@Risk: Crossing Borders with Tareq Hadhad and Marcello Di Cintio

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Crossing borders are never without risk, almost always entailing a trade-off of one set of risks for another.

On this episode of @ Risk, Jodi is joined by Tareq Hadhad, the Canadian entrepreneur behind Peace by Chocolate and former refugee who fled war-torn Syria with his family. Jodi is also joined by Marcello Di Cintio, an award-winning travel author who in his latest non-fiction book, Driven, beautifully tells the stories of the men and women behind the wheels of Canada’s taxis. Buckle your seat belts! You’re in for a risky ride!

To read the full transcript of this episode click here.

Open to Debate: Why are our wireless and broadband bills so high?

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In Canada, wireless and broadband prices are too damned high. Why? The recent news of a merger attempt by Rogers and Shaw gives us a hint—and a look into the world of telecom strategy and oligopoly. Indeed, observers would be forgiven for thinking the country is a handful of telecom companies in a trenchcoat, perhaps with an airline or two crammed in there. But there’s more to it than that—a bit more, anyway.

Understanding wireless and broadband policy requires us to dig into the state of the industry, competition or a lack thereof, the question of nationalization, the role of the Competition Bureau and the CRTC, and more. Eventually, we get to answer the big question: Why are our wireless and broadband bills so high?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Michael Geist, Professor of Law at the University of Ottawa and Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law.

@Risk: From Apathy to Climate Action with Andri Snaer Magnaso‪n‬

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On this episode of @ Risk, Jodi is joined by Icelandic artist and activist, Andri Snaer Magnason, whose approach to climate change is like no other. Magnason is the author of On Time and Water, a calculated and enchanting invitation to see ourselves in the battle against climate change through mythology, his conversations with the Dalai Lama and our love of family.

To read the full transcript of this episode, click here.

Democracy in the Digital Age: Addressing Online Harms

Democracy in the Digital Age is a new Canada 2020 series that will challenge Canadians to rethink their approach to defending our democratic institutions.

Watch our kick-off event, featuring the Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Canadian Heritage, Anja Karadeglija, Parliamentary Reporter at the National Post, Laura Tribe, Executive Director of Open Media, Will Perrin, Trustee at Carnegie Trust UK, and Vivek Krishnamurthy, the Samuelson-Glushko Professor of Law and Director of Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic.

Open to Debate: What is the future of Canada’s left?

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Canada’s political left is facing a series of choices. What kind of movement should it pursue in the face of contemporary challenges at home and around the world? How can left-wing parties win at the local, provincial, and federal orders of government? Should communists, socialists, and social democrats work together — and, if so, when and how? Also, to what extent does the leading social democratic party in Canada, the NDP, serve as a vehicle for successful left politics?

Answering these questions requires us to start by understanding what it even means to be “left-wing.” It requires us to trace the history of Canada’s left, to look around the world, and to embrace the tensions, even contradictions, of contemporary left politics. It also requires us to ask: What is the future of Canada’s left?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Christo Aivalis, historian, writer, left YouTuber, host of the podcast Left Turn, Canada, and author of The Constant Liberal: Pierre Trudeau, Organized Labour, and the Canadian Social Democratic Left.

@Risk: Rockets, Rovers and Reaching for the Stars with Dr. Farah Alibay and Col. Chris Hadfield

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Rockets, rovers and reaching for the stars are undertakings rife with risk – but nothing worth doing is without it.

On this special episode of @ Risk, Jodi Butts is joined by Col. Chris Hadfield and Dr. Farah Alibay to discuss how they engineered their successes in space, and other lessons relatable to our more earthy daily lives.

To read the full transcript of this episode, click here.

Open to Debate: How can we solve our long-term care crisis?

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In early March, Ontario surpassed 7,000 Covid deaths, over 3700 of which occurred in the province’s long-term care facilities. Around the country, suffering and death in care homes is part of an emergency that has long been ignored — an emergency that pre-existed the pandemic.

Precarious work, low pay, inadequate staffing, neglect, abuse, unreasonable waitlist times, poor communication, and the urge to put profit before people condition much of the long-term care sector. Because of that, the most vulnerable among us suffer and die. Things could be different. So, how can we solve our long-term care crisis?

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Vivian Stamatopoulos, associate teaching professor at Ontario Tech University and LTC advocate.