Ontario Today Phone-Ins

Stories from patients sharing their experiences tapering off anti-depressants and anxiety meds and the growing movement to deprescribe with psychiatrist, Dr. Gary Rodin.

A host of new rules come into effect in the regulation of immigration consultants in Canada starting Wednesday. We hear from callers about their experiences with immigration consultants and we hear from lawyer Eoin Logan. He specializes in professional negligence claims against immigration consultants and lawyers. We also hear from immigration consultant in Brampton, Manan Gupta.

Our expert gardener Paul Zammit starts the show by talking about how green thumbs can lend a hand in the community and we hear your gardening questions. Paul Zammit is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.

Pipeline announcements are making headlines in Canada this month which, if they go ahead, would increase this country's emissions -- at a time when parts of Canada and Europe are roasting. The Climate Action Network Canada predicts 2026 will be one of the hottest on record, along with the past three years. So how does a climate warrior keep up the fight? We hear from callers and Canadian author, environmental activist and legendary broadcaster David Suzuki. His new book is called Lessons From a Lifetime: Ninety Years of Inspiration and Activism.

Two people were killed and four others suffered wounds after gunfire erupted Saturday evening at Toronto's Salsa on St. Clair festival, one of the city's largest annual celebrations of Latin culture. We hear from callers about whether violence has them thinking twice before attending outdoor events and we hear from Coun. Josh Matlow, who represents the ward where the shooting took place. 

People who love pickleball, love it hard. So what's the appeal? Jonathon Moody is the president of Pickleball Ontario. He joins guest host Stu Mills to hear what's drawing so many people to the sport.

The Buy Canadian movement began out of anger and the U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. And for awhile, everything from American orange juice to American clothing brands to travel to the United States was shunned. But how strong are those sentiments today? We're joined by Moshe Lander, a senior lecturer in economics at Concordia University.

You weigh in as Ontario raises the speed limit on more highways. Our guest is Angelo DiCicco, President & CEO of the Ontario Safety League. 

Starting July 1 big changes are coming to car insurance in Ontario -- the number of coverage requirements will but reduced so Ontarians will have more choice in what coverage they chose to pay for or not. Elliott Silverstein, director of government relations with CAA Insurance, breaks down the changes and tries to answer whether reducing coverage will really save you in the long run. 

Our regular gardening expert Paul Zammit offers up his tips for how to manage your garden during extreme weather and takes callers' questions. Paul Zammit is a professor of Horticulture and Environmental Studies at Niagara College.

Ontarians tell us about a time they realized the joy of getting older. Our guest for the hour is Janet Torge, author of "I Can't Believe I'm Old: Essays on aging."

Your stories with screens researcher and neuroscientist Emma Duerden. The University of British Columbia's Dr. Mariana Brussoni, who researchers children's play, also joins us.

On the eve of Canada Day, you share stories about your sense of national identity with journalist and "Gloves Off" podcaster Stephen Marche.

Paul Zammit shares some tips on protecting your garden during the hot summer months and takes caller questions. Paul Zammit is a professor Horticulture and Environmental Studies at Niagara College and Ontario Today's regular gardening columnist. 

Ontarians talk about why they're watching their team now, as Team Canada wins a stake in the next round. Sports commentator, Nicco Cardarelli hears their stories. He was only two years old when the Canadian men first qualified for a World Cup in 1986.

Callers under 19 take over the show and take us into their lives this past year. From cellphone bans to teacher absences, students lived through a lot this year. We'll hear what it was like from their perspective. Our guests are two recent high school graduates in Ottawa, 17-year-old Jayden Gnanapragasam and 18-year-old Chiara Frangione. 

Callers tell us about their concerns about the rapid pace of AI expansion and how they are finding ways to resist the technology. Our guests include Alex Hanna, author of The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want and pollster Shachi Kurl with the Angus Reid Institute.

From newcomers to Canada to workers making up for lost time, thousands of Ontarians are enrolled in adult high schools. Many will graduate this June. Your stories with Paul Cox, executive director of the Ontario Association of Adult and Continuing Education School Board Administrators and we hear from Principal Mario DiVittorio at St. Charles Adult and Continuing Education.

As the United States and Iran continue negotiations toward a final peace deal, you tell us what you're hearing from your connections in the region. Our guests are a former Canadian ambassador to Israel Jon Allen and Arta Moeini with the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy

Our regular gardening expert Paul Zammit offers up his tips for successful container gardening and takes caller questions. Paul Zammit is a professor of Horticulture and Environmental Studies at Niagara College.

We hear callers reaction to news Monday that ALTO is considering a route change that would see a high-speed rail stop for Kingston. Our guest for the first half of the show is Matti Siemiatycki, University of Toronto professor of geography and planning and director of the Infrastructure Institute.

We hear how dads are managing their careers and fatherhood with guest Casey Scheibling, fatherhood researcher and assistant professor at the University of Nevada. 

Your reaction to a recommendation from a Parliamentary committee to the idea of expanding Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) for people whose suffering stems from mental issues. 

Your stories with Globe and Mail health reporter Kelly Grant who shares the results of her experiment spending a week without ultraprocessed foods.

