This Is Why

The conversation we had with Calgary-based project manager Ziad Fazel about contact tracing apps went into such detail and went longer than we usually go, so we decided to put the whole conversation into a bonus episode for you. Enjoy!

With the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic raging in Canada, hospitalizations and admissions to intensive care units are at all-time highs, and that has a lot of people worried. On this episode of This Is Why, we find out what the breaking point could be for Canada's public health care system and what the effects could be. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Dr. Barry Pakes, public health physician and assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto

It's not a stretch to say that the coronavirus pandemic is an historic event, but it's not without precedent. Epidemics have been a part of human history for as long as people have gathered together. So it's not uncommon to look back in order to plot a path forward. On this episode of This Is Why, we look back at how pandemic influenza affected a western Canadian city in 1918. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Suzanna Wagner, health historian Episode Resources: The Last Plague: Spanish Influenza and the Politics of Public Health in Canada by Mark Osborne Humphries

The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic is in Canada, with record numbers of new cases and deaths bearing that out. Except the wave hasn't hit Atlantic Canada in the same manner as the rest of the country, due to a bubble. On this episode of This Is Why, we find out why the Atlantic travel bubble has been so effective at keeping COVID-19 numbers at bay and what it's like living in the bubble. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Michaela Kaiser, student at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.S. Alexander Quon, digital producer, Global Halifax

As the coronavirus pandemic wears on, inequalities in society are becoming clearer and clearer, like the inequalities facing women and gender-minorities. On this episode of This Is Why, we find out why women are facing challenges by the coronavirus and pandemic that are specific to the group. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Andrea Gunraj, Canadian Women's Foundation Maya Roy, CEO, YWCA Canada Episode resources: Poll from the Canadian Women's Foundation showing concern about the pandemic's impact on women YWCA Canada's Feminist Recovery plan

As global warming continues to melt Arctic ice, the threat to the Inuit of Canada and Greenland is becoming more and more dire. And that melting is leading to one last patch of Arctic ice. On this episode of This Is Why, we find out why the last ice is important for the lives of people beyond the Arctic and what a National Geographic team found. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Scott Ressler, director and producer of National Geographic documentary The Last Ice Episode resources: Trailer for The Last Ice More on the Last Ice area Our previous episode on the collapse of the Milne Ice Shelf

The need to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic has driven more and more Canadians online, as we found out in an earlier episode of 'This Is Why.' And in October, Canada's privacy commissioner raised the flags around the laws around privacy, saying the laws aren't enough in this new reality. On this episode of This Is Why, we find out why the acceleration towards a fully digital life is putting the privacy of Canadians at risk. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Paula Minnikin, CTO of Spark Engagement

With the science around the novel coronavirus changing so quickly, it's tough to determine what to follow and what to ignore. And the opportunity some charlatans are trying to seize on don't make things any easier. In this episode of This Is Why, we look at why this pandemic has given rise to all sorts of bad information. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Timothy Caulfield, Canada research chair in Health Law and Policy

One of the most common arguments anti-mask advocates use is that mandating the use of face coverings is the government running afoul of rights and liberties. In this episode of This Is Why, we look at how civil liberties could be contravened during a pandemic, and the careful balance legislators have to walk when considering public health orders. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Michael Bryant, executive director, Canadian Civil Liberties Association

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted all areas of life. Early on in the pandemic, economic activity ground to a halt and economists say Canada is in a recession. In this episode of This Is Why, we look at two areas of the country's economy that could lead the post-pandemic recovery. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Laura Jones, executive V.P., Canadian Federation of Independent Business

The Canadian Emergency Response Benefit was only designed to last for 6 months. As the pandemic reaches into the seventh month, what will millions of Canadians do if they can't find a job? In this episode of This Is Why, we look at how the federal government is planning to support Canadians through unprecedented times. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: David Macdonald, senior economist, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Ride along with 25 year veteran Crime Reporter Nancy Hixt, from Global News, through some of Canada’s most high-profile criminal cases. Real People, Real Crimes, Real Journalism. Each episode takes you inside case she has worked to give you all details you didn't hear on the news. Season 3 starts October 20 - Subscribe now!​ Crime Beat is the 2020 winner of the Edward R. Murrow Podcast Award (RTDNA).

Athletes and social movements have had a long history -- almost as long as pro sports itself. The Undefeated created a list that goes back to 1883. But in August, all of the major professional sports in North America went dark following the shooting death of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In this episode of This Is Why, we look at why pro sports leagues are finally getting behind their athletes in calling for change. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Bruce Arthur, columnist, the Toronto Star

It's been six months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Since then, the scientific community has focused nearly all its efforts into understanding the disease in the hopes of creating a vaccine. In the second of a two-part conversation on This Is Why, we talk with an infectious disease specialist to find out what's been discovered about the novel coronavirus. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Dr. Horacio Bach, adjunct professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UBC Faculty of Medicine

It's been six months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Since then, the scientific community has focused nearly all its efforts into understanding the disease in the hopes of creating a vaccine. In the first of a two-part conversation on This Is Why, we talk with an infectious disease specialist to find out what's been discovered about the novel coronavirus. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Dr. Horacio Bach, adjunct professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at UBC Faculty of Medicine

The simple act of washing hands with soap and water is one of the best things to do in preventing the spread of COVID-19. But before 2020, it was also one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of many other diseases, saving lives. On this episode of This Is Why, we speak with a woman who has spread the message of handwashing to a billion people around the world. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Myriam Sidibe, senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and founder of Brands on a Mission Myriam's TED talk: The simple power of hand-washing

The last remaining permanent ice shelf collapsed in Canada's Arctic earlier this month, continuing the trend of the loss of Arctic ice. For climate observers and for Canada's insurance industry, it's a big concern. On this episode of This Is Why, we find out how the melting of Arctic ice is connected with more extreme natural disasters and why the insurance industry is among those concerned about climate change. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Glenn McGillivray, managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction

It was originally planned as a trip from North to South America and back riding a motorcycle starting last August. And while Jeremy Kroeker and Elle West were able to make it to the Antarctic from Alberta, their trip back was interrupted by COVID-19. And they've only just returned home. On this episode of This Is Why, we talk with a Canadian couple whose yearlong motorcycle trip to the furthest point of South America got interrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Jeremy Kroeker - motorcyclist, writer and YouTuber Elle West - motorcyclist and riding instructor

The school year is just around the corner and provincial governments across Canada have been rolling out their school reopening plans. But questions remain on whether the various plans are appropriate or protective enough of children and the wider community during this pandemic. On this episode of This Is Why, we look into the pediatric evidence of COVID-19's effects on children and what that could mean for school reopenings. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Dr. Joan Robinson, division director of pediatric infectious disease at the University of Alberta, and a pediatric infectious disease physician at Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Hospital

Disrupting "normal" patterns and habits, the novel coronavirus pandemic has created lots of time and space for people around the world. With all that time and the influence of a pandemic, artists must be creating untold amounts of new work, right? On this episode of This Is Why, we talk with artists from around the country about how this pandemic has affected their lives and their art. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests: Laura Stinson and Ian McFarlane, The North Barn Theatre Collective in Antigonish County, N.S. Alexander Robinson, an emerging visual artist in Toronto, ON. Ciele Beau, multidisciplinary visual artist and musician in Vancouver, B.C.