This Matters

Guest: Deborah Dundas, books editor The 2023 Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada's prestigious literary award, will be handed out on Nov. 13. Five books were shortlisted last week from a longlist of twelve, picked out of more than a hundred books that were submitted across the country. Star books editor Deborah Dundas walks us through the most buzzworthy books and gives great recommendations to add to our holiday reading and gift lists. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Brian Bradley and Saba Eitizaz. Audio Sources: Wellington Square Books, Vancouver Public Library, Kobo, Waterstones, Notre Dame Day

Guest: Amy Laski, founder of the Tween Girls Hockey League The city's policy for allocating recreational permits for sports facilities favours tradition. Long-term permit holders get renewed year after year. That's great for building up those leagues, but leaves any newcomers, including those trying to serve girls and others who feel left out of the existing sports culture, scrambling to try to find a way in. Hockey mom and league founder Amy Laski outlines her struggle to get the city to accommodate her league and fix the policies that led to it. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan.

Guest: Dr. Sasha High, internal medicine and obesity physician Ozempic has been all over the news and social media as it has been hailed as the miracle drug for weight loss. As it is a trend among A-list celebrities, it's also found itself surrounded by controversy. Experts say Ozempic is a medicine, not a TikTok trend and needs to be taken with the advice of your doctor. Last year, Ozempic hype and reported off-label use led to a shortage of the drug in certain regions for people who needed it, including diabetics. It isn't all black and white — diabetes and obesity are often interrelated — and this drug and others like it could be a game changer for those struggling with both. That's around seven per cent of the population in Canada. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Lydia Greene, student nurse For a long while, Lydia Greene would forgo many vaccines for her and her children, believing them akin to poison. A mother of three and a former quality-control chemist for a pharmaceutical plant, Greene called herself an anti-vaxxer. But when COVID-19 put vaccine safety into the spotlight, she decided to dig deeper into the research and concluded she might actually be wrong. She talks to "This Matters" about how she got from there to here, what it was like to administer her first vaccine as a student nurse and about grappling with that very human quandary of what it feels like to realize you're wrong. This episode is produced by Alex Boyd, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon

Guest: Amy Dempsey, feature writer Less than a century ago, a single raccoon raiding a garbage bin was front-page news in Toronto, while today the trash pandas are everywhere. Feature writer Amy Dempsey, who documented how the creatures outsmarted the city's waste-bin engineers, takes a closer look at our love-hate relationships with these animals, the city's frustrated attempts to control them and how and why they've made themselves at home in Toronto (and invited themselves to join Amy's wedding). This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Edward Keenan. Audio Sources: CBC, Toronto Star

Guest: Michael Lewis, journalist and author In 2019, Sam Bankman-Fried set up a crypto exchange called FTX. Over the course of two years, as the price of crypto skyrocketed, so did his fortune, until it was estimated at as much as $26.5 billion U.S. SBF, as he became known, was feted by celebrities from football star Tom Brady to comedian Larry David. Then, in November 2022, it all came crashing down. SBF was accused of diverting $8 billion of investors' money from FTX to his hedge fund Alameda Research, and making huge purchases, including more than $100 million in political donations. At just 31, he is now in U.S. court on seven fraud charges in the first of several trials. (This one expected to run six weeks.) Michael Lewis, journalist and author of such bestselling books as "The Big Short" and "Moneyball," was in the position of following Bankman-Fried throughout his rise and spectacular fall and has just published a book on the subject, "Going Infinite." Lewis joins "This Matters." This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Brian Bradley and Deborah Dundas.

More than a week ago Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an unprecedented move. He accused Indian government agents of involvement in the death of exiled Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil; an accusation that New Delhi has denied strongly and dismissed as "absurd." Since then, both countries have been in a diplomatic showdown, including tit-for-tat expulsions of each other's diplomats. The tensions have spiralled since then with travel advisories for citizens on both sides, with India also suspending visa services in Canada. Diplomatic conflict between two G20 members raises the potential of drawing in mutual allies and transforming the conflict into a global one. The implications are serious, especially for ordinary people on both sides who will be impacted by the changing winds of foreign policy. We get two journalists from both countries to weigh in with the Canadian and Indian perspectives. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

The Blue Jays clinched a playoff spot on Sunday and will start the Wild Card series agains the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. The Star's baseball podcast Deep Left Field has gone daily for the playoff run, so This Matters guest host Mike Wilner brings you this clinch episode. You'll hear from Blue Jays (and Deep Left Field regulars) Kevin Kiermaier and Jordan Romano, along with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Matt Chapman. You'll also hear John Schneider's post-game speech to the team. And we answer your email questions to [email protected] as we get you set for the Jays' first-round date with Minnesota.

