The Agenda in the Summer - Season 7 / Year 2020

The creator and star of Netflix's LGBTQ romantic comedy, "Feel Good," Mae Martin describes her rise in the ranks of Canadian comedy.

Great Big Sea founding member Séan McCann and his wife Andrea Aragon discuss their book, "One Good Reason: A Memoir of Addiction and Recovery, Music and Love," and how their shared love of music brought them together, and ultimately helped heal their relationship.

What does it take to become a champion athlete? The accomplished hurdler, broadcaster, and author discusses her struggles and triumphs on the road to career glory, and shares her thoughts raising a daughter in this defining moment for Black Lives Matter.

When historian Timothy Winegard was looking for a new topic to delve into, his father, an emergency-room physician, suggested disease. Winegard's research led him to malaria, which in turn led him to mosquitoes. His acclaimed book, "The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator," is a comprehensive look at how the tiny creature has altered humanity through the ages.

The author of the 2020 Pulizer Prize-winning "The Nickel Boys," a novel set in the Jim Crow-era of racial segregation, talks about growing up Black in America and why he chose this time in history as the setting for his story. Then, Eastern Ontario Hubs journalist David Rockne Corrigan discusses how gig economy workers fared during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Author and disability activist Amanda Leduc discusses why she was compelled to write "Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space." The book is part memoir and part analysis of ableism and disability in fairy tales, and how the messages within can shape how children see themselves, for better or worse.

What's it like to be a Black woman at a university attended by mostly white students? Author and journalist Eternity Martis talks about her experiences as an undergraduate at London, Ontario's Western University, as documented in her book, "They Said This Would Be Fun: Race, Campus Life, and Growing Up."

Scientists Steffanie Strathdee and Thomas Patterson discuss their book, ,The Perfect Predator: A Scientist's Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug,, torn from the pages of their real-life battle with an antibiotic-resistant virus.

Do Twitter and Instagram help or hinder creative friendships? Author, visual artist, and musician Vivek Shraya talks about her book, "The Subtweet," a look at friendship, creative connections, the racialization of social media, and its complicated etiquette.

Two-time Giller Prize-winner Esi Edugyan describes the inspiration for writing "Washington Black," a novel about the post-slavery life of a young man who learns that being physically free does not release him from the trauma of the past. Then, Northwestern Ontario Hub journalist Charnel Anderson takes a look at food banks in Thunder Bay.

Investigative journalist Robert Kolker discusses his research into the Galvin family, a family that saw six of 12 children diagnosed with schizophrenia. In part one, we learn about the family circumstances. Tomorrow night, Kolker discusses how the family helped inform the search for treatment and a cure.

How did the Galvin family's experience shape research into schizophrenia? Nam Kiwanuka continues her discussion with Robert Kolker on the topic of his book, "Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family," an investigation into the Galvin family within which six out of 12 children were diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Acclaimed British novelist and essayist Martin Amis discusses topics that have informed his writing over the years.

During COVID-19, many people have been having a difficult time balancing work responsibilities with homelife. Writer and broadcaster Tara Henley discusses her book, "Lean Out: A Meditation on the Madness of Modern Life," and how her ideas are even more relevant during this uncertain time.

In "Chop Suey Nation," Ann Hui learned her family history, and in the process, the creation of Canadian-Chinese cuisine. Then, Ontario Hubs video journalist Jeyan Jeganathan learns about vertical gardening in Chelmsford, Ont., and how COVID-19 has increased the market for hydroponic farming.

Irish-Canadian writer Emma Donoghue discusses her new novel set in 1918 Dublin during the Great Flu pandemic.

Jesse Thistle discusses his book, "From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way," about his experience with absent parents, homelessness, incarceration, and his ultimate reconnection to his Métis heritage.

It's been three decades since the groundbreaking 78-day standoff between Mohawks and Canadian soldiers. The Agenda reflects on the significance of the resistance that began outside Montreal in June 1990, how it's influenced Indigenous people and culture, and the land claim challenges that remain.

Journalist Laura Trethewey discusses her book, "The Imperiled Ocean: Human Stories from a Changing Sea."

Suanne Kelman extolls the pleasures of birdwatching. She talks to Nam Kiwanuka about her years of being an avid birder, and how the pastime has changed over the years.

Author and journalist Duncan McCue discusses his book, "The Shoe Boy, A Trapline Memoir," about his time as a youth spent hunting and living off the land with a Cree family in northern Quebec.

What will school look like in the fall? We look at various scenarios being discussed, the Ontario government's approach, and why it's important for students and parents to have a clear picture of the school year.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields remain difficult to break into for women, and even more so for women of colour. University of New Hampshire professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein discusses her experiences.

How might open public spaces in Canadian cities change as the country continues to grapple with COVID-19 and adapt to living with the presence of the virus.

How has climate change affected one of Canada's most precious biospheres? Then, Ontario Hubs journalists report on stories they're following.

