RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: MAYOR CHOW’S PROPERTY TAX HIKE PROPOSAL 

Liz West 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 Andrew Cash, Former NDP MP for the Toronto-Davenport district.

We discuss Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's proposed property tax hike, the banning of tobogganing at numerous city parks and more. 

TORONTO MAYOR OLIVIA CHOW LAUNCHES TOWN HALLS OVER BUDGET

Liz West is now joined by Jay Goldberg, Ontario & Interim Atlantic Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Starting today, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is hosting a series of telephone town hall meetings to hear from residents about their questions, comments, and concerns as it pertains to the City's 2024 budget. 

THE IOWA CACUS: TRUMP WON

Liz West is now joined by Dr. Chris Cooper, a Political Science Professor at Western Carolina University and Brad Polumbo, A conservative commentator and editor-in-chief  & Co-Founder of BASEDPolitics.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump was the winner during yesterday's Iowa Caucus. And in the aftermath, candidate Vivek Ramaswamy made the decision to suspend his campaign and provide his full support to back Trump. So, what are the implications of all of this and as Canadians are you worried or excited about the prospects of a Trump comeback?

THE ZOOMER SQUAD:  WILL TORONTO BE CUTTING WINDROW CLEARING SERVICES?  

Libby Znaimer is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP and Quitto Maggi, CEO Mainstreet Research.

Loblaw is cutting its discount on food that is about to expire from 50 per cent to 30 per cent. How will this impact older shoppers on a fixed income? And, is the city proposing to cut windrow snow clearing from the 2024 budget? Our panel weighs in. 

POLLUTION FROM TRACK REPAIRS HAVE LOCAL TORONTO RESIDENTS FEELING ILL

Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Gill, Resident of the neighbourhood who has been exposed to the construction and styrene fumes and Thomas Tenkate, Director and Associate Professor at the School of Occupational and Public Health at Toronto Metropolitan University. 

Residents in the area of Bathurst and St Clair are complaining about construction happening there. They are worried about the foul odours, headaches and nausea which they began to experience  when the work began. We hear from one resident who has been experiencing the situation first-hand and we learn more about a material called Styrene and the impact it can have. The crew working on the project reportedly told them that Styrene was being used.

POLITICS IN SPORTS: SOME SPORTS COMPETITIONS DITCH ISRAELI ATHLETES

Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations.

The Israel-Hamas war marked the 100-day milestone yesterday, and there seems to be a new front targeting Israelis and Jews around the world: Sport. Bob weighs in on the latest concerning developments.

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners phoned in to react to Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's property tax increase proposal and Toronto Police banning protests at the Highway 401 and Avenue Rd. overpass in the city.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  MAYOR OLIVIA CHOW'S EYE POPPING PROPERTY TAX INCREASE PLAN

Libby Znaimer is joined by Karen Stintz, CEO, Variety Village, Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth and

It’s Thursday - time to talk about all things municipal - and it’s a doozie - an unprecedented proposed 10.5% tax hike for Toronto home owners. We shouldn’t be surprised - during the election campaign we were warned that the increases would be big on her watch. And there’s more - she’s warning about an additional 6.5% hike if the federal Liberals don’t come through with more cash for the city. Is that brilliant piece of political brinkmanship as some are saying or is she overreaching? And does the federal government take Toronto for granted?

ISRAEL GOES TO COURT OVER ACCUSATIONS OF GENOCIDE

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Amos Guiora, Professor of Law at the University of Utah and a former Legal advisor to the IDF in Gaza. 

Israeli legal representatives are in the Hague this week defending the country against accusations of genocide made by South Africa. It is an important moment for the country as it continues to face intense international scrutiny for defending itself in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist attack of October 7th. So, what can we expect to see come out of this case? Amos explains.

TORONTO POLICE BAN PROTESTS AT HIGHWAY 401 AND AVENUE ROAD OVERPASS

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Ari Goldkind, a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer.

