The Agenda with Steve Paikin (Audio‪)‬ TVO | Steve Paikin

He was at the helm when Ontario actually built housing. He was Ontario's first Black cabinet minister and first Black Speaker of the House. He was Canada's envoy to the Dominican Republic. And famously when Mike Harris vowed to "Make Ontario Great Again" and introduced a massive omnibus bill he stood up in the legislature and spoke for 18 straight hours to protest what many saw as a threat to democracy. This is the story of Alvin Curling.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Digging into allegations of system racism in Thunder Bay. Then, can pension funds be made to be spent in Canada? A conversation with Wade Davis, and what can be done to help incarcerated individuals with mental illness.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People with mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, often encountering the law due to symptoms of their illness, incredible gaps in mental-health care, a lack of supportive housing, and social exclusion. Most inmates (80 per cent), in the provincial institutions are awaiting trial. And only some are diverted into our forensic mental-health system. This prevalence is compounded by the overrepresentation of Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities. To help us understand this issue, we welcome: Yusuf Faqiri, founder of Justice for Soli and brother of the late Soleiman Faqiri; Glenda O'Hara, patient of the forensic system and chair of the Client Advisory Council at The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Centre; Dr. Mara Muraven, psychiatrist with Forensic Programs at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care; and Mick Kunze, reintegration specialist from St. Leonard's Community Services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Losing your parents as an adult is a unique experience that sometimes defies explanation. In "I Miss My Mommy," author and illustrator Alison Garwood-Jones presents a cast of characters in various stages of grief - from denial to acceptace. She talks about the nature of this type of loss, why her art helped her through it, and why she wanted to share her insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Canada grapples with an historic influx of asylum claimants, several groups, including the Canadian Council for Refugees, are calling on the government to revamp its refugee system. To explore why, we welcome: Ruby Sahota, Chief Government Whip and Liberal MP for Brampton North; Aadil Mangalji, immigration lawyer and partner at Long Mangalji LLP; amd Anne Woolger, founding director of Matthew House.
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Renowned anthropologist, and former Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, Wade Davis discusses his latest collection of essays, "Beneath the Surface of Things."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.