Local cycling advocates are taking aim at the city’s brand-new public education plan. It is designed to improve road safety between Ottawa’s drivers and cyclists, but Bike Ottawa says this gameplan is filled with ‘misinformation’. Dave Robertson explains further in Hour 1. Meantime, a new project is being rolled out to help those experiencing homelessness in Western Quebec. Réhabex has built a robust roaming bus, called the ‘Réhabus’, to offer the less fortunate immediate access to snack areas and fresh clothes. Jeffrey Levesque, who is working on the bus, joins the show in Hour 2. Plus, as we reach Day 11 of the ongoing LCBO strike, the Ontario government has decided to speed up its alcohol expansion plans, announcing that licensed grocery stores will be able to start selling ready-to-drink beverages as of this Thursday. But did you know that fewer than 4 percent of grocery stores have applied for Ontario’s new alcohol license?

Stefan Keyes fills in for Vassy Kapelos, who is on assignment this week at the Republican Convention in Milwaukee. She joins us in Hour 1 to tee up a pivotal week in the U.S. Presidential race. It comes after former U.S. President Donald Trump dodged a literal bullet during one of his latest campaign rallies. Did a lapse in Secret Service judgement lead to Saturday’s chaotic events? Mark Lowrey, a former Special Agent himself, delivers his two cents. Plus, we shift gears to a Canada-wide issue, as supervised consumption sites become more common. Dimitra Panagiotoglou, an Associate Professor at McGill University, talks about the benefits and drawbacks.

In Hour 1, we are about to tackle a citywide question that has been debated a few times since the arrival of the 2020s. Should alcohol be permitted in city parks? We begin the discussion with River Ward councillor Riley Brockington and Rideau-Vanier councillor Stephanie Plante. Meantime, the pressure for Ontario’s Premier to end the LCBO strike has been rapidly rising by the hour. Doug Ford says he won’t be issuing return-to-work legislation at this point in time, but he is telling the LCBO’s union heads to return to the bargaining table. Kristy Cameron goes 1-on-1 with Sean Spencer, who is the President of OPSEU Local 499. And as the LCBO strike continues into its second weekend, Ontario’s rural stores are now facing enormous pressure to quench our thirst. One example is Toledo’s Kitley Grocery, which is located halfway between Ottawa and Kingston. They serve a large rural area that doesn’t have a stand-alone LCBO retail store, which has translated to minimal stock and a whole lot of stress.

Scott Reid is filling in for Amanda Galbraith, and she is missing out on a heavy series of political headliners this week. First of all, U.S. President Joe Biden was supposed to deliver a convincing speech at the NATO Summit, with the goal of proving his doubters wrong ahead of November’s pivotal vote. He says he is staying in the Presidential Race. But after a slew of Hollywood celebrities turned their backs on Biden, it’s perhaps another damning reason why he should step aside. Do you think today’s celebrities should avoid the political arena and stay in their lane? Movie critic Richard Crouse delivers his two cents in Hour 1. Later in today’s program, we open the debate floor with former Justice Minister Peter MacKay and former Liberal staffer Bob Richardson. Among the list of menu items are Trudeau’s attempts to recruit Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland’s future in the Canadian Cabinet, the uncertain future of Ontario Place, and the best Democratic option to stop Donald Trump.

The federal government says the Alexandra Bridge is starting to bend and break due to corrosion, and we are about to reach the point of no return. They are recommending a full teardown of the 123-year-old bridge by 2028, while also promising a full-time replacement by 2032. However, advocates argue that an extensive bridge repairment is the best available option. Kristy Cameron picks the brain of David Jeanes, who is a spokesperson for Transport Action and Heritage Ottawa. As the final weekend of Bluesfest is scheduled to commence, Saturday and Sunday are shaping up to be a solid bounce-back stint for restaurant owners. However, thanks to the LCBO strike, inventory availability looks to be a coin-flip. Pub Italia owner Joe Cotroneo vents his frustrations. Plus, city council has granted staff members full authority to use tent-like structures to shelter Ottawa’s asylum-seekers. Councillors in the Barrhaven Region are not in favour of this plan, and have filed a motion to take staff’s authority away.

