The Metaverse is coming. Here’s what you need to know
Guest: Emma Westecott, associate professor of game design at OCAD University and co-director of the Game: Play Lab
The Metaverse is coming. Long thought to be one of the next great leaps in shared digital spaces, the idea of the Metaverse recently got a boost from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg when he announced the company is investing $10 billion and rebranding its own platform with the name Meta. But Facebook is not alone. There are already game worlds and platforms like Fortnite and Roblox that are building elements of it. There is a long way to go before we get to something that’s been depicted in movies like “The Matrix” and “Ready Player One.” But as development really gets underway, now is the time to be asking what do we want the Metaverse to look like and how to make it beneficial for everyone?
November 26, 2021
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How space technology is helping to fight the next pandemic
Guests: Canadian astronaut Dr. Dave Williams and Alex Boyd, Toronto Star reporter
What if the answers and solutions of the pandemic are found in the stars? The two industries of space and medicine are more closely aligned than we may think, as many of the technologies we use today were first tested in the rigours of space. Can space exploration and research help us find our way through this pandemic and prevent the next one? We talk to one of Canada’s most decorated and experienced astronauts, Dave Williams, to learn the future of medical care is already being pushed to the limits in space.
November 25, 2021
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A walk through of Toronto's COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic for kids
November 24, 2021
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Car thieves targeted a Toyota, then stole a Honda around the corner
November 17, 2021
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Mask up, it’s not over, Canada’s health officials warn
Guest: May Warren, reporter for the Toronto Star
With winter months bringing in an uptick in COVID-19 cases and a relatively static vaccination rate, Canada's top health officers are urging people to double down on masking because masks are the last line of defence against the virus. With a major shift (again!) in the conversation and culture around masking and new data available, reporter May Warren joins "This Matters" for a little bit of a refresher on masks, how we should wear them and why we're still talking about them. See Health Canada's latest guidelines and policies on masks here.
November 24, 2021
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Kids and vaccines: What you need to know now
Guest: Megan Ogilvie is a health reporter at the Star
Parents of children aged 5 to 11 can now book their children for their first dose of vaccines across Canada. It’s been a long wait for this cohort, which is the largest unvaccinated group in Canada. Most parents — who have had to live through plenty of invasive COVID tests at the first sign of symptom — now have an option to get their kids more protection against this disease. But will it be another mad rush to book online, only to come up empty? Or will things be better this time around? Also, for many parents, getting the shot booked is just the first hurdle, now you’ve got to deal with a youngster who has to face a needle. This episodes provide some initial observations on the booking process and some helpful tips and advice.
November 23, 2021
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Kids at heart: ‘Kidults’ help toys reach sales records
Guest: Adrienne Appell, toy trends expert and senior vice-president of marketing communications of The Toy Association
While many industries were devastated by the pandemic, the toy industry enjoyed record breaking sales. One of the most interesting trends to come out of the past two years is that growth shows adults are buying toys for themselves, which the industry has dubbed the “kidult” category. From expensive Lego sets to collectibles for fans of all kinds, there are now toys for people of all ages and also in every price range. This trend is being fuelled by many factors including social media, people trying to recapture their youth and the emphasis on self care and wellness.
November 22, 2021
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The ‘Three Amigos’ summit and the Canada-U.S. relationship
Guest: Edward Keenan, Washington Bureau Chief for the Star
It’s been five years since the last trilateral summit between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. on trade, co-operation and diplomatic relations. Now this week, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the first North American leader summit since 2016. It was nicknamed the ‘Three Amigos’ summit. It’s being seen as a potential new phase in Canada-U.S. relations following the strained ties of the Trump era, but with Biden struggling with plummeting approval ratings and domestic priorities, many wonder if he is listening to the concerns of allies. The Star’s Washington Bureau Chief Edward Keenan recaps the highlights of the summit and the impact on the Canada-U.S. relationship.
