The Alex Pierson Show

On Thursday, York Regional Police held a press conference to give some details on the events of the weekend that left a Toronto cop and local mechanic dead, including many others injured, with one possibly not able to survive their injuries. At what point do we get past the 'thoughts and prayers' stage of these shootings and actually do something about it in this city? Joining Alex to talk about this is none other than Joseph Neuberger, Criminal Defence Lawyer, and 640 Toronto Legal Expert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is that time of the week where we bring on Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, to give us all those little nuggets of information that don't always get the headlines when it comes to all things Ottawa. Today, Tom joined Alex to talk about how The Canada Revenue Agency polled the public on sharing information from tax returns with police and debt collectors. He also talked about how federal employees are increasingly unlikely to disclose corrupt practices out of fear of reprisal. That and more on today's Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February of 2020, a 17 year old boy walked into the doors of a Toronto spa wielding a sword where he brutally attacked members of staff, killing the receptionist. In a court proceeding carried out on Wednesday, he plead guilty to the charges, stating that he was inspired by the Toronto van attack that was carried out by Alek Minassian in 2018, and cited an 'incel rebellion.' Can this be considered an act of domestic terrorism, or is this too difficult to label? To tell us about this case is Jessica Davis, a former CSIS senior intelligence analyst and President of Insight Threat Intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ontario government says hospital patients who are waiting for space in long-term care homes can be moved to other locations not of their choosing up to 150 kilometres away or be billed $400 per day if they refuse. The controversial Bill 7, titled “More Beds, Better Care Act,” would allow the transferring of senior hospital patients waiting for space in a long-term care home to another home not of their choosing. Joining Alex to talk about this issue is Fransesca Grosso, Principal Grosso Mccarthy, expert in health policy and a co-author of Navigating Canada's Health Care: A User Guide to the Canadian Health Care System. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of multiple shootings that took place over this weekend, one of them involving Constable Andrew Hong of the Toronto Police Service, how come we're seeing criminals walking for major crimes? We got rid of TAVIS, but is that what we need right now? Alex is joined by Knia Singh, Principal Lawyer at Ma'at Legal Services, who is also in the race to be the next mayor of Toronto, to talk about policing in our city and what solutions there are to make the city safer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"If we have one takeaway from the past eight months, it’s that a lot of Canadians are angry." That's one of the headlines used in an op-ed piece written by Tasha Kheiriddin about the power of Pierre Poilievre, the new leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Tasha was a Co-Chair for Jean Charest’s campaign for the Conservative Party leadership in a bid to win it over that of Poilievre, but why should the Liberals be afraid of him? Alex spoke with her to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Petrie is the name of the man who is alleged to have carried out the shooting attacks that left two dead in Toronto over the weekend. What Global News has been able to obtain through documents is that he has had previous convictions for violent crimes like robbery and illegally possessing guns, and also suggested he had alleged gang connections. So how did a well known criminal get his hands on weapons? Jon Reid, President of the Toronto Police Association, joined Alex to discuss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's always heartbreaking when you hear of a life changing condition being diagnosed to a child. Even more so when it's your own. Edith Lemay and Sebastien Pelletier are the parents of four children, three of which, have been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic condition that causes a loss or decline in vision over time. So in order to let the children experience life to their best before they can no longer see, they decided to take their kids on a world tour. Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Turkey, Mongolia and now Indonesia, are all of the places they've been to thus far. Edith Lemay joined Alex to discuss this trip and what it means to her kids. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is that time of the week where we get all the juicy nuggets of information on all things Ottawa, and for that we bring in Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, to discuss them all. Today, Tom talks to us about how a Common's petition is demanding that Heritage Minister, Pablo Rodriguez, name names in his department's award of a grant to a group subsequently stripped of funding for anti-Semitism. Also, according to in-house research, only 35% of Canadians surveyed say they trust the RCMP's national leadership. What could be the reason behind this? That and more on today's Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the shooting that left a Toronto Police Constable dead over the weekend, and the SIU now stepping in, we're going to be hard pressed to find out what exactly happened inside the Tim Horton's where Constable Andrew Hong was fatally shot. On this special podcast, we hear from various experts in gun violence and crime, as well as former police officers, to understand why our politicians aren't doing anything more than just giving, 'thoughts and prayers.