and CBC's Brampton bureau reporter, Saloni Bhugra.

Your stories with Marcus Kolga, director and founder, DisInfoWatch and McGill University's Taylor Owen, with the Media Ecosystem Observatory. 

Immunologist Dawn Bowdish answers your questions about the measles vaccine, as the province sees a growing number of infections spreading among unimmunized kids.

Our expert gardener, Paul Zammit, takes your gardening questions. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

Your stories about dealing with political stress and anxiety with Steve Joordens, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and psychotherapist Martha Dougherty.