The OShow with Laura Babcock

Guy Felicella, Harm Reduction and Recovery Expert, responds to Premier Ford's stigmatizing people living in homelessness and his decision to close life-saving safe consumption sites. McMaster Researcher Gessie Stearns also joins host Laura Babcock to discuss alarming new death statistics among the unhoused population and what the City and Province need to do NOW.

Amid harmful conspiracies about people being bussed into cities and politicians disagreeing on how to address the homelessness crisis, we spoke with Councillor Cameron Kroetsch of downtown Hamilton about potential solutions to save lives during the winter. This is a challenging and emotional conversation at a difficult time in Ontario and Canada, but there are solutions if we work together to fight for them.

How do we stop Ford's populist government from gaining another majority despite its alarming actions, such as closing safe consumption sites, laughing at MRI wait times, missing housing targets, shutting the Science Centre, being under RCMP investigation for the Greenbelt Scandal, needlessly cancelling booze contracts, and ruining Ontario Place, costing Ontario billions? Moreover, what impact will Pierre Poilievre's national populist movement have on Ontario's political landscape? Veteran Journalists Keith Leslie and Mark Cripps give their no-holds-barred analysis and strong opinions with Host Laura Babcock on the scary state of Ford's Ontario and the high stakes in the Spring Election.

Living on $15,000 a year on ODSP, people are unable to afford food and rent, which can lead to homelessness. They also face issues like being charged new bus fares and not having accessible sidewalks in the winter. Tim Nolan, founder of Accessibility Hamilton Alliance, discussed these challenges with host Laura Babcock. They highlighted the need for policy solutions at the municipal and provincial levels to ensure equity of choice for all Ontarians.

For some reason, NDP leader Andrea Horwath attacked the Liberals in the last election, helping Doug Ford's PCs secure another majority. She then ran for Mayor of Hamilton. She has achieved almost nothing during her term, especially in the homelessness crisis. Former Citizen of the Year Graham Crawford analyzes her failure to act and the role of the Police, councillors, and the downtown entertainment district in the homelessness crisis. Host Laura Babcock urges civic leaders to work together to find solutions to the situation.

What kind of Premier laughs at people waiting for life-saving MRIs and says they should go to a veterinarian instead? Promotes hot dog festivals when 3 in 200 people are experiencing homelessness? Underfunds services for at-need kids so badly their parents are surrendering them to foster care? Douglas Connors, Co-Host of the True North Eager Beaver Podcast, who was himself a Ward of the Province as a child, shares his deeply personal story, his outrage at all of Ford's messed up priorities, and shares strategies with host Laura Babcock to oust Ford in the coming election.

Kojo Damptey of McMaster University is back on The OShow to warn about a cross-Canada tour coming to Hamilton and why Canadians everywhere should learn more about right-wing extremism in these dangerous times. Kojo also discusses how Black people are overrepresented in Hamilton Police Use of Force Data and the system changes needed to fix policing in Ontario.

In this in-depth and candid OShow appearance, Green Party Leader Elizabeth May gives a behind-the-scenes look into the Foreign Interference Scandal and how MPs act when the TV cameras are off. She urges Canadians to demand solutions from party leaders and not accept simple slogans like Axe the Tax. May explains how to tackle problems of the Climate Crisis, Equity, Affordability, and Fascism in our poly-crisis world. She also discusses the #kamalaharris campaign and the impact it may have on Canada and the world.