Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: TORONTO BRACES FOR A POTENTIAL TTC STRIKE Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, and John Sewell, a former Mayor of Toronto, and Councillor Stephen Holyday, Etobicoke Centre and a TTC board member. This week: Residents are bracing for a potential TTC strike starting Friday and as we heard from ATU Local 113 President Marvin Alfred, this isn't just about higher pay for TTC workers...And, then on the show we discuss a study by Geotab that shows just how much travel times on the Gardiner Expressway have increased since construction began there. THE INSURANCE COST OF STOLEN VEHICLES IN ONTARIO Marissa Lennox is now joined by Amanda Dean, Insurance Bureau of Canada’s Vice President of Ontario and Atlantic and Detective Greg O'Conner with Peel Regional Police. The Insurance Bureau of Canada released a report this week detailing the eye-popping costs of auto theft claims in major cities across Ontario. We also hear

THE MEDICAL RECORD: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM TICK BITES Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, an internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. As of July 31st, Ontario will end its wastewater surveillance program which played an important role during the height of the pandemic and has proven useful in tracking other infectious diseases out there. Meanwhile, it's tick season and our doctors explain the importance of protecting yourself from potential bites. ATU LOCAL 113 PRESIDENT MARVIN ALFRED ON WHERE THINGS STAND WITH THE TTC AND POTENTIAL STRIKE THIS FRIDAY Libby Znaimer is now joined by Kristine Hubbard, Operations Manager Beck Taxi Limited and Sid Khan with Toronto Pearson Airport Taxi and limousine followed by Marvin Alfred, President of ATU Local 113. This Friday, there's a chance that TTC workers

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: WHO WERE THE MPS WHO "WITTINGLY" ASSISTED FOREIGN ACTORS FOR THEIR OWN GAIN? Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo,  a former NDP MPP and Janet Ecker,  a  former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister. It's Tuesday - time to talk politics and today is jam packed! We begin with the auditor general report on the government's use of consultants -without competitive bids. This even though the federal Liberals added about 100,000 public service workers to their payrolls - workers who are now fighting not to go into work! Meanwhile, yesterday we learned that some federal politicians are knowingly working with foreign governments to advance their own interests while subverting our democracy. The foreign governments involved: China and India, but the politicians themselves are not named. And federal Minister of Health Mark Holland made a head-scratching comment about Canadian families taking road trips. Our

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: CARP CALLS ON BC GOVERNMENT FOR FREE RSV, SHINGLES VACCINES FOR ZOOMERS Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP, Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. It’s Monday - time for our Zoomer Squad and CARP is getting some traction on its campaign demanding government coverage for vaccines crucial to the health of older Canadians - like the RSV vaccine. The need to pay for those and for so much else is driving Zoomers back to work out of necessity rather than desire. And former Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz is looking into how the CPP and other pension funds can invest more here in Canada. Is that a good or bad idea? NEW GUIDELINES FOR BREAST CANCER SCREENING Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Martin Yaffe, Senior Scientist at Sunnybrook Research Institute and Co-Director, Imaging Research Program at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research as well as Siobhan Grennan, who was part of the Wor

On Wednesday, our Medical Record Panel reacted to the latest dangerous social media trend which is spewing misinformation about sunscreen. And what a TransUnion report tells us about Canadians and debt amid an affordability crisis. Then on the show, we have legal experts on to react to UofT's legal battle against the anti-Israel encampment and the timeline for an injunction. And Dr. Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University joins the program to discuss the dramatic fluctuations in our fruit prices at the grocery store.

The Zoomer Squad kicks things off with reaction to what polling says about the extent to which Zoomers support the Trudeau Liberals in Ottawa. Then on the show we hear from the Principal of a North York Jewish elementary school that was shot at and how it has affected the local Jewish community. Our Recovering Politicians Panel weighs in on Ottawa's immigration policies. Then we hear from the CAA about their list that residents voted on regarding the worst roads in Ontario.

