Zoomer Week in Review

The spread of the novel coronavirus is bringing back anti-Chinese stereotypes - just like the spread of SARS sparked racism and anti-Asian tropes back in 2003. It's also bringing a big drop in business on our Chinatowns. Libby Znaimer talked with Amy Go, of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice AND World Cancer Day is a global initiative to raise awareness and make sure that can...

In honour of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz, we tell the little known story of a Polish patriot who snuck into the camp to try to organize a rebellion and warn the Allies of Nazi crimes. AND Freedom 55! For years there were ads dangling that prospect for the baby boom generation. Now it turns out, for most people retirement is very different than what they expected.

Canadians have until January 27 to give Ottawa input on how to change the law on medical assistance in dying. Libby Znaimer broached these difficult issues with Justice Minister David Lametti. AND Is salt really that bad for us? A new documentary, "Pass the Salt", takes a contrary view. Libby sat down with filmmaker Michael McNamara

Politicians at Queen's Park plan to consider a private members bill that would ensure couples continue to live together in long-term care homes, even if their care needs are different. Waterloo New Democrat Catherine Fife is behind the proposal. THEN More than 700 patients, who'd been admitted to Ontario hospitals the past three years, were part of a local study that aimed to learn what affected t...

Toronto politicians are all in … approving the next step in the continuing focus on caring for the growing number of seniors in the city. You’ll hear about the new ‘emotion-centred approach’ pilot project from Toronto’s Seniors Advocate. AND Dispelling heart health misconceptions that have guided while also misleading patients for years. American cardiologist turned author Dr. Jignesh Shah will he...

There's one holiday list that isn't about being naughty or nice. Before clinking the New Year's champagne glasses, we should all sign off on a year-end financial checklist to put us in the best position for tax time. Libby went over it with Mark Halpern of WEALTHinsurance.com

Have you had any scam calls lately? For many of us it is a daily occurrence. Regulators are promising that we'll see a dramatic reduction because of a new requirement for call-blocking technology that just took effect. Will it work? And how can you protect yourself? Libby Znaimer chatted with tech expert Carmi Levy. AND There's one holiday list that isn't about being naughty or nice. Before clinki...

Libby Znaimer talks to acclaimed producer Robert Lantos about his latest film, "The Song of Names". It's a sweeping drama that spans 50 years, about a man searching for his childhood best friend, a Polish violin prodigy orphaned in the Holocaust. who vanished on the night of his first public performance. AND At this time of year we hear a lot about people who are ill, about their caregivers...not...

From the Christmas Song to White Christmas to Winter Wonderland - many of the most iconic Christmas songs were written by Jews. It's the ultimate yuletide irony and the subject of Veteran filmmaker Larry Weinstein's documentary "Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas." Libby Znaimer sat down with him when the film came out. AND Have you tried to deal with Air Canada lately? Just in time for the busy holid...

Do you ever speed? Do you have trouble seeing cyclists and pedestrians in the dark? If the answer is yes, those are just two of many reasons it could be time for a driving update. Winter is here, and so is National Safe Driving Week. Expert driver Alex Kelly dropped by with tips to improve our performance on the road. AND As we head into the holiday season, the Christmas season, there’s a fascinat...

For nearly a year, Mary Sardelis was barred from visiting the nursing home where her 97 year old mother Voula lives. The owners claimed they had the right to do this under trespass laws. It took 316 days before Mary could get in front a judge who ruled that the home was misusing the law. It's not an isolated incident. Jane Meadus of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly receives dozens of complaints...

There is important new research that will change the treatment for thousands of patients with blocked coronary arteries. The work found that bypass surgery and stents are no more effective than medication in preventing heart attacks and deaths. Libby Znaimer talked with Cardiologist Dr. Vlad Dzavik at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Toronto General Hospital. AND The holiday season is also prime tim...

This week we marked World Kindness Day. Before you roll your eyes, or join hands and sing Kumbaya, have a listen to the evidence of what kindness can do for you. Libby reached Professor Daniel Fessler at UCLA's Bedari Kindness Institute. AND This year drug resistant infections killed 5400 Canadians and those numbers are set to rise dramatically over the next 30 years. A landmark new report predict...