We take the temperature on U.S.-Canada relations with our audience and hear from three smart guests: David Paterson is Ontario's representative in Washington D.C.; Drew Fagan is a professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto; and Drew Dilkens is the Mayor of Windsor. 

Paul Zammit shares some of his favourite tools for getting weeds out fast and takes caller questions. Paul Zammit is a professor Horticulture and Environmental Studies at Niagara College and Ontario Today's regular gardening columnist. 

We talk about Quebec's move to ban energy drinks for youths under 16 we hear whether Ontario needs a similar ban. Our guest is brain development expert Matt Holahan, a professor and chair of the Neuroscience department at Carleton University.

We hear how Ontarians feel about the start of the FIFA games in Toronto as Canada's team faces Bosnia and Herzegovina Friday afternoon. Our guest for the hour is soccer aficionado Murray Mollard, author of "Winning Pitch: The Canadian Men’s Soccer Team at the World Cup and Beyond."

Callers tell us about how the ban might work for the kids in their lives and we hear from child development and technology expert Sara Grimes. She is the Wolfe Chair in Scientific and Technological Literacy at McGill University. We also hear input from Emma Duerden, the Canada Research Chair in Neuroscience and Learning Disorders.

We hear from callers about what they're noticing on this issue and some of its effects on students and staff. Our guests are Kelly Gallagher-Mackay, an associate professor of law and society at Wilfrid Laurier University who researches education, and Jeff Maharaj, president of the Ontario Principals Council.

We hear about the protest against a new data centre planned for Hamilton and callers weigh in on what makes them hesitant about more data centres here in the province. Our guests are Trent University's Anne Pasek, Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture and the Environment, Nick Tsergas who protested against the Hamilton data centre and Craig McLellan, CEO of the Canadian data centre and cloud storage company, ThinkOn. 

CBC senior business reporter Anis Heydari lays out the current state of the real estate and housing market in the GTA, and what to expect in the coming months.

Our gardening expert Paul Zammit starts the show by telling us all about vertical gardening, and which vine plants are best to avoid. He also takes your gardening questions.

How couples and families connect the first 2SLGBTQ+ weddings to their own love story with guests Elaine Vautour, who married her partner Anne in 2001, and Rev. Deana Dudley also shares her stories as an officiant to some of those first gay marriages in Canada. 

From being a census volunteer, to finding your ancestors, to getting a business loan. Callers share their census stories with Geoff Bowlby, Assistant Chief Statistician at Statistics Canada.

Your stories searching for primary care with Dr. Tara Kiran, family doctor and research scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital. We also hear from researcher Andrew Longhurst about the latest report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on primary care access in Canada.

We hear your stories about dealing with caregiver burnout and speak with Stephanie Muskat, a social worker who provides therapy to caregivers. We also hear from James Janeiro from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence about the latest findings on the pressure caregivers are under. 

Our gardening expert Paul Zammit starts the show by telling us about the Ontario Tree of The Year, an annual pageant that honours the most majestic tree in the province. He also takes your gardening questions. 

A new slate of government ads highlight the province's public safety record. Callers who have supported Premier Doug Ford weigh in on whether they are a good use of taxpayer dollars. Our guest is Sabrina Nanji, founder of the Queen's Park Observer. 

We hear how artificial intelligence is changing the way people are finding and landing jobs. Our guest is Tim Lang, president and CEO of Youth Employment Services.

Callers share their experiences getting GLP-1 medications including the new generic Ozempic and we hear from endocrinologist Dr. Tamara Spaic with St. Joseph's Health Care London.

Your stories about why some boys are lagging behind their female peers in school with Louis Volante, a distinguished professor of educational studies at Brock University. Also joining us for his take is Carl James, Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora at York University.

David Shellnutt, the Biking Lawyer, talks about the province's proposed changes to e-bikes and callers weigh in. We also hear from Michael Pasquali, founder of the Canadian Electric Bicycle Association and owner of an e-bike shop.

Callers tell us how they have managed to snag seats for a game, and we hear from Simon Houpt, The Globe and Mail's reporter who covers the business side of sports.

Paul Zammit starts the conversations talking about invasive plants to watch for in the gardens this year, then takes your calls. Paul is a professor of Horticulture and Environmental Studies at Niagara College.

We hear from truck drivers and other road users about a recent auditor general's report that found big gaps in the way commercial truck drivers are trained in Ontario. OUr guest is Shelley Walker, a long-time truck driver and CEO of the Women's Trucking Federation of Canada.

Dermatologist Dr. Mark Kirchhof, president of the Canadian Dermatology Association, hears your stories. 

Collective efforts to pull our attention back from our devices and the multi-billion dollar engineering devoted to keeping us locked in. Our guest is D. Graham Burnett, calls it human fracking. He is co-editor and co-author of Attensity!: A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement. 

Health authorities around the world are watching two outbreaks unfold -- an outbreak of Hantavirus and an Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo. We dig into the risk and we hear your questions about the diseases. Our guest is Toronto infectious disease specialist Dr. Allison McGeer.

May long weekend is often a busy one for gardeners, adding plants to gardens and pots for the summer ahead. Paul shares some tips on how to care for our new plant friends and takes your gardening questions. Paul Zammit is a professor of horticulture and environmental studies at Niagara College.