Mornings with Sue & Andy Curiouscast

Calgary Transit ridership is up, but the annual operating budget is facing a shortfall that will threaten service levels for Calgarians. How can the city effectively address funding issues for Calgary transit? We tackle the topic with Mayor Jyoti Gondek.
 
‌Scams are getting increasingly more sophisticated, especially when you factor artificial intelligence or AI into the mix. Online and smartphone scams are getting harder and harder to identify, especially if you’re a Senior. We catch up with Calgary Police Service Acting Sergeant Craig Stothard for details on how the “grandparent scams” work and what you need to know to keep you and your family safe.

If you’ve bought tickets to a concert or sporting event recently, you might have had to skip a couple meals just to afford them. Ticketmaster and Live Nation have had a stranglehold on ticketed events and the US Department of Justice is moving ahead with an anti-trust case against the giant. We discuss with Dean Budnick, co-author of the new book: “Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped.”

Alberta has been calling and people are answering! Calgary's population grew by nearly 96,000 people last year. according to the latest from Statistics Canada. Do we have enough housing to handle our increasing population? Joining us to discuss the latest report on new housing builds in our city is Brian Hahn - CEO of BILD Calgary Region.

Usually, breaking records is a good thing but when it comes to deaths due to drug-poisoning, 2023 was a record year in Alberta. What needs to be done to make real progress to address this tragic issue? We get the thoughts of Dr. Monty Ghosh, Assistant Professor and Doctor of Internal Medicine & Addiction at the University of Alberta.
 
If we are going to take any steps towards addressing drug-poisonings and overdoses in our own backyard, the first step has to be addressing some of the underlying issues like mental health. We tackle the topic with Social Worker and Mental Health Advocate, Karen Gallagher-Burt.

Finally, Calgary’s population continues to grow and the latest data from Stats Canada shows our city’s population has grown by almost 100-thousand over the last year! How does this increase impact the city as a whole and what is the economic impact? We discuss with Ruhee Ismail-Teja, Vice President of Policy and External Affairs at the Calgary Chamber.

The autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis can sap away your energy, impact your ability to live a full and active life and even your ability to communicate. Canada has one of the highest incident rates in the world - 1 in 400 Canadians will face a MS diagnosis, but treatment and the ability to manage the disease has come a long way in recent decades. Mornings with Sue and Any Producer, Reece Schafer, discusses the importance of supporting the MS Walk and the state of research/treatment.

We’re only 5 months into the year and according to the federal government, police have already recovered close to 12-hundred stolen vehicles. We are seeing a huge increase in auto theft in Canada and the federal government is now taking aim to address the root cause of the problem. We discuss the ambitious program with Sid Kingma, Director of Western Canada for the Equite Association.
 
Are you getting ready to lace up your sneakers this spring or summer? The annual Calgary marathon is coming up, and whether you are competing this year or interested in training for any upcoming marathon, we get some ‘tips’ on how to ensure you and your body are marathon ready from Dr. Adam Tenforde, Sports Medicine Physician at the Spaulding National Running Center.
 
With artificial intelligence threatening to change the way we work, is now the time to take a serious look at creating a ‘Universal Basic Income’ in Canada? We get the thoughts of Karl Widerquist, Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University-Qatar.

Incidents of assaults between Inmates and Corrections Officers is on the rise - and prison overcrowding is leading to “mass violence” in Canadian institutions. We discuss the disturbing trend – and what can be done to address it with Mercedes Stephenson, Global News Ottawa Bureau Chief and Host of “The West Block”.
We’ve all heard that low testosterone can be a health issue for men - but could it impact life expectancy? Well – according to a new Australian study – that may be the case. We get details on the research from Dr. Ted Jablonski – our “on-call” family physician.
Finally, every December our QR Calgary listeners step-up to support our Pledge Day “radiothon” in support of the “Calgary Children’s Foundation”. Last week – the funds raised were distributed to several deserving charities. We get a ‘breakdown’ of how these unique charities are chosen – and how the much-needed money is used – from John Vos – “CORUS Radio Regional PROGRAM DIRECTOR” and Chair of the Board for the “Calgary Children's Foundation”.