Canadians are often known for downplaying our own stories. As we approach Remembrance Day, author Mark Zuelke is highlighting a forgotten part of our contribution to winning World War 2. The River Battles is the story of one Canadian Corp's crossing of the Emilia Romana plain in Italy in 1944-45. The Italian campaign was the longest undertaken by the Canadian Army and by the time it ended more tha...

It was first described as a murder suicide when their bodies were found in a maccabre death scene at their Bridle Path home. It's almost two years after what turned out to be the double murder of Apotex founder Barry Sherman and his philanthropist wife Honey. We still don't know who killed the billionaire victims and why. But The Toronto Star's chief investigative reporter Kevin Donovan uncovered...

The votes were barely counted after this week's federal election before CARP issued a warning to the new government: The Zoomers advocacy group is demanding dramatic improvements to our healthcare system despite the fact that the issue was largely ignored during the campaign - a campaign that had 40% of CARP members feeling that none of the leaders represented their interests. CARP's Marissa Lenno...

Canadians go to the polls tomorrow after a polarizing campaign. Short on issues and long on personal attacks is the way many people describe it. And for the Zoomer demographic, there is an overriding feeling of frustration because of the sense that we have been ignored or taken for granted. With only hours left, Libby Znaimer is checking in with our ZoomerVote panel, Peter Muggeridge senior Editor...

This week we marked World Mental Health Day, with mental or substance disorders affecting up to 20% of Canadians every year. It manifests in different ways as we move through the life cycle. Psychologist Dr. Oren Amitay told Libby Znaimer that Zoomers are more prone to depression, while he believes the younger generation lacks the resilience to cope with the ups and down of life. AND Two biographi...

Do you take Zantac for heartburn? Millions of us do. But the drug - whose generic name is ranitidine - has been recalled while authorities investigate whether it contains too much of a cancer-causing impurity. Meantime, the instructions are confusing: drug stores won't get new stock but they can sell what they have and patients shouldn't necessarily stop taking it. Libby Znaimer sat down with Phar...

Over the past 5 years, the number of physicians in Canada has skyrocketed - the profession has grown by 12.5% nearly triple the growth rate of our population. But the latest numbers, published by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, beg the question: why do so many people find it so hard to get in to see their doctor in a reasonable amount of time. Libby Znaimer drilled down on the numbe...

Following those explosive pictures of Justin Trudeau in blackface, we look at the history behind this harmful practice. Photos and videos of Justin Trudeau in blackface and brownface rocked the campaign and they have made headlines around the world. We have all heard extensive discussions about what the impact will be but there is a long and hurtful history to the practice of donning black and bro...

The writ has been dropped, the campaign is on, and two new books take an in depth look at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's four years in power. Libby will take a feature look at both starting this week with National Post columnist John Ivison's "Trudeau:The education of a Prime minister." AND From the Prime Minister to his mother. Libby talks to Margaret Trudeau about her one woman show which lands...

It was a brotherhood until it wasn't. Once Were brothers, the documentary that opened this year's TIFF, chronicles the story of one of the most iconic rock bands ever, The Band. It tells the story from Robbie Robertson's perspective and Libbie Znaimer sat down with the 76-year-old star earlier this week. AND It has been a conundrum for doctors treating patients after a heart attack caused by block...

It's a milestone on the road to adulthood and many young people are marking it this weekend as they leave home for university or college. It can be hard for parents to let go and for kids to stop relying on Mom and Dad to deal with all their problems. Where is the balance? Harlan Cohen is the author of "15 Things Parents of First Year College Students Should Never Do". Libby Znaimer reached him in...

Coming out as gay when you're a Zoomer - the mayor of Ottawa did that just last weekend - at the age of 58. There's no question The LGBTQ community is more accepted now than when he was a young man. But there are still many reasons people delay acknowledging their sexuality - spouses, children, or religion to name a few. The Reverend Anne-Marie Zanzal (www.annemariezanzal.com) came out as a lesbia...