Tuesday, August 19th 2025

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Guest: Nathan Bawaan, Toronto Star reporter

Youth unemployment in Toronto is at its highest level in decades outside of the pandemic and it’s not just a tough job market. A new report reveals that discrimination based on race, age, gender, language, and even postal code is one of the biggest barriers keeping young people from getting hired. Some recent grads are giving up on job hunting altogether and turning to grad school, not out of ambition, but because they feel stuck. We break down what’s behind the crisis.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Paulo Marques

Friday, August 15th 2025

Guest: Kevin Jiang, Toronto Star reporter 

Nearly one in five Canadians who had COVID—more than more than 3 million people—went on to develop long COVID, also called post COVID 19 Condition (PCC). Symptoms can include fatigue, brain fog, breathing problems and heart damage, sometimes lasting for years. In Ontario there is still no coordinated plan for care. Funding for specialized clinics has disappeared, rehab services often have to be paid for out of pocket and most patients report getting little to no treatment. Toronto Star’s Kevin Jiang takes a look at what it is like to live with the long tail of a pandemic that is far from over for those still living with it. 

Produced by Sean Pattendon, Paulo Marques and Saba Eitizaz 

Tuesday, August 12th 2025

Guest: Andy Takagi, Toronto Star transportation reporter 

Premier Ford says he’s pitching an unprecedented plan to tackle one of the GTA’s biggest headaches; gridlock on Highway 401, the busiest road in North America. His vision is a single three-level tunnel running under the highway, which could stretch from Brampton to Scarborough. He outlined the concept at an unrelated press conference this week, but he’s been talking about it for nearly a year. Ford says this will serve people for decades to come, but a two-year feasibility study has just begun, and experts are raising questions about the costs, the timelines and whether this would actually ease traffic congestion. 

We take a look at what Ford is proposing, why experts say it might not work and what it could mean for commuters and communities along the  401. 

Audio sources: CP24

Produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattenden 

Friday, August 8th 2025

Guest: Dr. David Barber, Chair OMA’s General and Family Practice

Two million people in Ontario do not have access to a family physician, and that number is expected to more than double by 2026. At the same time, many doctors are stepping away from comprehensive care, citing burnout, bureaucracy, and financial strain.

In this episode, Dr. David Barber shares what is happening inside the system through his own lived experience. He is a family physician in Kingston and chair of the Ontario Medical Association’s Section on General and Family Practice. He explains what it looks like to stay in the profession as the pressures mount, why so many of his colleagues are walking away, and what it means for patients who are being left behind.

Produced by Saba Eitizaz, Paulo Marques and Sean Pattendon

Tuesday, July 29th 2025

Guest: Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief, Robert Benzie

Last week, Canada’s premiers wrapped up their annual Council of the Federation meeting in Ontario’s cottage country, against the backdrop of serious political and economic pressure. With Trump’s threat of tariffs on August 1 looming large, and Prime Minister Mark Carney facing his first major leadership test, the summit was framed as a show of strength and unity. But was that solidarity real behind the scenes? And how prepared are the provinces for an unpredictable trade fight with Trump?

Toronto Star Queen’s Park Bureau Chief Robert Benzie joins This Matters to break it all down.