Spacing Radio

Spacing and Evergreen proudly present The Future Fix: Solutions for Communities Across Canada, a special podcast series. THIS EPISODE: Tech Lessons COVID Taught Us Throughout the pandemic, we've seen people use technology and data in creative ways to help combat COVID-19. Even everyday people found ways to connect people to information about the disease, and even vaccinations. In this episode, we begin by talking to Angelina Zhu and Deanna Hembruff, two volunteers for Vaccine Hunters Canada, about how they became involved in a national movement to help people find vaccine appointments: “Everybody had that sort of sense that this was going to be a great community tool to get word spreading and get people vaccinated, especially with a few gaps that existed in delivering the vaccination services to people who needed them.” And Dr. Tarun Katapally, professor at the University of Regina's Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, talks about how he and a team were able to work with Indigenous people

A snap federal election in the face of a potential "fourth wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic means an emergency panel episode to discuss the urban issues that may (or should) come up before people go to the polls, September 20th. Spacing Senior Editor John Lorinc and Spacing urban affairs columnist and York University Geography Professor Tricia Wood unpack urban issues such as housing, transit, and climate change that each party should be campaigning to address.

In this episode, we speak to Diana Chan McNally, community worker with the Toronto Drop-In Network, about A Path Forward. It's a document signed by 206 organizations, artists, and politicians calling for a safer, more humanitarian approach to housing encampment residents, where the residents themselves are heard. And we speak to Kensington Market Community Land Trust Co-Chair Dominique Russell about a $3-million grant from the City of Toronto to secure affordable housing in the famous neighbourhood. You can also find the conversation in the next Spacing print issue. And, to celebrate our "birthday," we found a great piece from the original, 2009 Spacing Radio with host David Michael Lamb. It's a beautiful soundscape featuring a flautist in an abandoned building and a great de-stressor.

Reliable access to the internet is an essential service in any community. But there are barriers to bridging the "digital divide," especially in northern and Indigenous communities. Beyond the technical challenges, every community must choose what sort of broadband service model will serve people the best.

In the aftermath of the Trinity Bellwoods Park encampment evictions, which saw a massive police presence, private security, and protests, we reached Sanctuary Toronto outreach worker Lorraine Lam, who was there with encampment residents, for an eyewitness account of what went on. And we speak to Humber Professor and Indigenous writer Kerry Potts about her piece in Coach House Books' new essay collection, Indigenous Toronto: stories that carry this place.

This episode is all about plans: big and small, successful and dashed. First, Toronto Star city hall reporter Jennifer Pagliaro takes us through the story of Rail Deck Park from its ambitious announcement to the recent Local Planning Appeal Tribunal decision that seems to have put an end to the City's hopes to build a new downtown park over the rail corridor. Then Glyn goes on a brief rant about public washrooms. Finally, Ontario municipalities have until July 2022 to update their Official Plans to conform with the provincial government's current growth plan. This means Toronto, still in a pandemic, must begin a public engagement process about how the city should grow and develop. To discuss what needs to change about Toronto's Official Plan, we spoke to CivicAction CEO Leslie Woo, and Ryerson Professor and Director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning Pamela Robinson.

Before the pandemic, the Toronto Transit Commission was actively looking for ways to grow its ridership. Now, after taking a hit in numbers during the pandemic, it's important to think about ways to recover, as we slowly vaccinate the city. TTC Commissioner and Councillor Shelley Carroll speaks about a study she proposed to look at changing rider concerns, as well as the impact of ride-hailing services like Uber. University of Toronto Professor Akawsi Owusu-Bempah talks about a study he co-authored, commissioned by the TTC, which shows Black and Indigenous people are disproportionately represented in interactions with fare enforcement and special constables, and what the service needs to do about it. And, in celebration of Spacing's latest Public Health Issue, we talk to senior editor John Lorinc about his story "Valuable Crap," all about using sewage to detect community COVID-19 outbreaks.

