- Why engineers want to retool a mysterious ring ceremony
Friday, March 10th 2023
Guest: Robyn Paul, Retool the Ring
At the end of their education, engineers receive a coveted ring in a ceremony full of symbolism, steeped in secrecy. It is called The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer and it has come under fire for failing to reflect the contemporary views and face of engineering in Canada.Retool the Ring, an informal organization, is part of the drive for that change, claiming the ritual contains “outdated and harmful world views, including colonialism, racism and sexism.” Robyn Paul, a co-facilitator, joins “This Matters” to explain.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.
- How the idea of 15-minute cities became controversial
Thursday, March 9th 2023
Guest: Alex Boyd, staff reporter
The 15-minute city has long been an urban planning ideal, where people lived close to everything they need. It has recently become twisted by those who feel it might be something that could lead to the next lockdown, sparking protests online and in cities across the world, including in Canada. How did a seemingly benign planning theory become so controversial?
This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.
Audio sources: CityNews, @T_seaward on Twitter and @andrewknack on TikTok.
- A life lost, a person unclaimed and a subsidized apartment frozen in time
Wednesday, March 8th 2023
Guest: Victoria Gibson, Affordable Housing reporter
Sometimes even beloved neighbours and friends can slip away unnoticed at life’s end, with their memory frozen in time. That’s what happened to Charles Parris, 81, of Henry Street in Grange Park. He died at home, remains quietly buried, but worldly belongings remained. For 10 months, his Toronto Community Housing Corp. apartment sat uninhabited despite a raging housing crisis. Such vacancy limbo seems to be connected to another growing problem — an increasing number of unclaimed bodies. Victoria Gibson tells a haunting story on “This Matters.”
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.
- What will it take to calm uproar at Oakville Trafalgar High School?
Tuesday, March 7th 2023
Guest: Kris Rushowy and Isabel Teotonio, reporters
Administrators, teachers and students connected to Oakville Trafalgar High School have been subject to bomb threats (as recently as February), death threats and police activity in recent months after photos of educator Kayla Lemieux made international headlines and left parents unnerved by action from the Halton District School Board. As the situation escalates, sudents say they feel unsafe and their learning environment is disrupted while the board scrambles to get support for a new “professionalism policy” and hire an outside adviser to help manage the uproar.
This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Paulo Marques.
Audio Sources: CHCH News, Twitter
- Private care in a public hospital
Monday, March 6th 2023
Guest: Megan Ogilvie and Kenyon Wallace, reporters
A group of orthopedic surgeons is leasing operating rooms from Ottawa’s biggest hospital. It’s a controversial move that the company says will help alleviate surgery wait-times in the province. But health care advocates are concerned and want more information about the arrangement. Why is a private corporation operating inside a public hospital? And will we see more of this in the future?
This episode was produced by Alexis Green, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.
Audio sources: Global News and CPAC
