So we’re off on another Midweek journey, from protests on Parliament Hill to fungus in the forest — stopping for a cold one along the way.
Show producer Sophie Kuijper Dickson ponders the lineup. (Photos by Nathan Fung)
Morgana Adby opened with a report on what the results of the latest provincial election in Quebec signal to those fighting laws targeting religious minorities in that province.
Then Joy SpearChief-Morris took us to join the crowds marking the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Parliament Hill to see how Indigenous youth are creating their own future. Joy also met up with NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, and got his reflections on the meaning of the day.
Ontario’s minimum wage has gone up yet again, but not as much as many workers and activists feel it should, so Midweek’s Lilian Fridfennson reported on that. Then Sam Konnert spoke with folks at Ottawa’s international airport about their feelings on the relaxing of COVID-related travel rules.
Hosts Sophie Price and Tavneet Dhillon
Reporter Constantina Varlokostas took us to Sole Society, an Ottawa shop specializing in rare sneakers, vintage clothing and hypewear, and Sophie Price and Tavneet Dhillon spoke with Nova Scotians studying in Ottawa who remain worried about family down home still coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.
Turmoil continues in Iran in response to the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, and we had two reports: Jianyao Yu covered a rally of Iranians and supporters in Ottawa, and Wafa El-Reyes spoke with Yusra Baloch, the founder of Wellness Care Counselling, about the need to create space for members of the local Iranian, Kurdish and Baloch communities to help each other with the stresses these times are causing them.
Sophie Price was back with an update on the Ottawa Food Bank’s food drive for Thanksgiving, and Sam Konnert continued on the transport beat with a report on the latest jump in gas prices.
Copy editor Spencer Nafekh confidently signals “We got this!” as the clock nears show-time at noon … thus provoking the Radio Gods…
Ora Massabuau then previewed a mental health event at Carleton University, and Ben Skene spoke with the Ukrainian manager of Veterinarians Without Borders about how pets and other animals get caught in the crossfire in wars.
And after all that, who couldn’t use a cool one? Luckily, our show was on Canadian Beer Day, and Lilian Fridfinnson spoke to small Ontario brewers about their industry, and especially about how they’re more of a community than competitors.
We will now list an item out of order so we can make a very bad pun: And what goes better with a cold beer than a fun guy? Midweek’s Wafa El-Reyes joined Robert Courteau, the founder of the non-profit Think Fungi (see what we did there?), for a stroll on the Crazy Horse Trail in Kanata in search of shrooms and other mysterious growths.
Before that, though, we went with Hafsatou Balde to a Chamberfest piano performance to hear acclaimed French-born Canadian pianist Alain Lefèvre. And speaking of stars, we ended our show hearing from Indigenous astronomer Wilfred Buck about what his heritage helps him see as he looks up into the night sky.
A veritable constellation of a show, we’d say.