An Indigenous archaeologist reflects on the discovery in Kamloops, explains how radar technology helps find burial sites in a culturally respectful way and the reckoning that will follow in finding the full truth behind Canada's residential school system.

Guest: Kisha Supernant, Director of the Institute of Prairie and Indigenous Archaeology and associate professor at the University of Alberta

The horrific discovery of a mass grave containing the remains of 215 Indigenous children at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation grounds is a glaring reminder of Canada's racist legacy and a country's shame. Cree/Iroquois/French human rights journalist Brandi Morin joins "This Matters" host Saba Eitizaz to discuss the enduring trauma of Canada's residential school system, why many Canadians didn't grow up learning about it and whether truth and reconciliation can really take place without a reckoning with history and continuing racism.

A warning that the following discussion might be distressing to some listeners.

The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of a residential school experience. Support is available at 1-866-925-4419.

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Ontario law gives people facing domestic violence, abuse and trafficking priority access to social housing. Those applications spiked by more than 50 per cent last year — a disturbing reflection of the violence that erupted during the pandemic. The Star's affordable housing reporter Victoria Gibson is on "This Matters" to talk about these soaring numbers, how important stable housing is for survivors of domestic and how tricky it might be to actually find it.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Shawn Micallef, contributing columnist on Toronto and urbanism, Toronto Star

Public parks and city streets have been a lifeline for Torontonians, cooped up in their homes and apartments, throughout the pandemic. But there's a hitch to being outside: when nature calls, where do you "go?" The access to public bathrooms (or lack thereof) in Toronto has become glaring, especially with closed stores, cafes and restaurants, changing the way people spend their time outdoors. We explore how this one issue is a symptom of a bigger and more insidious problem in Toronto: who gets the right to enjoy public space and who gets left out?

Ontario's first Poet Laureate, spoken word artist Randell Adjei is on "This Matters" to talk about his life, his work and his plans to bring beauty and poetry into our lives during these exceptionally dark times of the pandemic—and shares some of his tremendous talent and poetry with us.

If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Anoosha Keshav, Grade 12 student and Kim Moran, CEO, Children's Mental Health Ontario

Ontario is slowly reopening and the school year is coming to its close. For the high school graduating class of 2021, it looks like some form of video conferencing solution for a virtual graduation ceremony is on the table as their final send-off. For one student, that is not good enough, so she started a Change.org petition that garnered thousands of signatures asking for and suggesting ways to hold a safe graduation ceremony outside.

Guest: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Toronto Star's Work and Wealth Reporter

In COVID's third wave, workplaces are the single largest outbreak settings, according to Ontario's provincial data. More than 23,500 Ontarians have contracted COVID from work, many of them in industries like warehousing, manufacturing and food processing, the very sectors helping support millions through the pandemic. 15 months on, what's our big blindspot in how to slow down transmission? Is there a fundamental misunderstanding by the province and by businesses, in how COVID actually spreads? We explore how aerosol and ventilation could be the key to safe workplaces.

Guest: Edward Keenan, The Star's Washington Bureau Chief. New York, America's biggest city, officially reopened this week after a year of devastation, grief and loss as one of the worst hit cities by the COVID pandemic. Edward Keenan, The Star's Washington Bureau Chief, was in the Big Apple to capture all the post-lockdown joy and he joins "This Matters" to tell us about what their post-pandemic world is like and whether Canadians can hope to see the same happening in their near future.

An Ontario judge has recently ruled that an employee of an ophthalmic clinic who was laid off early in the pandemic was actually terminated, and eligible to sue for constructive dismissal. Some legal experts have been predicting this all along and say this could mean thousands of lawsuits in the coming years after so many lost their jobs last year. On today's episode of "This Matters," we try to understand what this means, what it means for those out of work and if thousands of employers could now be on the hook.

Guest: Rosa Saba, Business Reporter, Toronto Star

Being indoors is a well-known recipe for COVID-19 transmission: poor ventilation, aerosol particles in the air and prolonged exposure. But more than a year into the pandemic, the evidence is clear that the risk of outdoor transmission, especially when distanced, is extremely low. This is likely welcome information to golfers missing the golf course, and other athletes missing outdoor recreation facilities that are closed.

In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says less than 10 per cent of COVID transmission is happening outdoors, while other studies have shown the real number is actually much lower. On today's episode, we walk through the latest science, assess the risks and answer the questions you want to know about a summer spent outside.