Ontario Today Phone-Ins from CBC Radio

Callers share their stories about gender bias getting in the way of pain management. Our guest is Dr. Tania Di Renna, a pain doctor and anesthesiologist. She is also medical director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute.

We talk about recent changes to Canada's immigration system and the leadership of Minister Lena Metlege Diab. Our guests are University of Ottawa immigration and refugee law professor Jamie Liew and Ihor Michalchyshyn, executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

We hear from various voices from across Ontario's Iranian community and we hear from veteran Canadian diplomat Dennis Horak who was Canada's Head of Mission to Iran from 2009 to 2012 and we hear from CBC senior business reporter and Iranian Canadian Anis Heydari.

This year Canada celebrates 30 years of Black History Month -- a tradition that started in Ontario. We speak with the interim president of Ontario's Black History Society, Cali Braithwaite-Walton and long-time member and interim board director Linda Carter, about this year's theme "History Starts at Home." We hear from callers about what they learned about Black history at home and we jump into Orillia, Ont. to hear about events run by Alasoba Kelsy-Braide, founder of Orillia and Area Black Community Association.

Hockey equipment, musical instruments, boxes of childhood art and trophies pile up in the basement. Adult kids and their parents confess the push and pull of their relationship to all that stuff. Our guest is The Globe and Mail's retirement reporter Meera Raman.

The premier thinks students should consider the job market before they decide what to study after high school. We hear your reaction and hear from someone who spent a career researching higher education including student outcomes, Ross Finnie. He is now professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa. We also hear from Paul Clipsham with Skills Ontario.

We hear how recent violence in Mexico is affecting you, your family and potentially travel plans. Our guests are: Solange Marquez Espinoza an international affairs analyst at the University of Toronto and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and we hear from travel expert Amra Durakovic, spokesperson with Flight Centre Travel Group Canada.

Your thoughts on whether it's time for Canada to go to the polls and we hear from Aaron Wherry, a senior writer with the CBC's Parliament Hill bureau.

Paul Zammit shares some easy ways to get children interested in growing plants from seeds and takes your gardening questions. He's Ontario Today's regular gardening expert, with us every Monday.

Your stories with Josipa Petrunić, the president and CEO of Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium.

Your calls about the ongoing fuel shortage crisis in Cuba and we hear from Mark Entwistle, a former Canadian ambassador to Cuba and we hear from Cuban economist Ricardo Torres at American University in Washington, D.C.

We hear your thoughts on changes to the province's Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and hikes to tuition. Our guest is higher education policy researcher Elizabeth Buckner. She's an associate professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Our regular gardening expert Paul Zammit is in to talk about growing fresh greens inside -- things like sprouts and leafy greens-- so you can enjoy fresh produce all winter. He also takes your gardening questions.

We hear what it was like for you to fall head over heals in love with someone and we speak with a researcher who looks at what happens when we develop a romantic interest in someone, especially in early adulthood. Diana Peragine is an instructor and postdoctoral research fellow at the Biopsycho​social Investigations of Gender Lab at the University of Toronto.

Your stories with guests who represent some of the people working at Ontario hospitals, the folks who run them, and the number crunchers. Guests include Michael Hurley, president of CUPE's Ontario Council of Hospital Unions, as well as Jeffrey Novak, Ontario's Financial Accountability Officer, and the CEO of the North Shore Health Network, Tim Vine.

Nine people were killed and at least 25 more were injured after a mass shooting in the community of Tumbler Ridge, B.C., on Tuesday. We hear how the news affects you and we hear from Dr. Gail Beck, a child and youth psychiatrist at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre.

A focus on the fifth estate documentary: Missing Black Boys, which charts the journey of boys as young as 14 and 15 from the GTA lured into gangs and shipped away to rural and northern Ontario to sell drugs. Featured in the documentary are our guests O'Shea Stewart, a Toronto-area school counselor and community advocate Shana McCalla, who founded Find Ontario Missing Boys.

As Canada sets up a permanent consulate in Greenland, we hear your thoughts on Canada's interest in the semi-autonomous territory and we hear from Paul Waldie, The Globe and Mail's Europe correspondent.

Ontario Today's regular gardening expert Paul Zammit talks about the benefits of indoor gardening and he takes your gardening questions.

We hear why you'll be watching the games this winter and speak with long-time CBC Olympics correspondent Scott Russell. We'll also hear from CBC host and reporter Omar Dabaghi-Pacheco who will be covering the games from Italy.

Your thoughts on how hard it can be to get into certain university programs in Ontario and we hear from education expert Sachin Maharaj at the University of Ottawa as well as CBC Toronto reporter Alina Snisarenko.

Your insights on the barriers still in the way of the promised military and reserve expansion with CBC Defence reporter, Murray Brewster on the government's plan. Also with us: Christian Leuprecht, Professor at the Royal Military College and Queen's University, senior fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute.

Your observations about the rising unrest and tension between citizens in Minneapolis and the federal government with Lucan Way, distinguished professor of Democracy at the University of Toronto. We also hear from Minneapolis-based radio host Jason DeRusha.

Our regular gardening columnist Paul Zammit takes your questions and offers some tips on finding the right seeds to start this winter and spring.

The federal government says its topping up the GST tax credit by 50% this year, and will raise it by 25% over the following four years -- to make living expenses more affordable for low and modest income families. It'll now be called the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit. So what do Ontarians think of the idea? We hear from listeners as well as someone who advocated for the change -- Rachel Samson, with the Institute for Research on Public Policy.

Your stories with Jay Ingram, veteran science writer, journalist and broadcaster. His new book is called:“The Science of Pets.” which looks at the evidence to date and the questions on the minds of the 30 million Canadians who own a pet.

Conservative voters and supporters weigh in with our guest, political consultant and commentator Ginny Roth. She is a partner at the consulting firm Crestview Strategy. She served as the communications director for Pierre Poilievre's leadership campaign.

A new report by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health suggests adults in Ontario who consume alcohol are drinking higher quantities of it and that binge drinking is also on the rise. We hear about your journeys to limit alcohol and we hear from Dr. Leslie Buckley, chief of addictions and an addiction psychiatrist at CAMH.

You weigh in with guests Andrew McCredie, senior editor with Postmedia Driving and Peter Frise, professor of mechanical and automotive engineering at the University of Windsor.

After recording-breaking snowfall, we check in with people digging out across Ontario.

Your stories with a pioneer in environmental neuroscience, Marc Berman, author of the new book: Nature and the Mind: The Science of How Nature Improves Cognitive, Physical, and Social Well-Being.

Your burning questions about retiring with Rob Carrick, retired personal finance columnist for the Globe and Mail.

We hear from AMO president and Westport mayor Robin Jones about the latest data across the province, and take your calls. We also hear from Keith Hambly, CEO of Fred Victor, who tells us about how Canada's first social medicine housing project in Toronto is working out.

Your take on threats by the United States to take control of Greenland. Our guests are Drew Fagan, a former head of policy planning at Global Affairs Canada and professor with the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, and we hear from former NATO ambassador Kerry Buck.

Our fill-in gardener Kiki Alwan talks about the planning you can do for summer right now in frozen January and we hear your calls and questions. Kiki owns Beloved By The Sky Gardening in Guelph, Ontario.

We hear from owners and customers as Ontario restaurants confront a host of pressures: from inflation to rising costs like rent and insurance. We also hear from Kris Barnier an industry leader with Restaurants Canada who represents restauranteurs in Central Canada.

We hear about how this blockbuster new Canadian television show resonated with you and we hear from Matt Kenny, a former competitive hockey player who grew up in Kingston.

Our guests are University of Toronto professor emerita and Iranian-Canadian Shahrzad Mojab and Dennis Horak, former diplomat and Canadian Head of Mission in Iran from 2009 to 2012.

Your stories with family physician Dr. Danyaal Raza, Board Director at Canadian Doctors for Medicare. We also hear from Nikolas Barry-Shaw with the Council of Canadians about the growing lobby effort against it.

For the first time in almost a decade, a Canadian Prime Minister has been invited to China this week. We hear why it matters to you with former Canadian diplomat Colin Robertson, as well as economist, Colin Mang.

Our regular gardening expert Paul Zammit talks about the gardening trends he's watching for this year and takes your gardening questions.

Circular Materials took over the collection of recyclables for single-family homes, most multi-residential buildings, schools, long-term care facilities and retirement homes across the province on Jan. 1. We hear about how the rollout has affected you and we speak with recycling program expert and York University research scientist, Cal Lakhan.