Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: REACTION TO TORONTO'S "DON'T BLOCK THE BOX" INITIATIVE 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, Toronto Councillor Jon Burnside for Ward 16 Don Valley East, and Councillor Paula Fletcher for Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth. There's plenty happening in Toronto lately...we kick things off with a discussion about the City's "Don't Block the Box" initiative aimed at curbing local traffic congestion with fine increases being announced by Mayor Olivia Chow. Meanwhile, the Toronto Police Association has kicked off a campaign calling for more pay for officers. And, one of the councillors on today's panel thinks that we are not getting enough accountability from our government leaders. THE MICHELIN GUIDE GOES BEYOND TORONTO WITH AWARDS TO RESTAURANTS Libby Znaimer is joined by Nick Di Donato, President of Liberty Entertainment Group, whose restaurant DaNico was awarded on

MEDICAL RECORD: WHAT A NEW STUDY TELLS US ABOUT THE USE OF AI IN TREATING HOSPITAL PATIENTS Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor in Toronto, Dr. Amol Verma, Clinician-Scientist at St. Michael's Hospital and Temerty Professor of AI Research and Education in Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Dr. Aaron Schimmer, the Director of Research at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre as well as a staff physician and a senior scientist. Today we discuss a groundbreaking study co-authored by Dr. Amol Verma on the use of AI and how it has contributed to a 26 percent reduction in unexpected deaths for patients being treated in hospital. And, should we be moving away from the Body Mass Index and instead use the Body Roundness Index (also known as BRI)? THE DEBATE AROUND THE FILM "RUSSIANS AT WAR" WHICH SPARKED CONTROVERSY AT THIS YEAR'S TIFF Libby Znaimer is now joined by freelance journalist Justin Ling and Chris Alexander, Canada’s former ambassador to Afghanistan and Minister of Immi

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: LIBERALS LOSE ANOTHER BYELECTION & FAO LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO COST OF ONTARIO EXPANDING ALCOHOL SALES EARLY  Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Ontario Liberal MPP, Deputy Premier and Health Minister, Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP, and Janet Ecker, a former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister. It's another byelection loss for the Trudeau Liberals....this time in the Montreal riding of LaSalle-Émard-Verdun. They lost it to the Bloc Quebecois. Meanwhile, the NDP managed to get re-elected in Manitoba's Elmwood Transcona riding. Our panel weighs in on that and other headlines from Ottawa and Queen's Park.   TORONTO INCREASES FINES FOR "BLOCKING THE BOX" BUT HOW WILL IT ACTUALLY BE ENFORCED?  Libby Znaimer is now joined by Sgt. Murray Campbell of Toronto Police Traffic Services. Yesterday, we learned from Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow that the City is increasing fines for driver's who "block the box". According to the City of Toronto, "Blocking the Box

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: SHOULD PHARMACISTS IN ONTARIO BE GIVEN MORE POWERS?  Libby Znaimer 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. Our panel kicks things off with a discussion about the province's plans to provide pharmacists with additional powers when it comes to treating ailments and administering vaccines. We also look at a real life example of the very high cost of care for older Zoomers.  QUEBEC PROPOSES BILL REGARDING TIPPING Libby Znaimer is joined by Sylvain Charlebois, Senior Director, Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, Donna Dooher, Owner of Mildred's Temple Kitchen, and Dominique Tremblay, Director of Public and Governmental Affairs at Association Restauration Québec. Québec, through a bill it has tabled, wants to change the way that businesses charge tips to their customers by requiring them to calculate their tips before tax is impl

Today on Free For All Friday: plenty of listeners called in with their beef about the word "like" being used a lot in everyday conversation, crime in Toronto including home invasions and porch pirates, reactions to the Trump-Harris debate, and more news of the week.  

TUNE INTO THE TOWN:  IS LIBERTY VILLAGE FINALLY GETTING CONGESTION RELIEF? Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, 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 Councillor Paula Fletcher of Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth. Our panel weighs in on the latest strategy by the TTC to crack down on fare evasion, whether Liberty Village is finally getting congestion relief and other headlines making news this week in the city.  TIPPING CULTURE: ARE WE TAKING IT TOO FAR?  Libby Znaimer is now joined by Ellen Roseman, Consumer Advocate and journalist, and Tony Elenis, President and CEO of The Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA). Tipping...it's everywhere. And, we're being asked to partake in the practice even if we don't dine in and get service. You can face a request for a tip when purchasing a loaf of bread, and there are even places that don't sell food

THE MEDICAL RECORD: WHAT COMES AFTER CANCER TREATMENT? Libby Znaimer is joined by Dr. Fahad Razak, a Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and General Internist at Unity Health Toronto, Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto, and Dr. Keith Stewart, Vice President, Cancer and Director of Princess Margaret Cancer Program at the UHN. Today: a discussion about what comes next for cancer patients who complete treatment, a new guideline in the U.S. pertaining to mammogram results and, closer to home, Ontario Health is changing its guidelines on how iron deficiency is measured. THE PAINFUL REALITY OF ONLINE TRANSACTIONS Libby Znaimer is joined by Carmi Levy, Technology Analyst and Journalist based in London, Ontario. Why is making a transaction online such a hassle whether we purchase tickets for a concert or sports match or purchase something from a retailer? There's always a tedious process to follow including registr

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL: MARK CARNEY TAKES ON ROLE WITH LIBERALS Libby Znaimer is joined by George Smitherman, a former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health Minister and Deputy Premier, Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park, and John Mykytyshyn, Conservative strategist and President of Bradgate Research Group. Our panel reacts to Jagmeet Singh meeting with his NDP caucus in Montreal, the upcoming federal byelection in the riding of LaSalle–Émard–Verdun, and Mark Carney becoming a special advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. THE BIBI FILES AND RUSSIANS AT WAR SPARK CONTROVERSY AT TIFF 2024  Libby Znaimer is joined by Robert Sarner, Senior Writer at Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and a regular feature writer for The Times of Israel followed by Peter Schturyn, President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Toronto Branch. Two films, The Bibi Files and Russians at War, have sparked controversy at TIFF this year...both for different reasons. Our guests weigh in on each fil

THE ZOOMER SQUAD: THE TREND OF INTENSE ENDURANCE SPORTS AMONG OLDER ZOOMERS    Libby Znaimer is joined by Rudy Buttignol, President of CARP,  Anthony Quinn, Chief Operating Officer of CARP, and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. Our panel reacts to disgraced fashion mogul Peter Nygard's 11 year prison sentence and the trend of mid-life Zoomers (ages 45 plus) participating in intense endurance sports like the Ironman, triathlons and various other kinds of activities; clearly this demographic shows no sign of slowing down. And, should Canada institute what is called a "National Silver Alert line" for older adults who go missing? Our panel discusses this controversial idea. BACK TO WORK FOR MINIMUM THREE DAYS FOR FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVANTS  Libby Znaimer is joined by Howard Levitt, Senior Partner at Levitt LLP, followed by Duncan Dee, a former Air Canada executive. Starting today, federal public workers have to go back to the office for a minimum of three days a week, and the latest

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners reacted to NDP leader Jagmeet Singh "ripping up" his supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals and framing the next federal election as a choice between himself and Pierre Poilievre, and more headlines that made news this week. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: TORONTO GRAPPLES WITH VERY VIOLENT LONG WEEKEND Libby Znaimer is joined by Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, 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 Councillor Paula Fletcher of Ward 14 Toronto-Danforth. It was a deadly Labour Day weekend here in Toronto...11 shootings including 3 homicides. Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Ottawa to make changes to the criminal code. And, licensed participating convenience stores start selling alcohol in Ontario today. How will that go? JAGMEET SINGH DITCHES SUPPLY AND CONFIDENCE AGREEMENT WITH LIBERALS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Andrew Perez, Principal at Perez Strategies and a Liberal strategist, Jason Lietaer, Conservative Strategist and President at Enterprise, and Robin V. Sears, Crisis Communications Consultant and former NDP Strategist. It's official...Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has anno

SOME BUSINESSES STILL CONSIDER CASH TO BE KING Libby Znaimer is now joined by Christina Santini, Director of National Affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Marco, who owns a corporate catering company, and Mike Ojala, Co-Owner of Swan Dive Bar on Dundas Street West. When shopping or eating at a restaurant, have you been asked to pay with cash or perhaps given the incentive to do so with an offer of a discount? Or was a fee imposed upon you for paying with your credit card? We are joined by a couple of local businesses today to discuss what their transaction policy is and the impact banking fees can have on their profit margins.

SIX HOSTAGES KILLED BY HAMAS  Libby Znaimer is now joined by Professor Amos Guiora, a former Legal Advisor to the IDF in Gaza and Jon Allen, a Senior Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and a former Canadian Ambassador to Israel from 2006 and 2010. After six hostages were found murdered by Hamas terrorists in an underground tunnel in Gaza, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets demanding a deal for the remaining hostages to be returned home. Hamas, meanwhile, is threatening to kill any hostages that the IDF tries to rescue. Our experts weigh in on the latest in the Israel-Hamas war. THE STATE OF REWARDS PROGRAMS Libby Znaimer is now joined by Bruce Winder, a retail analyst. It's time to talk about the current state of rewards programs being offered by retail companies like Shoppers and elsewhere and whether they are giving customers the best value. And, on top of that, have you been in a position where you buy a certain product at one store only to have to retu

