Monday, March 14th 2022

Guest: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park reporter

Ontario will be dropping mask mandates in most settings including schools on March 21, right after March break. Ontario’s top doctor Kieran Moore cites the province’s vaccination rates, decreasing case numbers and a decline in hospitalizations as reasons to ease some of the rules, and has indicated all other COVID public health measures may be lifted at the end of April. Many health professionals are worried the province is moving too fast and have spoken out. There is also a new Omicron subvariant in town to consider. Reporter Rob Ferguson of the Star’s Queen’s Park Bureau joins “This Matters” to clarify the ground rules come next week and explain why lifting a mask mandate doesn’t necessarily mean we should lift our masks mask.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn

Friday, March 11th 2022

Guest: Patricia Lakin-Thomas, York University professor

It is time to spring forward! Daylight Saving Time begins this weekend. Clocks shifting ahead an hour on Sunday not only may make you feel a little tired, it’s a much bigger deal than you may think.  To some scientists, changing the time twice a year — which is not done in large parts of the world — is one of the world’s biggest experiments, and generally points to negative outcomes like an increase in heart attacks and traffic accidents. The problems don’t end there and thus, there are movements to abolish it. Today we speak to Patricia Lakin-Thomas, a York University biology professor who runs the Clock Lab.

Thursday, March 10th 2022

Today, we will be taking you to Ukraine, speaking with those who are trying to escape war, which for some includes leaving their homes, their families and their lives. Journalist Johanna Chisholm reports.

This episode was produced by Johanna Chisholm, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston, Matthew Hearn and Sean Pattendon.

Wednesday, March 9th 2022

Guest: Jim Williams, president and energy economist at WTRG Economics

As the world watches the horrors of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ripple effects are being felt around the globe. With ever harsher sanctions effectively banning Russian imports, including oil, gas prices keep jumping higher as this conflict continues on. But that isn’t the only reason why prices have jumped at the pumps. Other factors are a low supply and an increase in demand as the world opens up with pandemic restrictions lifting. Experts say these surging prices could be here for a long time, and while countries and governments search for solutions and more capacity, people should prepare for pain at the pumps for the foreseeable future.

This episode was produced by Raju Mudhar, Brian Bradley and Matthew Hearn.

Tuesday, March 8th 2022

Guest: Lauren Markham, journalist and author

As Europe opens its doors to more than two million Ukrainians fleeing the horrific Russian invasion of their country, there are others for whom the doors are not left quite as open. The United Nations refugee convention states that a refugee should not be returned to a country that endangers life or freedom. It is international law, but not all laws are applied equally and sometimes they aren’t applied at all. For millions fleeing war, persecution, conflict and climate crises, a new form of brutality awaits them even at the place of refuge. Lauren Markham, a California-based journalist covering migration and author of the 2017 book “The Far Away Brothers,” explains why the basic human right of seeking safety is becoming the reason for thousands of deaths.