- Pink robots are delivering your food. What does this mean for local gig workers?
Wednesday, August 11th 2021
Guest: Sara Mojtehedzadeh, work and wealth reporter for the Toronto Star
Robots have arrived in Toronto and they’re delivering your food. You may have come across Geoffrey, an adorable pink robot with hearts for eyes, who offers contactless, affordable delivery at the tap of a smartphone. The company behind Geoffrey is claiming it to be a safe alternative for delivery services that emphasizes buying local just as our reliance on gig workers for delivering our orders has increased. But as Star reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh found out, sometimes the way Geoffrey is run isn’t local at all and the concept of delivery-by-robot raises some serious questions about implications for gig workers who have already been heavily impacted by this pandemic.
- Pandemic style wars: From face masks and sweatpants to what’s next
Tuesday, August 10th 2021
The biggest COVID-19 fashion trend was face masks. But what comes next? Will we ever really be formal again? A fashion professor talks to us about how fashion will change in a post pandemic world.
- Canada’s $31-billion food waste problem
Monday, August 9th 2021
Guest: Jack Froese, Chair of National Zero Waste Council
Canada has a real problem with food waste and we’re all responsible. According to Second Harvest, 58 per cent of all food produced in Canada — the equivalent of 35.5 million tonnes — is lost or wasted every year. That comes out to $31 billion at the food production and consumer level. The cost of all this waste is obvious financially, but there is a huge cost environmentally too. How can Canadians and companies change their habits and processes to be less wasteful? We get into the tips and tricks of how to reduce food waste and save your money at the same time.
- Olympic bonus: Partner podcast Tokyo Daily discusses Christine Sinclair and Canadian soccer
Saturday, August 7th 2021
As a bonus episode, This Matters is broadcasting an episode from another Toronto Star podcast. Tokyo Daily, hosted by Brendan Dunlop, recaps the Canadian women’s national team’s historic gold medal win with the Toronto Star’s Laura Armstrong, on a day that Canada won three medals over the span of one hour. Christine Sinclair is one of the greatest soccer players of all-time, and now an Olympic champion.
Dunlop also recaps a memorable day of these Olympics with medals from Mohammed Ahmed in the 5,000-metre race, Andre De Grasse adding to his medal count in the men’s 4x100-metre relay and Evan Dunfee in the race walk.
- How Simone Biles brought the importance of mental health to the world’s greatest stage
Friday, August 6th 2021
Guest: Nadine Yousif, the Star’s mental health reporter
The Tokyo Olympics have been historic in many ways. The games took place in the middle of a global pandemic, Canada’s female athletes are bringing in the gold and glory, and mental health has been brought to the centre stage. Olympians have rallied around U.S. gymnast Simone Biles’ decision to bow out of team finals, the latest example of a high-profile figure publicly putting their mental health first. Her decision is being celebrated by many, as it shows that even superhuman athletes struggle with pressure from work, and mental health struggles can affect everyone. It is OK to not be OK.