Let’s talk about the news out of the Toronto Police Services board meeting. It looks like police will finally start enforcing the law when it is broken by pro-Palestinian pro-Hamas protesters. Those demonstrations blocking the Avenue road overpass will no longer be allowed.

THE MEDICAL RECORD:  AN APP TO ALLEVIATE TINNITUS AND THE END OF THE PAP SMEAR?

It’s Wednesday and it is time to talk about your health. And we begin with an example of technology helping a common condition: Tinnitus - a ringing in the ears- affects about 10% of the adult population. It ranges from mild to debilitating.Well now there’s a new app that has shown promise in dealing with it. Also it is January and so we have the annual list of best and worst diets. And the top spot goes to the same eating plan that has been recognized for 7 years in a row - the Mediterranean Diet.

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.

PAY UP! RESTAURANTS ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY BACK THEIR PANDEMIC LOANS: SURVEY

A big deadline for small businesses is coming up next week. On Januray 18, those that took out pandemic related CEBA loans must pay them back if they want to take advantage of the portion of the loan that will be forgiven. Many businesses- especially in the restaurant sector-are still struggling and they say this requirement will push them into bankruptcy.

Libby is joined by Anita Thomson, Founder and owner of Zitto Zitto, an Italian restaurant on College Street in Toronto and Erik Joyal,  president of Ascari Group, which owns three restaurants.

JOURNALIST ARRESTED FOR ASKING DEP. PM FREELAND THE TOUGH QUESTIONS

Asking questions - tough ones - is what Rebel News reporter Dave Menzies was trying to do when he was roughed up and arrested by Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland’s security detail this week.

Libby is joined by Joseph Neuberger, Criminal Defence Lawyer with Neuberger and Partners LLP and Dave Menzies reporter with Rebel News to talk about it.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL:  TORONTO MAYOR OLIVIA CHOW'S SKATE PARTY DISRUPTED BY PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS

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 Andrew Cash, Former NDP MP, Toronto-Davenport district.

This week: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's skating party at Nathan Phillips Square was disrupted by pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces criticism for his latest vacation to Jamaica.

TORONTO COUNCILLORS CALL ON OTTAWA TO INVESTIGATE ARSON OF JEWISH BUSINESS AS ACT OF TERRORISM

Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillors James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre, and Mike Colle, Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence.

Both City Councillors on the program today are calling on Ottawa to investigate the vandalism of a Jewish-owned business in North York, International Delicatessen Foods (IDF for short), as a potential act of terrorism. Both of their wards are home to a large Jewish community. They also react to the situation whereby a Toronto Police Officer handed over a coffee to a pro-Palestinian protester which drew plenty of backlash including from some of our elected politicians like Councillor Pasternak and Liberal MP Marco Mendicino.

HUNDREDS OF FLIGHTS CANCELED DUE TO BOEING PLANE ISSUES

Libby Znaimer is joined by John Gradek, a faculty lecturer at McGill University in Montreal and a former executive with Air Canada and Dr. Karl Moore, an Airline Industry Analyst and Professor at McGill University.

Some Airlines have had to ground their planes in the U.S. Here's why.

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: CARP'S REACTION TO A NEW U.S. DRUG POLICY

Libby Znaimer is joined by Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP, Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP and Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine.

It’s Monday time for our Zoomer Squad and there’s  a very worrisome development South of the border: Florida has passed a law allowing the importation of drugs from Canada. The Floridians are thrilled. They say this can save the $150 million a year but what about us? We are already plagued with serious drug shortages. Remember when busloads of Americans drove to a border pharmacy to buy insulin? And what about Americans buying Ozempic here at a third of the US price and exacerbating the shortage? What if anything can be done?

JUSTIN BATES OF THE OPA REACTS TO FLORIDA IMPORTING DRUGS FROM CANADA

Libby Znaimer is joined by Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association.

What are the rules around those possible sales to the US?  Can the wholesalers just sell to whomever they like? Can the government stop them? And these medications are not made here - they are produced by big multinationals. So how does that work?

HOW MANY SURGERIES IN ONTARIO FOR AGGRESSIVE CANCERS ARE DONE WITHIN RECOMMENDED TIME FRAME?

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist.

Some very disturbing statistics from Ontario Health’s annual report: Just over half of cancer surgeries - including those for some of the most aggressive cancers - were completed within the mandated wait time. This is actually a bit of an improvement over the previous year, when the pandemic was more of a factor but it is still not good enough.

Today on Free For All Friday: Listeners called in to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, and the rise of hate-related crimes in Toronto.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  NORTH YORK JEWISH-OWNED DELI TARGET OF SUSPECTED HATE CRIME

It’s Thursday - time to talk about all things municipal. And we begin the year with escalating anti-Semitic violence. Yesterday a Jewish owned North York deli was torched and defaced with pro-Palestinian graffiti. Police are investigating and political leaders have come out with pious statements condemning this. But given other incidents targeting Jewish neighbourhoods, and Jewish businesses have gone off with impunity why are we surprised? And speaking of confidence in public servants - what about those typos on new signage that no one caught before they were made and installed? And there’s a plan to increase the use of photo radar.

Joining to discuss is David Crombie, former Toronto Mayor, Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak and Councillor Paula Fletcher, Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth.

"NO MORE NOISE" FIGHTS NOISE POLLUTION IN TORONTO

The city of Toronto is reviewing the noise by-law almost five years after it was amended to better address issues like motorcycle noises. How bad has the problem become in the last five years and what should be done about it. Let’s go to  Ingrid Buday, Founder of No More Noise Toronto.

FREELAND'S LIMO EXPENSES AND PM TRUDEAU'S VACATION

Blacklock's Reporter made a freedom of Information request regarding Deputy Premier Chrystia Freeland's transportation last July after she explained that she doesn't have a car and only uses carbon friendly methods of transportation in Toronto. Here is what Tom Korski, Managing Editor of Blacklock's Reporter, learned.

THE MEDICAL RECORD:  MULTIVITAMINS MAY PLAY A ROLE IN BOOSTING MEMORY OF OLDER ADULTS ACCORDING TO STUDY

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Founder and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto, Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, an  Internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital.

It’s Wednesday: time to talk about your health and it is our first medical panel of the new year. Many of us have made health related New Year resolutions - what are the most sensible changes to start and how best to keep them. And before the holidays we talked about the expected increase in heart attacks and overcrowding in emergency rooms. How did this actually turn out? Paediatricians are complaining that a lack of government data on childhood flu is hampering them. And if you listen to weather reports, one of the big questions is when will we see some sunshine? Is the lack of it getting you down and has it reached the level of SAD? We'll also touch on the latest on multivitamins and brain health and the Ozempic scam.

THE CONTROVERSIAL SECOND-HAND CLOTHING MARKET

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Megan McPhaden, Managing Editor at Cottage Life Magazine who wrote her thesis on this topic and Baniyelme Zoogah, an Associate Professor at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University.

It’s almost a seasonal ritual: purging our closets at the start of the new year and donating the items we no longer want. It may make us feel like we are doing something good but the opposite is true. Most of that stuff ends up in Africa if not in a landfill. And with the increased trendiness of thrifting, people who really need  those cheaper things often don't have access.

HARVARD'S PRESIDENT CLAUDINE GAY RESIGNS

Libby is now joined by Michael Poliakoff, President of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

After months of pressure, the president of Harvard resigned yesterday. First there was that disastrous Congressional hearing where Claudine Gay, Harvard’s first Black woman president, could not bring herself to say that calling for the genocide of Jews violated the school’s policies. After that she was accused of plagiarism in her academic work - or at best the failure to properly cite her sources. Yesterday she stepped down also citing personal attacks which she claims were motivated by racism.

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