Today on Free For All Friday: A lot of our listeners had plenty to say about former President Donald Trump who was found guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records in his hush money trial. That and more right here on Zoomer Radio.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  ROB FORD IS BACK IN THE NEWS & THE LATEST ON THE MISSISSAUGA MAYORAL ELECTION Libby Znaimer is now joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, Karen Stintz, CEO, Variety Village, and David Crombie, a former Mayor of Toronto. It’s Thursday - time to talk about all things municipal - and last night there was a key debate in the race for Mississauga mayor. It was, as all debates except for one, a Carolyn Parrish-free debate. And on this segment we’ve spent a lot of time talking about the very controversial and unpopular re-naming of Yonge-Dundas Square. The other night we saw another that went down quite differently! WHAT IS BEHIND THE DRAMATIC PRICE CHANGES IN FRUIT AT THE GROCERY STORE? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. We keep hearing that food inflation is coming down yet it’s not unusual to see the opposite at the grocery store  - at least when it comes to certain items. And the swings in

THE MEDICAL RECORD: CANNABIS CONSUMPTION & SUNSCREEN MISINFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Nadia Alam, family doctor and anesthetist in Georgetown, Ontario, Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist, and Dr. Fahad Razak, Canada Research Chair in Data Informed Healthcare Improvement at the University of Toronto and a general internist at a Toronto hospital. Today: our panel reacts to the latest dangerous social media trend trying to push misinformation about sunscreen...our doctors debunk that. And, in the States, daily cannabis consumption has jumped ahead of daily alcohol consumption. WHY ARE UNIONS DEFENDING ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS? Libby Znaimer is joined, first, by tech reporter Carmi Levy, followed by Howard Levitt, Senior Partner at Levitt Sheikh Employment | Labour Law and Michael Teper of Save Our Schools. We’ve just been talking about the latest piece of health misinformat

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: IS PREMIER DOUG FORD AFRAID OF PIERRE POILIEVRE'S CONSERVATIVES? Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo,  a former NDP MPP, and Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. It’s Tuesday - time to talk politics! Is the Ford government preparing to call a snap election? And the panel reacts to the latest on Ottawa's immigration plans. Plus, what's happening with the Mississauga Mayoral race. CANADA IS HAVING A GOOD MOMENT IN TENNIS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Tennis Canada CEO Gavin Ziv and Wally Rigobon, co-host of the Naz and Wally Sports Hour on Zoomer Radio. There is lots to talk about at the French Open this year! We’re wondering if we have seen the last of Rafa Nadal at Roland-Garros - an event he had a lock on for years. He lost his first round match to Alex Zverev in straight sets - a very tough draw for what may be his swan song. And all four Canadians - who

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: HOW SUPPORTIVE ARE ZOOMERS OF THE FEDERAL LIBERALS? Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP,  Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer of CARP, and Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs. It’s Monday - time for our Zoomer Squad - and both politics and health are in the spotlight. New polling shows that Zoomers may be the last bastion of support for the Liberal government. And there’s a new Seniors advocate in BC. One of his first acts was to go to NYC to advocate for a binding international convention on seniors’ rights. Is that a useful thing to pursue? ONTARIO PREMIER DOUG FORD'S BIG BEER PLANS Libby Znaimer is joined by Bob Richardson, Senior Council, National Public Relations, and Karl Moore,  Associate Professor, Strategy & Organization AT McGill University. What’s all this about the moving up of the date for selling wine and beer in corner stores? Why does the PC government want to spend $225M on this? And is it a sign tha

Best of Fight Back Sunday May 26 Edition On Wednesday, our Medical Record Panel weighed in on a study about hip fractures among older adults. And, an exhibit of the former home of the iconic Sir John A. Macdonald is sparking plenty of controversy over how it is portraying him. Meanwhile on Tune into the Town, our panel reacts to a new City Staff report on dealing with the issue of homeless encampments. So..what needs to be done? And, our panel of travel experts reacts to news of an airline that is planning to create a cheaper fare category for travelers who do not bring on a carry-on. Is it worth it?

Best of Fight Back Saturday May 25 Edition The Zoomer Squad started the week off discussing Loblaw grocery giant agreeing to sign on Ottawa's grocery code of conduct if other major players sign on too Then on the show, Larry Haas dialed in to react to news of the Iranian helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Raisi among others. On Tuesday, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois of Dalhousie University carried on the conversation about Loblaws and the Grocery Code of Conduct. And, we brought on a couple of geriatricians including the co-author of a study that discusses to what extent older Canadians are ending up in the ER over cannabis poisoning.

