Out in the Openwith Piya Chattopadhyay
Latest
'It's a wound I don't think will ever get covered': Five stories of life after the Toronto van attack
A survivor, a witness, a victim's family, the city's mayor and more talk to Out in the Open host Piya Chattopadhyay about what happens in the aftermath of mass tragedy.
'I'm just lucky to be here': Patrick Brazeau's quiet comeback after years of scandal
In a wide-ranging interview with Out in the Open host Piya Chattopadhyay, the controversial senator reflects on the personal turmoil that nearly ended his career.
The psychological battle for women who go public about sexual violence
Silence can protect survivors of sexual assault, allow them to heal. Or it can isolate them, and let shame fester. So it’s hard to know when to break it.
Why 'culturally appropriate' elder care matters
Mahjong, Chinese chess, singing, and of course, bingo: just some of the activities for seniors living at Yee Hong, a culturally appropriate care home.
Ageing*
When we imagine old age, we tend to picture — and fear — mental decline, physical breakdown, and loss of independence. This week, Piya speaks with people facing additional challenges in the process of getting older... just because of who they are.
How poverty and violence make the 'golden years' a distant dream
People at the economic and social margins don’t have the luxury of ageing into ‘golden years’ and retirement.
Living in fear of dementia as a transgender woman
Dementia runs in Shoshana Pellman’s family and as a transgender woman, she’s terrified of losing her memory, her identity and her ability to defend herself.
'It's a young man's game': What it's like to age in prison
Stephen Reid went back to prison at 50-years-old and was sentenced to another 18 years. That’s when he realized prison isn’t the same as an older man.
Canadian Muslims face tough choices on where to bury their dead
Absent proper places to bury their dead loved ones in Canada, many Muslims are repatriating bodies back to their country of origin.
Learning to love your parents as people
When Anya Yurchyshyn’s parents died she felt overwhelming relief, until she discovered some mysterious letters that changed her life and her relationship to them forever.
Her mother kept her racial background a secret her whole life
Gail Lukasik grew up in the suburbs of Ohio. For most of her life, she thought she was white. Then one day she found out her mother was keeping a big secret about their family background.
Bill Gaston describes the 'mystical experience' at his father's deathbed
The author says he forgave his dad's flaws in an instant at the end of the man's life.
'I'll tell you someday': A daughter discovers her dad's long-lost son
Beckie Evans had a happy childhood, but always wondered why her dad kept a photo of a blond-haired boy on his dresser.
Full Episode
The Secret Lives of Parents
How well do you really know your parents? This week, Piya speaks with people who discovered bombshells about their folks that didn't just change how they saw them, but how they saw themselves, their childhoods and their places in the world.
She ditched it all to follow her dreams, then reality came crashing in
Leap and the net may not appear. Tasneem Jamal and her husband uprooted their lives and moved their young family to Tanzania to follow their dreams. But even before they left Canada, the plan started to go sideways, and soon, Tasneem was in freefall.
Unintended Consequences
You set out to do something. You have the best of intentions. You can almost taste that golden carrot just dangling in the distance. The dream may be alive. The problem is... sometimes reality gets in the way. This week, Piya asks: How do you recover when things don't go according to plan?
How a law meant to curb infanticide was used to abandon teens
With good intentions, Nebraska passed its Safe Haven Law in 2008 without an age restriction. Many didn't expect older children would be dropped off.
A planned adoption delayed — by nearly three decades
When Regina Louise was 13 years old, bouncing between foster homes and institutions, she met a woman who was kind, who she could trust, and who she wanted to be able to call Mom. For Regina, that was a first. But the plan wasn't to be. At least, not right away.
When the plan to 'date Indigenous' gets complicated
When Sarain Fox’s life was going according to plan, she found out that maybe the plan wasn’t everything she wanted in the first place.
Designers of Toronto condo lands apparently didn't plan for all the poo
Professional dog walker Gilleen Witkowski says urban communities need to better accommodate for pets.
Figuring out co-parenting in a polyamorous family
A polyamorous family of five are navigating the idea of having kids and what co-parenting looks like for them.
Full Episode
Modern Family
What does your family look like? If you're on trend [and we're sure you are]... it's probably more complex than mom, dad and 2.3 kids. This week, Piya goes nuclear on the so-called 'nuclear family' and asks: What makes a modern family?
Mothers who used the same sperm donor are forming a family of 'diblings'
Uniting their children with their biological half brothers and sisters has given a global group of moms a new extended family.
The complicated nature of feeling a part of the family you work for
Herly Bautista is a live-in nanny. She’s both an employee and says she feels a part of the family she works for
Looking to the past to thrive in the present as a modern family
Christine Birak on how moving close to her extended family helps her, her partner and their two children live as a modern family.