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In what was only supposed to last three days, has now turned into six grueling months of war and destruction in Ukraine. According to reports, Russian soldiers are scattering from the Kharkiv region and chaotically fleeing upon sighting Ukrainian forces. Could this be a turning point in the war on the European nation? Marcus Kolga, Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute's Centre for Advancing Canada's Interests Abroad, and Director of DisinfoWatch, joined Alex to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, Pierre Poilievre won the leadership race of the Conservative Party of Canada by a landslide. While he congratulated his fellow contenders for their efforts to unite the party and bring in new faces, it was ultimately Pierre himself who drew in the largest numbers. Most notably that of younger people. Why does he appeal to the young voter so much? To answer this, Alex is joined by Sam Routley, Doctoral Student in Political Science at Western University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A video has been circulating online showing what appears to be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reading from an anti-Trudeau book. While it looks all too real, it is indeed fake. More specifically it's a deepfake. What is a deepfake and how can it be used for bad? David Shipley, cyber security expert and CEO of Beauceron Security, chats with Alex about this particular video and the implications it can have on public figures in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With only weeks away from a municipal election, Toronto saw three deaths related to gun violence this past weekend. Torontonians no longer feel safe in their communities and as Louis March, Founder of the Zero Gun Violence Movement, says, "The safe zones have been breached." Louis joins Alex to discuss the latest string of gun violence in the city and what all three levels of government need to do to help mitigate this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"752 Is Not A Number" is the name of the new documentary being screened at TIFF this year. The documentary looks to focus on the victims and families of those affected by the downing of Flight PS752 which happened on January 8, 2020. Joining Alex to talk about it is the award winning Canadian-Iranian director of the film, Babak Payami. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's no secret that the Queen was a lover of all things equestrian. Her connection to Canada's Woodbine Racetrack is very deep, and with her death on Thursday, the question comes up on whether or not the famous horserace gets renamed or not. To tell Alex about this is Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, September 8, 2022, the world stood still as it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II, passed away at the age of 96. The Queen had served as the reigning monarch for 70 years and became the longest sitting British monarch. With ten days of mourning now being observed, Canadians are now looking forward into what will change, what stays the same, and how it will affect them in the long run. In this special podcast episode, Alex is joined by various guests to discuss the Queen, our new monarch, King Charles III, and how significant this will be to Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Early Thursday morning, it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II has been under medical supervision at Balmoral, but what's different this time is that Buckingham Palace has put out an official statement regarding her health, and the family is all at her side. Could this be close to the end of her reign as Queen? To tell us about the impact of this story, Alex spoke with Dr. Carolyn Harris, Historian and Royal Commentator, Author of ‘Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to announce new measures to tackle inflation, including details of a plan for dental care for low-income families. They're planning to send out up to $650 for two years, per child, to help pay for dental appointments as a stop gap measure, but is it enough? To speak about this, Alex spoke with Dr. Lisa Bentley, President of the Ontario Dental Association, about this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the tragic attacks in Saskatchewan, and the loss of one suspect (Damien Sanderson), police arrested the other alleged attacker, Myles Sanderson, yesterday about 100km away from where the attacks happened. While in police custody, though, he ended up becoming medically unwell and died. What does this mean for the case now? To tell us all about it, we're joined by Jim Van Allen, a Threat and Risk Assessment Consultant with Investigative Solutions Network Inc. & Former Manager of the OPP Criminal Profiling Unit at OPP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that time of the week where we check in with Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, for all things Ottawa. Today, Tom talks about how Chrystia Freeland says that adjusting interest rates aren't her job following the rate increase made by the Bank of Canada yesterday. He also talks about how data from Statistics Canada shows that Dr. Teresa Tam was wrong about Covid infection rates. That and more on today's Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Lisa Bentley, a dentist of over three decades and president of the Ontario Dental Association talks to Alex Pierson about today's dental announcement out of Ottawa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the Saskatchewan stabbings over the weekend, many fingers are pointing to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the RCMP, who are faced with the second tragedy in two years. With a government that puts Indigenous issues first, why is it that these communities are still struggling when it comes to mental health, addictions, clean drinking water, and more? Speaking with Alex is Kevin Walker, Executive Director of Bear Clan Patrol, about the lack of resources in these communities and what needs to be done to support them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part one of a five part investigative series being conducted by Toronto Star, they deep dive into the story of a reality TV show where contestants could come on and get their business idea to save the world judged by people like Jeff Bezos and potentially get a stake in the process. But to get on the show, you had to pay a hefty sum of $25,000. Once the would be contestants arrived at the hotel where they were being brought to, they all soon realized that this was a scam. Kevin Donovan is Toronto Star’s Chief Investigative Reporter, and came on to talk to Alex about this elaborate scam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today the Bank of Canada announced they were increasing interest rates by another 75 basis points, bringing us to a total increase of 3.25%. When we see interest rates go up, we see cost of living go up, but those who are on ODSP, often get the short end of the stick when it