How Amazon is remaking the modern workforce
It’s Amazon’s world and we are all just living in it. The pandemic has helped the company grow even bigger and more powerful, but at what cost? The spotlight has revealed work practices, treatment of employees, COVID outbreaks and impacts on towns and cities. Alec MacGillis, reporter for ProPublica and author of “Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America,” joins “This Matters” to discuss the tech and retail giant’s effect on society.
April 13, 2021
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TSO Double Bass Timothy Dawson and Judy Au play the world première of a Donald Coakley composition
There isn’t a huge amount of music written for his instrument, and TSO Double Bass Timothy Dawson wanted to add to the repertoire. He commissioned a piece from his friend, Canadian composer Donald Coakley. A composer, musician and the former Assistant Coordinator of Music for the Scarborough Board of Education, Coakley wrote a bass-piano duet, entitled Colloquy No. 1, and Tim has generously offered this video recording of it as his very special, world première Musical Moment!
Pianist Judy Au was enlisted as the duet partner, and her husband, Tim's fellow TSO Double Bass player David Longenecker, volunteered to sound edit the recordings. Tim’s sister, Wendy Dawson, edited the music videos and added in footage of Coakley walking along Lake Ontario, shot by another friend, Jo-Ann Mee. All in all, a friends and family affair!
April 13, 2021
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Steven Woomert and Rachael Kerr evoke an early 20th century summertime park event
Husband and wife Steven Woomert (TSO Associate Principal Trumpet) and Rachael Kerr (Glenn Gould School and Canadian Opera Company vocal coach/pianist) have spent the past year contributing to online musical performances, and teaching and mentoring students, but nothing has replaced the joy of playing music live and in-person for audiences.
That longing brought them to this piece, “Stars in a Velvety Sky” by Herbert L. Clarke. Typical of early 20th-century community band music – the kind performed by local or traveling groups for summertime park events, “Stars in a Velvety Sky” is fun, fluffy music full of showy solos and peppy spirit. Steve has loved this kind of music since childhood. It evokes memories of long, languorous summer days enjoying people and warmth and music.
April 13, 2021
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TSO Double Bass Paul Rogers doubles up with son Shaun for a world première duet
There’s never a moment without music in the Rogers household! TSO Double Bass Paul Rogers is one of four musicians living at home in Toronto during this pandemic year.
Paul’s wife Wendy Rogers plays violin in the National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, and has a very active online teaching schedule. Son Shaun (double bass) and daughter Jacqueline (cello), who under normal circumstances would have been pursuing their masters degrees in Music Performance in the US, are living out their year at home. Meanwhile, in addition to TSO events and private teaching, Paul is a coach for the young bass players of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra.
With four musicians in one house, it was only natural for Paul to ask one of them to share his Musical Moment. Son Shaun agreed and also composed a special piece for the occasion. Enjoy the world première of “Flibbertigibbet”!
April 13, 2021
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Listen to TSO Principal Percussion Charles Settle and kids celebrate baseball season opening day
It’s opening day of 2021 baseball season, and Principal Percussion Charles Settle hits a home run with this fun rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. Written in 1908, this enduring classic has
been covered by hundreds of artists over the years, and has become the official theme song of North American baseball, traditionally sung during the seventh inning stretch.
While Charles keeps the beat on his snare drum, his 9-year-old daughter Stella takes on the jazzy melody with 6-year-old Arthur making a cameo appearance. This charming version will have you dreaming of warmer days in a ballpark coming soon.
April 13, 2021
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Education Minister Lecce on why Ontario backtracked on plan to re-open schools after April break
Ontario schools will remain closed for an indeterminate time following this week’s spring break, with students learning from home, online, the government has announced.
The move is to address rising COVID cases, and especially the more contagious variants of concern, as hospital ICUs are also feeling the strain.
“Right now we have to do everything possible to get ahead of these variants,” Premier Doug Ford said Monday afternoon. “Until we get the numbers in the community down … bringing our kids back to a congregate setting in a school after a week in the community is a risk I won’t take.”
The news came a day after Education Minister Stephen Lecce sent out a letter to Ontario parents on Sunday saying the government wants schools to reopen after spring break for in-person classes.
https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2021/04/12/schools-to-remain-closed-after-spring-break-doug-ford-says.html
April 12, 2021
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Talking Transit: a ‘Union Station to the east’ and Metrolinx’s power moves
Ben Spurr, The Star’s Transportation Reporter, and Robert Benzie, Queen’s Park bureau chief, bring us up to speed on four huge transit projects, including a potential new massive transit hub near Toronto’s eastern waterfront, and how Metrolinx keeps increasing its powers as it tries to build transit throughout the city.
April 12, 2021
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Why Canada’s new gun bill upsets both sides of the gun control debate
Bill C-21, the controversial gun control proposal, is set for another debate next week in Canadian Parliament. The proposal, which came after the tragedy of the Nova Scotia shooting, includes a controversial buyback program of blacklisted firearms. But in a debate that is usually divisive, Bill C-21 has both gun rights and gun control advocates fuming. Neither sides see the bill as a solution to curbing gun violence. We explain why the bill is actually uniting both sides and where the buyback program may be falling short. Guest: Douglas Quan, Toronto Star reporter
April 09, 2021
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Star photos of Prince Philip over the years
He was dynamic, irascible, exasperating, intriguing. And he was always three steps behind his wife, Queen Elizabeth, who utterly adored him throughout their 73-year marriage, flaws, faux pas and all.
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died Friday at 99, may not have been warmly embraced by the British public — he was too prickly a personality for that — but he was widely respected for succeeding so well at the often-thankless job of being the Queen’s consort.
He was ever there for Elizabeth, standing just behind her; hands clasped in his signature style, firmly behind his back.
https://www.thestar.com/news/2021/04/09/prince-philip-dies-at-age-99.html
April 09, 2021
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‘It was a choice’: Bruce Arthur on how Ontario is mismanaging COVID’s third wave
Another lockdown, another stay-at-home order in Ontario. The third wave is hitting the province hard as COVID variants spread, the vaccination rollout buckles and a paid sick leave program remains a no-go for the Ontario government. Despite all the warnings from doctors and other medical professionals, how did we get here again? Will safety measures work this time around?
Guest: Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star columnist covering COVID-19
April 08, 2021
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TSO Assistant Concertmaster Marc-André Savoie plays Bach to hone his art | Musical Moment
Bach’s solo violin and cello music is often considered the height of musical composition. It offers continuous and endless opportunities to explore the essence of composition, perfect one’s technique, and appreciate Bach’s genius no matter how many times you’ve played the pieces.
TSO Assistant Concertmaster Marc-André Savoie has been with the TSO for over 25 years and also fits into his busy schedule work as a chamber musician, and as a teacher and coach. He has played this “Allemande” from Bach’s Partita No. 2 countless times, because it feels like the closest thing to a kind of classical improvisation, which is quite miraculous for music written 300 years ago.
April 06, 2021
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All Ontario is now under a ‘stay-at-home’ order. Here’s what you need to know
It took a week for the provincial government to pivot from “shutdown” restrictions against public health advice to a “stay-at-home” order in line with public health advice, with admissions to intensive care units reaching unprecedented numbers.
That means more changes in what is open and closed or allowed and prohibited. A lot has changed in a short time. We’re here again to help.
The new order comes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday and will last at least four weeks.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/04/07/all-ontario-is-now-under-a-stay-at-home-order-heres-what-that-means-for-toronto.html
April 07, 2021
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Premier Doug Ford defends decision to not re-instate provincial paid sick days
The Ontario premier accused the opposition of "playing politics" as pressure mounts for the province to provide paid sick leave amid the third wave of COVID-19.
April 07, 2021
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School’s out for COVID! School’s out for... whenever
With the April Break just days away, many schools in Ontario have shifted to remote learning in the face of rising case counts from the variants of concern which are spreading rapidly. Schools have not been a high factor in infection, and the province has insisted they are safe places for children, but after Peel Region’s Medical Officer of Health decided to shut down schools in the area, others followed suit including the Toronto District School Board. Who knows what come next? With Ontario moving to a new state of emergency starting Thursday, will this end up the start of summer vacation? Kris Rushowy, Queen’s Park bureau reporter and education for The Star, joins us to discuss how we got here and what comes next.
April 07, 2021
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Masters betting preview: Jordan Spieth? Justin Thomas? Here are Adam Stanley’s best bets
Watch this Toronto Star Masters betting preview from Adam Stanley, who shares his best bets for the Star’s Pick'em golf contest. Enter for a chance to win prizes: https://www.thestar.com/pickemgolf.html
April 06, 2021
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Masters Preview: Canadians Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes hope to follow footsteps of Mike Weir
Watch the Toronto Star's Masters preview on the Canadians competing at Augusta National, written and narrated by Adam Stanley, produced by Kelsey Wilson, and featuring comments from Mike Weir and Mackenzie Hughes.
April 05, 2021
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Behind the mask, a COVID story
The mask has become a symbol of all we’ve been through in the age of the pandemic. Amy Dempsey traced the trajectory of Toronto’s “mask life” and joins “This Matters” to talk about how a piece of cloth became both protection and a political symbol. As well, we mark the “maskiversary,” one year since the day Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advocated mask wearing and warned of “speaking moistly.”
Guest: Amy Dempsey, Toronto Star’s investigative feature writer
April 06, 2021
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Developing Highway 413: Who benefits?
Guest: Steve Buist, investigative reporter and feature writer at The Star
The Ontario government has resurrected plans to build Highway 413, a new road that runs from Vaughan to Halton Hills. There are several controversial aspects to this planned route and a joint Toronto Star/National Observer investigation has found that a number of developers are set to benefit if this road is built. Looking at land registries, lobbying funds, changed laws and more, there appears to be quite a potential windfall for a number of developers if the Ontario government manages to go ahead and construct this highway.
April 05, 2021
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A walkthrough of the Humber River Hospital vaccine clinic
The Star spent Easter Sunday inside a vaccination clinic in North York, which aimed to inoculate the especially hard-hit northwest corner of Toronto. Nearby neighbourhoods faced infection rates in March of up to 1,081 cases per 100,000 people – disproportionately higher than Toronto’s least-hit neighbourhood, which had just 54 per 100,000. So, for local residents, the age threshold to receive a shot was lowered to 50 without other conditions.
Read more: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/04/04/im-feeling-very-fortunate-downsview-arena-vaccine-clinic-speeds-up-rollout-to-high-risk-neighbourhoods.html
April 04, 2021
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College Hoops Corner | Breaking down the NCAA March Madness finals
Stanford and Arizona go head-to-head in the women's tournament Sunday evening while Baylor and Gonzaga duke it out in men's on Monday. College Hoops Corner host Yasmin Duale and analyst and YouTuber Robel Taame share their predictions and thoughts on both matchups.
Highlights courtesy of CBS Sports, ESPN.
April 04, 2021
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