Fight Back With Libby Znaimer

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?  

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.