On Point With Alex Pierson

It's only 20 minutes in length, but this horror film produced by Toronto's Casey House is being used to highlight the stigma associated with those who are HIV positive. Alex spoke with Joanne Simons who is the CEO of Casey House, to talk about the film, and where they've come in the way of HIV. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Korski, Managing Editor of Blacklock's Reporter joined us last hour to discuss how a federal drug policy is headed to “ultimately decriminalization” of illegal narcotics, a Liberal MP yesterday told the Commons health committee. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, who attended the hearing, remained silent. Minister Bennett did not contradict MP Hanley’s claim. That and more deep dive things into Ottawa with Tom. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a sad day in the world of music as we have lost famous singer-songwriter, Christine McVie. She was well known for her role in Fleetwood Mac and helped the band write numerous hit songs, including Songbird. Eric Alper is a Music Publicist and Self Proclaimed 'Musicaholic,' and joined Alex to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have the most permissive euthanasia laws in the world and it's not something we should be proud of. Individuals with disabilities are wanting to acquire medically assisted death as opposed to getting the supports that our government has promised, because those supports just don't exist. Isabel Grant is a Professor Specializing in Criminal and Mental Health Law at the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia, and joined Alex to talk about the current programs in place, and what people are saying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a lot of pushback from the public, Metrolinx has said they will hold off on chopping down some 200 year old trees outside of Osgoode Hall in place of a metro station. Alex is joined by Eric Davies, Ecologist and PhD Candidate with the faculty of forestry at the University of Toronto. Eric breaks down the decision and also says that it might've been a good idea to chop these trees anyways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

China’s vast security apparatus has moved swiftly to smother mass protests that swept the country, with police patrolling streets, checking cell phones and even calling some demonstrators to warn them against a repeat. Some are saying that this carries the same weight as what we saw in Tianamen Square, but is it getting to that point yet? Kay is a Chinese student currently studying in Vancouver, and formerly worked in Shanghai as a legal professional for over a decade, and she joined Alex to talk about what we're seeing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The RCMP is investigating broad foreign interference by China in Canadian affairs, says Commissioner Brenda Lucki. She said, “In the context of the 2019 federal general election, the RCMP did not have any criminal investigations into election-related activities as there was no evidence at the time...” To help talk about it, Alex is joined by Dr. Christian Leuprecht is a Professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and Queen's University, also an Expert on Security and Defence at the McDonald Laurier Institute. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ontario passed a housing bill Monday intended to spur development but critics say it will lead to higher property taxes, weaken conservation authority powers, and not actually make homes more affordable. Alex was joined by Matti Siemiatycki, Director of the Infrastructure Institute and Professor of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Storage of 4 mobile field hospitals will cost taxpayers more than $135 million this year, records show. Public Works Minister, Helena Jaczek, said she was "completely unaware of,” the storage costs. The storage costs follow a sole-sourced $150 million contract to SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. for field hospitals: “That is not exactly directed to preventing or treating Covid.” Tom Korski, Managing Editor of Blacklocks Reporter, joined us with the details, and more deep dive stories from Ottawa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto Mayor Tory has done something he hasn't been able to do before, and that's unify the council. The caveat is that they're unified because they all oppose the new 'strong mayor' powers that Tory has gotten, which would allow him to make any decision he wants without a vote from council. Ben Spurr is the Toronto Star's City Hall Reporter, and joined Alex to breakdown what happened in the city council meeting on Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto police are working on a way to minimize the digital footprint left behind in missing persons cases, according to a tweet from earlier this month. Can something like this be feasible when someone is missing and then found? Maureen Trask is an advocate for other families of missing loved ones, and she herself lost her son Daniel who went missing in 2011 and, who unfortunately, was found deceased three and a half years later. She joined Alex to talk about the push being made by police, and whether or not she supports it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The city says it has no plans to use its powers to shut down Toronto's only magic mushroom dispensary after a police raid earlier this month, leaving the shop still operating in a kind of grey area. We spoke with Paul Lewin, a lawyer who specializes in issues surrounding cannabis and psychedelics, about how long can a business like this can last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Teachers across Toronto are getting more and more concerned with coming to class given the high amounts of student violence that has been seen breaking out. Alex spoke with Marcell Wilson, Founder of the One by One Movement, and said advocates have been warning about an escalation of gun violence and ‘safe zones’ being breached. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He was just honoured two weeks ago at a Maple Leafs home game after he revealed he was diagnosed with ALS earlier this year. Börje Salming (aka number 21) was a former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman who remains, even in his passing, one of the Maple Leaf's greatest players. Mark Hebscher, a Former TV Broadcaster and Host of the "Hebsy On Sports" Podcast, joined Alex to talk about this hockey pioneer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Safety experts are concerned about the ability for Tesla drivers in Toronto to finally be able to utilize the self driving feature that has been widely used around the world. They're worried that the feature is not ready to implement in a downtown setting and that they weren't sure how the algorithm would work with so many constantly changing variables. Constable Sean Shapiro is with the Traffic Services Division of the Toronto Police, and joined Alex to discuss it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We spoke with Mark Meincke, former Canadian soldier and veterans advocate and host of Operation Tango Romeo, a trauma-recovery podcast for Canadian Forces members, about two more instances of a Veterans Affairs Canada employee discussing medical assistance in dying with a veteran have been discovered during an ongoing investigation into the department. Mark says this should’ve been a criminal investigation from the get-go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto City Council has voted unanimously to demand major changes to a Doug Ford government housing bill over concerns it will cost the city $230 million annually in lost development fees, lower the supply of affordable homes, and expose potentially thousands of heritage buildings to demolition. Stephen Holyday is the Toronto City Councillor for Ward 2 - Etobicoke Centre, and he joined Alex to talk about this and the strong powers now given to Mayor John Tory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did China interfere in our elections in 2019 and 2021? Are politicians getting paid off by the foreign nation? Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been adamant in press conferences and media scrums, that he was never briefed on the matter, and that there was no known interference from China in our elections. Duff Conacher, Co-Founder of Democracy Watch & Democracy Education Network, joined Alex and noted these are public allegations, and we need disclosure on whether or not an investigation is underway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Canadian Paediatric Society have created updated guidelines on the use of screens for children under age 5, encouraging parents and caregivers to not only limit the amount of time preschoolers spend in front of screens but to be involved when they do. Dr. Sheri Madigan, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development at the University of Calgary, and who co-authored the study, joined Alex and spoke about how much screen time kids should be having, if at all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto's Lakeshore Lodge the first of Toronto's municipally-run long-term care homes to receive extra funding to make the care more resident-centred. This allows the people living there to have more choices in everything including when and what they eat, what they do, and even down to decor in the facility. Alex is joined by Sr. Sander Hitzig, a Senior Scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, who has been working on the implementation of the program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices