Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron
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The latest string of auto thefts has placed everyone on edge, from daily commuters to car dealers. Take this story from Orleans resident Austin Lonsdale as a prime example. He drives a 2021 Honda CRV, a 3-year-old crossover SUV. He recently received a letter in the mail from a car insurance company, with a stern warning attached. If he didn’t purchase a $450 car tracker at a Speedy Glass location of their choosing, he would be slapped with a $400 yearly surcharge on his insurance premiums. That whacky news story is coming up in Hour 4. Plus, we deliver the latest breaking news, right here on Ottawa Now.
In a new statement to the Trudeau government, CAMH is calling for further action against gambling ads, and iron-clad rules as to where they can be displayed. They want to see an outright ban across all media avenues that rely on minors as their key demographic. If at least 25 percent of your fanbase is within that age group, you shouldn’t be able to promote gambling ads. How do you think online gambling should be regulated? Kristy Cameron tackles today’s Question of the Day. Meantime, Ontario’s College of Pharmacists have an axe to grind with the world’s biggest health corporations, alleging that safe and effective care is being compromised directly because of their actions. That story is coming up in Hour 3.
In 2024, the Ontario government is planning to spend an extra $2 billion on home care services, a 3-year effort to expand and revamp a struggling section of the province’s healthcare system. However, this approach is allegedly putting Ontarians without family doctors at a further disadvantage, and it doesn’t do enough to cut down on wait times at Ontario’s Emergency Rooms. Kristy Cameron chats with Dr. Michael Herman, an Emergency Room Physician at Ottawa’s Queensway-Carleton Hospital. Meantime, an extended CEBA repayment deadline is just hours away, and business owners are sweating bullets. In fact, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says that over 200,000 small businesses had to take out new loans just to meet those repayment requirements.
A new statement from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is calling on the feds to take further action in the war against gambling promotions, arguing that youth mental health is at stake if they don’t. Recently, the Trudeau Liberals had banned athletes and celebrities from making appearances in these ads, but CAMH wants to see an outright ban for any platform that relies on minors as the key audience. That magic number is 25 percent or above. Kristy Cameron opens the debate floor with Dr. Nigel Turner, a scientist at CAMH’s Institute for Mental Health and Policy Research. Meantime, a staple in the ByWard Market is open for business following Tuesday’s major disruption. La Bottega had to abruptly shut down its operations after a black car crashed into the store’s front entrance, which was located right next to a gas line. Fortunately, nobody died and the gas line is intact.
Canada’s College of Family Physicians is calling for changes into how family doctors are paid. In doing so, it hopes that provinces like Ontario can ensure the long-term sustainability of present and future jobs in the industry. Does the province’s 2024 Budget address the majority of those concerns? In Hour 4, we are joined alongside Dr. Garni Tatikian, a family physician based in Toronto. Plus, we bring you the latest on the Baltimore bridge collapse, and find out how other ‘bridge towns’ in North America are reacting to Tuesday’s tragedy.
You won’t be able to legally enjoy a cold one at a city park this Summer. While other Canadian cities have moved ahead with pilot projects to green-light alcohol consumption, Ottawa isn’t there yet. Should we allow legal drinking in Ottawa’s public parks? Kristy Cameron tackles today’s Question of the Day. As for Ontario-at-large, we have some noteworthy news to report from Queen’s Park, as the Doug Ford government tables the 2024 Budget. It involves no new taxes and buckets of infrastructure cash. We dissect the province’s annual blueprint with a special Political Heat Panel.
The OPP is asking people to fight crime with cameras. Over in Russell County, their OPP detachment is the latest police force to adopt the CAMSafe Program, which would lean on a database of residential and commercial security cameras. This would create a mega-network that police could tap into when investigating crimes. We dig deeper with cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa in Hour 2. Meantime, a group of airlines are taking aim at the Supreme Court of Canada. They argue that Canada’s top court should overturn the rules and regulations that require said airlines to fork over thousands of dollars in customer compensation fees. Primarily, they are taking issue with compensation rules surrounding flight delays. Do they have a point, or are they just trying to hide from the tax man?
