Zoomer Week in Review Zoomer Podcast Network

June 9, 2024- Cyclist raises cancer awareness at the age of 81 & Where should people spend their summer?


This weekend will mark the 17th annual Princess Margaret RIDE to Conquer Cancer. More than 5,000 cyclists will ride over 200 kms over the two days, starting from the Exhibition Place in Toronto to Niagara Falls, with a pit stop in Hamilton. Last year, the ride received a contribution of $17.3 million with the help of cyclists, donors and sponsors. We reached 81-year-old Mary Jane McKeen, to tell her story about suffering from long-term cancer and biking her 15th ride this year.


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It’s going to be summer soon! Are you looking for suggestions for your next adventure? What should you do? Where should you go? Bob Comsic talked to Doug Wallace, travel journalist from TravelRight.Today to update our listeners on the latest travel trends.

April 28 2024-Crossing the Trans Canada Trail at 50 & Preparing Your Lawn


The first person to cross the Trans Canada Trail:

500 DAYS IN THE WILD, a documentary by the award-winning filmmaker Dianne Whelan who spent six years crossing the entire 24,000 kilometre Trans Canada Trail, mostly alone. She began in St. John’s Newfoundland in 2015 ending in Victoria BC in 2021 and has documented her trek across the world’s largest trail in her new film that’s now streaming.

Preparing your lawn after the damage from winter:

Itching to get your lawn green and lush again after the damage of winter that can cause long-lasting damage? We live in a lawn obsessed culture, some say embrace the dandelions others mortified by the sight of annoying weeds on their lawn. What are the best practices you can do right now to get your lawn in the best shape? We consulted an expert, Professor Katerina Jordan, the Director of the Guelph Turf Grass Institute.

An Elder Rights Lawyers Fight Against For-Profit Homes is the subject of new Doc "Stolen Time"

Elder rights lawyer and advocate Melissa Miller is the subject of a new documentary–titled “Stolen time”-- that follows her legal battle against some of the world’s most powerful long-term care corporations. I talked with her about the film which chronicles her toughest case yet—a mass tort representing hundreds of families

Are You Suffering from Tinnitus? Here's What You Need to Know

Ringing, buzzing, clicking and hissing. Those are the kind of sounds you may hear if you’re afflicted with Tinnitus. The symptoms range from mild to debilitating and more than 9 million Canadians are affected. I talked with Dr. Yvonne Chan, Otolaryngologist-in-Chief, St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health.

Older Zoomers Are Delaying Their Home Downsizing Plans:

There’s been a demographic shift when it comes to Boomers downsizing from their homes. In fact, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing, Seniors are now less likely to sell their homes before the age of 85, a big change from three decades ago. Boomers are not expected to downsize in a meaningful way until mid-2040. Better health and lack of housing are driving the trend. We reached CMHC Economist Francis Cortellino who authored a recent study that confirms the trend.

Toronto Funeral Homes Worried About Burial Shortages:

Death is often considered a taboo subject, but funeral homes in Toronto are sounding the alarm about a crisis: a lack of space to bury the dead. Some industry experts predict space will run out in a little as 10 years. The dire situation reflects the current housing crisis, where land is a premium. We reached Kim Hunter, Owner of Humphrey Funeral Home to talk about changes in the funeral industry.

How Canadians Are Enjoying Sex:

On Valentine’s day this week, Sociologist Tina Fetner released a book on Canadian sexual practices based on the first ever survey of what Canadian adults do in the bedroom and who they do it with. It’s called "Sex in Canada: The Who, Why, When, and How of Getting Down Up North". And Libby started the conversation by asking how we are different from Americans.

Ageism in Politics:

This week a special counsel cleared U.S. President Joe biden of criminal wrongdoing in his handling of classified documents, But Robert Hur, who is associated with Donald Trump and has no neurological expertise, characterized the 81-year-old Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”. By that point the President’s age was already a widely debated campaign issue. Is that partisan politics or ageism? Libby reached Larry Haas- a Senior Fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, in Maryland.

The King's Cancer Diagnosis:

There’s been an outpouring of sympathy and support since King Charles III revealed that he’s been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. At the age of 75, he was finally putting his own stamp on the monarchy after ascending the throne in September 2022 following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth. Libby talked about the implications with Suzanne Boyd, Editor-in-chief and Publisher of Zoomer Magazine/everythingzoomer.com

Reforming our system of clinical trials for Cancer Patients

In recent years, there have been huge innovations in cancer treatment that target the disease with ever increasing precision. Clinical trials are often the best or the only treatment option for cancer patients. But surgical oncologist Dr. Rebecca Auer argues that they are outdated and need to be reimagined to help thousands of Canadians.