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Brian interviews John Lorinc. John is a Toronto freelance journalist, editor and ghost-writer. He specializes in cities, climate and technology. Lorinc has contributed to numerous national and local publications including The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Spacing Magazine, Walrus, Canadian Business, Reader's Digest, and the New York Times. He delves into why transit projects, like those by Metrolinx, are so costly and slow to complete. A University of Toronto Cities study highlights "soft costs," such as consultant fees, as a primary reason for these inflated expenses. The discussion also critiques the Triple-P model and the need to reconsider approaches like InfraOntario. This examination raises crucial questions about improving efficiency and accountability in transit infrastructure development.
Every year, the Auditor General of Ontario releases an annual report detailing how money was spent in the Province of Ontario. This year's report has called some of the province's dealings "not fair, transparent, or accountable." Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath break down the findings. Phil Verster, the embattled CEO of Metrolinx, has resigned. With the Eglinton LRT still unopened, we look back on his tenure in the role and what still needs to get done. Ontario is spending millions on primetime ads on Fox News in hopes of avoiding tariffs. Will this gambit work or are we in for some inevitable pain? Steve's column: https://www.tvo.org/article/my-final-conversation-with-one-of-the-really-good-guys-of-politics-0 JMM's column: https://www.tvo.org/article/can-ontario-get-nuclear-power-plants-built-in-new-places-were-about-to-find-outSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Greg Brady focused in on an explosive Auditor General's report and it does not reflect well on the Ontario Ford government with Jessica Smith Cross, Editor-in-chief of The Trillium. Next, Jamaal Myers, City Councillor for Scarborough North and Chair of the TTC. Why is this ban on e-bikes and e-scooters on public transit necessary? Lastly, former Toronto Mayor David Miller with his weekly check in and shared his views on the TTC, Metrolinx and the Eglinton crosstown LRT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg Brady focused in on an explosive Auditor General's report and it does not reflect well on the Ontario Ford government with Jessica Smith Cross, Editor-in-chief of The Trillium. Next, Jamaal Myers, City Councillor for Scarborough North and Chair of the TTC. Why is this ban on e-bikes and e-scooters on public transit necessary? Lastly, former Toronto Mayor David Miller with his weekly check in and shared his views on the TTC, Metrolinx and the Eglinton crosstown LRT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg Brady spoke with Michael Colle, Deputy Mayor and Toronto city councillor (Eglinton-Lawrence) about Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster leaving after seven years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg Brady spoke with Michael Colle, Deputy Mayor and Toronto city councillor (Eglinton-Lawrence) about Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster leaving after seven years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Is it fair to reduce sentences because of jail conditions? - As a parent, can you blame Biden for pardoning Hunter Biden? - Zelensky says that peace might mean conceding land to Russia. Jim speaks with Julia Tymoshenko, a Ukrainian resident for their perspective- Robert Benzie - Toronto Star Queen's Park Bureau Chief, on Phil Verster's resignation from Metrolinx
Greg Brady focused in on the GST "Tax Holiday" but what about the GST rebate cheques? Next, Adam Glista Manager at StrategyCorp & Transit Expert who discussed the potential opening of the Metrolinx crosstown LRT in 2025. Glista explains the need for transit options that aren't on a schedule like the GO transit who are investing billions in creating better travel options. Also, James Pasternak - Toronto City Councillor for York Centre. Pasternak says that Toronto is headed down the wrong path when it comes to addressing antisemitism in the city and wants real action to address it. He says the issue starts with our leadership in Ottawa and wants police and our legal system to begin to de-escalate the problem. Pasternak says the city of Toronto is becoming a city of fear and wants Mayor Chow to create action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg Brady focused in on the GST "Tax Holiday" but what about the GST rebate cheques? Next, Adam Glista Manager at StrategyCorp & Transit Expert who discussed the potential opening of the Metrolinx crosstown LRT in 2025. Glista explains the need for transit options that aren't on a schedule like the GO transit who are investing billions in creating better travel options. Also, James Pasternak - Toronto City Councillor for York Centre. Pasternak says that Toronto is headed down the wrong path when it comes to addressing antisemitism in the city and wants real action to address it. He says the issue starts with our leadership in Ottawa and wants police and our legal system to begin to de-escalate the problem. Pasternak says the city of Toronto is becoming a city of fear and wants Mayor Chow to create action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After nearly two years of touring across five continents, Taylor Swift's Eras Tour is coming to Canada. Thursday is the first of six dates in Toronto, and the tour will wrap up with three dates in Vancouver in December. When the Eras Tour rolls through town, money tends to follow; fans and concert-goers spend on merch, hotels, restaurants… and of course, tickets. Tickets make for attractive auction items, and people fundraising for charitable causes have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. For some people, thousands of Swifties descending upon downtown Toronto can be more like a ‘nightmare dressed like a daydream.' Public transit systems, like Metrolinx and the TTC, say they're ‘ready for it,' but that amount of people will no doubt make getting around the city a challenge. Even couples planning their weddings were warned against booking dates while Swift is in town. Josh O'Kane is here to break down how businesses are getting in on the fun, and how to make the most of the Eras Tour weekends, whether or not you're a Swiftie. The Globe has created Taylor Swift playlists for every type of listener: for people who want to rock out to her greatest hits, to the elder millennials who loved her since high school, to the songs to put your kids to sleep, to the ones who are soundtracking their walk to the stadium with swagger, to the sneaky covers to convert the non-Swifties and ending with the classic, lyrical ballads to make you shed a tear. https://open.spotify.com/user/kswfenu8tkbjszl0ebou72cgq/playlistsQuestions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com
Metrolinx banned some e-bikes because of the fire risk. The TTC is looking to follow but voted to first study the risk and impact on gig workers. Host David Common speaks to TTC Chair Jamaal Myers about that balance. Also, writer Monika Warzecha talks about the "golden age of garbage clothing."
TUNE INTO THE TOWN: THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE CITY Tasha Kheiriddin is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village, Toronto City Councillor Paula Fletcher for Ward 14 Toronto Danforth and Barbara Hall, a former Toronto Mayor. Our panel reacts to the damning Toronto auditor general findings regarding City workers responsible for maintaining parks, an online payment system the City uses, and Metrolinx making changes to its senior leadership. Will that lead to projects like the Eglinton Crosstown LRT being sped up towards completion after years of delay? PM TRUDEAU TESTIFIES OVER FOREIGN INTERFERENCE Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Will Stewart, a Conservative Strategist and Senior Vice President with Enterprise Canada, Robin Sears, a Crisis Communications Consultant and former NDP Strategist and George Smitherman, a former Ontario Deputy Premier and Health Minister. This week: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified during the public inquiry into foreign interference. Closer to home, Ontario residents could see a rebate announced by the Ford government in its upcoming Fall economic statement. TIME TO REVISIT SAFETY AROUND PARKSIDE DRIVE Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Faraz Gholizadeh, a Parkside resident and Co-Chair of Safe Parkside and Jacquelyn Hayward, Director of Planning, Design and Management, Transportation Services at City of Toronto. We take a closer look at a final study produced by the City of Toronto focused on enhancing safety measures for Parkside Drive by High Park where, tragically, two seniors were killed in a chain reaction crash and many collisions have taken place over the last decade. Does the plan go far enough in making the road safer for residents?
Host David Common talks politics today on the podcast; from Metrolinx shake-ups to bike lane crack-downs to the loaded accusations against the Indian government, and more. Plus, they may be ugly but we are all indebted to turkey vultures, says a member of the Toronto Field Naturalists.
Dr. Dominick Shelton, the assistant dean of admissions at TMU's new medical school, tells David what he hopes the school can accomplish. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow addresses calls for a public inquiry into Metrolinx and more. And culture writer Sadaf Ahsan talks about why so many people love watching a catfishing documentary.
- Jim's got a list of the worst habits of costco shoppers, you better not be on this list- Metrolinx in court over Eglinton Crosstown LRT injunction for ‘environmental racism'- Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 Details Alleged Sexual Abuse By Former Manager Greig Nori
Are the infrastructure projects in some Ontario cities worth the pain homeowners, businesses, and commuters are feeling? Ontario is steadily growing but its major roads and bridges need repair and new transit is sorely overdue. What is the cost to Ontarians and will the benefits outweigh years of inconvenience? For insight, we welcome: urban affairs journalist John Lorinc; University of Toronto civil engineering professor Shoshanna Saxe; urban planner Neil Loewen; and York-Eglinton BIA managr Steven Spencer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jerry opens the show talking about Metrolinx acquiring 25 home son Pape for the Ontario Line. Then, CUPE calls for Fred Hahn's resignation following a social media post. Plus, Fan Expo is this weekend and Seinfeld's John O'Hurley joins the show in-studio! Finally, Jerry and Jim Richards discuss food delivery services amid layoffs at Skip the Dishes.
Greg (@gregbradyTO) and the panel of: Stephanie Smyth, broadcaster, Smyth Media Group (@stephaniesmyth), Brad Bradford (@BradMBradford), Toronto city councillor for Beaches - East York & Mark Saunders, former Toronto police chief, mayoral candidate discuss: Ontario moves to ban safe consumption sites near schools, limit new locations Riverdale residents furious over Metrolinx's plan to seize homes Minister David Picinni was at the AMO conference in Ottawa, and he had a little run in with CUPE President Fred Hahn. Hahn's been in the headlines for an antisemitic social media post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Greg (@gregbradyTO) and the panel of: Stephanie Smyth, broadcaster, Smyth Media Group (@stephaniesmyth), Brad Bradford (@BradMBradford), Toronto city councillor for Beaches - East York & Mark Saunders, former Toronto police chief, mayoral candidate discuss: Ontario moves to ban safe consumption sites near schools, limit new locations Riverdale residents furious over Metrolinx's plan to seize homes Minister David Picinni was at the AMO conference in Ottawa, and he had a little run in with CUPE President Fred Hahn. Hahn's been in the headlines for an antisemitic social media post. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guest Host, Ben Mulroney (@BenMulroney) and the panel of: Davelle Morrison, Broker with Bosley Real Estate and 640 Toronto contributor (@DavelleMorrison), Roy Green, Host of the Roy Green Show on the Corus Radio Network, Norm Di Pasquale, NDP candidate for Spadina - Fort York, Co-Chair of Ontario Place for All and volunteer with ‘Save Ontario's Science Centre' discuss: 1 - Premier Doug Ford's office directed Metrolinx to keep Crosstown opening date secret 2 - Would tax breaks for Ontario developers really make housing more affordable? 3 - Canadians are encountering fewer legitimate news sources on social media, study finds 4 - More than half of Ontario drivers admit to disregarding rules of the road 5 - Public safety critic wants answers on alleged terror twosome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guest Host, Ben Mulroney (@BenMulroney) and the panel of: Davelle Morrison, Broker with Bosley Real Estate and 640 Toronto contributor (@DavelleMorrison), Roy Green, Host of the Roy Green Show on the Corus Radio Network, Norm Di Pasquale, NDP candidate for Spadina - Fort York, Co-Chair of Ontario Place for All and volunteer with ‘Save Ontario's Science Centre' discuss: 1 - Premier Doug Ford's office directed Metrolinx to keep Crosstown opening date secret 2 - Would tax breaks for Ontario developers really make housing more affordable? 3 - Canadians are encountering fewer legitimate news sources on social media, study finds 4 - More than half of Ontario drivers admit to disregarding rules of the road 5 - Public safety critic wants answers on alleged terror twosome Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Free For All Friday - Hour 1. Host Scott Reid breaks down the biggest stories of the day with Canada's top newsmakers. On today's show: Melanie Dirks, Professor in the department of psychology at McGill University joins Scott Reid to discuss fears and phobias and how to overcome them. Scott recaps historical moments that have happened on August 2nd throughout history. Free For All Friday - Hour 2. Hosts from all over the country join the roundtable to discuss the five biggest stories of the week. This week's show features panelists Andrew Perez, Principal at Perez Strategies and a Liberal strategist and Karen Gordon, Principal, Gordon Strategy. Has the US election been totally reset now that Harris is taking the helm? Premier Doug Ford's office directed Metrolinx to keep Crosstown opening date secret, emails show Discussion of what we've been focused on in these Olympic games - Summer McIntosh, the women's soccer drone scandal Any plans for the long weekend and are there any fears and phobias you have conquered
Jerry's found stuff on the internet while pretending to do work… so he's going to talk about what he found. We talk with transit youtuber RMTransit (Reece), and former Metrolinx comms manager AnneMarie Aikins about what needs to be done to relieve chaos in the city, especially near Liberty Village. It's Telescopic Tuesday with Dan Riskin, and we take your calls on about a woman who had her license suspended over a 13 year old traffic ticket.
“One of the most essential parts of bringing innovation to market is often the most rarely noted,” says host Macy Donaway on the latest Resonance Test podcast. “And it's those dedicated client leads and sponsors who have political capital built that they can spend to then overcome hurdles.” We call such people mavericks, and Uma Gopinath, the CIO of Porter Airlines and our podcast guest, perfectly embodies that term. Gopinath has been a highly successful change-maker in numerous companies and industries (she was the CIO of Metrolinx, the Director of Technology and Innovation at Lush, and the AVP of Intelligent Automation at Canadian Tire Corporation). Along the way, she has learned how to thrive in the heavily male-dominated technology industry and shares some of her wisdom in this conversation. Giving back, in fact, is central to her work. “As a person of privilege, you need to share that privilege with others,” she says, noting that when at Metrolinx, she noticed the diversity of her teams was “in the low teens when we started,” and by the time she exited “We were close to 30-35% in diversity.” She says that change happens “by intention.” And notes that when a woman didn't win a particular role, she would ask her colleagues why and was often told, “But she's the second best.” To this, Gopinath argued that perhaps she was “second best because she's never been given the opportunity to be the first best.” Fixing systemic bias, she notes: “Calls for courage, calls for some unpopular statements sometimes.” Courage is a central part of Gopinath's general ethos, and it takes the shape of a willingness to be curious, to experiment (and experiment at scale: “your denominator has to be big for you to get those useful, successful experiments,” she says). Gopinath talks up the importance of focusing on the customer. Continuously. Gopinath notes that many organizations brew up a business case and do a project, “but then nobody goes back to effectively evaluate” the outcomes originally projected. Consequently, she says, “We hear lots of stories about how IT projects don't deliver.” She adds that sometimes it's “a small feedback loop that's required” and that doing “a little more to get to that bigger benefit” is something businesses need to do better. Gopinath ends with some memorable maverick-level inspiration for future leaders: “Enjoy what you're doing. If you're not having fun, then go be successful somewhere else.” Now go have fun and listen to the episode! Host: Alison Kotin Engineer: Kyp Pilalas Producer: Ken Gordon
It was Valentine's Day when we sat down with three "planning power couples" to talk about that most romantic of topics: city-building. Part 2 of 3 features Krishtian-Tyler Rampersaud of Weston Consulting and Humna Khurshid of Metrolinx in a chat with host Neil Loewen.
Think Tank Panel: Anne Marie Aikins, award-winning media and crisis communications expert, former Metrolinx chief spokesperson, Anthony Furey, former Toronto mayoral candidate and 640 Toronto contributor.
