Libby Znaimer is joined by Lauren O'Neil, Senior News Editor of BlogTO, David Crombie, Former Mayor of Toronto,  and Karen Stintz, CEO, Variety Village.

The Ford government has introduced new legislation that would give it a tighter grip over regional governance and provide the mayors of both Ottawa and Toronto with greater power that involves being able to pass by-laws aligned with the government's priorities with just a third of council support. The province says it wants to do this to cut red tape when it comes to confronting issues like housing. Meanwhile, David and other former Mayors of Toronto including John Sewell wrote a piece in the Toronto Star arguing that the province is doing a disservice to municipal governments.

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CUPE VS THE PROVINCE: THOUSANDS OF ED WORKERS TO RESUME STRIKE ON MONDAY

Libby Znaimer is joined by Fred Hahn, President of CUPE.

CUPE will resume striking next Monday because they are still not happy with any kind of offer from the Ford government for better wages on behalf of thousands of education workers. Fred details what went wrong at the bargaining table. And, we hear from listeners about whether this strike is going to affect their families.

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CHINA'S XI JINPING CONFRONTS TRUDEAU AT G20

Libby Znaimer is now joined by  Dr. Stephen Saideman, Paterson Chair in International Affairs at Carleton University.

China's Xi Jinping, with the help of an interpreter, publicly confronted PM Justin Trudeau  at the G20. In the brief encounter that was televised, Xi criticized Trudeau for leaking information of their discussion and that whatever was presented to the media was inaccurate and inappropriate. Some experts argue that this move by the Chinese President shows the disregard he has for Canada's leader. Stephen reacts to the moment and weighs in on what it says about Canada's relationship with China.

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Libby Znaimer is joined by John Papastergiou, Pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart followed by Angelique Berg, President and CEO of the Canadian Association for Pharmacy Distribution Management (CAPDM) and Dr. Jacalyn Duffin, an expert on the history of medicine at Queen's University.

Health Canada is not yet able to confirm how much supply of children's pain and fever medication is on its way as pharmacies continue to face shortages since the data is confidential to the companies importing these drugs. This is the explanation was given to MPs on the House of Commons Health Committee. Meanwhile, the drug supply shortages at pharmacies are extending beyond kids fever and pain medication to over-the-counter and prescription medications. Industry experts are saying that this includes adult cough and cold syrup, eye drops and some oral antibiotics. Libby and guests discuss the latest.

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WORLD COPD DAY

Libby Znaimer is joined by Henry Roberts, member of the executive committee at COPD Canada.

Today marks World COPD Day. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is a progressive lung condition that, according to COPD Canada, affects as many as 384 million people and is the third leading cause of death globally. Here in Canada, according to Statistics Canada, there are over 830,000 people who have been diagnosed with the disease. Henry explains what this disease is all about and we hear from listeners who have been affected by this health condition.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: TENSIONS BETWEEN OTTAWA AND CHINA

Libby Znaimer is joined by Howard Hampton, Former Ontario NDP Leader, Hugh Segal, Former Senator of Canada, and John Milloy, Former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments.

Today: we begin the discussion with reaction to the province's Fall economic statement that was released yesterday. It included a doubling of Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System payments (GAINS), and an extension of the gas tax cut among other items. However, it lacked a concrete plan on how it was going to address the ongoing healthcare crisis. Meanwhile, we shift the focus to Ottawa and discuss allegations of foreign interference in our 2019 federal election by China.

7 in 10 CANADIANS MAY BE MAKING INVESTMENT DECISIONS BASED ON QUESTIONABLE SOURCES: FSR

Libby Znaimer is joined by Joel Gorlick, the Director of Policy – Market Conduct for the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.

According to a poll by FSRA, 68 per cent of respondents said that they were getting investment/financial advice from the internet, word of mouth and social media. But, should Canadians really be relying on these sources to make such personal and important decisions?

WHO'S HUNGRY REPORT: TORONTO FOOD BANK VISITS ON THE RISE

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto.

The latest Who's Hungry Report shows that food bank visits are on the rise--1.68 million visits were recorded in Toronto during the latest reporting period, which is a 16 per cent increase from last year when 1.45 million visits were made. So, what has contributed to the rise? Is it just record inflation or is there more to the story?

Libby Znaimer is joined by Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine, David Cravit, Vice President, Zoomer Media, Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP.

This afternoon, the province will be announcing its fall economic statement. Can we expect any goodies to come out of it for Seniors? And, how much of the budget will be allocated to addressing Ontario's ongoing health crisis?

WINTER DRIVING SEASON: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Nadia Matos, External Communications for CAA South Central Ontario and Sgt. Kerry Schmidt of the OPP Highway Safety Division.

This week, the CAA, Toronto Police, OPP, ministry of transportation and City of Toronto will be joining forces to present tips and reminders for driving safely this Winter season. Tune in to ask your questions.

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MASKING UP AND WHEN TO GET BIVALENT SHOT AFTER YOU HAD FOUR DOSES

Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, an internist at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto and the former Scientific Director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table before it dissolved.

With COVID-19, flu and RSV circulating in the population, the province's chief medical officer of health Dr. Kieran Moore says we are faced with "a triple threat" and is recommending that the public mask up in all indoor settings especially as pediatric hospitals become strained. And, Libby asks Dr. Razak about the timing of getting your bivalent COVID-19 vaccine after you've had your four doses already. And, what you need to know about this year's flu shot.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

On this Remembrance Day, listeners called in to pay respect to Canada's war veterans and to share their stories of loved ones who served and sacrificed in our nation's history. Lest we forget.

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Jane Brown is joined, first, by WW2 veteran Jack Rhind who served in the Royal Canadian Artillery and fought in the Italian campaign among other places, followed by General Richard Rohmer who also fought in the war and played an instrumental role on D-Day.

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day. To mark the special occasion, we invited on two WW2 vets who share their respective stories of fighting in the war. Jack, 102, reflects on the brutality of war and has said that ‘we need to remember how stupid and unnecessary" it is. He reads us a selection of passages from his diary. General Rohmer, 98, then details taking part on D-Day. And, of course, we want to hear from you, our listeners, about your own families during the war.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Lauren O'Neil, Senior News Editor of BlogTO, Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village, and David Crombie, the former Mayor of Toronto.

Right now, Ontarians are grappling with COVID-19, the flu and RSV all circulating. So, is it time we re-institute mask mandates? At this point, our public health officials are refraining from making that call, including Toronto's medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa. And, at the same time, hospital ER wait times for patients reached a record high in September going up 44.7 percent compared to September of 2021. So, what does our municipal panel think about all of this?

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REMEMBERING OUR WAR HEROES

Jane Brown is joined, first, by WW2 veteran Jack Rhind who served in the Royal Canadian Artillery and fought in the Italian campaign among other places, followed by General Richard Rohmer who also fought in WW2.

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day. To mark the special occasion, we invited on two WW2 vets who share their respective stories of fighting in the war. Jack, 102, reflects on the brutality of war and has said that ‘we need to remember how stupid and unnecessary" it is. He reads us a selection of passages from his diary. General Rohmer, 98, then details taking part on D-Day. And, of course, we want to hear from you, our listeners, about your own families during the war.

Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Cheuk Kwan of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China.

Today: Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly delivered a speech today outlining Ottawa's new Indo-Pacific strategy. Ottawa will continue to maintain trade ties with China since the country is the second largest economy in the world, but as the speech outlined, the government is now seeking to diversify its trade relationships with countries in the region like India due to China's record on human rights, the reality that it ignores trade and investment rules and doesn't share the same values as Canada. Cheuk weighs in on the latest.

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SHORTAGE OF ANTIBIOTICS AT PHARMACIES

Marissa Lennox is now joined by Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association.

In the news: Ontario pharmacies are facing a supply shortage of antibiotics that is used to help treat kids with bacterial infections and the finger of blame is being pointed towards a rise in respiratory illnesses going around. Amoxicillin is one of the most common of the drugs facing a shortage. Justin reacts to the latest.

