Zoomer Week in Review

Significantly fewer Canadians intend to give to charity this holiday season and those who do, plan to give less. Inflation, surging demand, and falling donations have combined to create a perfect storm for Canada’s charities and nonprofits. A new Holiday Giving survey by Imagine Canada finds fewer than half of Canadian adults intend to donate, down from last year. And a third say they’ll give less. We reached Imagine Canada’s President and CEO Bruce MacDonald. AND Christmas usually evokes a time of peaceful family gatherings. But for separated parents, their children, and grandparents, it can be a stressful time of year as kids are caught in the middle of access over the holidays. This year, divorced parents are speed dialing their lawyers, demanding access to their children over the holidays as travel plans ramp up following years of stay-at-home Christmases due to the pandemic. We reached lawyer Diana Isaac, Partner at Shulman & Partners family law for some tips on how to create a conflict free Christmas and New Years.

This week US Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff convened a roundtable on anti-Semitism at the White House to address what he is calling an epidemic of hate. The alarming rise of anti-Semitism here in Canada and around the world has been fueled by conspiracy theories on the right and the cover of anti-Zionism on the left. I talk with Dara Horn author of "People Love Dead Jews - Reports from A Haunted Present". AND The man charged in two grisly murders, perpetrated nearly forty years ago, made his first court appearance on Friday. Police believe they were able to solve the case all these years later because of advances in investigative genetic genealogy. Det. Sgt. Stephen Smith explains how this technique led to the arrest of Joseph George Sutherland.

Zoomers will remember the time when you had to go to the library to get books and you had to search for them using a card catalogue. Today our libraries are used more as social centres, like seeking protection from harsh weather, and finding jobs online. Libby Znaimer spoke to Vickery Bowles, the City Librarian at Toronto Public Library AND Tim Christian was a prominent lawyer and Dean of the Law School at the University of Alberta throughout his career. It’s not that unusual for people to write books in retirement - but the level of success on his first foray into biography is remarkable. We talked about his transition and "Hemingway’s Widow", his groundbreaking book on Mary Welsh, Hemingway’s fourth wife.

How connected are you to family and friends? We keep talking about how important that is and how the pandemic has taken its toll. In its second ever in-depth look at social capital in the city, The Toronto Foundation found a shocking number of people who say they have no friends or family to turn to as well as a big drop in the number of people who volunteer. Libby Znaimer talked with the foundation’s CEO Sharon Avery. AND It’s Diabetes Awareness Month and every day, 640 Canadians are diagnosed with diabetes. That’s 1 person every 3 minutes. Many more are unaware they have diabetes or pre-diabetes—and that raises their risk for heart disease. Libby Znaimer reached cardiologist Dr. Shelley Zieroth at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg.

Last year Canadians donated $18 billion to charity and this is the time of year when many of us plan our year-end giving. How can you know if the causes you support are actually making a difference? Charity Intelligence is out with its annual ranking of the organizations that make the biggest impact for every dollar donated. Libby Znaimer spoke with Greg Thomson. AND It’s a given that failure can lead to dramatic life changes and sometimes those changes can be very positive. Radio host and prolific author Terry O’Reilly recounts how some of the biggest breakthroughs and best-loved products originated with a mistake. Libby Znaimer talked to him about his new book, My Best Mistakes, Epic Fails, and Silver Linings.

It was a defining moment in labour negotiations in Ontario this past week. Amid growing support for CUPE education workers, and poll numbers suggesting he was to blame, did Doug Ford blink and back down by rescinding Bill 28? We reached Dr. Simon Black, associate professor of labour studies at Brock University, about these unprecedented turn of events. AND Calgary-based writer Suzette Mayr has won this year’s Scotiabank Giller Prize for her novel The Sleeping Car Porter. This is Mayr’s sixth novel that tells the story of a Black man in 1929 who works as a sleeping-car porter on a train that travels across the countrywhile living a secret life as a gay man. It brings to life an important part of Black history. Mayr is a past president of the Writers' Guild of Alberta, and has been teaching creative writing at the University of Calgary since 2003. We reached her hours after her big $100,000 win.

