Episodes

  • What a Committee Has Recommended When IT Comes to MAiD and Mental Illness

    What a Committee Has Recommended When IT Comes to MAiD and Mental Illness
    Jun 18 2026
    TUNE INTO THE TOWN: IS BONNIE CROMBIE CONSIDERING A COMEBACK IN MUNICIPAL POLITICS? Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Toronto City Councillors Jon Burnside (Ward 16 Don Valley East), James Pasternak (Ward 6 York Centre) and Stephen Holyday (Ward 2 Etobicoke Centre). Together, the panel discusses noise complaints revolving around Rogers Stadium, the latest on the World Cup and Bonnie Crombie eyeing a political comeback in municipal politics. WHAT A COMMITTEE JUST RECOMMENDED REGARDING MAiD & MENTAL ILLNESS Jane Brown is joined by Dr. Georgia Vrakas, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Quebec who lives with Bipolar Disorder, and Danelia Chacon who is an individual with lived experience with mental illness. A committee recommends Ottawa to exclude mental illness as a sole underlying condition when it comes to individuals applying for MAiD. We get reaction to the latest. WHAT TO CONSIDER ABOUT INSURANCE IN CASE OF FLOODING AFTER LAST NIGHT’S BIG STORM Jane Brown is joined by Anne Marie Thomas, Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Director of Consumer and Industry Relations. Anne Marie explains what you might consider in terms of insurance for your home in the event of flooding in the aftermath of last night's (and this morning's) big storm.
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    53 mins
  • Reaction to TPS Announcement on Gun-For-Hire Network in Toronto

    Reaction to TPS Announcement on Gun-For-Hire Network in Toronto
    Jun 17 2026
    THE MEDICAL RECORD: A DECLINE IN OPIOID DEATHS IN CANADA AND MORE Tasha Kheiriddin sits in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, general internist at St. Michael's Hospital and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto; Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto; and Dr. Barry Pakes, a Professor at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health and former medical officer of health for York Region. We talk about a decline in opioid-related deaths here in Canada and other healthcare news of the week. REACTION TO TPS ANNOUNCEMENT ON GUNS-FOR-HIRE NETWORK IN TORONTO Tasha is joined by Clayton Campbell, President of the Toronto Police Association followed by Phil Gurski, a former senior strategic terrorism analyst at CSIS and author of 8 books including one coming out in September about 9/11 25 years later. We get reaction to the Toronto Police announcement of a gun-for-hire network here in Toronto and what we know from the investigation so far. THE AMOUNT OF TIME CANADIANS SPEND ONLINE AND THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MENTAL HEALTH Tasha is joined by Jonathan Lamont, Editor-in-Chief of MobileSyrup and Rob Whitley, a Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University and author of several books including Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health. Our panel discusses a new survey on the time Canadians spend online and also the impact of social media on mental health.
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    52 mins
  • More Reaction to US-Iran Deal and Dave LeBlanc Talks "Hidden Toronto"

    More Reaction to US-Iran Deal and Dave LeBlanc Talks "Hidden Toronto"
    Jun 16 2026
    RECOVERING POLITICIANS: REACTION TO US-IRAN DEAL Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC Finance Minister. We get reaction to the US-Iran deal, additional sanctions against Russia announced by Prime Minister Carney and is Toronto doing a good job of hosting the World Cup so far? A CLOSER LOOK AT PM CARNEY’S NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY STRATEGY Jane Brown is joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor and Senior Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Sylvain reacts to PM Carney's new National Food Security strategy and the implications for Canadians. DAVE LEBLANC TALKS ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK, “HIDDEN TORONTO” Jane Brown is joined by Dave LeBlanc, author of Hidden Toronto: Secret Places and Forgotten Gems of Toronto and the GTA Dave talks about his new book all about the hidden gems, neighbourhoods and spaces in the City of Toronto.
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    52 mins
  • Reaction to the US-Iran Deal and Where It Leaves Israel

    Reaction to the US-Iran Deal and Where It Leaves Israel
    Jun 15 2026
    ZOOMER SQUAD: IS 80 THE NEW 60? Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, President of CARP, David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies and Rob Davis, a former Toronto City Councillor. Is 80 the new 60? And, we get reaction to the OMA survey on emergency room doctors. WHERE A US-IRAN DEAL LEAVES ISRAEL Libby Znaimer is joined by Vivian Bercovici, former Ambassador of Canada to Israel, Jonathan Conricus, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington, D.C. based research institute, and Larry Haas, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council. Together, they react to the latest developments in the Middle East including the US-Iran deal and what it all means for Israel.
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    52 mins
  • Free For All Friday - June 12 2026

    Free For All Friday - June 12 2026
    Jun 12 2026
    Today on Free For All Friday: Libby, listeners and guests reacted to the big news stories of the week, and discussed their thoughts on US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Doug Ford. Libby Znaimer was joined by Karen Stintz, a former Toronto City Councillor and Charles Bird, Principal at Earnscliffe Strategies and a surprise chat with Bob Richardson who is going to the World Cup match today and gives us a sense of the atmosphere.
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    48 mins
  • Are Local Businesses Expecting a Revenue Boost from FIFA?

    Are Local Businesses Expecting a Revenue Boost from FIFA?
    Jun 10 2026
    THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHAT RESEARCH SHOWS ABOUT GLP-1S AND CANCER RISK REDUCTION Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer; Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto; and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. Together, they discuss what research indicates about GLP-1s and reducing cancer risk, a study about the popularity of nicotine pouches among youth and an AI designed vaccine! WHAT IS “BERNARDO’S LAW” AND WILL IT COME TO BE? Libby Znaimer is joined by Ari Goldkind, a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer to discuss "Bernardo's Law" which may or may not get passed. CAN LOCAL BUSINESSES EXPECT A REVENUE BOOST FROM THE WORLD CUP? HERE’S WHAT THE CFIB FOUND Libby Znaimer is joined by Joseph Falzata, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) Ontario policy analyst and Kevin MacDougall, the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Merci Mon Ami Restaurant. Can local Toronto businesses expect a revenue boost as the City hosts FIFA matches? According to the CFIB, "nearly three in four (72%) small businesses expect the tournament to have no impact on revenue, while relatively few anticipate any change (11% decrease, 9% increase)".
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    51 mins
  • Would a Social Media Ban for Users Under 16 Work Here in Canada?

    Would a Social Media Ban for Users Under 16 Work Here in Canada?
    Jun 9 2026
    RECOVERING POLITICIANS: PM MARK CARNEY’S POLLING, POILIEVRE'S ALBERTA SPEECH & THE OPENING OF THE GORDIE HOWE BRIDGE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal MPP, Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada. Together, they react to news of the soon-to-be opening Gord Howie bridge and the tensions associated with it, Poilievre's speech to Albertans and how Carney's Liberals are doing according to polling. TODAY MARKS “TAX FREEDOM DAY” Libby Znaimer is joined by Kris Sims, Alberta director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. Today marks "Tax Freedom Day". We get into what this day is all about. CANADA WANTS TO IMPLEMENT SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR INDIVIDUALS UNDER 16, WILL IT WORK? Libby Znaimer is joined by Jonathan Lamont, Editor-in-Chief of ZoomerMedia property MobileSyrup and Carmi Levy, technology analyst and journalist based in London, Ontario. Canada wants to impose a social media ban for individuals under the age of 16, but will it actually work? We can look to Australia to see how well their ban is holding up with this demographic.
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    51 mins
  • Canada Has a New Governor General

    Canada Has a New Governor General
    Jun 8 2026
    ZOOMER SQUAD: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CANADA’S GROCERY BENEFIT PROGRAM Libby Znaimer is joined by David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies and Rob Davis, a former Toronto City Councillor. They get into Canada's grocery benefit and we continue the discussion about Canada's "technical recession". DIGGING DEEPER INTO THE SCIENCE BEHIND CREATINE AND ITS BENEFITS FOR ADULTS AS THEY AGE Libby Znaimer is joined by Mark Tarnopolsky, a Professor and Division Head of Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic Disorders in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster University. Mark details the science behind creatine supplements and explains the benefits for adults as they age. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROLE OF CANADA’S GOVERNOR GENERAL Libby Znaimer is joined by Daniel Beland, Director, McGill Institute for the Study of Canada and James McGill, Professor in the Department of Political Science. Canada has a new Governor General: Louise Arbour. Who is she and what exactly is the role of GG? Daniel weighs in on the latest.
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    51 mins