Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY AT THE CITY  Tasha Kheiriddin is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village, Toronto City Councillor Paula Fletcher for Ward 14 Toronto Danforth and Barbara Hall, a former Toronto Mayor. Our panel reacts to the damning Toronto auditor general findings regarding City workers responsible for maintaining parks, an online payment system the City uses, and Metrolinx making changes to its senior leadership. Will that lead to projects like the Eglinton Crosstown LRT being sped up towards completion after years of delay?    PM TRUDEAU TESTIFIES OVER FOREIGN INTERFERENCE Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Will Stewart, a Conservative Strategist and Senior Vice President with Enterprise Canada, Robin Sears,  a Crisis Communications Consultant and former NDP Strategist and George Smitherman, a former Ontario Dep

THE MEDICAL RECORD: REPORT ON DISEASE SURVEILLANCE Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto who served as a Scientific Advisor of Ontario’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist and Dr. Nadia Alam, a Georgetown, Ontario family doctor and anesthetist.  Even though it hasn’t been long since we’ve been out of the COVID pandemic, according to a new report it’s time to start preparing for the next global health crisis. COURT CHALLENGE AGAINST FORD GOV’T OVER ORCHARD VILLA LEASE Jane Brown is joined by Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition and Cathy Parkes, whose father passed away at Orchard Villa during the pandemic. Both Cathy and the Ontario Health Coalition are presenting a court challenge this week over the Ford government's decision to greenlight a new 30-year

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: THE LATEST IN SPAT BETWEEN OTTAWA AND INDIA  Libby Znaimer is joined by Lisa Raitt, a former Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP,  and John Milloy,  a former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments. This week: we take a look at the tense relations between Canada and India, and we also discuss the latest effort from within the Liberal party to oust PM Justin Trudeau as leader. ONTARIO PLANS TO GET TOUGHER ON BIKE LANES AS PART OF CONGESTION-EASING EFFORTS Libby Znaimer is joined by Trevor Townsend, Founder of Keep Toronto Moving and Albert Koehl, Cycling and pedestrian advocate. The Ford government has tabled legislation around bike lanes as part of its strategy to ease traffic gridlock. We discuss that plan in greater detail and whether or not it is a good idea. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LATEST CAMPAIGN BY SOME LIBERAL MPS TO OUST TRUDEAU Libby Znaimer is jo

ZOOMER SQUAD: CARP ADVOCATES FOR SENIORS AS BILL C-319 STALLS, OAS REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY Jane Brown is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer at CARP, Bill VanGorder, CARP’s Chief Advocacy and Education officer, and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. The panel addressed the pressing issue of the Bloc Quebecois' Bill C-319, which seeks a 10% Old Age Security (OAS) increase for seniors aged 65-74. CARP’s recent survey reveals that 73.2% of respondents believe current OAS payments are too low, with 77.1% supporting the proposed increase. Meanwhile, discussions around the sustainability of OAS and GIS are crucial as Canada's aging population grows, highlighting the need for ongoing advocacy and support. FOOD BANK USAGE IN THE GTA & THANKSGIVING DRIVE Jane Brown is joined by Neil Hetherington, CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, who reveals a staggering 35% rise in food bank visits compared to last year. Daily Bread has seen close to 2 million client visits in the past si

Today on Free For All Friday: our listeners phoned in to discuss Mayor Olivia Chow's absence at the October 7th commemoration in Toronto, vehicle access to High Park, the TDSB field trip to the Grassy Narrows protest, and more.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  TORONTO MAYOR OLIVIA CHOW ABSENT FROM TORONTO OCTOBER 7TH VIGIL  Libby Znaimer is joined by Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village, and Toronto City Councillors James Pasternak for Ward 6 York Centre and Brad Bradford for Ward 19 Beaches-East York. This week: Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is facing backlash for her absence at the October 7th Commemoration in the city. And, we get the latest update on where city council is at with regards to Billy Bishop Airport. HURRICANE MILTON: WHAT CANADIAN SNOWBIRDS NEED TO KNOW   Libby Znaimer is joined by Martin Firestone, President of Travel Secure, and Stephen Fine, President & Managing Editor of SnowbirdAdvisor.ca Hurricane Milton has left a trail of destruction damaging homes, flooding roads and knocking out power for millions. However, it “was not the worst-case scenario” that many had been bracing for. Still, where does that leave ten

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SCURVY   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 in Toronto and Dr. Jamie Spiegelman, internal medicine and critical care physician at Humber River Hospital. Scurvy - a disease we thought was consigned to the history books - has reappeared and food insecurity seems to be the culprit here according to a study published in in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. And, what a study out of the University of Waterloo tells us about breakfast. CRTC WANTS CANADA'S BIG CELL PROVIDERS TO LOWER THEIR INTERNATIONAL ROAMING FEES Libby Znaimer is now joined by Jean-François Mezei, a telecommunications consultant based in Montreal and Carmi Levy,  a technology analyst and journalist based in London, Ontario The CRTC wants Canada's three big cell companies--Bell, Rogers and Telus--to reduce their international roaming charges. We take a deep dive into wh

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: HOW HARD ARE OUR CITY WORKERS ACTUALLY WORKING?  Libby Znaimer is joined by Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP, John Milloy, a former Ontario Liberal MPP who served as a cabinet minister under the Dalton McGuinty and Kathleen Wynne governments, and John Mykytyshyn,  a Conservative Political Consultant and President of Bradgate Research Group. Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the October 7th massacre and we got to hear speeches from both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre at a commemoration in Ottawa. And a report from Toronto's Auditor General shows that city workers responsible for the upkeep of our parks are working less hours than they are reporting in their logs. What will Mayor Olivia Chow do about this? THE SPENDING HABITS OF OLDER VS YOUNGER CANADIANS THIS UPCOMING HOLIDAY SEASON  Libby Znaimer is joined by Ellen Roseman, a consumer advocate and journalist and Bruce Winder, a retail analyst. We get a picture of what we ca

Today marks the one year anniversary of the October 7th massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists. It was the deadliest attack on Jewish people since the Holocaust. Ceremonies in Israel and around the world are marking the moment. Here, on Fight Back, we heard from Israelis on the ground and family members of hostages who shared their stories. We also discussed the rise of antisemitism both in Canada and abroad with local politicians. Today's episode featured: Vivian Bercovici, a former ambassador of Canada to Israel; Harel Lapidot, whose niece was murdered on October 7th; Liberal MP Anthony Housefather, named Special Advisor on Jewish Community Relations and Antisemitism; Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman; Maureen Leshem, who is a cousin of Israeli hostage Romi Gonen; and Maayan Shavit, whose cousin Carmel Gat was murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before her body was found by the IDF in Gaza.    

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to the confounding conundrum of cars in High Park, Ontario's lease deal with European spa company Therme, the U.S. presidential election, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: 2025 CITY BUDGET CONSULTATIONS Toronto begins 2025 budget consultations; police in the GTA planning heightened presence ahead of October 7th Hamas terror attack anniversary; and the latest on the Ontario subway line. Jane Brown is joined by Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village; Councillor Paula Fletcher for Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth; and Councillor Stephen Holyday for Ward 2 Etobicoke, for a conversation about all things Toronto. POLICE PRESENCE AHEAD OF OCTOBER 7 ANNIVERSARY Greater Toronto Area police chiefs have announced plans for beefed up patrols and security leading up to the anniversary of the Hamas terror attacks this Monday and in the weeks following October 7th. Jane Brown is joined by Luciano Cedrone, Security Director with Triovest and with the Security Guard Association of Ontario; and Toronto Councillor and Deputy Mayor Mike Colle Ward 8 Eglinton-Lawrence, to dis

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHY BREAST CANCER RATES ARE RISING AMONG YOUNGER WOMEN   Marissa Lennox is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of BC Cancer, Dr. Alisa Naiman,  a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto, and Dr. Amol Verma, a clinician-scientist and staff physician in General Internal Medicine at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and new research from the American Cancer Society shows breast cancer rates are rising among younger women, particularly those under 50. What’s driving this rise? How should we be rethinking screening and awareness? And, with everything we know about early diagnosis saving lives, why are so many young women not getting diagnosed until later stages? IRAN ATTACKS ISRAEL TARGETING CIVILIANS & ISRAEL VOWS TO RESPOND Marissa Lennox is now joined by Richard Goldberg, a Senior Advisor at the Foundation for De

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: THE TRUDEAU GOVERNMENT FACES PRESSURE FROM THE BLOC Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal MPP, Deputy Premier and Health Minister, Lisa Raitt, a former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP. In the news: we discuss how the Trudeau Liberals are doing in the polls and the demands being made by the Bloc which, if not met, could trigger an early federal election. THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HEZBOLLAH Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Elliot Tepper, a professor of International Relations at Carleton University and Phil Gurski, President and CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consultants and a former strategic analyst at CSIS. First it was pager explosions followed by a wave of walkie talkie explosions. A short time after those developments, the Israeli Air Force successfully carried out a major strike on the Iran-backed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah while he was meeting with other mem

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: THE BLOC'S PUSH FOR AN OAS INCREASE Jane Brown is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer at CARP,  Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer at CARP, and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. Today: we revisit the discussion looking into the Bloc's push for a 10 percent increase for the Old Age Security of Zoomers between the ages of 65 and 74, which according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, would come at a net cost of $16.1 billion over 5 years. Meanwhile, tomorrow is National Seniors Day, and Statistics Canada has highlighted some neat data regarding the older demo. So tune in! TODAY MARKS THE 4TH ANNUAL NATIONAL DAY OF TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION Jane Brown is joined by Cat Criger, an Indigenous philosopher and wisdom keeper with deep cultural roots who works extensively in secondary and post-secondary institutions. Today is the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, a federal statutory holiday. Cat mentions the Truth and Reconcili

Today on Free For All Friday: Listeners reacted to the TDSB meeting that took place this week after students were taken to an anti-Israel protest in Toronto and Premier Doug Ford's proposal to dig a tunnel under Highway 401 in the GTA with the aim of easing gridlock. But, how much will it cost? Listen live, weekdays from noon to 1, on Zoomer Radio!

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: TORONTO IS GETTING A NEW CONCERT VENUE Libby Znaimer is joined by Karen Stintz, a Conservative Party of Canada Candidate for Eglinton-Lawrence, a former Toronto City Councillor and the CEO of Variety Village, Barbara Hall, a former Mayor of Toronto, and Toronto City Councillor Brad Bradford for Ward 19 Beaches-East York. Why does Ontario Premier Doug Ford want to build a tunnel under Highway 401 and how much will it cost? And Toronto is getting a new concert venue at Downsview.  A RECAP OF LAST NIGHT'S TDSB EMERGENCY MEETING Libby Znaimer is joined by Neethan Shan, Acting Chair of the TDSB, followed by Tamara Gottlieb, Founding member of Jewish Educators and Family Association of Canada (JEFA). A resolution came out of last night's TDSB meeting whereby students attending their schools are not allowed to go on field trips to demonstrations until an investigation launched by the Ontario Minister of Education--looking into how students were brought to anti-Israel protest--is concluded.

THE MEDICAL RECORD:  SYNTHETIC BONES FOR CANCER AND TRAUMA PATIENTS? Libby Znaimer is now joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, Medical Oncologist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of BC Cancer, Dr. Fahad Razak, General Internist at Unity Health Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and former Scientific Director of the COVID-19 Ontario Science Table, and Dr. Alisa Naiman,  a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto. This week: we take a deep dive into the controversial Bill 7 here in Ontario (aka More Beds, Better Care Act) which is being challenged in court. And, a team out of the University of Waterloo is 3-D printing synthetic bone with the aim of helping cancer and trauma patients. SOME OF THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR DON VALLEY WEST COUNCILLOR Libby Znaimer is now joined by Anthony Furey, Rachel Chernos Lin and Dhruv Jain, all three of whom are among the candidates for City Councillor for Ward 15 Don Valley West.

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: CONSERVATIVES INTRODUCE NON-CONFIDENCE MOTION TODAY Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal MPP, Deputy Premier and Health Minister, Lisa Raitt, a former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP. Today: the federal Conservatives have introduced a motion of non-confidence in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today. What will become of that? And, our panelists react to the TDSB facing backlash after students were brought into an anti-Israel protest the other week in downtown Toronto. BUYING A NEW CAR? HERE'S WHAT TO CONSIDER Libby Znaimer is joined by Robert Karwel, Director of Customer Success with J.D. Power & Associates, and Jil McIntosh, an auto writer who writes for Driving.ca among other publications. So you're thinking about buying a new car and you are looking to narrow down your options. Today, we discuss what consumers might consider as they determine whether a hybrid, electric or regular

THE ZOOMER SQUAD:  ONTARIO'S BILL 7 FACES CHARTER CHALLENGE  Libby Znaimer is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer at CARP, Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP, and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. The More Beds Better Care Act (also known as Bill 7) is being challenged in court today. Through this legislation, hospital patients are sent to a long term care home not of their choosing or otherwise face a daily fine of $400 to stay put. What do you think? TDSB FACES BACKLASH FOR BRINGING STUDENTS TO ANTI-ISRAEL PROTEST Libby Znaimer is joined by Kevin Vuong, the independent member of Parliament for Spadina—Fort York and Bryan Passifiume, reporter with the Toronto Sun. The TDSB is facing plenty of backlash after students were taken on a field trip that brought them into an anti-Israel protest. The initial idea of the trip was to observe a demonstration calling for the government to address the problem of mercury poisoning within the Grassy Narrows First Nation. The

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners weighed in on Toronto increasing the fines for its "Don't Block the Box" initiative as part of the overall strategy of easing traffic congestion, and the province is looking into not allowing bike lanes to be installed if it means those bike lanes lead to car lanes being removed. What do you think about it all?