Alberta's COVID case numbers per capita are the worst in Canada and higher than almost every U.S. state. The test positivity rate in the province has reached 12 per cent. While Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has announced new restrictions to combat these trends, what decisions led up to this crisis? Why has Alberta resisted stronger restrictions, and how does political culture and industry play into the decision making? We explain how Alberta charted a different course than the rest of Canada and where it's headed next.

Guest: Alex Boyd, reporter in the Star's Calgary Bureau

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Guest: Ashleigh Tuite, infectious disease epidemiologist, mathematic modeller and assistant professor at the University of Toronto

Ontario's third wave is being fuelled by variants of concern (VOC), which make up more than 70 per cent of the cases in the province right now.The B.1.1.7 variant is the most common one in Ontario, but the other variants are here as well. Tuite joins us to discuss how these variants are being tracked, how a variant of interest can graduate to becoming a variant of concern and whether these are here to stay for the long haul.

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After a year of racial reckonings against growing police brutality and a string of deaths involving Black and other racialized people in crisis, the City of Toronto is investigating a new model for frontline, non-police response to mental health crisis calls. On today's episode of "This Matters," we discuss this radical shift in how such crisis calls are carried out in hopes that they do not become a matter of life and death. Guest: Nadine Yousif, Toronto-based Star reporter covering mental health.

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The pandemic lead to one of Canada's worst economic years on record. Millions of Canadians have lost their jobs and been put in dire financial circumstances. An emergency fund may seem like a solution, and according to the Bank of Canada, household savings have hit an all-time high of $180 billion. With that said, what are the smartest ways to put those savings to work? Can we invest and get out of debt? How do we position our finances for a post-pandemic future? Guest: Preet Banerjee, personal finance expert and host of the "Mostly Money" podcast.

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Peel region is a gateway to Ontario and a manufacturing hub. The region also has one of the highest COVID case rates in the country. Freelance journalist Fatima Syed joins "This Matters" to trace the story of Peel region during a pandemic, explaining how residents were neglected at every step and how this is the result of factors including racial discrimination, disparity and difference when it comes to Canada's racialized communities who bore the brunt of COVID's impacts.

Guest: Fatima Syed, Peel region-based freelance journalist and host of the upcoming Canadaland political podcast "The Backbench."

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Guest: Rosa Saba, business reporter for the Toronto Star

The big three of Canada's grocers: Loblaw, Metro and Empire created "hero pay" for cashiers, shelf stockers and other essential working staff at the start of the pandemic last year. But the pay bumps didn't last long and most grocers got rid of it by June (Empire Co., which owns Sobeys, has since brought it back). But there is one major retailer that has stood out: Costco who made the pay increases permanent. They also offer higher wages, paid sick leave and benefits. Will the end result of "hero pay" be a new era of better business practices and corporate responsibility?

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Guest: Robert Benzie, Toronto Star's Queen's Park bureau chief

Paid sick days has arguably been the number one political issue that has continually dogged Premier Doug Ford's provincial government through the pandemic. The premier was resolutely against them initially, but last week he changed his tune and promised the "best paid sick days program in North America." It sounds great, but it may not be so simple. Robert Benzie, The Star's Queen's Park bureau chief, discuss the Ford government's new plan for paid sick days and the political minefield it has become for this government.

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It's 2021 and many people in Canada's First Nations still do not have clean drinking water. The startling fact is laid bare in "Clean Water, Broken Promises," an extensive report from Concordia University's Institute of Investigative Journalism which brought together 70 students from 10 universities, professional journalists from six news outlets across Canada for two years of extensive reporting in a collaborative investigation. Two of the key members of the investigative team join "This Matters" to discuss the toll of the water crisis on generations of First Nations communities. Guests: Annie Burns-Pieper, former managing editor of the Institute of Investigative Journalism (IIJ) at Concordia University and Brittany Hobson, reporter at APTN News.

Toronto Star partner SCOREGolf's new podcast Next Round's on Me sat down with LPGA LA Open champion Brooke Henderson. Subscribe to their podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Adam Stanley is joined by Brooke Henderson for an exclusive conversation after her win on the LPGA Tour at the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open. Brooke talks about her 10th LPGA victory – a record for Canadians – and how she was able to come from four shots back to claim the title. SCOREGolf editor Jason Logan joins Adam to help analyze Brooke's win.

Guests: Natasha Calvinho, criminal defence lawyer, and Toronto Star reporters Alyshah Hasham and Jim Rankin

"This Matters" takes a look at the Ontario government's confusing flip-flop messaging on police enforcement of COVID-related, stay-at-home orders. Although the province backed down from last Friday's controversial announcement granting police powers to arbitrarily stop and question anyone, the rules still allow police to stop anyone if they have "a reason to suspect" stay-at-home orders are being violated. The Ontario Human Rights Commission says its worried that these discretionary police powers will put racialized and vulnerable people at risk.

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