Hosts: Toronto Star columnists Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel In this episode: The week that was in Toronto and beyond: Including questions about whether the Eglinton Crosstown will be built in any of our lifetimes (and whether they'll let us know if it is), the fallout from the celebration of a Nazi soldier that ruined what should have been a good and meaningful day for the federal government, Olivia Chow's measures of progress in Ottawa and at Queen's Park, and Emma Teitel's theory about why we're destined to always hate Yonge-Dundas Square. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Emma Teitel and Ed Keenan.

On this episode: Guest host Althia Raj talks with Bernie Farber, the founding chair of the anti-hate network, the former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress Last week, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, invited Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old constituent, to come to Ottawa and hear Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address. Rota introduced him in the House as a Ukranian who'd fought the Russians during World War Two and was proud to support the troops again. Hunka received two standing ovations before MPs, journalists and the world realized they were honouring someone who'd pledged allegiance to Hitler and fought with the Nazis. An international crisis erupted with Russia using the incident in its disinformation campaign. Rota was pressured to resign and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered an apology. But is it enough? Our guest today is Bernie Farber, the founding chair of the anti-hate network, the former CEO of the Canadian Jewish Congress and someone who knows more than most about Canada's history with Nazi war criminals. Audio sources: CPAC This episode was produced by Althia Raj and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Toronto Star Queen's Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie In this episode: Doug Ford's foray into a mayoral election he promised to stay out of was just the start of a summer where nothing seemed to go right for his government and where the Greenbelt swap scandal exploded — costing his government cabinet ministers, senior staff members, and oodles of popular support. The Star's Robert Benzie details how the summer sun scorched Ford's popularity, and discusses the mood in the government caucus and where they go from here. Audio sources: Canadian Press, Global This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Ed Keenan.

Guest: Brandi Morin, French/Cree/Iroquois journalist from Treaty 6 in Alberta Indigenous people have been on the frontlines of fighting to protect and sustain the land and environment for years. They warn that the west's supposedly eco-friendly climate strategy is also a repeat of history. Resources needed for sustainable alternate energy such as mineral mining continues the practise of extracting from the earth, threatening Indigenous lands and people. One of these new frontlines is Nevada's remote Thacker Pass where a battle is playing out in Paiute and Shoshone territories between the local Indigenous tribes and a Canadian mining company that is mining the lithium beneath their land.A recently released short documentary "Thacker Pass: Mining the Sacred" by award-winning journalist Brandi Morin and Geordie Day took us to the heart of it. It's part of a cross-border project between Ricochet Media, IndigiNews and The Real News Network in the United States. According to the Real News Network, in 2022, the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe signed a Community Benefits Agreement with Lithium Americas. At roughly 64 kms away, the reservation is the closest – and poorest – in the region.The company said in a statement to Real News Network: '"We are pleased to have the support of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe as we advance Thacker Pass and look forward to generations of future collaboration."' Audio sources: Ricochet media, IndigiNews, The Real News Network This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Saba Eitizaz.

Guests: Martin Regg Cohn, Queen's Park columnist In this episode, columnist Martin Regg Cohn joins to tackle the avalanche of news coming from Queen's Park including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow's visit (and common ground with the premier), the debate for Liberal party leadership hopefuls and Premier Doug Ford reversing his earlier reversal on Greenbelt protections. All of that, plus what you can learn in the bleachers at a youth sports game. This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Sean Pattendon and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston. Audio Sources: YouTube and The Dais at TMU

