Zoomer Week in Review

June 22 2025-Cash for Private Health Care and The Conflict in the Middle East Do you avoid hospital emergency rooms unless absolutely necessary due to excessive wait times? And how long is too long for Ontario patients to wait for specialty procedures like MRI’s? Family physician and clinical researcher Dr. Iris Gorfinkel says it’ll take more than money to end hallway healthcare. And Libby Znaimer had a conversation with Vivian Bercovici, a former Ambassador of Canada to Israel, for an update on the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Please let me know if there are any adjustments required.

June 14 2025-Vacationing Caregivers and Tourism Travel Crackdowns There are 4 million family caregivers in Ontario providing support to ill or aging loved ones and while it’s meaningful work, they experience high levels of burn out, so getting away on a summer vacation is an important time to recharge. If you’re caring for a vulnerable loved one, planning your own summer vacation can feel overwhelming, with so many responsibilities at home. We reached Amy Coupal, the CEO of the non profit Ontario Caregiver Organization for tips on how to plan a fun, low-stress summer getaway. And Before you leave on that dream European vacation, do your research as you may be surprised to find new rules to crack down on overtourism. In some countries, you’ll face a fine if you wear your swimsuit anywhere but on the beach, or stroll shirtless down a boardwalk, or light a cigarette on the beach. As part of a growing movement to combat over tourism this weekend, activist groups are staging massive protests across several cities with marches, pickets at airports and tour bus blockage and more. We reached tourism expert, Dr. Guillem Colom-Montero, a professor at the University of Glasgow.

June 8 2025-Remembering Marc Garneau & What's Trending in Home and Kitchen Design Tributes are pouring in for Marc Garneau who died this week at 76. He was the first Canadian to fly in space and then went on to enjoy a career in federal politics. Our Libby Znaimer spoke with Marc Garneu last October, on the 40th anniversary of his first space flight, to chat about his life as an astronaut and a politician. And Guest host Christine Ross speaks with Deborah Wang, a Toronto-based architect, to find out what’s trending in home and kitchen design lately.

June 1 2025-Canadians' Attitudes Towards the Monarchy & A Major Expansion at Shaw Festival In a historic move, King Charles delivered the first throne speech in Canada by a monarch since 1977, amid tensions with the US. Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, he told Canada’s 45 th opening of Parliament, that this country is indeed strong and free. What does the latest polling show about Canadians' attitudes towards the Monarchy? Guest host Christine Ross spoke with Darrell Bricker, Chief Executive Officer of IPSOS Public Affairs, a global market research company. And Shaw festival artistic director and joint-CEO Tim Carroll will oversee a major expansion at Shaw over the next five years. The campaign, All.Together.Now, will also prioritize Seniors by making it easier to provide programming for them to help cut down on the growing epidemic of isolation.

May 25 2025-A Closer Look at Prostate Cancer & Travel Trends this Summer The late-stage cancer diagnosis of former U.S. president Joe Biden has some medical professionals wondering how the disease was able to go undetected. The 82-year-old has been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer, considered the most advanced, that’s now spread to his bones. In Canada, 30 thousand men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year and 5 thousand will die from it. Many can live full lives with low grade prostate cancer. But news of Biden’s cancer this week has sounded the alarm on screening, that’s recommended to end at 70. We reached Dr. Malcolm Moore, medical oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. And This summer, Canadians are shifting travel preferences with many planning to stay within Canada amid a notable drop in US travel. But interest in Africa and Central America is soaring. Kayak, an online travel search engine that helps travelers find best deals, is out with emerging travel trends this season. We reached Kayla Inserra DeLoache, consumer travel trends expert at KAYAK.

May 18 2025 - How Our Siblings Impact Us & The Cost of For-Profit Nursing Agencies for Ontario Hospitals New research suggests siblings have a profound impact on each other's lives. In her book, The Family Dynamic: a Journey into the mystery of sibling success, author Susan Dominus explores some high-achieving kids and how their brothers and sisters helped them get there. And A new report, authored by Simon Fraser University political economist Andrew Longhurst and commissioned by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, examined the increased use of nursing agencies in Ontario hospitals. It found that over the last decade, the costs have skyrocketed to 9.2-billion dollars. Dr. Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, calls it the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the myriad of problems associated with the use of agencies.

May 11 2025 – Sue Hincenbergs' Debut Novel "The Retirement Plan" & Alberta's Separatism Movement Many Zoomers dream of writing a novel, but making that dream a reality is no simple task. And if you’re not famous, selling the book and finding an audience is even harder. But ZoomerMedia alumnus Sue Hincenbergs is celebrating the perfect debut with her new book “The Retirement Plan.” And It’s been a factor for a long time but many of us Central Canadians are hearing about it for the first time. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will undertake a referendum on separating from Canada if enough Albertans say they want it. How serious is the threat and what’s behind it? I reached author Michael Wagner in Edmonton.