November 19, 2021
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Why the fight over fluoride in water is resurfacing
Guest: Kieran Leavitt, Toronto Star politics reporter
For decades, adding fluoride to the water supply of many Canadians towns and cities has been standard public health protocol. Fluoridation has proven to slow tooth decay, and the practice has widespread support among doctors and dentists, including the World Health Organization, Health Canada and the Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry. But there remains a vocal opposition against fluoride in Canada’s water supply, borne out of distrust of government and science. The City of Calgary has recently voted on whether to restore fluoride in their tap water, the latest in a long, fraught history over the chemical compound. Alberta-based journalist Kieran Leavitt joins “This Matters” to chat about how a widely-supported public health measure has become a battleground of politics.
November 18, 2021
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Front-line doctors fighting on two fronts: a deadly pandemic and digital harassment
Guest: Dr. Naheed Dosani, Toronto-based palliative care physician and health justice activist
Even as health care workers were being hailed by many as heroes for facing the deadly COVID-19 pandemic on the front line, many were also targets of online hate, racism and xenophobia. The digital harassment has seeped into real-life with anti-vaccination protests outside hospitals where there have been reports of violence and abuse. Dr. Naheed Dosani joins “This Matters” to talk about the nightmare that has been the last 18 months and what needs to happen next to protect them.
November 17, 2021
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This after-school program taught Alphonso Davies and keeps transforming lives
Guest: Ruke Okome, program manager of the after-school program Free Play for Kids
Alphonso Davies, Canadian soccer superstar, has become a world-renowned name with highlight reel goals, pride in his country and awards-laden recognition of his sporting excellence. He will soon return home to Edmonton as Canada faces a crucial match in its qualification for the World Cup where Free Play for Kids, the after-school program that Davies attended, continues to give a safe space for marginalized and often racialized kids. Free Play for Kids may have Davies as an alumni but its impact stretches to the next generation with aims of empowering future leaders in the community. Today on "This Matters," we go inside the program to learn how the lessons being taught are more than sports.
November 16, 2021
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Ontario’s pit bull ban back in the spotlight
Guest: Liam Casey, Canadian Press reporter
Ontario is the only province that has legislation that bans pit bulls. Since it’s enactment over 15 years ago, dog lovers have had issues with the ban, from the determination of dogs, the enforcement and seizure of animals, the lack of personal responsibility of owners and little to no recourse for owners of dogs who haven’t done anything wrong, but fit the description of the breed. In recent weeks, there was a groundswell of support after a dog name Dwaeji was taken from his family in Vaughan. With a lot of public and political pressure, many thought change might be on the horizon, but after the dog in question was released, he bit a 13-year-old boy, once again, raising the issues that got these type of dogs banned in the first place.
November 15, 2021
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How Canada’s museums are decolonizing and transforming
Guest: Jeremy Nuttall, investigative reporter for the Toronto Star
In the middle of societal and racial reckonings, many Canadians are asking questions about their shared histories, education and how reliable the stories of our past are. Are they written by the people and communities they’re reflecting or is it colonial history? Some of Canada’s biggest museums are now are taking a hard look at their exhibits and storytelling, especially when it comes to Indigenous history, which has often be treated as separate from Canada’s past rather than a central part of it. The work of “decolonizing” the spaces where we share our stories has begun but what does that actually look like?
November 12, 2021
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Pandemic highlights longstanding issues in the restaurant industry
Guest: Corey Mintz, freelance food reporter and the author of the upcoming book “The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After”
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that in a lot of cases what was once normal couldn’t sustain a lot of people. Among many things, the pandemic highlighted longstanding issues within the restaurant industry, such as low pay, worker protections, burnout and delivery apps eating into profit margins. The impact on restaurants closing and reopening through lockdowns, and not having every table filled, was also visibly apparent. Toronto Star food reporter Karon Liu guest hosts “This Matters” to speak with Corey Mintz, former Star restaurant critic and author of the new book “The Next Supper, The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After,” about these issues and what diners can do about it.
November 11, 2021
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Are new highways the on ramp to reelection for the Conservatives?
Guest: Robert Benzie, The Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief
It seems like the Progressive Conservatives believe the road to next year’s election will be paved with new highways. Recently, Premier Doug Ford announced the province would fund the Bradford Bypass, a new 16 km road that would connect Highways 400 and 404. As well, the Ontario government has proposed plans to build Highway 413, a new 60 km freeway that would connect Milton to Vaughan, despite opposition from the municipalities that it would affect. There are a lot of questions about the specifics of these new roads, but also about some of the motivations behind them. Is this the kind of wedge issue that the PCs hope will propel them to re-election? Or is this a road to nowhere?
November 10, 2021
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Labour Minister Monte McNaughton discusses Ontario’s new labour legislation
Guest: Monte McNaughton, Ontario Labour Minister
The last two years of this pandemic hit everyone differently. It is undeniable that its impacts were not equitable and those with precarious jobs — including frontline essential workers — paid the most disproportionate price. Now the government that was previously criticized for favouring businesses over workers seems to be trying to make amends. Last week, the province announced the minimum wage would be raised to $15 an hour starting January 2022. Ontario has also proposed an omnibus bill that includes a number of labour-friendly policies like more rights for temporary and migrant workers, and a new right to disconnect. But many note that the minimum wage is not a living wage, and others ask if these new changes might be a case of too little too late just around the corner from a provincial election. Ontario's Labour Minister Monte McNaughton joins "This Matters" to answer questions and clear confusion around the proposed new labour legislation.
November 09, 2021
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Reefer Madness: How many weed shops are too many weed shops?
Guest: Jennifer Pagliaro, City Hall reporter for the Star
It’s been three years since cannabis was legalized in Canada, and you can see the results on many streets around the GTA. In Ontario, there are now just over 1,000 cannabis stores. Toronto has over 300 alone, with another 200 in the process of getting approval. The issue is that many of them are in neighbourhoods and often right next each other, creating clusters that are in direct competition with each other. With little or no regulations about distancing between stores, and several structural issues within the province’s regulations for cannabis sales, the really big question is whether all these stores can survive or if the weed boom will go up in smoke.
November 08, 2021
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Who’s going to win the Giller and what else should you read this fall?
Guest: Deborah Dundas, Star Books Editor
Canada’s prestigious literary award, the Scotiabank Giller Prize recently announced its shortlist — which is not short on diverse Canadian literature — and we’ll have a winner on Monday in an actual in-person award ceremony after nearly two years of this pandemic. The Toronto Star’s Books Editor Deborah Dundas is on “This Matters” for a breakdown of the Giller Prize 2021, the nominees and potential winners and recommends some of Canada’s best, buzzworthy book titles to add to your holiday reading list
November 05, 2021
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How the cartels from Mexico made inroads into Canada
Guests: Peter Edwards is a reporter covering crime at the Star. Luis Najera is a journalist who covers crime, and is in exile from Mexico. They are the co-authors of The Wolfpack: The Millennial Mobsters Who Brought Chaos and the Cartels to the Canadian Underworld.
When many of us think of organized crimes, the images that endure are those of mafia movies from the 70s, or shows like The Sopranos. In their new book, The Wolfpack: The Millennial Mobsters Who Brought Chaos and the Cartels to the Canadian Underworld, author’s Edwards and Najera paint a picture of diverse, digitally savvy criminals who hook up with the Mexican cartels and help them build their beachhead into Canada. Filling in the backstory behind many crimes in Canada over the past two decades, it’s a fascinating look at how criminal organizations work now.
November 04, 2021
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Is COP26 the turning point in fighting climate change?
Guest: Heather Scoffield, Toronto Star’s Ottawa bureau chief and economics columnist
COP26, the United Nations-led summit on climate change is underway in Glasgow, where world leaders and their delegates are meeting for a pivotal moment in the fight against climate change. Despite the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, many of the world’s biggest emitters have not backed up promises with concrete policies. Climate activist Greta Thunberg has accused leaders of empty words and “blah, blah, blah” when it comes to taking the threat seriously. The world is heading to a 2.7 degree Celsius increase by 2050, according to the UN’s latest report on climate change. Are countries around the world treating climate change with enough urgency? Will COP26 be a turning point or a final missed opportunity to stop the climate crisis?
November 03, 2021
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