On Point With Alex Pierson

It is that time in the week where we bring on Managing Editor of Blacklock's Reporter, none other than Tom Korski, to give us the deep dive into all things Ottawa and find us those juicy little nuggets of information that get lost in the system. Today he joins Alex to talk about how inflation is the number one worry amongst Canadians. He also talks about how Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller didn't know that money was granted to an anti-Semitic senior consultant. That and much more on this Blacklock's Check In. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the weekend, video surfaced of Deputy Prime Minister, Chrystia Freeland, involved in a verbal assault where a man approached her and asked why she was in Alberta, while also uttering curse words at her, and calling her a "traitor." It's not uncommon for political figures to be harassed like this, but is it acceptable behaviour? Lisa Raitt, Former Minister and Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada, came on to discuss this and whether or not there's a solution for this growing amount of hate towards our political leaders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are now 37 women’s withdrawal management beds in Toronto, which will be open to women-identifying individuals from across the GTA. The roughly 6,000-square-foot space is the only site of its kind between Oshawa and Bathurst Street. How does this help those dealing with addictions in our city? Kathryn Decker, Manager of Integrated Mental Health and Substance Use at Michael Garron Hospital, came on to talk to Alex about the benefits of a service like this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Friday, a labour arbitrator handed victory to 13 Toronto firefighters who were unreasonably fired from their jobs due to the mandatory Covid-19 vaccine policy. It's a massive step for those who were let go during the mandatory policies, and with these firefighters being given a victory, it could set the precedent for others who were fired. Joining Alex to talk about this issue is Mackenzie Irwin, an Employment Lawyer and Associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Monday was supposed to be the launch of the, long awaited, Artemis-1 rocket that would help propel humans to the moon for the first time in almost 50 years. With most people's eyes set to Mars, the moon is the first logical place to start looking since it's closest to us. But due to an engine issue, the Artemis rocket was grounding for the test flight that would help determine if all systems were go for real humans. Dr. Sara Mazrouei is a Planetary Scientist and Science Communicator, and joined Alex to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Arlene Bynon in conversation with marketing analyst, Elissa Freeman about news Bell Media Executive Michael Melling is taking a leave of absence for his role in the departure of Lisa LaFlamme from CTV News. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's tough enough adjusting to life in a new country, but learning the language is even harder. A new program funded by Immigration Canada and University of Toronto, allows immigrants to learn English in a simulated environment which helps their confidence and knowledge retention. Joining Alex to talk about this was Paul Alexander, an Assistant Principal Investigator of this virtual reality project and also a Lecturer at the University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toronto's Catholic elementary teachers' union has filed a grievance against the school board, stating that the influx of Ukrainian children in schools is going well above their student caps and causing a shortage in resources. They're seeking a $25,000 payout for the influx in work and it's not going over well with the Ukrainian community. Markus de Domenico, Toronto Catholic District School Board Trustee for Ward 2, and Julie Altomare-Di Nunzio, President of the Toronto Elementary Catholic Teachers, both came on to speak with Alex about the issue and get both sides of the story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During a Joe Rogan interview, Meta Founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was discussing how misinformation is dealt with on Facebook. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the social media platform for years, especially since the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Joining Alex to talk about this was none other than Dr. Brett Caraway, Professor of Media Economics at the University of Toronto and the Program Director for the Digital Enterprise Management Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every Tuesday and Thursday at 1045, Tom Korski, Managing Editor at Blacklock's Reporter, comes in and helps us do the deep dive into all things Ottawa because he gets the goods. Today he talks about how the Canadian Embassy in Washington had disclosed internal emails that it was under scrutiny by watchful U.S. officials over handling of vaccine mandates on truckers. He also talks about how researchers at the Department of Industry say that a third of Canadian tourism operators plan to sell their business or close for good. All of that and much, much more as he sits with Alex to discuss all things Ottawa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a new bylaw that was introduced in Toronto on Monday, residential homes can be used now to conduct business. So if you want to open a barbershop or nail salon or even a café in your own home, you can do that! But the question is whether or not this will cause more traffic in these residential neighbourhoods. To answer this, we spoke to Naama Blonder, an Architect, Urban Designer and Planner, and Co-Founder of Smart Density. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dove put out an ad campaign this week talking about how everyone should be supporting going grey and that women are, "being edged out of the workplace" because of their hair colour. This comes after long time CTV News anchor, Lisa LaFlamme, was let go from the company stating that it was a, "business decision." People are seeing this as a bit of a wink and jab at Bell Media over their firing of LaFlamme and people are beginning to boycott the media company. Is this what Dove was after? Elissa Freeman, Communications Strategist and Pop Culture Expert, joined Alex to discuss this. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During his tour with German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, throughout the week, Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, made a comment about how Canada would be a reliable source of clean energy for Europe as a solution to their reliance on Russian oil and gas. What he's not sold on, however, is the idea of exporting liquified natural gas. To talk about this, Alex spoke with Dr. Chris Keefer, an ER Physician but also the President of Canadians for Nuclear Energy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Officially throwing his name into the hat, John Tory announced that, if re-elected, he would work on Toronto's housing problem by building new affordable housing complexes. But with the price of everything skyrocketing, is that even possible to achieve? Eric Lombardi, Founder and Advocate with More Neighbours Toronto, joined Alex to ask the question, "Why now?" and explain whether or not this is a feasible solution to a major problem. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the flash flooding that came about in the GTA due to rainfall, it didn't take long for David Nunn, a 78 year old man, to notice his car was taking on water. In a conversation with Alex, he recounts his experience and the people who came to his aid. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first time in 20 years, Toronto has granted a permit to a street vendor that isn't a hot dog cart. Alexander Dalgliesh-Switzer of Switzers Toronto is the one man band who's selling pastrami sandwiches across the city, and he joined Alex to discuss how he managed to get the license, and what goes into making one of his delicious sandwiches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alex Pierson talkes to Alfonce Nyamwaya about the tragic drowning of Hellen Nyabuto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is that time of the week where we check in with Tom Korski, Managing Editor over at Blacklocks Reporter, where he and his team dig deep to find us those juicy nuggets of information that matter most. Today, Tom talks to Alex about how there are too many MPs in Toronto, which could bring the total seats down, a Liberal MP who is carrying five mortgages, Canadian growth goes west, Rogers lawyers claim that the telecom competition in Canada is "intense," and the feds rushed an order of body bags. All of that and more on today's check in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RCMP Commissioner, Brenda Lucki, began her two day long testimony at the Mass Casualty Commission, where she is being asked to recall various events leading up to, during, and after the events that unfolded in Nova Scotia back in April of 2020. Raquel Dancho, MP for Kildonan-St. Paul, the Shadow Minister for Public Safety, and also the Vice-Chair of the committee, spoke with Alex today about what this testimony can mean on a national scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadians across the country are feeling the pinch in their wallets, and polling from the Angus Reid Institute shows that 56% of Canadians say they can't keep up with the high cost of living. Shachi Kurl who is the Executive Director of the Angus Reid Institute, joined Alex to talk about the survey, and what the results are showing us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices