TELUS Talks with Tamara Taggart

Pete Bombaci is the founder of the GenWell project, a movement that aims to help people understand that human connection is the single most important thing we can do for our happiness. It’s obvious the pandemic is robbing most of us from true connection - from seeing loved ones in person, to interacting with co-workers, even chatting with a barista. However, one of the most powerful outcomes of our collective situation is that we’re learning how to use technology in more positive ways to stay connected.

Psychologist and author Dr. Steven Taylor has been studying the psychological footprint of pandemics and sees strong parallels between the Spanish flu from 100 years ago and COVID-19 today. Dr. Taylor shares his insights on the problematic behaviours and mental health challenges we’re seeing now and could see in the future, but he also outlines the promise of post-traumatic growth, which could mean many of us come through this pandemic feeling a greater sense of resilience.

Tara Mohr is a groundbreaking women’s leadership expert, certified coach and the celebrated author of “Playing Big”. Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, Goop and in the New York Times. Tara shares what it means to play big in life, even when we’re in the middle of a pandemic. She discusses the messy phase of transitioning from one life stage to another, and how powerful this moment can be when you have the practical skills to make the right changes.

Between the flu and COVID-19, Canadians will be hit by a double wave this fall. Dr. Dominik Nowak is a national leader in primary care and health strategy and lead physician for the TELUS Medical Advisory Council, helping organizations across Canada create a proactive pandemic response. Dr. Nowak emphasizes the importance of the four simple actions we can all take to stay well, save lives and reduce stress on our healthcare system.

Dr. Wendy Craig, head of Psychology at Queen’s university, and Matthew Johnson, Director of Education for MediaSmarts, share their media literacy and anti-cyberbullying expertise with parents. They offer suggestions on how to approach conversations with your children about being online and share how it’s less about screen time and more about instilling the critical thinking and ethical decision-making skills we all need to navigate the internet.

Eight years ago, Carol Todd’s 15-year-old daughter Amanda took her own life after suffering through cyberbullying and sexual harassment. From this unthinkable tragedy, Carol found she could help others by sharing Amanda’s story around the world. The new documentary Dark Cloud examines the epidemic of cyberbullies and their targets, and in it Carol asks parents to learn more about online safety, mental health and raising resilient kids.

Soprano Ambur Braid wants you to remember how music can take you to a better place when everything feels terrible. Tamara talks to Ambur about her small town roots, how she’s coping with an interrupted international career and why opera should be in our pandemic self-care kit.

A group of Harvard students have created a new online community called Dear Canada that connects people of all ages across the country with virtual postcards. Founding members Katherine and Aysha explain why they wanted to create a platform that uses the spirit of social media in useful ways. Both feel that social content can sometimes be weaponized, so on Dear Canada, they’re asking Canadians to reflect on this unique time we’re in while leaving behind positive content for future generations.

Judith Heumann is an internationally-recognized author and leader in the Disability Rights movement. She served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations and was a key figure in the Netflix documentary Crip Camp. She believes we must keep telling the stories of people living with disabilities to create change. Judith and Tamara discuss advocating for legal, educational and economic rights and how we all need to check our intentionally and unintentionally ableist actions.

For almost a year, Hilde Fålun Strøm and Sunniva Sorby have lived in a tiny hunter’s cabin in the high Arctic, with no running water or electricity, and with polar bears as their nearest neighbours. They’ve battled hurricane winds, bone-chilling temperatures and months of darkness, but it’s all in an effort to raise awareness for climate change. As citizen scientists, they host video chats with classrooms around the globe, encouraging students to care about the earth’s future.