NOW and NEXT Story Studio Network, Dave Trafford, Erin Trafford

This week on Now and Next:

Rocco Rossi is the inaugural President and CEO of Shift 25 - a new movement "cultivate a BOLD and thriving Canada - teaching our kids "every failure is just feedback on the way to success."

And Keith Currie, President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture joins us to talk about the challenge of balancig the need for farmland, housing, and food production in Canada.

AND..

The chorus and calls to fast track a three year road maintenance and construction project on the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto are hitting a cresendo! The road work is causing extraordinary chaos for commuters, (including some local polticians). It's just hell trying to get around downtown.

Now, what's getting glossed over is the story that transit workers in Toronto could go on strike in a month or so. And, remember, we haven't had a strike in Toronto at the TTC since it was declared an essential service in 2011.

Now, I like to think I'm paying attention, but a court quietly overturned that Essential Service Order about a year ago. Transit workers can now go on strike. And if they do, we'll be entering a whole new circle of Hell!

You think commuting is screwed up now because of the Gardiner construction? Wait until there's no subway. Wait until there are no buses. Wait until there are no streetcars.

And then tell me that Doug shouldn't be using the notwithstanding clause and declare the TTC an essential service.

This week on NOW and NEXT:

We're excited to introduce an All-Star Roundtable including Lindsay Broadhead, Brad Ross, Anne Marie Aikins, and Bob Reid. They're all veteran Comms pros and they bring their considerable collective experience in war rooms, boardrooms, behind private and public sector podiums.

In our inaugural sitdown:
The Toronto Police Service is in a rolling boil integrity crisis. Supt. Stacey Clarke has helped officers cheat on promotional exams. And the OPP has been called in to investigate the Under Cover unit after Justice Anne Molloy raised a concern that Toronto police officers "colluded" when offering eye witness testimony during the trial of Umar Zameer - accused of murdering Det. Const. Jeffery Northrup. The jury found Zameer not guilty on all counts.Did Story Daniels say "too much"? Does her testimony at Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York actually help the former President?Pierre Polilievre has weaponized "disrepect" and "outrage" in his campaign against the Trudeau government since taking on the job as leader of the federal Conservative Party. But he took it to a whole new level when he launched his "Wacko" campaign in the Commons.And, WTF is going on with Robert F. Kennedy Junior?

This week on NOW and NEXT:

We're joined by Sheila Regehr, Chair of Basic Income Network Canada and Jessie Golem, who is part of a class action lawsuit seeking $200 million in damages from the Ontario government.

The lawsuit claims the government breached terms and conditions of a contract it entered with 4,000 low income Ontarians who qualified for a basic income pilot project. The program was cancelled after the Progressive Conservatives defeated the Liberal government in 2018.

This week on Now and Next:

Abacus Data CEO David Coletto joins us to talk about his latest research. He wanted to know what Canadians are looking for in a prime minister.

David says, "In our survey, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reigns as the premier party host, which might not come as a surprise given his charismatic and sociable public persona. However, in scenarios that required quick thinking and practical skills—like solving an escape room, putting out a kitchen fire, or managing a road trip as the navigator—Pierre Poilievre has the advantage."

The problem for the Liberals is Trudeau presents as "the guy who shows up as the party host in the fancy car in the fancy clothes but he leaves before the staff has been paid and the mess has been cleaned up" leaving the guests to hold the bag.

This week on NOW and NEXT:

We go deep on two line items in the the federal budget.

Legislated poverty is now a nationally funded program. The 2024 Trudeau budget threw pocket change at the Canada Disability Benefit and, in so doing, managed to add to the $80 billion annual cost of poverty in this country. The government's refusal to fully fund the Canada Disability Benefit leaves more than a million Canadians to languish in poverty. It's a polticial play that effectively weaponizes poverty.

We talk to Daily Bread Food Bank CEO Neil Hetherington.

AND...we talk housing...housing....and housing.

Richard Lyall, President of the Residential Council of Ontario says the announcements are promising but will they do anything to lower to cost of building...not the cost to purchase...the cost to build new homes?

[Don't hold your breath]

This week on Now and Next:

The Ford government in Ontario is patting itself on the back for forcing the Liquor Control Board of Ontario to reversing a ban on paper bags. The LCBO made the move in August 2023, claiming it was an environmental initiative aimed at saving our forests. Premier Ford says it's a matter of affordability for Ontarians.

But both the LCBO and premier either misunderstand or are wilfully ignorant pfthe effects of a paper bag ban. Using recyclable paper actually contributes to saving our forests. We explain!

Also, we introduce you to Sue Larkin, the COO at Look Good Feel Better. She hosts a Story Studio Network podcast called Facing Cancer Together.. This interview was orginally recorded before the show launched. But we thought it was a good idea to revisit the discussion now that the 13 part series is available on all your podcast apps. AND to celebrate the success of the show. They've had remarkable reach with the remarkable stories they've shared.