Guest: Mark Maloney, author Mark Maloney is the author of the book "Toronto Mayors," which profiles all 65 people who've held the city's top job. He joins "This Matters" to talk about the rogues gallery of scandalous scoundrels in our past, share who he considers the Mount Rushmore of best (and most beloved) mayors and give his thoughts on the city's recurring state of explosive growth and underfunded infrastructure. This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Paolo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Ed Jackson, community historian Hanlan's Point is known as Toronto's clothing-optional beach, but it has deeper significance as a historically queer space and has recently been recognized for its place in city history. The beach in the Toronto Islands was the site of Canada's first Pride celebration in 1971 and a place, just outside of the spotlight, that was quietly known for decades as a safe gathering spot when it was not safe to be out elsewhere. It has some ugly history too, including homophobic violence and police harassment, that has flared up all too recently. Ed Jackson is a community historian and co-editor of the book "Any Other Way: How Toronto Got Queer." He joins "This Matters" to talk about this significance. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley. Audio Sources: Friends of Hanlan's

Guest: Wendy Gillis, crime and policing reporter Chilling testimony has been delivered in the ongoing trial of the man accused of killing four members of a Muslim family in 2021. For Canadian Muslims, it's a reopening of old wounds and a litmus test of Canada's anti-terrorism laws. Four members of the Afzaal family were killed just over two years ago in London, Ont., when the accused allegedly struck and killed Salman Afzaal, 46, Madiha Salman, 44, Salman's mother Talat Afzaal, 74, and Yumna Afzaal, 15, with his pick up truck. Salman's 9-year-old son was the sole survivor of the attack. The incident sparked shock and horror over Islamophobic violence fuelled by online hate and disinformation. In the first week of the murder trial, taking place in Windsor, Ont., prosecutors have been laying out the evidence. The details have been disturbing and painful. We try to unpack what we know so far. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Wendy Gillis and Saba Eitizaz.

Guest: Bill Vigars, author of "Terry & Me" It was 43 years ago when Terry Fox dipped his leg in the Atlantic Ocean and embarked on a run across the country to raise money for cancer research. He ran 5,373 kilometres in 143 days before his cancer would return and end his run in Thunder Bay, Ont. Fox's dream of raising $1 for every Canadian would be realized, though. Canadians and others around the world run annually in his place and have raised over $850 million dollars for critical research. Bill Vigars, one of the people closest to Fox, is the author of the new book "Terry & Me" and joins "This Matters" to share more about the man behind the Marathon of Hope. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley. Audio Sources: Terry Fox Foundation, CHCH News, Global News

Guests: Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel, columnists Mayor Olivia Chow spoke with John Baird, the former federal minister of foreign affairs, and they agreed Toronto needs a new deal. So far the federal government hasn't played along, but maybe a scandal plagued Premier Doug Ford could be convinced to play along? Keenan and Teitel also discuss the Conservative party's indulgence of anti-woke pandering, the late arrival of cellular service on the TTC, the late departure of the prime minister from a foreign meeting and other assorted news that caught their attention through the week. This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Emma Teitel, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley. Audio Sources: CHCH News, CTV News, Empire Club of Canada

Guest: Katie Daubs, senior writer At a time when reports of dog bites and complaints about dog behaviour are on the rise, a motion at city council will review rules for dog off-leash areas. Senior writer Katie Daubs has looked at the bitter fights and challenges of enforcing rules about beloved city pets, and she joins "This Matters" to talk about the lack of resources (and the culture of disobedience) around the issue in Toronto. This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Peter Howell, movie critic This year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicked off last Thursday with relatively less buzz. As the red carpets rolled out for the annual festival, organizers, film directors and movie buffs are all grappling with the absence of the usual number of big movie stars due to Hollywood's ongoing strike by writers and actors, its largest in decades. TIFF is also facing the loss of Bell as its lead sponsor at the end of this year. The show must go on. This year's lineup includes some 200 films packed into an intense 11-day program. Movie Critic Peter Howell gives us a curtain-raiser. Audio sources: SAG-AFTRA, BBC, Global News This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.

