The Decibel

Universal health care is a point of pride for many Canadians, but the system has had flaws for decades. One big issue is getting in to see a doctor. The Commonwealth Fund estimated that 56 per cent of Canadians waited more than a month to see a specialist in 2016 or simply to get an appointment with a family doctor – if they even have one.Dr. Robert Bell has worked in healthcare for over 40 years, as an orthopedic surgeon, former CEO of University Health Network and as a former deputy health minister in Ontario. He’s on the show to tell us what he thinks needs to be done to make the health care system more accessible to Canadians.Plus, you can read more from the Globe’s Opinion series called Fixing Healthcare here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Indigenous women are still being forcibly sterilized in Canada. That’s one thing that Sen. Yvonne Boyer wants Canadians to know. The senator, who is Métis herself and was formerly a nurse and a lawyer, has been fighting to raise awareness of this issue. She is also a part of the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights that is currently examining the issue.Sen. Boyer discusses how her background inspired her to devote her life to ending forced sterilization procedures, how it’s part of the systemic racism Indigenous women face in Canada’s health care system and why addressing it is an important part of Canada’s reconciliation efforts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Even 75 years after the Holocaust, anti-Semitic crimes are still happening in Canada. And their presence highlights why education is still important, and uncovering family history is a powerful way to learn about the past.The Globe’s western arts correspondent, Marsha Lederman, joins us to talk about her new book Kiss the Red Stairs and the responsibility she feels to share her family’s stories as the child of Holocaust survivors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Several of the atrocities happening in the Ukraine war are being linked to a mercenary organization called the Wagner Group. The Kremlin-linked mercenaries have operated in countries in the Middle East and in Africa as well, and are often trailed by allegations of human rights abuses.Sean McFate, former mercenary and now senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, explains how this group operates, why mercenaries might become more common in the future and how Wagner members he speaks to feel about what they’re doing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The podcast turns one year old today! And in our first year, a lot happened: Russia started a war in Ukraine, thousands of unmarked graves were found at some residential school sites in Canada, Justin Trudeau won another federal election, inflation became a very hot topic and the COVID-19 pandemic continued to spread, especially with the arrival of the Omicron variant.In today’s episode, we look back at some of the biggest stories from the last 365 days and give you updates on what’s happened since we first covered them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Canada’s international airports have experienced major delays getting passengers on and off their flights, as people begin returning to air travel in numbers not seen since before the pandemic.The staff that get travellers through all those lines at the airport – security screening, customs, baggage drop-off – have not returned to the airport in enough numbers to stave off long lines. Transportation reporter Eric Atkins explains why you won’t want to cut it fine if you’re boarding a plane in the near future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A couple weeks ago, The Globe and Mail’s senior foreign correspondent Mark MacKinnon found out he’s now banned from entering Russia. He joins a long list of Canadians who can no longer enter the country, like our Prime Minister, basically every member of Parliament, and some Canadian mayors.This is part of a tit-for-tat between Russia and Western countries like Canada, after the West imposed sanctions on hundreds of Kremlin-affiliated people and organizations. Many of the Canadians who are part of this Russian list are proud of it, or laughing it off. MacKinnon is not. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the wake of the news that the U.S. Supreme Court has drafted a ruling that would reverse Roe v. Wade, effectively ending safe and legal abortion in some states, some abortion advocates in Canada are sounding the alarm. But just how accessible are abortion services in Canada?Martha Paynter is the author of Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada, and a registered nurse working in Nova Scotia. She explains what changes have occurred recently when it comes to abortions in Canada and what barriers still remain. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Ontario provincial election campaign is officially underway and election day is June 2nd. The campaign promises have been coming in thick: $1 per ride transportation from the Ontario Liberals, new highways from the Progressive Conservatives, and hiring more nurses and personal support workers from the NDP, to name a few.Queen’s Park reporter Jeff Gray sets the scene for this month’s campaign, telling us what the major parties are offering voters. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One billion dollars was promised towards building electric vehicles in Ontario on Monday – just the latest investment from government into the industry that hopes to do away with gas-powered engines, and replace them with batteries.People have long talked about electric vehicles, or EVs, as being a crucial element in getting emissions down to net-zero; but, as the Globe’s mining reporter Niall McGee points out, an electric vehicle’s carbon footprint is more than just a pinky toe. While actually driving an EV does not create emissions in the way that gas-powered cars do, the environmental impact of mining the minerals for the cars’ batteries is significant. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.