The 905er Podcast

Our previous episode gave us a lot to talk about, in terms of the housing and eviction crisis that is looming here in the 905 and the province as a whole.  Joel and Roland sit down to examine a possible solution to the supply and demand problem of housing in the province.   As well, they take a look at development as it currently stands and whether or not it truly meets the needs of our communitie...

Alyssa Brierley, Executive Director of the Centre for Equality Rights in Accomodation, joins us to discuss the waves of evictions that have been happening in Ontario since the summer under the auspices of the Landlord and Tenant Board, despite assurances earlier in the year about protections for tenants in financial difficulties because of the pandemic. These evictions are carried out via an onlin...

As 2021 began, a torrent of news came forward that a number of leaders in our communities, from the federal to the provincial and now we've learned the municipal levels weren't following COVID-19 protocols.  Namely that they left the country for personal recreation.  Joel and Roland talk about this abdication of leadership on the part of those who are trying to lead us through this pandemic. Then,...

As case numbers continue to rise in the 905 region.  Specifically in Peel region, one doctor has highlighted a glaring gap in the province's COVID-19 communication strategy.  Dr. Amanpreet Brar recently wrote an opinion piece in The Toronto Star highlighting the lack of use of multicultural media in Peel region to help communicate vital COVID-19 information to the communities in the region. It is...

Our listeners have requested this topic of a while, and we thought it'd be a good time to do this episode.  Many future political campaigns are a few years away.  But it takes time and preparation to do a good job.  We talk today about what it takes to be a candidate for political office, and what goes on behind the scenes. Shannon Gillies joins Roland and Joel, to give her insight as a former mun...

We are back at it!  After a brief break for the holidays, Joel and Roland are back to talk about what's in the headlines at the start of 2021!  Friend of the podcast Shannon Gillies joins us to give a new perspective on the headlines. We talk about Rod Phillips jaunts to the tropics, politicians who like to do the opposite of what they say, vaccine roll outs, and one of us makes a bold prediction...

In the final two episodes of 2020, Joel and Roland look back over the first six months of the 905er podcast and themes that emerged. In part two, it's Joel's turn to pick the stories that he enjoyed most. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, a...

In the final two episodes of 2020, Joel and Roland look back over the first six months of the 905er podcast and themes that emerged. In part one, Roland picks the episodes that stood out most to him. Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to...

Continuing our December theme of finding some positive lessons from 2020, Joel and Roland speak to two of the 905 region's religious leaders, Rabbi Stephen Wise of Shaarei-Beth El Reform Synagogue in Oakville and Canon Stuart Pike, rector of St Luke's Anglican Church in Burlington. Rabbi Wise and Canon Pike describe how Covid has affected their congregations, and how they adapted to meet the chall...

The first undisputed case of what later was named COVID-19 was seen on December 1, 2019 in Wuhan, China. One week over a year later, the first vaccine has been approved for use in Canada following clinical trials involving almost 44,000 participants showed 95% efficacy. In a dark year for so many, Joel and Roland discuss this apparently clear reason for celebration as we enter the Holidays, what i...

Trevor Poczynek and Sandy Stark's part time hobby on Facebook may have helped hundreds of restaurants in the 905 from going under during the pandemic. We talk with them about ONRestaurants+ and their plans for the future. Listen to the podcast and check out OnRestaurants+ for your part of the 905. Burlington Hamilton Oakville Also mentioned in this episode are some Facebook groups run by other peo...

As we wind down each year, we tend to reflect on what has passed.  Let's face it though, 2020 has been a year most of us would wish we'd forget.  We'll take a moment to do that reflection on a future episode.  However, we've decided that for the month of December, we will focus on more upbeat and optimistic stories to share with you. To kick it off, Roland and Joel reminisce a bit about their pers...

Dylan Buskermolen is originally from Burlington and was studying at Queen’s University with plans to pursue a law degree when he was diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. The diagnosis changed this life, and while it has brought enormous challenges that he is still having to confront, it has also led Dylan in positive directions in his life and career that he never considered before. Re...

Leading on from Tuesday's episode looking at the proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities, Joel and Roland discuss the connection between political donations and the policy priorities of the Ford government. If any single subject can be said to encapsulate the priorities of the provincial government since 2018, it must be the efforts to weaken the legislative checks and balances on what ca...

We are joined this week by Haassan Basit, CEO of Conservation Halton, and Janet Sumner, Executive Director of CPAWS Wildlands League, to talk about the province's proposed major changes to the powers of Conservation Authorities in Ontario as part of the budget 'omnibus' Bill 229, which, it is argued, weaken key protections that ensure safe development and prevent flooding. We explore the proposals...

Joel and Roland discuss the latest changes to COVID-19 restrictions across the 905 and ask whether we could have avoided reaching this stage with some better planning from the province and less dickering from some municipalities.   Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting the 905er with a monthly donation enables us to do this podcast, to m...

Laura Meffen and Jill Davis are not doctors. Nor are they nurses or PSWs. But nobody knows the price to be paid for being on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic better than they do. Residents in long term care, and the family members who love them, are paying a heavy price for our debates about what should be opened or closed and the province's focus on the needs of business. More relaxed leve...

We talk to Alex Fitzgerald-Black of the Juno Beach Centre headquartered in Burlington, about how the centre came to be, its mission, and the challenges of COVID-19. Make sure you check out the www.junobeach.org, which provides a fantastic resource for anybody wishing to learn more about Canada's role in the second world war. Also take a listen to the Juno Beach Centre's own podcast, available here...

This week we talk to Dave Rohrer, CEO of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (warplane.com) in Hamilton about their mission in preserving Canadian history, and the challenges of COVID-19.   Thanks to: Our founding patrons! You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/the905er. Supporting us with a small monthly amount enables us to do this podcast, to make it better and better, and to make sure...

Our Thursday episode this weeks looks back at our fascinating interview with Sean Vanderklis and Karl Dockstader earlier this weeks. Joel and Roland discuss what they learned, and the our institutions are weighted against allowing Canada's First Nations getting a fair hearing. Political leaders, the police and judges have all demanded the protesters from the Six Nations Reserve outside Caledonia v...

This week's episode we travel 15 minutes south of Hamilton to Caledonia.  This year as seen a second dispute over land development arise between a planned housing project called MacKenzie Meadows, and the Haudenosaunee peoples of the nearby Six Nations Reserve.  For the people of Caledonia, this is the second dispute over development in 15 years.  For the Haudenosaunee people, this dispute has bee...

With last week's stunning news that the province intended to take away municipalities right to consider ranked ballots, we reached out to multiple politicians who had been at the forefront of adopting ranked ballots, or, in Burlington's case, beginning the process of public consultation. Mayor Marianne Meed Ward generously made herself available for a long interview on the importance of municipali...

Jesse Helmer is deputy mayor and councillor in London, Ontario.  He is one of a tiny handful of Canadians - all in London - who have experience of being elected by both "First Past the Post" and "Ranked Ballot", in 2014 and 2018. He was a leading advocate for the adoption of ranked ballots in Ontario. He was shocked to discover at the same time as every other Ontarian that the provincial governmen...

This week's Thursday episode follows up on Tuesday's discussion with Mike Gibbs about the province's messaging on Covid-19, and what appears to many to be contradictory and confusing statements about about what we should all be doing to keep each other safe. Each week we talk about 'other news' in the 905. But what is this week's other news? Yep, it's the Covid-19 second wave, and it increasingly...

Mike Gibbs is a former communications staffer with Public Health Ontario. He experienced Toronto's SARS outbreak first hand and has worked on pandemic planning in public health offices across the country.  He has been highly critical of the current Ford government’s handling of COVID-19 communications and is author of a Twitter account (@Mikeggibbs) that provides Covid-19 policy opinion from an in...