Guests: Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel, columnists In this episode, hosts Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel discuss the fiasco "inside a clown show wrapped in a dumpster fire" that is the Premier Doug Ford Greenbelt scandal, Toronto city council talks on new taxes and new public housing, how the education minister's lose talk could lead to kids becoming homeless and other assorted news that caught Ed's and Emma's attention through the first week after the summer vacation. This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Emma Teitel, Crawford Blair and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Alex Boyd, staff reporter If you're a parent, you might believe your child can teach you a thing or two about the internet. You wouldn't be wrong but did you know teens are more susceptible to online conspiracy theories and disinformation than you? Research shows that young people are increasingly exposed to disinformation and misinformation, and struggling to separate facts from fake news. It seems like the "online generation" is also the most vulnerable to the pitfalls of the online world and experts say that has dangerous consequences. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Picture this: A swarm of bees, millions of them, unleashed and spilling out onto a highway. Sound like the plot of a horror movie? This happened recently in Burlington, Ont. when a truck carrying five million bees spilled its cargo. The incident caused quite a buzz, but experts are saying we're buzzing about the wrong disaster. The real one is the rapidly declining populations of these bees and how our future might be depending on their fate. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley. Audio sources: Global News

Guest: Clarrie Feinstein, real estate reporter Real estate is becoming mission impossible in Canada. With interest rates holding high, there is less demand for properties on the market and an increasing number of mortgages are going into default. Property investors aren't making money and struggling to sell as homebuilders are cancelling projects. Something has to give. As the Star's real estate reporter Clarrie Feinstein shares, all eyes are on the Bank of Canada to cut rates in 2024. This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, reporter at the Toronto Star In May 2014 the New York Times published an opinion piece that generated much buzz, claiming that Canada might have stolen the famous "American Dream" when it came to median, after-tax income, quality of education and economic equality. Less than ten years and a pandemic later, the "Canadian Dream" might be turning into a nightmare with a spiraling housing, healthcare and economic crisis and the U.S. is once again pulling ahead of Canada when it comes to middle-class prosperity and social mobility. We explore why the tables have turned. Audio sources: TikTok This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Wendy Gillis, reporter at the Toronto Star Imagine someone going through a serious mental health crisis — and calls for help to prevent hurting themselves — and is then seriously hurt by those who responded to the distress call. It happened to a man called Brent Langille in an example of police on the frontlines of mental health calls. But shrinking budgets for mental health programs has led to the police becoming de-facto front-line mental health workers. We take a look at how this recent case highlighted cracks in the system. If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at http://crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston

Guest: Edward Keenan and Emma Teitel, columnists Mayor Olivia Chow's executive committee met this week for the first time to tackle new tax and revenue options and get something started on affordable housing. The only question is whether the provincial and federal governments will join them. Plus: the Ontario Place spa redesign, the final closure of the Scarborough RT and the thrilling siren song of the Polar Express (and the images painted on it). This episode was produced by Edward Keenan, Sean Pattendon and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston. Audio Sources: @kissingbanditt/YouTube

Guest: Kate McCullough, reporter at The Hamilton Spectator It is a story out of East Hamilton that has made headlines, but could happen to anyone. A couple who own a home as an investment property have sold, told their tenants to leave because the buyers intend to live there, but the tenants say they can't leave because they find a home in their price range in the costly rental market. The situation has now gone to the backlogged Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), effectively putting a stop on closing of the house sale. Fed up, the buyers temporarily backed their 28-foot trailer into the driveway of their would-be home a few weeks ago, adding to the tensions between parties. Stay tuned for an outrageous, but increasingly common, real estate tale. This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Paolo Marques. Audio Sources: CHCH News

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, health reporter Health professionals are warning of an earlier than expected fourth wave of COVID-19 and the emergence of yet more fast-transmitting variants. While nothing has changed in terms of how we live with COVID, experts are saying this fourth pandemic autumn will be different from previous waves. This time around Canadians have tools to tackle the virus with high levels of immunity from a combination of vaccination and previous infection, and there are new, reformulated booster shots coming soon to specifically target the new subvariants. In today's episode, we include all you need to know about the new booster shots and what to do to ride the expected pandemic waves of fall and winter. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley. Audio Sources: CBC, Timiskaming Health Unit, Global News

Guest: Matti Siemiatycki, director on University of Toronto's Infrastructure Institute Earlier this month, a scathing report from Ontario's auditor general revealed that Premier Doug Ford's decision to open up land for development in the protected Greenbelt area might have been influenced by well-connected developers who stand to make billions of dollars. In the aftermath of growing calls for resignation and political pressure, the Ford government seems undeterred in its plans for development on Greenbelt land. Ford says it's the only way to tackle the massive housing crisis, but is that really accurate and do we really need to build on the Greenbelt to fix the housing crisis? We explore this question with an expert. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston.

