Zoomer Week in Review

May 26 2024-Canada's Truck Problem & Cancer Diagnoses in the ER

Have you noticed that most of the vehicles on our roads are very big and getting bigger every season? Eight of the top 10 are now defined as trucks and some experts say they are a health and safety hazard. Libby Znaimer spoke with HEC Montréal Associate Finance Professor Amir Barnea.

AND

It’s bad enough to get this news from a doctor you know well and trust, but receiving a cancer diagnosis in an emergency room is becoming more routine in Canada. That’s how one in four new patients find out. Libby Znaimer talked with critical care physician Dr. Jamie Spiegelman

May 19 2024- Dr. Eileen De Villa reflects on her leadership during COVID-19 & Life after Caregiving

She became a household name as one of the key leaders who guided us through the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Eileen de Villa announced she will step down as Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health at the end of the year. She spoke with Libby Znaimer about her reflections on navigating the crisis.

AND

Nearly 6 and a half million Canadians do the same for family and friends - on average, 5 hours a day for four and a half years. We’ve heard a lot about the challenges of providing this unpaid care. But what happens after? That’s the focus of the latest series from Best Part Productions. Libby Znaimer talked with founder Brenda Rusnak.

May 12 2024-Anti-Israel protests are not peace protests & Liberal MP Pam Damoff describes toxicity in politics

The late iconic anti war activist Jerry Rubin's son has written an article titled "This is definitely not my dad’s antiwar protest", referring to the current anti-Israel encampments at universities and elsewhere across the globe following the October 7th attacks in Israel by Hamas terrorists.

Adam Rubin argues that his father and others in the anti war movement six decades ago advocated for peace and justice, unlike today where he says genuine activism has turned to violent extremism. Adam Rubin joins Christine Ross from his home in Los Angeles.

AND

She’s the latest in a series of politicians to step away from public life due to threats to their safety and mental health. Federal Liberal MP Pam Damoff says she’s experienced misogyny since the day she was elected 9 years ago. What’s even more disturbing than the chaos on Parliament Hill, Damoff says the toxic culture has spread to the riding level leaving her feeling unsafe in her hometown of Oakville. She joins Christine in conversation.

May 5 2024-Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's Journey to Self-Acceptance & Jane Philpott on the Primary Care Crisis

It’s not exactly a memoir - though the Prime Minister’s ex, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau talks about her struggle with an eating disorder, growing up an only child, and meeting Justin Trudeau. Her book is about her journey to self-awareness and self-acceptance. Libby talked with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau about “Closer Together, Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other".

AND

If there’s anyone qualified to figure out a fix for our health system, it’s former Liberal Health Minister Jane Philpott - currently the Dean of Queens’ University School of Medicine. She’s calling for a radical overhaul with one crisis at the core: the shortage of family doctors. I talked to Jane Philpott about "Health for All: A Doctor's Prescription for a Healthier Canada".

April 28 2024-Crossing the Trans Canada Trail at 50 & Preparing Your Lawn

The first person to cross the Trans Canada Trail:

500 DAYS IN THE WILD, a documentary by the award-winning filmmaker Dianne Whelan who spent six years crossing the entire 24,000 kilometre Trans Canada Trail, mostly alone. She began in St. John’s Newfoundland in 2015 ending in Victoria BC in 2021 and has documented her trek across the world’s largest trail in her new film that’s now streaming.

Preparing your lawn after the damage from winter:

Itching to get your lawn green and lush again after the damage of winter that can cause long-lasting damage? We live in a lawn obsessed culture, some say embrace the dandelions others mortified by the sight of annoying weeds on their lawn. What are the best practices you can do right now to get your lawn in the best shape? We consulted an expert, Professor Katerina Jordan, the Director of the Guelph Turf Grass Institute.

April 21 2024- Canadian charitable donations dropping: report & National Volunteer Week

Have you ever made any charitable donations? Do you still make them? Any? Or have you stopped? Many have as Nicole Danesi at CanadaHelps explains.

AND

National Volunteer Week that just ended is held annually as a way to celebrate the many who give of their time to help others in the community, who possibly would be in even more difficulty without volunteers. Bob Komsic spoke to a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels.

How a Runaway Orphan Became a Big Time Chef

A new documentary-"Born Hungry"-tells the real life rags to riches tale of Sash Simpson, a runaway child from the streets of India, who was adopted into a Toronto family with 31 siblings before becoming a world-renowned chef. Libby spoke with Chef Sash Simpson about his life and why he decided that now was the time to make a movie about it.

Are We Too Afraid of Cancer?

April is Daffodil Month, a time devoted to raising awareness about Cancer.The all-consuming fear of it is still with us even though survival rates have skyrocketed. Author David Ropeik argues that this fear is also harming us. I talked with him about "Curing Cancerphobia: How Risk, Fear, and Worry Mislead Us".

An Elder Rights Lawyers Fight Against For-Profit Homes is the subject of new Doc "Stolen Time"

Elder rights lawyer and advocate Melissa Miller is the subject of a new documentary–titled “Stolen time”-- that follows her legal battle against some of the world’s most powerful long-term care corporations. I talked with her about the film which chronicles her toughest case yet—a mass tort representing hundreds of families

Are You Suffering from Tinnitus? Here's What You Need to Know

Ringing, buzzing, clicking and hissing. Those are the kind of sounds you may hear if you’re afflicted with Tinnitus. The symptoms range from mild to debilitating and more than 9 million Canadians are affected. I talked with Dr. Yvonne Chan, Otolaryngologist-in-Chief, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health.

March 31 2024 - Religion in Canada & Ottawa’s Arms Embargo with Israel

What Research Tells Us About Canadians’ Relationship with Religion

It’s Easter Sunday and it’s likely that family dinners and easter egg Hunts outstripped church attendance as a way to mark the holiday. Formal religious observance has been declining for years in our country though about half the population still believe in God. And many people are closely attached to their religion but do not have faith in a higher power. Libby talked with Dr. Jack Jedwab about the state of our spirituality.

Ottawa’s Arms Embargo with Israel

Last week Melanie Joly, Canada's foreign minister, announced an arms embargo on Israel. But it turns out Canada has spent much more - over a billion in recent years- on Israeli weapons systems and they are being used to protect Canadian pilots, fighters, and naval combatants around the world. Libby spoke with israel’s ambassador to canada Iddo moed.

Cottage Country Prices Set to Spike in Ontario

Cottage country prices are set to soar again as Zoomers look to switch family homes for country retirement living. According to a recreational property report out this week from Royal LePage, the national median single-family price forecast is set to increase by 5%, with all of Canada's provincial recreational markets seeing an increase in single-family home prices in 2024. Libby Znaimer spoke with Phil Soper, CEO and president of Royal LePage, to unpack this information.

Save The Date! A Total Solar Eclipse is Coming April 8, 2024

The next total solar eclipse visible in North America will occur on April 8, 2024. The path of totality will cross over parts of Mexico, the United States, and Canada, with millions of people expected to witness this spectacular phenomenon. Libby checked in with Bill Archer, a Mission Scientist with the Canadian Space Agency, to discuss this rare event.