Searching for Solutions
As a former mayor of a mid-size city in Canada, I had a first hand account of the rise in social issues facing communities across North America. Searching for Solutions is about examining issues such as the housing crisis, homelessness, mental health, addictions and food insecurity to find disruptive solutions that are having a real impact. Each episode looks at an issue and features a guest that guides us through a problem to a solution. A great resource for people in communities looking how to make a difference at a time when many people are feeling helpless.
Episodes
33 episodes
Creating accessory dwelling units within residential neighbourhoods could unlock more affordable housing
Cities are changes planning regulations and offering incentives for homeowners to build accessory dwelling units as a means to create more affordable livings spaces.Xavier Toby, founder of Axe Building in St. Catharines, Ontario, has a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 35
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41:00
Toboggan Flats isn't about places to sled, it's about creating affordable living spaces for young people
When you talk to young people entering the working world, one of their biggest concerns is securing affordable housing. The bigger the city, the more difficult it is to find safe and affordable housing for young people. On this epi...
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Season 1
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Episode 34
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47:59
Can empathy be a key to getting people to act when it comes to climate change?
The world's climate is accelerating due to humans. It's a fact. Humans have the abilities to alter this pathway that is currently leading towards greater environmental disasters, but what is getting in the way?Dr. Julia Baird, Canada Re...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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42:50
Leadership in a crisis with Jeff Lehman
Mayors are often the front lines of leadership. In any given community, it is the mayor who is the most visible elected official. During times of crisis, there is a role to play for a mayor to help lead a city through a challenging period. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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45:28
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter talks about his journey from homelessness to becoming mayor of mid-size Canadian city
The political debate around homelessness often falls into two camps. Some Canadians feel threatened by homeless people, believing they are a source of crime, and some business owners think they keep customers away. People in that camp mostly ju...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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45:27
How socks can make a difference with Sam Baio
Ideas on how to help in communities come in all shapes and sizes. No idea is too big and no idea is too small when it comes finding ways to help those who are struggling with homelessness. Sometimes great ideas coming while driving on a highway...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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43:15
How to turn down the dial on anger and rage with Julie Christiansen
We are living in a period of increasing rage and anger driven by the polarization of politics and social media. Last fall Pollara Strategic Insights’ Rage Index showed Canadians are an angry bunch and it has an impact on communities, workplaces...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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45:59
A new company looks to unlock spaces within homes to provide housing for students
In university and college towns, the pressure for housing has exhausted the housing market due to a continuous increase in enrolments that hasn't been matched by an increase in on-campus student living spaces. This has created an even more inte...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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43:21
How to deal with tensions in your life and in community with Tim Arnold
One of the most foundational books that I read during my time as Mayor of St. Catharines was written by Tim Arnold called The Power of Healthy Tension. It was a powerful book that gave me the tools to understand that tensions in relation...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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42:31
Understanding the cause and effects of trauma
Learning about trauma and its impact on the human mind and body is a way to unlock understanding about the long term impacts of trauma. To gain a better understanding of the issues of addictions, homelessness and mental health, a trauma informe...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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42:09
The toxicity of drugs is putting more youth in danger of overdose deaths - what can be done to stop this before it is too late?
Fatal overdoses from opioids and other illicit drugs are now the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 18 in British Columbia, a development that underscores the urgency of the province’s toxic drug crisis. The numbers are trending in the...
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46:55
Does safer drug supply have a role to play in the opioid epidemic?
Until the opioid epidemic touches your family or friends, concepts like safer drug supply are quite polarizing especially in Canadian politics. The concept is controversial but addictions is a complex affliction and through a better understandi...
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43:57
Businesses can make a difference in communities and FirstOntario Credit Union is leading the way
When it comes to social issues facing communities, businesses must play a role to help create pathways to solutions. Beyond the writing of a cheque, businesses (large and small) can be at the table to help communities navigate through the signi...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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44:21
Why have food banks become a fixture in someone's life rather than a temporary place for assistance
Food banks across Canada were designed to be places for people to access food during an emergency. Now, it seems that food banks have become the backstop for more and more people as food insecurity reaches levels not seen in generations. <...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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47:41
Designing better systems of mental health and addictions care through lived experiences
When we talk about addictions and the complexities of homelessness and mental health, there is often a empty chair at the table - the person with lived experience. It has become increasingly clear that creating programs and systems of care with...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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41:48
Policing and the Opioid Epidemic with Port Hope Chief of Police Tim Farquharson
The opioid epidemic has stretched the resources of communities. Downtowns have become centres for extensive and excessive drug use often out in the open and in public spaces. People look to the police to address this complex issue but is it up ...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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45:03
What role do safe consumption sites play in addressing the opioid epidemic?
The opioid epidemic has gripped communities large and small across North America. The rapid rise of addictions has also created pressures on health care and addiction support systems. The introduction of safe consumption sites were created to p...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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44:13
Homeless shelters were designed to be places of temporary place relief, but what happened?
When a church opened a homeless shelter, it was due to an urgent need to temporarily house people that had no place to live. Now, over 20 years later, the Southridge Shelter in Niagara continues to be a place for those seeking a respite and the...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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41:32
A blueprint for addressing the housing crisis in Canada
Dr. Mike Moffat joined forces with a group of leading housing experts in Canada to produce a blueprint on how to address the growing housing crisis. It comes at a crucial time as governments at all levels need find ways to build more housing.&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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41:57
How a community-based common agenda can be the catalyst of positive change
Visionary leader and pioneer in the work of poverty reduction in Canada, Paul Born pulled together a set of tools to guide communities in a process that leads to better outcomes of everyone. Founder of BE Community and Co-Founder of Tamar...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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44:37
Taking medical care to where people need it the most
Dr. Karl Stobbe practiced rural medicine for 20 plus so he understood the concept that medical care needs to find ways to meet people where they are - not the other way around. An accomplished physician, Dr. Stobbe took his years of practice an...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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41:35
A father's tragic loss led to the creation of a campaign aimed at saving the lives of young people
After the accidental overdose death of Steve Borisenko’s young son Jacob in 2021 Steve wanted find a way to help youth who are struggling with substance use as well as their parents. With the help of community partners and Moonbase, a local mul...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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42:49
Can municipal housing targets be a tool to get more homes built?
St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe was one of the first municipalities in Ontario to set an ambitious target to build 11,000 homes over the next decade. Understanding that houses are not built by municipalities, what is the reason for setting hous...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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40:48
Focusing on diversion to tackle youth homelessness
According to Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey, 20% of the homeless population in Canada is comprised of youth between the ages of 13-24. In a given year, there ar...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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41:47
Canada's homelessness crisis has a direct connection to lack of housing supply
One of the most pressing issues facing communities across Canada is the increase in people experiencing homelessness. From big cities to small towns, it's no longer possible to not see the impacts of a housing crisis that was years in the makin...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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44:10