Unpublished Cafe

UTV: COVID-19; Airlines

PUBLISHED: 20/07/2020 Has there been an industry more impacted by the Covid pandemic than the airline industry? Tens of thousands of jobs slashed as Canadians stayed home instead of traveling. When the lockdown began, demand for air travel dropped in some cases by 90 percent. Slowly, the industry is moving forward. But it will look different to anyone who hasn’t been in an airport in the last few months. Only staff and passengers are allowed inside now. Distancing measures are in place as ...

UTV: COVID-19; Airlines

PUBLISHED: 20/07/2020 Has there been an industry more impacted by the Covid pandemic than the airline industry? Tens of thousands of jobs slashed as Canadians stayed home instead of traveling. When the lockdown began, demand for air travel dropped in some cases by 90 percent. Slowly, the industry is moving forward. But it will look different to anyone who hasn’t been in an airport in the last few months. Only staff and passengers are allowed inside now. Distancing measures are in p...

WE Charity

PUBLISHED: 20/07/2020 The federal government is in full on damage control in the wake of the WE Charity scandal. Will it be enough for the Prime Minister to step aside. Prime Minister Trudeau was apologetic after the fact that it was revealed the WE Charity scored a sole sourced program to run the 900 million dollar youth volunteer program. Initially it was suggested the federal service made the recommendation but that has been less clear. It also came to light that his mother, brother and...

COVID-19: Returning to School

PUBLISHED: 18/07/2020 While summer vacation continues for many parents and kids, the question on their mind is “when will the school bell ring”? The Covid 19 pandemic robbed students of their year, forcing them to try and continue learning on line from home. This September Ontario is pushing a hybrid model of in class and online learning, but there doesn’t seem to be clear directions. Students for the most part in Canada have not been in a classroom since March - there will be a lot of ada...

UTV: COVID-19; Mandatory Masks

This week, we are going to focus on one of the most polarizing issues of the pandemic, mandatory masks. Many cities in Ontario have brought in legislation to make them mandatory in their jurisdiction. Ontario Premier Doug Ford supports that but won’t call for a provincial order because it would be unenforceable. In Quebec, masks will be mandatory on public transit. It is easy to see how some people are against it because the messaging has been mixed. Remember back in January, the Public Hea...

UTV Launches with reflections on the last 4-months of COVID-19

Join us Monday evenings at 8 pm ET for UnpublishedTV (UTV), a lively interactive panel discussion that looks at the burning issues in Canadian politics and around the world. Hosted by veteran radioman Ed Hand, this weekly streaming show is the newest production from Unpublished Media and the fourth in our suite of online media tools designed to help empower Canadians to bring about democratic change by influencing and impacting public policy decision-making in Canada. The other web properti...

COVID-19: Airlines

PUBLISHED: 11/06/2020 One of the worst hit sectors of the economy in Canada from the Covid 19 pandemic was the airline industry. What will it take Canadians to resume “flying the friendly skies?” The numbers were staggering for airlines and their employees; 20,000 cuts at Air Canada, 4,000 at WestJet and another 3,300 at Air Transat. Stakeholders appeared before the House of Commons health committee to plead their case to loosen restrictions on their industry. Both Air Canada and WestJet h...

COVID-19: Mandatory Masks

PUBLISHED: 05/06/2020 The face-mask has become the defining symbol of the Covid 19 pandemic. While it is one of the keys in keeping you safe, should wearing one be mandatory in public places? Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has no problem with municipalities making it mandatory, but he cannot see how it could be enforced. Toronto City Council has voted for it, and other GTA areas such as Peel and York Regions will be considering it this week. Ottawa’s Mayor, Jim Watson says he would supp...

Canada-China Relations - Deteriorating Relations

PUBLISHED: 03/07/2020 Diplomacy is taking a beating between Canada and China. Will this relationship survive?
 The war of words between the two countries is ramping up as China accuses Canada of “megaphone diplomacy”. Canada refuses to release Huawei Executive, Meng Wanzhou while China continues to hold the two Michaels, Kovrig and Spavor on “spying charges”. Neither has been to court and remain incarcerated, unlike Wanzhou who is free on bail. There has been growing pressure on the feder...

