This Is Why

Canadians, like many around the world, have been spending much more time online during the novel coronavirus pandemic. So when CIRA, Canada's internet registrars, did their annual survey on internet use, they found how that internet use changed with COVID-19. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at how the pandemic changed the use and perception of the internet and social media platforms in Canada. 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: Spencer Callahan, communications manager for the Canadian Internet Registration  Authority (CIRA) Episode Resources: CIRA release "Facebook named most toxic social media platform by 40 per cent of Canadians"

The novel coronavirus was first detected in the city of Wuhan in China in late 2019. For some, that's reason enough to discriminate against and vilify people who aren't from that region of China or haven't even visited the country. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at the role racism against people of Asian heritage during the coronavirus pandemic and how it's the latest chapter of anti-Asian racism. 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. Kim Noels, professor of psychology at the University of Alberta Barbara Lee, founder & president of the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, who partnered with Project 1907 to create Elimin8hate

As pro sports leagues across North America prepare to resume play, states south of the border are seeing increased outbreaks and rapidly mounting numbers of positive COVID-19 cases. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at the various leagues' plans to return to play and what the future of sports could look like after the 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: Aileen McManaman, founder and managing partner, 5T Sports Group Dan Mason, professor of sport management, University of Alberta

June 2020 has been an unprecedented month. Millions of people around the world marched in support of Black Lives Matter and protesting anti-Black racism. They were joined by Indigenous peoples during National Indigenous History Month, the same month that saw two Indigenous people shot by police in New Brunswick and video surfacing of an Alberta chief brutally arrested. And June is Pride month for the LGBTQ community, with jurisdictions around the country announcing bans of conversion therapy leading up to a month born from protest but with celebrations transformed by the coronavirus pandemic. On this episode of This Is Why, we hear about what can be done, individually and systemically, to address racism and prejudice against BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) and LGBTQ groups, and how they're connected. 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: Cheryl Foggo, a multiple award-

Worldwide, the coronavirus pandemic is changing the way celebrations and gatherings of all kinds are happening. That includes Pride for the LGBTQ community. On this episode of This Is Why, we hear about a landmark ruling for Western Canadian LGBTQ communities. 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. Kristopher Wells, Canada research chair for the Public Understanding of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth at McEwan University

Alongside the rallies for the Black Lives Matter movement, support for Indigenous lives in Canada have come to the forefront. Two police shootings of Indigenous people in New Brunswick and the emergence of a video of an arrest with force of an Alberta chief have underscored the plight faced by Indigenous peoples. On this episode of This Is Why, we hear about past and present systemic racism forced upon Indigenous peoples from the chief of a First Nation in Alberta and the current director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. 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: Siksika Nation Chief Ouray Crowfoot Ry Moran, director of the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation More resources: "The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America" by Thomas King

Hundreds of cities in the U.S. and Canada have erupted in protests and rallies supporting Black Lives Matter and opposing police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. At the heart of the argument is the injustice of systemic racism. On this episode of This Is Why, we hear from two perspectives on being Black in Canada, including the problematic history of Black cowboy John Ware and the challenges facing the largest Black community in the country. 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: Cheryl Foggo, a multiple award-winning author, playwright and filmmaker, whose work focuses on the lives of western Canadians of African descent. Anthony Morgan, a racial justice lawyer and manager of the City of Toronto’s confronting anti-black racism unit. More resources: Foggo recommends reading "Policing Black Lives" by Robyn Maynard and "The Skin We're In" by

As researchers race to find a vaccine for the novel coronavirus, governments and citizens are being asked whether such a vaccine could or would be made mandatory. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at why vaccinating a population against disease is necessary for public health and the challenges of making a hypothetical vaccine against COVID-19 mandatory. 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. Shannon MacDonald, assistant professor, University of Alberta Faculty of Nursing

Provinces are beginning a gradual reopening of their economies, lifting public health restrictions, just months after the novel coronavirus arrived. But scientists like virologists and epidemiologists are warning that the loosening of restrictions will lead to more cases of COVID-19. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at the likelihood of a second wave of the novel coronavirus in Canada. 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: Cynthia Carr, epidemiologist and founder, EPI Research Allison Bench, online journalist, Global News

Life during the novel coronavirus pandemic would look drastically different. Video calls allow us to see friends and family up close while keeping physical distance, and streaming services have seen signups skyrocket. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at how Canadian tech companies are doing during this public health crisis. 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: Lucas McCarthy, Showpass CEO Ryan Gill, Communo CEO Jeremy Shaki, Lighthouse Labs CEO

A horrific shooting spree in rural Nova Scotia becomes the worst Canadian mass shooting in memory. And a tiny American enclave becomes known as the 'safest place in America' during the COVID-19 pandemic....because it's cut off from the rest of the USA by a Canadian suburb.  Contact: Guest host Niki Reitmayer - @Niki_Reitmayer on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca

The novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, as does the amount of time Canadians have spent social distancing and, in some cases, working or teaching from home. All that time staring at the same four walls, interacting with the same people in a household, with the constant threat of catching the novel coronavirus is wearing no people. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at the mental health challenges people around the world are facing and what can be done about it. 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. Karen Cohen, registered psychologist and CEO of the Canadian Psychologist Association Dr. Ganz Ferrance, registered psychologist

With so much going on right now in the country, you might not know that April is Sikh Heritage Month in Canada. Canada's Sikh community has often shown up with support for their neighbours in time of disaster - and as the country grapples with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations like Khalsa Aid are learning how to lend a hand with a whole new set of challenges. Contact: Niki Reitmayer - @Niki_Reitmayer Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guests:  Jatinder Singh, Khalsa Aid Canada Director

The novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, with cases across Canada surpassing the 10,000 mark. Doctors and nurses have raised alarms of looming personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, a vital piece of equipment to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at why front line health care workers are facing PPE shortages, who uses the PPE and how, and what everyday Canadians are doing to help out. 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. Gigi Osler, past president of the Canadian Medical Association Claire Betker, RN and president of the Canadian Nurses Association Bryan Frischbutter, president of Birchwood Furniture Mike Chen, engineer and organizer of YYC Shield Makers

The novel coronavirus has led to the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics - but it's not the first time that the Olympics have been pushed off track by global events.  Guest host Niki Reitmayer tells the history of Olympic Games cancellations and boycotts - and a surprising pattern emerges.  Plus: essential workers are showing up at work every day, but they're coping with the pandemic in their own ways.  Contact: Guest Host Niki Reitmayer - @Niki_Reitmayer on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca

The Ontario and Saskatchewan governments were set to go to the Supreme Court of Canada over the federal carbon pricing backstop, or carbon tax, after their respective provincial courts decided that the carbon tax is constitutional. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at the arguments behind carbon pricing, the arguments against, and how a decision in an Alberta court could affect the outcome. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guest: Martin Olszynski, associate law professor, University of Calgary

The novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, with more than 150 cases verified in Canada, including Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, the prime minister's wife. Cases have been reported in more than 115 countries around the world.  Panic buying has also set in, as stores sell out of hand sanitizer, toilet paper and canned goods. On this episode of This Is Why, we continue our two-part series looking at the biological and psychological aspects of COVID-19, and how perhaps the biggest challenge in facing a pandemic is in our own heads. 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. Steven Taylor, professor and clinical psychologist at UBC & author of “The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the next global outbreak of infectious disease” Dr. Chris Mody, head of the department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary

The novel coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, with more than 30 cases verified in Canada and cases in more than 80 countries around the world.  On this episode of This Is Why, we begin a two-part series looking at the biological and psychological aspects of COVID-19. 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. Chris Mody, head of the department of Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Diseases at the University of Calgary Dr. Steven Taylor, professor and clinical psychologist at UBC & author of “The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the next global outbreak of infectious disease”

Steve Vogelsang was a beloved member of Winnipeg's media who went on to instruct journalism students in the art of telling news. Leaving Manitoba's capital started a downward spiral for him, ending in the robbery of six banks in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and serving time in the Drumheller Institution. On this episode of This Is Why, we look at what led Vogelsang to stick up banks in Canada's Prairies, and how that affected his legacy among a significant cohort of journalism students and journalists. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter This is Why - @ThisIsWhy on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guest: Melissa Martin, reporter-at-large, Winnipeg Free Press Brett Megarry, co-host of "The Start with Mackling, Megarry and McNabb" and "The Couch Potatoes" on 680 CJOB

The Wet’suwet’en protests over the Coastal GasLink pipeline have captured the attention of Canada, with support protests popping up from coast to coast. In this episode of This Is Why, we get some background on why, despite an existing agreement with some members of the northern B.C. First Nation, opposition remains and how history with the Canadian government plays a role. Contact: Adam Toy - @Adam_Toy on Twitter Dave McIvor - @d_mac1519 on Twitter Email us - thisiswhy@globalnews.ca Guest: David Khan, Indigenous rights constitutional lawyer.