Ontario Today Phone-Ins from CBC Radio

Your stories with financial and economic educator Kyla Scanlon, author of the book In This Economy? How Money & Markets Really Work.

Your stories with Jeffrey Brook, air quality expert at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and a scientist with the federal government's Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Education Minister Paul Calandra has appointed supervisors to balance the books at several boards citing deficits and depleted reserves. We hear your reaction. Our guest for the hour is Kris Rushowy, the Toronto Star's education reporter at Queen's Park.

Paul Zammitt is our expert gardener on Ontario Today. He starts off today's gardening call-in about ways to prepare your plants for a little neglect while you go away and enjoy summer holidays.

Your stories about going for a dip in the lakes, ponds, creaks and rivers that run through Ontario's towns and cities. Our guest is Mark Mattson, the Waterkeeper for Lake Ontario and president of Swim Drink Fish Canada, a charity that helps restore the health of local waters

Our guest for the hour is Stephen Laskowski, president of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, a group that advocates for trucking companies as well as owner-operators. His group is calling for the federal government to crack down on the use of independent contractors in the industry -- essentially gig work. We also hear from Navi Aujla, service director with the Labour Community Services of Peel who has helped drivers file labour complaints and we hear from CBC reporter Robyn Miller.

We hear your stories of downsizing and we hear from a GTA-based realtor Jacqueline Watson who says the pandemic changed her business to focus on helping older adults move into smaller homes.

We hear about the impact long commutes have -- especially for middle-class Ontarians who cannot afford to live close to work. Our guest is Jeanhy Shim, she co-wrote a CivicAction report calledThe Human Story of Workforce Housing.

Our expert gardener, Paul Zammit, says you might be surprised how much care goes into protecting trees. From not mowing around the base of trees to creating barriers that help to minimize compaction, there's a lot you can do help their longterm survival. Paul is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

In light of the tragedy unfolding with the Texas flash flood, we take a look at how Ontario is responding to natural disasters with Rahul Singh, Executive Director of Global Medic.

Ambassador (Ret'd) Louise Blais joins us on American Independence Day for a conversation about Canada's strained relationship with the US. Blais served as a Canadian diplomat in the United States and is currently Diplomat in Residence at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and Laval University in Quebec City.

American sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term the "third place" in the 1980s to describe where we find community outside of our work and home. We explore what those environments are in your life with our guest Debbie Rudman who's a distinguished professsor at Western University.

It's the time of year when people go on holidays -- and some take their furry friends with them. Veterinarian Dr. Cliff Redford hears your stories about holidaying with your pet, shares when it is a good idea (or bad one) to travel with an animal, and offer some suggestions on how to do make the travel plans go smoothly. Also joining us, Gord Hunter, executive director of the Kingston Humane Society.

We hear from Pride Toronto's executive director Kojo Modeste and board co-chair Nirmalan Vijeyakumar and we hear your thoughts on the meaning of pride this year.

As the school year wraps, 2050 graduates and co-hosts Nanak Sidhu and Bupa Zhang join us to hear student feedback from across Ontario.

Yale researcher and author James Kimmel hears your stories. Kimmel's latest book is called: The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction--and How to Overcome It.

Your stories with Zane Colt, board chair of the advocacy group Conceivable Dreams. He and his partner have already conceived using IVF and surrogacy, and are now trying for a second child. We also hear from retired Ottawa fertility specialist, Dr. Art Leader.

Your stories about escaping the blistering heat and we hear from Caroline Metz, managing director of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at University of Waterloo.

Our expert gardener, Mary Shearman Reid, fills in for Paul Zammit. She offers some advice for gardeners during this heat wave and takes your questions.

Novelist Waubgeshig Rice and callers share stories of trying to learn lost languages, and what that teaches you about your people and identity.

As Ontario mulls involuntary addictions treatment for people who are involved in the criminal justice system, we hear from a Hamilton-based addictions doctor who works in detention facilities, Dr. Lori Regenstreif.

Writer and educator Jay Dixit hears your stories. Jay just ended his assignment as Writing Community Ambassador with OpenAI, the creators of ChapGPT.

Your stories with former Middle East diplomat, Mike Molloy, as well as Hossein Raeesi, adjunct professor at Carleton University and long-time Iranian human rights lawyer.

Your calls with Stephen Saideman, Paterson Chair in International Affairs at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, and director of the Canadian Defence and Security Network.

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

We talk about a new Nature of Things documentary, Dad Bods, which goes into some of the emerging science around fatherhood and we hear from the hosts of the Medical Dads podcast about the ways fatherhood changed them.

Retired Vice-Admiral Darren Hawco and callers discuss what it will take to rebuild, rearm and reinvest in Canada's military.

Your share your stories about conditions at Ontario jails as concerns about overcrowding and potential for violence grow. Our guest is criminal defence lawyer Tonya Kent, who sits on a prison law committee with the Criminal Lawyers' Association.

Canadian and US immigration lawyer Melissa Babel talks with callers about crossing the border.

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

Your stories about how the labour dispute at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) affects you. Our guests are Harry Goslin, President of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union and Aaron Lazarus, Vice-President of Communications for the WSIB, the employer in this dispute.

Your stories on discovering a love of birds and we hear from Ed Yong, a Pulitzer Prize winning science writer and best selling author, including his newest book An Immense World (Young Readers Edition).

Your stories living life as a single person and we hear from Yuthika Girme, director of the Singlehood Experiences and Complexities Underlying Relationships Lab and associate professor in psychology at Simon Fraser University.

Melanoma is on the rise in Canada, a recent study found the number of new cases increased 17 per cent last year. We hear about the questions you have about sunscreen and other ways to project yourself from skin cancer and we speak with Dr. Cheryl Rosen, head of dermatology with the University Health Network.

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.