The Big Story

It seemed in the spring that kids under 12 might have a chance at getting vaccinated before school started. But that didn't happen, and it turns out the timeline is still in flux even now. What changed? And is there any chance of shots before November?

Meanwhile, can we still convince Canadians who are eligible but haven't been vaccinated to get their shots? Or have opinions hardened by now? And will you be getting a booster while the rest of the world waits for their first shots?

GUEST: Sabina Vohra-Miller, clinical pharmacologist

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Julian Uzielli has struggled with chronic depression for years. Like many people with mental health issues, his symptoms were exacerbated by the pandemic, and his condition eventually deteriorated to the point where he was forced to take a leave of absence from his job.

Therapist appointments and regular antidepressant medications were doing little to alleviate Julian's despondency, so he began looking into alternative treatments. During his research he encountered a clinic in Toronto called Field Trip Health, who offer a service called "ketamine-assisted therapy." Having exhausted all his other options, Julian decided to give it a go, and a few months later he's feeling better than he ever has.

So what is ketamine? How accessible is it to Canadian's who feel like they could benefit from its use? Could this be the miracle drug that sufferers with treatment-resistant depression have been waiting for?

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The first couple of weeks of the campaign have gone very well for the Conservative leader. He's closed a gap in the polls to a sliver, and introduced himself to Canadians who didn't really know him at all. But now comes the hard part. In the coming weeks, as more Canadians begin to follow the race, O'Toole will have to define himself in the face of Liberal attempts to define him. He'll have to weather the storm of attacks that are sure to come from his opponents after labour day and he'll have to do it while keeping his base firmly in line. If he can do all that, it seems like he's got a real shot. Can he? And if so, how?

GUEST: Stephen Maher, reporter and political commentator; contributing editor at Maclean's

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'Conscience rights' are what allow health professionals to refuse to provide treatment that goes against their morals or religion. In the past this has mostly meant abortion. But recently it's been applied to medically assisted death as well. And with a vague statement in the party platform, the Conservatives handed the Liberals a wedge issue, but also potentially did much more.

Could a debate over how conscience rights are applied across the country, and who is allowed to refuse what to whom force the CPC to confront the difference between its leader's support for LGBTQ2S+ Canadians and the conservative base that has advocated for anti-LGBTQ2S+ policy?

GUEST: Justin Ling, writing for Maclean's

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After a poor showing in the 2019 election campaign—his first as NDP leader—there were questions about if Jagmeet Singh would keep his job long enough to get a second try. He has, and so far the results have been very different. What has to break right for the NDP to take aim at an upset victory? What assets do they have both in platform and personality? How should they be planning the next few weeks if they want to try to replicate the Liberals' underdog win of 2015?

GUEST: Jen Gerson, The Line; Maclean's

(This is the first in a series of episodes examining how the major party leaders could each become Prime Minister.)

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Three years ago, cannabis stocks were the hottest things on the market. Weed was about to become legal in Canada and it seemed everyone was going to get rich in the process. Today, millions of grams sit untouched, going stale on shelves. Some of the industry's biggest names have gone through round after round of layoffs. And even now, almost half of the pot sold in Canada is on the black market. How did Canada's legal pot industry blow its opportunity?

GUEST: Kieran Delamont, writing in The Walrus

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Across the country kids are preparing to return to classrooms, and covid cases are climbing in the community. How did we manage to find ourselves in the same position this September as we did last year? What have we learned about kids and the virus since last September? How have we put that knowledge to use—or not?

Is our health care system ready for a fall influx of sick kids? And what do parents need to know to keep their kids safe, and need to hear to keep their fear at bay?

GUEST: Dr. Katharine Smart, paediatrician and president of the Canadian Medical Association

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You probably heard about it when it happened. It was called Project Endgame and it was a massive police bust on what they alleged was an illegal casino operating out of a 53-room mansion in Markham, Ontario. But even as the charges were being laid and the evidence put on display, something was already going sideways. Now almost a year later, the case is in tatters and police face misconduct allegations. What happened here?

GUEST: Leah McLaren, reporting for Toronto Life

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A Liberal government with a big lead in the polls decides to call a snap election in the hope of securing more time in power. Then the polls start to tighten. And eventually ... it doesn't work out the way they hoped.

Is the Progressive Conservative victory in Nova Scotia a sign that should worry the federal Liberals, as they try to do the same thing? How did the polls get this one wrong? And what can we learn about federal elections from provincial results?

GUEST: Philippe J. Fournier, 338Canada.com

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The promises and criticisms aren't going anywhere. Neither is the partisanship. But there's a whole lot of uncertainty about the first federal election of the pandemic era. What happens if Covid hits a campaign, or a community hosting a leader? How is Elections Canada adjusting its plans? And did you know you can vote right now if you don't want to deal with any of it?

GUEST: Cormac Mac Sweeney, Parliament Hill Reporter

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