This Matters

Guest: Kieran Leavitt, politics reporter for the Star The fourth wave in western Canada has become a crisis. COVID-19 patients in Alberta are dying at four times the rate of the national average as the province leads Canada in active cases and deaths. After a sharp uptake when vaccines were first available, Saskatchewan's vaccination rate has stalled and now ranks as the lowest of all provinces. We look at the political decisions in Alberta and Saskatchewan that brought them to this moment and whether they can control the fourth wave.

Guests: Robert Cribb & Marco Chown Oved, investigative reporters at the Star In what is being called the largest collaborative journalism project in history, hundreds of journalists around the world have released their findings from The Pandora Papers, which detail the financial details of how the ultra-rich move and hide money around the world in tax havens and through other mechanisms. The findings include some well-known world leaders as well as other wealthy and famous people. There were several revelations about prominent Canadians, and by shining a light on these dealings it opens up questions about what can and should be done about it. NOTE: The following people are discussed in this episode and, when reached for comment, provided these statements. David Tassillo's wrote a statement saying the offshore structure the Star "was the first and only I have ever set up on behalf of MindGeek, and the transactions and structure were entirely appropriate." Elvis Stojko told Pandora Papers partner the CBC he did this on advice of his longtime lawyer and he was that the trust was closed in 2012. Lawrence Stroll's personal financial adviser, Jonathan Dudman, responded to the Star saying Superwit Profits was a "small business" originated by Stroll's friend Tang in 1998. The King's of Jordan's lawyers, in written correspondence, said there is nothing improper in the king's ownership of properties through offshore companies and that he has not misused public money or aid.

Guest: Jacob Lorinc, Toronto Star business reporter Ontario's anti-vaccine movement has expanded. Hundreds of businesses have formed a network to refuse the new vaccine certificate rules, and take a pass on screening for unvaccinated customers. Mayor John Tory says the city has received more than 500 complaints of these violations, but there doesn't seem to be any clarity on implementing Ontario's mandatory vaccine rules. Business reporter Jacob Lorinc joins "This Matters" to explain why hundreds of businesses are going back to business as usual and ponder Ontario will flatten the curve of the fourth wave and end a pandemic if vaccine rules are actually just suggestions for some.

Guest: Erica Ifill, columnist for the Hill Times Green party leader Annamie Paul's resignation came after a defeat in her own Toronto Centre riding but it was a long time coming. After the party's own internal report leaked earlier this year and revealed the extent of systemic racism within, many said that she was set up to fail and the outcome was built into the system from the onset. A study of Paul's journey as leader of the Green Party of Canada has also been considered by many as a microcosm of misogynoir, and the systemic failures reserved only for the Black and racialized women. Erica Ifill, columnist for the Hill Times, co-host of the "Bad + Bitchy" podcast and founder of equity and inclusion consultancy Not in My Colour, joins "This Matters" to help unpack whether it's "just politics" when a strong, outspoken Black Jewish woman steps away from her platform and potential, or was this a sinister reflection of Canada's real problem with racial double standards.

As Canada reflects on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Star reporter Olivia Bowden wrote a piece titled: How do you teach children about residential schools? Mix history with kindness. Olivia was on the show in August and we are rebroadcasting her episode, as it is as relevant today as it was then. Guest: Olivia Bowden, Toronto Star reporter As Canada goes through the painful process of identifying hundreds of Indigenous children's remains who were buried in unmarked graves outside the sites of former residential schools, conversations have turned to what to do next with the locations, how to commemorate the children lost and how to honour those victimized. For some in Indigenous communities, those discussions have actually been taking place for decades. Olivia Bowden visited the site of the former Mohawk Institute residential school, now a part of the Woodland Centre under the ownership of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, to listen and try to understand how Canada should move forward in addressing the horrific legacy of the residential school system and honour the Indigenous children that were its victims.