Guest: Melissa Haussman, professor of political science at Carleton University Former U.S. President Donald Trump's legal web is more tangled than ever after his fourth indictment was handed down in Georgia as he ramps up another run for the White House. Trump has 91 criminal charges against him between Georgia, Florida, New York and the District of Columbia and the stakes could not be higher for him and for American democracy. On "This Matters," we take a look at the political impact of Trump's indictments. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Brian Bradley. Audio sources: SkyNews/TikTok, NowThisNews/TikTok

Guest: Jim Rankin and Wendy Gillis, crime and justice reporters Ayaan Farah, a Black woman, was stopped and questioned by the police in 2011. The documentation of that interaction changed her life, as she was suspended without pay from a job she held for years despite having no criminal record. She's now the face of a class-action lawsuit over "carding," a historically controversial and racially skewed police practice of stopping, interrogating and documenting people. Although it's now outlawed, this lawsuit offers a stark reminder of the continuing socio-economic, mental, and emotional consequences for racialized individuals who have experienced it. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paolo Marques and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston. Audio Sources: CBC

Guest: Stephanie Levitz, Ottawa Bureau From cabinet appointments to personal style, our federal political leaders are changing and shaking up how they lead as our Canadian perceptions of them are increasingly divided. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals mark the lowest approval rating since they formed government, Trudeau shook up the front bench (while also making news in his personal life). On the other side of the aisle, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is shaking up his personal image and launching ads to build on increasing party momentum. It is a time where the personal is eclipsing the politics and it could very well be the start of politicking for the next election. This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Julia De Laurentiis Johnston. Audio Sources: Global News, Reuters, Trending Now

Guests: The Toronto Star All-Star Opinionator Panel featuring Matt Elliott, Shawn Micallef and host Edward Keenan On Saturday, Olivia Chow marks one month in the job as mayor, and this week, she appointed her team by selecting the committee Some would-be rivals seemed to get plum jobs, and at least one committee will have an odd couple at the helm. Plus: why a fire alarm during the meeting may be an appropriate sound effect for the occasion. This episode was produced by Ed Keendan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Paulo Marques.

Guests: Todd Irvine, arborist and founder of City Forest When a woman was killed by a falling tree branch in Trinity Bellwoods park recently, it struck many as an unforseeable freak accident. But the danger was foreseen by at least one man, and his warnings went unheeded as the Star reported this week. Arborist Todd Irvine has also been warning the city that its maintenance of trees is often making them more dangerous, and joins host Edward Keenan to explain how and why the city needs to improve how its treats the urban forest. Read the related column here. This episode was produced by Ed Keendan, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Deborah Dundas, books editor for the Toronto Star A recent Statistics Canada survey found 1 in 4 Canadians would not be able to cover an unexpected expense of $500 if they had to. Almost half were deeply concerned about their ability to afford rent or housing. It's an important time to talk about class divisions in Canada. And Deborah Dundas wants to do that through her new book "On Class." She's on the podcast today to talk about why we need to talk about class, and what not talking about it means for whose stories get told and by whom. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques.

Guest: Kate Allen, Climate change reporter for the Toronto Star The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has dubbed it a "cruel summer." A blistering heatwave is sweeping across North America and Europe with record high temperatures triggering other travesties like devastating wildfires and flash floods with July being declared the world's hottest month on record. Climate change has been explicitly blamed for some of what we've seen recently, and scientists are saying this is a terrifying glimpse of the future with the worst yet to come. Meanwhile, for many Canadians, climate change has gone from feeling like a remote scientific term; and beginning to impact their lives in a very tangible way. Audio sources: The Guardian

