Zoomer Week In Review

Her election to lead the Green party of Canada marks a series of firsts. Annemie Paul is the first Black, Jewish woman to lead a federal party in this country. We had a chat to get to know her earlier this week. AND Here's something to be thankful for and lift our spirits in the midst of the pandemic. Fall colours are at their peak and it's easy to enjoy the majestic reds and glorious golds safely. Libby Znaimer reached Sarah MacMichael of Ontario parks.

As we head into the second wave of the coronavirus, it's instructive to remember that Canada went through this a hundred years ago. The death toll was staggering - pegged at between 50 and 100 million worldwide. But many, like Edward G.R. Ardagh of Toronto, survived and he wrote his experiences down in his diary for us to be able to read today. Some of his symptoms are eerily similar to today, as was the rush to try unproven remedies. But we've come a long way, starting with our ability to get a handle on the numbers. Libby Znaimer spoke with historian Neil Orford. AND Love fresh Ontario produce? Or did you grow way more than your family can eat in the backyard garden and want to preserve it for year-round access? Preserving food has been handed down from generations and it's making a comeback. From canning, to pickling, preserves to jellies. Collette Murphy owns seed company Urban Harvest and she's been preserving food for half a century. No matter the reason, nostalgia, saving money or if you want to eat

It's more fallout from the pandemic. At a time when the need is greater than ever, Canadians are giving less to charity. According to the Angus Reid Institute, 37% of donors who have to given to at least one charity in the last two years have decreased their donations because of COVID-19. It adds up to a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars for the country's 86,000 charities. Libby reached Angus Reid's Research Director Dave Korzinski. AND On Friday, the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol - after her body lay in repose at the Supreme Court earlier in the week. It culminated a distinguished career full of firsts, giving the public a chance to pay respects as the national outpouring of grief continued unabated since her death from pancreatic cancer on September 18th. It also deepened partisan divisions as Republicans moved to name a replacement before the November election. We'd like to revisit the 2018 interview with Julie Cohen a

VisionTV has a new documentary called "Blasphemy." And if you think it's an outdated concept, you'd be mistaken. Blasphemy laws are still on the books in about a quarter of the world's countries with devastating results. And not all blasphemy relates to conventional religion. Libby talked with filmmaker Martin Himel. AND The idea has been around for decades and it spawned two major experiments over the years. Now there is speculation that a guaranteed basic minimum income is on the Liberal government's agenda amid reports that it was a major topic at this week's cabinet retreat. Sheila Regehr is chairperson of the Basic Income Canada Network.

COVID-19 has hit Canadians and their families hard, none harder than those in long-term care and assisted living facilities. In B.C., older residents and their family members are being asked to take part in a survey examining their experiences. Seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie told Libby Znaimer why she feels it's important to gather such information. AND Late last year the airline industry forecast a 4-percent increase in global travel demand for 2020 with post-tax profits for North American carriers of $16.5 billion American. This summer the International Air Transport Association is predicting that 2020 will go down as the worst financial performance in the history of commercial aviation. In light of COVID-19, will Zoomers, who love to travel, be so eager to return to the skies? To discuss, Bob Komsic reached John Gradek, who, before becoming a lecturer and coordinator of the Global Aviation Leadership Program at McGill University, held senior management jobs with Air Canada and CP Rail.

There will be a confidence vote when parliament resumes later this month and that means the government may fall. Would we be ready for a pandemic election? In addition to an exponential increase in mailed in ballots, we'd need bigger polling places for social distancing, more workers and even single use pencils. Libby reached Natasha Gauthier of Elections Canada. AND The woman behind the song "I Am Woman", Helen Reddy, became an icon of the feminist movement. She sold 25 million albums and was the first Australian to win a Grammy in 1973. Her story parallels the trajectory of the push for women's liberation. This month, a movie about her life is being released digitally and on demand. Libby reached director Unjoo Moon in Australia.