comes to getting an affordable income to support themselves. To send a message to Doug Ford that this isn't an acceptable way to live, MPPs across Ontario are confining themselves to only spending $92.51 for two weeks worth of groceries to really understand what it's like to squeeze those dollars. Joining Alex to discuss this is David Lepofsky, a Lawyer and Chair with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Normally today is the day kids in Toronto go back into classes, but because of negotiations the teacher's unions, today was marked as a P.A. Day for teachers who said they didn't have enough time to prepare for class. So while kids in the rest of the province are in school, Toronto students are left a day short. Joining Alex to talk about the position of the union and where negotiations are headed now is Karen Littlewood, President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that time of the week where we check in with Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, to discuss all things Ottawa and see what deep dives they've done this time. Today, he talks to Alex about how the federal government is telling Canadians to get a Covid vaccine every 90 days, even after the Department of Health said once every nine months was more than plenty. He also talks about how Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez will not speak to reporters on why his department paid $133,822 for media workshops led by an anti-Semite who said Jews deserve a “bullet to the head." That and more on this Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, 10 people lost their lives, and 19 more were injured following a series of stabbings carried out by two alleged suspects. The search for Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, began early Sunday morning following multiple reports of stabbings on the James Smith Cree Nation (about 200 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon). While police have identified Damien Sanderson as deceased at this moment, Myles Sanderson is still at large, and has a lengthy criminal record. To tell us about the experiences and complexities of this, Alex speaks to Melissa Mbarki of Treaty 4. Melissa also has family on the reserve at the heart of these horrific attacks. Alex also speaks with Jim Van Allen, A threat and Risk Assessment Consultant with Investigative Solutions Network Inc. and Former Manager of the OPP Criminal Profiling Unit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tomorrow, the Bank of Canada is expected to make an announcement on raising interest rates again. This time by another 75 basis points, bringing us to a total increase of 3.25%. While this isn't the highest we've seen interest rates, this is certainly going to be the highest we've seen them since the recession in 2008. Can Canadians afford another rate hike? To answer this, Alex is joined by Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carlton University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scams amongst seniors might not be new, but they're a big issue. York Region investigators have released a recorded interview with a Newmarket senior who was bilked out of $100,000 after he and his wife fell victim to a “grandparent” scam. Here to talk about this issue with Alex is Laura Tamblyn Watts, the Founder and CEO of CanAge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

About $41 Million worth of road paving in the City of Toronto, which was slated to start this month, is now being delayed further into next year. City staff say they needed to revise the scope of the projects and provide clarity to companies bidding on the work. Will this cause more bad than good? Joining Alex to answer this is Stephen Holyday, Deputy Mayor and Toronto Councillor for Ward 2 - Etobicoke Centre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While in Alberta, Chrystia Freeland was speaking to reporters about a 10% luxury tax being introduced to all purchases of things like boats, planes, and other large luxury items. She claims it's to recoup money spent during the pandemic but with the cost of everything right now, is this what we need? Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director of Canadian Taxpayers Federation, joined Alex to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are all the products you buy at a dollar store safe? Recent testing has shown that toxic chemicals are being used to manufacture these products. Something like the outer ring on a set of stereo headphones was found to have 24 times the legal limit of lead, and five times the legal limit of cadmium. Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence, talks to Alex about this and what the federal government needs to do when it comes to regulating these products. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Accidental opioid poisonings have been on the rise in Hamilton, and they can happen to anyone taking an opioid – both prescription and non-prescription. From January 1 to August 9, 2022, Hamilton Paramedic Services (HPS) responded to 447 incidents related to suspected opioid overdoses. August 31 is Overdose Awareness Day and a timely reason to shed light on the need to take proactive steps to tackle the mounting accidental opioid poisonings in the Hamilton community. Harsit Patel, a Clinical Pharmacist at Hamilton Health Sciences, chatted with Alex about this and what needs to be done to make things better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do Canadians still have confidence in getting regular vaccines like polio, hepatitis, and others? A recent study shows that 55% of children and teens have vaccines against deadly diseases. So why is there such a drop? Joining Alex is Dr. Jia Hu, CEO of 19 to Zero, a 500+ member coalition of multi-disciplinary experts working to build confidence in vaccines and get Canadians vaccinated, to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's that time of the week where we look behind the curtain into all things Ottawa, and to do that, we bring on Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, to give us the little nuggets of information that most places don't get. Today, Tom talks about how Canadians feel the federal government overreached when using emergency powers when ending the Freedom Convoy protest. Also, he talks about what Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said yesterday about how politics are toxic and bitter. That and more on today's Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The High Commissioner of Pakistan is thanking Canada for their contributions to relief efforts during the flooding that has been taking place in the Middle Eastern nation. A Canadian based charity is sending over family emergency kits with a water purification unit, hygiene items and a solar light to help those affected, and Rahul Singh, Executive Director of Global Medic, a registered Canadian charity, is here to talk with Alex about the work they're doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto police have identified Angelica Sig-Od and her mother, Elvie Sig-Od, as victims of a fatal stabbing on Friday afternoon. Godfrey Sig-Od, who was the father, was arrested and has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder. On average, Ontario sees three femicides — women killed — per month. Here to talk with Alex about femicide is Lieran Docherty, Director of Programs at the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What's going on in Brampton? A video posted online shows a brawl of about a dozen men in a parking lot, but what really gets the attention is the use of swords and machetes by some of the men. We've seen these headlines more recently and it's raising questions about the brazen nature of these attacks. Brampton Mayer, Patrick Brown, joins us to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, a video surfaced online showing a man approaching Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, who was in Alberta, where he started cursing at her and telling her to get out of Alberta. The RCMP is said to be investigating this matter but can actual criminal charges be laid against the man responsible? Ari Goldkind, a Criminal Defence Lawyer, joined Alex to talk about this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After her life was changed due to a conviction in aggravated assault, Jennifer Murphy is hoping that the laws surrounding the disclosure of HIV to consensual partners, be changed. Joining Alex to talk about whether this case could be the catalyst for it, is Joseph Neuberger, Criminal Lawyer and Partner at Neuberger and Partners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Scarlett Martyn had been a Toronto paramedic for 23 years when she was let go in January, becoming one of several hundred city employees fired for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID. Now with the win over the Toronto firefighters coming down, she's hopeful that it could open up the door to her returning to her job. Alex spoke with Howard Goldblatt, a Lawyer who represents the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters’ Association to talk about this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public health officials in York Region are investigating after multiple people reportedly fell ill after eating at a Delight Restaurant and BBQ in Markham. Joining Alex to discuss this matter is Dr. David Juurlink, Head of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is that time in the week where we bring on Managing Editor of Blacklock's Reporter, none other than Tom Korski, to give us the deep dive into all things Ottawa and find us those juicy little nuggets of information that get lost in the system. Today he joins Alex to talk about how inflation is the number one worry amongst Canadians. He also talks about how Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller didn't know that money was granted to an anti-Semitic senior consultant. That and much more on this Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, video surfaced of Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, involved in a verbal assault where a man approached her and asked why she was in Alberta, while also uttering curse words at her, and calling her a "traitor." It's not uncommon for political figures to be harassed like this, but is it acceptable behaviour? Lisa Raitt, Former Minister and Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, came on to discuss this and whether or not there's a solution for this growing amount of hate towards our political leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are now 37 women’s withdrawal management beds in Toronto, which will be open to women-identifying individuals from across the GTA. The roughly 6,000-square-foot space is the only site of its kind between Oshawa and Bathurst Street. How does this help those dealing with addictions in our city? Kathryn Decker, Manager of Integrated Mental Health and Substance Use at Michael Garron Hospital, came on to talk to Alex about the benefits of a service like this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday, a labour arbitrator handed victory to 13 Toronto firefighters who were unreasonably fired from their jobs due to the mandatory Covid-19 vaccine policy. It's a massive step for those who were let go during the mandatory policies, and with these firefighters being given a victory, it could set the precedent for others who were fired. Joining Alex to talk about this issue is Mackenzie Irwin, an Employment Lawyer and Associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday was supposed to be the launch of the, long awaited, Artemis-1 rocket that would help propel humans to the moon for the first time in almost 50 years. With most people's eyes set to Mars, the moon is the first logical place to start looking since it's closest to us. But due to an engine issue, the Artemis rocket was grounding for the test flight that would help determine if all systems were go for real humans. Dr. Sara Mazrouei is a Planetary Scientist and Science Communicator, and joined Alex to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Arlene Bynon in conversation with marketing analyst, Elissa Freeman about news Bell Media Executive Michael Melling is taking a leave of absence for his role in the departure of Lisa LaFlamme from CTV News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's tough enough adjusting to life in a new country, but learning the language is even harder. A new program funded by Immigration Canada and University of Toronto, allows immigrants to learn English in a simulated environment which helps their confidence and knowledge retention. Joining Alex to talk about this was Paul Alexander, an Assistant Principal Investigator of this virtual reality project and also a Lecturer at the University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices