The Sunday Edition for September 29, 2019
Listen to this week's episode of The Sunday Edition with Michael Enright
Michael's essay – The invisibility of the poor in election campaigns: "I have heard the word "poverty" used once in the last two and a half weeks. That was on September 11, when the prime minister called the election. It is not unusual. Poor people were blanked out in the 2015 election, and the silence was deafening. Which is odd since there are nearly four million poor people in this country."
Climate change and young Canadians' politics: Young voters are typically the least likely to vote in Canadian elections, but that may be changing with the emergence of climate change as the defining political issue for a generation. Michael's guests are: Riley Yesno, a 20-year-old student and climate activist from the Eabametoong First Nation in Northern Ontario; Rahin Virani, a 20-year-old student and former volunteer for the federal Conservative Party; and Rebecca Hamilton, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student who has been organizing climate strikes in Vancouver.
When the environment was not a partisan issue: Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative governments were arguably the most environmentally progressive in Canadian history. Tom McMillan, who served as environment minister under Mulroney, discusses how that political environment was different 30 years ago.
Uncomfortable conversations with self-proclaimed progressives: It's never easy to point out the insensitivity of people who think of themselves as your ally. But Sabreena Delhon finds it even harder to just nod and smile politely when she's being patronized. Her essay is called "Mustn't Grumble."
The fate of liberal democracy in the Trump era: Adam Gopnik admits that almost everyone on the left and the right in the politically polarized democracies of the United States and Europe seems to have a bone to pick with liberalism. But at a time when the US is lurching into an ever-deepening political crisis, the best-selling Canadian-American author and New Yorker writer discusses what has become of democracy in the Republic of Trump and why he's still holding a torch for liberalism.
Physics in the forest: Nelson, B.C. is known for is organic food co-ops, yoga studios, microbreweries and beautiful natural setting. Some brainiac scientists have also made the small mountain city their headquarters for exploring the frontiers of physics. Bob Keating's documentary is called "Physics in the Forest."
Eighty years of fabulous fries: You can get french fries at any number of fast-food chains and diners. But there's something about fries from a chip truck. Mike and Marielle Yorke's fryer on wheels — the Glace Bay Chip Truck — and its 80-year tradition of hand-cut fries is a Cape Breton institution. Holly Conners' documentary is called "The Blessed Wagon."
Daughter of Family G: This week, Canadian writer Ami McKay published a memoir about her family's history with cancer. We revisit her original 2002 documentary for The Sunday Edition about whether or not to get tested for a rare genetic mutation that causes colon cancer. Her documentary, and her memoir, are called "Daughter of Family G."