Podcasts about parkdale high park

What's the easiest way for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to invade Canada? Simple: Have voters sit out the upcoming election and let Pierre Poilievre become Prime Minister. If you're Canadian—especially if you live abroad—now's the time to get organized. Make sure you and at least five of your family and friends have a plan to vote. Not sure if you're registered? Check here! Voting from abroad? Double-check your registration and make sure you've got everything you need by visiting this link. In this week's Gaslit Nation Canada Super Special, we're joined by the amazing Leigh McGowan from Politics Girl, plus Marcus Kolga, a Canadian writer, filmmaker, and human rights advocate. Marcus is an expert on Russian and Central/Eastern European issues and Kremlin disinformation. He regularly shares his insights in top publications like The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Maclean's, and The Atlantic Council. Marcus also played a crucial role in the Canadian campaign for the Magnitsky human rights sanctions and has helped drive similar efforts in Estonia, Latvia, Sweden, and Australia. His expertise has taken him to testify before parliaments in the UK, Australia, and Canada, covering everything from Russian disinformation to Interpol reform. Currently, he's a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute's Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad. This week's bonus show will be our live discussion with Dr. Lisa Corrigan, author of Prison Power: How Prison Politics Influenced the Movement for Black Liberation and Black Feelings: Race and Affect in the Long Sixties. Dr. Corrigan is the Director of the Gender Studies Program at the University of Arkansas and also teaches in both African & African American Studies and Latin American and Latino Studies.   Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, ad-free episodes, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: March 17 4pm ET – Dr. Lisa Corrigan joins our Gaslit Nation Salon to discuss America's private prison crisis in an age of fascist scapegoating  March 31 4pm ET – Gaslit Nation Book Club: From Dictatorship to Democracy: A Conceptual Framework for Liberation, which informed revolts in Ukraine, the Arab Spring, Hong Kong, and beyond  NEW! April 7 4pm ET – Security Committee Presents at the Gaslit Nation Salon. Don't miss it!  Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community    Show Notes: Ways to Vote in Canada https://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=vote&document=index&lang=e How Canadians Can Vote Abroad https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/living-abroad/elections-faq Meet Politics Girl https://www.politicsgirl.com/ Meet Marcus Kolga https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/cm-expert/marcus-kolga/ Nadia Guerrera for Parkdale–High Park https://nadiaguerrera.ca/  Clip: Dropkick Murphys call out a Nazi at their Boston show https://bsky.app/profile/meidastouch.com/post/3lkhxscnvws2x Clip: Stephen Marche on why the US can't occupy Canada https://bsky.app/profile/jimmyalto.bsky.social/post/3lkgixldo6s2t Want to topple a dictator? Gaslit Nation Book Club: From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480x270/p08qz3w0.jpg.webp

Greg Brady spoke to  Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park about affordable housing conflict between the City and the Province. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Brady spoke to  Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park about affordable housing conflict between the City and the Province. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Brady focused in on intimate partner violence is back in the news again, sadly, with another murder. And two more children will need to go through life without their mother. Next, Toronto City Council held an emotional council meeting over proclaiming December Christian Heritage Month. Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park, joins us to discuss why the meeting struck a nerve with some councillors. Lastly, Harrison Lowman, Managing Editor of The Hub. He's here to discuss rumours that Pierre Poilievre would defund the entire English arm of the CBC should he become Prime Minister. And he'll do that within the first 100 days of taking office.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Brady focused in on intimate partner violence is back in the news again, sadly, with another murder. And two more children will need to go through life without their mother. Next, Toronto City Council held an emotional council meeting over proclaiming December Christian Heritage Month. Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park, joins us to discuss why the meeting struck a nerve with some councillors. Lastly, Harrison Lowman, Managing Editor of The Hub. He's here to discuss rumours that Pierre Poilievre would defund the entire English arm of the CBC should he become Prime Minister. And he'll do that within the first 100 days of taking office.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: MARK CARNEY TAKES ON ROLE WITH LIBERALS Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park, and John Mykytyshyn, Conservative strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group. Our panel reacts to Jagmeet Singh meeting with his NDP caucus in Montreal, the upcoming federal byelection in the riding of LaSalle–Émard–Verdun, and Mark Carney becoming a special advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. THE BIBI FILES AND RUSSIANS AT WAR SPARK CONTROVERSY AT TIFF 2024  Libby Znaimer is joined by Robert Sarner, Senior Writer at Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and a regular feature writer for The Times of Israel followed by Peter Schturyn, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Toronto Branch. Two films, The Bibi Files and Russians at War, have sparked controversy at TIFF this year...both for different reasons. Our guests weigh in on each film separately. IS NOW A GOOD TIME TO BUY A CAR (USED OR NEW)? Libby Znaimer is joined by Shari Prymak, Senior Consultant at Car Help Canada. Are we in a buyer's market right now for cars? And what should you consider when it comes to buying a used or new vehicle? Shari explains.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL:  TRUDEAU'S CABINET RETREAT & OTTAWA GETS TOUGH ON CHINA Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health minister and Deputy Premier, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister, and Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park. Today, we kick things off with a discussion about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Cabinet retreat in Halifax. Meanwhile, China is not happy with Ottawa after it made the decision to slap a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric Vehicles (following in the steps of the U.S.) OTTAWA CHANGING ITS APPROACH TO FOREIGN WORKERS  Jane Brown is now joined by Guidy Mamann, a Toronto immigration lawyer and Partner at Mamman & Sandaluk LLP Immigration Lawyers. Ottawa is making some key changes to its immigration policy which includes an announcement on reducing the number of low wage temporary foreign workers coming to Canada. Guidy weighs in on the latest. RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT BLADDER CANCER IN CANADA  Jane Brown is joined by Shasa Boshoff, National Development Manager of Bladder Cancer Canada, and Dr. Srikala Sridhar, Genitourinary Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center and Vice Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of Bladder Cancer Canada. Bladder Cancer Canada's annual walk is taking place in September. We discuss that as well as the latest research being done in the country on this deadly disease. You can learn more at Bladder Cancer Canada.

