Toronto This Weekend

On this week's ByBlacks chat, Maggie is joined by Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Camille Dundas to talk about their upcoming Restaurant Week, which features Black-owned restaurants in Canada and their best traditional dishes. Learn about how to experience some of the best food the featured restaurants have to offer, and their discounts at https://byblacks.com/

Sherry Larjani, President at Spotlight Development Inc. and Founder of the Aria Foundation, shares her story of getting into architecture and development as a career, and talks about her current work which is focused on building affordable housing. Plus, she shares her thoughts on the current housing situation in Toronto and what we need to do to overcome housing challenges.

Tanya Talaga, author, public speaker, and journalist, talks about the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishinaabe, with a special look at Honesty this week. She tells Maggie about Shoal Lake which the City of Winnipeg uses as a significant water source, but in defiance of a First Nations treaty - and what the local First Nations community is doing about it.

Ellé Marks, Chair of the Upper Village BIA, Chair of the Board for the Eglinton BIA Alliance, and owner of retail store Elle Made Well, talks about her experience as a business owner and community member affected by the Eglinton LRT construction delays. She shares some details of how businesses and Metrolinx have been communicating, and what has come of their negotiations.

Maggie speaks with World Vision Canada's CEO and President, Michael Messenger, about the recent work the organization has been doing, both internationally and locally. Messenger stresses the links between poverty across the board, and the goals and missions of World Vision to combat the various elements of poverty.

City Councillor Paul Ainslie talks about his motion to declare a homelessness emergency in Toronto and what he hopes to see come from this. They also cover some of the biggest local stories including Ontario Place and the Science Centre, and the Eglinton LRT.

Tanya Talaga, author, public speaker, and journalist, talks about the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishinaabe, this week sharing her story of wisdom learned through a doctor in Sioux Lookout, ON. Tanya also tells Maggie about her production company, Makwa Collective, and what inspired her to create this space for Indigenous voices.

President and CEO of the Yonge Street Mission, Angie Peters, talks about how she became interested in working in the non-profit sector and the importance of the Misson's work. Plus, she goes into detail about The Revision project, a new initiative dedicated to coming up with ways to build more affordable housing in Toronto, and why we need to consider who actually has access to affordable housing.

Maggie is joined by the Artistic Director of the Hot Docs Festival, Shane Smith, to talk about what is happening at this year's 30th anniversary festival. Shane also talks about the significance and the power of documentary films, and how the industry has changed with the rise in streaming services.

Longtime TV personality George Lagogianes joins Maggie to talk about his lifelong relationship with the Toronto Maples Leafs and their current playoff journey, the firing of Raptors coach Nick Nurse, and some top stories affecting Torontonians this week.

Sophia Apostol, Professional Certified Coach and Host of the Fat Joy Podcast, tells Maggie about her career and what led her to create a space where she and her guests fight against fatphobia and various forms of oppression that accompany it. Plus, some discussion around misconceptions about fat people, and what Sophia feels are the most pressing issues when it comes to the Toronto mayoral race.

Tanya Talaga, author, public speaker, and journalist, talks about the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishinaabe, focusing in this week on humility. She tells Maggie the story of two women who learned to understand each other's perspectives, coming from a First Nations and non-First Nations background, and creating art through these experiences.

Maggie interviews boxer, entrepreneur and public figure George Foreman about his childhood in Houston, becoming friends with Muhammad Ali, and his long-spanning career. All this, and a look at the upcoming biopic, Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Maggie speaks with City Councillor Lily Cheng about Toronto's top stories this week - The Ontario Science Centre, safety on the TTC, and what we can learn from other cities' transit systems.

Katie Zeppieri, Founder and CEO of GIRL TALK Speakers Bureau and Founder of the MicDrop Agency, talks about her work as an entrepreneur and what inspired her to create spaces to support and empower girls. Plus, Katie gives Maggie her thoughts on some of Toronto's current events - public transit safety, the mayoral race, and more.

Neil Hetherington, CEO of the Daily Bread Food Bank, runs down some facts of how many, and why, Torontonians are relying on food banks right now, and what he is looking for from Toronto's mayoral candidates in order to support this crisis.

Tanya Talaga, author, public speaker, and journalist, talks about the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishinaabe, focusing in this week on the second - bravery. She tells the story of a high school in Thunder Bay which many Indigenous children leave their family homes to attend.

Tanya Hayles, Founder of Black Moms Connections, talks to Maggie about her non-profit organization and the story behind its creation. Tanya also shares her thoughts on some issues and current events including safety on the TTC and the federal budget.

Tanya Talaga, author, public speaker, and journalist, speaks about the seven grandfather teachings of the Anishinaabe, focusing in this week on the first one - love. Plus, she shares an excerpt of her new podcast called "Seven Truths".

Kim Wright, Principal of Wright Strategies, shares her background in politics and explains the various elements of her work and how they impact her. She and Maggie also dive into some pressing stories such as the provincial budget, the Toronto mayoral race, and the relationship between the provincial and municipal governments.

Tech Journalist Takara Small speaks to the rapid development of AI and some concerning factors that should be taken into account as the use of this technology becomes more widespread. She also clarifies the differences between artificial intelligence and automation, which are frequently confused.

For this week's ByBlacks chat, Hillary LeBlanc discusses her article about "adultification" - a form of prejudice that does not grant these groups the innocence that is naturally granted to many children, and which primarily affects Black and BIPOC girls. Check out her article: https://byblacks.com/opinion/item/3369-adultification-bias-is-forcing-black-girls-to-grow-up-before-their-time

On today's Coffee Talk segment, Maggie is joined by Sabrina Nanji of the Queen's Park Press Gallery to talk about her career and work within Ontario politics. They also speak to current issues such as the Ontario budget and how it will affect different industries and taxpayers.

Former City Councillor Joe Mihevc joins Maggie to take a look at some major headlines such as the lack of money allotted to Toronto from the Ontario budget, and how some cuts to the TTC will affect poorer communities and affect ridership. Mihevc also shares some thoughts on Toronto's mayoral candidates and other issues at City Hall.

Bryan Passifiume, Parliamentary Bureau Reporter for the National Post, joins Maggie for Coffee Talk to share how he got his start in journalism, and his perspective on Bill C-18. Plus, he and Maggie chat about some of the week's top stories.