An Alberta mother of the last Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan has been chosen as this year's Silver Cross Mother. Candy Greff will lay a wreath at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Remembrance Day, placing it on behalf of all mothers who have lost children to the service of Canada. Her son, Master Corporal Byron Greff, was killed in a suicide bombing in October of 2011 becoming the 158th Canadian soldier to die in the country and the last before Canada's mission there ended in 2014. We reached this year’s Silver Cross Mother, Candy Greff. AND How was your sleep last night? We changed the clocks back an hour overnight, ending daylight saving time in Ontario. According to experts, some people will experience a shock to their bodies' internal clock much like the jet lag after flying across time zones. It’s a tradition that first began in Ontario in 1918 and remains controversial. We reached Dr. Patricia Lakin Thomas, professor of biology at York University, whose research includes our circadian rhythms and internal clocks.

There is always a lower turnout for municipal elections than for the higher levels of government but Monday’s races set a record low. In Toronto, voter turnout was 28.58%. In Mississauga and Brampton, it was less than 25%. Across the province, just 34%. John Beebe of The Democratic Engagement Exchange tells Libby Znaimer that’s bad news for all of us! AND Salt is essential for preserving, fermenting and transforming food. We need it to maintain health and it has been used since ancient times. "The Miracle of Salt" charts some of its history and the different ways it’s used around the world. Libby talked with author Naomi Duguid.

INFLATION This week was all about inflation - especially in the cost of food. Are the large grocers passing on legitimate increases in their own costs or are they using it as an excuse to price gouge? In the House of Commons politicians of all stripes voted unanimously to investigate so-called "Greedflation". Libby Znaimer asked left-wing economist Jim Stanford for his take on the evidence. MODERN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY Modern medical technology can extend our lives in ways that would have been unimaginable just decades ago. But it can also leave patients in the grey zone between life and death robbing them of important human moments at the end. Libby Znaimer talked to ICU doctor and former paramedic Blair Bigham about his book; Death interrupted : How Modern medicine is Complicating the way We Die.

Municipal elections are less than two weeks away and a lot of people in Toronto are frustrated. There is a sense of a city that has given up trying to manage and co-ordinate and deliver the basics while we are in the midst of a tremendous growth spurt. That growth seems to be the justification for dirty streets, overflowing garbage cans, year-old potholes, abandoned construction equipment blocking traffic lanes, the stench of overflowing sewage invading a neighbourhood. Earlier this week, Libby Znaimer moderated the first of only two mayoral debates, and she asked the five candidates how they would actually improve this and get things done. You’ll hear incumbent John Tory, followed by Urbanist Gil Penalosa, analyst Chloe Brown, entrepreneur Jack Yan and activist Sarah Climenhage. AND It’s an extension of the farm to table movement and the embrace of local food. Many people are embracing an age-old pastime that takes us into the forests - foraging. A new book explores the mysteries of mycology. Libby Znaimer talked with author Dianne Borsato about Mushrooming: the Joy of the Quiet Hunt.

The now disbanded Ontario Science Advisory Table has released a final report that focuses on the response to the pandemic by family doctors and nurses. It’s recommending a team based approach would better serve patients and help address the alarming number of Ontarians without a family doctor. There are currently 1.8 million without a family physician and 1.7 million have a doctor who is 65 or older. We reached one of the authors of the brief, Dr. Kamila Premji, from the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine. AND This Thanksgiving will mark the first big fall gathering for many since the pandemic began as restrictions are lifted. But Thanksgiving dinner will come with a hefty price tag for Canadians this year as dinner staples increased by as much as 26 percent. With fewer discounts out there than previous years, how will families adjust their special meal? We reached nutritionist and author Rose Reisman

As the cold months approach, snowbirds will have a lot more to consider this coming winter as the price of accommodation, groceries and dining out have all risen. Many are opting for shorter trips south, and looking at different destinations as a result. And it’s not only travel to the U.S. that will be impacted as travellers will notice the effects of inflation wherever they go. Add into the mix, hurricanes. We reached travel expert Steven Fine, president of Snowbird Adviser. AND It’s “sweater weather” and the vibrant Fall colours are arriving with Ontario offering stunning views that are perhaps among the best in Canada. While apple picking and taking in the fall colours have always been quintessential fall activities .. if you’re looking to add a bit more adventure this fall, we reached Kevin Forget from Destination Ontario. And who better to give staycation tips. Kevin’s twitter profile reads "My job is to tell you about all of the cool things to do in Ontario"!

How many times have you heard people underestimate the seriousness of their chronic condition with a statement like, "It's just arthritis"? Arthritis is not rare, it plagues 1 in 5 Canadians and it is not an inevitable part of aging. To learn more, Libby Znaimer sat down with Trish Barbato President and CEO of The Arthritis Society. AND We often feel a deep sense of loss when someone we admire dies and many of us feel the need to pay tribute whether we knew the person or not. This week, hundreds of thousands of people lined up for hours to pay respects to the Queen and closer to home thousands turned out to honour murdered Constable Andrew Wong - although he was not a household name. What is behind these expressions of public grief? Libby talked with Dr. Darcy Harris, a professor from the Department of Thanatology, which is the scientific study of death, at King’s University College at Western University.

Along with three other former Prime Ministers and other dignitaries, the Right Honourable Jean Chretien will be part of Canada’s delegation to the Queen’s funeral tomorrow. He knew her for more than 50 years and he shared some of his memories with Libby Znaimer. AND Food is all about comfort and connection and that may be more true than ever over the next few weeks. Many of us will be hosting the first in person holidays since Covid with Jewish High Holidays and Thanksgiving around the corner. Bestselling cookbook author Bonnie Stern is promising that she has done all the worrying for us in her new book: “Don’t Worry, Just Cook!”

This week the Ford government unveiled measures designed to take pressure off the healthcare system. Meanwhile, most people don’t know about one innovation that has been in place for more than a year and a half. The major Toronto hospitals have banded together to offer a Virtual Emergency Deparment. Emergency may be a bit of a misnomer because it is to be used to address urgent but not life-threatening conditions. Libby Znaimer got the details from Dr. Justin Hall, Deputy Chief of the Emergency Department at Sunnybrook Health Sciences. You can access the online portal at torontovirtualed.ca AND Salman Rushdie was greeted with thunderous applause at a Toronto PEN gala back in 1992. It was a momentous occasion that helped him emerge from hiding following Ayatollah Khomeini’s death threat against him. Then premier, Bob Rae, was one of the first politicians to meet and greet Rushdie publicly, appearing on stage with him . Libby spoke to Ambassador Rae after the horrific attack on Rushdie last week.

It’s being called a mass exodus: at least 7 Toronto City Councillors aren’t running again and with a week left to register only 85 people are running for the 25 seats. Why is the job undesirable and could the answer be recruiting Zoomers? Libby Znaimer talked with the man known as the tiny perfect mayor, former mayor David Crombie. AND Happy Wife Happy Life! It’s an old old saying we’ve all heard and probably some have lived it. But does it have validity in keeping a relationship together? Professor Matthew Johnson of the University of Alberta tested it with the tools of social science.

It’s a breathtaking new way to see one of the natural wonders of the world. Niagara Parks Power Station just opened its new attraction, The Tunnel. You start with a look at a century old power station before descending 180 feet beneath the main generating floor. The tunnel takes you along the same path travelled by water and leads you to a viewing platform with a spectacular new perspective. Libby Znaimer got a tour from Kim Viney Niagara Parks’ VP of Business development. AND Canada’s premier tennis event is fully back for the first time since 2019 and it comes as our country is establishing itself as a tennis powerhouse. Libby talked with Tennis Canada President and CEO Michael Downey.

It’s likely that you, a loved one, or a friend suffers from chronic pain — especially in the lower back. Researchers at McGill University and scientists from Italy conducted a study that suggests blocking inflammation after injury might make that pain chronic, challenging the standard approach to treating pain. One of those who worked on it was Jeffrey Mogil, psychology professor at McGill. AND August 1st is the Civic holiday in Ontario but did you know it's also Emancipation Day in Canada? It's due to Rosemary Sadler. As president of the Ontario Black History Society, from 1993 through 2015, she advocated for Canada's Black history and the eventual designation of August 1st as Emancipation Day just last year. Does the author of seven books on the subject, and recipient of the Order of Ontario for her contributions, feel Black children are still facing the same issues she did when she was young?

This week learned that at 8.1%, inflation has hit a 39 year high. As if we wouldn’t have known that from buying groceries and filling the gas tank. Galloping inflation is especially hard on people on fixed incomes. But rising interest rates can be good news for your portfolio and are making products like annuities more attractive. The Longevity Pension Fund is only a year old and bills itself the world's first income-for-life mutual fund for Canadian retirees. Libby Znaimer talked with Fraser Stark of Purpose Investments AND Every day, 48 Canadians die and 634 are hospitalized because of falls. It’s the leading cause of injury deaths, hospitalizations, emergency department visits and disabilities in Canada. Especially for older people. It was shocking to learn that Ivana Trump died from a fall in her apartment at the age of 73. A spilled coffee cup was found beside her body. Libby turned to falls prevention expert Dr. Geoff Fernie, for some practical tips.

Last week’s massive Rogers outage left more than 12 million Canadians without access to everything from the internet to emergency services and banking. The government is demanding a plan to ensure it won’t happen again. Author and pollster Darrell Bricker says the fallout goes beyond communications and points to a wider breakdown of the basics. AND It’s a completely new way to view what aging is. Instead of a relatively short, unhealthy period of decline, aging now becomes a positive time of life – much longer, and with plenty of scope for personal development, accomplishment, and fulfillment. Libby Znaimer talks to author and Zoomer Media VP, David Cravit, about his new book.

Conservative activist Tasha Kheiriddin went to Calgary during the Stampede to launch her book which offers a prescription on how to unite the deeply divided party. But the disqualification of Patrick Brown has overshadowed all aspects of the leadership race and thrown the fundamental questions into high relief: will the Conservative party of Canada choose populism or the moderate centre? Will Canadians accept it as a viable alternative to the Liberals? Libby Znaimer reached Tasha Kheiriddin in Calgary. AND It’s a stunning life-saving achievement! A study published in the Lancet Infectious Disease estimates that COVID-19 vaccines helped reduce the global death toll by 63% during the first year they became available. That adds up to 20 million lives saved. I reached Dr. Oliver watson at Imperial College London.

Air Canada is canceling dozens of daily flights in an attempt to alleviate the chaos at our airports. The move will see more than 9,500 flights, or 154 per day on average, dropped from the airline’s schedule, and it will affect about 400,000 passengers. The flights are mainly domestic and Canada-U.S. routes out of Toronto and Montreal. What does it mean for your holiday? Libby Znaimer talked with travel expert Vivian Vassos, Executive Editor of Zoomer Magazine. AND For more than 2 decades, neurologist and medicinal chemist Donald Weaver has been pursuing a novel approach to Alzheimer’s Disease. He believes it is actually an auto-immune disease and that theory has now won him the silver Oskar Fischer Prize, worth US$400,000. Libby talked to him about his research.

This week brought more tragedy for the victims of drunk driver Marco Muzzo. Edward Lake, father of the three children who were killed with their grandfather, died by suicide. That prompted a petition signed by thousands to remove the Muzzo name from a hospital building. It’s part of a larger controversy over the rights to naming rights. Libby Znaimer reached Prof. David Soberman of the Rotman School of Management to discuss. AND “Creature Comforts” is a new VisionTV series that explores the elevation of pets to full family members. More than 50% of Canadians own pets and Zoomers say their animal companions help them enjoy life and feel loved. Libby talked with the show’s creator Erin Oakes.

Canada’s Jewish Immigrant Aid Services has been supporting refugees to this country for a remarkable 100 years, an anniversary marked this week here at the Zoomerplex. June 20th is World Refugee Day and this year it carries more significance as beleaguered Ukrainian refugees crossed their nation's border to various destinations including Canada. Ukraine has the fastest growing refugee crisis since the second world war and the numbers are growing. Whether it’s this crisis or others, JIAS has welcomed newcomers forced to flee their homeland. Elise Herzig, herself the daughter of an immigrant, is executive director Jewish Immigrant Aid Services, Toronto. AND There’s an urgent call for more blood donors as demand is back amid the smallest donor base in a decade. And officials warn it’s not sustainable. In fact, Canadian Blood Services needs to find another 100-thousand donors over the next year. That number is more than double that which currently donate on a regular basis. Rachel Solomon is development manager for the Toronto area

Delayed and cancelled flights, huge waits on the tarmac after landing, even longer delays to get through security and customs. That is reality around the world as tens of thousands of people rush to fulfill their delayed holiday plans. Travel insurance expert Martin Firestone experienced it all first hand this week. Libby Znaimer reached him a few hours after he got home to talk about what to expect and how to prepare. AND This week marked the 78th anniversary of D-Day amid an ongoing effort to re-consecrate the graves of Jewish soldiers who were killed in World War 2. While many were keen to join the Allied forces to fight the Nazis - some concealed their faith because they feared worse treatment if they were captured. The result? They were buried under Christian crosses and given Christian rites. The work of finding those graves, replacing the headstones and offering descendants the proper religious ceremonies has resumed for the first time since the pandemic. But the work began in the U.S. when Shalom Lamm, an amateur historian, started Operation Benjamin.

The Progressive Conservative’s huge majority victory this week means it will be harder to hold that government to account. But CARP has a plan to push its healthcare priorities to the top of the agenda. Anthony Quinn, CARP’s Ontario Election Lead, shared the strategy. AND Langdon Hall, in Cambridge - is one of Canada’s most luxurious and celebrated country inns and it boasts one of the best restaurants in the country. Now home cooks can try their hands at recreating some of Chef Jason Bangerter’s sumptuous dishes. I talked to him while flipping through “Langdon Hall: A Cookbook.”

Experts say we should expect more extreme weather events like last weekend’s devastating storms which killed 11 people. But are we doing the right things to limit the damage? Libby Znaimer reached Blair Feltmate, head of the University of Waterloo’s Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation. AND Maye Musk’s billionaire son Elon has been all over the news lately, but now she is making headlines of her own. The 74-year-old Saskatchewan-born model, author and dietitian has become the oldest person to appear on the cover of the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. She appears wearing a one-piece beige and orange bathing suit accentuated with ruffles. What does it mean for Zoomers? Libby asked Zoomer Magazine Editor-in-Chief and Publisher Suzanne Boyd.

This week’s whirlwind Royal visit by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla focussed on reconciliation with Indigenous people. But for many Canadians it raised the question of whether it’s time to cut ties with the monarchy. Recent polls show a slim majority think that should happen when Charles becomes king. Libby talked with David Onley who served as the Queen’s representative, the Lieutenant Governor, from 2007 to 2014. AND Huge lineups at security and customs. Passengers held on the tarmac for hours because there is literally no room for them in the airport. The government, the airlines, and the airports are all blaming each other. Even transport minister Omar Al’Ghabra is pointing the finger at inexperienced passengers. Al-Ghabra denied that the government asked airlines to cancel flights to ease the backlog. That is where Libby started her conversation with Duncan Dee former COO of Air Canada.

Israel’s Emergency Medical Service is unique in the world because its 25,000 staff medics work alongside 29,000 trained volunteers and filmmaker Martin Himel is one of them! Libby Znaimer sat down with Martin at our Liberty Village Studios. Tel Aviv 911 premiers Monday, May 16, 2022 at 9pm ET on our sister station VisionTV. AND The recent carnage in the markets has many Zoomers reviewing their financial plans. But what is possibly the best advice ahead of retirement applies no matter which way the numbers are headed. Ten years ago, three quarters of the respondents to RGF Integrated Wealth Management’s retirement survey were very confident their marriage would adapt to retirement. Now fewer than half can say that. Which is why Financial Advisor Clay Gillespie says the best preparation is to work on your marriage. Libby reached him in Vancouver.

Marsha Lederman first learned that her family went through the Holocaust at the age of five. But it has taken all these years to learn about their epic stories of survival and to understand their impact on her. Her new book is called “Kiss the Red Stairs” and Libby's conversation with her was intensely personal because her parents also went through the Holocaust and she's still trying to piece together their very different stories of survival. AND It’s one of the few good things caused by the pandemic. Gardening is more popular than ever and a new study estimates a cool million of us are getting into it for the first time this season. Libby reached study author Janet Music from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University.

The Palace Papers promised to share riveting details about the British Royal family since Diana's death - and it delivers. Author Tina Brown is the celebrated former editor of Tatler, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair and she tapped more than 100 sources for the juicy details. We talked when she was in town this week. Will the monarchy survive after Queen Elizabeth? Tina thinks Charles and Camilla will do just fine - but for Harry and Meghan, the future is uncertain.

It's more proof that traditional retirement, and especially retirement planning, is long gone. JP Morgan told its asset management advisors ''to plan for clients to live to 100 if they are in excellent health and non-smokers.'' This caught the attention of David Cravit, vice-president at ZoomerMedia, who's written books and blogs about the ''reinvention'' of aging. AND Prostate cancer is the 4th most common cancer in Canada and in men it’s number one. A new medical paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology is reviving debate about dropping the word ‘’cancer’’ when patients receive the results of low-risk biopsy findings. For a Canadian perspective, Bob Komsic spoke with Dr. Tony Finelli, Surgical Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and head of the Urology Division.

A new report from food rescue organization Second Harvest reveals the severity of Canada’s food waste problem and suggests solutions the food industry can implement to resolve the issue. WASTED OPPORTUNITY finds a staggering 96 percent of surplus edible food is wasted instead of being donated to feed those in need. And with nearly two-thirds of Canadians reporting difficulty feeding their families - and only getting worse with record high inflation - advocates say it's vital to take action now. Lori Nikkel is the CEO of Second Harvest, Canada's largest food rescue organization. AND We’ve all seen someone we’ve mistaken for someone else, and many of us have even been mistaken for another person. The theory that everyone has a doppelganger somewhere in the world has been around for a while, but a Montreal photographer set out on a mission to capture the likeness of people who’ve never met in a series of black and white portraits. We reached artist and photographer Francois Brunelle.

After two pandemic seasons, summer festivals are set to resume. One organization - the Shaw Festival - is emerging in much better shape than its peers and it’s because of one very smart decision. Libby Znaimer talked with Executive Director Tim Jennings. AND She started her career in the maternity ward and pivoted to the end of life. Dr. Stephanie Green was one of the first doctors to deliver MAID in Canada and she tells the powerful story in her new book "This is Assisted Dying".

Can the lessons of history help us make sense of the war on Ukraine? What is the impact of a single unexpected figure like Ukrainian President Volodimir Zylenskyy? Libby Znaimer turned to eminent historian Margaret MacMillan, former warden and professor at St. Anthony’s College, University of Oxford. AND It’s well known that Leonard Cohen’s classic “Who By Fire” is based on a Hebrew prayer recited on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Matti Friedman’s book by that name tells the little-known story of Leonard Cohen’s concert tour to the front lines of the Yom Kippur War, In October 1973, when he was—thirty-nine , famous, unhappy, and at a creative dead end. I talked with the author about the iconic poet and singer’s wartime tour of the Sinai desert.

Liana Markunina and Leonid Markunin are among the first Ukranians to arrive in Canada since Russia invaded a month ago. They already had visitors’ visas because they have two sons who live in Toronto. They had been hoping to eventually immigrate here under the family reunification program. Instead they fled their home in Odesa to escape Russian bombing. Libby Znaimer talked with them, through a translator, about their harrowing journey. AND This week, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary reiterated the Russian dictator’s most potent threat - that he may resort to nuclear weapons. Dmitri Peskov’s comment had western defense experts worrying about the true level of threat. We reached Michael Krepon, Co-founder of the Stimson Center, a Washington think tank and author of "Winning and Losing the Nuclear Peace".

Today marks the International Day of Happiness and it’s hard to remember a time when we needed it more. This year’s World Happiness Report says Canada is 15th out of 146 countries in the ranking of places with the happiest people - and there’s a surprising finding on the wellbeing of Zoomers amid the pandemic. Libby Znaimer talked with economist John Helliwell, the editor of the report and an ideaCity alum. AND Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations says Russia’s war on Ukraine is an attack on the world order. Can the U.N. do anything about it? We reached ambassador Bob Rae in between meetings in New York.

This past Friday marked a grim milestone. It’s been two years since the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic. While there’s been no official end to the virus and its variants, the world tries to turn the page on this once in a lifetime pandemic that upended the world. In the same week of the two year anniversary, the global COVID-19 death toll surpassed 6 million. For some perspective on where we’ve been, and what’s ahead, we reached Dr. Susy Hota, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control at University Health Network. AND It’s National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign to promote healthy food choices and physical activity habits. At the start of the pandemic, worries about food shortages inspired people to get creative in the kitchen, buying flour in bulk to make their own bread. Some went old school and started pickling, leading to a shortage of mason jars. Now two years in, how have our food choices changed? We reached Registered Dietician and Food Advocate Irena Forbes.

As Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine goes on, many of Ukrainian heritage living around the world are returning to their homeland to defend it. Mark Preston-Horin of Victoria B.C. is one of them. Bob Komsic talked to him as he was finalizing his travel plans. If you’re 50 and older, or have a loved one who is, hopefully you or they have received vaccine shots to prevent Shingles. The number who have is low - only about one-in-four Zoomers. Here to help raise awareness is Dr. Samir Sinha, director of research with the National Institute on Aging at Ryerson University and head of geriatrics at Sinai Health System and University Health Network.

We live in a world of misinformation which is described as any information that turns out to be false. It infiltrates current events ranging from elections, the pandemic, the recent blockades and protests in Canada and now, the war in Ukraine. While it’s not a new phenomenon, gone are the days of getting all of our information from the newspaper. And experts who study this influence of people’s reasoning even after it’s been corrected call it the ‘continued influence effect’. Here to explain is Dr. Maddy Jalbert with The Centre for an Informed Public at the University of Washington AND A trip to the maple sugar bush is a rite of spring for many. And producers are hoping for a sweeter season this year after last spring’s less than ideal weather and the ongoing pandemic created the worst season in half a century. But if weather and daylight conditions are ideal, Purple Woods Conservation Area in Durham Region hopes to produce up to 1,200 litres of the liquid gold. We reached Dan Hope who’s with the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority.

This long weekend, we mark Family Day. It comes as the two-year pandemic has changed our demographics and the structure of our families: more people live alone or in couples and there are fewer households with children. Doug Norris, chief demographer at Environics Analytics says it all flows from the aging of the population. AND There’s always lots of public discussion about immigration. This week the government announced it is increasing the target for the year - looking to welcome 432,000 new immigrants. But what about movement in the opposite direction, when immigrants return to their countries of origin? Kamal Al-Sleyli is the author of Return: Why We Go Back to Where We Come From. Libby Znaimer reached him in Vancouver.

The blockading protests calling themselves the Freedom Convoy have raised millions of dollars in a very short period of time. When GoFundMe froze their funds, sites like GiveSendGo took over. Reports suggest much of that cash is coming from the US and much has been donated anonymously. Who’s behind the money? Christian Leuprecht is a Professor of Political Science at the Royal Military College of Canada and Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute. AND Along with most everything else, the pandemic has curtailed volunteering. Still, philanthropist Salah Bachir found ways to continue raising the funds for St. Joseph’s Health Centre and its new dialysis centre. He is well known in the entertainment industry and and is a long standing supporter of the arts and gay rights activist. He has just been honoured with a June Callwood Outstanding Volunteer Award.

Over half of Canada’s 30,000 deaths from COVID-19 were in long term care homes. Two years in, as hundreds of homes report new outbreaks of the Omicron variant, new draft national standards for the sector have been released that the authors claim would have saved many lives. Advocates say the changes are long overdue. Critics say they don’t go far enough. Dr. Samir Sinha is director of geriatrics at Sinai Health and also on the committee that wrote these proposed new standards. To offer your input, visit longtermcarestandards.ca AND Black Americans have been fighting for reparations tied to slavery for generations. But how close are legislators to making it happen in 2022? Opponents say maybe the time to redress slavery and the discrimination that followed has passed. The issue of reparations are back in the spotlight this month during Black History Month. We reached Dr. Earl Lewis, Founding Director of the Center for Social Solutions and professor of history at the University of Michigan.

When the pandemic began, it seemed that Covid would convince many Canadians to retire early. The science made it clear that the risks increased with age and the demands of moving everything online required a massive shift. But the opposite has happened. The pandemic is making Canadians delay retirement. Fidelity Canada explored the reasons in its most recent report. I talked with Michelle Munro, Director of retirement research. AND This week marked Holocaust remembrance Day and the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. With the numbers of survivors dwindling, and anti-Semitism rising around the world, 92-year-old Max Eisen says telling his story is more important than ever.

A new book details how a cold case team brought modern investigative techniques to a decades-old Holocaust mystery: who betrayed Anne Frank and her family? The project took nearly five years, and used AI in addition to more than 20 people and dozens of consultants. Libby Znaimer talked with Canadian author Rosemary Sullivan about The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation. AND It’s a hypothesis that’s been investigated for years but now for the first time there is compelling evidence that Multiple Sclerosis is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. It’s a difficult connection because while 95% of us have been infected by Epstein-Barr, MS is a relatively rare inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Libby Znaimer reached Dr. Kassandra Munger, co- author of the paper and director of the Multiple Sclerosis studies at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health

Do you still carry a lot of cash and how often do you use it? There’s no question the pandemic has accelerated the move to contactless payment. Our next guest argues that the end of cash is almost here and it will affect us in many ways. Libby Znaimer reached Eswar Prasad, a Cornell professor, an author, and a fellow at the Brookings Institution. AND According to research from the CMHA and the University of British Columbia, the pandemic is taking a big toll on our mental health. The dead of winter is always a difficult time. Margaret Eaton of the CMHA has some coping tips as we approach Blue Monday - on the third week in January - which some say is the saddest day of the year.

On January 6th 2021, the world watched in horror as the United States capitol building was attacked. Since then, over 700 rioters have been charged, many remain in jail, and a commission is tasked with finding the roots of the insurrection and plans to release its final report this summer. Christine Ross spoke with political science professor Dr. Christopher Gelpi to reflect on the one year anniversary of the attempted coup. And Abstaining from alcohol for 31 days this month may not seem like a big sacrifice but health experts say it not only offers immediate benefits, but can be a good test for whether you have a problem. And with more Canadians drinking as the pandemic continues its relentless grip, giving up booze may be harder than ever. Christine Ross spoke with Dr. Peter Selby, who specializes in addictions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health about Dry January.

Feeling too overwhelmed to make New Year's resolutions as we head into yet another uncertain future amid a pandemic? According to science, making small positive changes in your life may matter more in these times. Exercise ranks among the top resolutions this year as more people vow to lose the pandemic pounds but the best advice is self care and no need to go big. Christine Ross spoke with Dr. Anne Wilson, psychology professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. AND Holiday meal prep and cooking left you burnt out? How about a gourmet tasting meal without all the fuss? You should check out "A Pot, A Pan and A Bowl", the latest cookbook offering from beloved celebrity chef and Emmy award winning TV personality Lidia Bastianich. It contains 100 homey recipes, that require fewer steps and fewer ingredients. But she’s quick to remind us this minimal approach still requires finesse. Lidia joins Christine to ‘dish’ on her new no-fuss recipes.

It’s traditional at this season to forecast trends in business, technology, fashion, design, and even food. One major consulting company says this year there are changes that are more profound that will alter our relationships and how we see ourselves. I talked with Accenture’s Ryan McCRacken. AND How did hostages Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor become innocent pawns in the geopolitical conflict between China and the U.S.? And how did Canada finally manage to secure their release after 1019 days in captivity? Fen Osler Hampson and Mike Blachfield take us behind the scenes in their book “The Two Michaels.” I talked with Mike Blanchfield.

One in four Canadians over 15 lives with this condition and it is notoriously hard to treat. Alan Gordon developed the method called “Pain Reprocessing Therapy” which relies solely on talk therapy. Libby Znaimer reached him in Los Angeles. AND Thousands of people are rethinking holiday plans because of the rampant Omicron variant. Hosts are cutting back, guests are cancelling, and it’s all up in the air. How to decide what to cook? Libby consulted cookbook author and food columnist Lucy Waverman.