- How pandemic burnout is affecting teachers and schools
Tuesday, November 2nd 2021
Guest: Nadine Yousif, reporter covering mental health issues, the Star
New data shows that the number of teachers taking sick leave during the pandemic has doubled over the past two years of the pandemic. Researchers at Brock University have done early research that shows teachers are dealing with higher levels of stress and burnout, in large part due to the disruptions to the education system brought on by COVID-19. From the demands of remote, virtual and hybrid schooling, to the ever-present threat of students and teachers catching COVID-19 in a classroom setting, it is has been an extraordinarily unsettling time for many educators, which also has an effect on the students and the system as whole.
- How ‘A Better Tent City’ is trying a new way to tackle homelessness in Kitchener
Monday, November 1st 2021
Guest: Liam Casey, reporter at The Canadian Press
Trying to tackle the issue of homelessness is a difficult one, as there is no one singular fix. But one issue for many people living on the streets is that they dislike the shelter system, which in many communities is seen as the only real solution. During the pandemic, the feeling of unease best showed itself as many people experiencing homeless set up tents in public parks throughout the province. In Kitchener, a radical new idea called A Better Tent City was undertaken by citizens in that community. Using sheds and creating a communal space, this homeless encampment has been embraced by officials in the community and is being accepted by those that are seeking help. It’s certainly not perfect, but it is a new approach that already has other communities asking about a closer look.
- 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.
