This episode originally aired on November 29, 2022.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter

The Toronto police cold case unit has announced the arrest of Joseph George Sutherland, 60, for allegedly committing the murders of local women Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice in 1983. After 2008 testing of evidence confirmed one man was responsible for both murders, advances in genetic sequencing and forensic genealogy would lead police to arrest Sutherland in Moosonee, Ont. The charges against Sutherland have not been proven in court.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: Toronto Police Services

Guests: Katie Daubs and Kris Rushowy, staff reporters

Holiday romance movies are everywhere. They started as a staple of the Hallmark brand, but now have spread to others like Lifetime, Netflix and more. Many of these new holiday films are filmed right here in Ontario and, beyond spreading the spirit of the season, they also provide a beneficial economic impact to this region.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Noor Javed covers 905 municipal politics for the Star

According to the findings of a Star co-investigation with The Narwhal, documents show that the government is quietly considering expanding the Bradford Bypass from four to eight lanes. This highway is already controversial because the planned route threatens many ecologically sensitive areas and now, could potentially double in size.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CityNews and Global News

Guest: Kate Allen, climate change reporter

Will the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) be a “Montreal moment” in the fight to save the planet’s biodiversity? That’s how Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister of environment and climate change, described the conference while announcing what some are calling a historic and transformational agreement. While it takes Indigenous and global equity issues into account, some critics say there is more work to be done to hold governments accountable to ensure the deal’s ambitious targets.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Canadian Press

Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, crime reporter

Car jackings and pharmacy thefts are on the rise, with many of the crimes committed by younger people. With a stolen luxury car fetching up to $10,000, it is believed the high risk, high reward is driving the increase of these types of criminal activities. As more teenagers commit these crimes, the bigger question is how to help and support youth, and prevent them from getting involved and trapped in these cycles of crime and violence.

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: David Rider, City Hall bureau chief

Ontario Place is in the news as the plans for a massive spa on the site move through City Hall. While the 155-acre site on Toronto’s waterfront is an urban park now, the new plan includes a five-level subterranean parking lot for more than 2,000 vehicles that taxpayers might be on the hook for. The place where many made memories might look very different in the future.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: Retro Rabbit Years, Classic 90’s Commercials and The W/O/C Archives (YouTube)

Guests: Nichelle Laus, former police officer, business owner and TikTok creator, and Stephen Lautens, an author, lawyer and podcaster

Deck the halls for holiday times, fa la la la la, la la la la.

Keep an eye out for these crimes, fa la la la la, la la la la.

These are scams for the season, fa la la la la, la la la la.

Play this podcast for that reason, fa la la la la, la la la la!

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Raju Mudhar.

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter

Chances are, like most Canadians, you have no idea how the country’s big pension funds are investing your money. A report is revealing that multiple federal and provincial funds are investing in Chinese companies complicit in human rights abuses and pension funds of several other Western countries have done the same. Jeremy Nuttall, an investigative reporter for the Star, joins “This Matters” to share what we know.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter

Public transit is something that is always difficult to get built in the Toronto area. Case in point: several transit lines are to be built in the next decade, and already skirmishes are happening. There have been complaints about the state of the years-delayed and overbudget Eglinton Crosstown, concern about the fate of mature trees at Osgoode Hall and questions from parents and kids at an east end school where transit work is underway. Metrolinx, the agency responsible, is taking a heavy hand of community complaints. Is it all par for the course or are there bigger questions to be asked?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: Breakfast Television and CityNews

Guest: Kevin Donovan, chief investigative reporter

It has been five years since the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman. The police say it is an active investigation, but there are have been no arrests and only one very mysterious suspect. Noting a lack of progress, family members have increased the cash reward up to $35 million for information that leads to the culprit or culprits. What do we know about the day the Shermans were killed and, five years on, where is the police investigation currently focused?

This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio source: CBC