Bill 161 - Ontario's 'Smarter and Stronger Justice Act'

PUBLISHED: 27/06/2020 When it comes to access for justice in Ontario, it appears the province’s Bill 161, the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act, will do neither. While the province continues to grapple with the pandemic, predominantly in long term care homes, Bill 161 will support defendants being sued. There are several class action lawsuits currently underway against operators of some of these facilities for negligence. The pandemic has hit low income Canadians hard - and these are the pe...

COVID-19: Economic Impact on Canada

PUBLISHED: 23/06/2020 There could be some heavy lifting before certain parts of the economy can re-open. The pandemic is changing the way businesses will have to adapt, although it could be costly.  By early June, the Government of Canada had handed out more then 43 billion dollars to over 8.4 million Canadians in just the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit. When you factor in the rest of the direct support spending, the tally is over $150 billion. Add in the costs of protecting people and bu...

Ontario's Bill 156

PUBLISHED: 20/06/20 The Ontario government has quietly passed legislation aimed to protect factory farms, animal processing plants, truck drivers and farm animals - but it appears to target whistleblowers and animal activists. It’s called Bill 156, Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act. According to the agriculture industry, farmers face uncertainty when it comes to dealing with animal protestors or whistleblowers. Many recall the situation a few years back with activist, A...

"Defund the Police"

PUBLISHED: 17/06/2020 The chants of “ I can’t breathe” are being replaced by shrieks of “defund the police”, in the wake of the George Floyd death in Minneapolis. Is it time to scale back on the firepower? Floyd’s death was the catalyst for anti-racism demonstrations and protests around the world. The role of police is very much in their minds. For some, it’s an adversarial relationship. LA and New York, some of America’s largest cities, are scaling back on police funding and putting those...

Guaranteed Annual Income

COVID-19: Long-Term Care as a Federal Option?

PUBLISHED: 06/09/2020 We know ground zero in the battle with COVID-19 is in long term care homes. Is it time to take it away from the provinces and put it in the hands of the federal government? More than 8 in 10 deaths from the pandemic have occurred in long term care. Ontario and Quebec are primarily dealing with the most. BC was hard-hit when the virus first appeared in Canada, but was able to clamp down on cases. The situation has many looking inward. How did we let the most vulnerable...

The George Floyd Anti-Racism Demonstrations

PUBLISHED: 06/06/2020 It’s said that ‘you have to look back to see where we are and where we are going’. In the latest collision between US police officers and black men, George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police. For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd’s neck to the ground all captured on video by a passerby. Chauvin has since been charged with second degree murder – but only after protests exploded in Minneapolis where angry demonstrators took to the streets t...

COVID-19: The New Normal

PUBLISHED: 03/06/2020  The ‘new normal’ is here for businesses in our physical distancing world. What will work and the economy look like in our post pandemic world? The Canadian economy shed almost 2 million jobs in April on top of the one million lost in March. Provinces are slowly opening up from the imposed lockdown, and despite Ontario and Quebec grappling with the need for more testing, they are moving ahead with lifting restrictions on businesses and resuming operations. What might ...

The Situation in Hong Kong

PUBLISHED: 02/06/2020 What is the future for Hong Kong? While the world wrestles with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a lot of eyes fixed on the Far East. Hong Kong enjoys a special status in China under its “one country two system” principle which allow for socialism and capitalism to co-exist. Hong Kong was under British control until 1997 and was going to maintain its status until 2047. China has been clashing with protesters in Hong Kong as it attempts to put in new security legislati...

COVID-19: Testing

PUBLISHED: 01/06/2020 When it comes to re-opening economies and schools in the face of this pandemic, the key is testing, testing and testing. With more than 80 percent of COVID cases in Ontario and Quebec, both provinces are having difficulty hitting their targets. The heat is rising on both provinces to ramp it up as they slowly start opening up. While Ontario scrambles to boost it’s testing numbers, a University of Guelph professor is talking to the province about boosting those numbers...

COVID-19: Public Inquiry into Long-Term Care

PUBLISHED: 24/05/2020 Canada’s long-term care homes are ground zero when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic – claiming the dubious distinction of having the highest number of COVID cases in long term care in an early study of the pandemic. Here in Ontario, a two-week spike in the number of cases. The grim toll has sparked calls to get to the bottom of the carnage. While everyone at Queen’s Park is on the same page when it comes to helping people in the pandemic, it appears the search for tr...