Greg Brady (@gregbradyTO) spoke with Gord Perks (@gordperks), Toronto City Councillor for Parkdale - High Park about Toronto facing a 26 billion dollar infrastructure shortfall to maintain service over next decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Brady (@gregbradyTO) spoke with Gord Perks (@gordperks), Toronto City Councillor for Parkdale - High Park about Toronto facing a 26 billion dollar infrastructure shortfall to maintain service over next decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg spoke to Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale - High Park about Toronto encampment numbers and reaction to last week's letter.

Greg spoke to Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale - High Park about Toronto encampment numbers and reaction to last week's letter.

Think Tank Pannel: Brad Bradford, city councillor for Beaches-East York & Gord Perks, city councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale – High Park.

Think Tank Pannel: Brad Bradford, city councillor for Beaches-East York & Gord Perks, city councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale – High Park.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: BOONDOGGLE DOESN'T BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE ARRIVECAN APP FIASCO The Auditor General issues a scathing report on the ArriveCan app; Doug Ford's PCs are set to repeal Bill 124; and Mayor Olivia Chow is looking at a bigger budget for Toronto Police Services. Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada; George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier; and Peggy Nash, former NDP MP for Parkdale-High Park to dive into these topics. BEST PRACTICES FOR PROTECTING YOUR VEHICLE AGAINST AUTO THEFT The Insurance Bureau of Canada reported that in 2022, claims paid out for vehicle thefts exceeded $1.2 billion for the first time. As thefts rise exponentially, owners and insurers say manufacturers should address known vulnerabilities in vehicle technology, which are being exploited by thieves. Libby Znaimer is joined by Bryan Gast, Vice-President, Investigative Services at Équité Association; and Inspector Paul Rinkoff from Toronto Police Services' Community Partnerships & Engagement Unit to discuss this troubling trend. ARE YOU GOING TO EAT THAT? PERFECTLY IMPERFECT FOOD Every year, billions of pounds of Canadian produce go to waste, much of it because it doesn't cut the mustard with the strict cosmetic criteria adhered to by the retail industry. But with prices skyrocketing and budgets stretched, shoppers are turning increasingly to so-called imperfect food to save on produce that a fresh crop of online grocers says is just as tasty, if a little funky-looking. Libby Znaimer is joined by Anna Stegink, owner/operator of online grocer Eat Impact to discuss perfectly imperfect food.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: CONSERVATIVE LEADER POILIEVRE WANTS HARSHER PENALTIES FOR AUTO THIEVES Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and Deputy Premier, Peggy Nash, former NDP MP for Parkdale-High Park and Janet Ecker, a former finance minister with the Ontario PCs. This week: Federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and Ontario Premier Doug Ford did not mince words when it came to the issue of auto theft and a rise in crime. Our panel reacts. KING CHARLES DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER Libby Znaimer is joined by Suzanne Boyd, Editor-in-chief and Publisher of Zoomer Magazine/everythingzoomer.com  This week, Canadians and the rest of the world were shocked to learn that King Charles has been diagnosed with cancer. We don't know what kind of cancer he has but it was confirmed by official sources that it is not prostate-related. This comes on the heels of the news that he had undergone treatment for an enlarged benign prostate. Does this development cast a shadow on the future plans of the royal family? MORE ON THE PLANNED RENAMING OF YONGE-DUNDAS SQUARE Libby Znaimer is joined by Jennifer Dundas, Descendant of Henry Dundas, and Chair of the Henry Dundas Committee of Ontario. Today, Jennifer joins the program to further weigh in on the lack of public consultation regarding the plans to rename Yonge-Dundas Square.

Greg spoke to Gord Perks, Ward 4, Parkdale High Park about Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's budget and city tax increase.

Greg spoke to Gord Perks, Ward 4, Parkdale High Park about Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's budget and city tax increase.

Your daily highlights of Toronto Today with Greg Brady & Sheba Siddiqui. On today's episode: 1 - Greg talks Rainbow Bridge incident & Toronto turns down shelter offer from the federal government. (0:15 - 9:02) 2 - Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls to discuss the aftermath of the Rainbow Bridge car explosion. (9:08 - 16:10) 3 - Gord Perks, city councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park to discuss why did Toronto turn down federal offer for shelter assistance. (16:15 - 25:00) 4 - Greg & Sheba discuss the story of a man wanted for allegedly recording victims inside U of T campus washroom stalls (25:06 - 29:48)

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: ONTARIO HOUSING MINISTER RESIGNS & A FORD GOVERNMENT CABINET SHUFFLE 12:00-12:30  Libby Znaimer is joined by Peggy Nash, the former NDP Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park, John Milloy, former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments and John Mykytyshyn, a Conservative political consultant and President of Bradgate Research Group. Two major developments have emerged from Queen's Park this week. The first being that Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark has resigned amid the Ford government's controversial Greenbelt plans. Then we learned that Premier Doug Ford has shuffled his cabinet and appointed Paul Calandra (previously minister of long term care) as the new housing minister. Our panel weighs in on the latest. SEGMENT 2-MORE REACTION TO THE FALLOUT FROM THE GREENBELT SCANDAL 12:30-12:50 Libby Znaimer is now joined by Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario followed by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations. Mike and then Bob react to the latest news of Ontario Housing Minister Steve Clark's resignation amid the Greenbelt scandal as well as Doug Ford's cabinet shuffle that sees Paul Calandra taking over as the new housing minister. SEGMENT 3: NON-PERMANENT RESIDENTS IN CANADA UNDERCOUNTED BY ONE MILLION 12:50-1:00 Libby Znaimer is now joined by Guidy Mamann, a Toronto immigration lawyer and Partner at Mamman, Sandaluk & Kingwell LLP Immigration Lawyers. Ottawa has undercounted approximately 1 million non permanent residents according to a leading economist at CIBC. Why is this a problem? I  means that the government is underestimating the amount of housing that needs to get built as the country continues to grapple with this issue.