Nancy Simmons of the American Museum of Natural History; and Burton Lim of the Royal Ontario Museum discuss the evolutionary history of bats, why they are often vilified - especially amid this pandemic, their essential role in ecosystems, and factors that have led to endangerment. They dispel common myths about bats and tell what they love most about their jobs as chiropterologists.

They're not exactly fish, and they're certainly not snakes that live in water. What they are - if you can get over the slithery, darting weirdness of eels - is fascinating: truly ever-changing, versatile and resilient. To discuss the remarkable characteristics of eels, Nam Kiwanuka welcomes Patrik Svensson, journalist and author of "The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World;" and Steven Cooke, professor and Canada Research Chair of Environmental Science and Biology at Carleton University.

News of murder hornet and locust swarms in Africa and Asia, and the calmer, but equally devastating, gypsy moth caterpillar that's currently wreaking havoc on trees in eastern Ontario has all also been concerning. To explain what's going on with bugs and provide updates on mosquito-borne illnesses, The Agenda welcomes Rosalind Murray, an entomologist and an NSERC postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Toronto.

Rachel Romu has been bringing visibility to disability one runway at a time. The fashion model and disability advocate joins Ontario Hubs field producer Jeyan Jeganathan to talk about her career, the fashion industry, and how COVID-19 has affected people with disabilities. And, already a significant problem in Ontario, opioid deaths have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Northeastern Ontario Hub journalist Nick Dunne investigated the province's response to the epidemic and learned how the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth outreach team is trying to help drug users cope with their circumstances.

Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr. stars in "The Cuban," a film that highlights the way elderly people are treated in society. Nam Kiwanuka talks to him about his role and is also joined by the film's director Sergio Navarretta.

Broadband is still a long way away from being equally available across Ontario. We look at the challenges inherent in making full access happen.

Recently, the COVID-19 contact-tracing app launched, but questions remain about privacy and adoption rates. David Lie, a University of Toronto tech professor, provides some insight.

Environmentalist Tom Rand discusses his recent book, "The Case for Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for a Planet in Crisis."

Toronto drag performer Juice Boxx, a recent contestant on "Canada's Drag Race," our country's version of the wildly popular "Ru Paul's Drag Race," discusses the influence of drag queen culture in mainstream society. Then, what is the origin of Thunder Bay's mysterious ring of rocks?

In partnership with the 2020 Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference, this week The Agenda looks at what's important to cities and towns across the province. Tonight, we delve into a Guelph initiative to reimagine the food system, and Peel Region's proposed new recycling strategies.

Three Ontario mayors discuss how their cities have fared during the COVID-19 pandemic and what strategies can be put in place for the future.

How can the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres work together on resource development and post-COVID-19 financial recovery?

How can Ontario take advantage of economic stimulus packages to find solutions for climate-change effects on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been looking for ways to grow their own food, including raising chickens. But are backyard chickens legal in Ontario?

Author and playwright Alison Wearing discusses her funny and poignant memoir, "Moments of Glad Grace," depicting a trip to Ireland with her father as he obsessively searches their family history. Producer: Carla Lucchetta

How can better institutional food be part of the solution for other problems? Chef and food activist Joshna Maharaj explores that in her latest book, "Take Back the Tray: Revolutionizing Food in Hospitals, Schools, and Other Institutions."

Three-time Olympic medallist Sami Jo Small shares behind-the-scenes insight into her time with the Canadian national women's hockey team.

Epidemiologist David Waltner-Toews discusses his book, "On Pandemics: Deadly Diseases from Bubonic Plague to Coronavirus," on how viruses begin, how they spread, and how past pandemics have been handled.

How have deadly diseases progressed through history? We look at some TVO footage from 20 years ago and invite a medical clinician to update what we've learned about infectious diseases since then. And, Ontario Hub journalists discuss their latest stories.

Sexual-harassment and violence educator Julie Lalonde, known for highlighting the problem in the Canadian military, talks about her own experiences, outlined in her book, "Resilience is Futile: The Life and Death and Life of Julie S. Lalonde."

Author and journalist Lauren McKeon discusses her book, "No More Nice Girls: Gender, Power, and Why It's Time to Stop Playing by the Rules," and how even the smallest acts of feminism can keep the movement going forward.

Theres a lot of discussion about parents and children preparing for school reopening, but how are teachers feeling? We invite a few to talk about their e-learning experiences from last spring, and how to accommodate COVID-19 into their lesson planning.

Health and mental-health experts discuss the feasibility of the recommendations of the SickKids report on school reopening.

Filmmaker Danielle Ayow discusses her short doc "But Youre Not Black," an examination of her Caribbean-Chinese background, and her challenges in fitting in with both cultures. Then, Ontario Hubs field producer Jeyan Jeganathan talks York University professor Gail Fraser about the Ontario governments introduction of a double-crested cormorant hunt.