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The Sunday Magazine for October 17, 2021
Dr. Peter Singer talks about the beginning and end of COVID-19, education researcher Lauren McNamara explains the social benefits of recess at school, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses his latest book A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour, writer Susan Orlean reflects on connections with our furry friends in her book On Animals
Misconceptions about science fuel pandemic debates and controversies, says Neil deGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson says some of the bitter arguments about medicine and science during the COVID-19 pandemic can be blamed on a fundamental misunderstanding of science.
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What animals have taught Susan Orlean about being human
The New Yorker writer's latest book, On Animals, features a menagerie of furry, feathery and fishy creatures that have filled her life and her work -- from the whale in Free Willy to her beloved chicken flock.
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Why catching up on recess may be as important as catching up on class
Recess across the country look a little different during COVID-19. Education researcher Lauren McNamara details pandemic playground changes, and why now is the time to rethink recess.
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Charting the origin and future of the COVID-19 pandemic
Dr. Peter Singer, the special advisor to the Director General of the World Health Organization, talks about why understanding how COVID-19 began will help us get to the end of the pandemic.
The Sunday Magazine for October 10, 2021
Author and farmer James Rebanks talks about his book Pastoral Song, food researcher Sylvain Charlebois explains what's behind rising food prices, women’s rights activist Najiba Sanjar on leaving Afghanistan, how a Dawson City hockey team made it to the Stanley Cup, writer Billy-Ray Belcourt on his memoir A History of My Brief Body
Author and farmer James Rebanks reflects on stewardship and sustainability
Farmers across Canada reflect on the year that was — from devastating drought, to forest fires, and how they hope to recover. Then, farmer and "Pastoral Song" author James Rebanks explains how farming has changed over three generations in his family and why he's committed to more sustainable farming practices.
Rising food prices have Canadians rethinking what goes on their plate
Thanksgiving is traditionally a time to think about how our turkey got to our table. But the food chain has been disrupted — and that, along with a year of catastrophic weather, has led to higher food prices. Food researcher Sylvain Charlebois says that's having an impact on the choices Canadians are making in the grocery aisle, and also impacting food security
Why a women's rights activist left Afghanistan
In the wake of the United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001, women's rights activist Najiba Sanjar believed the promises made by Western governments to rebuild her country, create stability and empower women. She devoted herself to a new vision of Afghanistan. But, Sanjar made the decision to leave her country after the Taliban marched into Kabul last August, and recounts the story of how she and her family escaped.
How a team of underdogs from Yukon made a run for the Stanley Cup
As the NHL opens its season this coming week, we look back at a little known chapter in hockey history. Tim Falconer, the author of the new book Klondikers, tells Helen Mann how a hockey squad from Dawson City, Yukon ended up playing for the Stanley Cup and helped Canada fall in love with the game, all the way back in 1905.
Writer Billy-Ray Belcourt on why love and joy can be acts of rebellion for Indigenous people
Billy Ray Belcourt's memoir A History of My Brief Body just won a 2021 BC and Yukon Book Prize. He was also the first Indigenous Rhodes Scholar from Canada and in 2018, became the youngest-ever winner of the Griffin Prize for Poetry. Belcourt joins Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss his memoir A History of My Brief Body and how love and joy can be liberating practices for Indigenous people.
The Sunday Magazine for October 3, 2021
Kiana Hayeri profiles Afghanistan's post-9/11 generation, Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Powers asks big questions in his new novel Bewilderment, Veteran CBC broadcaster Peter Mansbridge looks back on his career, and we explore why 'classic rock' is at a crossroads.
Peter Mansbridge says news media's biggest threat is a lack of public trust
With the journalism industry in Canada facing a host of challenges, former CBC chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge says it needs to work to regain the trust of the audience.
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How a lifetime of conflict impacted Afghanistan's post-9/11 generation
Photojournalist Kiana Hayeri shares her observations on how youth culture in Afghanistan evolved in a post-9/11 world – and how young people in the country are bracing for life under the Taliban.
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Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Powers confronts our most urgent challenges in new novel
The Overstory author continues his exploration of pressing environmental and existential questions in his Booker Prize-nominated follow-up, Bewilderment.
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Nevermind at 30: A classic, but is it 'classic rock'?
As Nirvana crops up on 'classic rock' radio, it’s doing more than making certain Gen Xers feel old. It’s signalling the end of ‘classic rock’ as we know it.
The Sunday Magazine for September 26, 2021
Joanna Chiu talks about the latest in the Meng Wanzhou case, Guy Vanderhaeghe digs into his new novel August into Winter, two Alberta mayors dissect the province's dire COVID-19 situation, former MPs reflect on the election and life after politics, and more.
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Joanna Chiu on the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor and what it means for Canada-China relations
Toronto Star journalist Joanna Chiu joins Piya Chattopadhyay to talk about the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, the Meng Wanzhou case and her new book China Unbound, which explores how and why the Chinese government operates the way it does, and what a better approach to understanding China might look like.
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Three ex-MPs weigh in on what's changed and what needs to change after Canada's 44th election
Megan Leslie, Dr. Jane Philpott and Lisa Raitt discuss the election results, the future for women in politics and what it's like to try to make a difference for Canadians when you're no longer a part of the political system.
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Clayton Thomas-Müller reads from his memoir Life in the City of Dirty Water
In an excerpt adapted from his new memoir, the Cree author and activist reflects on his own family's history with residential schools, and the path forward.
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Guy Vanderhaeghe on the fragility of humanity in times of crisis
The three-time Governor General's Award winner speaks with Piya Chattopadhyay about his new novel August into Winter and how times of crisis can both expose the worst in us and provide an opportunity for kindness and humanity.
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Two Alberta mayors dissect provincial politics and the pandemic crisis
As another surge of COVID-19 pounds Alberta, Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi and Red Deer mayor Tara Veer about the human toll and the province's handling of the pandemic.
The Sunday Magazine for September 19, 2021
Our political panel takes stock of Election 44, Beverley McLachlin explores assisted dying through fiction, Dr. Madhukar Pai breaks down the efficacy of third COVID-19 vaccine doses, Dave Zirin talks about the long tail of Colin Kaepernick 'taking a knee', and more.
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Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin takes on assisted dying in latest novel
Beverley McLachlin hung up her robes and started writing fiction after retiring from the Supreme Court. But her second novel Denial doesn’t stray too far from her previous career, picking up on end-of-life matters that she faced on the bench and in her personal life.
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Canada's third dose conundrum
Before most Canadians receive third COVID-19 vaccine doses, Dr. Madhukar Pai wants to see Canada send more vaccines to developing countries around the world, where vaccination rates are extremely low, to avoid an even longer, deadlier pandemic.