Canada’s Prime Minister is preparing to provide world leaders with general details into Canada’s defense spending targets, and how soon our country will be able to meet those requirements. Vassy Kapelos digs deeper with Dave Perry, who is the President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. Meantime, the rumour mill is swirling about Chrystia Freeland’s future as the country’s Finance Minister, as tensions are rising over the government’s economic messaging. Bob Fife of The Globe And Mail delivers the inside scoop. Plus, as this year’s NATO Summit is winding down, U.S. President Joe Biden is preparing to silence his critics with a pivotal speech. Can he prove his doubters wrong? And finally, it’s a Thursday afternoon, which means it’s time to talk science with CTV’s Dan Riskin.

Japan has introduced a tourism tax for Mount Fuji, charging visitors between $12 and $16 after complaints of overcrowding and pollution began to rise. Here in Canada, we have a handful of high-demand tourist destinations, such as Niagara Falls and the Bay of Fundy. Do you think a ‘Tourism Tax’, in this country, is a good idea? Would it actually drive more tourists away from Canada? Kristy Cameron opens the debate floor with Lorn Sheehan, a Professor at Dalhousie University who specializes in tourism destination management. Meantime, a new daycare in Kanata is encouraging kids to spend more time learning outside in nature. In fact, it is pushing for looser regulations in order to turn this vision into a reality, with the hopes of implementing this strategy into other daycare models if it yields good results. In Hour 2, Kristy Cameron chats with Louise de Lannoy, who is the Executive Director of Outdoor Play Canada.

Prime Minister Trudeau is getting blasted by American politicians, as Canada once again fails to reach its annual NATO spending targets. How is it impacting our country’s global status? Will it further weaken trade relations with other countries? Vassy Kapelos chats with Jeffrey Kroeker of Massey LLP in Hour 1. He specializes in Business Law for both international and domestic clients. Meanwhile, the remnants of Hurricane Beryl are barreling towards parts of Eastern Ontario, with heavy amounts of rain potentially causing a lot of problems for residents. We dig deeper with Environment Canada meteorologist Geoff Coulson. Plus, as the political future of U.S. President Joe Biden remains cloudy, what would happen if he stepped aside from this year’s Presidential Race? How exactly would the Democrats find a new leader ahead of November’s big day? The candidate replacement process takes center-stage in this week’s Explainer segment.

Which sectors of the community should the speed camera fines be invested in? According to recent data from the City of Ottawa, a brand-new speed camera on King Edward at St. Patrick is the busiest in Canada’s Capital, racking up at least $1.3 million in fines from the start of March until the end of May. Most of that money is going towards road safety, a reality that Rideau-Vanier councillor Stephanie Plante wants to change. Beacon Hill-Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney is not on board with Plante’s idea. You’ll hear from both councillors as the show rolls on. Shifting gears to Alberta, Calgary Stampede officials say 3 animals have died after suffering injuries during live events, ranging from chuckwagon races to the annual rodeo. All of that has unfolded within a span of 4 days. Plus, if you purchased any tickets via Ticketmaster from early-April to mid-May, your personal information might have been compromised. And finally, we delve into the most dangerous sleep disorder, and find out what exactly fuels it.

Vassy Kapelos is back from vacation! And by the sound of things, the level of unrest within the U.S. Democratic Party is just as unstable as the day she left. Today, President Biden is defending his 2024 campaign, while others inside the party tent continue to raise concerns about the campaign’s direction. We dig deeper with Brian Stelter, a Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair. Meantime, the Prime Minister of Canada is getting ready to attend a pivotal NATO Summit, as Russia escalates its aggression towards Ukraine. In Hour 1, you’ll hear from Yulia Kovaliv, who is the Ambassador of Ukraine to Canada. Plus, the Green Party’s Deputy Leader has resigned for personal reasons, leaving Elizabeth May as the last one standing for the Green Machine.