COVID-19: Second Wave

PUBLISHED: 24/05/2020 For more than two months Canadians have been cooped up and physically distancing to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions are gradually lifting as the infection rate is decreasing nationally. But this means we are far from the end of the road. If there is one thing health experts agree on when it comes to the pandemic, it’s a second wave. Traditionally, these virus outbreaks can come in waves. If you think about the Spanish flu 100 years ago, there ...

COVID-19: Investigating the W.H.O and China

PUBLISHED: 19/05/2020 Canadians feel China has not come clean on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the picture is quite clear if a new Angus Reid Institute survey points out. In the span of just six months, the views of Canadians about China have plummeted. The latest numbers from Angus Reid Institute find a mere 14 percent of us have a favourable opinion of that nation. That’s down from the 29 percent just before the outbreak. It appeared the Prime Minister was hesitant to point fi...

COVID-19: Re-Opening Schools

PUBLISHED: 17/05/2020 While it might seem like a breath of fresh air for families locked down in the pandemic, sending kids back to school is fraught with many hurdles. Limbo best describes the situation for students, teachers and administrators when it comes to COVID-19 and whether it is safe to return to class. How do you physical distance with five year old’s? Let’s face it, at the best of times schools are bubbling with bacteria. The province of Quebec was ready to send students back t...

COVID-19: Resuming Medical Procedures

PUBLISHED: 14/05/2020 It’s estimated more than 100 thousand medical procedures and elective surgeries have been cancelled so hospitals can focus on COVID-19. For those in need of surgical or a medical procedure, how long must they wait? When the pandemic arrived in Canada, hospitals had a singular focus, treat those infected with COVID-19. All other treatments and procedures were cancelled. In the first month of the pandemic, more than 40 percent of cancer surgeries were scrubbed. Earlier...

COVID-19: Impact on Real Estate

PUBLISHED: 12/05/2020 It appears that the only thing that can cool off Canada’s red hot housing market is a global pandemic. April saw a ten percent reduction in Toronto home prices due to COVID-19. With more than two million jobs lost since the pandemic, the current unemployment rate has soared to 13%. Those kind of numbers keep home owners up at night wondering where their next mortgage payment will come from. In Ottawa, which is somewhat insulated due to the public service, home sales d...

COVID-19: In the Line of Fire

PUBLISHED: 10/05/2020 How is it that the people on the front lines in the battle with COVID019 are the lowest paid and least appreciated workers in the pandemic? Long term care and retirement homes are the hot spots still when it comes to the virus. More than half the COVID deaths in Canada have been in long term care. Here in Ontario, more than 130 thousand people are Personal Support Workers. As of Friday May 8th, seven PSW’s have died from COVID-19. The Ontario government has announced ...

COVID-19: Vaccines

PUBLISHED: 05/07/2020 The race continues for the Globe in the search for a reliable vaccine for COVID-19. Considering the vast impact on the economies around the world, when one is developed, should it be mandatory to get it? Researchers around the world are frantically working to find a vaccine for our current pandemic and while our Facebook feeds are full of stories of small breakthroughs in the quest for a vaccine. Most health experts put the possibility at a vaccine 12 to 18 months awa...

COVID-19: Despair & Mental Health

PUBLISHED: 05/05/2020 We’re living in trying times these days as the COVID-19 pandemic turns our world upside down. Will it ever be the same again? We’re just past the seven week mark when Canada went into lockdown as the COVID-19 virus spread throughout Canada. Being sequestered in your home, possibly self isolating from your family can have a huge toll on your mental wellbeing. The economic devastation from shutting down the economy will be felt long term. All are weighing on our collect...

COVID-19: Despair & Mental Health

PUBLISHED: 05/05/2020 We’re living in trying times these days as the COVID-19 pandemic turns our world upside down. Will it ever be the same again? We’re just past the seven week mark when Canada went into lockdown as the COVID-19 virus spread throughout Canada. Being sequestered in your home, possibly self isolating from your family can have a huge toll on your mental wellbeing. The economic devastation from shutting down the economy will be felt long term. All are weighing on ou...

COVID-19: Re-Opening The Economy

PUBLISHED: 05/02/2020 The door appears to be opening a crack for Canada’s provinces when it comes to restarting the economy. Over seven weeks of lockdowns for Canadians due to the pandemic, Premiers from across the country for the most part are releasing plans to ease Emergency restrictions and opening up parts of their economy. In Ontario, there is a three-staged plan, but it’s short on dates. In Quebec, it’s a bit more open with the addition of children returning to school. In Saskatchew...

COVID-19: Public Mood in Canada

PUBLISHED: 04/27/2020 When it comes to “flattening” the worry curve, Canadians aren’t immune to their state of mind being impacted by the pandemic. It’s been about six weeks since the country was effectively locked down as COVID-19 spread across the country. We’ve been in emergency situations before, such as the Ice Storm, wildfires out west, the floods in Alberta. But this goes coast to coast with an enemy you really can’t see. Unlike the financial crash of 08, there is no virus spreading...

COVID-19: Food Security

PUBLISHED: 04/25/2020 Is Canada’s food supply at a tipping point? Agriculture and food production are essential services in our COVID-19 world, but this is a key time for the industries to ensure we have enough on the table. We now see limits on how much you can purchase at the grocery store, that is if you can find what you need. There are even hurdles are facing those wanting to get crops into the ground. Food can be a big hurdle for living pay cheque to pay cheque who may rely on the se...

COVID-19: China's Cover-Up

PUBLISHED: 04/23/2020 Here we are a month into the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and voices are starting to rise when it comes to pointing the finger of blame. Earlier this week, former federal Justice Minister, Irwin Cotler penned a column calling for sanctions on China for not being honest with the World Health Organization and the rest of the globe about the pandemic that was sweeping through Wuhan. When it comes to dealing with a pandemic, time matters and China has been accused of not c...

COVID-19: Social Distancing

PUBLISHED: 04/21/2020 Strolling down the sidewalk has never been so complicated since we entered the physical distancing world of COVID-19. Canada has been locked down for about a month now as the country grapples with the pandemic. We are told to stay home except for essentials, yet many would like to get out for some fresh air, and a little exercise. The problem is if you live in a densely populated area like downtown, there isn’t enough room for people to physical distance in such close...

COVID-19: Seniors in Long-term Care

PUBLISHED: 04/18/2020 Grim numbers from Canada’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. Over half of the COVID-19 deaths in Canada have been in long-term care and senior homes. The pain is palpable for this with family and friends in long-term care. The fatalities keep mounting of seniors suffering from COVID-19, putting in the spotlight several care institutions across Canada. The mounting numbers have Ontario focused on facilities like Almonte County Haven, West of Ottawa, or Pinecrest nursing...

COVID-19: Low Risk Offenders

PUBLISHED: 04/11/2020 In our new social isolation, physical distancing world, there is a group of people for whom that isn’t a reality. A group of leading medical professionals called on the federal and provincial governments to look at releasing low risk inmates to ease the burden on those facilities. They are ripe for an outbreak when you consider the close proximity of prisoners, guards, staff and parole officers. Quite often sanitation is sparse. There’s another group to consider as we...

Canada's Response

PUBLISHED: 04/14/2020 The picture of Canada’s response to the Covid 19 pandemic is coming into focus...and it’s not pretty. Earlier this week, The House of Commons Health Committee received documents and emails, compiled from the Ministries of Health, Transport, National Defence, Public Safety and Foreign Affairs. The pages show a fluid challenge for Canada as it appeared the federal government would change tack several times as it wrestled with the incoming Covid 19 pandemic. Th...

COVID-19: Canada's Response

PUBLISHED: 04/14/2020 The picture of Canada’s response to the Covid 19 pandemic is coming into focus...and it’s not pretty. Earlier this week, The House of Commons Health Committee received documents and emails, compiled from the Ministries of Health, Transport, National Defence, Public Safety and Foreign Affairs. The pages show a fluid challenge for Canada as it appeared the federal government would change tack several times as it wrestled with the incoming Covid 19 pandemic. This highli...

COVID-19: Low Risk Offenders

PUBLISHED: 04/11/2020 In our new social isolation, physical distancing world, there is a group of people for whom that isn’t a reality. A group of leading medical professionals called on the federal and provincial governments to look at releasing low risk inmates to ease the burden on those facilities. They are ripe for an outbreak when you consider the close proximity of prisoners, guards, staff and parole officers. Quite often sanitation is sparse. There’s another group to consid...

COVID-19: USA Denies Canada N95 Medical Masks

PUBLISHED: 04/05/2020 With neighbors like this, who needs friends? While Canadians self isolate and practice physical distancing, we glance south of the 49th parallel and see chaos, and in the midst of the chaos came word, the US President was ordering 3M to stop sending masks and ventilators to Canada and Latin America 3M, in it’s Defense pointed out the humanitarian impacts of such a move. It certainly might make some Canadians look to the south with a different view. Longest undefended...

COVID-19: Listener Check-up - How are we doing?

PUBLISHED: 04/07/2020 Cooped up in the house during isolation? For some it's been weeks, for others days - with the exception of essential workers, we're aiming to keep contact to a minimum. But how are we coping with that? Last week we asked our listeners how they have been fairing ever since COVID-19 turned our world upside down. Today we're chatting with a Cindy, and Ghazala from Ottawa, and Peter from Morrisburg learn how they are coping, and perhaps learn some new skills in dealing w...

COVID-19: Listener Check-up - How are we doing?

PUBLISHED: 04/07/2020 Cooped up in the house during isolation? For some it's been weeks, for others days - with the exception of essential workers, we're aiming to keep contact to a minimum. But how are we coping with that? Last week we asked our listeners how they have been fairing ever since COVID-19 turned our world upside down. Today we're chatting with a Cindy, and Ghazala from Ottawa, and Peter from Morrisburg learn how they are coping, and perhaps learn some new skills in ...

COVID-19: Food Safety in Canada

PUBLISHED: 03/21/2020 The long line ups and bare shelves have somewhat dissipated with the retail and food industries soothing Canadians that there is ample supply for everyone. Most eateries and restaurants are trying to stay afloat by offering delivery and take out. That brings some more questions about food safety. Farmers will start planting shortly for the upcoming season. Traditionally, they hire tens of thousands of foreign workers through the season..There have been some conflictin...

COVID-19: Canada's Federal Emergencies Act

PUBLISHED: 03/26/2020 The Emergencies Act was brought in in 1988 to replace the previous War Measures Act. It would give the federal government sweeping powers over the provinces if they become overwhelmed when dealing with a major crisis. Every province in Canada has declared a State of Emergency in its jurisdiction as the Covid 19 virus continues to spread. But is it enough? To many, this would classify as a public welfare emergency. The Prime Minister is in constant contact with the pro...

The COVID-19 Virus

PUBLISHED: 03/21/2020 The virus originated in China's province of Wuhan around December - the virus was transmitted from animals to human in wild-animal meat market. The first reported death appears in January, and 9 days later its being reported around the world. In February, deaths are happening outside of China after the WHO declares Covid-19 a global health emergency. The virus is discovered to have been used in a cult ritual. In March, Covid-19 is declared a pandemic, and Canada reac...

The COVID-19 Virus

PUBLISHED: 03/21/2020 The virus originated in China's province of Wuhan around December - the virus was transmitted from animals to human in wild-animal meat market. The first reported death appears in January, and 9 days later its being reported around the world. In February, deaths are happening outside of China after the WHO declares Covid-19 a global health emergency. The virus is discovered to have been used in a cult ritual. In March, Covid-19 is declared a pandemic, and Ca...

Canadian Telecomms and Broadcasting Regulations

PUBLISHED: 04/14/2020 Brave and bold or same old same old. Two ends of the spectrum when it comes to Canada’s Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review panel’s final report. The result of 18 months of industry experts outlining what is needed in this country as the industry grapples with new, limber competitors in their traditional world. The report provides us with 97 recommendations for the industry. Some may never see the light of day, while others could bring some challeng...

Liberal Throne Speech 2019

PUBLISHED: 12/16/2019   The federal Liberals unwrapped their Throne Speech with many promises for Canadians. The only problem is the vision is about as clear as your view in a blinding snow storm.   Governor General Julie Payette read the road map the Grits are laying out for their next mandate. This one will be a little trickier to navigate with just a minority behind the wheel, depending on the support of the Bloc or NDP to make things happen. Within the foresight for Canadians, more st...

The 43rd Canadian Election

Jobs & The Economy in Canada's 2019 Federal Election

Canada’s economic numbers, climate change, health care ~ how will these key components in Canadian living come into play during this 2019 election?