Literacy is extremely important to future success, and instilling a love of reading and literature at a young age can make a big difference to a child's future. That's why READ Saskatoon is organizing events in Saskatoon and Regina later this month to celebrate Family Literacy Day. Sheryl Harrow-Yurach, executive director with READ Saskatoon, joins Gormley to talk about the upcoming events and the importance of literacy at every age.

Some of the first firefighters from Canada to travel to Australia to battle the wildfires have returned home. Phane Ray and Kevin Buettner with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency deployed to Australia at the start of December and spent 38 days fighting the fires, giving up their holidays to do so, before arriving back home last week. Ray joins Gormley to talk about the experience and the tragic results of the widespread fires.

The Co-op Refinery's use of temporary workers during its labour dispute with Unifor has left the union unhappy. Last week Unifor published a video entitled "Meet the Scabs" that included the names and photos of several of the workers who have been crossing their picket lines in Regina. Co-op expressed disappointment after the video was published, calling the move "indecent" and saying Unifor has no respect for anyone but themselves. The video may also put the temporary workers' safety at risk, according to Co-op. The union feels differently, saying temporary workers prolong labour disputes and "hurt our families." Scott Doherty with Unifor joins Gormley to debate the ethics of temporary workers during labour disputes.

Open Session

Justin Trudeau said he - and all of Canada - want answers about what happened to Flight 752 after Canadian and American intelligence showed the plane was shot down by an Iranian missile shortly after taking off from Tehran on Wednesday, leaving 63 Canadians among the 176 dead. National Post columnist John Ivison noted that there seemed to be something missing from Trudeau's response - anger. Ivison says Trudeau's reaction was carefully measured, but his decision to express solidary with Iran rather than anger at the potential mass murder of Canadian citizens will leave doubts in the minds of the victims' families as to whether they will ever see any form of justice. Ivison joins Gormley to discuss the Canadian government's reaction to the disaster, and what may happen in coming days.

The Saskatchewanderer program is back for its 10th year, and they're kicking off the anniversary by bringing back former "wanderers" to take over the social media program for the first month of the year. Ashlyn George was the 2015 Saskatchewanderer, and she'll be taking over the social media accounts starting today before two other previous fan-favourites take things over on Jan. 17 and Jan. 24. We check in with Ashlyn to find out what she's hoping to highlight around Saskatchewan during her week at the reigns, and how the Saskatchewanderer program has influenced her career.

The Saskatchewanderer program is back for its 10th year, and they're kicking off the anniversary by bringing back former "wanderers" to take over the social media program for the first month of the year. Ashlyn George was the 2015 Saskatchewanderer, and she'll be taking over the social media accounts starting today before two other previous fan-favourites take things over on Jan. 17 and Jan. 24. We check in with Ashlyn to find out what she's hoping to highlight around Saskatchewan during her week at the reigns, and how the Saskatchewanderer program has influenced her career.

More than a month into the labour dispute, tensions between locked out Unifor members and the Co-op Refinery Complex in Regina are still running high. Yesterday the union released a video on social media entitled "Meet the Scabs" and containing the names and photos of temporary workers who are crossing their picket lines. According to Co-op, union members also barricaded their cardlock and propane sites this morning with fences, which they say created a major public safety risk. Brad Delorey with the Co-op Refinery joins John now to discuss the latest developments in the labour dispute.

Open lines and week's hottest shows

The Ultimate Open Lines… WTF team: Lise Gasmo, Aardvark Outdoor Play & Tenille Lafontaine, Feisty, Frugal & Fabulous.