Think Tank Panel: Anne Marie Aikins, award-winning media and crisis communications expert, former Metrolinx chief spokesperson, Anthony Furey, former Toronto mayoral candidate and 640 Toronto contributor.
Greg spoke with David Shellnut, The biking lawyer, about Metrolinx moving to ban some e-bikes from GO trains.
Greg spoke with David Shellnut, The biking lawyer, about Metrolinx moving to ban some e-bikes from GO trains.
When you think of big city transit agencies you think about Boston, New York, Toronto, LA, San Francisco...maybe not Mississauga, Ontario. It might surprise you that this city of one million people supports a transit system with over 500 buses and serves as the essential connector between cities East, West, and North (South is Lake Ontario). Mississauga Transit (or MiWay) helps people in Brampton, Oakville, and Toronto get to jobs and school.But they seem to be doing something right because they've increased ridership 27% over the last year and are at 109% of their 2019 ridership levels (let's stop saying the "p" word). Eve Wiggins recently took the helm of MiWay after almost a decade at the TTC and Metrolinx and before that a decade at the Toronto Airport Authority. Eve certainly knows how to get people where they want to go, in the air or on the ground.While she's only been at MiWay a short time, she has a big vision and big plans for the agency to grow and expand over the next five years.But you can't execute your vision on your own. You need to lead people and clear the roadblocks in their way. Eve subscribes to the CASTLE (Courage, Authenticity, Truthfulness, Love, and Effectiveness) leadership philosophy and you will want to listen to how she describes her leadership style. It's pretty inspiring just listening to how she approaches getting things done and relying on others when she knows she doesn't have all the answers.Coming up next week we have Holly Arnold, CEO of the Maryland Transit Administration about her career at the MTA and the massive projects she has on the go there.We're excited to announce a special Transit Unplugged live CEO round table. Hosted by Dr. Khan you'll Legos at UITP MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition on February the 29th at the Trapeze booth. We'll have guests, including UITP President, Renee Amilcar and the Director General of the Integrated Transport Center in Abu Dhabi, Abdulla Al Marzooqi.The MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition 2024 is the premier event focusing on sustainable urban mobility solutions in the MENA region. It takes place in Dubai from February 28th to March 1st, the event is co-organized by UITP and Dubai's RTA.The MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition has been a leading platform for showcasing advancements in public transport since 2007.If you have a question or comment, email us at info@transitunplugged.com.Transit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo and these fine folks:Paul Comfort, host and producerJulie Gates, executive producerTris Hussey, editor and writerTatyana Mechkarova, social mediaFollow us on social media: LinkedIn - Twitter - Instagram - FacebookSign up for the Transit Unplugged Newsletter0:00 What's the secret sauce to increasing ridership 27% in one year?00:03 Introduction and Overview01:44 The Success of Mississauga's Transit System04:27 The Secret Sauce: How Mississauga Grew Ridership12:01 Eve's Leadership Philosophy and Approach19:00 The Future of Transit in...
In this 1413th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Anne Marie Aikins, the former chief spokesperson for Metrolinx, about cumulative grief. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada and Electronic Products Recycling Association.
In this episode, Riccardo Cosentino sits down with fellow Oxford alumni, Rachael Patel, to discuss integrated project delivery (IPD). With a background as a registered nurse, Rachael brings her unique expertise to her current role in the health sector specializing in strategic planning and execution of health services, research and infrastructure projects in North America. The pair discuss the impediments and challenges of adoption of the IPD model, specifically how it relates to private and public healthcare major infrastructure projects and the procurement process.“You add an integrated project delivery, where the idea is risk sharing and then you use that same methodology to calculate value for money, IPD will never win because IPDs base core base is sharing risk. It's two issues in our procurement, it's the idea of what value for money is and how we calculate money.”– Rachael Patel Key Takeaways: The origin of IPD and how its optimizing project design and construction Why value for money is problematic for IPDFinding a better way to allocate risk, relational over transactional The policy associated in procurement and how it is hindering the marketplace shift to alternative models Links Mentioned: A critical perspective on Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) applied in a Norwegian public hospital projectBenefits and challenges to applying IPD: experiences from a Norwegian mega-project If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. The conversation doesn't stop here—connect and converse with our LinkedIn community: Navigating Major Programmes PodcastRiccardo CosentinoRachael Patel Transcript:Riccardo Cosentino 00:00If you're listening to Navigating Major Programmes, the podcast that aims to elevate the conversations happening in the infrastructure industry and inspire you to have a more efficient approach within it. I'm your host Riccardo Cosentino. I bring over 20 years of major programme management experience. Most recently, I graduated from Oxford Universities they business group, which shook my belief when it comes to navigating major problems. Now it's time to shake yours. Join me in each episode as a press the industry experts about the complexity of major program management, emerging digital trends and the critical leadership required to approach these multibillion dollar projects. Let's see where the conversation takes us. Racheal Patel is an Associate Vice President and senior project manager at a global architecture and engineering firm. She's a registered nurse, and also the Master of Science in major program management from the University of Oxford, and a Master of nursing from the University of Toronto. Racheal is a skilled leader in the health sector specializing in strategic planning and execution of health services, research and infrastructure projects in Canada and the United States. Her expertise includes guiding organization for the initial strategic planning phase, through detailed planning and design to the implementation of transformative and innovative capital projects. Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of navigating major programs. I'm here today with Richard Patel. I met Racheal at Oxford University when we were completing together our mastering major program management. And I asked Racheal today to join us on the podcast to discuss her dissertation, which is quite interesting and very relevant to the topics that we've been discussing on navigating major programs. How're you doing, Racheal? Racheal Patel 02:00I'm good Ricardo. And thanks for having me here. I'm excited to have a platform to talk about my dissertation and you providing that platform to talk about major programs. So thank you very much for having me. Riccardo Cosentino 02:14It's my pleasure. So maybe since I've tucked up your dissertation a little bit, well, what was the topic of your dissertation? Yeah, so my topic was actually looking at the challenges of adopting integrated project delivery in health infrastructure here specifically in Ontario. And I kind of was interested in this because here in Ontario, as you know, we've been in a transactional type of model for some time, and I wanted to see could we push the boundary and look at other project delivery models that would achieve the the goals of infrastructure for healthcare in a different manner? Interesting. And you talk about transactional contracting, and you talk about IPD, can you maybe explain for some of our listeners the difference or what was in the context of your, your research, what those terms mean? Racheal Patel 03:20So when we when I say transactional, it's more of a contractual obligation. So it's what we see today, like a p3, you know, alternative delivery model where you have a relationship based on some terms and conditions. Relational, it's a similar idea in that more, they're not similar, but it's a similar idea, in that it's a relationship based model where you're working together as a team, there's no one, you know, a buyer and a seller you are, I guess, in a way, a group or collaborative, all working towards the same goal and you have incentives and so forth, in a nutshell, that it's different. We in transactional, as you know, you have contractual requirements, you're obligated to meet certain things, whereas in relational, it's really about the relationships and the collaboration and the people and people organizations that come together to deliver. So it's, it's harder, sorry, relational is more softer compared to transactional in my non legal way of trying to explain. Riccardo Cosentino 04:41So another way of putting that is an is one that of an example that I use in the past is that transactional contracting or is more of a zero sum game where there is a party, a winning party in the losing party. We're in relational contracting. We're all on the same table, we all have one common goal, one common incentive. And all of the incentives are aligned providing a more collaborative environment. Racheal Patel 05:11Yeah, yeah, that's probably more eloquent and articulate in the way I'm trying to explain it. That yeah, like, with relational, and specifically with IPD, you have everyone coming together with a common goal objective, and you're all measured on that same group of objectives or metrics metrics. And I would say transactional is a very much risk transfer moving risk to one party to hold that and your obligation to meet those risks, that transfer of that risk. But yes, I would say what you what you said is more eloquent than how I'm trying to explain it. Riccardo Cosentino 05:54No, yours is more is more detailed and more accurate by this very broad strokes. But maybe maybe for again, for our listeners, I know, in your research, you know, part of your literature review you you actually had a bit of a dive into IPD, which means integrated project delivery. And I actually cover some of that in my dissertation. So in a previous podcast, where I talked about IPD, Alliance and collaborative contracting, maybe just for those listeners that didn't listen to that podcast. Can you talk a little bit about the origin of IPD? Yeah, no problem. So IPD, which is integrated project delivery is the definition. It's kind of vetted by the American Institute of Architects, or specifically the California Council that came up with this notion of IPD. Being that it's a project delivery model that integrates people, businesses, and legal structures into a process that drives collaboration, while it optimizes efficiencies in the design and the construction phases of a project. So what that really means is that your you know, you're kind of like a temporary project organization, or a temporary organization all set to one vision, a shared vision, purpose, and a goal. And you're all working together, in, in what we work in organizations to achieve that. And each part like, you know, you have a joint management decision making where you come together. It's not one party oversight on one, you have key party members within your organization that sit together make decisions, for the best project outcome, you agree on the targets and goals. So what what are we trying to like? What is our project mission values, but what are we trying to achieve with this, you bring everyone to the table. So it's early engagement of parties, like in our current models, or in some of the models, we're all used to, you know, you have owner, you know, their designers are the design team, and then they work together, then you bring in somebody else later in the game, whereas in this one, everyone's sitting at the table on day one, working together to achieve the vision. The other thing with integrated project delivery is that you're sharing the risks and rewards. So it's not self interest driven. It's more we work together, and we share the risk of the solutions we put together or the rewards of the solutions like we work together to do that. So it's a pain share gain kind of model, where if we all do it together, and we're successful, we profit in it together. If we made some bad judgments, we all suffer together in a nutshell. And then the other thing that's different than probably an alliance model, is that our life, reduce liability exposure. So there's no blame game, you know, you're waiving claim and liability between each other. I mean, I'm sure there are legal mechanisms that if it's willful, or negligent, like in that way, that it's purposeful, there's repercussions. But basically, what you're trying to do is create an environment that has trust or respect. And in order to do that, you don't have legal mechanisms that will point to someone and say, Well, you did this, now you're a blame because you all are all on the same page or sharing that reward or the risk or making the decisions. Yeah, that's why I was That's why I was talking about a zero sum game, because I think what you described it, you know, I think the legal recourse creates a situation where there's going to be a winner and a loser in case things go wrong. I mean, at the end of the day, I mean, my my experience is that yeah, a contract. If a project goes well a contrast is on the shelves and nobody looks at it, but is when things start to go wrong, that you take out the contract. Look what the contract says and you pursue your legal remedies. I think what what you did ascribe to the IPD. And to a certain extent, even the Alliance model, or any relational contract allows for that. You know, if the project starts going badly, you don't reach for the contract to start appointing blame, but you actually have to sit at the table and come up with with a solution from the project team, rather than from the contract. Racheal Patel 10:25Yeah, like it's very much in this type of model. It's working together, you know, and in my experience, too, on the other types of contracts, if a project goes well, right, yeah, you're never gonna, you're never going to open it up and blame game. But I think, as the complexities of health infrastructure continues, and I'm talking health infrastructure, like continues to grow, I think we're more heading down the line. And I've seen it going down the line where that contract is open, and that blame game starts. Whereas an IP D, and what I like what I've seen in the industry, and those that have used it, you don't see those levels of escalation, or you don't hear about yourself as an escalation, because everyone that's in this delivery in this project are working together to achieve the same thing. So if, you know if blame is shared, everyone shares I mean, if blame is to be shared, everyone shares that blame. And so that that's the difference in this model, for sure. Riccardo Cosentino 11:28Okay, so I think I think we've set the scene and we talked about IPD. So hopefully, people listening who are not familiar with a Marvel getting a sense. So like to take you back to your dissertation. And, you know, ask, I'd like to ask you, what were the key findings of your, of your, of your research. Racheal Patel 11:52So my, just to kind of give your listeners a little bit of context. So what I was trying to understand in this in this research is, what are the impediments or the challenges of adoption of this model? And so when I looked at, when I looked at, you know, how, how I would identify them, I interviewed individuals in Ontario, both in the public and the private end of health infrastructure, that are decision makers in the process and have been involved. And, you know, we looked at different categories. So is our market even ready to accept a model? Right? Like, are we are we in Ontario, even willing to say, hey, let's look at different project delivery models? You know, what's the impact of culture and environment? The legal ramifications, financial procurement, because we work through a different procurement body? And is there any impact of our regulatory authorities on how we go through it? And so I think, overarching, like one of the biggest findings, and the resounding is, the individuals that I interviewed, were all were like, We need a different model. So it was a resounding yes. The marketplace is saying we need to look at different ways to deliver these infrastructure projects. Because the complexities, the cost they're increasing. And the current models we have, while they deliver an amount saying that P3 are not good, but they do deliver. But for what we're delivering, it's not the best solution. And from a culture and environment, I think, you know, with integrated project delivery, it's about trust and collaboration. And our environment has a huge impact on trust, how we work together and so forth. So I think, I don't think are the culture we work in or in the environment. Everyone's like, it's going to be difficult to apply this model. And I think from a procurement perspective, one of the biggest, you know, ideas that came out was, you know, our procurement, the way we procure projects, that whole process, not necessarily, the broader procurement of the BPS has to change but we have to look at it in a different way to apply this type of model. I think those were some of the key big findings. Riccardo Cosentino 14:22Okay, so I think in your, your dissertation, you you talk about some of the challenges and some of the findings and I think procurement challenges is the one that I found quite interesting. And you talk about how the how the the process to secure funding for the developing new or new health infrastructure. creates challenges in adopting IPD. And also you look at the the value for money analysis used when procuring new infrastructure now that could be a barrier for the for the deployment of integrated project delivery. And so I'm very curious to draw upon your knowledge of what the MO Ministry of Health process is, and why is it detrimental? Racheal Patel 15:18So, I mean, it comes back to so the Ministry of Health process, if we look at, you know, how hospitals kind of work within our system, the hospitals are within, you know, the Ministry of Health. And it's not that they're regulated by the Ministry of Health, because each hospitals, independent corporations, they have their own board of directors, but they're tied to a lot of the operational funding the capital funding come through the Ministry of Health, so you have to work with them in order to get funding for whether it's a renovation or a new build. And so the capital, the health capital planning process, and I know they've changed it in in the last year, or they've added some different nomenclature of stages. But basically, it's separated into two different stages, in that you have your early planning, that talks about, you know, what is the infrastructure proposal how you're going to address it. And that then is requires approval to proceed further into the actual development of the health infrastructure structure project you want to actually implement. And so there's two different approval process within the government through the Treasury Board that your project has to go through. And then during that those approval processes, set dollar amount, whatever that is, whatever is established for that project, and that includes, you know, transaction fees. And so all the other fees that are held, that number is carried across the process. And that kind of is you're upset value or your total value of the project. But when you look at the process, the duration of this process is so long, and you know, healthcare projects can take 10, to, you know, 13 years to get through this process, where you actually go to a part where you go to RFP and start to bid and build, that there's such an evolution, the way we deliver healthcare, because it's rapidly changing with technology operations, and so forth, and different models of care, that what you first envisioned in your project, maybe you're one and where you ended up, when you're about to go to bed could change, but that number doesn't change. And so it's not agile enough to respond to the market. Riccardo Cosentino 17:36I guess another challenge is that when you know, because of the planning process, you develop a design and a solution. And you develop it to probably award 5% design completion. And so you lock in in certain certain things with your, with your master planning, you block schematic as you go through the approval process. And obviously, you wouldn't be able to have an IPD contractor on board, that early on to start that collaboration is that one of the findings, one of the challenges, Racheal Patel 18:11it is a challenge, but I think if you look at the way the US where IPDS is predominantly used for healthcare, you can have your business case written and your idea written, but then you know, when you get into blocks, or schematics, you engage that contractor into the process, right. And then together with the designer, the owner, the and the contractor in some of their sub trades, you start to build or design and plan for that future facility. So in the US, they do do that. Here in Ontario, we have a very process driven stream that contractors are not engaged and their value is not added until they get the bid documents. And so could the contractor come in earlier in the process? I believe it could. But that means you're procuring certain things earlier in order to have those conversations at the table. And they would have to be integrated into this. I don't see it being a barrier. I think it's a shift in mindset and how we approach it. And if this is the what we have to do with the ministry's process and Treasury board's approval for release of funding, then I think we have to look at, you know, when does a contract or when does the sub trades When did those key individuals get involved? Riccardo Cosentino 19:33Well, yeah, because what we have is a very linear process, you know, you have all these stages and you know, you can only is a Stage Gate approach. Well, I think without with IBD, you want a more fluid, more fluid approach that creates collaboration and interaction as early as possible because that's where that's where the value is created. And that's where optimization has appearance is it's at the early stages of the project. Racheal Patel 20:02Right. And it's also where the innovation happens, right? Like with the optimization, but it's innovation and maybe how we address mechanical I mean, you look at healthcare, mechanical, maybe 45, to, if not 50, but close to 50% of the value of our healthcare project is the engineering systems that run, not a name, excluding the equipment that you know, that it's put into the organization. But when you have such a heavy value of your costs sitting, like and you don't have those players that are going to build it at the table, it's a huge detriment, right. And we ended up having issues going down. And I think that's the benefit of this process of IPD. Everyone comes to the table early in design, so you can work out those solutions and the problems, say, you know, what's the best approach for, you know, air handling? What's the best approach for, you know, feature flexibility of data and so forth? I mean, I'm not an engineering to talk technical, but, you know, I've worked in situations where you have everyone at the table, and you can create something more efficient in its operation, but also in the price. Riccardo Cosentino 21:11Yes. Yeah. You know, enough to be dangerous. That's the mean. So, touched upon value for money. So let's, let's jump on to that. Because I think that's the other that, you know, and I worked for infrastructure, Ontario, and I know the value for money methodology. But, again, I think in your findings, you describe it beautifully. Why is problematic, so I won't steal your thunder. I leave, I leave you to explain why the VFM methodology is problematic. Racheal Patel 21:52Yeah, so So you, I get in trouble and not you. Alright. So I do believe that the value for money calculation that we use in Ontario is problematic, because the way we calculate value for money is that, and, again, I've listened and not at Infrastructure Ontario. So I can't say that with certainty. But my understanding of it is that when so let me take a step back when the idea of I think it's the idea of value for money first is problematic. When we think of value for money, we think of lowest price in Ontario. But when you look at what really value for money, it's the best, it's the best solution based on financial and non financial objectives. That's what value for money is value for money is not finding the cheapest bid. And I think, in Ontario, and I'm not just talking p3, but in Ontario, whether it's through supply chain procurement, so if we always look for this lowest price, because we believe that that is value for money, that itself is problematic for IPD. Because in IPD, its value for money is based on a number of other things, right? Value for money is on the team, it's on. It's not on a fixed price, it's how the team works together, right? Like, that's, you know, when you procure IPD, you're not procuring a fixed price, what you're procuring is the team that comes to the table that will work with you to develop the solution for what you're coming together for, you know, their qualifications, their experience, how they work together, their behaviors, that is what you're evaluating how you choose a team. It's not like, here's my lowest bid. And so I think that's one of the biggest challenges in Ontario is that we had this idea of low bid is the right solution. And then sorry, go Riccardo Cosentino 21:52yeah, I was gonna I was gonna, you seem reluctant to come to the punch line. So I was gonna I was for you, in case you're too scared. Racheal Patel 24:00Scared, so but I just wanted to say, you know, like, so when you get to value for money calculation, and the way we do it is that it's about transferring the risk, right? So when you look at the value for money calculation, and how, you know, how one thing is, like one procurement model, p3 is better. It's because they're seeing the risk allocation, the transfers of the risk to the private sector is value for money for the public sector, because they're not burdened by that risk. And so that's kind of the premise. And I don't think that's correct, because you're measuring, you know, p3, the risk transference and against a traditional model where there isn't a risk transfer. So that's kind of the issue with the value for money calculation. Now you add an integrated project delivery, where the idea is risk sharing, and then you use that same methodology to calculate value for money IPD will never win because it's IPDs base core base is sharing risk. Because, you know, the definition is if you share a risk, you share solutions, right? Like you're working together to problem solve, as opposed to transferring that problem to somebody else doesn't get to the punch. Thank you. I'm not afraid to say it. But I just wanted to kind of, you know, I think it's two issues in our procurement, it's the idea of what value for money is and how we calculate money. Riccardo Cosentino 25:26Okay, so I think I think that paints a pretty good picture of what what are the, in my mind, I mean, I'm your research talks about other challenges. And I think there's there's most the softer type challenges, which is, you know, resources, availability of resources, and culture and environment, which you talked at the beginning, but I'm a commercial person. So I always gravitate toward the heard liabilities and the heard numbers. So not that's not the sort of stuff but you know, the soft stuff is important. And yeah, I agree with you, I mean, value for money as to be and it to be to give credit to Infrastructure Ontario for for new projects. Now, on the civil side, they are starting to use more collaborative model, the studying to assess cognitive they do cognitive behavioral assessments for all the people that work on those project, because at the end of the day, there needs to be a culture of fit of everybody's at the table, because otherwise, you're not going to achieve the collaboration that you need. Racheal Patel 26:29100%. And, you know, I, I've spoken to people at Metrolinx, as well about the different ways they're trying to approach project delivery, civil projects are so complex, I would say probably even more so than a hospital delivery. You know, I think the hospital itself is a complex, but what Civil Works does, that's even more complex, but they're willing to try different models. And so if our partners here at Metrolinx, or other organizations are looking at different models, why can't we apply that? That's kind of also why I'm driving this idea. Like, let's look outside the box of what we've traditionally done here, Ontario. Riccardo Cosentino 27:06Yeah, I couldn't agree more. Okay. So jumping on, I wanted to maybe ask you more of a broader question, which, if you have actually had the chance to look at some case studies when you were doing your research, and if there's anything that that jumped out, you might you might have not actually looked at case study, because I know your literature literature review was a bit broader than that. But any, any anything that jumped out and key successes that jumped out, Racheal Patel 27:34you know, IPD, in general, is permanently used in the US, but I think other countries are looking at it. So when I was doing this study, specifically, I was trying to find public hospitals or public systems that have applied integrated project delivery. The one organization I found was an I'm going to pronounce this wrong, because there is a lot over one of the letters, but it's in Norway, is the Songa project. And so the Norwegian government decided they've had enough with cost overruns, scheduled delays, adversarial relationships. And they actually implemented integrated project delivery in the redevelopment of hospitals, specifically one in this specific region and can't remember the name, but I can get you the reference or anybody that wants to know it after. And so they applied integrated project delivery, because they wanted more of a collaboration and a different approach to public infrastructure, it's probably the closest thing that you would see to a true definition of integrated project delivery, with the exception is that there is no multi party contract. So in integrated project delivery, all the individuals are under a multi party contracts, you all signed together. And so in this public project, that was the only key characteristics of a true IPD. That wasn't in there. But all of the risk sharing the reduced liability, not waiver of liability was there, you know, the the key concepts were there, with the exception of the multi party agreement. So that was probably the only one. There's still in the middle of the build stages. And if you do look it up. It's multi phase project. It's very complex redevelopment in this system. But they've just started issuing case studies or publishing case studies are starting to talk to the public or the global public about this specific example. And it's successful because they have delivered and they've achieved what they've wanted to they've had innovations through the process. But it's the first example of public system using integrated project delivery for health infrastructure. Riccardo Cosentino 29:43Interesting. Okay, I'll try. I'll try to get the details. We'll put in the shownotes. Search it up. Okay, so I guess, as maybe as a final question, probably quite a challenging question but are going to have Is there any way? What will be your recommendation to Ontario policymakers? entities like MOH, or Infrastructure Ontario? To what what would they have to do to embrace IPD for future projects? How can they navigate these challenges? Effectively? does. I think, I think if I can paraphrase. I mean, there's a there's a need for a shift for a fundamental shift in the policy, because as you describe the fact that hospitals are risk averse, and they can't really absorb too much or cost overruns, or, you know, as lower risk. But that's a funding issue. Right? That's a policy issue there. I mean, at the end of the day, hospital are a creature of the Ministry of Health, right. So ultimately, the governance could allow could be put in place to allow a hospital to to have a different approach a different commercial approach. So it is it is within the gift of the policymaker and the politicians. Racheal Patel 33:45Yeah. And 100%. And I think, you know, when you're paraphrasing it better than I wrote it, I think, but I'm trying to put, you know, 60 pages into small answer. But if you look at you know, just even the allocation of how hospitals have funding for resources to do infrastructure. In the study, a lot of individuals brought up that thing that goes, there's not even enough money to do the current projects that we have with the lack of funding, you know, because they get a certain percentage of ancillary funding in order to pay their staff. But in this situation, when we do IPD, you're going to have a plethora of individuals and experts and stuff that have to sit in the hospital organization to do this. And a hospital isn't an infrastructure professional, right? They bring in the resources to do what they need to but they're they're there to deliver service and care to their community. And so they need to bring all these specialists in but if our if our ancillary costs are how until your cost is given and or funding is given to the hospitals to have the resources doesn't meet the need of these comp, this type of project delivery, you're never going to be able to add execute it. Right now, it supports more of the transactional. So yeah, to your point that also has to be done from a ministry level saying we need to look at how money is given the allocation of funding for these types. Riccardo Cosentino 35:15Okay, so I mean, if I gonna, I'm going to try to summarize I mean, I think my three takeaways is having the there needs to be a change in changing culture, and environment. In order to bring a different type of behaviors to the table, there needs to be a change in the way that risk is allocated, or better, we need to find a better way to share risk. We need to we will need to change some of the policies associated with procurement and project development. And if all this was to happen, then potentially we could have a rich IPD market in Ontario. Yeah, I think you separated and I think maybe IPD, just in its and probably negate everything I just said about why I'm passionate about IPD. But I, I, I think this would be true for any relational type of contracting like Alliance, Alliance, as well as IPD. They have similarities as we talked about earlier. But what you've summarize are critical for our marketplace to allow for different models. And I think that's kind of the crux of the issue is that we have a marketplace that's set up for one specific type of delivery model. And if we need to look outside the box, we need to look at these issues. Okay, now, you said it better than me, well, Racheal Patel 36:44play off of you. Riccardo Cosentino 36:47Okay, I think I think that's all we have time for today. Thank you very much for joining me today. Racheal. This was a fascinating conversation about our own province, our own in our own country. So thank you for joining me and all the best for your future endeavors. Racheal Patel 37:02Thanks, Riccardo and thank you for the platform to talk about this right now. Riccardo Cosentino 37:08That's it for this episode on navigating major problems. I hope you found today's conversation as informative and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing and leaving a review. I would also like to personally invite you to continue the conversation by joining me on my personal LinkedIn at Riccardo Cosentino. Listening to the next episode, we will continue to explore the latest trends and challenges in major program management. Our next in depth conversation promises to continue to dive into topics such as leadership risk management, and the impact of emerging technology in infrastructure. It's a conversation you're not going to want to miss. Thanks for listening to Navigating Major Programmes and I look forward to keeping the conversation going Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy, opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Disenyo.co LLC and its employees.
Today's episode is all about today's top trending stories. We talk about the freak-out at Bad Boy furniture, Justin Trudeau teaches people how to count samosas, Metrolinx goes after fare evaders again, Kitchens with two dishwashers, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Host Alex Pierson speaks with Sabrina Nanji, Journalist and Founder of Queen's Park Observer, about when Metrolinx plans on opening the Eglinton LRT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: MPs TO ELECT NEW HOUSE SPEAKER TODAY 12:00-12:30 Liz West is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Andrew Cash, a former NDP MP for Toronto Davenport district and John Milloy, a former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments. Today: members of Parliament are expected to vote in a new speaker of the house today. It comes in the aftermath of house speaker Anthony Rota 's resignation over inviting a Nazi war veteran to Parliament during Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's visit. And, Bonnie Crombie says she's raised over $1 million for her campaign to become leader of the Ontario Liberals. Crombie, who is taking a leave of absence from her post as Mississauga mayor, is firing back against her political opponents including candidate Nate Erskine-Smith who are criticizing her for getting donations from developers. FINANCIAL STRESS AMONG CANADIANS IS UP: ARE WE IN A NATIONAL EMERGENCY? 12:30-12:45 Liz West is now joined by Lesley-Anne Scorgie, Founder of MeVest, a leading edge financial education company specializing in money coaching for Canadians. According to a new survey by the National Payroll Institute, the number of Canadians reporting financial stress-- as much as 20 per cent. They are calling it a national emergency. Lesley-Anne reacts to the findings. WHY ARE SO MANY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN TORONTO DELAYED 12:45-1 PM Liz West is now joined by Councillor Mike Colle, City Councillor Ward 8, Eglinton-Lawrence, and Josh Matlow, Toronto Councillor, Ward 12 Toronto-St. Paul's. Last week, we heard yet another announcement from Metrolinx that followed the same old: no clear timeline on when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is going to be completed. How fair is this to local residents and businesses? And the reality is that there is $107 billion in infrastructure work planned for the city. how can we be confident that none of these projects will get delayed much like the Eglinton LRT.
Alex Pierson speaks with John Kiru, Executive Director of the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
TUNE INTO THE TOWN: GREENBELT BOUNDARIES & CROSSTOWN LRT 12-12:30 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by Matt Buckman Former Senior Advisor to former Mayor John Tory, Councillor Paula Fletcher, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth, and Councillor James Pasternak, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 6 York Centre. The Ford government is planning to introduce a bill that will protect the boundaries of the Greenbelt and enshrine them into law. This comes after Premier Ford backed down from the Greenbelt scandal and apologized to Ontarians over it. Meanwhile, it's a never ending story from Metrolinx as they continue not to give answers about when the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will open up. Our panel reacts to the latest. MINIMUM WAGE TO INCREASE IN OCTOBER: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 12:30-1 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by Jim Stanford Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work and Robert Chee, Owner / operator of AVIV immigrant kitchen restaurant located at 779 St Clair west and Neil Hetherington, CEO of The Daily Bread Food Bank. Minimum wage is set to increase on October 1st from $15.50 to $16.55 per hour. Our guests weigh in on how this will impact businesses and how those who are currently making minimum wage feel about it.
