In today’s segment we will look at some proposed provincial regulations that could have a huge impact on the Grand River Conservation Authority and our watershed and what Regional Council’s response is to those proposed changes. We’ll discuss what’s happening with the proposed police budget amid calls for reallocation as we dive into November’s police board meeting. And finally, we’ll learn a bit more about Cambridge Council’s recent decision about a Consumption and Treatment Services site in Cambridge.
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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.
You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.
On the centenary of the first-ever exhibition of the Group of Seven painters, KWAG is premiering Deanna Bowen’s “Black Drones in the Hive” as the cornerstone of fall programming. This curatorial choice serves to break up with the narrative that the Group of Seven has served around terra nullius, and bring visibility to the narratives and intersections between Indigenous, Black, and settler stories.
This interview serves as part two of two with Crystal Mowry, senior curator at the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, uncovering Deanna Bowen’s “Black Drones in the Hive”. In part two, Crystal will dive into some of the curatorial choices that bring the exhibit to life, the unlikely patternicity that links some of Kitchener’s historical characters to themes in the exhibit, and the evolving role of art spaces in supporting collective movements beyond the gallery.
Black Drones in the Hive is on view at KWAG until 28 February 2021.
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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.
You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.
Music for this episode was courtesy of Dylan Prowse.
Chuck Howitt talks about his time at The Record; how BlackBerry Town came to be; the research involved in writing a book; a rival book, Losing The Signal appears; finding a publisher with the help of Steve Izma; Lorimer Publishing accepts, but imposes a deadline. Chuck writes to meet the deadline; changes suggested by Lorimer made it a better book. Not a history book, but about people and stories and technology. Chuck explains what happened with RIM and its stock options. Talking about patents, patent trolls, and RIM’s patent lawsuit. What took BlackBerry down? Chuck thinks it was distractions (buying hockey teams, physics institutes), complacency, and failure to innovate. Discussing the technology offered by the competition. With RIM’s centralized infrastructure, how secure was the BlackBerry technology really? Chuck Howitt reads some excerpts from BlackBerry Town. Talking about other technology companies in Waterloo. “Unicorn companies”, worth billions of dollars on paper, but what are they really worth? Promoting the book in the media. Chuck is now writing a blog. How to buy the book: Online at Lorimer, IRL at Words Worth Books. Audio book on CKMS-FM? Stay tuned!
57m10s
Empty To Fill
and Bob Jonkman gives the end credits
On the centenary of the first-ever exhibition of the Group of Seven painters, the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery (KWAG) is premiering Deanna Bowen’s “Black Drones in the Hive” as the cornerstone of fall programming. This curatorial choice serves to break up with the narrative that the Group of Seven has served around terra nullius, and bring visibility to the narratives and intersections between Indigenous, Black, and settler stories.
This interview serves as part one of two with Crystal Mowry, senior curator at the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery, uncovering Deanna Bowen’s “Black Drones in the Hive”. In part one, Crystal will talk about her role as a curator slash co-conspirator, share some of the themes of this timely exhibit, and reveal some behind the scenes stories that illustrate the journey of bringing these works together.
You can learn more about the exhibit from the artist herself, on Nov 26. KWAG is hosting Montreal-based artist Deanna Bowen discussing her solo exhibition, Black Drones in the Hive, in conversation with Crystal Mowry herself.
Black Drones in the Hive is on view at KWAG until 28 February 2021.
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This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news., and other stories commissioned under the Local Journalism Initiative at canada-info.ca.
You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. If you want to get in touch with comments, or ideas about stories to cover, email us at news@radiowaterloo.ca.
Music for this episode was courtesy of Dylan Prowse.
Dan Walsh joins Bob Jonkman to play some guitar, and to talk about Guitars For Kids Waterloo Region and the fundraiser they’re having on Sunday 22 November 2020.
Dan Walsh tells Bob Jonkman it’s “Virtusoso”, not “Virtuoso”. Talking about beards, playing guitar, teaching, how it was in “before times”, performing online, cancelled shows in the event list, the vibe of playing live, talking about The Moonshine Café,
LEWP is “Line Echo Weather Pattern”; Dan’s 2006 National Replicon 14 guitar, the mojo of guitar sound. Practicing or playing? Experimenting with Open Tuning. Where’s the soul in music? Not in Nashville, apparently… Stolen guitars, sentimental value.
Interpreting Movin’ On, recovering a stolen guitar. Too many guitars? Getting around to Guitars For Kids Waterloo Region and the fundraiser; “Blue Box for Guitars”; how people donate guitars; the spread of Guitars For Kids across the country and North America; the donors that provide services to GFK; Video documentary coming out on Sunday, 22 November 2020 at http://guitarsforkids.ca/; Art Guitar auction at https://www.32auctions.com/gfkwr.
58m44s
Drive Me To Drink
Excerpt as Bob signs off for the week
Jim Stewart and Riani de Wet of the Waterloo Region Health Coalition return to CKMS Community Connections to talk about the new legislation for Long Term Care facilities and privatization of health care.
Ford’s 4-hour long-term care announcement too late:
Need commitment to deal with staffing crisis now
Toronto – While the Ontario Health Coalition is happy that the Ford government has finally adopted the 4-hour minimum care standard as policy, the timeline that they have given is so long that it is meaningless for the people who are suffering and dying in long-term care now, warns the Coalition. The Coalition has been working to win a minimum care standard in long-term care for more than 20 years, since the Harris government removed the existing care standard in the late 1990s. For at least 15 years this has been a priority issue and the Health Coalition has held countless events and activities to pressure consecutive governments to bring it in. Today the Ford government announced that it has adopted the 4-hour target but will not commit to implementing it until 2024/25, four years and a provincial election away.
“Too much of the government’s response to date has been focused on PR at the expense of concrete measures, said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. “There is much more that the Ford government could do right now to save lives and get care levels up, so announcing a care standard four years from now is just not good enough.”
“Ontarians need to know what concrete recruitment and training is going to happen right now to get staff into the homes and to move us toward the four-hour minimum average care level as quickly as possible,” Ms. Mehra went on to say.
For example:
4 months ago, at the beginning of June, Quebec’s government launched a recruitment drive backed by the full power of government and funded fully to get 10,000 PSW-equivalent workers, paid them $21 per hour for training, increased wages to $26 an hour and is deploying this small army of workers into the homes.
British Columbia’s government took action 6 months ago to provide full time work and an increased wage of $21.75 per hour for PSWs in long-term care to stabilize the workforce.
In contrast, Ontario’s government did nothing substantial in the summer months when there was a lull in COVID-19 cases and should have been planning for the fall. Finally in September, they announced funding and training for 2000 PSWs along with a series of piecemeal funding and training; no big recruitment drive, no full time work, no improvement in wages and working conditions that would attract people to this work. They also renewed the pandemic pay until March, but at $1 per hour less than it was in the summer.
“We are happy that the minimum care standard is finally, belatedly, adopted as policy but we cannot allow this to be the way that this government tries to shut down the legitimate criticism about their inadequate response. We desperately need staff in the homes now. It is in this government’s power to do more. Why will they not do it?” concluded Ms. Mehra.
Almost Four Dozen People Who Applied to Testify Before the
Ontario Legislature’s Standing Committee on Bill 218 Limiting Legal Liability for COVID-19 Harms for Long-Term Care Homes and Others,
Cut Out of the Hearings Today
Toronto – Increasingly frustrated with the lack of accountability for the response to COVID-19 in Ontario’s long-term care homes, Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra called today’s revelation that dozens of people who applied for standing in today’s legislative hearings on Bill 218 which limits legal liability for the home operators, “Injustice heaped upon injustice,” for the families of those who have died.
A number of family members and their lawyers were among those cut from the hearings, as the Ford government has limited the hearings to one part-day meaning that there are only 15 spaces for people to be heard. The government gave almost no notice for the hearings, which are being held this afternoon, so families spent hours in the past two days reliving the horrors of the last days of their loved ones lives while trying to write up their presentations, only to find that they will not be heard, Ms. Mehra reported. “It is heartbreaking, just so wrong,” she said.
Fifty-eight people applied for standing and only 15 are being heard. The practice of severely limiting public hearings has reached unprecedented levels under the Ford government which has also changed the rules of the Legislature to enable themselves to pass bills with unprecedented speed.
“There is no reason that the government cannot extend the hearings to one more day to hear from people who have been directly impacted in the most devastating of ways,” she said. “We are calling on the government to extend the hearings and give the families the ability to have input on this legislation that directly impacts their attempt to seek justice.”
Bill 218 raises the legal bar for those suing for COVID-19 harms to gross negligence from simple negligence. It redefines “good faith effort” which usually means a reasonable and competent effort to say that long-term care and retirement homes, among others, just had to make an “honest effort, whether reasonable or not”, thereby making it both harder to sue and easier to defend. It makes these measures retroactive to March 17, 2020, the week that COVID-19 began to spread in long-term care homes, impacting more than two dozen class action and legal suits that are already underway against for-profit long-term care homes that were responsible for more than half of the COVID 19 deaths in Ontario’s homes in the first wave of the pandemic, a trend that is shaping up to be the same or worse in the second wave, reported the Coalition.
The Health Coalition, which opposes these measures for long-term care and retirement homes, will testify before the Standing Committee on Justice Policy at 1 p.m. today and will call on the committee to extend the hearings.
Bob Jonkman and Jim Stewart talk about the state of the Covid pandemic in Ontario, and are joined by Riani de Wet to discuss long term care legislation.
58m01s
Ridin’ With A Thief
while Bob gives the end credits.
Bob Jonkman talks to Denny Copf about the style of Tomacco‘s music (Spoiler: It’s “Rock / Funk”), playing shared venues, the tribulations of drummers, the line-up of the band, playing large and prestigious venues, a bit of band history, streaming a show during the pandemic shutdown, the trouble with services shutting down streams for copyright violations.
About the Mister Twister video setup, the visual production for live shows, what brought Denny to play Funk/Rock, how Funk comes and goes in the mainstream, Denny’s musical background, using the pandemic to work on refining his music.
Producing the first Tomacco EP, realizing revenue from performing and streaming, using the pandemic to hone his craft. Bob makes another fundraising appeal. Inviting other bands to submit music. Talking about being a musician and a social justice advocate, events Tomacco has, upcoming social justice
How Denny came to name the band “Tomacco“, both a Simpsons reference and incorporates some GMO awareness. Listing the social media and online presence for Tomacco. Upcoming project: A new EP, discussing the setup and software tools used to self-produce an album. Another project: Filming an analysis on how bands are dealing with Covid. Working Covid into song lyrics.
57m53s
Rebellion Da Funk while Bob gives the end credits and makes a final fundraising request.
As the Waterloo Region’s Police board is discussing the next police budget, Radio Waterloo sat with Dr. Kathy Hoghart, an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work in University of Waterloo, and former advisor to police chief Brian Larkin, on issues of race.
The discussion covers the widespread calls to reallocate police budget money into other services that can more competently do the work the police have been tasked with, and issues of systemic racism within the WRPS and policing generally.
In the last few months the police board received several reports that clearly show the police bias against black and indigenous people. While board members were surprised by those reports, Dr. Hoghart wasn’t surprised at all.
— This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news. You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. And you can email news@radiowaterloo.ca to get in touch with comments or ideas about stories to cover.
The music was Blackroom by Moby, courtesy of mobygratis.com
Bob Jonkman speaks with Aaron Dawe about the music of Dichroma, the band itself, how Covid has affected the band, and the production of their new EP, possibly called Two and possibly to come out this Friday, 30 October 2020.
The interview starts at 5m55s. Sadly, the phone connection was not very good.
John MacDonald of the Kitchener Festival of Neighbourhoods
John MacDonald joins Bob Jonkman on a web conference to talk about the Kitchener Festival of Neighbourhoods, what the organization does, how it operates with the City, and the upcoming festival on Sunday 15 November 2020.
Jeremy Gignoux and Bob Jonkman talk about Extension Chord, Calgary, studying composition, Greek musicology and Pythagoras, composition technique, and a technical discussion on resolving notes which Jeremy demonstrates on the piano.
Analyzing Technicolour, talking about the Cinacoustic album, the personnel, influenced by Stéphane Grappelli and Django Reinhardt, the banjoline, working on new skills and projects during Covid downtime, the pedal steel guitar, the viola. Fidde player or vio
Jeremy Gignoux talks about fiddle music. Fiddle music is folk music, music of the people, all over the world. Fiddle styles are like accents in language. Is classical violin music more difficult?
Talking about classical music. There’s a spectrum of style from classical violin to fiddle and even jazz violin. Upcoming jazz concert in Calgary. Contact info, social media info, streaming and purchase info for Jeremy Gignoux and his music.
58m18s
Climate Rag and Bob Jonkman gives the end credits.
The YouTube Editor seems to have trimmed the *end* of the video, not the start, so now it has 20 minutes of Musician’s FAQ (a fine show), but is missing 20 minutes with Jeremy Gignoux. You’ll just have to listen to the podcast…
Since June 21, 2020 a number of indigenous people, sick of Kitchener and Waterloo charging them large amounts of money to gather in their traditional places, having to get permits and seek permission to gather on their traditional land, occupied a part of Victoria Park in Kitchener, a land reclamation known as “Land Back Camp” or O:se Kenhionhata:tie
They are demanding four things: to waive all fees for the Indigenous communities to host events in public spaces, to give back the land in Victoria Park and Waterloo Park, that the cities create paid positions at all levels for engaging with Indigenous Peoples, and that the cities create Indigenous Advisory Committees to address racial injustice.
Shawn Johnston and Amy Smoke. Photo: Ivan Angelovski
After more than 17 weeks of protest, they managed to resolve the fees problem and on Monday October 19, the city of Kitchener will be voting on establishing a team dedicated to addressing social justice issues, including Indigenous initiatives.
But that’s not going to resolve all the problems Indigenous peoples face in Waterloo Region.
On this episode we speak with Amy Smoke and Shawn Johnston from the Land Back Camp.
— This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news. You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. And you can email news@radiowaterloo.ca to get in touch with comments or ideas about stories to cover.
The music was Blackroom by Moby, courtesy of mobygratis.com
Black Lives Matter of Waterloo Region, along with other Black and African organizations in the Region, started a petition for the police to drop the charges against Irene Ekweozoh, a Waterloo based PhD candidate in law.
Ekweozoh was arrested on September 20th, after problems with her White neighbour in their apartment building.
The issues began in February, when, according to Ekweozoh and the police report, after an argument, her neighbour unleashed a dog on her and her 13 year old daughter. The police told Ekweozoh that charges were not warranted against her neighbour in that incident.
In this episode you will hear from: Irene Ekweozoh, PhD student targeted for arrest by Waterloo regional police, Fanis Juma an organizer with Black Lives Matter of Waterloo Region, Tapiwa Jabhama from the African Canadian Association, as well as Fidelia Otokhina and Promise O Williams from the Nigerians in the Region of Waterloo.
In a statement from the regional police service’s public relations department it was noted that “anyone with concerns about police conduct or professionalism can call to speak to a supervisor to relay their concerns or issue a formal complaint at 519-570-9777 (WRPS). Complaints about police conduct can also be filed with the Ontario Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) here:www.oiprd.on.ca.”
— This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Check out the archived versions of this program and other episodes on radiowaterloo.ca/news. You can follow us on twitter @RadioWaterloo. And you can email news@radiowaterloo.ca to get in touch with comments or ideas about stories to cover.
The music was Blackroom by Moby, courtesy of mobygratis.com
Thanksgiving, Covid safety, introducing Alt.Pop.Repeat, explaining “Counterculture”, the joy of podcasting and community radio, listing the episodes, finding counterculture, researching counterculture.
Taking pictures, retro-counterculture, having Alt.Pop.Repeat on Dash Radio, producing podcasts is timeconsuming, new episode on Tuesday 13 October 2020 about Yoga with Faith Hunter
Excerpt from Alt.Pop.Repeat‘s episode Legally High: The Cannabis Episode (w/ Tommy Chong) and the analysis, “The Sync”. The structure of podcasts, launching WR Podcasts, finding people for podcasts, podcasting is publicity, podcasting is informing people about differences and similarities, the cycle of counterculture to pop culture and back again, contacting Chrissy Newton and Alt.Pop.Repeat
In June this year, tens of thousands of people marched the streets of Kitchener in support for the Black Lives Matter movement, asking for change. Their most important demand was to defund the police.
With similar calls across Canada that were unsuccessful, what will happen with the police budget in Waterloo region?
In this episode we talk with Teneile Warren, local organiser and anti-racism activist, and Karen Redman, Regional Chair and chair of the Waterloo Region Police Service board.
— This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
David Marskell Bob Jonkman chats with David Marskell of THEMUSEUM about the operation of a museum, the exhibits, the history, and upcoming exhibits. And we play some CanCon and local KWCon music too!
Bob reads the bio for Bano, now known as Astral Gates. Chatting with David Marskell: The state of THEMUSEUM during the pandemic, both physical and online. Reviewing some current events at THEMUSEUM. A bit of history, how THEMUSEUM came to downtown Kitchener. THEMUSEUM is still open for weddings; other collaborative exhibits with the CNE and Bingemans. Permanent exhibits as remnants from The Children’s Museum, some more history. Still open for walk-in visitors, seniors’ program, couples. About the Alarm exhibit (open until January 2021), the Land Back Camp exhibit, Music and Islamic Art. About the Underground Studio, a makerspace for STEAM.
Chatting with David Marskell about the branding of THEMUSEUM, with no collection it is officially THEMUSEUM of Ideas Transcending Objects; David Marskell’s background at other organizations; staffing at THEMUSEUM; partnerships with other museums and organizations; working online. Talking about funding THEMUSEUM.
Bob reads Jacob Bradshaw’s e-mail to the station. Chatting with David Marskell about show business; the structure of THEMUSEUM – Board of Directors, volunteering, marketing. Introducing the upcoming blockbuster exhibition: The Rolling Stones | UNZIPPED
56m40s
Gimme Shelter and Bob Jonkman gives the show credits
Please pardon the persistent on-screen graphic. I was trying out some new-to-me software (OBS Studio), but I don’t have enough hands to do both radio and video at the same time…
Early September the federal government announced investments of up to 221 million dollars to help Black-owned businesses.
But even before that, Black-owned businesses in Waterloo region have organized to help themselves.
Marc Lafleur is co-founder and the CEO of the Kitchener based TruLocal, a company that connects people with local farmers and provides them with locally-sourced meat products.
After Black Lives Matter protests in Canada early June, TruLocal organized what they called Equal opportunity grant, giving $5,000 to select Black-owned businesses.
The idea, as Marc Lafleur says, was to equal the playing field.
— This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Bob Jonkman interviews musician JSP, and co-hosts the program with Felix Ranchero of Atardecer Ranchero, which airs on CKMS-FM 102.7 on Thursdays from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
Talking to JSP about Don’t Worry, his new single made during quarantine; the ideas that led to the single, distribution on radio and Spotify; “JSP” was “Jay Superior”, discussing earlier works, and JSP’s art in other media. Talking about JSP’s studio and equipment, live performances. Introducing Don’t Worry.
Discussion with Felix Ranchero of Atardecer Ranchero / Dusk On The Ranch, Felix’s history on radio, language differences between Salvadorean and European Spanish. A bit of history of Bob Jonkman, too. Talking about community radio, how community radio works, involvement of the community. Talking about Jenniefer Stronge’s vision for CKMS Community Connections. Promoting the Host Your Own Show program, playing Rob Curwain’s HYOS promo.
Shiv TalwarRobyn LeBron-Anders Shiv Talwar and Robyn LeBron-Anders join Bob Jonkman to talk about the Spiritual Heritage Education Network (SHEN), the upcoming “Teaching Unity in Diversity” conference, the books they’ve written. Shiv even conducts a breathing workshop for Bob!
Deep Breathing Sessions with Shiv Talwar are held every Monday evening from 7:00pm to 8:30pm on Zoom through the Civic Hub Online. Workshops are on hold while Shiv is giving lectures and preparing for the conference; they’ll resume on Monday, 5 October 2020.
Talking to Robyn LeBron-Anders about her books and the work she’s done on creating world religion courses. Final thoughts: Think of your children and grandchildren, and how they can live in harmony with the rest of the world.
On May 27, 2020, in the High Park neighbourhood in Toronto, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a 29-year-old black-indigenous woman, ended up dead after an encounter with Toronto police. The police were originally called by her mother to try to de-escalate an unsafe mental health situation.
All of this is under several investigations, so I’m very careful with words.
One of those investigations – the one by the Special Investigations Unit, the SIU – unit that’s supposed to investigate police misconduct in Ontario, cleared all the police officers that were at the scene.
The decision sparked a new set of anti-racism protests across Canada, a series of protests started after the murder of George Floyd in the States.
Whatever the truth is, and probably only people who were in that apartment know what it is, the case goes to the list of cases in which people with mental problems ended up dead after coming across police officers in Ontario, like Ejaz Choudry, Ian Pryce, and Andrew Loku, among others.
In Toronto, an organization Doctors for defunding police started a petition, now signed by 622 Canadian doctors and health professionals, warning that policing in this country is a public health crisis and calling for a change on how this society is reacting to mental health, and other issues.
In this program, we’re talking with doctor Suzanne Shoush and medical student Semir Bulle, from the University of Toronto who started the organization.
White text in all capitals on a black background reading “Wellness checks should never be a death sentence.” @drsdefundpolice”. Image courtesy of Doctors For Defunding Polcie
— This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” grant program and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, the Government of Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
Amanda Di Battista Amanda Di Battista, project coordinator with the Laurier Centre For Sustainable Food Systems joins Bob Jonkman to talk about the research work of the Centre, and the Handpicked Podcast.
The interview starts at 5m56s.
Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food Systems Online:
Introducing Amanda Di Battista and the Handpicked Podcast; sustainable food systems from seed to compost: localized, ecologically regenerative, socially just, fair, economically viable.
1 in 8 households, and 1 in 6 children are food insecure, don’t have access to or are unable to afford healthy food. It’s worse in Indigenous and Black communities. We need to move people out of poverty so they are able to eat well, and have culturally appropriate food. People across Canada have some of those solutions which are culturally appropriate and help combat climate change.
Discussing how climate change affects people’s food supply, affected by stewardship of the land. Through the Handpicked Podcast researchers are sharing information across communities in new ways.
Talking about reslience at the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, including dealing with Covid-19. Dr. Theresa Schumilas and the Open Food Network offers a new way to participate in food markets, allowing people to pivot and respond to the pandemic. It’s totally Open Source and socially just. Allows both producer to retailer, and direct to consumer, eg. Bailey’s Local Food.
Talking about researchers in the field, eg. Dr. Schumilas, looking at food sovereignty, people’s right to food, and linking that with technological sovereignty, the right for people to control their own data. Building trust relationships with communities, determining what research will meet their needs. Working in “Participatory Action Research” or “Community Driven Research”; the Centre works on several projects, amongst them FLEdGE (Food: Locally Embedded, Globally Engaged), international projects in Brazil and Kenya, as well as policy work at the national and global levels.
24m25s
Climate Rag (or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Embrace Change)
Talking about the City Region Food Systems toolkit, including pandemics and Covid-19 response. Using the UNESCO chair to build more robust networks in Waterloo Region.
Sustainable Food Systems as both a cause and a solution to the global climate crisis, a lever for change. Also, Covid-19 is a window into interesting solutions.
Dr. Alison Blay-Palmer is working with CC-UNESCO, other universities, on how to recover from Covid-19, keeping the environment and food systems in mind. The Building Back Better task force, and position papers in iPolitics. How/where to spend recovery money to have the biggest effect. Prioritizing equity, social justice, and the environmental in the recovery.
Funding for LCSFS comes from Laurier University for operational costs; research is funded through grant writing, some from SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), government support (some international). No industry funding, so no conflict with research.
Handpicked: Stories From The Field is the LCSFS podcast. There are six episodes in the first season, hosted by Amanda Di Battista and Laine Young, available on all the regular podcast outlets. Telling the stories of the researchers at the LCSFS. This is a way to get the research out into the public, directly from the researchers themselves. Quick synopsis of some current episodes, and next season. Talking about Season 1, Episode 6, the Open Food Network, activist coders, Open Source Software, and the Free Software resources in Waterloo Region.
Talking about Hold The Line celebrating municipal legislation and protecting rural areas from urban encroachment. How other municipalities imagine their roles in sustainable food systems.
Podcasts as a research tool, provides open access to research. Podcasts bring research to life.