Fight Back with Libby Znaimer

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: REACTION TO GORD PERKS NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION Libby Znaimer is joined by Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East), Mike Colle, Toronto City Councillor Ward 8 (Eglinton-Lawrence) and Deputy Mayor for North York, and former Toronto City Councillor Karen Stintz. The panel reacts to the news that Toronto City Councillor Gord Perks won't be seeking re-election and other municipal news of the week. A CONVERSATION ABOUT HIGH PARK ACCESS Libby Znaimer is joined by Diane Buckell, founding member of 'High Park-Access for All' and over forty year resident and supporter of High Park. Diane is behind a petition of 30,000+ signatures objecting to Toronto City Hall's plan regarding High Park. CLINICAL TRIALS FOR A MEDICAL DEVICE THAT CAN HELP REDUCE STROKE RISK Libby Znaimer is joined by Hamilton Health Sciences neurologists Dr. Ashkan Shoamanesh, INTERCEPT trial global leader, and Dr. Aristeidis Katsanos, who is the study’s site lead. Hamilton Health Sciences is conducting the third phase of clinical trials for a medical device that's purpose is to try to prevent stroke. We explore how it works and what the research shows so far.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: A LOOK AHEAD TO OTTAWA'S ECONOMIC UPDATE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former Ontario NDP MPP; and John Mykytyshyn, a Conservative Strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group. Today: a look ahead to the upcoming economic update from Ottawa being announced later today and reaction to Prime Minister Mark Carney launching Canada's first ever sovereign wealth fund. OLDER ADULTS CAN IMPROVE PHYSICALLY OVERTIME AS THEY AGE AND MINDSET IS A KEY FACTOR Libby Znaimer is w joined by Igor Klibanov, CEO of Fitness Solutions Plus and Dr. Samir Sinha, Geriatrician and Clinician Scientist at Sinai Health System and University Health Network. A study out of Yale University details how older adults can in fact improve physically over time and one's mindset about aging can play a major role in that. LET’S TALK TAXES AS THE DEADLINE TO FILE FAST APPROACHES Libby Znaimer is joined by David Rotfleisch (https://taxpage.com/) a chartered professional accountant and founding Canadian tax lawyer of Rotfleisch & Samulovitch, P.C. Are you all organized ahead of the tax filing deadline this week? David provides tips to help you avoid making mistakes and more.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: DRAKE'S ICEMAN STUNTS & TORONTO CHANGES PLAN FOR FIFA FAN FEST TICKETS, MAJORITY TO BE FREE Libby Znaimer is joined by Toronto City Councillors Mike Colle (Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence) who is the Deputy Mayor for North York, James Pasternak (Ward 6 York Centre) and former Toronto City Councillor Karen Stintz. Drake's Iceman stunts in Toronto: should the rapper foot the bill for the cleanup costs associated with the ice installation promoting his upcoming album? And, Toronto to now make majority of tickets to the FIFA Fan Fest (80 percent) free of charge. Our municipal panel reacts to that and other local news making headlines this week. IT’S WORLD BOOK DAY: LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT BOOK CLUB TRENDS Libby Znaimer is joined by Shanda Deziel, Features Editor at zoomer.com and Joanna Pozzulo, a Chancellor’s professor of psychology at Carleton University. Today marks World Book Day and, to celebrate the occasion, we discuss the different kinds of trends we are seeing with book clubs. And, we get into the history of how they started. WHY AIRLINES ARE CANCELLING THEIR ROUTES ALTOGETHER AND WHAT TRAVELLERS NEED TO CONSIDER Libby Znaimer is joined by Devyn Perry, Travel Advisor and Owner of Devyn Perry Travel and Amra Durakovic, Head of PR and Communications, Canada at Flight Centre Travel Group. Airlines including Air Canada and Air Transat are increasing the price of air fare and have also been cancelling flights due to the rising cost of jet fuel amid the war in Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Our travel experts weigh in on what Canadian travelers should consider.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE NEW CANADA-U.S. ADVISORY COUNCIL & CANADA POST LOSSES Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP; and Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada. Our panel reacts to the new Canada-U.S. Advisory Council which Lisa is a member of and CUPE President Fred Hahn is under investigation. And, we get further reaction to the Ford government putting the $28.9M private jet, meant for Premier Doug Ford's use, up for sale after facing public outrage. TODAY MARKS 100 YEARS SINCE QUEEN ELIZABETH II’S BIRTH: SHOULD CANADA STICK TO OR BREAK AWAY FROM THE MONARCHY? Libby is joined by Peter Donolo, former Director of Communications to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and a long standing anti-Monarchist and Justin Vovk, a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada and adjunct professor of history at Redeemer University. Today marks 100 years since the birth of Queen Elizabeth II. So, it's a good opportunity to debate whether Canada should stick to or part ways with the Monarchy. THIS CANADIAN APP HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO TELL YOU YOUR LIFE EXPECTANCY BASED ON LIFESTYLE AND HEREDITARY FACTORS Libby Znaimer is joined by Travis Weninger, a Toronto-based app developer who created Memento Mori. If you are keen to know the age you may expect to live until, there's an app for that! It's called Memento Mori. The story was reported on by our sister publication BlogTO and we speak to the app's developer who is based in Toronto.

Today on Free For All Friday: Libby Znaimer, her panel and listeners weighed in on Premier Doug Ford's $28.9 million private jet, Canada Post ending door-to-door delivery and other news that made headlines this week. Libby was joined by Diane Francis, author, columnist and Editor-at-Large at The National Post as well as John Mykytyshyn, a Conservative Strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: WHAT CANADIANS THINK ABOUT PM MARK CARNEY'S PERFORMANCE Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of Conservative Party of Canada; and Peter Tabuns, an Ontario NDP MPP (Toronto-Danforth). The panel discusses Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals securing a majority government & Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra planning to implement a cap on school board trustees and other changes in the education system. YOM HASHOAH SPECIAL BROADCAST Libby Znaimer is joined by Irene Kurtz, a Holocaust Survivor and Dara Solomon, Executive Director of the Toronto Holocaust Museum. Today marks Yom Hashoah. Our guests remind us of the importance of Holocaust education and remembering this horrific chapter in history in which 6 million Jews were murdered. WHAT THE PROCESS OF JURY DUTY IS LIKE Libby Znaimer is joined by Ari Goldkind, a Toronto-based criminal defence lawyer and Doug Goold, Libby’s husband. He served on jury duty and has since been released. Have you ever been called to do jury duty? Our guests today explain how the process works and what you can expect from the experience.

Today on Free For All Friday: Guest host Dean Hollin, guests and listeners weighed on the latest floor Crossing of a Conservative MP to the Carney Liberals. Dean was joined by Diane Francis, an author, commentator and Editor-at-Large for The National Post as well as Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC Finance Minister.

THE MEDICAL RECORD: A MAJOR SPIKE IN ER VISITS AT A TORONTO HOSPITAL Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and former head of BC Cancer; Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing in Toronto; and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. We discuss a major spike in ER visits at a Toronto hospital, a pill to treat baldness and other healthcare news this week. THE US-IRAN CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT & PRESIDENT TRUMP’S WAR OF WORDS Libby Znaimer is joined by Christian Leuprecht, Professor at the Royal Military College and Queen’s University and Senior Fellow at the Macdonald Laurier Institute. After President Donald Trump's war of words with Iran, the US has struck a two week ceasefire agreement with Iran. Where does this leave the conflict and what are the implications for Israel? ANOTHER CONSERVATIVE CROSSES THE FLOOR AND POILIEVRE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR QUITS Libby Znaimer is joined by John Milloy, former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments. One must wonder what Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is thinking right now as yet another Conservative MP has crossed the floor to the Carney Liberals. Oh, and his communications director just quit. Where does that leave things for the Conservatives? HERE’S HOW MUCH COST OF GAS AT THE PUMP COULD DROP BY THIS FRIDAY Canadians for Affordable Energy President Dan McTeague joins Libby Znaimer to detail the price drop that Canadians could see at the gas pumps this Friday.

ZOOMER SQUAD: AIRFARE IS SET TO INCREASE + ER VISITS SPIKE AT A TORONTO HOSPITAL Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, President of CARP, David Valentin, Principal at Liaison Strategies and Bob Richardson, a public affairs consultant. We look ahead to the federal byelections. Meanwhile, airfare is set to increase for Canadians, and Michael Garron Hospital in Toronto is experiencing a big spike in ER visits. THE SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION OF DOWNED AMERICAN PILOTS IN IRAN AND TRUMP'S EXPLETIVE THREAT OVER STRAIT OF HORMUZ Libby Znaimer is joined by John Bolton who is a former US Ambassador to the UN and who served as National Security Advisor for President Donald Trump during his first term in office. A lot of events have been unfolding in the war in Iran since we last discussed it including the daring search and rescue mission of American pilots after their F-16 Strike jet was shot down over Iran's territory and US President Trump's expletive threat to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTEMIS II MISSION FROM A SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVE Libby Znaimer is joined by Jim Head, Professor in the Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences at Brown University who worked in NASA's Apollo Program. We discuss the Artemis mission in space which includes a Canadian astronaut, and why it all matters from a scientific perspective.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: RISING GAS PRICES IN THE GTA & POILIEVRE'S CALL FOR TEMPORARY GAS TAX RELIEF AND POTHOLE MAINTENANCE IN THE CITY. Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Mike Colle, City Councillor for Ward 8 (Eglinton-Lawrence) and Deputy Mayor for North York; Jon Burnside, City Councillor for Ward 16 (Don Valley East); and former Toronto City Councillor Karen Stintz. CELEBRATING EASTER: LEARNING ABOUT THE TRADITIONS OF THE HOLIDAY Jane Brown is joined by The Right Rev. Dr. Kimberley Heath, Moderator of the United Church of Canada, to discuss Good Friday and Easter Sunday traditions, and an Angus Reid survey on the changing face of faith in Canada versus the U.S. ONTARIO'S SUNSHINE LIST OF TOP-PAID PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES Jane Brown is joined by Franco Terrazzano, Federal Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation, to discuss the recently-released Ontario Sunshine List of the province's top-paid public-sector employees, as well as a pay raise for federal MPs.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS: DOES AVI LEWIS HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE NDP PARTY BACK TO LIFE? Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by George Smitherman, former Ontario Liberal Health Minister and Deputy Premier; Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC Finance Minister; and Peter Tabuns, an Ontario NDP MPP for Toronto-Danforth. Where do things stand with Premier Doug Ford's plans regarding Billy Bishop Airport? And does Avi Lewis have what it takes to bring the federal NDP back to life? CANADA POST ENDING HOME DELIVERY: HERE'S WHY THAT MATTERS Jane Brown is joined by Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. Canada Post is going to be ending home deliveries. Dr. Lee explains what's been happening at the Crown corporation and the implications of this move for those who depend on the postal service. META LOSES IN COURT TRIAL PERTAINING TO SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION Jane Brown is joined by Carmi Levy, a technology analyst and journalist based in London, Ontario. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram have lost a court battle pertaining to a social media addictions lawsuit. Carmi weighs in on what this case was all about and why it's so important.

Today on Free For All Friday: Libby, guests and listeners weighed in on Toronto City Council's approval of city-run grocery stores, their voting in favour of banning the raising of international flags at Toronto City Hall and civic centres, and Air Canada's CEO sparking an outcry for issuing an English-only condolence message in the aftermath of the plane crash at New York's LaGuardia Airport. Today's guests: Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, Rob Davis, a former Toronto City Councillor and Will Stewart, a Conservative Strategist and Senior Vice President of Enterprise Canada.