Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Councillor Mike Layton,  Ward 11 University-Rosedale and Albert Koehl, a cycling and pedestrian advocate and an environmental lawyer.

Today: "It's called Vision Zero, but we're not at Zero": that was a statement made by a professor at the University of Toronto in reaction to Toronto's deadly road conditions. So far this year, the city has seen 42 traffic fatalities. So, how effective is Vision Zero really? It's a program that cost the City $200 million between 2017 and 2021 and has another $64 million set aside for 2022? Albert weighs in.

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THIS CANDIDATE FOR TORONTO CITY COUNCIL WANTS A LIFT BRIDGE TO THE ISLAND

Jane Brown is now joined by April Engelberg, candidate for Spadina Fort-York.

Jane asks April about her proposal for a pedestrian lift bridge that would connect to the Toronto island.

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BLADDER CANCER CANADA

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined byTony Cornacchia, Chair and VP of Bladder Cancer Canada and a bladder cancer survivor alongside Dr. Alexandre Zlotta, Director of Uro-Oncology at Mount Sinai Hospital, Professor in the Department of Surgery (Urology) at the University of Toronto and member of Bladder Cancer Canada's Medical Research Board.

Today: Jane and guests raise awareness about Bladder Cancer--the fifth most common cancer in Canada (fourth most common among men and 8th most common among women). As many as 12,500 Canadians are diagnosed with this disease on a yearly basis. In addition to a discussion on the latest research into bladder Cancer, the guests discuss the annual walk taking place this September 24 and 25th.

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

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by David Peterson, former Ontario Liberal Premier, Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, and Cheri DiNovo,  an Order of Canada recipient who passed more private members bills into law than anyone in Ontario’s history and more LGBTQ bills into law than anyone in Canada’s history.

Today: We begin our discussion by talking about Liz Truss who became Britain's new prime minister after Boris Johnson resigned. How will her leadership differ from that of Johnson's? Meanwhile, this will be the last time we talk with our recovering politicians about the Conservative leadership race before the election. And, finally, President Joe Biden has been facing criticism for calling Trump supporters extremists and a threat to democracy. Our panel has the latest.

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DEMENTIA STUDY: ALZHEIMER SOCIETY OF CANADA

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, Chief Research Officer at Alzheimer Society of Canada, Dr. Sandra Black, Professor of Medicine (Neurology), Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre & University of Toronto, and Dr. Bill Reichman, President and CEO of Baycrest.

A new study by Alzheimer Society of Canada shows that almost a million Canadians are expected to suffer from dementia by the year 2030, which is an increase of more than 65 percent from 2020. Our panel discussed why.

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

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

Today on Free For All Friday, listeners called in to weigh in on the passing of controversial Bill 7 for long-term care and to share their personal stories of getting care at hospitals in the province. 

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

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: UBER AND TORONTO'S DRIVER SAFETY PROGRAM

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

Today: our panel weighs in on Uber and Toronto's ride-hailing driver safety program rollout as well as an unusual Mayoral race taking place in Port Colborne.

TORONTO'S INTENSE WASP SEASON

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Gard Otis, Professor Emiretus of Behavioural Ecology and Apiculture, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph.

Toronto is having a busy wasp season. Dr. Otis details why this is happening and how to protect yourself from any potential danger from the buzzing creatures.

PROVINCE TO END MANDATORY COVID-19 ISOLATION

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, the Scientific Director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table followed by Dr. Adil Shamji, Ontario Liberal health critic.

Today: Is it a reasonable move now that we are all used to Covid and it looks like it’s becoming endemic? Or is the government’s removal of the isolation requirement a recipe for disaster as we head into fall and a likely 8th wave?

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

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai and the University Health Network Hospitals in Toronto and France Gelinas, Ontario NDP MPP (Nickel-Belt) and Health Critic.

Bill 7 has passed without public hearings. The government has given it the somewhat Orwellian name More Beds Better Bare act but many doubt that will be the result. The long term care minister has assured us no one will be forced to go to an LTC they don’t want. The Premier has assured us those people won’t be charged the $1800/day uninsured rate. But we haven’t been told how much they will be charged.  By the numbers about 6,000 patients are in hospital waiting to be placed somewhere else. Less than a third need to go into nursing homes - there’s nothing in the bill increasing access to home care which would also clear many of  those beds. Also, nursing homes have warned they are more short staffed than hospitals. Is this just setting up our elders for another catastrophe when another wave hits? We have made repeated requests to talk to LTC Minister Paul Calandra. We wish he would talk to us.

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THE LATEST ON THE LAITH MAROUF SCANDAL

Libby Znaimer is joined by Jonathan Kay, Editor of Quillette.

We have an update on a story we brought you last week on the virulent anti-semite who got $133,000 in federal money to teach others about anti-racism. Well, The Laith Marouf scandal is actually 6x as bad as we first calculated. Since the swearing-in of the Trudeau government in 2015, Marouf’s Community Media Action Centre has collected over $600,000 in federal contracts, as well as thousands from the Canada Summer Jobs Program. How did this happen? The Prime Minister is promising a full review. In the meantime, we can get some answers from Jonathan Kay, Editor of Quillette.

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UBER AND TORONTO DRIVER SAFETY REGULATIONS 

Libby Znaimer is joined by Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre and Kristine Hubbard, Operations Manager at Beck Taxi Limited.

A new Toronto Star investigation reveals that Uber is not happy with the delayed rollout of the City of Toronto's driver safety program for Taxi drivers and ride-hailing drivers. Our guests discuss the latest.

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

Libby Znaimer is joined by David Peterson, former Ontario Liberal Premier, Lisa Raitt, Former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, and Cheri DiNovo, an Order of Canada recipient and former Ontario NDP MPP.

This past weekend, a video was posted online that showed Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland being verbally harassed by a man while she was in Grand Prairie, Alberta's City Hall. The Prime Minister and others have since publicly condemned the attack. But, this recorded video highlights something we've known for a long time: female politicians often face abuse and harassment both online and offline far too often. We've seen it with political leaders from all political stripes including Kathleen Wynne, Lisa McLeod, Gail Shea and many more. So, where does it end? And, will public safety minister Marco Mendicino create a plan to increase security for our politicians as the threats escalate?

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CHAOS AT THE AIRPORT AND HOTELS BECOMING MORE LIKE AIRBNB STAYS

Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Makarand Mody, Associate Professor of Hospitality Marketing and Director of Research at Boston University School of Hospitality Administration, Martin Firestone, President of Travel Secure Inc., and John Gradek, a faculty lecturer at McGill University in Montreal and a former executive with Air Canada.

Today's central topic: it's been months since we've first started covering the chaos at Toronto's Pearson International Airport and flight delays and STILL it remains a problem. Libby details her first-hand account of this while traveling to Minnesota for a family reunion. And, while she made the trip, she came across another disappointment: she had booked an expensive stay at the Hyatt Hotel only to observe upon arrival that it operated more like an Airbnb and lacked amenities. It got her thinking about whether traditional hotels operating like Airbnbs have become a widespread trend these days. Our travel industry experts weigh in.

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

ZOOMER SQUAD: THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCESS DIANA’S DEATH

Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Peter Muggeridge, Senior Editor of Zoomer Magazine and Bill VanGorder, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer of CARP and David Cravit, Chief Membership Officer of CARP.

In the news: this Wednesday marks the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. Our Zoomer Squad weighs in on her legacy and how the royal family changed since her passing. Meanwhile, our very own David Cravit published his thoughts on "Retirement is the enemy of Longevity" in his newsletter. We ask the panel about the benefits of continuing to work well into the golden years of life. Finally, we continue discussion on the controversial Bill 7 proposed by the Ford government to move elderly ALC patients from hospitals to a temporary facility while they await a permanent LTC home of their choice. The big question here is: will consent be required?

CMA SURVEY ON DOCTOR BURNOUT AND MENTAL HEALTH

Jane Brown is now joined by Dr. Nadia Alam, a family physician and anesthetist in Georgetown, Ontario who is also the former president of the Ontario Medical Association and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, an Internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital.

This month, the Canadian Medical Association released a concerning survey that showed that more physicians experienced burnout and considered suicide in the past year compared to before the pandemic began. The survey was conducted between Oct. 13 and December 13 2021 and included 4,121 physician and medical learner respondents. More than half of them reported symptoms of burnout. The question is: why is this happening? Some of those reasons include more patients going into ERs, longer wait times, and a severe staffing shortage. Half of the respondents reported having depression, and 14 percent of respondents reported having suicidal ideation. Our two physicians working in different settings provide first hand insight into the concerning details of this survey and what is happening in our healthcare system across Ontario.

ONTARIO COVID-19 SCIENCE TABLE TO BE DISBANDED

Jane Brown is now joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, the Scientific Director of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table.

Our province's COVID-19 science table will cease to exist starting on September 6 after more than two years of guiding Ontarians on our pandemic situation. Premier Doug Ford said that the province is going to be handing over the table to public health. Dr. Razak explains why the table will dissolve and whether this is truly a good time for that to happen considering the intensity of this seventh COVID-19 wave.

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

The Sunday edition of the Best of Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown

Interviews with:

-Charles Sousa, Lisa Raitt, Cheri DiNovo discuss the new Bill 7 at Queen’s Park designed by the Ford PCs.

-Fight Back's 'Tune Into The Town' panel with Lauren O'Neil, Karen Stintz, and David Crombie where they discuss all things municipal, including last weekend’s Toronto Island ferry crash.

-Janice Stein, Peter Schturyn, Roman Waschuk discuss Ukraine Independence Day

-Renee Suen joins to discuss the term "Tip-Flation" as the average tipping percent in Ontario rises to just under 19% from 15%.

-And all your calls from the week!

The Saturday edition of the Best of Fight Back, from the week that was, with Jane Brown

Interviews with:

- David Cravit, Peter Muggeridge, and Bill Vangorder to discuss the Ford PC's measure to supposedly stabilize the healthcare system.

-Mike Merriman to discuss the Ford PCs planning to expand their program to allow paramedics to take patients to other places other than hospital emergency wards.

-Anthony Housefather, Shimon Koffler Fogel, Marvin Rotrand discuss the Trudeau Liberals cutting funding to a so called anti-racism project led by a senior consultant who has a long history of posting reprehensible and violent antisemitic tweets.

-Carmi Levy and Michael Ferreira joins to discuss the latest text phone scam.

-And all the best calls from the week!