Guest: Megan Ogilvie, heath reporter for the Toronto Star More than three years after the COVID-19 pandemic that took tens of thousands of Canadian lives, a group of the country's top medical experts have published a scathing indictment of Canada's COVID response. In a sweeping set of research papers and editorials published in the British Medical Journal, these experts are calling on the government for a national inquiry into its COVID response — something that's already happening in other countries. They say this process is imperative to learn from what was lost, because it is only a matter of time before we face the next big pandemic. We take a deep dive into "the COVID papers." This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

WARNING: This story includes sensitive subject matter, including discussion of gun violence, gender-based violence and intimate partner violence, that could be triggering for some listeners. Guest: Michele Henry, staff reporter It was an unthinkable act of violence: a lone gunman, seemingly angry at fellow residents in his Vaughan condo building, unleashed a torrent of bullets that left five people dead and others injured. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the GTA's recent history and now, we understand more about the man behind the crime. Our country's worst killers do not need notoriety. That's not why we are here today, but it is important to understand motivations and the reasons why. As the Star's Michele Henry found, there are connections to our notorious criminals who have perpetuated violence and we must pay attention to what those things are. This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Sean Pattendon and Crawford Blair.

Guest: Susan Delacourt, national columnist Wednesday's oath-taking ceremony at Rideau Hall marked one of the most significant cabinet shuffles of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's eight-year tenure, a move that's being framed as a game changer ahead of a pivotal moment. Seven newcomers were welcomed to the front bench, seven were dropped and almost 30 out of 38 ministries saw big changes. The Liberals have positioned it as a crucial reboot of a team that will lead them to their fourth re-election. The opposition is not buying it, as ordinary Canadians are focused on the economy, health, and housing among other serious issues. Will this be enough to satisfy Canadian voters? We try to untangle the political knots. Audio sources: CTV News, CPAC This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Noor Javed, staff reporter Ontario's 444 municipalities are often referred to as "creatures of the province," which has certainly proved to be true since Premier Doug Ford took over at Queen's Park. The provincial Conservatives have repeatedly exerted authority over all aspects of local government — slashing Toronto city council, suddenly bestowing strong-mayor powers, cutting development charges and ushering in the breakup of Peel Region. This has rendered municipalities and their elected officials seemingly powerless as the former city councillor turned premier is, as one expert said, "excessively preoccupied with municipal governance" and leaving people to feel "like they have lost control over local decisions." Audio Sources: Global News, CityNews This episode was produced by Brian Bradley and Kevin Sexton.

WARNING: This story contains sensitive subject matter, including suicide and self-harm, that could be triggering for some readers. Guest: Sheila Wang, investigative reporter A new study has revealed that tons of mercury dumped as industrial waste upstream of Grassy Narrows First Nations decades ago has contributed to the community's youth attempting suicide at a rate three times higher than that of other First Nations in Canada. Residents of the community have long reported tremors, slurred speech, impaired hearing, tunnel vision and lost muscle co-ordination, but this is the first time a direct connection has been made between mercury contamination and the deteriorating mental health of the younger generation. We take a look at this new information and its significance. Audio sources: Star files, Global News, APTN News This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon. If you are thinking of suicide or know someone who is, there is help. Resources are available online at crisisservicescanada.ca or you can connect to the national suicide prevention helpline at 1-833-456-4566, or the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868.

