Author: Sophia Thomas

On this episode of @Risk, host Jodi Butts is joined by David Huebert, self-styled “dirty nature writer”, educator, and critic from Kjipuktuk (Halifax), to discuss his new book of short stories, Chemical Valley.

Indigenous women and men have signed up to serve and defend Canada in impressive numbers throughout history, an act that has often come at a very high price.

On this episode of Everyday Reconciliation, host Elin Miller speaks to Sergeant (Sgt) (Ret’d) Derek Montour about what it means to serve your country and protect your community, and the difficulty of those two things being at odds with one another.

Everyday Reconciliation is presented by Rio Tinto.

Climate change is real, it is caused by human beings, and it is an existential threat to humankind. Politicians and industry leaders now claim to be taking it seriously. Their performances often fall short of their promises. Theoretical physicist and author Steven Koonin, however, extends climate critique to scientists and the media, arguing that while climate change is real, the consensus conclusions we have reached are overstated, the science is often miscommunicated or misinterpreted, and our policies are headed in the wrong direction. At Open to Debate, we disagree with Dr. Koonin’s thesis, but we ask nonetheless: What is to be done about climate policy?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Steven Koonin, University Professor at New York University and Director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress, former Undersecretary for Science at the U.S. Department of Energy under President Obama, and author of Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters.

The greatest risk to us is us.

On this episode of @ Risk, Jodi Butts is joined by Stanley McChrystal, four star U.S. Army General (retired), lecturer at Yale University and corporate board director, to discuss his new book, Risk: A User’s Guide, and why we are our greatest risk.

After the most recent federal election, there are 12 Indigenous MPs in the House of Commons. That’s just over 3.5% of sitting members, and suggests that representation is still a major hurdle on the road to reconciliation.

On this episode of Everyday Reconciliation, host Elin Miller speaks to The Honourable Michael McLeod, the MP for the Northwest Territories about his life in politics, Indigenous representation in Canadian government, and what it takes to get a seat at the table.

For decades, we’ve heard about the rise of China. A major historical and contemporary power, the country shapes domestic and global politics — as Canada knows quite well. And yet, coverage of China, its affairs, and its international relations is often hyperbolic, skewed, and incomplete. A new book from a veteran reporter on China-Canada relations adds depth, rigour, and new perspectives to that coverage. So, how should we think about China’s place in the world?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Joanna Chiu, senior reporter with the Toronto Star and author of China Unbound: A New World Disorder.

On this episode of the @ Risk podcast, host Jodi Butts is joined by George Smitherman, CEO and President of the Cannabis Council of Canada, former Deputy Premier of Ontario, and first openly gay member of the Ontario Legislature, to discuss cannabis, stigma and his personal experiences on the front lines of social change.

Back in 2017, lots of Canadians were busy celebrating the150th anniversary of confederation. But to many, Canada 150 was rife with problems: Why was Ottawa spending half a billion dollars on a birthday party? Weren’t there better uses for the money, and the spotlight? And doesn’t celebrating confederation mean celebrating the systemic marginalization of the Indigenous peoples of this land? Instead of joining in the festivities, scholars Crystal Fraser and Sara Komarnisky took action.

On this episode of Everyday Reconciliation, host Elin Miller speaks to them about their project: the 150 Acts of Reconciliation.

Managing the pandemic has required a delicate balance of expert guidance and government decision making. While experts provide knowledge essential for deciding what we should do and how we should do it, politicians are ultimately accountable to the public for the policies, laws, and programs they adopt. So, what is the role of experts during a pandemic?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with David Fisman, professor of epidemiology at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.