How are people in this province feeling about the COVID-19 pandemic and the major restrictions affecting how everyone lives and works? Research director Lang McGilp joins Gormley to discuss the findings from Insightrix' tenth weekly "Saskatchewan Mental Health Barometer."

Dan Florizone, former Deputy Minister of Health and Saskatoon Health Region CEO, is calling for reform in long-term care facilities and a move away from the institutional model and towards a more home-based system. Florizone joins Gormley to discuss some of the issues and how they could be prevented in future through long-term care reform.

Is the debate around gun control about more than guns? A.J. Somerset, author of "Arms: The Culture and Credo of the Gun," says guns have transformed from tools into symbols of modern manhood, and are now strongly associated with the political right. Somerset is a gun lover, a former soldier and sport shooter, but doesn't identify with the gun culture that's become so central to the debate. Somerset joins Gormley to discuss gun control in Canada, and why the issue has become more about ideology than safety and common sense.

A Montreal anti-racism protest demanding justice for a black Minnesota man who died following a police intervention last week degenerated into clashes between police and some demonstrators on Sunday night. The march had made its way through downtown Montreal on Sunday afternoon without incident, but Montreal police declared the gathering illegal about three hours after it began when they say projectiles were thrown at officers who responded with pepper spray and tear gas. Todd van der Heyden is a Canadian journalist and news anchor with CTV News in Toronto. He has a Montreal-based radio show and joins Gormley to talk about the latest regarding protests in Montreal.

Then

The Hour of the Big Stories… Open Session

Health Minister Jim Reiter joins Gormley to discuss the Saskatchewan Health Authority's 2019 CEO Tour Report, which highlighted a number of significant issues in long-term care facilities around Saskatchewan. Areas of concern included meals, activities, staffing, and infrastructure.

North American Helium has the green light to start building Canada's largest helium purification facility in Battle Creek, Saskatchewan. The price of helium has gone up by 160% since 2017, making it a great time to invest. NAH President Marlon McDougall joins Gormley to tell us more about the project.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has floated the idea of a four-day work week, and Justin Trudeau has said we'll see "particularly creative ideas" as we work to restore our economy after COVID-19, but would a four-day week make us more productive? Nearly 70% of Canadians would prefer working 10-hour days four times a week according to an Angus Reid poll, but we want to know what you think! Is there a good argument in favour of a four-day workweek, or does the idea make zero sense? Call 1-877-332-8255 and join the conversation!

In Dr. Bill Howatt's book "Stop Hiding and Start Living: How to Say F-it to Fear and Develop Mental Fitness," Howatt argues that happiness is the direct outcome of choices you make and ways of being and living daily. Howatt says some people can bounce back after stress or failures not due to natural resilience, but because they are able to move confidently through setbacks with good coping skills. With COVID-19 causing setbacks in just about everyone's life, it's a great chance for us to catch up with Dr. Howatt and find out more about how to develop mental fitness.

The Hour of the Big Stories… Open Session

But first

After six straight days of unrest, America headed into a new work week Monday with neighbourhoods in shambles, urban streets on lockdown and political leaders struggling to control the coast-to-coast outpouring of rage over police killings of black people. KSTP reporter Jay Kolls was on the scene outside the riots and a burning police station in Minneapolis. He joins Gormley with the latest on the protests and riots.

We've taken steps to isolate the most vulnerable groups as we fight COVID-19, and no group is more vulnerable than seniors. But leaving seniors in isolation for months comes with its own suite of issues. Dr. Lilian Thorpe is a geriatric psychiatrist, and she says isolation is causing real difficulties. In many cases seniors are passing away with no or minimal visitation from family members, some seniors are afraid to seek care for medical issues because of the risks of COVID-19, and the isolation itself can lead to severe loneliness and other mental health challenges. Thorpe joins Gormley to go over some of the issues caused by keeping our elders isolated.