Guest: Clarrie Feinstein, business reporter Highlighting that those trying to rent while earning minimum wage are fast losing ground, a recent report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives paints a bleak picture of affordability in most Canadian cities. It all comes down to the "rental wage," the hourly wage that would be required to be able to afford rent while working a 40-hour week and spending no more than 30 per cent of gross income on housing. The report highlights that across most of Canada, the minimum wage is not near enough for a one-bedroom apartment. In Toronto, one would have to earn more than double the provincial minimum wage of $15.50. We take a look at the findings of this report and the factors that led us here. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa Bureau Chief The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is a $4.2-billion dollar national force looking over eight provinces, three territories, 150 municipalities and 600 Indigenous communities. But now, sources say the PMO wants Mounties to be transformed into the "FBI of the North." The idea would pull the RCMP out of the business of front-line, day-to-day contract policing and shift focus to challenges like national security and terrorism, financial crimes, cybercrime and organized crime. Such radical change will take time but, in the interim, the idea has found high-profile support in key senior RCMP and political offices. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Kenyon Wallace and Diana Zlomislic, investigative reporters A new Star investigation has revealed that owners of some of Toronto's cheapest homes might be paying disproportionately more in property taxes than those living in luxurious mansions. Analyzing roughly 12,000 homes sold in 2016, Star reporters found the burden of this tax inequality is shouldered by those with the least-expensive houses, while owners of some of the city's richest homes in fancy neighbourhoods get a break. Who tallies up the bill? It is the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), a publicly funded agency, who carries the task of valuating properties for tax purposes. While the agency says their assessment process has already been extensively reviewed by several third-party evaluators, the Star's data analysis revealed there are many over-assessed — and overtaxed — homeowners. EDITOR'S NOTE: This podcast episode has been edited to clarify the deadlines involved in challenging a residential property assessment. In a non-reassessment year, the deadline to submit a request for reconsideration to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation is March 31. In a reassessment year, that deadline is 120 days after a homeowner receives their notice. While homeowners can submit a request for reconsideration every year, if they miss the submission deadline, they cannot seek an adjustment for a previous year, only the current year. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Lex Harvey, transportation reporter As TTC service cuts and dense Toronto traffic make commuting much harder, an increasing number of people find themselves turning to alternatives like personal electric vehicles, or PEVs for short. There are all sorts of oddball versions on city streets and those who use them say they might be the answer to traffic woes and they are environmentally-friendly. There's one speed bump — e-scooters and other PEVs (aside from e-bikes) are illegal in Toronto. We take a look at the hot new PEV culture picking up speed in the city. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.

Guest: Sebastian Bron, reporter at The Hamilton Spectator Our health care systems are set up with the expectation someone struggling is functional enough to schedule, travel and arrive at appointments and be in the driver's seat of their care. Not everyone can do that, so St. Joe's mobile mental-health clinic in Hamilton has flipped the model on its head. Nurses and paramedics hit the road by bus to provide mobile mental health care everywhere from a Tim Hortons coffee shop, to a library, a shelter or off the grid completely. Patients are more engaged with their care, they are more regularly treated, and they are able to build rapport and trust with the broken system they are used to. Sebastian Bron, a general assignment reporter at The Hamilton Spectator, recently spent a day with the team and their patients. He joins "This Matters" to share his observations. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley. Audio Sources: Sebastian Bron

Guest: Shellene Drakes-Tull, contributing columnist How many racialized people calling it out does it take to fix racism? Toronto Star contributing columnist Shellene Drakes-Tull addressed this head on in a recent column, where she pointed out the Canadian trend to issue a new survey, report or article comes out every few weeks that states what any racialized person has known for years: racism exists in Canada. Any new data is never good. BIPOC representation is down, systemic racism is up, workplaces are challenging and people of colour are tired of repeating the numbers to general shock, surprise or disbelief. Why does nothing really change? Why is it so hard to make someone believe that racism is real and present in our everyday lives, workplaces and institutions? This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paolo Marques.

Guest: Katie Daubs, senior writer The City of Toronto manages more than 850 playgrounds, but city-provided information is lacking and children have critical questions. How fast is the slide? Will I vomit on the merry-go-round? Is there a place to play house? Parents also have questions. Is their shade? Is the space accessible? Is a bathroom close by? To get the information, one Toronto dad has taken his children to over 200 parks and built an essential guide with important information any family would need before heading outside. The Star's Katie Daubs joins "This Matters" to talk about his findings, the best and worst playgrounds in Toronto and the fun playground history in the city. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon and Brian Bradley.

Guest: Victoria Gibson, affordable housing reporter Asylum seekers come to Canada hoping to find safety, refuge and the chance to build a better life. Instead, many have ended up sleeping on the streets of Toronto after being caught in a bureaucratic tug of war between Toronto and Ottawa, as the city and the federal governments are pointing at each other on who should fund the responsibility of housing refugees. According to a new policy that came into effect June 1, the city is now directing asylum seekers in need of emergency beds to the federal government. We look at this new policy and hear the stories of the most vulnerable people who are being impacted. This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon.