Hosts Jonathan Tovell and Amisha Sachdeva in the studio “fishbowl”
One week can change the world in huge ways, as the outbreak of war in Ukraine has shown us since our last show — but every week changes the world, often in ways we overlook while our gaze is fixed on the major headlines.
This latest Midweek covered the big stories, of course, but also shone light on many others so they wouldn’t be missed.
We opened by following up on the Texas governor’s threats to treat gender-affirming treatment for transgender children as child abuse. Midweek’s Jack Baines spoke with Alexander Petrovnia, founder of the Trans Formations Project, about how to spot and counter legislation aimed (sometimes covertly) at denying trans identity.
Then we turned to Ukraine: reporter Eesha Affan spoke with Antonia Romanisin, a student in Ottawa who joined a protest at the Russian Embassy (and took the pictures up top and below) about why this war has shaken her.
Next, Jack was back, speaking with a researcher at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas about how to spot misinformation in the flood of news coming out of this latest war — or any.
And then a change of pace: Amisha Sachdeva, one of this week’s hosts, brought us a documentary on local “Roomies” looking forward to resurrecting their antics at regular showings of the so-bad-it’s-good movie The Room at the Mayfair Theatre.
Neeharika “Neeni” Saha, administrative coordinator at The Food Centre, part of the Unified Support Centre at Carleton University
Reporter Morgane Wauquier brought us back to earth with an intriguing conversation with a psychology researcher at McGill University who’s looking into how wearing masks during the prolonged pandemic may have changed ways we communicate nonverbally.
Some wars explode in a day; others have been waged for millennia — often on those least able to defend themselves. Reporter Kail Schlacter looked at the stories behind this week’s Disability Day of Mourning to remember people with disabilities killed by their own families.
Another age-old battlefront is the struggle against hunger, and Midweek’s Krystin Ptaszkiewicz found out about a volunteer food-hamper program based at Carleton University.
Ottawa’s Capital Pride organization has a weekly series called Fridays at the Fourth to promote emerging LGBTQ musicians, and Midweek’s Tuvana Sahinturk introduced us to one of their latest finds: DESIIRE, a Toronto-based Congolese singer.
Supporters of Ukraine march in Ottawa.
And does the Peace Tower ring a bell? Well, not right now it doesn’t: the bells in the Parliament Buildings’ tower are stilled at the moment due to renovations, but Jonathan Tovell (this week’s other host) found out how students at Carleton’s carillon certificate program are still able to practise their chiming.
Then Midweek’s Sarah Pledge Dickson reported on the launch of a 10-year international effort to save Indigenous languages.
Jon Rudnicki took us to a nearby horse therapy program for at-risk youth, children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and children with autism. Eesha Affan brought news that Ottawa’s dragon boat festival will be returning this June.
Melissa Gammage then spoke with those behind EnviroCentre Ottawa’s campaign to encourage biking to counter climate change. Then our reporters found out from locals how they’re being hit by inflation in the grocery store.
And we ended with a beginning: A brand-new music venue called Red Bird has just opened on Bank Street in Old Ottawa South, and Midweek’s Rose Danen took us there to discover what’s going on inside.
So there you go: The world according to Midweek for this week…or at least, some bits of it we didn’t want you to miss amid all else that’s going on.