Zoomer Week in Review

Cartoonists make a living lampooning the establishment - but now five of them are getting an honour reserved for national icons - their own stamps! The legendary Terry Mosher is also a prolific author and ideaCity alumnus who draws for the Montreal Gazette under the name Aislin. Libby Znaimer reached him in Montreal.

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We usually talk about loneliness in terms of health - but author Noreena Hertz has put an economic lens to it - explaining how the way we live has fragmented our communities and what we can do about it. Libby called her in London to talk about “The Lonely Century.”

It is one of the most beautiful aspects of our northern climate - the changing colours of fall foliage make for dazzling displays all across Ontario. But while most of us concentrate on where to to look at leaves Libby Znaimer asked Dr. Marc Cadotte, of the Department of Biological Sciences at University of Toronto-Scarborough, why their colours change.

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It’s something we should do every day, not just on Thanksgiving. There’s a school of thought which holds that practising gratitude can make us happier. Libby talked with psychologist Dr. Sam Klarridge.

It’s one of the biggest unanswered questions about the pandemic. How and where did it start? Last year, the most commonly accepted explanation was that it originated in the wet market in Wuhan. The thinking on that it changing but it bothered Toronto investigative journalist Elaine Dewar from the start. Libby Znaimer talked with her about her new book: On the Origin of the Deadliest Pandemic in 100 Years: An Investigation.

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CARP convened a huge virtual meeting to mark National Seniors Day on October 1. It was billed an emergency meeting because of their take on the approach or lack thereof to older Canadians by all parties in the recent election. Libby chatted with David Cravit, CARP’s Chief Membership Officer.

Was it a 600 million much ado about nothing? The dust is settling on the federal election that did little to shift the balance of power in Ottawa. Call it groundhog day, or deja vu, but Justin Trudeau returns to power again to form a minority government. No leaders have stepped down, but Trudeau failed to secure a majority, Erin O'Toole and Jagmeet Singh failed to achieve breakthroughs for the Conservatives and N-D-P, and the leaders of the People's Party of Canada and the Green Party failed to win their seats. Zoomer News VP Libby Znaimer assembled a group of political pundits to weigh in.

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Citing air pollution as one of the biggest environmental threats to human health, the World Health Organization has just introduced new guidelines aimed at reducing deaths from key pollutants that cause cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The agency believes these new stricter rules could save millions of lives after finding air pollution’s impact on health is far worse than previously thought. We reached Environmental Health Scientist Dr. Jeffrey Brook at the University of Toronto.

“Oops I forgot to Save Money” - The book title captures a conundrum that many people, especially women, face. It’s a big problem that author, actor and screenwriter Monica Parker owned up to and overcame. We talked about her story.

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When the election was called he was unfamiliar to most Canadians and not especially popular even with Conservatives. But Erin O’Toole has led his Conservative Party to a dead heat with Justin Trudeau’s Liberals. I talked with him earlier this week about his plans for older Canadians.

There are some events, when recalled, that take us back to that day. The assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, John and Robert, or Martin Luther King Jr. And the 9-11 attacks are another such tragedy.

Two of the four coordinated terrorist attacks targeted New York's World Trade Center, 20 years ago. Sharing his recollection now, Hans Gerhardt, former general manager of Toronto's Sutton Place, who lost one of his sons, Ralph, who worked at the World Trade Centre.

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As many Canadians and their families know, COVID-19 has exhausted so many healthcare workers, including nurses that many want out. And while the country faces an urgent shortage, nursing schools are having to turn away some of those wishing to make it a career. Bob Komsic spoke with Linda Silas, president of the federation of nurses unions that represents almost 200-thousand unionized nurses and nursing students.

This time of year marks an annual rite of passage for many as parents send their kids off to university for the first time. Heading back to school no matter the age, often brings its own challenges and one of them this time is anxiety about being separated from families after months of togetherness. Now add into the mix, a pandemic with worries about distancing, vaccines and new ways to socialize. It can all seem overwhelming for parents and students. Dr. Sam Klarreich is a Toronto psychologist with some advice on how to mitigate these extra challenges.

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Bird watching? Or cooking? Just two popular courses offered for older adults this year thru the Toronto District School Board’s Learn 4 life program that serves older adults. Register now for not only credit programs but general interest courses and it seems the pandemic has boosted the number of older adults wanting to learn something new. Belkis Romero is a continuing education program manager with the Toronto District School Board.

Canada has ended its airlift mission from Afghanistan but Ehsan Saadat, his wife, and four children are among the lucky ones who got out in time. Their escape to Canada had to be kept a secret even from immediate family members because the mission was just too dangerous. The 33-year-old researcher on women's rights put him at risk, but just days after applying to come to Canada the family of six boarded a plane just seven days before the country fell to the Taliban and are starting their new lives in Kitchener.

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Once told he would never graduate high school, Dr. Alika Lafontaine is set to become the first ever indigenous president of the Canadian Medical Association next year. He struggled in school but credits his success to mentors along the way, including his parents and siblings. After witnessing systemic racism in Canadian health, the Grande Prairie Alberta anesthesiologist created an app where patients can anonymously report racism.

More mail-in ballots, delayed results, and different polling places. These are just some of the changes to expect during this pandemic election. Libby got the details from Elections Canada’s Dugald Maudsley

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It may be high summer but this is usually the time when snowbirds start sorting out their insurance for the winter trip. Last year, most of the one million Canadians who usually go south stayed home. But surveys show that this year, the vast majority intend to spend winter in warmer climates. Libby talked with Travel Insurance expert Martin Firestone of Travel Secure about what you need to know

It’s Finals day at the National Bank Open, one of the first large events to resume in the wake of COVID-19. The week-long tennis tournament in Toronto and Montreal was a very different experience for both players and fans. Libby talked with managing director Gavin Ziv about the demands of pandemic planning.

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Unlike the tennis tournament, many charities will be holding their big events virtually for the second time. That’s why, this week, the Terry Fox Foundation unveiled a star-studded show it produced called Terry Fox - the Power of One. It began with Tom Cochrane on stage while images of Terry’s run 41 years ago were projected behind him.

We thought it was a good time to revisit our interview with Terry’s brother Darryl Fox, recorded a year ago to mark the 40th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope.