Guest: Ghada Alsharif, immigration and work reporter Canada's immigration system is often praised for attracting top global talent, but a new report shows the country is losing many of the highly skilled workers it says it needs most. One in five immigrants are leaving within 25 years of arriving, with the highest exit rates among those with PhDs and professional backgrounds in health care, science, and senior management. Today on This Matters, immigration and work reporter Ghada Alsharif unpacks the findings of a major new study by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship and the Conference Board of Canada and what it reveals about a growing crisis Canada isn't fully reckoning with: why the people we worked hardest to bring here are now walking away. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon
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18:27
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18:27
Star investigations followed a Facebook drug ad and revealed how illegal drugs are being sold online in Canada
Guests: Toronto Star journalists Ben Mussett and Omar Mosleh A Toronto Star investigation uncovered a troubling loophole inside Meta's advertising system. Reporters Ben Mussett and Omar Mosleh found illegal drugs being advertised and sold to Canadians through paid Meta ads on Facebook and Instagram. With one click, the Star was linked to online shops offering cocaine, Oxycodone, MDMA, Xanax, ketamine and more, and discovered how easily these drugs could be ordered and shipped. The investigation raises urgent questions about Meta's ad moderation, platform safety and how drug traffickers are exploiting automated tools to reach users. Meta, the tech giant that owns Facebook and Instagram, says it has "zero tolerance" for the ads and works to find and remove the illegal drug posts. In this episode, we unpack what happened when Star journalists tested the system themselves, why Meta's detection tools aren't stopping illicit drug ads, and who these ads are targeting the most. This episode is produced by Sean PattendonÂ
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28:10
The doctor is in, but over a million Ontarians are too far away
Guest: Megan Ogilvie, Toronto Star health reporter A new study has found that over a million Ontarians — that's more than one in ten people with a family doctor — live far outside their physician's region, often more than 30 kilometres away. Some are driving hours just to get a check-up. Others may be skipping care altogether because of the logistics. And it's leading to worsening health outcomes; more ER visits, missed diagnoses, and care that falls through the cracks. It's a hidden layer of Ontario's primary care crisis, and one we don't talk about enough. This episode was mixed by Paulo MarquesÂ
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19:11
If Canada went to war, could our hospitals cope? A simulation in Toronto revealed alarming gaps
Guest:Â Bruce Arthur, Toronto Star columnist In a high-stakes war games exercise held in Toronto, top military officials, health-care leaders, and government representatives gathered behind closed doors to game out a scenario few Canadians can ever imagine; war arriving on our doorstep. The exercise, called Canada Paratus, was a joint initiative led by the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with the Canadian Armed Forces, the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research, St. Michael's Hospital, and other military-focused organizations. This wasn't about battlefield tactics, but about what happens when Canada's fragile health-care system is pushed to the brink. From mass casualties to logistical chaos, the simulation revealed uncomfortable truths about just how unprepared we are and what it could mean if Canada were drawn into a global conflict where hospitals, not just troops, have to hold the line. This episode was produced by Sean Pattendon
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29:36
Behind the scenes of a narrow budget win for Mark Carney's Liberal government
Guest: Tonda MacCharles, Ottawa bureau chief  Canada avoided a snap election Monday night as the Liberal government pushed its federal budget through by a two-vote margin, 170 to 168. Support from Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and two NDP abstentions proved decisive after intense pressure and last-minute talks. The close call raises new questions about the stability of the Liberal minority and what might be ahead in the coming months as the government brings forward the budget implementatin bill and faces further confidence tests in the House of Commons. We take a closer look at what happened behind the scenes in Ottawa.  This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz and Sean Pattendon
The world is changing every day. Now, more than ever, these questions matter. What's happening? And why should you care? This Matters, a daily news podcast from the Toronto Star, aims to answer those questions, on important stories and ideas, every day, Monday to Friday. Hosts Saba Eitizaz and Ed Keenan talk to their fellow journalists, experts and newsmakers about the social, cultural, political and economic stories that shape your life.
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