If you had any visions of cracking open an ice-cold beer at a city park this year, toss those fantasies out the window. That’s because Ottawa City Council has rejected the idea of allowing any sort of drinking in public parks, even for tourists. Capital Ward councillor Shawn Menard joins Kristy Cameron in Hour 1. Meantime, our country’s lagging productivity growth is turning into a huge problem, according to the Bank of Canada. In fact, Canada’s biggest bank fears that our productivity growth is approaching ‘emergency levels’, which could force higher interest rates and limit rising wages for Canadians.
Sound the alarm, people! Costco is cracking down on membership sharing, and it’s doing so by having every member scan their membership cards when they enter a store. Locations in the United States have already done this, and it appears that Canadian locations are following suit. Are you on board with this new policy? That conversation is coming up in Hour 4. Plus, is it okay to leave work a few minutes early? If so, how early is too early? Kristy Cameron takes a final gander at the CFRA textboard.
A new movement is looking into the idea of daily pay, otherwise known as ‘on-demand work pay’. In a nutshell, it’s the ability to access the pay you’ve earned before the scheduled payday comes around. Of course, a small fee is involved, but it’s probably worth the price tag if it delivers peace of mind. If this option was granted to you, would you take advantage of it? Kristy Cameron tackles today’s Question of the Day. Plus, as our Political Heat Panel reconvenes, we tackle the latest proposals to Canada’s election laws. If approved, our country’s next federal election would be pushed back by 7 days, meaning that dozens of MPs would be able to access tens of thousands of dollars in annual pension payments.
An estimated 90,000 Canadian cars are being stolen every year, according to the federal government. And if you check the latest data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, you’ll find that private auto insurers had paid out $1.2 billion in theft claims throughout 2022. How big is that number? Well, it’s three times bigger than the price tag from 2018. So how do insurance companies react to high-risk vehicles in high-risk areas? We pick the brain of Brian Erwin, an insurance broker at Ottawa-based McDougall Insurance. Meantime, a 75-year-old Manotick woman is shocked and frustrated at her bank’s security measures, as cybercriminals walked away with $15,000. Prior to the September 2022 heist, she had warned her bank they might strike. They allegedly failed to act, and the thieves got away with it.
According to a Leger poll that was first unveiled in September, 47 percent of Canadians say they were living paycheque to paycheque. Since most workers get paid every two weeks, or perhaps on a monthly basis, a new movement is looking at the idea of introducing a daily pay option. Does it make sense for employees to have instant access to their wages? Kristy Cameron poses that question to Mitch McLean, a financial and investment advisor at Capital Wealth Partners. Meantime, after months of backlash and trust issues from the customers it serves, the CEO of Boeing will be stepping aside from his post as 2024 comes to a close. We recap the events that led to his demise.
Spring is officially here, and that means the growing emergence of invasive species. Earlier today, the Invasive Species Centre unveiled a list of species that Ontarians should be on the lookout for, a list that ranges from bugs to plants. Kristy Cameron chats with Emily Posteraro, a Program Development Coordinator with the Invasive Species Centre. On a lighter note, if you were wondering about that lost Oscars bet, Mr. Hollywood has held his end of the bargain. He also delivered his Weekly Movie Picks, which can be found in the later stages of Hour 2.
Earlier in the show, we spoke to the creator of a viral petition, as a group of landlords call on the province to tighten up on problematic tenants. In Hour 3, Kristy Cameron chats with Verun Sriskanda, a member of the Ottawa Small Landlords Association. He agrees with the petition’s message. Plus, we hear from the mighty CFRA Nation, as we tackle today’s Question of the Day. Plus, a hoard of small Ottawa-based businesses are calling on City Hall to provide better support for struggling business owners. Earlier this week, 110 business owners signed an open letter, addressed to Ottawa’s Mayor.
Since the start of COVID-19, the warts in Canada’s healthcare system have been magnified in ways we’d never expect. And in the midst of all those failures, a handful of innovations are aiming to change things for the better, like this new initiative happening right here in Ontario. The University Health Network, located in the GTA, introduced the E.D. Virtual Program during COVID’s second wave. Basically, it allows patients who are not experiencing life-threatening conditions to see a practitioner without having to set foot in a hospital. Dr. Sameer Masood explains how it works in Hour 2. Over in the United Kingdom, supporters of the Royal Family are holding their breath, as Princess Kate Middleton publicly announces her battle with cancer. And while she is doing well, she is still in recovery.
If tenants can’t pay their bills, should they receive an automatic eviction? A group of Ontario-based landlords are pressing the Ford government to make it easier and faster to evict problematic tenants. Kristy Cameron chats with Chris Seepe, the owner of Vaughan-based Aztech Realty and the one who launched this petition. Meantime, a joint operation between OPP officers and Montreal Police officers has landed some form of justice amidst a growing auto theft crisis. Today, both sides assembled to release the findings of ‘Operation Volcano’, with 31 suspects in the Montreal area now in handcuffs.
In case you haven’t noticed, our city has a lot of recurring hot-button issues to deal with. One of the biggest matters at hand is Ottawa’s waste disposal system. And as we found out earlier today, a private landfill is willing to take on our city’s household garbage. CTV’s Ted Raymond joins us in Hour 4. Plus, we deliver the latest breaking news, right here on CFRA’s Ottawa Now.
Alta Vista councillor Marty Carr has been receiving regular complaints about Lynda Lane, particularly when it comes to nearby parking spots at the Ottawa Hospital’s General Campus. She has since unveiled a motion, calling on City Hall to consider paid parking areas on that street. It has since been pulled back. Should we introduce a paid parking system on Lynda Lane, or should it remain free? Kristy Cameron tackles today’s Question of the Day. Afterwards, we get instant reaction from Beacon Hill-Cyrville councillor Tim Tierney. Meantime, it appears that Apple is in hot water once again, as the United States Justice Department files a blockbuster antitrust lawsuit against the company. Tech expert Carmi Levy explains why this legal action has been years in the making.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a damning story to kick off Hour 2. An Ottawa-based doctor is sounding the alarm after some of his patients, in his words, had to choose between their cancer treatments and their own employment. As of right now, Canada’s Employment Insurance covers up to 26 weeks of medical leave. But here in Ontario, jobs are only protected under the current Employment Standards Act for 3 days of sick leave. After that, it’s up to the employer. Kristy Cameron goes 1-on-1 with Dr. Sandy Sehdev, a medical oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital's Cancer Centre. Speaking of the Ford government, Ontario says it won’t be introducing new legislation that would prioritize fourplex homes. CTV’s Siobhan Morris explains why these types of dwellings are not in the cards right now.
The Upper Ottawa Valley OPP, in conjunction with Renfrew County paramedics, have teamed up to help those struggling with opioid use. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Steph Neufeld, who is a Detachment Commander with the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP. Plus, the Head of OC Transpo remains confident that the North-South Trillium line will be ready for takeoff at some point this Spring. For those keeping score at home, that would be sometime before late-June. Do you buy what Renee Amilcar is selling?
You know how the modern-day traffic light works, don’t you? Red means Stop, Green means Go, and Yellow means Slow Down. But do we need a White light? Experts argue that adding a fourth light would shorten wait times at street corners for pedestrians, while also improving traffic flow. Do we need it? CTV’s Dan Riskin weighs the pros and cons in Hour 4. Plus, a Liberal MP has been voicing his frustrations over a recent House of Commons vote, and he might be willing to join the Blue Team because of it.
If you are a fully-grown adult, you probably have a cellphone. If you are a teenager in high school, you probably have a cellphone. And according to new data, briefly parting ways with your cellular device is a mental habit that people are embracing. But when it comes to Canada’s youngest generation, how do you monitor their cellphone use? Kristy Cameron tackles today’s Question of the Day. Meantime, a pair of unexpected power outages has turned into a source of frustration for West Carleton residents. Clarke Kelly, the councillor for that ward, wants an explanation. Today, he’s yet to receive one.
Right now, Canada’s cannabis shops are allowed to offer in-store deals, such as ‘20% off’ promotions. They had to fight tooth and nail just to do that. And now, the industry is pleading to the government to loosen these marketing rules even further. Kristy Cameron chats with Shakir Tayabali, the CEO of the Independent Retail Cannabis Collective. It represents more than 750 members across Canada. Plus, it appears likely that one notorious bridge will finally be ready to open sometime next week. However, there is a catch.
According to new data from the American-based Pew Research Centre, the majority of today’s teens feel happier and more relaxed without their smartphones. Roughly 95 percent of teenagers aged 13 to 17 have access to a smartphone, and most of them use the Internet daily. At the same time, more than 70 percent of them aren’t craving this device when they aren’t using it. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Jean Twenge, a U.S. psychologist who has studied smartphones and their overall impact on teenagers. But first, we bring you up-to-speed on today’s top news stories, right here on Ottawa Now.
Finding true love and starting a family is the ultimate goal for most humans. However, that dream isn’t shared by everyone, as some prefer to stay single and focus on their career. But as more people choose the single life, are they happier? A group of researchers who are studying relationships and singlehood put that idea to the test. Kristy Cameron speaks to one of them in Hour 4. Plus, we deliver the latest breaking news as it happens, right here on CFRA’s Ottawa Now.
Dell has reportedly issued a game-changing notice to its workers. Those who are working remotely can continue to do so, but they will not be eligible to move up the ranks if they choose that path. This hybrid model has been in place for more than a decade, and well before COVID arrived. But in February, those policies underwent significant changes. Would you choose to work remotely, even if it meant passing up a promotion? Kristy Cameron tackles today’s Question of the Day. Plus, as Ontario schools prepare to shut down operations during April’s Solar Eclipse, we find out how the City of Brockville is preparing for this fascinating (but also dangerous) event.
It appears that our city is behind schedule on procuring enough electric buses to achieve a completely-electric fleet. However, when it comes to our aging diesel buses, the Head of OC Transpo says there is no need for a backup plan. Kristy Cameron chats with Wilson Lo, the councillor for Barrhaven East and a member of Ottawa’s Transit Commission. He is also a former OC Transpo employee. Meantime, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney is lying in state today, as politicians from all stripes pay their final visits. Members of the general public are also welcome to do the same, with the state funeral just days away. CTV’s Katie Griffin paints the somber picture from Downtown Ottawa.
Dell, the tech company known primarily for its computers and laptops, has been embracing the hybrid work environment for years. In fact, their model was installed long before COVID entered the picture. However, it appears those times are changing. Management has reportedly told its employees that they can continue to work remotely, but warns them that it might come at the expense of future promotions. Moving forward, employees must be at their workplace stations 3 days per week. Kristy Cameron digs deeper with Ajay Pangarkar, a workplace performance strategist. Here at home, an innocent Burundian man wants answers from Ottawa Police after he was mistaken for a wanted suspect last month. And after he was forcefully arrested by law enforcement, he also wants a face-to-face apology.
Last week, Ottawa’s largest school board proposed a series of alterations to graduation ceremonies, which would allow more students to participate. You heard from the school board itself. Today, we sift through recent feedback from the students themselves. Plus, ahead of this year’s Spring Break festivities, Miami officials had warned party-goers to avoid any risky shenanigans. Some tested their luck, and got placed in handcuffs.
Earlier in the program, we talked about Renfrew’s proposal to install body cameras on bylaw officers. Is this an idea that Ottawa’s units should pursue? Kristy Cameron tackles today’s Question of the Day. Plus, it’s Monday, which means it’s time to welcome back our Political Heat Panel. On the debate menu today is a broad reflection on a former Prime Minister’s legacy, and how the current Prime Minister could soon meet his political maker.
