THE ZOOMER SQUAD: A LOOK AHEAD TO THE PROVINCIAL BUDGET

It’s budget day in Ontario.

Libby Znaimer is joined by former Ontario NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo; former Ontario Liberal Cabinet Minister George Smitherman; and former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister Janet Ecker to discuss.

ONTARIO HOSPITALS AND LTC HOMES SPENT ALMOST ONE BILLION DOLLARS ON  AGENCY STAFF LAST YEAR

According to a Ministry of Health document, Ontario hospitals and long-term care homes spent nearly $1 billion last year to fill shifts with nurses and personal support workers from private staffing agencies.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Levin, Chief Executive Officer of AdvantAge Ontario; and Jane Meadus, staff lawyer and the Institutional Advocate at the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly to discuss this contentious issue.

A NEW REPORT IDENTIFIES THE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH THE MOST PESTICIDES

A new report has identified the fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides.

Libby Znaimer is joined Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University; and Nicole Boudreau, Biologist at the Organic Federation of Canada to discuss 2024’s ‘Dirty Dozen’.

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: WHAT CARP WANTS TO SEE IN THE ONTARIO BUDGET

Libby Znaimer is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP; Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer at CARP; and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion, for a conversation about tomorrow’s provincial budget, and other topics that matter to Zoomers.

CATHERINE, PRINCESS OF WALES, HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER

Libby Znaimer is joined by Suzanne Boyd, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher, ZOOMER Magazine and EverythingZoomer.com to discuss the news that Catherine, the Princess of Wales, has been diagnosed with cancer.

AN UPDATE ON RUSSIA'S WAR ON UKRAINE

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Maria Popova, Associate Professor of Political Science and Jean Monnet Chair at McGill University; and Dr. Andriy Zayarnyuk, Professor of History at the University of Winnipeg who teaches about the former Soviet Union and Ukraine, for an update on the latest on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Today on Free For All Friday: Our listeners reacted to new info about Ontario Place; the Conservative Party's non-confidence motion; auto theft in Toronto and more!

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: THE DEALS INKED TO SCORE TORONTO THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP

A look at the secret deals Toronto signed to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup; and new information revealed about the province's plans to redevelop Ontario Place.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth; Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre; and Taylor Scollon, co-founder of The Peak, to discuss these issues, and more.

 

OUR PRODUCER ZIV HADDI WITH AN UPDATE FROM ISRAEL

Libby Znaimer is joined from Israel by her producer Ziv Haddi for an update from Tel Aviv.

ALMOST 300 ONTARIO PATIENTS MOVED TO LTC HOMES THEY DIDN'T CHOOSE

Almost 300 people in Ontario have been moved from hospitals to long-term care homes not of their choosing under a law the Ford government implemented just over a year ago.

Libby Znaimer is joined by NDP Health Critic France Gelinas; Chief Executive Officer of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario, Dr. Doris Grinspun; and Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals in Toronto, to discuss this issue.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: CONCERNS ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING; A LOOK AT HEALTH PRIVACY; AND AN EARLY ALLERGY SEASON

A new study suggests intermittent fasting may radically increase the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto; and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital to discuss this issue and more.

WHY AREN'T CANADIAN POLITICIANS DENOUNCING INTIMIDATING DEMONSTRATORS?

Libby Znaimer is joined by Joanna Baron, Executive Director of the Canadian Constitution Foundation for a discussion about the seeming lack of will in Canadian politicians to denounce intimidating pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

NIAGARA FALLS BRACES FOR IMPACT AHEAD OF ECLIPSE

Libby Znaimer is joined by Mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Jim Diodati to discuss next month’s total solar eclipse, and the anticipated one-million-plus people heading to The Falls to see it.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: A LATE-NIGHT DEAL PUSHES A HOT-BUTTON MOTION THROUGH THE HOUSE

An 11th hour deal between the Liberals and the NDP agreeing to amend a controversial motion to recognize a Palestinian state saw the removal of the most contentious provision, allowing the seriously watered-down motion to pass the House with the support of the Bloc Québécois.

Libby Znaimer is joined by former Ontario NDP MPP Cheri DiNovo; former Ontario Liberal Cabinet Minister George Smitherman; and former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister Janet Ecker to discuss this hot-button issue, and more.

AN UPDATE ON THE GARDINER EXPRESSWAY

Libby Znaimer is joined by Jennifer Graham Harkness, Chief Engineer and Executive Director, Engineering and Construction for the City of Toronto, for an update on the critical construction work on the Gardiner Expressway.

CARJACKINGS HAVE MORE THAN DOUBLED IN TORONTO

Toronto Police reported yesterday that carjackings have more than doubled so far in 2024, while break-and-enters for the purpose of car theft have already exceeded the total number for all of last year.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Elliott Silverstein, Director, Government Relations, CAA Insurance; criminal defence lawyer Ari Goldkind; and security expert and former Toronto Police officer Ross McLean, to discuss this troubling trend.

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: HATE CRIMES ON THE RISE IN TORONTO

Libby is joined by John Wright, Executive Vice President at Maru Public Opinion; Bob Richardson, President of Hammersmith Consulting; and John Mykytyshyn, President of Bradgate Research Group, for a conversation about hate crimes on the rise in Toronto, the Mayor of Vaughan getting tough on demonstrators who intimidate, and new developments in long-term care.

U.S. MOVING TO BAN TIK TOK

Citing national security concerns, the U.S. Congress has moved a big step closer to a crackdown on a popular platform that could have far-reaching implications for social media in the country. But critics say the move could have significant negative consequences for small businesses that rely on Tik Tok to drive traffic to their enterprises.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Phil Gurski, former senior strategic terrorism analyst at CSIS and President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting; Philip Mai, Co-director of the Social Media Lab at Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University; and Rigatoni Garrido, a fine artist and animator who relies on Tik Tok to drive traffic to her business, to discuss this contentious issue.

NEW DATA SHOWS FRAUD CASES ON THE RISE IN CANADA

Libby Znaimer is joined by Yale Holder, Vice President of Customer Experience at Moneris for a conversation about Fraud Prevention Month.

Today on Free For All Friday: Our listeners phone in to discuss the contentious new Loblaw receipt scanners, the Kate Middleton Photoshop scandal, and more.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: PEDESTRIAN-VEHICLE INCIDENTS ON THE RISE

Libby Znaimer is joined by Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village; David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto; and Taylor Scollon, co-founder of The Peak to discuss a streamlined 311, the rash of festival cancellations in the city and the concerning rise in pedestrian/vehicle incidents.

NOT SO SWEET: THE RISING COST OF COCOA

The good news is Easter is just around the corner. The bad news is the price of cocoa is on the rise.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Janet Music, Research Program Coordinator, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University to discuss this troubling trend.

THE LATEST ON THE ARRIVECAN APP

Libby Znaimer is joined by Tom Korski, Managing Editor of Blacklock’s Reporter for an update on the latest on the ArriveCan app.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: COVID-19'S FOURTH ANNIVERSARY

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, family physician and founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto; Dr. Fahad Razak, Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to discuss COVID-19’s fourth anniversary, giving birth mid-flight and more.

LOBLAW FACING BACKLASH FOR TESTING RECEIPT SCANNERS AT SELF-CHECKOUT 

In an attempt to combat theft at its stores, Loblaw is testing receipt scanners at four of its locations, and they’re catching heat for it. Libby Znaimer is joined by consumer advocate and journalist Ellen Roseman to discuss this matter.

AI: USING THE TECH TO HELP DEMENTIA PATIENTS 

Researchers in Australia have developed an artificial intelligence companion named VIV, who offers conversation and compassion at a seniors' facility in Sydney.

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Adriana Shnall, Program Director, Koschitzky Centre for Innovations in Caregiving; and technology analyst and journalist Carmi Levy, to discuss this development.