City and Nuuchimii

all the politics have been ultra spicy lately (loves it) so we're back to bless your podcast feed for the fall 2024 szn after a very brat summer. joining us today are the lovely Deputy Leader of the Bloc, Christine Normandin, as well as our pal Hill Times parliamentary reporter Stu Benson.

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Guests in order of appearance:

Sources and further reading:

Music featured in this episode:

Can I Live by MC Abdul

City and Nuuchimii is an independent, non-partisan podcast produced and co-hosted by Maïtée Saganash (in nuuchimii) and Jenn Jefferys (in the city). Reach us at [email protected] or @citynuuchimii.

It's ⁠#WorldAutismMonth⁠⁠⁠ and today we're digging into this fascinatingly complex neurological condition that one of our co-hosts was actually recently diagnosed with (listen to find out who!).

Plenty of autistic folks manage to live fulfilling lives, but obviously we don't all enjoy the same privilege as Elon Musk⁠ or ⁠Greta Thunberg⁠ — and navigating a neurotypical world as a neurodivergent person can pose challenges.

Viral sensation Ayanna Davis — aka. Phenomenally Autistic to her thousands of followers — joins us to speak to some of these challenges. We'll also learn about her work dispelling ableist myths, and building affirmative community care as a Black autistic artist, author, dance choreographer, and social media influencer from Westchester County, New York.

Conservative Member of Parliament Mike Lake also joins us. Mike's autistic son Jaden inspired ⁠a powerful speech⁠ he ⁠recently delivered⁠ in Canada's House of Commons, as well as a bill he managed to fast-track in Parliament after gathering unanimous multi-partisan support.

The bill — which was first introduced in the Senate, then sponsored by Lake in the lower chamber — requires Canada's health minister to table a national autism framework in the next two years. Hopefully in a couple years time, this framework will deliver results for the Canadian autistic community.

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Are you autistic, raising an autistic child, or just hoping to learn more about autism and other forms of neurodiversity? You're not alone! Here are some resources we found helpful while producing this episode:

https://www.autismspeaks.ca/

https://www.myautism.org/wam

https://autismcanada.org/resources/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JFeZygXL4A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTLUYda-0O8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDXo83OtzgE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbwRrVw-CRo

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/how-greta-thunberg-s-autism-helps-give-her-a-singular-focus-1.5301634

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City and Nuuchimii is independently produced and co-hosted by Maïtée Saganash and Jenn Jefferys. Reach us at [email protected] or @citynuuchimii. Click here to subscribe now.

Canadian healthcare is often mistaken for a truly universal system. Even medical doctors will tell you that while it saves lives, our Medicare still only covers the basics — and universal, single-payer, public Canadian Pharmacare is desperately needed.

Today on the pod, Canada's former federal minister of health, the Honourable Dr. Jane Philpott⁠, joins us to expand on her recent op-ed for The Globe and Mail: 'Canada is failing to meet the moment on the cost of medication' .

Dr. Philpott also reflects on her time practicing medicine in the Global South, her time in Prime Minister Trudeau's original cabinet in Ottawa, and why she feels we need a "Tommy Douglas 2.0" to drive down the exorbitant costs of prescription medication.

"Unless there is a concerted effort to apply pressure on the Federal and Provincial governments, the erosion of Medicare will continue unabated and might even be accelerated. Our best hope lies in the Canadian Health Coalition…for the preservation and extension of Medicare."
―Tommy Douglas, father of Canadian Medicare

"Canadians have considered the idea of universal drug coverage, as a complement to universal health care, for over five decades. For such a long-standing debate there is a surprising level of consensus. After hearing from many thousands of Canadians, we found a strongly held, shared belief that everyone in Canada should have access to prescription drugs based on their need and not their ability to pay, and delivered in a manner that is fair and sustainable. That’s why our council has recommended that Canada implement universal, single-payer, public pharmacare."
—2019 Final Report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of National Pharmacare, chaired by Dr. Eric Hoskins

Tommy Siegel can read your mind.

Not really, but his candy heart comics do reveal the tortured inner monologues of humanity. Tommy joined us from Los Angeles, California to talk about animation, American politics, and his natural proclivity for drawing butts on things.

We also learned that when he isn't trying to land a book deal or get published by The New Yorker, you can usually find Tommy birdwatching or making music with Jukebox the Ghost.