ZOOMER SQUAD: RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lisa Raitt, former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, Peggy Nash,  a former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto and Glenn De Baeremaeker, A former city councillor in Toronto and Deputy Mayor of the City. It's the first time we are chatting with our recovering politicians since the high profile split between Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife of 18 years, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau. We ask them about the pressures of political life on families. Meanwhile Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk is set to release her report on Premier Doug Ford's Greenbelt plans. What can we expect from that? THE DATA SHOWS GUN CRIME DOWN, BUT WHAT ARE RESIDENT'S PERCEPTIONS ON SAFETY IN THE CITY? Jane Brown is now joined by Joseph Neuberger, criminal defence lawyer with Neuberger and Partners LLP. According to police data, Toronto is on the path to seeing the fewest shooting related crimes in a single year since 2015. As of July, there have been 176 reported shootings or firearm discharges. But, while the data shows this good news, one might argue that the public's perception of violent crimes including  shootings remain high considering the increase in violence on the TTC and also that tragic death of Karolina Huebner-Makurat who was struck by a stray bullet.  Joseph weighs in on the latest. RETIREMENT PLANNING: HOW MUCH WILL YOUR RETIREMENT COST YOU? Jane Brown is now joined by Gordon Pape, Editor and Publisher of the Internet Wealth Builder and Income Investor newsletters. Today: we deep dive into the question about how much it will cost you to live the kind of retirement you want while taking into consideration your current salary as well as lifestyle costs. Gordon weighs in. This segment was inspired by a piece in The Globe and Mail: How much your retirement will cost vs. how much you're making right now Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier and Peggy Nash, the former NDP Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park. We kick things off with a discussion about reports that Ontario Premier Doug Ford is angry over two by election defeats (Scarborough-Guildwood and Kanata-Carleton) according to a Toronto Star article by Robert Benzie. Liberal candidates one those seats instead. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently made comments saying that it was "unacceptable" that refugees in Toronto were sleeping on the streets. ---- CITY OF BURLINGTON OFFERING SENIORS FREE TRANSIT Jane Brown is now joined by Burlington City Councillor Paul Sharman for Ward 5 and  Deputy Mayor for Strategy and Budgets. The City of Burlington, starting today, is allowing Seniors to ride its transit system for free at any point during the day. The deputy mayor tells us why they decided to make it happen! ---- WARNING LABELS DIRECTLY ON CIGARETTES IN CANADA Jane Brown is now joined by Rob Cunningham, Senior Policy analyst at Canadian Cancer Society. The Health Canada regulations of warning statements on individual cigarettes came into effect today. Canada is the first country to implement this and it's a measure meant to dissuade all and particularly kids from smoking. Cigarette manufacturers have until the end of July 2024 to put these labels on their king size cigarettes and until the end of April 2025 for smaller cigars. Rob details why this measure is so important in the fight to curb smoking. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier and Peggy Nash, the former NDP Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park. Today: we kick things off with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's call on Ottawa to deal with the refugees in Toronto who lack housing and other important resources. Meanwhile, former mayor John Tory resurfaces with yet another endorsement: residents of Scarborough-Guildwood were getting robocalls from him endorsing PC candidate Gary Crawford who used to serve as Tory's budget chief at City Hall. And, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie who is also running for leadership of the Ontario Liberals wrote a piece in The Star in which she accuses fellow candidate Nate Erskine-Smith of ageism. ---- INFLATION RATE IN CANADA DOWN, BUT FOOD INFLATION REMAINS HIGH Jane Brown is now joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. When it comes to inflation, there is some good news, and some bad news. First, the good news: the rate fell to 2.8 per cent--the lowest it's been in two years. The bad: food prices for Canadians went up to 9.1 per cent annually compared to the 9 per cent annually in May. ---- SOME GROCERY STORES CUTTING ALCOHOL SALES DUE TO INCREASE IN THEFT Jane Brown is now joined by Michelle Wasylyshen,  of the Retail Council of Canada. Some Toronto grocery retailers are cutting their sales of alcohol due to an increase in thefts at their stores. You won't be able to buy beers and wine at certain stores and Michelle weighs in on what is going on. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Charles Sousa, Liberal MP for Mississauga-Lakeshore, Peggy Nash, the former NDP Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC MPP and Minister of Finance. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has headed to Lithuania for the NATO Summit. He has promised that Ottawa will increase Canada's contributions to NATO's mission in Latvia but it will take another three years to do so. And, is Canada falling behind on defense spending as part of the alliance? Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is in Winnipeg as part of the Premiers meeting that will include discussions on healthcare and the economy among other key issues. And, today is the last for Olivia as mayor-elect. Tomorrow, she is officially sworn in as the mayor. ---- CHOW CALLS FOR REVIEW OF MPAC Libby Znaimer is now joined by Councillor James Pasternak for Ward 6 York Centre and Councillor Brad Bradford for Beaches East York. Today: Mayor-elect Olivia Chow is calling for a review of  the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) in the aftermath of a Toronto Star investigation this week. ---- A TRAPPED TUNNEL DIGGING MACHINE IS DEEPENING TORONTO'S FINANCIAL HOLE Libby Znaimer is now joined by Councillor Gord Perks for Parkdale-High Park. A tunnel digging machine currently stuck underneath Old Mill Road could cost the City of Toronto $25 million to recover. It first went underground in the Spring of 2022 but got stuck near the exit shaft as it worked on creating a 282 metre tunnel to north of Bloor Street. But are taxpayers expected to foot the bill for it? Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby is joined by John Mykytyshyn, a Conservative strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group, George Smitherman,  former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, Peggy Nash, the former NDP Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC MPP and former finance minister. It's official: Olivia Chow has become the next mayor-elect for the City of Toronto. She is the first immigrant woman and member of a visible minority to be elected to office. She got 37 per cent of the vote while Ana Bailão came in second with 32 per cent of the vote. And remember when, not long ago, Premier Doug Ford said Olivia would be an "unmitigated disaster" for Toronto? Well after her victory, he put out a statement congratulating Olivia and saying, "I will work with anyone ready to work with our government to better our City and province". So, can we expect a cordial and good working relationship between the two leaders? ---- OLIVIA CHOW JOINS FIGHT BACK AS TORONTO'S MAYOR-ELECT Libby is now joined by Toronto's new mayor-elect Olivia Chow. Olivia keeps her promise to speak to Libby the day after the election. And, now that she's won, she tells our listeners what her first priorities will be as she goes back to City Hall and how she plans to work with Premier Doug Ford and improve City services. ---- ANTHONY FUREY ON WHAT COMES NEXT POST ELECTION Libby is now joined by Anthony Furey who was a candidate in the by-election for Toronto mayor. It was a campaign full of surprises. One of them was how well Anthony Furey, a veteran broadcaster and journalist, fared as a candidate for mayor. He started in this race as an outsider but managed to be competitive enough in the polls to get invited to key televised election debates like ours here at the Zoomerplex. Why does he think he performed so well? And, now that it's all over, what comes next for Anthony? Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: THE FINAL STRETCH OF THE TORONTO MAYORAL RACE Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, and Peggy Nash,  the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto. Today: A look at the final stretch of the Toronto mayoral election campaign. Libby and our recovering politicians take a look at what the leading candidates are saying so far this week and Libby shares her thoughts on why Olivia is the front runner. Meanwhile, the Ontario government has taken public sector workers to the Court of Appeal over Bill 124 being struck down by a judge at the Superior Court of Justice. According the fiscal watchdog of the province, the government will owe $8.4 billion over five years to public sector workers if the law remains overturned. WHAT'S UP WITH ALL THAT PLASTIC PACKAGING? Libby Znaimer, Karen Wirsig, Senior Program Manager, Plastics at Environmental Defence and Michelle Genttner, Co-Owner of Unboxed Market. Why is it typically the case that when you go to the grocery store to pick up a pack of mushrooms or peppers it comes wrapped in all of this wasteful plastic. And those are just two examples. Where is all of this packaging coming from anyways? And since the federal government announced a ban on certain single-use plastics, is the reality of excessive plastic packaging on produce and other foods a sign that the government's measures to tackle the issue not go far enough? Michelle also talks about the alternative solutions she's been implementing at her own grocery store. JOSH MATLOW GIVES US HIS FINAL PITCH BEFORE ELECTION DAY Libby Znaimer, Karen Wirsig, Senior Program Manager, Plastics at Environmental Defence and Michelle Genttner, Co-Owner of Unboxed Market. Josh is on the line with us to give his final pitch to the listeners as to why they should vote for him. In the latest Liason Strategies Josh Matlow is in 3rd place with 13 per cent.    It's part of our series we are doing this week where we will be bringing on the leading candidates in the next few days to share why they should get your vote. Tune in and call in with questions and share your thoughts on Toronto's election.

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Tasha  Kheiriddin, principal with Navigator Ltd., Peggy Nash, a former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto and Charles Bird, Managing Principal at Earnscliffe Strategy Group in Toronto. Erin O'Toole is stepping down as MP of Durham. O'Toole served as leader of the official opposition Conservative Party prior to the current leader, Pierre Poilievre. Meanwhile, the race for mayor in Toronto continues to pick up the pace as we quickly approach election day on June 26. Our panelists weigh in on the latest news. ---- WHAT'S UP WITH CANDIDATE GONG? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Ben Spurr, a Toronto City Hall Reporter. Who is mayoral candidate #44 and why is everyone noticing him? Wealthy businessman Edward Gong has planted his signs everywhere - having paid for that marketing, including on our station and people have noticed. ---- DONALD TRUMP'S LEGAL BATTLES AS HE CAMPAIGNS FOR 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN  Libby Znaimer is now joined by Michael Flamm, a professor of political history at Ohio Wesleyan University and Larry Haas, a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council. Later this afternoon, one of the very biggest Donald trump spectacles is about to unfold south of the border. He is being indicted for possessing classified documents and hiding them from government authorities. This time the allegations seem to be very serious - they involve leaving information related to nuclear strategy in bathrooms at Mar-A- Lago and showing some of these dangerous documents around. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman,  former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC MPP who was a senior cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves and Peggy Nash, a former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto This morning: David Johnston, special rapporteur on foreign interference, testified in the house of commons where he took questions from MPs about allegations of conflict of interest in his role and his report into election meddling. We then pivot to the controversial news that Paul Bernardo gets a prison transfer to a medium security facility which has sparked plenty of backlash. ----- A PREVIEW TO THE FIGHT BACK-CARP DEBATE THIS WEEK Libby Znaimer is joined by Gil Penalosa, a former mayoral candidate and a popular urbanist and the Founder of 8 80 Cities and Jason Lietaer who is a conservative strategist and President at Enterprise. The Toronto mayoral race ramps up as it enters its final weeks before election day. Olivia Chow is widening her lead--at least according to the latest polls. How do you feel about that? ----- CREDIT CARD DEBT CLIMBING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Libby Znaimer is joined by Bruce Sellery, CEO of Credit Canada and Barry Choi, Personal Finance Expert. Equifax Canada has put out a report revealing that Credit demand was high in the first quarter of the year as the mortgage market slowed down. The report also shows that consumers are spending on average 21.5 per cent more each month than during pre-pandemic levels. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, Peggy Nash, the former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier. In the news: The House of Commons voted down a motion by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that took aim at the Trudeau government's harm reduction strategy in a vote of 209 to 113 on Monday. Meanwhile Jagmeet Singh, leader of the federal NDP, has called on Ottawa to get rid of David Johnston from overseeing foreign election interference and along with the Conservatives, is calling for a public inquiry into the matter. ONTARIO HOSPITAL ERs ARE BRACING FOR STAFFING SHORTAGES THIS SUMMER Marissa Lennox is now joined by Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition. Hospitals in rural Ontario are bracing for ER staffing shortages this Summer. Back in 2022, we all remember how these staff shortages led to full ER department closures for hours and sometimes days. Meanwhile, residents of Minden continue to express their concerns over the upcoming closure of their local hospital ER. Natalie weighs in on the latest. ---- CAA'S LATEST WORST ROADS REPORT REPORT Marissa Lennox is now joined by Teresa Di Felice, Assistant Vice President, Government and Community Relations at CAA. The CAA's latest Worst Roads in Ontario report is officially out and the four Toronto roads to make the list include: Eglinton West, Finch Avenue West, Steeles Avenue East, and Lakeshore Boulevard East. The top ten list also included roads in Hamilton, Ottawa and Orillia, and Mississauga. Teresa Di Felice discusses why pot holes are so damaging to our cars and what cities can do to mitigate the problem. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: BONNIE CROMBIE MULLS RUN FOR ONTARIO LIBERAL LEADERSHIP Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, Peggy Nash, the former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for Parkdale—High Park, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier. Today: We begin with the news that Bonnie Crombie, the mayor of Mississauga, is exploring a run for the leadership of the Ontario Liberals. And, of course there's the news about Peel Region--Brampton, Caledon and Mississauga will be splitting up by 2025. We then pivot to Ottawa where former Governor General David Johnston, Special rapporteur, concluded that there is no need for a public inquiry into alleged foreign interference in our political system by China. TRANSPORT MINISTER ANNOUNCES MORE EFFICIENT AIRPORT SECURITY SCREENINGS Libby Znaimer is joined by Martin Firestone, travel expert and President of Travel Secure Inc. Today, transport minister Omar Alghabra announced plans by Ottawa to implement faster and more efficient airport security screening. Libby and Marty weigh in on just how much of an impact this will have. BRAMPTON MAYOR PATRICK BROWN ON THE FUTURE OF PEEL REGION Libby Znaimer is now joined by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown. Mayor Brown weighs in on the future of Peel Region which is set to dissolve by 2025. Brown is concerned about the associated costs of such a breakup. Meanwhile, he and Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie want to keep Peel Police Service in existence but they disagree about how it should be funded. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Jane Brown is joined by Peggy Nash, the former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, and John Mykytyshyn, Conservative Political Consultant and President of Bradgate Research Group. Today: we kick things off with a recap of last night's mayoral debate that was hosted by the Daily Bread Food Bank in Etobicoke. The theme of the two-hour debate was tackling the affordability crisis. The candidates at the podium were Brad Bradford, Josh Matlow, Mitzie Hunter, Olivia Chow and Ana Bailao. Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford supports the idea of Mississauga breaking away from Peel Region. An official announcement from his government could come as early as this Thursday. And the construction company building the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is suing and planning to stop working for the TTC. What's that about? Our panel weighs in. ---- BLADDER CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Jane Brown is now joined by Tony Cornacchia, Volunteer at Bladder Cancer Canada and a bladder cancer survivor himself. May is Bladder Cancer Awareness Month. According to the organization's website, it is the fifth most common type of cancer in Canada and as many as 12,500 Canadians get diagnosed with it on an annual basis. Tony weighs in on the facts and details his own personal journey from diagnosis to a full recovery. ---- DR. GABOR LUKACS TESTIFYING OVER AIR PASSENGER RIGHTS  Jane Brown is now joined by Dr. Gabor Lukacs, President and Founder, Air Passenger Rights. Dr. Lukacs appeared before the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications where he testified about the provisions Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-47) affecting air passenger rights. He weighs in on what he calls an "erosion of Canada's Air Passenger Protection Regime". Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier and Peggy Nash, the former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto. Today: The province has passed the controversial Bill 60 that expands surgeries in private care clinics. Meanwhile, Ottawa has expelled Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei and in a tit for tat response, Beijing expelled Canadian diplomat  Jennifer Lynn Lalonde from Canada's consulate HQ in Shanghai. And, Ottawa is also organizing a list of names of foreign labs and universities that pose a risk to Canada's national security.  ---- CHINA-OTTAWA TENSIONS ESCALATE AS BOTH COUNTRIES EXPEL DIPLOMATS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Charles Burton,  Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and expert on Canada-China relations,  Cheuk Kwan of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, and Dr. Jeremy Paltiel, Professor of Politics, government and foreign policies of Asia (China and Japan) at Carleton University.  Tensions continue to escalate between Ottawa and Beijing as Trudeau's government decided to expel Toronto-based Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei after a CSIS report revealed that Conservative MP Michael Chong and his family were targeted by the Chinese. As a response, China is sending our very own diplomat Jennifer Lynn Lalonde from the consulate in Shanghai. Meanwhile, the government is drafting a list of foreign labs and universities that pose a threat to Canada's national security. So, where does it all go from here? And what must be done in order for Canada and China's frosty relationship to improve?  Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, and Peggy Nash,  the former New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto. This week: We discuss CBC vs Elon Musk and Twitter and being labelled "government-funded media" by the social media platform. Meanwhile, today the Ford government will be making an announcement about the future of Ontario Place and the Ontario Science Centre. And, Olivia Chow joins the Toronto Mayoral race. She's done it before. Does she have what it takes to address this City's current issues? ---- FOOD PRICES AND INFLATION DROP Marissa Lennox is now joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. The good news: according to Statistics Canada, the annual rate of inflation fell from 5.2 per cent in February to 4.3 per cent last month. The also somewhat good news is that there has been a deceleration of food prices which went from 10.6 per cent in February down to 9.7 per cent in March (yes...not a big difference). The drop in food costs was fuelled by lower prices for fruits and vegetables. Dr. Charlebois reacts to the latest news and weighs in on what it means for consumers. ---- RESIDENTS MAY BE ABLE TO SEE CHERRY BLOSSOMS EARLIER THIS YEAR Marissa Lennox is now joined by Charlie Dobbin, host of The Garden Show on Zoomer Radio. It may very well be the case that we'll be able to see the High Park Cherry Blossoms earlier than expected this year because of a wave of unseasonably warm weather in the City. Our gardening guest weighs in on the latest. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: JAGMEET'S BEEF WITH GALEN WESTON Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, and Peggy Nash,  the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto. Today: We discuss NDP leader Jagmeet Singh's beef with Loblaw CEO Galen Weston and his pay raise, the news that Rogers is going to be the provider of the 5G network on the TTC and then, finally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chief of staff, Katie Telford, testifying later this week over allegations of alleged Chinese interference in Canada's 2021 election. WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH COMPOSTABLE GROCERY BAGS AND THE GREEN BIN? Libby Znaimer is joined by Matthew Caschera, Director of Infrastructure & Resource Management for Solid Waste Management Services and Dr. Paul van der Werf, Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography at Western University. Today: We explore the COMPOSTABLE garbage bags ban imposed by Ottawa and the impact these products and we get some clarification on the kinds of bags you can line your green bins with. Call in with your questions.

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, John Milloy, Former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments and Peggy Nash,  the New Democratic Party Member of Parliament for the Parkdale—High Park electoral district in Toronto. Today: we discuss the latest to do with Toronto's mayoral race where high-profile candidates like Councillors Brad Bradford, Josh Matlow, Ana Bailao and former police chief Mark Saunders among others officially registered this week. Meanwhile, we get reaction from our panelists over Ottawa's budget which came out a week ago today and had nothing for Toronto. Will the City have the money needed to fill its own hole in the budget? We also get reaction to Premier Doug Ford calling out Ottawa for a lack of urgency when it comes to bail reform--especially as Toronto sees an increase in violence on and off the TTC. And, Donald Trump becomes the first ever former president of the United States to be charged criminally. We get into all the news. ---- DON'T BLOCK THE BOX: CITY TO INCREASE FINES FOR DRIVERS BLOCKING INTERSECTIONS Jane Brown is now joined by Jennifer McKelvie, Deputy Mayor of the City of Toronto. The City is going to be cracking down on drivers who "block the box" at intersections and adding to our road congestion. So, if you make an improper stop at an intersection, the fines will go up from $85 to $450 and from $120-$500 if the intersection happens to be in a community safety zone. One of the questions we have is: how will this be enforced? ---- ARTEMIS II AND CANADA'S ROLE IN IT Jane Brown is now joined by Prof. John E. Moores, York Research Chair in Space Exploration and Science Advisor to the President Canadian Space Agency Yesterday, NASA alongside the Canadian Space Agency announced the crew for the Artemis II mission to the moon. Joining that team is Canadian astronaut Jeremey Hansen. We ask John about the significance of Canada's participation in this mission and what Artemis II is all about. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Your daily highlights of Toronto Today with Greg Brady, Sheba Siddiqui & Gord Rennie. On today's episode: 1 - A sports title comes home to Sheba's household. (0:15 - 4:51) 2 - Rocco Achampong, mayoral candidate. (4:57 - 13:52) 3 - Gord Perks, city councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park. (13:58 - 25:18) 4 - Alex Pierson, on location at City Hall. (25:24 - 34:42) 5 - IN or OUT: Feeding wild animals (34:48 - 44:09)

Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Peggy Nash, who is a former NDP MP for Parkdale-High Park. Today: we start off with a lookahead to the federal budget being announced in Ottawa later today. We then discuss the latest reporting on allegations of foreign interference. Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to launch a public inquiry on the matter including from now independent MP Han Dong who is taking Global News to court over reporting that he allegedly told the Chinese Consul general in Toronto to hold off on releasing the Michaels. Finally, we take a closer look at the latest wave of violence on the TTC that saw a 16-year-old boy get stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack at Keele Subway station last weekend. ----- ISRAEL PROTESTS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Libby Znaimer is now joined by Gideon Rahat, Professor and Chair of Political Science at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Yotam Margalit who is a professor of political science at Tel Aviv University. Both our guests are Senior Fellows at the Israel Democracy Institute. The world has been tuning in to Israel where hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to reform the country's highest court. This week, he fired his own defense minister for calling for a freeze to the reform. Netanyahu responded by firing him. That move intensified the protests at which point Netanyahu decided to delay his push.  So why exactly is Netanyahu trying desperately to make a change in the justice system and what are the implications of it all? ---- THE LATEST WAVE OF VIOLENCE ON THE TTC Libby Znaimer is now joined by Ari Goldkind, a criminal defence lawyer based in Toronto. Just a couple weeks ago, the Toronto Police Service announced that it was ending its additional patrols on the TTC. However, during the latest wave of violence on the transit system, we're wondering if things need to change and security needs to be ramped up. Just this past weekend, in an unprovoked attack, a 16-year-old male was stabbed to death while sitting on a bench at Keele Subway Station. Yesterday, a man was stabbed on a bus on Keele Street and was left with serious injuries.

Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Peggy Nash, a former NDP MP for Parkdale-High Park and David Tarrant, Vice President, National Strategic Communications at Enterprise. Today: Ontario MPPs are returning to Queens Park as the legislature resumes. What can we expect will be the main questions coming from the opposition? For starters, there's the ongoing question about the Ford government's relationship with developers and the Greenbelt. And, then there is the big button issue of expanding services in private healthcare clinics like cataract surgeries. Next we get our panel's take on the explosive Globe and Mail report about CSIS documents revealing the extent of China's influence on our 2021 election. ---- WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONTARIO'S CONCERNING NUMBER OF ER CLOSURES Marissa Lennox is now joined by Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, Internal Medicine and Critical Care Physician at Humber River Hospital and NDP MPP and health critic France Gélinas (Nickel Belt). The Toronto Star published an explosive story this morning about the concerning number of ER closures that have taken place in the province. To be specific, ERs had to close 158 times in the past year (from February 2022 to February 2023) which translated to about 4,430 hours (or 184 days). The ER with the most shutdowns this past year (38 overnight closures) was Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria, Ont. So, what is contributing to all of this? Is it just because of a staffing shortage of professionals like nurses? The province is reportedly working with the College of nurses to expand seats in college nursing programs and make it easier for overseas-trained nurses to work in our hospitals. But is that enough? ---- PRESIDENT BIDEN'S SURPRISE VISIT TO UKRAINE & PUTIN'S RESPONSE Marissa Lennox is now joined by Dr. Andriy Zayarnyuk, Professor of History at the University of Winnipeg who teaches about the Soviet Union, Ukraine, nationalism and other topics. Together, they discuss President Biden's surprise visit to Ukraine and his announcement of additional arms support for the country as the war between Ukraine and Russia ramps up. Our expert also weighs in on Russia's Vladimir Putin announcing that Moscow will end its nuclear treaty deal with the Americans and the implications of all of that. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Cheru Di Novo is a former MPP for Parkdale-High Park and one of the best political minds in Canada. Cheri shares her thoughts on Doug Ford's questionable ethics, John Tory's resignation, and the steps Ontario is taking to become a two-tiered health care system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: MAYOR TORY'S RESIGNATION & THE CITY BUDGET 12-12:25 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC MPP who served as a senior cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves and Peggy Nash, who is a former NDP MP for Parkdale-High Park. Today: we get reaction from our panel about Toronto Mayor John Tory announcing that he will resign after admitting to an affair with a 31-year-old staffer. This week he will preside over the City budget. Here's the thing: there is still a $933 million hole in the budget which the city wants other levels of government to help out with. Tory has a reputation of working well with the other governments and getting the City needed cash. So, how will things change now? And, if he's gone, will the next Mayor be able to get the job done? THE CITY BUDGET MEETING WILL GO ON AS PLANNED 12:25-12:40 PM Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillor Gary Crawford (Scarborough Southwest) and Chair of the budget committee. Crawford tells Libby that Toronto Mayor John Tory, who announced late last week that he will resign from office after admitting to an affair, will indeed be presiding over the budget meeting taking place this Wednesday. Tory played a big role in the current budget proposal. Crawford also weighs in on what comes next at City Hall when Tory leaves his post and comments on the strong mayoral powers not being transferable to the future mayor. SOME TEMP STAFFING AGENCIES ARE GOUGING LTC HOMES: REPORT 12:40-1 PM Libby Znaimer is now joined by Lisa Levin, CEO of AdvantAge Ontario. According to a survey by AdvantAge Ontario, which involved 100 Ontario non-profit long-term care homes, a big chunk of the budget from these homes are being spent on temp. staffing agencies. Lisa says tens of millions of dollars are going towards these companies rather than towards hiring permanent care. she goes on to say, "“This is a problem and it's getting worse. We need the government to push out the bad operators who are preying on homes in the midst of a staffing crisis.”

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: OTTAWA HEALTH CARE SUMMIT 12-12:30 PM Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Peggy Nash, former Ontario NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park, John Milloy, a former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty  and Kathleen Wynne governments and John Mykytyshyn, a conservative political consultant and President of Bradgate Research Group. Today: Ottawa is meeting with the Premiers in a historic summit to discuss a new healthcare funding model. The premiers have been calling on the federal Liberals to increase its portion of the Canada Health Transfer from 22 per cent to 35 per cent. Meanwhile, here in Toronto, the City will be voting on a motion to expand the hours of operation for warming centres serving the homeless. Many advocates have been calling on the City to improve the conditions amid frigid temperatures outside this winter. Finally, we discuss the upcoming U.S. State of the Union address by President Joe Biden which comes on the heels of escalating tensions between Washington and China over surveillance balloons. CANADA'S RESPONSE TO EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY & SYRIA 12:30-12:50 PM Jane Brown is now joined by Rahul Singh, Executive Director of Global Medic and Jason Nickerson, Doctors Without Borders' Humanitarian Representative to Canada based in Ottawa. The total death toll, at this time, in Turkey and Syria caused by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake this past Monday has increased to over 5,200 people. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has declared a 3 month state of emergency as his government and other countries around the world try to deal with the crisis. Canada and organizations here at home are wasting no time in joining the humanitarian effort. We speak to two such organizations today on how their missions are going. MSF has been working in the region for the past 12 years, and we're supporting 23 health facilities in northern Syria. Rahul and Jason weigh in on the latest. WHAT ARE YOUR RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLANS? 12:50-1 PM Jane Brown is now joined by Barry Choi, a personal finance expert. How confident are you about your retirement savings? According to a new BMO survey, less than half of Canadians (44 per cent) are confident that they will have sufficient money in the bank to retire as planned. Meanwhile, most Canadians (74 per cent of respondents) are worried about how inflation and rising prices will impact their personal finances. Jane and our guest weigh in on the latest.

Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Peggy Nash, who is a former NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park. In Ottawa, Charles Sousa was given an applause as he entered Parliament and joins the federal Liberal caucus. Will he make the party a more fiscally responsible one? And, will he become the future minister of finance? Only time will tell. Meanwhile, here in Ontario, Mike Schreiner has responded to a growing number of calls from Ontario Liberal party members to join them and run for their leadership. He says he's seriously thinking about it. But what would such a move mean for the future of the Liberals and Queens Park? ---- NEW LTC STANDARDS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals in Toronto. New standards for Canadian long-term care homes have been published by The Health Standards Organization in a 60 page report. To be clear, these are voluntary standards but health experts like Dr. Sinha say that they won't be effective unless long-term care homes apply all of them. Here are just some examples of standards included in the new report: single rooms in LTC homes should have three piece bedrooms while shared rooms should have special private rooms for "intimate acts". The standards also call for access to outdoor space at the home and dedicated hand hygiene sinks for residents to use. Libby and Dr. Sinha talk about the standards in greater detail. Meanwhile, Dr. Sinha says that right now the biggest challenge that LTC homes face is retaining and recruiting additional staff especially as hospitals face staff shortages and provide better wages. As of July 2022, 17,000 LTC residents died in Canada because of COVID-19. Meanwhile, this morning, Ontario LTC minister Paul Calandra announced the province's plans to make it easier for residents to gain access to diagnostic services. ---- MIKE SCHREINER: WILL HE JOIN THE ONTARIO LIBERALS? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Green Party of Ontario. Mike Schreiner knows that as many as 40 members of the Ontario Liberals want him to cross over to their camp and become the leader of their party. His response? In a statement he released this week, he said he's now seriously thinking about it. Libby goes directly to the source and asks the current Green party leader about what factors he is considering as he mulls over this very big decision and whether this would be an identity/philosophical shift considering the Liberals are not like the Greens. Will he give us any indication that he's arrived closer to an answer? Tune in to find out! Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Marissa is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre who also served as a health minister and deputy Premier, Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Peggy Nash, who is a former NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park. Today: we get reaction from our panel on a multibillion dollar healthcare deal that could soon be on the horizon between Ottawa and the provinces and territories. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is asking the Privy Council Clerk to look into how the government funded the ArriveCan app And, we look into another controversy which is that during Justin Trudeau's time in government, the federal government awarded consulting firm McKinsey with $100 million in contracts. ---- HOW A TRAVELER'S LUGGAGE ENDED UP IN THE HANDS OF CHARITY Marissa Lennox is now joined by Nakita Rees, a resident of Cambridge. Imagine taking a return flight home to Canada from your honeymoon only to find out that your luggage is not there and that it was allegedly given to a charity by a third party luggage handler hired by Air Canada. That's exactly what happened to Nakita and her husband when they returned to Pearson International airport from a connecting flight from Montreal on Sept. 10 from a vacation in Greece. Her baggage was there but her husband's had disappeared. The good news is that the luggage has finally been returned to them, but it took four months for that to happen. Rees joins the story to share what happened and the back and forth she had with Air Canada before ultimately resolving the situation. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

One of the good things to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic is the notion that people would like, and can successfully achieve, more flexible work arrangements. One idea getting increasing consideration is the four-day work week. Bhutila Karpoche, the NDP member for Parkdale-High Park, tells us more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: ONTARIO EXPANDING SURGERIES IN PRIVATE CLINICS Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Deputy Mayor and healthcare minister, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister and Peggy Nash, who is a former NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park. The big news out of Queens Park this week is the Ford government's three step plan to expand surgeries and some  additional services at private health care clinics in an effort t address the backlogs. Meanwhile, Canada's premiers are urging Ottawa to tighten the bail rules in the justice system. CONTINUED: ONTARIO EXPANDING SURGERIES & OTHER SERVICES IN PRIVATE CARE Libby Znaimer is joined by David Musyj, CEO of Windsor Regional Hospital, Dr Fouad Tayfour, the hospital's chief of ophthalmology as well as Co-Owner of Windsor Surgical Centre and, later on, Ellen Roseman, a consumer advocate. We continue the conversation today on the subject of the Ford government's plan to expand surgeries and other services in private health care clinics in the province. Our panel of health care experts weigh in on the development and then Ellen weighs in on upselling in the context of private healthcare clinics and the implications of that. Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Greg spoke with Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park, and, Brad Bradford, Councillor for Ward 19 Beaches-East York about the City's proposed budget.

Greg spoke with Gord Perks, Toronto City Councillor for Ward 4 Parkdale-High Park about his fight to remove the strong mayor powers that Mayor Tory says is needed.

It was a hard fought riding, but for the community of Ward 4, Parkdale-High Park, they remain with incumbent Gord Perks. With 35% of the voters, he won the riding, but it's who was neck in neck with him that has our attention. Chemi Lhamo ran to be councillor, and while she gained only 32% of the vote, she still had a platform that people believed in, making her the unexpected runner up in the election. She joined guest host Rubina Ahmed-Haq to talk about her campaign, and her thoughts on some things that she believes should change in the city.

Greg talked with 5 time councilor for Parkdale-High Park, Gord Perks.

In this non-music bonus episode, Gunes and Jack from the Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) join Danny to discuss how the Party's Platform tackles the housing crisis, making a livable minimum wage, and organizing past the election. Gunes is the Party's Candidate for Parkdale-High Park and Jack is running in Davenport.Read the party platform here.All featured music is written and performed by Output 1:1:1 except "Do They Owe Us A Living?" by Crass. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Steve and Diana chat with one of their favourite Canadian Sarahs - none other than Juno and Canadian Screen Award-winning singer-songwriter, Sarah Slean! Fresh off having a new baby, getting nominated for a Juno AND her first Canadian Screen Award (spoiler alert - she won!) Sarah talks about how she found out about her latest Juno nomination while in her housecoat scrubbing her kitchen floor, why she is running to become a leader at SOCAN, plus she inadvertently gives a lot of plugs for Side Door Access. Sarah rolls out the red carpet for Iranian-Canadian actor turned political hopeful Ali Momen who has put his successful acting career on hold in order to run for the Ontario Liberal nomination in Parkdale-High Park. Coincidentally, where Steve lives! Ali shares his experience being an immigrant to Canada and having his first McChicken, why providing affordable childcare is so important to the economy and why we need to have an artistic vision in today's politics. To learn more about what Sarah Slean is up to, go to www.sarahslean.comTwitter @sarahsleanInstagram @sarahsleanAnd to learn more about Ali Momen, check him out here: www.alimomen.caTwitter: @alimomenInstagram: @alimomenHOST: Steve Patterson (Twitter: @patterballs)PRODUCER & CO-HOST: Diana Frances (Twitter @dianafrancesvan)TECHNICAL PRODUCER: Donovan Deschner from Fracture A Femur Productions (www.fractureafemur.com)MUSIC BY: Imagine Sound Studios (www.imaginesoundstudios.com) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.