Today on Free For All Friday: YOU called in about Ontario Premier Doug Ford's beer announcement, construction on the Gardiner Expressway and the anti-Israel encampment situation on university campuses.  Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: THE CITY'S APPROACH TO HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS & NEW BIKE LANES FOR EGLINTON AVENUE? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, Karen Stintz, CEO, Variety Village, and David Crombie, a former Mayor of Toronto. They are everywhere...or so it feels like...if you live in Toronto you've likely stumbled across a homeless encampment at the local park or public space. And, this week, City staff produced a report about how City Council (which has not passed it yet) might go about addressing the problem. Will it work? REACTION TO CHARGES BEING DROPPED AGAINST SOME INVOLVED IN ANTI-ISRAEL VANDALISM OF INDIGO Libby Znaimer is joined by Richard Robertson, Director of Research and Advocacy at B'nai Brith Canada. This week we learned that charges have been dropped against four of 11 accused individuals involved in the red paint splattering vandalism of an Indigo bookstore in Toronto--a company that is owned by Jewish businesswoman, Heather Reisman.  Richard reacts to

THE MEDICAL RECORD: HIP FRACTURES AMONG OLDER ADULTS Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, Family Physician and Medical Director of The Medical Station in Toronto and Dr. Fahad Razak, Canada Research Chair in Data Informed Healthcare Improvement at the University of Toronto as well as a General Internist.  Today we take a deep dive into hip fractures and other bone fractures among older adults, and best practices while in the recovery process of healing from a fracture. We also heard from listeners about their own experiences dealing with this. MARRYING LATER IN LIFE OR IS IT A SECOND MARRIAGE? WHY MORE COUPLES ARE LOOKING AT PRENUPS Jane Brown is joined by John Schuman of  Devry Smith Frank LLP who specializes in family law.  Getting married later in life or entering a second marriage? There's growing interest for couples to sign a prenuptial agreement before making a union…especially when there are separate assets involved. Our expert on family law weighs

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: IRAN'S RAISI KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH & OTTAWA'S RESPONSE TO AUTO THEFT Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo,  a former NDP MPP and Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Today: we react to Ottawa's latest measures against auto-theft and the helicopter crash in Iran whereby both Iranian President Raisi and the Iranian foreign minister were killed.  LOBLAWS AGREES TO SIGN GROCERY CODE OF CONDUCT, BUT OTHER COMPETITORS SAY NO Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University. Sylvain weighs in on Loblaw agreeing to sign on to Ottawa's Grocery Code of Conduct, why other competitors like Costco and Walmart have not (so far) and what's in it for consumers. WHY ARE OLDER ZOOMERS INCREASINGLY ENDING UP IN ER OVER CANNABIS POISONING? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of G

 ZOOMER SQUAD: CANADIAN HOSPITALS CONTINUE SEEING LONG WAITING LINES IN EMERGENCY WARDS Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP,  Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, and John Wright, Executive Vice President, Maru Public Opinion. Libby today discusses the wait times skyrocketing in emergency wards partially due to shortage of family doctors. Anthony shares his personal experience as a caregiver to his dad. And finally, Loblaws is ready to sign on to the government’s grocery code of conduct. HELICOPTER CRASH KILLED IRANIAN PRESIDENT EBRAHIM RAISI AND FOREIGN MINISTER Libby Znaimer is joined by Larry Haas, a former White House communications strategist and  Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the American Foreign Policy Council. Continuing the coverage, Libby talks about the future of Iran after President Embrahim Raisi dies in a helicopter crash. According to Iran’s constitution, an election must take place within 50 days. Meanwhile the little-known vice president has

Best of Fight Back Sunday May 19 Edition Do you have concerns about Prime Minister Trudeau's capital gains tax policy? Well we have on a tax and legal expert to break down what you need to know. And...what rights do tenants have when it comes to eviction notices from retirement homes? We hear first hand from a 92-year-old retirement home resident in Mississauga and from the Executive Director of ACE (The Advocacy Centre for the Elderly). Our Medical Record Panel revisits the conversation on patients being diagnosed for Cancer at the Hospital Emerg and why that happens. Then on the show, apparently Google Maps has listed Yonge-Dundas Square as Sankofa Square. Not everyone is happy about it.

Best of Fight Back Saturday May 18 Edition The Zoomer Squad started the week off discussing the number of reported claims that were so far submitted by Canadians as part of the Canad Dental Care Plan. Then on the program with guest doctors, we discuss the concerning trend of patients receiving cancer diagnoses at hospital emergency departments amid the primary care shortage. On Tuesday, our Recovering Politicians Panel discussed the latest on the Mississauga mayoral race plus penalties from Queen's Park on auto theft. And, Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg announces his retirement. He joined Fight Back to reflect on his leadership during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.