Guest: Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporter covering COVID vaccination As parents await news on vaccines for younger kids, Pfizer recently announced shots for children aged five to 11 are not far away. While the world awaits for it to be officially approved, there are still questions about efficacy, timelines and rollouts. But with spiking cases among children in the U.S. and other symptoms like "long COVID" showing up in younger people, the clock is ticking to get the largest remaining cohort their jabs too.

Guest: Jacques Gallant, Toronto Star political reporter Whenever a politician gets into trouble, people look up the steps for recourse but the truth is it's very difficult to remove an elected official from office. Such a mechanism is once again in the spotlight in part due to Kevin Vuong, a controversial politician who recently won a seat as a Member of Parliament for Spadina-Fort York in Toronto. Amidst growing calls for his resignation, he currently remains adamant he will serve out his term. Will it happen? Options are few and rarely used.

Guests: Joanna Chiu and Jeremy Nuttall, Toronto Star reporters covering Canada-China relations After nearly three years, Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, have been freed from Chinese detention. With their release coming in lockstep with the resolution of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's legal case, many former diplomats and analysts say the ordeal was clear evidence of 'hostage diplomacy.' Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star's Canada-China politics reporter and author of the book China Unbound, and Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star, join "This Matters" to discuss.

Guest: Rosa Saba, Toronto Star business reporter A vaccine certificate system is now the rule of law in Ontario. Customers will have to show proof of vaccination in many public spaces and businesses, like indoor dining at restaurants, gyms and sporting events. After months of debates and doubts from the Ontario government, the passports are being touted as a way for businesses to avoid another set of lockdowns in the fourth wave. But there are many questions over the reality of how the vaccine passports work. Why isn't the passport on an smartphone app like Quebec's system? How easy is it for bad actors to forge their certificates? Is it on businesses to enforce the passports at the door? Today on "This Matters," we have your need-to-know guide for how the vaccine passports are working right now.

Guest: Will Oremus, tech journalist for the Washington Post It has been a very bad few weeks for Facebook, the world's largest social network, whose platforms also include Instagram and WhatsApp. Through a number of leaked documents, it became public that Facebook has been aware of the negative effects of its platforms on a number of levels. For instance, use of Instagram is said to have a detrimental effect on the mental health of teenage girls. and also it was reported that human traffickers were using the platform to target and recruit. The company's own research points to problems its platforms exacerbate, and the pattern reveals that the company just moves on without making changes or addressing the known issues. Today on "This Matters," we discuss why and how that occurs and what can and should be done about it.

Guests: Heather Scoffield and Susan Delacourt, Toronto Star Ottawa bureau Climate, affordability, housing, child care, the economy, health, race relations, guns, reconciliation: today on "This Matters," we look forward to what we can expect from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's third mandate. Heather Scoffield, economics columnist, and Susan Delacourt, national columnist, from the Star's Ottawa bureau join to discuss. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Gerald Butts, former Trudeau campaign strategist and principal secretary, and James Moore, former MP and minister of industry After calling a $600 million federal election, the results are basically the same — Justin Trudeau will remain Canada's prime minister with a minority government. To unpack everything that went down Monday, guest host Althia Raj is joined by Gerald Butts, Trudeau's former principal secretary who is now the now vice chairman of Eurasia Group, and James Moore, former Conservative MP and minister of industry for the Harper government who is now a senior business advisor at Denton's. Sources: CTV News, CPAC, CBC, CTV Question Period If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Tonda MacCharles, Toronto Star Ottawa bureau, and Clifton van der Linden, CEO of Vox Pop Labs (makers of The Signal, the Star's poll aggregator) Polls suggest opinions are mixed and this could be one nail biter of a federal election. Today, Althia Raj speaks with Tonda MacCharles and Clifton van der Linden, and they take a look at the state of the race as we wait for results to trickle in from the polls. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Lex Harvey, who has been fact checking the party leaders on the campaign trail for The Star Are Canada's leaders being honest on the campaign trail? Fact checking leaders has become en vogue over the past decade, in part due to former U.S. President Donald Trumps regular speeches filled with exaggerations, misinformation and false claims. In the pressure cooker of a campaign, fact checking leaders is a good barometer of our democracy, and no matter what you feel about this election, you may surprised at the results of The Star's audit.