Throughout this series, a common complaint from Canadian mayors is cities lack the money they need, and the authority to spend it on local priorities. Do cities need more money, more power to raise it (and spend it), or is it possible to establish cost-sharing partnerships between governments that feel like a win for everyone? Brian Kelcey our expert guest: an urban politics and policy consultant who's worked as a senior advisor in both municipal and provincial governments. He sheds some insight on building those intergovernmental relationships, and how the same kind of relationships are required to win greater city power. Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin is the mayor of Gatineau, Quebec, and says cities are responsible for more than they receive back from other levels of government. “We manage 58% of public infrastructure, and we get 8% of taxes in general... you don't need a PhD to understand that that's what's bringing down the cities.” Burlington, Ontario Mayor Marianne Meed Ward wants to see more reliable

Spacing and Evergreen proudly present The Future Fix: Solutions for Communities Across Canada, a special podcast series. This is a special, French-language edition. Spacing et Evergreen présentent ensemble une nouvelle série de podcast, Face au futur : des solutions pour les communautés du Canada, d’une côte à l’autre.  CET ÉPISODE: Une transition énergétique intelligente Les défis environnementaux sans précédent auxquels le monde est confronté, nous forcent à nous réinventer, surtout en période de crise sanitaire mondiale. Heureusement, le rythme de l’avancement technologique s’accélère et nous savons de plus en plus mettre à profit les données et les technologies au service des collectivités.  Dans cet épisode, nous avons été voir comment les données peuvent être utilisées pour faciliter la transition éco-énergétique de différentes communautés du Canada. Dans un premier temps, Eddie Oldfield, basé au Nouveau-Brunswick, nous présente un outil de référence mis en place par l’organisme Quest, qui permet de

To celebrate Spacing's latest book, Packaged Toronto: a collection of the city's historic design, we go deep into the history of early, industrial Toronto, and the graphic design of the era. Spacing Publisher and Creative Director Matthew Blackett talks about the inspiration for book he co-authored, and his experience putting it together. Recently retired Chief Curator for Toronto History Museums Wayne Reeves, another Packaged co-author, talks about the special collection of Toronto artifacts the book is about, and the story they tell about the city from the mid-19th century to the end of the Second World War. And brand consultant and Publisher of the Canadian Design Resource Todd Falkowsky talks about the history of graphic design in Canada, and the identity that emerged from it.

The Indigenous population in urban areas is growing fast. What are cities doing to provide for these populations, to build cities that reflect these communities, and to address the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? Would greater autonomy for cities help achieve these goals? To find out, we speak to three Canadian mayors. Mayor Brian Bowman is the mayor of Winnipeg, where the City has established a Human Rights Committee. “I increasingly started seeing Reconciliation through a human rights lens. Because, ultimately, we are just talking about basic human rights for Canadians.” Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark tells us about the Indigenous-led downtown safety pilot that was recently, unanimously approved by council, which would which would see matters of public safety, homelessness, and substance dependance addressed under the guidance of the Saskatoon Tribal Council. “We know this is rooted in a longtime history of colonial thinking, and the impacts of trauma and residential schools..

Food security is a challenge everywhere, but especially for northern communities. The climate can make growing food difficult, and the distance and expense to ship food can mean long waits and exorbitant prices. In Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, the Arctic Research Foundation, in consultation with local elders, has established a farm and research station, built out of two shipping containers, called Naurvik. We speak to Betty Kogvik, one of the local guardians of the farm, and Arctic Research Foundation CEO Adrian Schimnowski, who hopes the idea can help different communities, and help us learn about growing in extreme environments: “We're looking at how to improve building research-type structures, how to utilize green energy, growing systems, and the other type of automated systems that assist with that. So within that there are so many different types of research possibilities.” The neighbouring communities of Opaskwayak Cree Nation, the town of The Pas, and the municipality of Kelsey Manitoba joined together to

The pandemic has been an existential threat to restaurants, cafés, and bars in cities across Canada. It's also been a financial blow to many, threatening their food security. In this episode, we look at the impact on the the business, ethics, and community of food in the city. Wine expert Krysta Oben talks about starting a new business, just as the pandemic struck. Writer, editor, and CBC Food Guide Suresh Doss talks about COVID's impact on the many different food-based communities across the GTA. Toronto Association of BIAs Executive Director John Kiru talks about plans to bring back programs to help restaurants create socially distanced outdoor dining spaces next summer, following the largely successful CaféTO and CurbTO programs last year. And Afri-Can FoodBasket Executive Director Anan Lololi talks about the legacy of food policy pioneer Wayne Roberts, as well as the need for food sovereignty in the pandemic for Black and racialized communities.

We began 2020 with a bit of optimism — how could we know? We had an episode about the public realm and its importance, and spoke to urban researcher/writer Cara Chellew about re-starting the Toronto Public Space Committee. Well, public space became a crucial issue throughout this pandemic and battle for civil rights, and we asked Cara what her Public Realm Resolutions are for 2021. Staying with the public space theme, writer and artist Shari Kasman tells us all about Bloordale Beach: a barren, gravel lot where a school had recently stood that everyday people took upon themselves to transform into a "beach" for socially distant hangouts. Finally, a year after the first PlazaPOPS experiment in activating strip mall parking lots as community space, we talk to "The Urban Geographer" Daniel Rotsztain and landscape architect and Guelph University Assistant Professor Brendan Stewart about the project, and their recently released report.

Dealing with COVID-19 has been a challenge for every level of government. And, in a country where government jurisdictions are often clearly delineated, and defended, the pandemic response has required a certain level of federal, provincial, and municipal harmony. How have municipalities navigated these complex relationships in the midst of a global crisis? In this episode, we speak to TVO columnist and digital media producer John Michael McGrath about some of the political battles he's witnessed between governments, throughout the pandemic. Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson talks about how a city famous for its annual theatre festival has managed to stay afloat. And Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens talks about how that city dealt with outbreaks among temporary foreign workers, and a population that sometimes relies on cross-border travel for employment.

In this episode, we look at the housing and homelessness crisis that has escalated into a full-blown disaster during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dania Majid, staff lawyer with Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, tells us about people fighting to keep their homes, and the push for an eviction moratorium. And street nurse Cathy Crowe, and harm reduction worker Zoë Dodd, give us some insight into the challenges Toronto's homeless population continues to experience, the uncertain future of tent encampments, and how the City's response is felt on the ground.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an existential threat to local businesses all over the country. In an effort to help these shops keep their doors open, governments, organizations, and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) have had to get creative. In this episode, Canadian Urban Institute Senior Planner Ariana Holt talks about the Bring Back Main Street campaign. We go to Belleville, Ontario, where the Digital Main Street initiative helped that town create the Downtown District Marketplace. Belleville Downtown Improvement Area Executive Director Marijo Cuerrier explains. And Larry Burke, designer and board member of the Quinpool Road District Association in Halifax, New Brunswick tells us all about Shop Quinpool Online virtual shopping mall.

Canadian cities often struggle with their lack of autonomy. Their status as "creatures of the province" can be a source of frustration: higher orders of government can undermine local leadership, and cities themselves sometimes lack the ability to realize their goals. In this episode, Massey College Principal Nathalie Des Rosiers lays out the issues with cities' low constitutional status. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps makes the case for a better, reliable share of funding for cities, and greater ability to enact laws around things like climate change. And Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson, who chairs the Big City Mayors' Caucus, tells us why being a Canadian mayor can sometimes feel like sitting at the "kids' table."

It's been too long since we had a classic Toronto transit episode. And, with the City and province grappling with the pandemic, and the threat of a second wave, there's a lot to discuss. We talk with Tricia Wood, professor of geography at York University and Spacing columnist, and Matt Elliott Toronto Star city columnist and author of the City Hall Watcher newsletter. How has COVID affected the TTC, and what happens to the Doug Ford Ontario governments priority transit projects in Toronto? We get into it.

Spacing and Evergreen proudly present The Future Fix: Solutions for Communities Across Canada, a special podcast series. This is a special, French-language edition. Spacing et Evergreen présentent ensemble une nouvelle série de podcast, Face au futur : des solutions pour les communautés du Canada, d’une côte à l’autre.  CET ÉPISODE: Internet devient un droit fondamental   Si internet a toujours été considéré comme un outil utile, l’avènement de la pandémie de la covid-19 l’a récemment propulsé au rang de bien de première nécessité.   Tout transite par internet : les cours en lignes, le télétravail, les rencontres virtuelles avec les médecins, les collègues et les amis.   Pourtant, cette transition vers un monde digital n’est possible qu’avec un accès à internet fiable et abordable. À l’heure actuelle, cet accès n’est pas encore garanti dans toutes les communautés au Canada, un fait notamment mis en évidence dans le contexte de la pandémie. De quelle manière les populations vulnérables peuvent-elles accéd