In episode five of Navigating Major Programmes, Riccardo sits down with Shormila Chatterjee, Acting Director at Government of Canada Infrastructure on the high-speed rail project. With 14 years of Canada-wide expertise in large-scale public private partnership (PPP) projects, Shormila has led various aspects of several high profile P3 pursuits and design engineering projects in Canada. She also actively contributes to Women in Infrastructure Network's Ottawa Chapter and serves as a board member of PAL Ottawa. In today's conversation, Riccardo and Shormila go beyond the resume to speak about the adversity (and highlights) of Shormila's career in infrastructure, including meeting ageism and gender bias at the decision making tables. Key Takeaways:Why diverse voices in infrastructure are required to better serve the communities major programmes are designed forHow to navigating explicit acts of gender bias and Shormila's experience of her competency being questioned based on assumptions over education/experienceAvoiding analysis paralysis and finding your voice in moments of uncertaintyHow motherhood and personal life interconnects with a career in infrastructureWhy projects are people and how adoption of behaviour will propel the industry forward If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. The conversation doesn't stop here—connect and converse with our community: Riccardo Cosentino on LinkedInShormila Chatterjee on LinkedInUse this link to find advice, guidance, and sponsorship at the Women's Infrastructure Network (WIN) Canada websiteWIN on LinkedIn Transcript:Riccardo Cosentino 00:05You're listening to navigate major problems, the podcast that aims to elevate the conversations happening in the infrastructure industry and inspire you to have a more efficient approach within it. I'm your host Riccardo Cosentino I bring over 20 years of major product management experience. Most recently, I graduated from Oxford University's a business school, which shook my belief when it comes to navigating major problems. Now it's time to shake yours. Join me in each episode as a press the industry experts about the complexity of major program management, emerging digital trends and the critical leadership required to approach these multibillion dollar projects. Let's see what the conversation takes us. Shormila Chatterjee, the acting director of infrastructure Canada, is an ally accomplished infrastructure professional with 14 years of experience in both the public and private sectors focused on social and public infrastructure is evident in our work on the high frequency rail project, a major initiative in Canada. Prior to her current role, she served as primary contact for prominent clients like the City of Ottawa, and Public Services and Procurement Canada, while at SNC Lavalin Shormila. The ability to establish strong relations with public sector counterparts enabled her to effectively address challenges throughout the project lifecycle achieving favorable outcomes. In addition to a professional achievements Shormila actively contributes to the woman and infrastructure network Ottawa chapter, and serves as a board member of the Powell Ottawa. Air involvement with this organization reflects our dedication to supporting undeserved communities, particularly senior arts workers. In other words, show millas commitment to delivery and inclusivity is evident in our effort to create equal opportunities and cultivate inclusive work environments. Hello, welcome to another episode of navigating major programs. Today I'm here with Shormila. Are you doing? Sure Mila, Shormila Chatterjee 02:15I'm good. Thanks, Ricardo. How are you? Riccardo Cosentino 02:17Not too bad, not too bad. Thank you for joining us. It's a pleasure to have you on the program. You and I go back a few years. So why don't we get right into it? You know, I think the audience has heard your bio. So why don't we just start with what what is your current role in infrastructure? Shormila Chatterjee 02:36Sure. Thanks. Thanks so much for having me Riccardo. So I'm currently actually currently right now I'm on maternity leave. But I'm essentially an acting director at infrastructure Canada on the high frequency rail project, which he had mentioned is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Canada, the in that's going to connect Toronto to Quebec City in the in the next couple of years, which is really exciting. Riccardo Cosentino 02:59I guess it's on point. I mean, this is a podcast about women in infrastructure. So I think it's really important that you're actually on maternity leave. These are the things that happen. So I'm glad that I'm actually having a guest that is taking taking a leave of absence in order to take care of a newborn baby think it's very important. So how did you first get into the industry? Shormila Chatterjee 03:24Well, I think like most people, it's by accident. But I started in mining and metallurgy at SNC levelin, when I'm fresh out of school, and the infrastructure division was based out of Vancouver at the time, and they wanted to set up a Toronto office to respond to, you know, the creation of Metrolinx and restructure Ontario, kind of this new Ontario business. So they created a group and we're just looking for people and I happen to hear about it and wanted to join because it sounded really interesting. The projects that I was working on, while interesting, were in very remote places. So I was looking for something that had this mix of being able to apply my technical skills, but also be in more urban environments. So then I was one of the first few employees and the infrastructure that was called transportation at the time, but the infrastructure group in essence is the Toronto office. Riccardo Cosentino 04:16And was it always your plan to build a career in infrastructure? Or did you stumble upon it? Shormila Chatterjee 04:22Yeah, so I sort of stumbled upon it I think for me i i did civil engineering in school and that's quite a wide like you I guess ready Riccardo but like it's a wide pretty wide of things that you can do with civil engineering. I wanted to actually eventually move back to India because I had went to high school in India and moved back to India and and work there but then I had stumbled on infrastructure here in Canada and ended up wanting to stay and such an active industry. So I Yeah, sort of fell in love with it by accident. Riccardo Cosentino 04:54You fell in love during your undergraduate degree or as you started your career. And Shormila Chatterjee 05:02yeah, I would say as I sit here, what what I love, I think of engineering and has, which is what I continue to love in my job now is that engineering and also infrastructure and particularly projects is a team sport. And for me, that's what gets me up in the morning. Like, I'm not a sort of dog eat dog type of person. Like, I like that we're all in this together, and we're all trying to achieve a common goal. And I love working with people who, you know, have that same sort of drive to, to move the needle forward every day. And that's what I really love about sort of engineering is, you know, we're all writing the bell curve together. And now in projects, we're all trying to, to, to build something meaningful together. And that's what i i Like I said, that's, that's the thing that makes me most excited about my job. Riccardo Cosentino 05:53And how do you choose SNC Lavell? And as an employer? Shormila Chatterjee 05:56That's a good question. I it was they had, I think I had applied to them as a summer student between third and fourth year and got a job. And then they actually called me the week before my finals in my fourth year and offered me a job right into school. So I didn't look anywhere else. I have to say, so it kind of relieved that stress. And it was great, you know, working in mining, especially, I think if I had not stayed in infrastructure mining was a great career for a young engineer. It was very autonomous. I got to work in a gold mine in Nevada and work in projects in Madagascar, and Pakistan. So like, it was really interesting. But like I said, you know, very remote locations, but a good good start to my career for sure. Riccardo Cosentino 06:44The Madagascar that's good project is one that I touched. Yeah. touched on i My early mind in my early days, and I see. Yeah, a bit of a marquee project. He was a nickel mine Shormila Chatterjee 06:57was a nickel mine. Yeah, yeah. Riccardo Cosentino 06:59Very interesting. Very interesting project. Yeah. Okay. So that's a good segue into the next question, which is, what were the some of the highlights of your career so far? Shormila Chatterjee 07:11Yeah, I've been quite lucky. I mean, for me, I think it's obviously the Confederation Line project is one that stands out, I was lucky to be from, you know, the bid phase where it's was was where we met over 10 years ago now, but the bid all the way to the first few years of execution. You know, I remember being in city council when the mayor announced us to prepare for proponent and he was quite emotional when he did that. And just, you know, like, seeing people move their families from across the world to work on this project was really exciting. So, you know, say what you will about Confederation Line, but it's definitely changed the city's makeup and I think, created the sense of, you know, this, you know, this desire for an expansive LRT network in Ottawa, which is exciting. So, I really liked working on that project. And then also, like, I've learned a lot from the ones that we, we didn't always win. So some of the, you know, the Close, but no cigar projects we I learned a lot from as well. So but yeah, the Confederation Line definitely stands out. Riccardo Cosentino 08:16Yeah, I mean, we both we've both worked on that you worked on it a bit longer than me. But yeah, I don't think you were involved in the, in the public inquiry. Shormila Chatterjee 08:26I was not, I got to take my daughter, I'm the first day that the train opened the mascot, so that was me. Riccardo Cosentino 08:37Right. Yeah, I think I think that project is actually it's a very interesting one. Because even though there were a few things that went wrong, you can learn a lot from things that go wrong. And for me, you know, it's been a very, very interesting journey. See it from really from RFQ to today, we've been engaging through the public inquiry, and really learning how complex major projects are. And sometimes it's easy to criticize them without actually understanding what the challenges are. And it's not that simple. And so, yeah, I think I think, yeah, the could, we could write a book about Confederation Line and hopefully one day we will. Shormila Chatterjee 09:21Yeah, no, absolutely. Really interesting experience. Riccardo Cosentino 09:26So okay, let's let's jump into the into the part of the conversation that is related to working in a male dominated environment. I know you I've known you for many years. I know that you know, on the surface you fit right in. But the interesting to know what what, what has been your experience and challenges in working in such an industry? Shormila Chatterjee 09:50Yeah, so I was kind of thinking about that. And I realized that I feel like I faced more resistance later, as I progress later on in my career than when I did when I was a junior, I think when I was a junior engineer, I had, I've always had great managers, I have to say, but I never really felt the the sort of apprehension of being in a room or unwelcome in a room as I did. Oh, I think pretty much when I started around the time when I actually started working with you, is when I realized because I was in the same at the same table as decision makers, and I think the challenge with projects is, you start usually with a new team. And not everybody knows each other. And, you know, on day one, I was sort of doing a bit of a Rolodex in my head that almost pretty much on day one without fail, at least one man who is probably 10 to 15 years older than me, was I was like, What is she doing and through and sort of met me with some resistance, but and then, by the end of the project, we're sending each other Christmas cards. So it was like, but I, I would say that that was my challenge is sort of, I mean, I don't think I even wore my iron ring until, you know, pretty much seven, eight years into my career, because I didn't really need it before. But I felt like I needed that as like a sort of at least the minimum ticket to entry. Well, I must have done something right to, you know, have that or it's it was really a token. But I felt that, you know, it's been more in my recent history that I had felt that at that sort of leadership or decision making tables where the resistance was called, and then, you know, I don't consider myself usually the smartest person in the room. But I'm definitely probably one of the hardest working and hopefully you can attest to that. But so eventually realizing that, you know, we're all in it. And you know, trying to reach the same goal. Like I said before, it was what got us through it. But that's really what I feel like when I faced a lot of resistance. Riccardo Cosentino 11:57Do you recall or do you? Do you mind sharing? If you do recall some other examples where that how that resistance manifested? Shormila Chatterjee 12:08Yeah, I mean, I think I've I've had, you know, one person explicitly asked for me to be removed from a project because they didn't know if I was capable or competent, without having actually asked or known about my history. And I think especially being on the kind of commercial financial side, dealing with engineers or construction folks, they sometimes there's a feeling like, I'm out to get them or I don't necessarily understand their point of view. So I have had, yeah, some pretty explicit acts of rebellion against me on the team. And like I said, luckily, we sort of rode through it and got through the other side, but because I'm not, you know, I'm not a wallflower. Like, you have said, like, I will express my opinion, I'm there for a reason. So yeah, so it's been there's been some some rocky roads. Riccardo Cosentino 13:13But nevertheless, you succeeded. I mean, you've had a pretty, pretty interesting career so far, with lots of opportunities ahead. And so what what do you think has helped you succeed? I mean, your hard work, obviously. Shormila Chatterjee 13:26Yeah, I think for me, you know, I A Well, one thing, too, that I've I tried to maybe do consciously in the beginning of a project as well, especially, is to be vocal about when I don't know something, you know, working with a lot of technical people, I think they get what, what I've heard this term before, and I use it a lot is analysis paralysis, like nobody wants to say anything unless they know everything. And, you know, when you're, especially when you're in a, in a, in a bidding environment, where there's very little information, and you have to make very consequential decisions based on very little information, you sort of have to go with your gut. And it's okay not to know, and sort of being the one that's very vocal about like, I don't know the answer to this, but let's try to sort of risk assess the situation and move things forward. I think being vocal about that is important in the beginning, and I think that that's helped me and then also being decisive. I think we work with a lot of people who are, you know, you're expected the pieces, kind of incredible of what you're expected to do in, you know, six to eight months of a bid opportunity. And so people who are not used to that and they're used to kind of five to 10 year long projects, they don't, they're not used to kind of moving things forward at that type of pace. So, you know, I'm happy to take the fall if something goes wrong, but you know, I just want to move things forward. So being decisive, especially early on in a project opportunity I think is really important. I try to try to be that the, you know, the sort of the buck stops with me attitude, I think helps Riccardo Cosentino 15:10that's probably why you and I get along. Yeah, Shormila Chatterjee 15:13yeah, exactly. Like, I think you just, you know, it's, it might be the wrong decision six months from now, but you have to make a decision, you know, Riccardo Cosentino 15:22and, you know, other guests in the previous episode that she talked about the challenges of being, you know, one of the few women in the room, if not the only woman in the room, and the challenge was, you know, do I do I modify my behavior to be accepted, or be more myself that your experience in the past, and you find yourself having to modify you, your behavior, or who you are in order to fit in? Is it something that you, you felt you had to do in order to be accepted in a male dominated environment, you or you didn't care? Shormila Chatterjee 16:00I think I, I don't think it's modified. But I do compartmentalize myself quite a bit. I mean, like, you and I have a lot of conversations about sort of Shop Talk, like, I like talking. And I think that's the thing, like, I like talking about the industry and work, and I don't naturally sort of lead my personal life with my I sort of like to compartmentalize those parts of my life. So I don't think I'm sort of censoring or, or altering who I am at all. But it's just like, a different facet of my life is at work. And then a different facet of my life is at home. And so I that's, that's what I just I'm, I don't think it's being in a male dominated, I'm just sort of that type of person. And that's just how I am, but I don't think I've changed myself. And I would say it would be less about being in a male dominated as, when I was younger, I felt that I was very young, like in a, you know, that was more of a thing. I'm that's caught up to me now. But But before I've generally worked with, like I said, just really great managers and mentors, but I never felt I had to diminish myself in anyway. Riccardo Cosentino 17:20Well, I guess that's a perfect segue to my next question, you know, how important is mentorship for for professional success? Have you had any, any particular mentor and female mentor in this industry? Shormila Chatterjee 17:34Yes, I've been very lucky to have, I would say, not just mentors, but champions in my career, like they've really all pushed me. And we've had this sort of common thread of stretch goals, like trying to push me further than I think I could go. And that's really, is what propelled my own kind of confidence and like stepping into my own light, which I wish I didn't do kind of when I was younger in my career. And so my mentors have been really instrumental in that. And I think it's important to that I've had both female and male mentors, and I would also suggest that women, mentor men and men, mentor women, just so everybody sort of can see the challenges that everybody else goes through. But I've had great female mentors as well. And I think what they taught me is, you know, you can have it all, just not all at once. And that is what I sort of believe, anyways, is that, you know, there's kind of a season for when to sort of, like, really accelerate your career and sort of, then if you want to focus on the family, if that's what you choose to do, you know, you can always kind of still be very fulfilled in your career, but then have this whole other sort of aspect to your career and hit your stride. You know, when your kids are older, and sort of seeing that ebb and flow of people's progression has been really inspiring for me for you know, seeing these women doing amazing things in their, you know, 50s and 60s, is something that I really, like it gives me this, this, this excitement for the future rather than, that's when people slow down, you know, and that's not the case at all. So that's what I've learned a lot from, from my female mentors, and I'm lucky now that I'm in the at the point in my career where I'm mentoring men and women and so like, I find that really exciting as well. Riccardo Cosentino 19:34Interesting. Very interesting. Okay, so we talked about your past, we talked about your experiences, what are your hopes for the industry as a whole? Like, Shormila Chatterjee 19:47I mean, that's a loaded question. But I think for me, I, I mean, and you will probably remember this as well, and maybe better than me, but, you know, I see a lot of rhetoric around sort of collaborative modeling and and working on a project that has that as well. But like, I think projects are people. And you know, a lot of what we are talking about now how a lot of these models will solve all our problems is a lot of similar rhetoric of what was said when p3 is first became really popular. And so I don't think that models are here to solve all our problems, it's, we really have to sort of look at behavior. And so as an industry, I hope we take these tenants that are coming out of collaborative models and apply them just as an industry as a whole. Because we can collaborate in any in data, like you, but it did, you don't need a model to tell you to do that. So I hope that we take this time to sort of can reflect, and then particularly now that I'm on the public sector side, like what does that mean, as an owner, you know, you we are have to be a sophisticated buyer now. And it's not just to be a contract administrator anymore. So, you know, it's that third P in in in p3 is to be a partner. And it's the same now in a collaborative contract, there's this expectation of an active participant from an owner. So what does that mean? And, and how can we be sort of better partners to each other moving forward? And, you know, I hope that we can just move the behavioral piece forward, regardless of the model. Riccardo Cosentino 21:29Yeah, that's a good aspiration for the industry. I have to say that the, ultimately, the collaboration, you do need a framework around the collaboration, like it's not it's, it's not just the People. Obviously, you need the people, you need the culture, you need the leadership. Yeah. But you also need the legal and commercial framework to incentivize that. Because ultimately, I think that's, that's the problem with PPPs is that although the name has been deceiving, called a partnership. But when you actually look at the commercial, legal framework of a PPP, it's everything back collaborative is a zero sum game, Shormila Chatterjee 22:12right Riccardo Cosentino 22:13And so, you know, sure, you can achieve the collaboration. But that's by chance, not by design, because the model is not designed commercially, legally, to incentivize collaborations as zero sum game. But hopefully, yeah, I agree with you. Like, it's more than just the rhetoric, and it does start with people in leadership. I completely agree with you. I mean, ultimately, you need a capable owner, you need, you need trained individuals. And eventually, though, you also need the legal and commercial framework to support the leadership and the people. Shormila Chatterjee 22:54Right. Yeah, Riccardo Cosentino 22:55yeah. My Yeah. Another guest Mariska said the same thing, because she's working on a lot of claims. And even though I'm talking myself out of a job, it would be good if it was less, less adversarial. Shormila Chatterjee 23:09Yeah, absolutely. Riccardo Cosentino 23:11Would you help encourage more women to pursue a career in infrastructure? And as your experience being positive enough? Shormila Chatterjee 23:19I would absolutely. And I think one thing that I love, too, about the industry is how small it is, surprisingly, and I, it hit me again, when I moved to Ottawa, you know, five years ago, and thought I didn't have a network here. And you realize infrastructures, not even six degrees of separation, it's probably three. And so there's this real kind of sort of camaraderie amongst people, at least in Canada. And so I think it's very everybody's sort of, there's just a, just a really kind of great sense of connection and community. Exactly. And so I really, I really appreciate that and, and, you know, like, talking about maternity leave, like, making your kids like my older daughter calls it, her. It's her mom's train, you know, every time she sees it, and for better or for worse, but those things are really it's it is like, sort of exciting, is it to be able to see the legacy building that you do is is something that you can really be proud of. So absolutely, I would definitely recommend it. Riccardo Cosentino 24:29What would you say to these women that you're encouraging? If you if somebody one of your mentor were to come to you and say, why should they join? Why should they join this industry? Shormila Chatterjee 24:39I think because there's a lot to learn, but also a lot of people need to hear diverse voices. And so to be able to just, you know, give because, you know, these these projects are supposed to be for communities and for the public. So how can we better serve people if there's more people that were being represented? Did in house you know, so the more people that we can have, and so women or people of color or indigenous people, like really, everybody who feels like they don't see themselves in these projects, or they feel like it doesn't really resonate with them, and then come work here, you know, there, I think there's just so much opportunity and you know, projects like high frequency rail, which is, you know, could be such a huge change to how passenger rail service is delivered over 1000 kilometers. Like that's something that we should have as many diverse voices on the on the project side, I think as we can so yeah, I think if to better serve our communities, we need as many voices at the table as we can. Riccardo Cosentino 25:49Yeah, I agree. Some of these projects are defined as nation building, right. So I do want everybody to help build a nation. Absolutely. Especially because I feel like Canada. Yeah. Well, thank you very much for the conversation. Shormila this this was entertaining and interesting, as usual. glad that you joined be Shormila Chatterjee 26:10it really appreciate being here. Yeah, we usually don't talk like this without a beer. But so this is new. But Riccardo Cosentino 26:20you don't know if I have one you can see for the screen right? Say well, you probably have a scotch. Shormila Chatterjee 26:27Yeah. Okay, Riccardo Cosentino 26:32well, thank you again, and have a good evening. We'll talk soon. Thank you so much. Bye now. That's it for this episode on navigating major problems. I hope you found today's conversation as informative and thought provoking as I did. If you enjoyed this conversation, please consider subscribing and leaving a review. I would also like to personally invite you to continue the conversation by joining me on my personal LinkedIn at Riccardo Cosentino. Listening to the next episode, where we will continue to explore the latest trends and challenges in major program management. Our next in depth conversation promises to continue to dive into topics such as leadership, risk management, and the impact of emerging technology in infrastructure. It's a conversation you're not going to want to miss. Thanks for listening to navigate the major problems and I look forward to keeping the conversation going Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast do not necessarily represent or reflect the official policy, opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Disenyo.co LLC and its employees.
ZOOMER SQUAD: A LOOK AHEAD TO CARP-FIGHT BACK'S MAYORAL DEBATE THIS WEEK Libby is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP, and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion Today: we do a look ahead to the special CARP-Fight Back Toronto Mayoral debate that will be taking place Wednesday, June 7, during Fight Back's live broadcast and will be hosted by Libby Znaimer. One of the factors that will make our debate stand out from the rest is that we are inviting on some candidates who have not been invited to the others including Anthony Furey, and Chloe Brown (who also ran during the previous general election for mayor and came in third then). Libby says the focus of this debate will be on practicality. All the candidates have ideas that they are proposing, but how exactly will they get it done? PAUL BERNARDO MOVED TO MEDIUM SECURITY IN QUEBEC Libby is joined by Ari Goldkind, a criminal defence lawyer based in Toronto. Canadian Serial rapist and serial killer Paul Bernardo has been moved to a medium security prison in Quebec. The lawyer representing the family of Bernardo's victims, Tim Danson, is calling for him to be returned back to maximum security facility and wants more info from the Correctional Service of Canada on why he was moved in the first place. Danson represents the French and Mahaffy families. And, Libby asks about the man who threatened mayoral candidates and was apprehended. Was he also out on bail when he made those threats? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TRY ASKING METROLINX FOR INFO? Libby is joined by Brian Lilley, political columnist for the Toronto Sun. What happens when you try to ask Metrolinx for some info on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT? Brian Lilley explains what happened when he did just that through freedom of information requests.
Maple Leaf Gardens was built in less than six months. The CN Tower, three years. The Canadian Pacific Railway, four years. The Eglinton Crosstown is now at 12 years with no end in sight. What does that reveal about Ontario's ability to build big things? And what's changed from years past?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Alex Pierson speaks with Anne Marie Aikins, who was the chief spokesperson and head of media and public relations at Metrolinx, the regional transit agency, for 11 years until earlier this year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
Lauren Foote's life has always included involvement with persons with disabilities. She was born into a family including a tetraplegic father, and other close family members with disabilities, and, as she discovered in college she also possessed a mental health disability. She will tell us all about this as she describes her life and tells her stories. She decided to take on a goal of seeking justice and inclusion for persons with disabilities in Canada as she went through college and she has stayed true to her desire to serve. You will learn how she has become involved in projects and jobs around urban planning and policy. She will discuss some of the committee work she does today and she will tell us stories of success she has had in helping to change how people in Canada view and interact with the population of individuals with all kinds of disabilities. About the Guest: As a lifelong disability rights advocate, Lauren Foote always knew that she wanted to work toward creating more equitable and inclusive spaces for people with disabilities. Growing up with a mental health disability, a tetraplegic father, and other close family members with disabilities allowed Lauren to experience accessibility barriers first-hand. Through her personal, academic, and professional experience in the realm of disability justice, she realized that these accessibility barriers were a result of decades of ignorance and oversight in community planning and infrastructure development. Lauren has since made it her life goal to mitigate access barriers by incorporating the rights of people with disabilities into urban planning and policy. Lauren proudly serves on the Advisory Committee for Accessible Transit (ACAT) at the Toronto Transit Commission and the ACAT Service Planning and Design Review subcommittees. In these roles, she offers expertise as a consultant to internal and external stakeholders about regional diversity, accessibility, and inclusion. Lauren has also collaborated with organizations including Ontario's Ministry of Transportation, Metrolinx, the Disability Foundation, the University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University, BCMOS, DIGA, and the David Suzuki Foundation to strategize methods to remove systemic barriers to access for people with disabilities. Through various roles in the accessibility planning realm, she has led forums, guest lectured, and constructed numerous reports on creating equitable and inclusive spaces. A majority of her work analyzes flood events and accessibility barriers, ableism within current legislation and policy, and transportation access and equity. In addition to her roles in accessibility planning, Lauren is working toward achieving her MSc in Planning at the University of Toronto, which she will complete this March 2023! Her thesis, Countering Ableism in Flood Resilient Infrastructure, allows people to reimagine public places as accessible and inclusive spaces for the entire community to enjoy. Lauren is dedicated to creating inclusive and equitable communities and she is so grateful that she has already had the opportunity to make meaningful change by increasing access for people with disabilities through her work. She plans to continue in the field of accessibility planning so that she can contribute toward bettering the community. Links for Lauren: Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-foote-5187ab1b9/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson 01:20 Well, greetings and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today we are going to speak with Lauren Foote. Lauren is a lifelong disability rights advocate. And I think that's going to be interesting and relevant to talk about. She's been very involved in urban planning and a bunch of stuff. technical term. They're up in Canada. Lauren, welcome to unstoppable mindset. Thanks for being here. Lauren Foote 01:47 Thank you so much for having me, Michael. I'm so excited to be a part of your podcast. Michael Hingson 01:51 Well, we're glad to have you. Why don't we start by you telling me a little bit just about you growing up how things started and just a little about you as a as a younger Lauren? Lauren Foote 02:03 Sure. So I'm from to Austin. It's a small suburb outside of Vancouver, Canada. My father's touch diplegic I have a mental health disability. And I have other close family members with disabilities as well. So Disability Justice has always been a large part of my life. And I've always been active in the disability advocacy community, even from a young age like you were saying so. Michael Hingson 02:26 So when you say tetraplegia what does that mean? Exactly? Lauren Foote 02:30 Yeah. So it's a it's paralyzed from the neck down. So people might be familiar with paraplegic quadriplegic, or quadriplegic, quadriplegic and tetraplegia can be used semi interchangeably. But But my dad has a injury and his spine quite high up. And that affects the movement from his neck down. So because of that he has the touch of paychecks definition. Michael Hingson 02:54 Got it got. Yeah, well, and you, you said you have a mental health disability. Tell me about that, if you would, Lauren Foote 03:00 yeah. So I have pretty severe anxiety and OCD. A couple other things going on. But I'm really grateful that I have a good, a good support system, and I receive good medication for that. And I'm really open about it, because I think quite a few people actually have hidden disabilities. And the more you talk about it, the more people feel comfortable opening up about that, and it's just really important to me to create spaces where people feel welcome and included and accepted and, and having a mental health disability is quite a silent battle sometimes. So I tried to be open about it and welcoming it and make sure that people don't have to face barriers or discrimination because of that. Michael Hingson 03:45 Well, I can appreciate that. But doesn't chocolate help everything? Lauren Foote 03:50 Yeah, chocolate of course. Yeah. Michael Hingson 03:54 My wife was a was more of a milk chocolate fan. I more flexible. Of course, we both also liked white chocolate, which is you can't complain about that either. But chocolate is always good. Lauren Foote 04:05 Especially that peppermint bark chocolate you get there we go. Now Michael Hingson 04:09 we're talking. And they tend to only do that at Christmas time. So we have a Costco near here. And I at Christmas went in and bought several boxes of the Kirkland peppermint bark and one Ghiradelli. And so far, since we bought them near the beginning of December, I've gone through one box, they will last most of the year. It's sort of like, Girl Scout cookies, Thin Mints, you know, they have to be parsed out just to play safe. Lauren Foote 04:37 although admittedly, I buy a lot of them so they can be parsed out. Got a stack up, stock up in advance, you know? Michael Hingson 04:44 Yeah, I usually I usually buy at least a case of Thin Mints at a time. Lauren Foote 04:48 Absolutely. That's the way to do it. Michael Hingson 04:50 It is so when you went to school did you know at that time you had a disability of some sort or how to All that work out, Lauren Foote 05:01 um, I sort of had an inkling since I was young, but during my undergraduate years is when I officially got diagnosed with my disabilities. And I think it was really just, I was working a bunch of jobs, full time studying and everything was kind of like, I could almost coast by without without trying to bring too much attention to my disability beforehand. But then eventually, I realized I can't do this, I need to talk to someone. And finally being able to get the proper help I needed, really made such an impact in my life and being able to get on the right medication. And it actually helped inspire me to start some protocols for my undergraduate school where I came into different classes and taught about accessibility resources. And I helped people go to get the proper counseling they needed and, and teach them about all the options that were there for them that they might not know about, which I didn't know about at the beginning. And it's really fulfilling actually to see people get the help they need, and then just shine from that. Michael Hingson 06:02 How did your parents react to all that? Lauren Foote 06:05 Oh, they're I mean, my family. My family is a very disability positive community. So I mean, my dad was his physical health disability. And then I have other family members with disabilities as well. So they're very supportive. And I'm very honestly lucky to have them. And my dad introduced me to the disability community from a young age. So So I felt very welcomed. And I think that's one of the beautiful things about disability communities is they're always so focused on inclusion and equity. And it's such a great place to be people are just so so awesome. Michael Hingson 06:37 Why did you decide though, that you wanted to take on the role of being an advocate and really pushing for change, rather than just saying, Alright, so I'm a person with a disability, I'm gonna go off and do my own thing. But I don't need to be an advocate. Lauren Foote 06:50 I think I was a healthy dose of frustration with the way Planning and Community communities are organized today. Especially going around town with family members and myself. During we would always face barriers to access and transportation, especially public transportation systems, we would go, I live in the Pacific Northwest, which experiences a lot of climate change related hazards like floods, and a lot of California does, too. And I believe you're in California now. So this is something you would probably resonate with fires, and all of that. And people with disabilities that their needs aren't really accounted for in planning, evacuations and planning areas to be more resilient. So people with disabilities often get left behind, especially in flooding events. A good organization, called Rooted in Rights did a documentary on Hurricane Katrina and the people's disabilities who are left behind and that, and I just realized that these barriers don't have to be there. They're put there through there through systemic and institutional barriers that were in place by planning, core planning and poor policy practices that have evolved over time to exclude people. But if we just go back and start mitigating some of those barriers, everyone will have the ability to be included and, and cared for and welcome in society. Michael Hingson 08:13 So where did you go to college? Lauren Foote 08:16 Well, I did my undergraduate at Simon Fraser University, it's, it's out west and BC. On a mountain, actually, there's bears which I like to tell people as a fun fact. And right now, I'm just completing my master's degree in urban planning at the University of Toronto. And here, I do a lot of work on disability rights and incorporating their needs into planning. Michael Hingson 08:40 What was your undergraduate major, Lauren Foote 08:41 it was in. So bio geophysical sciences, that is the technical name, but under the field of physical geography, and that was the reason I was still interested in those climate hazards I was bringing up earlier, and I was understanding the processes behind why they happen. And then I and then through my work with the disability Foundation, where I was working on more of a community based level and accessibility planning to incorporate the needs of people with disabilities into planning in the community, I realized there's not really like sure, we talked about climate change. And I'm reading all these climate change policies and reading all these environmental policies. I'm reading about how to plan resilient communities, and the needs of people with disabilities aren't being thought of at all, which is a huge issue. Because if they're not even thought of that, how are we going to create resilient communities that include people with disabilities? So that's kind of where I was trying to I was bridging that interest between environment, environmental sustainability, but also community resiliency for people with disabilities. And through my work, I kind of picked up transportation as well, but particularly public transportation as a sustainable way of moving across cities and connecting people to spaces and places and incorporating the needs of people with disabilities into that as well. Michael Hingson 09:56 Well, delving into that a little bit. Why do you think it is Since that people tend to just not pay attention or leave people with disabilities behind. Lauren Foote 10:08 Yeah, so, um, I guess not pay attention. I feel that might not be the I wouldn't say I necessarily think that but I think there's just, if you don't have a disability or you don't know somebody who has a disability, you don't experience it on a day to day basis, or you have any reason to even think about it, it's not that they don't care. It's just, it's not something they personally experienced. So they might not notice the nuances of needs that people with disabilities have. And then it gets overlooked. And a lot of plant planning in North America was very colonial, segregated, ableist. And a lot of the policies we have in place are from that period of time where people with disabilities were, and still are an afterthought, although it's getting better. And I think a lot of it comes down to education. And I was talking to, I won't name names, but I was talking to a CEO of a housing development company here in Toronto. And we were talking about building affordable housing in the community, and he was buying up land parcels to do this. And he genuinely thought, all you needed to create accessible housing was adding a ramp on the bot on the floor. And that was it, there was nothing that needed to be done inside. There's no other barriers that needs to be considered. And he genuinely thought that and I was honestly shocked, like, this is the CEO of an affordable housing company. It's quite a large company, actually, in Toronto. And I just couldn't believe the lack of knowledge there. But on the bright side, he was very willing to learn, and he was very receptive to my feedback. And he incorporated some of my insights into his analysis, which was awesome. So I think it really shows that it's not that people don't care, it's just that they might not be aware of the barriers that are there. So it's important to learn what they are, so you can mitigate them. Michael Hingson 12:03 The other part about it is that when you're building a house from the ground up, pretty much to deal with physical issues. As a as a starting point, doesn't really cost a lot unless you're going to a two story or three story house where you have to have the extra cost of an elevator, but to build in wider doors, to build in lower counters, to not have steps and make the whole grounds accessible, really doesn't cost because you built it into the design. And we've built several homes. And the reality is the only time we ever really had an extra cost. Well, we had to one, the first home that we designed was a manufactured home, and we worked with the home manufacturer, and it cost us $500 Because they had to go get a different HUD design approved. And so 500 bucks in the scheme of things. The other one was in New Jersey where we had a home that had to be a two story home. So we did have to put an elevator in but other than the elevator, there were no additional costs when you do it upfront. And it is such a huge thing if you have to go back and do it after the fact. Lauren Foote 13:18 Exactly. And there's so many cost analysis that show that it costs like exactly like you're saying the same price, sometimes cheaper, sometimes a tiny bit more, but plus or minus a few dollars here and there Overall, it's a very similar cost. And also, it opens up the market to a whole new population two, I mean, 25 24% of people in Ontario identifies as a person with a disability. So having accessibility and housing only increases the the places where people can can live. So Michael Hingson 13:48 sure. And the problem is, of course, with all the homes that are already built, you run into all the difficulties of having to go back and do it later. But that's why it's important with new homes affordable and otherwise, that accessibility be built into the process because in reality, it's not just going to help people who happen to have some sort of physical disability and we can look at other things as well. But it's also an aging population who are going to have to take advantage of those things. Lauren Foote 14:22 Exactly, exactly. And it helps make more equitable and inclusive communities to and any at least in Ontario, the government subsidizes companies that retrofit buildings to make them accessible. I'm not sure about the legislation in California, but they're in place. Yeah, no, they don't. Okay, that's. That's unfortunate. Hopefully one day then you do have ADA. So that's good. Well, Michael Hingson 14:49 yeah, but there are other things about the ADEA for example, unless you're doing a major remodel, you don't have to go back and, and put in anything to necessarily make something accessible. and you're not going to get funding to do that, at least the way the structure is set up right now. So those do tend to be issues that we have to contend with. And again, that's why it's important upfront that when you're building new housing, that you really put in all the stuff to make the the home the unit accessible and usable by everyone. Absolutely, I completely agree. How do we change the conversation, because there's another part of the conversation, let's take it away from Housing, and Urban Planning, and take it to the job market where you go into a company. And let's take blindness because in a sense, it should be simpler to deal with. So we'll just use that for the moment. Somebody applies for a job. And they need to have a screen reader to be able to hear what's going on the computer, or they need to have Braille signs on restrooms that aren't necessarily there already. And the people who are running the company, or you got a coffee machine, that's touchscreen, and how do you make that usable? But the people who run the company go, Well, I can't afford to pay money to make any of those things accommodating to you. We just don't have the money to do that. And how do we change that conversation when in reality, it ought to be part of the cost of doing business to be inclusive for all. Lauren Foote 16:35 Absolutely. I mean, again, I'm not sure about California, but that is outright discrimination here in Iowa. It is yeah. Okay. So same idea. And one of the interesting things, at least through my experience, because I've I've dealt with this, especially given your screen reader example. This past summer, I was working with the Ministry of Transportation, and all the onboarding documents for new hires were not screen reader compatible for some reason. So I would go in and make them all screen reader compatible. And they had no concern with this. But one of the things that helped the that the Minister of Transportation, at least, was having a separate branch specifically focused for accessibility. And I think that's a really good idea. And I think, and I'm on the advisory committee for accessible transit at the Transportation Commission, for Toronto, and a bunch of different initiatives in in the city of these were those accessibility committees. And having people who have disabilities or have experienced working with disabilities come in and provide their expertise, I think is so key, and can really help solve some of these problems. So if somebody went to a company was in a company and said, I need Braille signage, and the company was saying, No, that's when I would take it a step further, ideally, they would have some sort of accessibility committee that could reach out to which I know many places in Canada have. I'm not sure how it works in the United States, but many jurisdictions and municipalities in Canada have accessibility committees or boards, who deal with these types of concerns and can help them get further legal aid and advice for this discrimination. But also just bringing it up ahead of time and saying, Hey, actually, I'm not sure if you knew, but this would this here, if I if you could put Braille here I'd been helped me understand this. I've had a lot of conversations like that with people in planning. And just by explaining to them, a lot of times, they say nine times out of 10, they make the change right away. Because they're just not aware like this, there's a lack of awareness of these barriers that people face really Michael Hingson 18:47 well. There are a lot of lacks of awareness. But let's take another example websites, you go to a company that's got a website, and people need to interact with it, the company goes off and gets an estimate, oh, it's going to cost 10 $20,000 to get a programmer or programmers hired to come and make that website accessible and inclusive. How do you deal with that? Lauren Foote 19:13 Well, in that case, I would, first you explained the benefits, right, like what I mentioned earlier, there's a quarter of Ontarians have some sort of disability might not be blindness, it might not be the need for a screen reader, but they there are some sort of disability. numbers fluctuate depending on the region globally, it's about 15% of people have disabilities. So if by making your website compatible for screen readers, you're really opening up a whole new audience to seeing whatever your product is, or whatever your company is selling or what they do. And that's only beneficial because you're widening the scope of people who can interact with and and be a part of your company. But aside from them saying no, again, that is a human rights issue. We have Have A an act in Ontario called the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act that actually requires these types of websites to be accessible for people with disabilities by 2025, it was put in place in 2005, that the act. So a lot of companies now are hiring people to update these websites. And our provincial government does have some subsidies to do this as well. So So pointing at the attention to the subsidies that are available would be useful. Also, Michael Hingson 20:29 a lot of places don't tend to have the subsidies. And I'm sure that even the subsidies are limited. And depending on the website, it can be a pretty complex website. And so companies, hiccup, spending 20,000, or $30,000, or whatever the case happens to be to go in and make the website accessible for what they view as a small number of people. It doesn't change the fact of what you said, but it still is an issue for them. Because they're going I can't afford to pay that money. Yeah, and and the question is, how do we get around that kind of situation? Because it is something that we are all confronted by law, I mean, look at it this way, we know that about 98% of all websites aren't accessible and usable. And yes, a lot of that has to do with education, a lot of it has to do with the fact that people need to be made more aware of the value of doing it, they need to be made aware of the fact that in reality, there are studies that show that if you make your website inclusive, and people come and use your website, they're going to come back time and time again, because it's going to be hard to go elsewhere. But most businesses are not large, and can't afford to hire a programmer. So how do they do that? And some of them build up pretty strong resistance to going off and making that change, because I just can't afford to do that. Lauren Foote 21:58 Yeah, and I think that's where subsidies are come into play here. And that's something that I'm really grateful that we have in Ontario, so they can help the small businesses that have those financial barriers. Again, I do find it hard to have. I feel like it's a human rights issue. So it's Oh, it is a human rights issue. So to me, it's it's just something that needs to be done and saying it costs money isn't a really valid excuse to discriminate against people. And, Michael Hingson 22:27 of course, that is of course, your view. However, if you personally has to spend money. Yeah, I agree with you. But But that is, that is the issue. Yeah. Lauren Foote 22:38 And I think that's why having it in legislation and policy is key. And that's something I'm working towards doing. Because then you can say, well, it's required. And this is discrimination at the end of the day. And if they're going to be uncooperative, at least you can have the legislation to back you in that. Michael Hingson 22:54 Yeah, it's it's a long process to enact some of those is difficult. I can't resist bringing up the fact that I work for a company called accessibe. And I don't know whether you've looked at the house. Yes. And so part of the answer can be, hey, if it only costs you $500, to make your website inclusive, because you have under 1000 pages, and a lot of the accessibility issues can be addressed by something like accessibility, why not do that? But the answer ultimately, really, is it's education. And it's getting people to understand what you said that is, you're going to lose about 25% of your business, if you don't deal with making access happen, because people will go off and look for other websites that are more inclusive. And the fact is that if you do the job, and you make the website available, and you demonstrate and using it with the other parts of the company, like I said, Braille signage, which is which is not overly complicated, but other kinds of things like accessible coffee machines, since we tend to have coffee machines in our companies now for employees, and finding ways to make all those things work. If you make that step happen, where you create that kind of inclusion, you will find that you have more loyal employees who are going to stick with you and not jump ship nearly as fast as other people. Lauren Foote 24:23 Absolutely. And I think that's something that's really important to drive home to people who are more money minded about the about it, who maybe care less about the human rights aspect and more about the dollars because at the end of the day, like you said, you are increasing access to your website and you will have those loyal customers now who who can ask navigate your website properly and to who trust the website. Michael Hingson 24:46 What kind of resistance is do you see? And so far as dealing with accessibility, whether it's in companies or homes or or whatever What kind of really strong resistance Do you tend to see on a regular basis? Lauren Foote 25:04 I say on a regular basis, I wouldn't know I don't know, if there's one particular thing I have a lot of, I come up to face the heritage at Planning Act a lot, because this act, I kid you not will there will value the character of the building. So like whatever makes gives it its heritage value over the right to access a building for people with disabilities. And that's I think the heritage act is something that I find conflicts with disability rights the most. And the heritage act is just it's kind of as it sounds, it's about preserving buildings because of their inherent heritage value, maybe it's a 40 year old building or a 50 year old building, they don't have to be that old. But these buildings were kind of made in a time where accessibility really was an afterthought. And they're not generally that accessible to people with disabilities. And there's been cases in Toronto and elsewhere, where people have bought homes, their own home, it was not a heritage building, and then a disgruntled neighbor found out they were going to renovate it, or an or a few disgruntled neighbors found out they're going to renovate it. And then they moved to give the building heritage status and thus prevented them from performing the alterations. However, recently, there's been a lot of outcry. And a lot of coverage in the media and the news because of this. So if there's, a lot of these decisions have been reversed, and people are able to then do the accessibility modifications they need whoever it's just such a clear sign that there's so much work that needs to be done still and, and how frustrating for people who just wanted to renovate their home to have to go through all of this, just to be able to say no, I need to access this, this home. But public spaces as well, too. There's there's some legislative buildings in Ontario, where we had to fight to put in a ramp because they're worried it would, you know, infringe on the character of the building. Although more recently, I have noticed a trend, definitely that people are siding with the accessibility side of things over the heritage side of things. And I am seeing a general trend towards less of these cases happening. So that's something I'm pleased about. But also, even when we're talking about just general. So like in my role on the Advisory Committee for accessible transit, the Toronto Transit Commission, we do a lot of on site audits in person audits of things. And before we do these audits, we'll go we'll go through the designs, with the whoever's implementing a transit line, we'll talk about all the possibilities and how to make it accessible. And it's a very long process. And finally, when it starts being implemented, we go on site and do these audits. And sometimes, it's just not how it's, for example, there recently, I was looking at an LRT station, which is a light rail station for public transit. And two people who were on the audit with me were blind, and the tactile edging, which for listeners who might not be familiar with this, it's bumps on the ground that indicate whether you're going to go onto a busy road, or there's gonna be a great change, or there might be hazardous materials coming up. They were flush with the ground. So they were not detectable by the two peoples walking canes, and they just walked right onto the road. And that's just an example of some of the nuances that you capture on in person audits that you don't really, so you would think in theory that it's accessible, there's the tactile edging there. I mean, among a bunch of other things they did not just talk to alleging, but it actually wasn't. So really being in there on person helps, helps clarify things too. And that's somewhere where I face some issues sometimes too. I mean, you can't make a place 100% accessible. That's not the point. It's about creating a place that's as accessible and as inclusive as possible. So So yeah, definitely lots of little nuances and little struggles along the way but but that's you know, the part of what it is to fight for disability rights and disability justice and I'm happy to do it. Michael Hingson 29:12 Well, the the other side of truncated domes or tactile edges is people in wheelchairs hate them because that bounces them around like cobblestones. My wife hated them. And I understand that also, from my perspective, as a blind person using a cane and or using a guide dog. The surfaces aren't all that wide and it's if you're walking at any kind of speed, you could go right over it and totally miss them. Exactly. Yeah. And so the reality is I still think it comes back down to people doing a better job of using a cane to to know where they are, but I appreciate especially Sacramento California is a great place for this where a lot of curbs are not curbs at the corner. intersections of the corners, they go flush right down to the street. And yeah, they are very difficult to tell, you can if you're really paying attention because the sidewalk is composed of different material than the street, if you happen to use a cane where you can notice that, and but at the same time, it is an issue that that needs to be addressed. And I don't know what the ultimate solution to that happens to be, or really should be. But I'm not sure that the the the tactile or truncated domes, really are the ultimate solution. Because if they're only like 18 inches, and you take a step, that's more than 18 inches, you could go right over him. And the problem is, so I think it's something else that has to be looked at. But you bring up an interesting point with the heritage homes thing. When we moved to New Jersey, in 1996, they were just preparing to modify the train station where we lived in Westfield, New Jersey, the way you got on the train, the way you got on the train before that was there are steps built into the side of the train car and you went up these like 18 inch steps, and you went up three of them and you're in the car. Well, everyone started to recognize with the Americans with Disabilities Act, you've got to have a sidewalk that's raised so that people can go right across, which which is fine, except people in the town started to protest and yell saying, we don't want that because that means we've got to go back or around and go up a ramp or up steps. And if we're running to catch a train, we might miss it. Because we'll miss being able to go up those steps, we got to take this slightly longer route. And we don't want that. Why don't they just hire people to be there to lift at every train station to lift people in wheelchairs on trains, which was ridiculous. That's crazy. And it took it was a major fight. So the problem is, there's a lack of awareness, but there's also a lack of sensitivity and a lack of understanding that you can say these things. And you can say how inconvenient it is? Why don't you just plan on getting into the train to 15 seconds earlier or 2030 seconds earlier? And it means that more people can ride the train? And the reality is they finally Well, New Jersey Transit pushed it through and got it all addressed. And I never heard of anybody having a problem getting on the train. So of course, you know, yeah, that's the other the other side of it. My favorite example, though, of all this is looking at a place like in Virginia Colonial Williamsburg and Williamsburg is the original capital of Virginia, it goes back to the 1700s Revolutionary War. And they did not want to change buildings in Williamsburg, like the governor's house or the state house to put ramps in because it would have destroyed the integrity of the building from a standpoint of what it looked like and so on. Right. And I appreciate that. So we were there once my wife and I, and we said we wanted to go up into the state house, but it was up several steps. How do we get in? Well, it was a manual chair. I could have tipped her back. But we were talking about it and this guy comes up who was a guard, okay. And he said, Oh, let me show you. He said stay right here. There was a little flagstone patio right in front of the steps going up into the building. He said, so just stay here. He walks away. We're standing on the flagstone path or patio. Suddenly the patio raises up and slides across. Lauren Foote 33:51 He didn't even tell you. Okay, that'd be startling. Well, Michael Hingson 33:55 the point was that they had created a way to get people in the building that in no way interfered with the integrity of the historic value of the building. It was really cool. Lauren Foote 34:08 Yeah, I think that's a really cool example of ways that you can there's there's no excuse not to have accessibility in, in heritage buildings, there's always a way to make it happen. And we couldn't get Michael Hingson 34:19 to upper floors. There was no easy way to do that. And, and we had a discussion with him and some other people about that. And they said we are constantly trying to figure out a way without destroying the building to figure out how to get to upper levels, and they'll figure it out one of these days, but they hadn't by the last time we were there. Lauren Foote 34:37 I'm sure they will. Yeah. And another thing is they allowed modern day plumbing in all of these buildings, which involves removing some of the elements of buildings and maybe quote unquote, compromising the character the the heritage of the building to put in plumbing, so don't really see if they're using that to justify plumbing then how then how come they won't be able to put an accessibility modifications to To me, it's also a necessity. Michael Hingson 35:01 I'm not sure that they did any of that at the buildings in Colonial Williamsburg. Lauren Foote 35:05 Yeah, that sounds like a different case. Michael Hingson 35:06 That's yeah, that's an unusual case. But I think for what you're talking about, absolutely, in general. That's perfectly true. Exactly. Yeah. But Williamsburg was a little bit of an exception, and understandably so. But even so, they worked to make it possible to get into the buildings and do things and the restaurants were accessible and, and other things they had created ways to get in. So it was a lot of fun to go there and see the creativity. Yeah, it is, it is a problem. Because the attitude isn't just a lack of education, there is true resistance to change, there's a resistance to inclusion, and it is something that we do need to deal with. Lauren Foote 35:48 Exactly. And, and like, I mean, you've said, and I've said, Education definitely helps people who have that resistance to change, because a lot of times it comes from a lack of a lack of understanding and compassion for what other people are going through and experience. And then when they can be told or described to or given examples of, of how this adjustment will help people, and how people are prevented from seeing things currently, or going places currently, and how a small modification will make a big difference in people's lives. Generally, people come around, it's a longer process than I, I would like but it's definitely possible. And it has and it happens. Michael Hingson 36:31 Well, amen mentioned in Jersey Transit, tell me a little bit about accessibility when it comes to public transportation and so on. And some of the challenges or things that you've seen, and how are we moving toward getting that to be addressed in a lot of different ways? Lauren Foote 36:47 Well, I guess, if I take a step back, and I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with this, it's similar across North America, systemic and institutional ableism, which is the discrimination towards people with disabilities with exists within almost all public transportation systems in North America today, I presume many other regions of the world as well, but I'm not well versed in other areas. And what I mean by that is public transportation has historically been designed and constructed in a way that has created unnecessary barriers for people with disabilities, like we mentioned. And it's therefore excluded people from with disabilities from the right to access space in the community, and public transportation is key, it gets people from space to space, it helps people get to work, it helps people get to appointments to see friends. And I should note that this access is is not just pertaining to the disability community, this access issue also pertains to racialized communities, lowing income communities and other vulnerable communities as well, just to point out, and it can be traced back to these poor planning practices I was talking about where there's segregation and exclusion of the quote, unquote, other. And a good I guess, a good example of this, that North Americans might be familiar with his redlining. And it's these practices where they were quite racist practices where they separated white communities and black communities and, and there's a lot of ableism involved in in practices like this as well, although it's more nuanced and less talked about. Anyways. So what I do today works towards removing these systemic institutional barriers that have kind of worked their way into all facets of public transportation in North America, but I focused on a Canadian context. And recently, I was working with the Ministry of Transportation where I worked to create accessible rail for people. I've also worked in operations planning and service design with Metrolinx, to look at ridership with the pandemic, and people with disabilities, and communicate that with external stakeholders. And my work right now, which I'm so proud of on that advisory committee, which I've mentioned, for accessible transit, really allows us to help, we're actually we also retrofit old stations to make them accessible, and plan new stations to make them accessible for people with disabilities. And I feel like it's this role where I can really make a difference in the community. It's really fulfilling to be able to be like this station didn't used to be accessible, but now it is, and now more people can have access to places they need to go, you know what I mean? Michael Hingson 39:24 So what kinds of things do you do to get a station to be accessible? Lauren Foote 39:29 Oh, it's, well, first of all, I guess if it's a if it's an old station, and we're retrofitting it, so if we're like re constructing it to make it accessible, we we do some site visits of the old station, we talk with designers of the station, we talk with project managers, we see what could be done what I'm not an engineer, so what can be constructed. What, there's so many discussions that happen. A lot of the stations that are older are way too narrow and don't have elevator access. and don't have any indication where the drop off is, I know you're not a fan of tactile edge, or maybe not a fans too strong, but it's something we use a lot here and I there's miss my dad's in a wheelchair too. Michael Hingson 40:10 And he has an AR use. And they are used here too. Lauren Foote 40:13 Yeah. And he has to pop a wheelie over those tactile leggings. So so I definitely know what you mean. But it's definitely something that helps, especially in subway stations, in my opinion, because we just have those like abrupt drop off. So having much wider indications that a drop off is coming is useful. Although by all means not the only or the best way to do so. But it is affordable on a tight budget and semi semi decent. But anyway, so Michael Hingson 40:43 if a person is using their cane well, and they have a long cane, in the accepted practice, although not among some professionals in the field is you shouldn't have a cane that comes up under your chin. So you have about a three step warning. And even without the tactile bumps, you would be able to have enough of a warning of a drop off to be able to deal with it. But I'm not you know, I'm we're not going to debate that it's Yeah, around. But But what other, tell me other kinds of things that you would do to make a station accessible, safe where a person who's blind? Lauren Foote 41:20 Yeah, so one of the things we do, for example, for talking about people who are blind, or not necessarily buying but other disabilities as well, like mobility related disabilities, there's a big issue with coupler gaps, which are that space between two carts on a subway. So if you know how each car kind of connects, and there's like a big gap there, people kept falling into them or confusing them for entranceways, which makes sense, because the way they're shaped, kind of give off the impression that you could walk into there. But it's actually in between, it's onto the tracks. So we designed these little flap things that come up and prevent people from doing that. So it's small little additions. That's just something I worked on recently, which is why I brought it up. And it's something that that was useful to the blind community just because we're looking at cases of people walking into the tracks or even people tripping and falling or you getting pushed in your own rushing for the door. And then another thing I was looking at was we had some billiards out because like you mentioned about the tactile edging, you said people should notice it. But people weren't noticing it enough. So we had to pry Oh, yes, Michael Hingson 42:32 yeah, that's that's definitely an issue. Lauren Foote 42:36 And there was this concern about if there was an emergency, and only some doors could open, at least what the trains were working with, or the subway station cars were working with, there's only one of the doors is truly fully accessible out at about five to one per cart, which is again, another issue, but that's the way it is for now. And there was concern that Oh, what if it doesn't if it stops in an emergency and this accessible door is half covered by these billiards? So then we made them bendable and flexible. And, and we got out there a few of my my friends who use wheelchairs or trying to wheel over them, and it was too big. So they had to read redesigned them to make them thinner. And and then we're concerned about potentially guide dogs not knowing whether to go over it. There wasn't there was just someone who was with me who had a guide dog who raise that concern. And then eventually, it's a lot of trial and error. And you come and you find the solution. So we ended up doing the flexible ones, not the not the non flexible ones. And they are a little thinner, and they have warning signs. And I guess we'll see if that helps people more than the tactile. But yeah, and again, it's it's we're gonna have to review that. And then try something new. If it doesn't work, a lot of it is is trial and error. And a lot of it's nuanced, because everyone has unique disabilities, and everyone has unique needs because of their unique disabilities. So that's why more voices is important, bringing more opinions to the table. Michael Hingson 43:59 Well, so here's another question. Yeah. To do it this way. Where's the responsibility of the consumer in all this, for example, I submit bappy having been using guide dog since I was 14, and been mobile my whole life and using a cane for most of my life. Where is my responsibility in being able to deal with some of those things like you mentioned, the subway car, space between the cars, the connectors, and so on. If I'm using a cane properly, I would detect that we're not dealing with an entrance to a car because I would feel the drop off rather than the than the cane, finding that there's a car there to step into. And likewise, again dealing with the drop offs, if there weren't tactile edgings my cane will find it far enough in advance to Allow me to stop or alter my course. So where, where is my responsibility as a consumer and all of that? Lauren Foote 45:10 I think the same can be said for people who do not have disabilities is, if everyone used everything, the best case, in a best case, weigh, then we'd have a lot less safety measures in place because it wouldn't be necessary. And that doesn't just apply to people with disabilities. But unfortunately, that's not the case. And things happen. And like I said, people get pushed when people are busy in almost all subway stations, not just the ones in here in Toronto, and people get pushed into these spaces when there's this rush. And there's certain certain sins instances that can't be avoided. So it's about maximizing the safety possible. And in this case, oh, sorry, yes. Michael Hingson 45:48 Which is not to say consumers don't have a responsibility. But by the same tokens, what at what token, what it is saying is that consumers should use all of their tools, but at the same time, you can't rely on that. Lauren Foote 46:05 Exactly. And like what, like I said, in the emergency situation, evacuation is an issue too. And that's not necessarily the consumer, but that's definitely not the consumers responsibility, they just need to get out. Because there was an emergency that unexpected something happened. And, and, and yes, everyone should be trying to be as safe as possible in transit systems, whether you have a disability or not. But in reality, things happen. People are distracted, it's busy. People are confused. They might be new to the area, and not familiar might be the first time on transit. So there's a lot of specific circumstances that come into play. So which brings Michael Hingson 46:42 up another question, again, dealing with blindness. What you haven't discussed is information access. So for example, I go into a station. Yes. How do I know what train is coming? Yes. You know, those kinds of things. What? And I'm not saying you don't in any way, but I'm I'm curious, what do you do to retrofit stations to deal with those kinds of things? Lauren Foote 47:08 We actually do quite a bit in that way. And one of the main issues of the new station I audited last month was the air conditioning was too loud for anybody to hear. Instructions. And it was really funny actually, because I don't know if people who aren't from Canada might not know but I'm not sure that conversion to Fahrenheit, but it gets to 40 degrees Celsius, which is extremely Oh, summer. And people think of it is very, it gets cold here too. Don't get me right. It's cold right now. I wish I was in California right now. But I'm, I'm here unfortunately, in cold winter, but it gets really hot. Michael Hingson 47:44 This morning. It got down to minus five Celsius here. Lauren Foote 47:48 Oh, that's pretty chilly. For California. Michael Hingson 47:51 I live up on what's called the high desert. So we have about 20 850 feet up so we we had a little bit chill, and it hasn't gotten all that warm yet today. But anyway, it's better Lauren Foote 48:03 than here. I'd take that over the weather. Oh, Michael Hingson 48:05 I know. I hear you. Lauren Foote 48:07 But yeah, definitely still cold. I'm surprised I yeah, I guess when I think of California, I think of like, LA and the warm beaches. So naive, I suppose. Michael Hingson 48:17 Just keep in mind when you're at one of those warm beaches during the winter, you can drive two hours and be up in snow country and go ski. Lauren Foote 48:24 Wow. Yeah, I'd love to visit in the winter sometime. It'd be so nice. But yes, back to Audible indicators. The air conditioning, which goes which has to be on in the summer was was way too loud. And people couldn't use. People couldn't hear this. Tell the voice telling you where you were, what station you're at or how far you had to go. And, and that was a huge issue, of course. So we're working on fixing that. And this was a new station. And it was just embarrassing, because not for the for the designers because they worked so hard to make sure that they had all these proper sounds in place and signals in place and audible signals in place. And then the air conditioning of all things was too loud and people couldn't hear it. But they are working to fix that. And we do have that in place. We do have Braille signs, we put places, they used to be more in the older stations, which is something we're working on in retrofitting old stations. We also have a program, at least here and I know it's very similar in other areas as well, where people who are new to transit for free can sign up for a program where someone accompanies them for the first few times to make sure that they're familiar with their route and know where to go. And that's free of cost. And I think it's really beneficial to people, especially people who have invisible disabilities, especially even like anxiety or they might have autism or something. Those are those are some major clients who use who use that service, that free service and I think that's helpful too. And having attendance there to help this is really important too. But of course there's so much work that needs to be done and like I said I just pointed About a big issue that we found last month. So it's definitely never ending. Michael Hingson 50:04 What's what's happening in terms of using some of the newer technologies working toward having the ability to use indoor navigation apps and things like that? Is anything being done in Canada with that, in so far as all that goes in that regard? Lauren Foote 50:23 Yes, but it is kind of in its infancy here, there's a lot of talk. And there's some meetings about how we can do that, and what what would be involved and how we can make sure it's accessible for people. I recently did an audit. And my thesis is in, in incorporating accessibility into flood resilient infrastructure in Toronto, and I was doing an audit of a green quarter, which is a trail basically a pathway with shrubbery and trees and grass and parks, and all of that think of green space in an urban area, kind of, but a long linear path. Anyways, I digress. And this is where I sparked the conversation about about having this technology and how it be so useful for people because the GPS, GPS doesn't really extend onto these trails. And it'd be very, very useful for people, I was walking with someone who was blind, and they said, that would really help them. And then QR codes are being added to a lot of things here. That's something that's being done, and it continues to be done, but but needs to still be done more. So there's some Michael Hingson 51:28 things, there's a lot of work being done, though, on indoor navigation that Yeah, it's interesting, might really be helpful, I'd love to talk with you about that offline, and maybe help you make some contacts that would help with that. But there are actually solutions that can help in moving around indoor spaces, and it can be outdoor spaces as well, that are not nearly as complex to make happen. As you might think. There's a lot of development going into all of that. And the other service for blind people that immediately comes to mind as a service you may or may not be familiar with called IRA. Are you familiar with Ira? Yes, I'm familiar with Ira, a IRA. And the reality is that it is a service that one has to pay for. But if the government would make stations, for example, or pull City's Ira access locations, then there's an immediate access by any person who needs more visual information to be able to get access to that stuff. Lauren Foote 52:35 Yeah, that's a great idea. And I would love to continue this conversation with you offline, too, because I know you're very well versed in this in this area, and your your insights would be so meaningful. Michael Hingson 52:45 Well, we could we could certainly talk about that. And would love to tell me more about your thesis and the things that are going on with it. Lauren Foote 52:52 Yeah, so it's all I can think about right now, actually, because I'm excited to be graduate. I'll be finishing in March. So it's coming up. I'm not done my thesis, I'm almost there. But yeah, so I'll be presenting it in March. And basically, I'm looking at Green corridors, which I said, are these interlinked green spaces, often with pathways, typically, in urban areas. And they are really important because they reduce urban flooding, increased biodiversity act as carbon sinks, so they take carbon out of the atmosphere, they reduce flooding, and they increase social and physical health and well being so they help humans as well. And it's just super interesting to me, because it combines my passion for environmental sustainability, and disability justice, and also active transportation, because moving through these corridors is a form of active transportation. And what I'm doing is and like I like I'm sure you can tell I'm a big fan of in person audits because they just capture things that can't be captured online or in a discussion even though those are valuable too. But I'm doing in person audits of these green corridors in Toronto with people with disabilities. I'm lucky I got some funding for it. So I'm able to hire people with disabilities to do these audits with me. And so far, I've received such valuable insight and feedback every me know that oh, and I think I've done nine or 10 audits so far. And I make for a few more. And the interesting thing is, like you said, with housing, like the very small, okay, maybe not small, but the cost would be very similar to doing to increase accessibility in these spaces. And a lot of things we find in terms of barriers is, is like I mentioned, a lack of QR codes on signage or lack of Braille on signage, a lack of lighting, which may be a little more expensive, but but not crazy in terms of in terms of these projects. And then certain things like there's 100 garden beds free to the public, but none of them are raised so people with wheelchairs can't go under intend to them if they want to. I Um, and there are a lot of things, some of the grid, some of the crosswalks don't have any audible indicator when the light changes. So it's they're relatively small things to change, which is actually really nice because when when I'm because I'm working with municipalities and not municipalities have project planners and people who are organizing these green corridors and designing these green corridors to discuss what can be changed and how they can make it more accessible. And it's a lot better to pitch more affordable things to companies, because they're a lot more on board with them when it's it's a low cost barrier, especially when, when they're on tight budgets. A lot of these are city projects that don't don't have huge budgets. So having these small, these small, very adjustments can make such a big difference in people's lives and create such an equitable and inclusive space. And the thing is it with environmental planning, it's, at least from a sustainability point of view, not less. So in general, it's relatively new in the planning realm, and it's gaining a lot of traction. And the issue we're seeing here is very similar to what I was talking about with transportation is, is all these it's what we're trying to fix and transportation is all these segregation and exclusionary approaches are kind of being reintroduced in environmental planning. These green spaces are being put in affluent communities, they're being put in predominantly white communities, they're being implemented without considering the needs of vulnerable people, like people with disabilities are not to say that people with disabilities are far more but systemically they face barriers that they shouldn't have to. And then that sense, it creates vulnerabilities that they shouldn't have to face, and cultural, cultural barriers as well. And, and so what's really cool is that this research, it aims to stop this cyclic exclusionary planning approach that aims to reimagine these spaces to create a more equitable place where people can enjoy it and aims to stop this cycle of exclusion of different groups. So it's really it's really cool. It's really fulfilling. And I think because it's kind of a new area of, of planning it, there's a lot of potential for it to be done in a adjust way. So it's nice to be able to have, and I've had a lot of positive feedback with the project managers I've been talking to. And they're all very keen to listen and to create things in a more equitable manner. So so I'm really fortunate in the sense that I've received possible positive feedback, and that I've had such great help from from other people with disabilities in the community too. Michael Hingson 57:37 Well, the things like Audible traffic signals are, of course, pretty expensive. And that would be yes, it needs to be used somewhat judiciously. And not every street needs to have an audible traffic signal. And you pointed it out, all the audible signal does is tells you that the lights change doesn't tell you that it's safe to go exactly and and I've seen way too many audible traffic signals in places where all you're doing is walking across the street, there's no complex intersection is just for curbs. And people still want to have audible traffic signals. And the fact of the matter is, it isn't going to make you more safe. If you're listening for traffic. And again, there are those people who can't. So there, there are other issues there. But the reality is when you've got a complex intersection like or a roundabout, roundabouts are a little different. But when you've got several streets coming into an intersection, that gets to be more fun. Lauren Foote 58:37 Yeah, imagine so. And the person I was talking with was was a blind person who did this audit with me. And for them, they found it really important. So So for people who might be more skilled at listening to traffic, like you or other people, it might not be as much of a as much of a need, but for some people, they find it necessary. And also, like I said, it doesn't necessarily tell you the direction, which is another interesting problem. It would be useful if it actually repeated or like stated where to go. But but it doesn't. But regardless, yeah, that would be something that would be less of a I guess they're in terms of recommendations. There's like, sooner nearer term recommendations, and then like, would be nice in the future recommendations. And that would be nice in the future recommendations. And then smaller things like raised garden beds, all you have to do is build a bed that someone can wheel under 100 beds. Yeah, it's simple. So so it's yeah, there's quite a nuance there. And honestly, and I guess I did bring up a more expensive one, but there are quite a few. Michael Hingson 59:38 Just a valid one to talk about as well. So last question, because we're going to have to run but tell me, what are you going to do once you get your master's degree? You graduate. So what are you going to do after you go off and graduate? Are you just going to go on and become a professional student and go get a PhD? Lauren Foote 59:58 We'll see about that. So, right now I'm just in finished master's degree mode. Yes, good for you. And I'm very excited about it. And I'm so grateful that I've been able to have this opportunity because it's really allowed me to help make the community more equitable. And it helped make places more inclusive for everyone, not just people with disabilities. And I find if always find it fulfilling to create equitable and inclusive communities. And I'm extremely passionate about disability justice. And I know that I'll be very happy in a role that allows me to create inclusive and barrier free communities. I'm only I'm only 25 years old. So I'm very happy that I've had this opportunity to achieve all this progress in the disability community so far
Doug Ford's desire to move Ontario Science Centre to Toronto's waterfront is facing some vocal opposition. But is there anything critics can do to stymie the government's plan?Steve Paikin and John Michael McGrath discuss the province's decision to pay tuition for people looking to become police officers and dropping a requirement for recruits to have post-secondary education. Is that wise, or dangerous?Metrolinx has finally provided some details on why the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project is so delayed. Steve and John Michael give their analysis on when the thing's going to get built. Stay connected to #onpoli and the latest politics across Ontario and at Queen's Park: https://www.tvo.org/ For questions or to suggest topics, email us at onpolitics@tvo.org Listen to more TVO Podcasts: https://www.tvo.org/podcasts Subscribe to TVO Media Education Group newsletters: https://www.tvo.org/newsletters Subscribe to The Agenda with Steve Paikin on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/theagenda Follow Steve Paikin on Twitter - https://twitter.com/spaikin Follow John Michael McGrath on Twitter - https://twitter.com/jm_mcgrath Get the TVO Today app: App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/tvo-today/id1616182112 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.tvo.tvomediaapp&pli=1 See more ways to access The Agenda with Steve Paikin and TVO Today: https://www.tvo.org/tvo-anytime-anywhere TVO Today is a trusted source of insight and information about life in Ontario and beyond. Our award-winning current affairs journalism, documentaries and podcasts explore relevant issues and inspiring solutions. Visit https://www.tvo.org for more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
#200: Isaiah Henry - How To Be A Long Distance Landlord On this episode, Gary chats with young entrepreneur Isaiah Henry. Isaiah started out like a lot of investors, working and finding real estate investing. He wanted to be a cop, and was for awhile, but saw the toll it took on his coworkers, and Isaiah REALLY wanted time freedom. He's has only been involved in real estate for 5 years, yet he's managed to acquire many single family homes, start a property management company to support himself and other investors, a learning company, a social media company, and he's NOT done! And where has he had this amazing success? TIMMINS! His plan is to move into small multi-family homes, and complete multiple JV's. If YOU are curious about owning properties outside of your geographic area, but are worried about not being able to keep an eye on your properties or even manage them successfully, or wonder why Isaiah is sticking with single family homes over duplexes and triplexes for now, THIS is a must LISTEN! Gary also shares his tip on goal setting with a whiteboard... Gary and Darlene have a waitlist open for their one-on-one mentorship program to supercharge your investment game! Receive scheduled calls and classes to help define your passion, goal setting, whiteboarding and of course scaling your investment portfolio! Check out https://garyhibbert.ca/vipmentorship/for more info. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: Why he switched from policing to real estate How he got his first deal Why his first property lost money What he learned and applied to his second and future properties Why Timmins? The unique challenges and benefits of investing in Timmins How DOES he remotely manage his properties How often does he need to check his properties out The absolutely crucial part played in his grown by building a great team, and TRUSTING THEM Why he focusses on what he does well, and delegates the rest Why he believes you DON'T need to quit your job and focus on real estate The myth of why you can't always live on cash flow Having a side hustle or hustles - the power and freedom from multiple streams of income And MORE! Bio My name is Isaiah Henry and I am 28 years old. Born and raised in Pickering ON. Fell in love with athletics at a young age and was able to take my talents to Wilfrid Laurier University where I received an athletic scholarship and was fortunate to become a dual athlete while playing Rugby and Football. Upon graduating I pursued a career in long enforcement where I gained positions at Metrolinx as Special Constable and then the Toronto Police Service as a Police Officer. In terms of my investing career I started in 2017 after seeing an ad in the local paper about a new pre con project in Toronto. After the condo I was pretty uninvolved in real estate until 2019 where I picked up a condo townhouse in oshawa ON. I began learning more about REinvesting and started taking on long distance projects in Windsor, Sudbury and Timmins. Currently I am focusing on Timmins ON where the majority of my portfolio is located. I manage all my areas remotely and have created a property management company to help serve other investors in the area. Some may even call me the Mayor of T-Town . Going forward I would like to keep working with more JV partners and continue to scale into small multi family properties in Timmins ON. I would also like to continue to grow my property management company as well as some of the other active businesses I have on the go. First Position Real Estate Contact: Website: https://investwithisaiah.comFREE E-Book: https://investwithisaiah.comYouTube: @FirstPositionRealEstate Email: ihenry@firstpositionre.com IG - @itsmrhenry FB - @FirstPositionRealEstate Tik Tok - @FirstPositionRE This episode proudly sponsored by Deep Pockets - https://deep-pockets.ca If you're looking to borrow or invest funds, Deep Pockets should be at the top of your list. It is a preferred choice for secure lending, and as a borrower you have the option of flexible terms and repayment plans, as Deep Pockets has flexible credit criteria and income approvals. As an investor, YOU GET TO BE THE BANK, using your cash, your RRSPs, LIRAs or even TFSAs. Earn maximum returns with NO out of pocket expenses. To find out more, visit the website or email deals@deep-pockets.ca Other Links: Private Investing, visit https://deep-pockets.ca Real Estate Investment Club visit https://www.smarthomechoice.ca Gary's mentorship program visit https://garyhibbert.ca Start your own Podcast visit https://www.podcastexperts.ca
Today on The Richard Syrett Show: Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Jay Goldberg explains how Doug Ford must end the Metrolinx fiasco. Tony Heller, the founder of RealClimateScience.com talks about a new ice core analysis showing a sharp spike in Greenland warming. Author Edward Dowd discusses his book “Cause Unknown: The Epidemic of Sudden Deaths in 2021 & 2022”. Host for Rebel News, Sheila Gunn Reid on the staged arrest of Greta Thunberg.
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
After a lot of pushback from the public, Metrolinx has said they will hold off on chopping down some 200 year old trees outside of Osgoode Hall in place of a metro station. Alex is joined by Eric Davies, Ecologist and PhD Candidate with the faculty of forestry at the University of Toronto. Eric breaks down the decision and also says that it might've been a good idea to chop these trees anyways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Erin O'Donovan, President of the Toronto Lawyers Association, joined us after Metrolinx announced they'll go ahead with cutting down five 200-year-old-plus trees for an archeological assessment in preparation for a new station for the Ontario Line. This would be a multibillion-dollar transit project led by the provincial government. Erin says Metrolinx hasn't been willing to consider alternate locations for the project. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Another year and another delay for the Eglinton Crosstown. And locals are angry, some businesses are at their wits end. It's been 10 years since this project broke ground and we've nothing to show for it. We spoke with Louroz Mercader, Manager of the York-Eglinton BIA, which represents the 200+ businesses along Eglinton Avenue West between Marlee Avenue and Dufferin Street, about how this stretch of the city has become the butt of the joke - and why Metrolinx needs to be held accountable.
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