Guest: The Star's political reporter Raisa Patel Many say race wasn't really a top-of-mind election issue until last week's federal leader's debates, and the conversation remained at surface-level, without getting into what actually is — or isn't — on party platforms to tackle systemic racism. So, what exactly are Canada's electoral candidates saying on how their party will address racism beyond just the reactionary statements and controversies?

Guest: Heather Scoffield, the Star's Ottawa bureau chief and economic columnist Affordability is at a crisis level in Canada. From sky-high housing and rental costs, to childcare, to cellphone bills — the cost of living is putting a vice grip on the finances of middle-class and young Canadians. But it's not a new problem to be tackled in federal elections, rather one that has been at the centre of campaign promises in 2015 and 2019 too. So what's different this time? How do the party leaders say their fiscal policies will solve housing supply-and-demand issues and fix the financial pressures that Canadians are facing. We look behind the numbers to see whether the promises of party leaders will properly tackle affordability. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guest: Alex Ballingall, Ottawa based politics reporter joins to talk climate change in the election. As wild fires burn in Western Canada, it seems like a day does not go by without further news about the climate crisis and the worsening shape of the planet, and the real consequences we are already seeing. Many experts are saying that changes need to be made immediately to tackle the problem, and in this election all the parties have released their platforms to how they would do that. We take a look at the plans and discuss how the issue of climate change has been in a factor in the election so far. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can subscribe at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Host Althia Raj sits down with the Star's Heather Scoffield, Richard Warnica an Jeremy Nuttall After four weeks of campaigning, the federal party leaders head into the home stretch. Polling puts the Liberals and the Conservatives basically neck and neck nationally. But on the ground? What does the contest really look like? Today, we'll take a deep dive into three battleground ridings. Heather Scoffield is the Star's Ottawa Bureau chief and economics columnist. Richard Warnica is a business feature writer, who has joined the politics team for the duration of the campaign. And Jeremy Nuttall is a Vancouver-based reporter who covers politics in B.C. for the Star.

Guest: Michelle Shephard, a journalist, author and filmmaker who was the Star's national security reporter for nearly 20 years Everyone who is old enough has some kind of memory of where they were and what they were doing on September 11, 2001, when the two towers of the World Trade Centre in New York were brought down by commercial planes hijacked by members of the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives. 9/11 led to two decades of wars, including the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, hundreds of thousands of dead, a complete shift in border and security laws, personal freedoms – and implications for Muslims that continue today. With the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving the same Taliban back in power that the war was meant to topple, many are questioning the last twenty years since 9/11 and what it all meant. Michelle Shephard, a journalist, author and filmmaker who was the Star's national security reporter for nearly 20 years joins me as we talk about where we were then, where we went and how we ended up here.

We're almost towards the end of the second year of the pandemic and, not surprisingly, the data shows that we're not at the best version of ourselves anymore. A recent Angus Reid poll has revealed surprisingly low rates of empathy among Canadians. Especially when it's between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. The Star's mental health reporter Nadine Yousif joins to talk about what this new poll reveals about empathy and sympathy and why our reserves are running out.

Guest: Omar Mosleh, Toronto Star reporter After more than a year of COVID anxiety, lockdowns, working from home and helping kids with online learning, this is back to school week in the GTA. But as many parents are sharing their children's day back to school, some are sharing their child's disappointment in being left out. They say their children with special needs and complicated medical conditions are feeling abandoned after being told they might not be able to return to class because there are not enough nurses to care for them. Star reporter Omar Mosleh joins "This Matters" to explain why many medically fragile children are still not be able to go to school and the real reasons behind Ontario's current nursing shortage.

