On Point With Alex Pierson

While many of us are feeling the pinch on our wallets due to the rising costs of everyday goods, those who are feeling it even more are individuals who are in social assistance programs. Kat Eschner, TVO’s Affordability Reporter, came on to talk to Alex about it and why TVO is introducing the affordability beat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One in six households in Ontario is now struggling with food insecurity.. And the GTA food banks are facing the highest demand in their history due to the rising cost of food and rent. We spoke with Devi Arasanayagam, Co-founder and Chair of the Fort York Food Bank, who’s volunteered with the food bank for 24 years. Devi spoke with Alex and highlighted the changing demographic of those using the food bank’s services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Toronto Municipal election coming up in a few weeks, how can we possibly be informed voters when there's just so many names on the ballot and little way of getting to know the candidates who are running for our city? There's only one debate confirmed, so does this question the health of our local democracy? Dr. Myer Siemiatycki, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University, spoke with Alex about this election and the effects of this can be to our future as a city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Pierson calls out a series of City of Toronto videos suggesting children need to isolate from friends if they aren't vaccinated against COVID-19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta Premier, Jason Kenney was at Bloor-Yonge subway station, trying to lure Torontonians away. Kenney wants skilled workers to leave the GTA and come work in Alberta. You can read more about the campaign here.jchapman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's not uncommon for a hashtag to gain traction if it's good enough, which might get you a few thousand interactions. But what if that number suddenly went up to 500,000 interactions? That's what happened with the #TrudeauMustGo campaign on Twitter. What started off as a simple tweet to Justin Trudeau about his comments made during the pandemic about how people who don't take the vaccine, "...don’t believe in science, they are misogynistic, often racist," ended up becoming something much, much bigger. Martin Belanger is the one who started it all and he joined Alex to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With new inflation numbers coming out today from the Bank of Canada, many turn to mortgage rates and how a spike in rates are causing many Canadians to feel like they can't keep up. Especially those with a variable mortgage rate. We spoke with Shawn Stillman, Principal Broker at Mortgage Outlet, who said the government and Bank of Canada aren’t being honest about how they want to bring down inflation - hint - they want you to spend less. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is that time of the week where we take a deep dive into all things Ottawa, and for that we bring on Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter to dig up all those juicy nuggets if information that we don't always get to. Today, Tom talks to Alex about how Cabinet commissioned confidential research on federal rent controls. He also talks about the CRA using behavioural research to try to boost tax compliance. All of that and more on today's Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So we got inflation news today– and the Bank of Canada may be happy with the direction inflation rates are moving. They are set to announce another interest rate change on October 26th. The Bank may see todays numbers as proof aggressively raising rates is working, but it isn’t working for everyday Canadians being left behind. Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor with the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, joined Alex to talk about the numbers we're seeing today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Pierson encourages conversations to be had around recent social media images of a teacher at 'Oakville Trafalgar High School.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto City Council is made up of 26 members from across the city, each trying to represent the areas in which they preside. But as one candidate for Toronto Mayor says, that council is made up of people who are far from the citizens that they represent, and should work towards more action than talk. Chloe Brown is a candidate for Mayor of Toronto, and chatted with Alex about the issue of diversity, and what the city can do better under new leadership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After losing his eyesight due to diabetes, Russell "Papa" Mackay has started an initiative to raise money for SickKids Hospital. The 84 year old grandfather began a five day walking journey stretching 75 kilometres from Guelph to Toronto began on Friday and Alex spoke with him while he was walking to see what the initiative is all about, and how much they've raise so far. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new Abacus Data reveals that two in three Canadians (66%) are either concerned, disappointed, surprised or angry to learn that Canada ranks 59th out of 187 countries in the percentage of women that make up national parliament (since the survey, Canada has fallen to 60th place). And the majority (63%) think political parties or the government — rather than women themselves — should be responsible for ensuring equal representation of men and women in politics. Why is this the case? To join Alex about this topic, we brought on Shari Graydon, CEO of Informed Opinions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With King Charles III now our official sovereign, many Canadians are debating about the idea of Canada sticking with the monarchy, or cutting ties to it. Many say to open it up to a referendum to decide if Canada should cut open the constitution and restructure it. But is it that easy? Christina Blizzard, a long-time journalist and Royal Commentator, joined Alex to talk about it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a lack of academic freedom when it comes to universities across this country, and now professors are afraid to have the conversations that are necessary for good learning by self censoring. How is this harming our education system? Joining Alex is Dr. Christopher Dummitt is Professor of Canadian history at Trent University. He is the co-author of a recent Macdonald-Laurier Institute paper titled "The viewpoint diversity crisis at Canadian universities: Political homogeneity, self-censorship, and threats to academic freedom." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The principal architect of the Toronto 18 has been denied full parole, but it doesn't mean he's not going to be enjoying freedom. After being put in prison for life with no chance of parole for ten years, he's now been given full day parole in Quebec and is even allowed to come to the GTA. Mubin Shaikh, a Professor of Public Safety at Seneca College and a former security intelligence and counter terrorism operative, joined Alex to talk about this case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After two years of searching since former Toronto Police Chief, Mark Saunders, announced his stepping down, and James Ramer being the interim chief, we finally have a candidate announced. Myron Demkiw is a 32 year veteran of the TPS and will be appointed as the service's new police chief. How will this new chief stack up to the issues plaguing the police service now? To talk about it, Alex is joined by Dave Perry, Former Toronto Police Officer and 640 Toronto’s Security Analyst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Thursday, York Regional Police held a press conference to give some details on the events of the weekend that left a Toronto cop and local mechanic dead, including many others injured, with one possibly not able to survive their injuries. At what point do we get past the 'thoughts and prayers' stage of these shootings and actually do something about it in this city? Joining Alex to talk about this is none other than Joseph Neuberger, Criminal Defence Lawyer, and 640 Toronto Legal Expert. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is that time of the week where we bring on Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, to give us all those little nuggets of information that don't always get the headlines when it comes to all things Ottawa. Today, Tom joined Alex to talk about how The Canada Revenue Agency polled the public on sharing information from tax returns with police and debt collectors. He also talked about how federal employees are increasingly unlikely to disclose corrupt practices out of fear of reprisal. That and more on today's Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In February of 2020, a 17 year old boy walked into the doors of a Toronto spa wielding a sword where he brutally attacked members of staff, killing the receptionist. In a court proceeding carried out on Wednesday, he plead guilty to the charges, stating that he was inspired by the Toronto van attack that was carried out by Alek Minassian in 2018, and cited an 'incel rebellion.' Can this be considered an act of domestic terrorism, or is this too difficult to label? To tell us about this case is Jessica Davis, a former CSIS senior intelligence analyst and President of Insight Threat Intelligence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices