- Politics of public space: Cyclists and High Park
Wednesday, August 10th 2022
Guest: Ben Spurr, City Hall reporter at The Star.
There’s a bike fight brewing in High Park. After some park users complained too many cyclists are speeding through the park, police kicked off ticketing blitz. Tensions and activity escalated so much that in one incident, a police car hit a cyclist. Cycling advocates feel that riders are being unfairly targeted and this has been a waste of police resources. What it definitely shows is another fight in the city where pedestrians, cyclists and drivers are once again in conflict over how public space should be shared.
This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.
Audio sources: CTV and CP24
- Sexism in skilled trades: Meet a woman bringing change
Tuesday, August 9th 2022
Guest: Kayla Bailey, project manager Ontario Building and Construction Tradeswomen
Many women working in the trades sector like construction, say they have faced hostility, sexism and harassment on the job often without recourse. It’s happened enough that the provincial trades council has made a new committee that seeks to address the issues women face regularly, and also look for long-term strategies on improving this sector and making it more welcoming for women. That’s crucial in a sector facing a severe labour shortage. Kayla Bailey, a journeyperson steamfitter, gas fitter and welder in Toronto, has worked in the sector since 2014 and is now project manager for this new committee. She joins “This Matters” to share her experience.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn
- The metaverse is coming. What does that mean?
Monday, August 8th 2022
Guest: Matthew Ball, author of “The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything”
Many of the world’s biggest companies are investing heavily in, and betting big on, the metaverse. There are different visions of what the metaverse might look like depending on who’s speaking, but regardless it will be the next big evolution of the internet as how we interact with it becomes more immersive. It will all take time because there are several challenges and technologies that need to mature before it happens. Matthew Ball, author of “The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything,” joins “This Matters” podcast, to talk about how the metaverse is defined so far and shed light on the road leading to how it may be created.
This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Matthew Hearn and Raju Mudhar.
- Nancy Pelosi has left Taiwan, but the crisis is just beginning
Friday, August 5th 2022
Guest: Joanna Chiu, staff reporter
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years earlier this week. The visit lasted only 19 hours but was long enough to infuriate the Chinese government. Hours after Pelosi landed, Beijing announced unprecedented military drills off the coast of Taiwan. The standoff continued on Friday, with China suspending dialogue with the U.S. on a range of issues from climate change to military relations to cross border crime. Star reporter Joanna Chiu, Toronto Star staff reporter and author of author of the book “China Unbound,” explains the significance of this week’s visit, why there are worries about war and what an ensuing conflict could mean for Canada.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Alexis Green and Matthew Hearn
Clip sources: CNN, The Sun, Yahoo News, Bloomberg, The Print
- How the B.C. coast is a cruise ship dumping ground
Thursday, August 4th 2022
Guest: Anna Barford, Canadian Shipping Campaigner with Stand.earth
While cruise ship lines took a hit during the pandemic, business is back in full swing. Cruise ships are floating cities on the water and generate all kinds of waste. Surprisingly, U.S. rules around dealing with such waste are much more stringent compared to Canada where we have lax regulations. According to a recent report from Stand.earth and B.C.-based West Coast Environmental Law, ships travelling along the Canadian West Coast are incentivized to dump waste in Canadian waters as it is cheaper and easier.
This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.
Audio sources: CNN and NPR