Guests: Susan Delacourt, Toronto Star national political columnist and Grant LaFleche, investigative reporter for the Star and St. Catharines Standard Forget the election issues. The biggest story of Canada's federal election campaign so far has been the protesters disrupting the rallies of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and the harassment towards other candidates like NDP leader Jagmeet Singh. And now, the disruption has been escalating to aggressive and dangerous behaviour. Over the Labour Day weekend, members of the anti-lockdown, anti-vaccination crowd threw stones at Trudeau after a campaign event. Who are these protesters? How did Canadian politics get this toxic and dangerous? What kind of Canada will we have after Sept. 20, 2021? We report from the campaign trail and inside the network of raging protesters.

This is a rebroadcast of an episode first aired on December 2, 2020. Social media harassment is about more than words. It is violence and it is dangerous. We've witnessed a lot of ugliness during these polarizing and pandemic times, and a lot of it has been directed at women, particularly women of colour. As cyber misogyny has increased steadily, so have challenges to the notion that women's online harassment is a matter of specific and particular concern. But in fact, ramifications impact everyone and the facts are black and white. Women are harassed more than men and the violence carries discriminatory harm that becomes rooted in our history. Shree Paradkar, The Star's race and gender columnist, joins "This Matters" to discuss.

Guests: Jennifer Yang and Megan Ogilvie, Toronto Star health reporters Back to school is almost here, kicking off the return of morning COVID screening for parents with their kids. With more data now available, the province has recently made some changes for that screening. In particular, runny noses have been removed from the screening guide — a relief for many as the first signs of sniffles previously caused parents to scramble and filled up testing centres. This year will see more take home tests, HEPA filters in classrooms and ventilation upgrades. Will these changes stop the rising case counts being brought on by the more transmissible Delta variant or are schools headed for another shutdown?

Guest: Rob Ferguson, Queen's Park reporter at The Star After months of debate, Ontario has revealed details of its vaccine passport program. Called late and inconsistent by critics, Premier Doug Ford admitted he was reluctant to bring in such a program due to fears of a "split society." There are still many questions about how exactly the program will work, but with Delta variant case counts rising, schools starting back up and fears of another lockdown on the horizon, proponents hope that vaccine certificates can be another tool in helping to slow down the fourth wave of the pandemic. With a backdrop of increasing protests around these measures around the country, a Queen's Park insider discusses what changed this government's mind and how they will navigate what comes next.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star Amidst a growing fourth wave, the spread of the Delta variant and questions over how long immunity lasts, a number of nations around the world, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Israel and Canada are either considering or have begun COVID vaccine booster programs. But now, the World Health Organization has officially called for a moratorium on vaccine boosters, particularly in high-income nations. We explain the timeline of vaccine boosters, who is getting them right now and the ethical minefield that come with them as billions around the world await even a first dose.

Ali Raza Yesa is an Afghan educator and founder of the Star Educational Society, a network of language schools across Afghanistan. With the West now withdrawn from Afghanistan, he has left his homeland and his schools have been shut down. He joins "This Matters" to talk about his life in Afghanistan and a lifetime of work that will remain unfinished for now.

Guest: Josh Rubin, business reporter for the Star Because neither the federal or Ontario provincial government have created vaccine passports for the public yet (while other provinces have started plans of their own), live event businesses and franchises are taking matters into their own hands to create new rules for customers. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Toronto International Film Festival and Mirvish Productions are all mandating attendees to either show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test before going inside their venues. Do businesses have the legal power to enforce their own COVID rules? Can mandates prevent another business lockdown in the fourth wave? As big organizations push forward on vaccine mandates, does this pave the way for small businesses to do the same?

