DNTO

While many Canadians remain sheltered-in-place in cities and urban centres, rural and remote communities across the country have been fighting back against COVID-19 in their own unique ways.

So on this Now or Never, we're (figuratively) packing up our car and heading out on the road to hear how small towns are coping with the pandemic.

Just because theatres have shut their doors and music venues are quiet doesn't mean people aren't performing their hearts out.

In fact, physical distancing and the coronavirus pandemic have inspired countless folks to show off their talents.

And today, we're sharing those performances with the world. It's the first-ever Now or Never Talent Show!

On this Now or Never we're going behind the scenes at Winnipeg's Maples Collegiate.

Students there are juggling life, family and schoolwork — all while trying to put on their high school musical.

This ambitious production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast has taken over the lives of more than 90 students in the cast and crew. Can they pull it off?

Hosts Ify Chiwetelu and Trevor Dineen are there as the countdown to curtain begins.

From climate change, to politics, to navigating identity, gender and sexuality — the youth of today are making their voices heard.

So if you're writing off teenagers as a bunch of kids who are constantly on their phones, you'd be making a big mistake.

On this Now or Never: hear from the teenagers of today. They'll show you that the world of tomorrow is in good hands.

Meet a 15-year-old who is cracking jokes and using stand-up comedy to celebrate his identity as a gay, transgender teen.

Hear from a group of Surrey, B.C., students who are dedicated to sharing the experiences of being young and black in 2020.

Hit the streets with the Singh sisters, who are on a mission to feed Winnipeg's homeless.

Drop in on a mental health day at a Saskatoon high school, as teenagers there grapple with a recent suicide.

Grade 12 student Isaac Campeau explores how video games became an escape from, but also a reminder of, his family's struggles with poverty.

Millions of youth around the world are skipping school on Fridays to fight for action on climate change. Hear from a group of Toronto teens at a recent climate march.

And what does it take to be the best 14-year-old basketball player on the continent? Elijah Fisher and his parents talk about finding balance while becoming a sports superstar.

The holidays can be festive and fun, but let’s be honest, they're also stressful. Whether it’s struggling to find the right gift, dealing with bickering relatives, or just trying to conjure up some of that Christmas spirit...it can be overwhelming.

That’s why this week on Now or Never, Ify and Trevor are throwing on their Santa hats and spreading some holiday magic with the first ever Now or Never Holiday Helpline.

After a very tough year, where one of them battled breast cancer and the other lost their job, Leanne and Wayne Doppler are having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit. Little do they know a “Now or Never” surprise is about to change all that.

Meet Steven Hardy, who has spent so many years scrambling to find presents on Christmas Eve, that he started a support group for all the last-minute shoppers out there.

After deciding that her family was going “present-less” for Christmas, Wanda Laurin received some push-back from relatives and in-laws. Not wanting to feel like a holiday Scrooge, she reaches out to the “Holiday Helpline” for advice, and just like Santa on Christmas morning...it delivers.

Zameer Karim and Emily Goldsmith grew up with very different versions of a holiday dinner. In four days, they’ll be celebrating their first Christmas together as a couple AND finding out what it takes to blend traditions as their families meet for the very first time.

When Wendy Onslow lost her husband three months ago, she knew the holidays were going to be hard. She's struggling to go Christmas shopping, so Ify and Trevor help her find the perfect gift for her daughter.

It’s the season of giving and Brooke Eagle wants help showing her 9-year-old son what a little act of kindness will do, especially to a complete stranger.

Since the shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand, many people around the world have been asking: what do we do now?

There are no easy or comfortable answers to why these things happen or how to move forward when they do.

But one things clear: change can't happen unless we are willing to push ourselves to understand communities different from ours.

On this Now or Never, we are diving in with people who are building bridges and finding hope as they meet in the middle.

This year, it's estimated that people around the world will take over one trillion photographs. When you've always got a smartphone camera in hand and an unlimited amount of photos at your fingertips, what gives a photo meaning?

On this episode of Now or Never, we are hearing from professional photographers and regular joes who are capturing real, meaningful moments through pictures.

Each has a story to tell that will nudge you to change the way you capture images.

A prairie photographer takes portraits of babies who've passed away.

A woman carves out a niche using squirrels for muses.

A cancer survivor bypasses wigs for her bald head, using homemade dioramas instead.

Plus, you'll get insight into what makes people "click", and meet some unexpected shutterbugs.

From your first day of kindergarten, to losing your virginity and your last day of work before retirement - rites of passage come in many shapes and sizes.

They mark the end of the life you've known and the beginning of something new. Life is peppered with these transitional moments: some of them you look forward to, others you dread. But as you'll find on this episode of Now or Never, they almost always lead to learning.

(This encore episode first aired in May, 2018)

Go to the gym. Eat better. Buy a new wardrobe. At the dawn of a new year, it can be easy believe that you need to change. But what if the thing you need to do this January is just... be you?

On this Now or Never, meet people who are rejecting resolutions and spending 2019 celebrating themselves, regardless of what the world might think of them.

A pair of self-described "fat babes" go shopping in a size-small society.

A young performer bares all, and invites an audience to ask nosy questions about his body.

After years of hiding it, a retiree finally embraces her attention deficit disorder.

At this time of year, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the endless flyers and non-stop commercials - all of them telling you that you need to spend money on gifts that show just how much you care.

But a truly meaningful gift is so much more than something you got a really good deal on.

On this Now or Never, meet people who are tapping into their hearts to find the perfect gift - and be there for the intense moment when they're finally unwrapped.

Instead of presents, a woman sends deeply personal letters to her loved ones.

A 10-year-old boy collects dozens of prosthetics to send to those who need them.

A grieving mother makes handmade bracelets for others who are mourning loved ones.

An anonymous listener donates a bed to Vivian, a woman haunted by dreams of her past and who craved a good night's sleep.

Ify and Trevor hold their own heartfelt host gift exchange.

Plus, we give the gift of closure to children's entertainer Fred Penner, by solving the mystery of his missing set.