Copy editors Madeline Lines and Raisa Patel during a rare pause.

The team that has brought you Midweek all this fall closed out their turn on-air in style: Their final edition of the show was a rich mix of fun, insights, updates…and hard truths about the world around us that we need to look straight in the eye.

Let’s start with that last category first: Midweek’s Katie Jacobs had done a story on human trafficking for Midweek on October 17 (click into that show at the 36:12 mark to hear it), and on this show she followed up with a report on a local safe house for survivors who’d been forced into prostitution and other nightmares.

Katie also reported on how one local shelter has been helping the homeless cope with the early arrival of harsh winter, and Danielle Edwards told us about how the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples is voicing outrage and calling for government action over allegations of forced sterilizations of Indigenous women in Saskatchewan. 

Some hardships aren’t caused by crimes or cruel policies but instead just hit us out of nowhere. Lane Bourbonniere was diagnosed with cancer at age 12, and she told Midweek’s Justin Dubois the story of her journey since then.

Corey Price, who co-hosted this show with Liam Leonard, dug into the “crunch” culture of game developers and the ways some employers may be turning a last-minute necessity into a standard work practice that takes a hard toll on tech workers.

Sam Berube covered the cool merchandise on show at a cannabis and hemp expo — but then brought down the second shoe, reporting on what’s still unknown about the very uncool impacts of cannabis use on the body, the mind and the safety of others.

Music producer Alex Kurial readies a track.

Speaking of unknowns, Midweek’s Jensen Edwards spoke with a researcher on how well self-driving cars would  likely be able to handle the slippery art of winter driving, and Molly Pendergast looked at a different set of four-wheeled thrills and spills: quad rollerskating, old-school.

Midweek kept rolling with stories on a new food hall for downtown, an open mic night at a hot sauce factory, a new percussion instrument invented by a local musician, and a different kind of American Thanksgiving gridiron face-off right here in Ottawa.

Audio producer Adam van der Zwan revels in the relief!

The show ended with tips on eco-friendly holiday gifts — and a trip to a spelling bee training camp where Midweek’s Jensen Edwards learned a little Latin, less Greek, and to never assume there isn’t a silent P in front of a T.

So how did we spell “Midweek” this fall season? E-C-L-E-C-T-I-C…

…and now D-O-N-E! The show will be back early in the new year with a brand new production team — and brand new stories, too!

See you then!