On The Way Home

On The Way Home

By On The Way HomeSociety & CultureHealth & FitnessMental HealthGovernmentPersonal Journals
Download on the App Store

On The Way Home episodes

  • Bold Ideas for a Dignified Future + Leadership, Trust, and Ending Poverty with Neil
    In this episode of On the Way Home, we sit down with Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, to explore what it takes to lead through complexity, crisis, and systemic challenge. From texting his board chair while nearly sinking in the Atlantic to testifying before Parliament for income security reform, Neil shares the stories, strategies, and beliefs that fuel his work. We dive into the explosive rise in food bank demand, the deep links between housing and hunger, and why long-term solutions like the Canada Disability Benefit are critical. Neil also reflects on the most challenging leadership moment he’s faced, and what keeps him motivated as a lifelong learner and bold advocate for change.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min
  • Seizing the Moment: Housing’s Historic Shift with John Fox
    This week, John Fox, Partner at Robins Appleby LLP, housing advocate, and member of Blue Door’s Champions Circle joins On the Way Home to unpack a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Canada’s affordable housing sector. John explores the impending transfer of thousands of rental units from private to non-profit hands, new federal and provincial initiatives, and the partnerships needed to make it work. With candor and urgency, he challenges housing providers to rise to the moment with both private-sector discipline and community-rooted compassion. Listen to the pod and read his full post here; https://bluedoor.ca/john-fox-delivers-visionary-keynote-at-blue-doors-agm/

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  • Reimagining Housing: with Purpose and Partnership with Scott
    This episode of On the Way Home, welcomes Scott Dutchak, President of Catalyst Community Developments Society, a BC-based non-profit delivering innovative, community-rooted affordable housing. Scott shares how Catalyst’s unique model blends public funding, private partnerships, and social impact investment to make long-term affordability possible, even amid rising costs and complex policy barriers. Drawing on experience across the corporate, public, and non-profit sectors, he offers grounded insight into what it takes to build housing that lasts, reflects local needs, and drives systemic change.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    32 min
  • Home & Healing: Integrated Mental Health & Housing with Nicole Jones

    Join us on On the Way Home as we talk with Nicole Jones, Quality & Operations Manager at Eden Health Care Services. Nicole digs into Eden’s innovative tiered-housing model in rural Manitoba, ranging from 24/7 group homes to independent apartments, aligned with the province’s five-tier mental health framework. Nicole explores how in-home ACT/FACT-style teams, strong partnerships with Manitoba Housing and Southern Health-Santé Sud, and this model have reduced hospitalizations and tenancy instability in communities like Winkler and Steinbach. She also tackles stigma, collaboration across sectors, Eden’s expansion plans, and offers a simple suggestion for how anyone can support mental health and housing stability in their own community.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min
  • Green Homes and Healthier Living: Michael Quast on Passive House Canada’s Vision for Sustainable Housing


    Michael Quast, CEO of Passive House Canada, brings contagious lifelong passion to his new role as he shares how the Passive House standard outperforms minimum building code homes, cutting heating and cooling energy use by approximately 80–90%, and reducing total energy consumption by 60% or more. He illustrates how airtight construction, super‑insulation, and heat‑recovery ventilation not only slash carbon emissions and living costs but also dramatically improve indoor air quality, comfort, and overall community well‑being.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    38 min
  • Diving into the Canadian “Homefront”: Housing Affordability & Innovation on Daniel Foch
    On On the Way Home, we welcome Daniel Foch, Chief Real Estate Officer at Valery.ca, co‑founder of The Habistat, and co-host of The Canadian Real Estate Investor podcast, consistently ranked among Canada’s top real estate shows. Daniel breaks down the realities behind the rental market, interest rates, debunks common market myths, and outlines practical solutions from zoning reform and multiplexes to modular builds, co‑living, and purpose‑built rentals. He explains how Habistat’s real-time data supports smarter policymaking and enables meaningful collaboration across nonprofits, government, and developers. With a forward-looking vision for housing accessibility across Canada, Daniel offers one clear step every listener can take to be part of the solution: work as a team.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    55 min
  • Housing Justice and Grassroots Change with Aislinn Clancy
    Listen in to hear Aislinn Clancy, MPP for Kitchener Centre and Deputy Leader of the Ontario Green Party, bringing deep roots in social work and local leadership, as a former school social worker and Kitchener Ward 10 councillor to her bold legislative work at Queen’s Park including spearheading the Homelessness Ends with Housing Act, a ten‑year, housing‑first strategy to end chronic homelessness in Ontario.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    36 min
  • Boardroom to Frontline: How Collective Leadership is Reshaping Toronto’s Shelter System
    In this episode of On The Way Home, we’re joined by Janet Lambert of Dixon Hall and Jawad Kassab of Fred Victor — two dynamic board leaders also leading the Shelter and Support Board Advocacy Coalition (SSBAC). With decades of experience across legal, health, and community sectors, they share how their unique leadership paths converged to champion systemic change in Toronto’s shelter and supportive housing landscape. From the power of board-led advocacy to the urgent need for stable frontline staffing, this conversation dives deep into the work being done to build a more equitable, coordinated, and compassionate housing system.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  • Bill by Bill: Unpacking Ontario’s Legislative Impact on Housing and Homelessness
    Join legal and community housing expert John Fox, community advocate Diana Chan McNally, and CMHA CEO Camille Quenneville as they break down Bills 6, 10, and 25 and what these potential changes may mean for housing policy, homelessness supports, and social services across Ontario. This panel dives into the risks, opportunities, and calls to action for advocates, service providers, listeners, and policymakers alike.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    54 min
  • Tech and AI Innovations for Urban Planning with Devin Tu
    In this episode, we speak with Devin Tu, founder of MapYourProperty and the innovative Affordable 360 platform. Affordable 360 is a free tool for nonprofits and government agencies, designed to expedite the predevelopment phase of affordable housing projects. By leveraging AI and comprehensive data, it helps identify viable land opportunities swiftly, streamlining the path from concept to construction. Tune in to discover how technology is transforming urban planning and making affordable housing more accessible

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min

About On The Way Home

From the publisher's feed

On the Way Home is a podcast that brings together the voices and issues involved in ending homelessness in Canada.

Hosted on Acast. See