- Will Toronto’s hotel industry ever bounce back to its pre-pandemic peak?
Friday, October 29th 2021
Guest: Tess Kalinowski, real estate reporter for the Star
Toronto’s hotel industry has been one of the hardest hit in the COVID-19 pandemic. With the start of the first lockdown, hotel rooms emptied as dozens of hotels were closed completely. Thousands of workers were badly impacted by the loss of jobs and working hours. Many just never came back.
As more people are vaccinated and travel restrictions get lifted, hotels are slowly coming back to life. But experts say there’s still a long, difficult road to recovery for a city that was at its peak of marketing itself as a global destination before the pandemic. On “This Matters” today, we take a look at what it will take for Toronto’s hotel and tourism industry to bounce back, nearly two years after the first lockdown all while reeling with financial losses and a severe staff shortage.
- Why are Toronto’s roads so dangerous?
Thursday, October 28th 2021
Guests: Shawn Micallef, columnist, and Gilbert Ngabo, reporter
Toronto is one of the major Canadian cities where collisions with pedestrians are at a dangerous high. More than a hundred pedestrians were killed on Toronto roads between 2018 and 2020. Among those, 69 per cent were age 55 years or older, according to the Toronto Police Service. It’s been nearly five years since the launch of Toronto’s $123-million Vision Zero plan with aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. The city hasn’t come close to that target even with an unprecedented decline in car use last year. There have been 46 casualties in 2021, and the year hasn’t ended yet. October has been particularly deadly with a string of traffic deaths that included a 17-year-old girl and a much-loved couple.
Today on “This Matters,” columnist Shawn Micallef and reporter Gilbert Ngabo talk about why Torontonians are dying on the streets of their city, and what needs to happen for the roads to be safe, accessible and equitable for everyone.
- Long COVID in kids and the hope of a children’s vaccine
Wednesday, October 27th 2021
Guest: Omar Mosleh, Toronto Star reporter
The medical community is only beginning to understand long COVID, the debilitating and often mysterious symptoms so-called “long hauler” patients face that can last for months after they’ve fought the virus. Even less is known about long COVID in children, flipping the misconception that the worst of the illness only impacts adults and seniors. To date, only people 12 years of age and older have been approved by Health Canada to receive a COVID vaccine in Canada. The children and families affected with long-haul symptoms are speaking out about how their lives have been turned upside down, and now the questions and calculations they’re making with an approved COVID vaccine for children in the works.
- The pandemic pet boom is driving a vet shortage emergency
Tuesday, October 26th 2021
Guests: Dr. Louis Kwantes, president of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, and Jory Bocknek, veterinarian
The phenomenon of the pandemic pet boom is real. According to an Abacus Data research poll, more than 900,000 Canadians got a pet who didn't have one before. Animal shelters and rescue organizations have seen a dramatic rise in requests from hopeful pet owners. But all those new pets have led to an unprecedented demand in veterinary care, which was already stretched to its limits pre-pandemic. If there's an emergency for your four-legged family member, can you get them medical care? Veterinarians and medical associations say the situation is reaching a breaking point with the ever-growing number of pets in Canada.
- Canada’s Succession: Rogers’ boardroom drama explained
Monday, October 25th 2021
Guest: Christine Dobby, Business Reporter at the Star
It has been an extraordinary week at the highest level of power at Rogers Communications, one of Canada's largest telecommunications empires. A battle for control has been underway, pitting Edward Rogers against other family members as he attempted to change the company's CEO and put his hand-picked replacement in his place. While that manoeuvre was thwarted, the power struggle has resulted in Twitter storms from Martha Rogers, Edward's sister, and John Tory, the mayor of Toronto, being called in to attempt to mediate. Now the company seems to find itself with two board of directors, with each claiming legitimacy. On top of all that, exclusive Star reporting confirmed that Edward tried to meddle with the Raptors' leadership this past summer, in a manner that may show some patterns to his corporate activism. With 24,000 employees and the ongoing $26 billion acquisition of former rival, Shaw Communications, there is at lot stake for one of Canada's largest media empires.
