Incidents of assaults between Inmates and Corrections Officers is on the rise - and prison overcrowding is leading to “mass violence” in Canadian institutions. We discuss the disturbing trend – and what can be done to address it with Mercedes Stephenson, Global News Ottawa Bureau Chief and Host of “The West Block”.

We’ve all heard that low testosterone can be a health issue for men - but could it impact life expectancy? Well – according to a new Australian study – that may be the case. We get details on the research from Dr. Ted Jablonski – our “on-call” family physician.

Finally, every December our QR Calgary listeners step-up to support our Pledge Day “radiothon” in support of the “Calgary Children’s Foundation”. Last week – the funds raised were distributed to several deserving charities. We get a ‘breakdown’ of how these unique charities are chosen – and how the much-needed money is used – from John Vos – “CORUS Radio Regional PROGRAM DIRECTOR” and Chair of the Board for the “Calgary Children's Foundation”.

In a 9-6 vote this week, City Council approved an amended plan for re-zoning in Calgary. We catch up with Mayor Jyoti Gondek for her thoughts on the result following the Public Hearings, which were the longest in City Hall’s History. 

Inflation is impacting how we eat, from dining out to what we put in our cart at the grocery store. Should big food companies do more to create healthier food options at an affordable price and what is the ‘incentive’ for these businesses to do so? We tackle the topic with Lana Vanderlee, Canada Research Chair in Healthy Food Policy and Professor of Nutrition at Laval University.

Finally, it’s a “cheesy” way to help the local community! Calgary’s own “Springbank Cheese” has just opened their 5th location and they’re helping feed Calgary kids at the same time! We catch up with Carie Lee and Adrian Watters, Co-owners of Springbank Cheese Company to talk “all things cheese” and, of course, have a ‘nibble’ or two.

The latest edition of “Culinaire Magazine” is now available and joining us with all the delicious details is Linda Garson, Editor-in-Chief of “Culinaire Magazine.”

If you’re a parent of teenagers, you’re probably familiar with TikTok. Maybe you’ve even joined the kids in a viral dance video. But the popular social media platform has been in headlines recently over safety and privacy concerns. So, what do ‘we’ parents need to know? We get some tips from Matthew Johnson, Director of Education for “MediaSmarts.ca”

Next, the long-term weather outlook for the Summer appears to be calling for a lot of heat and not a lot of moisture. So, if you’re looking at alternatives to a ‘traditional’ lawn which requires a lot of water and attention of ‘thrive’, what are your options? We get some expert advice from Meryl Combs, Owner and President of “Spruce It Up Garden Centres” and Host of “Let’s Talk Gardening” on QR Calgary.

Finally, we learn about a unique program which teaches leadership and life skills to youth at risk. We speak with Douglas Walker and Jason de Leeuw about the power of ‘Horse Therapy’, which is the main focus of the “Second Chance Ranch”.

Calgary Police were front and center last week when called in to remove the encampment of pro-Palestine protesters from the University of Calgary, but was the Police response warranted and how do we balance safety with the right to protest? We discuss with Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld.

Approximately one-thousand Canadians are diagnosed with the ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease every year, and most die within two to five years of diagnosis. But new promising research could lead to a reduction in symptoms of ALS. We get details on the study from Doctor Chantelle Sephton, Associate professor, Faculty of Medicine from the University of Laval.

Inflation is changing the way we eat, particularly when it comes to dining out at restaurants. What can be done to combat rising menu prices and entice Calgarians to spend money at local restaurants? We tackle the topic with Brittain Brown, President of President of ‘Givex’.

Ukraine’s power infrastructure is the target of the latest Russian offensive. Are we witnessing an escalation in this ongoing conflict now 814 days in? On Friday, Canada announced it is giving 76 million to support a German initiative providing air defense systems to Ukraine. Joining us to breakdown the latest developments is Andrew Rasiulis - Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and an expert in Eastern European affairs.

Canada already falls short of meeting the NATO 2% GDP defence spending target and now the U.K. government is calling on that target to increase to 2.5%. What’s behind the call to increase spending and will Canada ever meet it’s NATO commitment? We discuss with Mercedes Stephenson, Global News Ottawa Bureau Chief and Host of “The West Block”.

Then there were 4. Just 4 candidates remain in the race to replace Rachel Notley as Leader of the NDP following news that “Alberta Federation of Labour” leader Gil McGowan dropped out of the race on Monday. We get the latest on the NDP leadership race with Lori Williams, Political Scientist with Mount Royal University.

Finally, when was the last time you picked up a ‘point and shoot’ camera? Most of us rely on our Smartphones these days, but a growing number of people are ‘reverting’ back to the classic camera. We find out ‘why’ the old-school cameras are making a comeback with “The Gadget Guy”, Mike Yawney.

Wildfire smoke from northern Alberta made its way into the Calgary area this past weekend, signifying an early start, as anticipated, to this year’s wildfire season. We invited Melissa Story, Provincial Information Officer for Alberta Wildfire, to join us to talk about how prepared Alberta is for wildfire season. 

It’s arguably the most-talked about drug in the world right now. Ozempic. The drug which was created to manage diabetes was also found to promote weight-loss. Now, researchers are looking into the possible link between the drug and fertility. We made an appointment to get some details from our on-call family physician, Dr Ted Jablonski.

Canada’s housing action plan calls for almost 4-million new homes to be built by 2031, but is it even possible to reach that goal? Joining us to discuss the challenges facing our nation and what's being called a “productivity emergency” is Marc Desormeaux, Principal Economist at Desjardins Economics.

After 2 weeks, with over 700 speakers and 61-hundred written statements, the marathon public hearings around rezoning in Calgary officially wrapped up this week. We catch up with Mayor Jyoti Gondek for her thoughts on how the hearing process went, and for what the next ‘step’ is when it comes to this controversial topic.

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Next, as we celebrate all things “mom” this Mother’s Day, we reflect on the challenges mothers face today in Canada and how they can be addressed. We hear details on a new study focusing on the topic with Andrea Gunraj, VP of Public Engagement for the Canadian Women's Foundation

Finally, Spring has finally sprung and if you and the family are looking for your next adventure of family activity, we’re going to help you take advantage of this beautiful weather! We get some suggestions from Ellen Percival, Editor of Calgary’s Child Magazine.

We are getting ready to celebrate mom and all the important women in our lives on Sunday, but what are the biggest challenges facing mothers in 2024 and how can they be addressed? Joining us to discuss is Andrea Gunraj - VP of Public Engagement for the Canadian Women's Foundation.