stephenlecce

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: Kris Rushowy and Isabel Teotonio, reporters

Administrators, teachers and students connected to Oakville Trafalgar High School have been subject to bomb threats (as recently as February), death threats and police activity in recent months after photos of educator Kayla Lemieux made international headlines and left parents unnerved by action from the Halton District School Board. As the situation escalates, sudents say they feel unsafe and their learning environment is disrupted while the board scrambles to get support for a new “professionalism policy” and hire an outside adviser to help manage the uproar.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.

Audio Sources: CHCH News, Twitter

Guest: Kristin Rushowy, Queen’s Park reporter

As children prepare to return to classrooms in the fall, the Ontario government seems to be pushing for some kind of pre-pandemic “normal.” Mask mandates have been lifted, there’s a push to bring back extracurricular activities and a new “catch-up” plan has been announced to help kids bounce back from COVID related disruptions. The Star’s Kris Rushowy joins “This Matters” to explain what the back to school season will look like.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

A customer at a downtown Pizza Pizza completely lost it over someone not wearing a face mask. A restaurant in the Financial District has decided to ban tipping, and will raise prices by an average of 18 per cent. Plus, the PC's released their back-to-school plan, and according to Ontario's Liberal Leader, it lacks empathy, and may actually have a negative impact on the province's economic recovery.

An angry red-winged blackbird named Dave is terrorizing people in Liberty Village. According to a new report, Toronto is the fastest-growing city in North America. Ontario's Health Minister had to explain why there was a photo of her shopping at the LCBO while awaiting COVID-19 test results, and the province recorded its lowest increase rate in new cases since February. Plus, why two city councillors are putting forth a motion to defund the police, and reallocate over $1.2 million to community resources.

Ontario announced today that schools will not reopen for the rest of the academic year. Day camps are still on the table for July and August, but no sleep-aways. Doug Ford shared a warning for greedy commercial landlords in the province. Police broke up another huge gathering of vehicles doing donuts while shooting off fireworks. Plus, how North America's largest modern meditation studio, located in Toronto, plans to reopen when it's time, and the importance of mindfulness in the midst of a pandemic.