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Jane Brown  is joined by Charles Sousa, The former minister of finance for Ontario and MPP for Mississauga South, Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, and Howard Hampton, former Ontario NDP leader.

Today: CUPE education workers are no longer striking after Premier Ford promised to rescind legislation aimed at preventing that from happening. The two parties are now back at the bargaining table. But, can we expect to see both sides strike a deal soon? Meanwhile, provincial health ministers are calling on Ottawa to increase funding for their respective healthcare systems which have been strained during the pandemic. Premiers are meeting the the federal government this week to demand more action be taken to help ease the situation. Finally, our recovering politicians react to the news of a federal judge ruling that both Premier Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones don't have to appear before the Emergencies Act inquiry taking place in Ottawa.

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DISABILITY ADVOCATE CALLS ON OTTAWA TO STRENGTHEN BILL C-22 

Jane Brown  is joined by David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act alliance and visiting professor at the Osgoode Hall Law School.

David talks about why he takes criticism with the government's proposed Bill C-22 ( Canada Disability Benefit Act).

MORE CANADIANS LIVING WITH CANCER: REPORT

Jane Brown  is now joined by Kelly Wilson Cull, Director of Advocacy at the Canadian Cancer Society.

A new report released today by the Canadian Cancer Society shows the number of people living with or having survived cancer in this country continues to grow, to over 1.5 million people. Authors of the report say the higher number is caused by both increased survival and incidence, making it both a reason for optimism and concern.

Jane Brown  is joined by Charles Sousa, The former minister of finance for Ontario and MPP for Mississauga South, Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, and Howard Hampton, former Ontario NDP leader.

Today: CUPE education workers are no longer striking after Premier Ford promised to rescind legislation aimed at preventing that from happening. The two parties are now back at the bargaining table. But, can we expect to see both sides strike a deal soon? Meanwhile, provincial health ministers are calling on Ottawa to increase funding for their respective healthcare systems which have been strained during the pandemic. Premiers are meeting the the federal government this week to demand more action be taken to help ease the situation. Finally, our recovering politicians react to the news of a federal judge ruling that both Premier Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones don't have to appear before the Emergencies Act inquiry taking place in Ottawa.

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DISABILITY ADVOCATE CALLS ON OTTAWA TO STRENGTHEN BILL C-22 

Jane Brown  is joined by David Lepofsky, chair of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act alliance and visiting professor at the Osgoode Hall Law School.

David talks about why he takes criticism with the government's proposed Bill C-22 ( Canada Disability Benefit Act). He says that that the act doesn't require that Ottawa pay Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) and doesn't provide even a deadline for them to start doing that. He also says that there is no minimum required amount included or one that is mindful of inflation. He also argues that the proposed bill excludes assistance to 1/3 of Canadians living with disabilities. David reacts to the latest.

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MORE CANADIANS LIVING WITH CANCER: REPORT

Jane Brown  is now joined by Kelly Wilson Cull, Director of Advocacy at the Canadian Cancer Society.

A new report by the Canadian Cancer Society reveals that more Canadians are living with Cancer and that the number continues to grow. According to the data, at the beginning of 2018, roughly 1.5 million Canadians had been diagnosed with Cancer in the past 25 years and 60 percent of them were diagnosed in ...

Jane Brown is joined by Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine, David Cravit, Chief Membership Officer of CARP and Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating and Chief Policy Officer of CARP.

In the latest pertaining to CUPE vs the province, Premier Doug Ford announced that his government would be willing to drop the strike legislation and go back to the bargaining table if the union decides to stop striking. CUPE has agreed to this. But what comes next?

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FORD GOVERNMENT'S PLAN TO BUILD HOMES ON GREENBELT

Jane Brown is now joined by Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario, Gideon Forman, climate change and transportation policy analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation and Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence.

The Ford government has an ambitious plan to build 50,000 new homes on the Greenbelt. According to Housing Minister Steve Clark, the province wants to open up roughly 7,400 acres of the protected land to do this. Premier Doug Ford said that we have a housing crisis to deal with due to a growing immigrant population. Our panel weighs in on the latest and on whether Ford broke his promise about protecting the Greenbelt.

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