ZOOMER SQUAD: CANADA'S AGING POPULATION: FINANCIAL STRAINS, HOUSING CHALLENGES, AND HEALTH CARE UPDATES Guest Host Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Bob Richardson, Public Affairs Consultant, Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer at CARP, and Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer at CARP. The panel explored why many seniors prefer to remain in their homes rather than relocate to often-overcrowded nursing facilities. Callers cited concerns about the financial cost and inconvenience of moving, as well as a strong emotional attachment to their long-time residences. LABOUR DISPUTES AND NATIONAL STRIKES IN CANADA  Tasha is joined by Dr. Larry Savage, Professor of Labour Relations at Brock University, and Dr. Ian Lee, Associate Professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University. The youth unemployment rate remains high, with significant struggles among young Canadians. Initially, temporary foreign workers were brought in to address labor shortages in agriculture and manual industri

Today on Free For All Friday: listeners paid tribute to our own Bob Komsic as he retires from Zoomer Radio and begins his next chapter. We also heard from you about the state of tipping these days and your thoughts on the latest developments regarding the Eldidi terror suspects arrested here in Canada. 

TUNE INTO THE TOWN: MORE THAN 80,000 LETTERS DELIVERED TO PREMIERE OVER CONCERNS OF ONTARIO SCIENCE CENTRE Libby Znaimer is joined by Councillor James Pasternak, Ward 6 York Centre, Alex Blumenstein, Co-Founder of The Peak, and Karen Stintz, CEO of Variety Village. Recent debates on immigration cover abuses of the Temporary Foreign Worker program, visa overstays by international students, and troubling asylum cases like the alleged terrorist father-son duo. Libby and panel also discuss the persisting concerns surrounding the Ontario Science Centre. HOW TORONTO TERROR SUSPECTS GOT THROUGH CANADA'S IMMIGRATION SYSTEM Libby Znaimer is now joined by Phil Gurski, President of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting and a former senior strategic terrorism analyst at CSIS, and immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann. Libby explores the recent case of a father and son accused of terrorism and their asylum process in Canada. The discussion focuses on the asylum application procedures, potential abuses of the system, and th

This week, a group of protestors gathered outside of a CUPE office in Thornhill calling for Fred Hahn’s resignation.

THE MEDICAL RECORD:  COVID-19 HASN'T GONE AWAY & WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HYPERTENSION Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by Dr. Malcolm Moore, a Medical Oncologist with Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a former head of BC Cancer, Dr. Fahad Razak, a General Internist based in Toronto and Canada Research Chair in Healthcare Data and Analytics at the University of Toronto and Dr. Alisa Naiman, a family doctor practicing comprehensive primary care in Toronto. Do you know someone in your circles who currently has or is getting over COVID-19? Our doctors weigh in on the spike in cases, as well as the importance of keeping track of your blood pressure as you age. CALLS INTENSIFY FOR CUPE'S FRED HAHN TO RESIGN Jane Brown is now joined by Amir Epstein, Executive Director of Tafsik, a grassroots organization dedicated to combating antisemitism around the world, and Salman Sima, a former political prisoner from Iran who joined a protest this week calling for CUPE's Fred Hahn

RECOVERING POLITICIANS PANEL:  TRUDEAU'S CABINET RETREAT & OTTAWA GETS TOUGH ON CHINA Jane Brown is filling in for Libby Znaimer today. She is joined by George Smitherman, former Liberal MPP for Toronto Centre, Health minister and Deputy Premier, Janet Ecker, former Ontario PC MPP and finance minister, and Cheri DiNovo, a former NDP MPP for Parkdale-High Park. Today, we kick things off with a discussion about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Cabinet retreat in Halifax. Meanwhile, China is not happy with Ottawa after it made the decision to slap a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric Vehicles (following in the steps of the U.S.) OTTAWA CHANGING ITS APPROACH TO FOREIGN WORKERS  Jane Brown is now joined by Guidy Mamann, a Toronto immigration lawyer and Partner at Mamman & Sandaluk LLP Immigration Lawyers. Ottawa is making some key changes to its immigration policy which includes an announcement on reducing the number of low wage temporary foreign workers coming to Canada. Guidy weighs in on the

THE ZOOMER SQUAD:  AGEISM AT WORK & WHAT DOCS ARE SAYING ABOUT OZEMPIC FOR ADULTS 65 + Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Anthony Quinn, Chief Community Officer of CARP,  Bill VanGorder, Chief Advocacy and Education Officer of CARP, and John Wright, Executive Vice President of Maru Public Opinion. This week: we kick things off with a discussion about ageism in the workplace and when you should claim your government pension. AIR CANADA PILOTS COULD GO ON STRIKE NEXT MONTH Tasha Kheiriddin is joined by Dr. Gabor Lukacs, Founder and President of Air Passenger Rights and Dr. Karl Moore, Associate Professor, Strategy & Organization at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University. Air Canada pilots could go on strike as early as September 17th after 98 percent of them voted in favour of a strike mandate should negotiations fail. So, how will this impact travelers and what can Ottawa do about this? HOW AN INCREASE IN FOR-PROFIT CATARACT SURGERIES IS IMPACTING LOWER INCOME SENIORS Tasha Kh