Guest: Lior Samfiru, employment lawyer and co-founding partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP Vaccine mandates in the workplace aren't hypothetical anymore. They are real. The federal government has one for their employees, as does the Ontario government for people in high-risk settings. Those new rules are filtering down to private business, with Canada's big five banks and Air Canada ordering their employees to get vaccinated in the return to work. But is it legal? Can your employer make you get vaccinated? If you refuse, can they legally fire you? We parse through all the details of employment law, explain the ins and outs of rights for employers and employees alike, along with the legal challenges to come.

Guest: Nicole O'Reilly, crime reporter from The Hamilton Spectator It has been over four years since Angelo Musitano, a prominent member of the Musitano crime family in Hamilton, was gunned down in his driveway. His murder was the result of a sophisticated, mob-driven operation intricately planned, executed and now shared in "Trigger," an investigative series from The Hamilton Spectator. In the series, crime reporter Nicole O'Reilly explored all that led up to the homicide, the complex police investigation that followed and the inner workings of the mafia. She joins "This Matters" to share the details and the conclusion of the court case against the only person ever arrested and charged in Musitano's murder and the murder of an innocent bystander in York region.

Guest: Julie S. Lalonde, women's rights advocate and author of "Resilience is Futile" Did you know that there is a country in the world where one woman or girl is killed every two and a half days? That country is Canada. According to a report by the Canadian Femicide Observatory, Canada saw an increase in femicide from 2019 to 2020. The report also reveals that almost 100 girls and women were killed in the first half of 2021. Most were killed by men, an intimate partner or someone they knew. Today on "This Matters," women's rights advocate and author Julie S. Lalonde talks about how these disturbing numbers are linked to misogyny and what we need to do to help women at risk, before it's too late for them.

Guest: Nichole Jankowski, freelance journalist who wrote on 6ixBuzz for Toronto Life 6ixBuzz began as a simple meme and joke Instagram account on all things Toronto, but in just a few short years, it has grown into a media empire with two million followers on Instagram, tens of thousands more on YouTube and contracts signed with major music labels. Their posts garner comments, outrage and above all, attention, and their followers include rapper Drake, Premier Doug Ford and New Democratic Party party leader Jagmeet Singh. 6ixBuzz's rise is deeply controversial. While some laud them for being a voice for Gen Z and racialized communities, others say they represent the worst of the internet: a toxic space fostering racism, homophobia and bigotry. The company has also been under fire for labour practices. Among the biggest questions, there is secrecy and threats. We dig into the rise of one of the biggest brands in Toronto with the journalist who's come closest to finding the answers. Sources: Instagram, CBC Toronto, CTV Toronto

There is a sense of uncertainty, fear and deep anxiety for Afghan women following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Many are afraid of a return to a repressive past and reversal of painstaking progress made. Many also feel betrayal about how the country has been treated over the years, and the abrupt departure by the west. Today on "This Matters," we are joined by two Afghan women on opposite ends of the world as we try to process what is unfolding in Afghanistan and how they feel about it. For more information on the featured Canadian Campaign for Afghan Peace with the goal of helping Afghans inside Afghanistan, you can visit: https://ayedi.ca/ccap/

Guest: Dr. Karina Top, pediatrician, vaccine researcher and associate professor at Dalhousie University In what is increasingly being called a pandemic of the unvaccinated, the largest cohort that cannot receive vaccines yet are children under age 12. With the Delta variant spreading rapidly and the fourth wave accelerating, there has been a surge in cases and hospitalizations of children with COVID-19 in the U.S. There are fears something similar could occur in Canada, just as kids go back to school. Experts predict that cases will rise when school starts, but with Canada having one of highest rates of vaccination in the world and the enforcement of other precautions, the goal is to keep kids as safe as possible.

Guest: Craig Whitlock, Washington Post investigative journalist who broke The Afghanistan Papers While many question the United States government's decision to withdrawal from Afghanistan, within the government it has long been known it was an unwinnable conflict. The truth is laid bare in The Afghanistan Papers, a 2019 Washington Post investigation that included a series of documents and recordings with U.S. officials speaking frankly about the conflict. Much of this week's events were telegraphed in that document, but there are larger questions. What happens next? Where does American foreign policy go from here?

Guest: Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star reporter covering Canada-China relations and author of "China Unbound" It's been almost three years since former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor (collectively known as the "two Michaels") were arrested by the Chinese Communist Party. The move was seen as retaliation against Canada's arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, who is currently standing trial for possible extradition to the United States. Now, just this month, Michael Spavor was found guilty of espionage charges and sentenced to 11 years in a Chinese prison, while another Chinese court rejected Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg's appeal against a death sentence for drug trafficking. It all seems so shocking, but as Star reporter Joanna Chiu reports, this form of hostage taking diplomacy and death threat diplomacy is not new. Why is no one talking about other Canadians that have been taken as political prisoners by China?

Guest: Dr. Margaret Harris, infectious diseases expert and spokesperson for World Health Organization As the pandemic continues, low-income and developing nations remain left behind in vaccination efforts. The reason is simple. Many countries cannot afford vaccines because the contracts tied to them are tied to the most powerful nations in the world. Can a pandemic truly end if billions around the world don't have access to vaccines? COVAX, a program developed by the World Health Organization, is designed to solve that problem by bridging the gap between have and have-not countries. We'll talk about the challenge and cost of delivering doses, the responsibility of rich countries to share, and why failures affect all of us.

Guests: Susan Delacourt and Alex Boutilier of the Star's Ottawa bureau After months of speculation, it's happening: the Canadian federal election is set for September 20. The stakes are historic and could not be higher. Who should lead Canada out of the pandemic? How does this country begin to recover economically? What do Canadians care about most right now? We gather a political roundtable to discuss the 36-day campaign ahead, the state of the Liberals, Conservatives, the NDP and the Greens, and the expected talking points for the weeks ahead.

Guest: Robert Benzie, Toronto Star Queen's Park bureau chief A majority of Canadians say they are in favour of vaccine passports, the documentation proving people who enter a public space, like restaurants, gyms or arenas have a full set of vaccinations. They are the latest tool in the great balancing act of COVID safety measures with reopenings and the fourth wave as The Delta variant continues to spread. The pressure is now on the Ontario government to mandate a passport system of its own, just as jurisdictions such as Quebec, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and other international destinations have already created similar systems. And yet, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has steadfastly said no to any vaccine passports in the province. Why is the province going against the calls of Canadians, businesses and health care professionals? Could there be changes soon? This episode was edited to remove a statement about whether a business refusing an unvaccinated customer does or does not violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Guest: Ed Tubb, Toronto Star assignment editor focused on COVID-19 data With rising case counts and other indicators, the fourth wave of COVID-19 is here and just getting started. The Delta variant is more infectious than other forms of the virus and could have a serious impact on our health care systems. Unvaccinated people will bear the brunt of the latest wave, but there are others who are also at risk.

Guest: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, work and wealth reporter for the Toronto Star Robots have arrived in Toronto and they're delivering your food. You may have come across Geoffrey, an adorable pink robot with hearts for eyes, who offers contactless, affordable delivery at the tap of a smartphone. The company behind Geoffrey is claiming it to be a safe alternative for delivery services that emphasizes buying local just as our reliance on gig workers for delivering our orders has increased. But as Star reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh found out, sometimes the way Geoffrey is run isn't local at all and the concept of delivery-by-robot raises some serious questions about implications for gig workers who have already been heavily impacted by this pandemic.

The biggest COVID-19 fashion trend was face masks. But what comes next? Will we ever really be formal again? A fashion professor talks to us about how fashion will change in a post pandemic world.

Guest: Jack Froese, Chair of National Zero Waste Council Canada has a real problem with food waste and we're all responsible. According to Second Harvest, 58 per cent of all food produced in Canada — the equivalent of 35.5 million tonnes — is lost or wasted every year. That comes out to $31 billion at the food production and consumer level. The cost of all this waste is obvious financially, but there is a huge cost environmentally too. How can Canadians and companies change their habits and processes to be less wasteful? We get into the tips and tricks of how to reduce food waste and save your money at the same time.

As a bonus episode, This Matters is broadcasting an episode from another Toronto Star podcast. Tokyo Daily, hosted by Brendan Dunlop, recaps the Canadian women's national team's historic gold medal win with the Toronto Star's Laura Armstrong, on a day that Canada won three medals over the span of one hour. Christine Sinclair is one of the greatest soccer players of all-time, and now an Olympic champion. Dunlop also recaps a memorable day of these Olympics with medals from Mohammed Ahmed in the 5,000-metre race, Andre De Grasse adding to his medal count in the men's 4x100-metre relay and Evan Dunfee in the race walk.

Guest: Nadine Yousif, the Star's mental health reporter The Tokyo Olympics have been historic in many ways. The games took place in the middle of a global pandemic, Canada's female athletes are bringing in the gold and glory, and mental health has been brought to the centre stage. Olympians have rallied around U.S. gymnast Simone Biles' decision to bow out of team finals, the latest example of a high-profile figure publicly putting their mental health first. Her decision is being celebrated by many, as it shows that even superhuman athletes struggle with pressure from work, and mental health struggles can affect everyone. It is OK to not be OK.

Guest: Ed Keenan, The Star's Washington Bureau Chief This week New York City became the first city in the United States to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination for indoor spaces and activities. Just two months after Washington Bureau Chief Ed Keenan reported about the city's reopening joy and successful vaccinations, COVID cases are rising in all 50 U.S. states, driven by the Delta variant and surging in places where vaccinations rates are low. What changed the game so quickly in the U.S.? Health experts said it comes down to who got vaccinated and who did not. Today on "This Matters," we take a look at what happened and what this might mean for Canada.

Guest: Olivia Bowden, Toronto Star reporter As Canada goes through the painful process of identifying hundreds of Indigenous children's remains who were buried in unmarked graves outside the sites of former residential schools, conversations have turned to what to do next with the locations, how to commemorate the children lost and how to honour those victimized. For some in Indigenous communities, those discussions have actually been taking place for decades. Olivia Bowden visited the site of the former Mohawk Institute residential school, now a part of the Woodland Centre under the ownership of the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve, to listen and try to understand how Canada should move forward in addressing the horrific legacy of the residential school system and honour the Indigenous children that were its victims.

Guest: Kana Enomoto, senior expert at McKinsey & Company, national leader in mental health, substance-use policy, data and programs Recent data released by global management consulting firm McKinsey and Company has shown that COVID-19 has profoundly impacted employees' well-being. Almost a third of respondents reported having anxiety, while at least 28 per cent experienced burnout. Women, especially racialized women, have been the hardest hit with their participation in the workforce at a historic low. Today on "This Matters," Kana Enomoto explains what it's like for working women getting ready to return to the office, carrying all the trauma and exhaustion of the past year and how they will need to be supported by employers.

GUEST: Professor Jean-Nicolas Reyt, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at McGill University A recent study in Iceland involving thousands of workers has brought back the buzz around a shorter four-day work week. As the pandemic has accelerated the movement to work smarter and not longer, we explore the tantalizing possibilities — and potential problems — with a four-day work week in North America.

Guest: Moira Welsh, investigative reporter for the Star The case of the MV Miner is a siren call to the question of what happens to "dead ships" that come from Canada and the dire consequences of neglect. Nova Scotians know the story well after the giant vessel full of chemicals and fuel became adrift and ended up in a protected area. It took $20 million and four years to remove. What happens to the rest of Canada's "dead ships" that face a perilous journey across oceans? A Star investigation explains why a lack of oversight and big money has created an industry of potentially damaging and dangerous derelicts.