Next week a new book will mark the 40th anniversary of Terry Fox's iconic Marathon of Hope with 40 letters from 40 contributors ranging from Margaret Atwood to Bobby Orr. Terry's younger brother Darrell Fox edited Forever Terry: A Legacy in Letters,and Libby reached him in Vancouver. AND The newly launched Institute for Pandemics at the University of Toronto has a very ambitious mandate to help the world prepare better, and recover faster from crises like the coronavirus. Libby reached the Dean, Steini Brown.

It's being called a new era in the treatment of Alzheimer's, a disabling and deadly disease of the brain that affects up to 50 million around the world, with 10 million new cases each year. Current approved treatments do not slow its progression but Dr. Sharon Cohen, director of the Toronto Memory Program, says that could soon change. AND As children prepare to return to school, the children aren't the only ones who are nervous. So are their parents, and grandparents, and/or caregivers. Six-time award winning author and spokesperson on parenting, and now grandparenting, Kathy Buckworth sat down with Bob Komsic.

For years, it was a source of irritation for millions of loyal Air Canada customers collecting Aeroplan points. Now the airline is revamping its loyalty program to make it easier to book seats. It’s part of an effort to boost membership while the global travel industry is devastated by COVID-19. Libby speaks with columnist and consumer advocate Ellen Roseman. AND There’s a new medical clinic in the Lawrence and Dufferin area of Toronto, but it’s not being run by the doctors who work there. It’s a pilot clinic opened by Shoppers Drug Mart - one of three test clinics planned for the GTA this year. The company says their model will make it easier and more convenient for patients to get primary care. Libby reached Theresa Firestone, senior vice president of health and wellness at Shoppers Drug Mart, which is owned by Loblaw Companies.

There are new guidelines for both treating and defining obesity. The focus is on whether a person’s body fat impairs their health, rather than on their weight and size. Libby talked with the lead author, Dr. Sean Wharton-medical director of the Wharton Medical Clinic, a weight management clinic in Burlington. AND The loneliness of the pandemic has made us crave companionship of the canine variety. And if you are an aspiring pet parent, you’re going to have to wait and pay a pretty price. Libby reached Richard Paquette, a director with the Canadian Kennel Club in Ontario

(3:58) This week the province released details of the the independent commission to look into the devastating impact on COVID-19 on our LTC sector, which saw 80% of the deaths from the coronavirus. It will be led by Associate Chief Justice Frank Marrocco who was lead counsel for the province in the Walkerton inquiry and lead prosecutor in the Bre-X securities prosecution. At the same time the province has responded to the Gallese Commission on the Wetlaufer murders, released a year ago - recommending a minimum four hours of care a day per resident. Which brings us to the question: what more do we have to learn before we can fix LTC? Libby Znaimer got a contrary view from Doris Grinspun CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. AND (11:53) The cover is adorned with the iconic cartoon of Former Prime minister John Diefenbaker as Marie Antoinette. It's probably the best known work by Duncan MacPherson, a monumental figure in Canadian cartooning. There's a new book on his life and work by another m

(3:38) Over a million Canadians use medical Cannabis to treat everything from nausea to chronic pain. But there is a lack of rigorous, clinical evidence demonstrating its efficacy for specific conditions. That's why the university health network is launching a new clinical trial in partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart to help doctors prescribe the right medicine for the right patient at the right dose. The Medical Cannabis Real-World Evidence study will track the outcomes of 2000 patients using verified and validated medical cannabis products. Libby talked with trial lead, Dr. Hance Clarke, Director of Pain Services, Toronto General Hospital. AND (9:46) If the restrictions of COVID-19 have you hankering for a more bucolic setting, you're not alone. Being cooped up and working from home has led to a boom in cottage country as city dwellers look to escape. Libby reached Catharine Inniss, a realtor with Johnston and Daniel Rushbrooke Realty.

There's more to being healthy than staying physically fit. Mental health is just as important, but a lot of the time gets buried beneath the stigma that surrounds it. Unfortunately those long held, negative beliefs have led to nearly two-thirds of the world's population refusing to seek help. Dr. Murali Rao is a geriatric expert and psychiatrist from Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. He's also written "50+ (Plus) And Healthy: What You Need To Know About Mental Health and Healthy Aging -- for You and Your Loved Ones". AND The Ford government is launching a pilot project with North York General Hospital to give vulnerable or alternate level-of-care patients priority access to a long-term care bed to help reduce waitlists and hopefully end hallway healthcare. ALC patients are those who no longer need to be in hospital but remain … because their status prevents them from going home and there's no space in long-term care. Dr. Joshua Tepper is President and CEO of North York General.

He's was Ontario's first NDP Premier before switching parties and becoming interim Liberal leader. Now Bob Rae becomes Canada's ambassador to the United Nations at a trying time: in the midst of a pandemic, after the loss of our bid for a security council seat, and as the UN is increasingly dominated by authoritarian regimes. But he told Libby Znaimer that the appointment is taking him full circle. AND As if the pandemic hasn't disrupted our lives enough... what to do and where to go for a summer vacation? Zoomer magazine executive Editor Vivian Vassos says we should start in our own backyard with some fresh destinations that are an easy drive!

Will a woman's perspective help navigate policing during these turbulent times? Chief Antje McNeely of Kingston becomes the third woman to serve as President of the Ontario Association of Police Chiefs and she sees change ahead. AND This week we learned the economy dropped 11.6% in April, the largest monthly drop on record due to the pandemic. The massive expansion of government spending and debt has many comparing COVID-19 to fighting a war and looking to history to point the way to recovery. That's the wrong approach, according to Phillip Cross, a 36 year veteran of Statistics Canada and a Munk Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute.

A new report confirms a shameful statistic: Canada’s proportion of COVID 19 deaths in long term care is double that in other Western countries. But Tracey Johnson of the Canadian Institute of health Information says the numbers point the way to preparing for a second wave. AND The pandemic has us spending much more time in the kitchen which is now the centre of most homes. It wasn’t always like that. Author and architect John Ota toured and cooked in some of the most iconic historical kitchens in search of the perfect one. Libby Znaimer talked to him about his book simply called “The Kitchen”.

In the midst of an international and national conversation about systemic racism, a very familiar voice of the Zoomer generation is stepping forward with his experience. Hal Johnson, recounts how BodyBreak came about. The popular fitness segment he starred in, and produced, with his wife Joanne McLeod since the late 80’s was created as a way to overcome the racism and normalize interracial relationships. AND She walked away from the pinnacle of Canadian politics over a matter of principle. Former health minister Jane Philpott held a variety of cabinet posts until she was ejected from the Liberal caucus because of her objection to the handling of the SNC Lavalin affair. When the pandemic hit, she returned to her roots as a physician and now the Ontario’s Progressive conservative government is tapping her to organize the province’s diffuse and dysfunctional medical data system.

Former federal health minister Jane Philpott dishes on the pandemic, the fix for long term care, and her new assignment trying to organize all the Covid related data in Ontario. AND The financial and emotional toll of Covid-cancelled weddings. We talk to a lawyer who is also a groom trying to reschedule his big day.

While most of us have been sheltering at home, Israeli Mishel Zrian has been travelling on airplanes non-stop for more than 80 days, delivering lifesaving bone marrow to patients around the world. In order to avoid quarantines for travellers, he sleeps on planes or airport hotel rooms. Libby Znaimer caught up with the volunteer courier after he made a delivery in the Netherlands. AND Will there be a treatment for COVID-19 before a vaccine to prevent it? That's a big question for the medical community, as scientists pursue both avenues. Dr. Josef Penninger, head of the University of British Columbia's Life Sciences institute and an ideaCity alum, is developing a medicine to treat the disease, with a drug first made here in Canada. Libby reached him in Europe, where clinical trials are underway.

Tens of thousands of Canadians are out of pocket after their flights were cancelled because of COVID-19. But, passenger rights advocate, Gabor Lukacs, says it is actually illegal. Air Canada, and WestJet are giving vouchers rather than refunds to passengers who bought non-refundable tickets. Libby Znaimer reached Dr. Lukacs in Halifax. AND The violations cited in this week's explosive military report on the conditions in our Long-term care homes are horrific, but not a surprise to anyone who has followed the system over the long term. How did we get here and how do we reform it? Libby talked to Dr. Tamara Daly, Professor and Director, York University Centre for Aging Research and Education.