Yes, it’s that very day — but you won’t find a single Irish cliché on this week’s Midweek podcasts. Begosh and … no, stop. Just stop.
There’s lots more solid substance in this week’s shows, from punk bands and cold water to stalking predators and showing a different kind of military courage.
Rochelle Peters takes an icy dip — and a welcome break.
Podcast 1: The pop-punk band We Were Sharks is one of Ottawa’s better-known musical groups, and like other bands, they’ve had to push back their album release and tours during the pandemic. Midweek’s Jeff Pelletier spoke with lead singer Randy Frobel about what the past year has meant for him and his bandmates.
The pandemic has meant pressures of a different kind for Rochelle Peters. She’s been taking care of her son with cerebral palsy full time since the pandemic started — but back in the fall she started swimming in cold open water. She tells Midweek’s Emilie Warren this new adventurous activity has helped her a lot.
The water in lakes and rivers will still be cold for a while yet, but at least it’s melting as the weather warms. That, of course, brings its own headaches. Reporter Meaghan Haldenby checked with the Rideau River Conservation Authority to find out the flood forecast for this year.
To close, Midweek’s Ciaran Morgan digs into the ethics of unpaid internships for students who feel pressure to trade free labour for work experience they need to enter their chosen field.
This podcast was produced by Sarah West and Meaghan Haldenby, and hosted by Jeff Pelletier and Emilie Warren.
Podcast 2: This second podcast has game — the wildlife sort, and the kinds you play.
Midweek’s Raylene Lung opens with a look at concerns about what development in Alberta’s Bow Valley around Canmore may mean for wildlife who need open wilderness corridors to move about their range to survive.
Angelica Zagorski then introduces us to Ann Stevens, who has taken a photograph of the sunrise every morning for the past 12 years in honour of her late son, Joey.
Reporter Eden Suh serves up a documentary on how competitive volleyball leagues in Ottawa have been hit by pandemic and how this has affected those involved. Then Midweek’s Max Bakony takes us into a sport the pandemic hasn’t slowed as he tells us about the downs and ups of the Call of Duty team OpTic Gaming.
This podcast was produced by Sam Campling and Zakaria Main, and hosted by Angelica Zagorski and Max Bakony.
Podcast 3: There’s some tough — and inspiring — listening in this third podcast of the week.
Dawn McIlmoyle became an advocate for survivors of abuse after experiencing sexual trauma during her time in the Canadian military. (Photo provided by Dawn McIlmoyle and shot by Orange Model Management in Toronto.)
We open with a look at a group in Toronto that’s putting out posts on social media sites, posing as children and teens to troll for adult sexual predators they then confront.
They insist they’re trying to protect the vulnerable, but as Midweek’s Hana Sabah found out, there are those who say these vigilantes should leave policing to the police.
Dawn McIlmoyle is also stepping in where she sees a need: She felt abandoned and betrayed after reporting sexual abuse at the hands of fellow soldiers in the Canadian military, and she sat down with Midweek’s Natasha Bulowski to discuss how she’s now counselling and advocating on behalf of other survivors of sexual trauma in the armed forces.
Lastly, reporter Avanthika Anand looks at the tough spot many international students continue to be caught in as the pandemic drags on: unable to return to their home countries, even though they could be attending their online classes from anywhere.
This podcast was produced by Jennifer Prescott, and hosted by Avanthika Anand and Natasha Bulowski.