May 4 2025-The Link Between CT Scans and Cancer & A History of Attempts to Reform English Spelling CT scans are a popular diagnostic tool but a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a link between the scans and cancer. Dr. Derek Tsang, Radiation Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, explains the benefits and possible risks. And The English language is said to be one of the hardest to grasp with its quirky letters and “exceptions to the rule”. The new book “Enough is Enuf” takes a humorous look at the history of the spelling reform movement. Guest host Kathy Hyde reached author Gabe Henry at his home in New York City.

April 27 2025-How a Papal Conclave Works & What's Hot in Ontario Cottage Real Estate? More than 200 Cardinals from around the world--including five from Canada--have gathered in Rome preparing for the Conclave to elect the successor to Pope Francis. We’ll take a look at what may happen behind closed doors. Guest host Kathy Hyde speaks with Father Robert O’Brien of St. Paul’s Minor Basilica in Toronto. And With warmer temperatures, cottage country may be calling. Phil Soper, President and CEO of Royal Lepage, takes a look at what’s hot when it comes to buying/selling waterfront property and whether US President Donald Trump’s tariffs may affect those summer plans.

Cancer Research in Jeopardy and the Rising Tide of Book Bans Canadian cancer researchers received over 40 million in US funding last year for their life-saving work. Now, amid Donald Trump’s tariff war, seven-in-ten Canadian cancer researchers are concerned about the impact on both this year’s funding, and the future of collaborative projects with US colleagues. So this year’s April daffodil month to raise funds and support for Canadians living with the disease carries more urgency for the one-in-two Canadians will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. We reached Dr. Stuart Edmonds, Head of Research with the Canadian Cancer Society. And Author Ira Wells, an associate professor at the University of Toronto, makes the strong argument against book banning and censorship in his latest called ON BOOK BANNING. Censorship dates back through the ages, but Wells claims there are now more efforts to ban books from libraries than ever before.

April 13 2025-Discovery of Hormone Used in Obesity Medications & The Revival of Vinyl Records It may not be a household name yet but a Toronto-based doctor has just won this year’s prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, considered the Oscars of the scientific community. Dr. Daniel Drucker, along with his colleagues, have been recognized for discovering the hormone used in diabetes and obesity medications — including Ozempic — that have changed the lives of millions around the world. He shares the $3 million US prize with four colleagues from the United States and Denmark. We reached Dr. Daniel Drucker, an endocrinologist and a clinician-scientist at the University of Toronto and the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health And What’s old is new again. There’s been a revival of vinyl records. Christine Ross spoke with Carleton University Communication and Media Studies Professor Josh Greenberg who’s been researching this comeback story.

April 6 2025-Navigating The Threat of President Trump's Tariffs & Spring Cleaning Tips for Zoomers For many people, Spring is the perfect time to do a purge of all that “stuff” you’ve acquired over the last year. Kristen Wall, Owner and Lead Organizer of Miss Kris & Co gives tips for Zoomers navigating the process. And Tariffs and counter-tariffs continue to dominate the news. Guest host Kathy Hyde recently spoke with Dennis Darby, President of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters for his take about the most recent moves by President Trump and what they mean for Canada.

March 30 2025-How, Where and When to Vote this Federal Election & Michael Kovrig on Execution of Canadians by China It will cost $570 million and create 200,000 short-term jobs. We will head to the polls on April 28 after the shortest federal campaign allowed under Canadian law. And there are more options on when, where and how to vote this time. I talked with Natalie de Montigny of Elections Canada. And China’s recent execution of four Canadian citizens put the focus back on the trouble between our two nations. And with about another 100 Canadians in Chinese jails, it is raising alarms. I talked with former diplomat Michael Kovrig who spent 1019 days imprisoned in China on trumped up charges.

March 23 2025-Amb. John Bolton on US President Trump's Tariffs & Fighting Noise Pollution in Toronto Libby speaks with John Bolton, former US Ambassador to the UN and National Security Adviser during President Donald Trump’s first term. Bolton offers some words of advice to Prime Minister Carney on dealing with President Trump. He also reacts to the US trade war with Canada and the state of national security. He spoke with Libby Znaimer earlier this week. And We’ve been told for years that noise is just a part of “city life” but a grassroots organization in Toronto wants noise pollution recognized as a health hazard and for the City to take action to address the problem. Guest host Kathy Hyde speaks with Ingrid Buday of No More Noise Toronto. Ingrid tells us about the meeting taking place on April 1st where Toronto Public Health will be reporting to the Toronto Board of Health about the Noise Action Plan that came out in 2019.

March 16 2025-The History Of America Wanting To Annex Canada & Be Aware of These Scams Most Canadians are shocked about US President Donald Trump’s designs on annexing Canada. But there is a long history of those expansionist ideas and a record of both political and military failures in that effort. I reached Dr. Patrick O’brien, an expert in early US-Canada relations at the University of Tampa. And Are you feeling fraud fatigue? As the scams get more sophisticated and personalized, most Canadians are feeling increasingly vulnerable. I spoke with Detective David Coffey of the Toronto Police Service's Financial Crimes Unit about the latest schemes to separate you from your hard-earned money.

March 9 2025-How US Tariffs Made The Great Depression Worse & Defining and Diagnosing Obesity Is the Trump trade war deja vu all over again? Economists and experts agree that tariffs made the Great Depression of the 1930’s a lot worse and a lot longer. Libby is joined by Dr. Patrice Dutil, Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University for an explainer. And According to the numbers, the disease of Obesity will affect 1.9 billion people around the world within 10 years - Statistics Canada says it already affects about 30% of Canadians. It takes a huge toll on health and on finances - costing the economy nearly $28B a year. So how is obesity defined and diagnosed? Libby speaks with Dr. Sean Wharton, Medical Director of the Wharton Medical Clinic.

March 2 2025-Does Ontario Need A Seniors’ Advocate & Have You Had Your Shingles Shot? What is the role of a Seniors’ Advocate and does Ontario need one? Those questions were at the heart of CARP’s AGM this past weekend and I chatted with BC Seniors’ Advocate Dan Levitt after he delivered a keynote speech. Have you had your shingles shots? Over 90,000 Canadians aged 50 and older develop this painful condition every year, even though the vaccine is readily available. Less than 40% of eligible Canadians have received even one dose, despite the fact that Shingles can lead to lasting complications, including chronic nerve pain and vision loss. I talked with Dr. Vivien Brown about why you should get yours.

February 23 2025-Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert on the Return of Hostages & Retro Cooking with Chef Cori Doern Will the latest horrific revelations around the release of the bodies of four Israeli hostages affect the ceasefire? Or is the release of all the remaining hostages held by Hamas terrorists imminent and would it mark the end of the war in gaza? I asked Ehud Olmert, Israel's 12th Prime minister who served in that role between 2006 and 2009 and as a cabinet minister before that. He began his career with the ruling right wing Likud party but broke to the centrist kadimah Party under then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who he succeeded. On the one year anniversary of the October 7 massacre, just a few months ago, he presented a joint proposal to end the war with former Palestinian Authority foreign minister Nasser al-Kidwa. When we spoke earlier this week, he predicted that the Hamas terror group would offer to release those remaining hostages if the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire goes ahead. And What’s old is new again at least in the kitchen! Vintage recipes handed down from Grandma are making a comeback! Casseroles, baked pastas, creamy chicken dishes. But these retro dishes are being reimagined for today’s tastes. And the really good news is that they are usually affordable. I got some tasty tips about retro cooking from Chef Cori Durn.

February 16 2025-60th Anniversary of Canada’s Flag & Rethinking Cancer Drug Trials Were you flying our flag this weekend? February 15th marked the 60th anniversary of the red and white Maple Leaf and with Donald Trump’s continuing threats against our sovereignty and economy, Flag Day took on a special meaning. I talked with Historica Canada’s Anthony Wilson-Smith about the history of the flag that was first raised on Parliament Hill in 1965. And It seems obvious that new cancer drugs and the clinical trials that test them should put the needs of cancer patients first but according to a group of oncologists, in the last decade, many new treatments have had very small benefits. They have laid out the principles for improving cancer trial design in the influential online journal The Lancet Oncology. I reached Dr. Bishal Gyawali in Kingston.

February 9 2025-Buying Canadian Amid Tariff Tensions With US & The Pivotal Role Zoomers Play In the Music Industry Canadians are united in their response to the threat of tariffs from Donald Trump and the “buy Canadian” movement is growing. Retail analyst Bruce Winder joined us to explain what “buy Canadian” actually means and what you should look for on labels. And Rock and roll may seem like a young person’s game but many of the most respected and consistently employed roadies and technicians are well into their 60’s and beyond. Bob Czaykowski, known affectionately as “Nitebob”joined us from New York City to talk about his more than 50 years in the business.