The Current

The Current for Dec. 1, 2020

Today on The Current: Justin Trudeau on the cost of fighting the pandemic; what a "she-covery" might look like; housing the homeless as winter looms; and your reaction to our conversation with Lisa Raitt about young-onset Alzheimer's.
Matt Galloway is the host of CBC Radio's The Current. (CBC)

Today on The Current:

After yesterday's fiscal update, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joins Matt Galloway to discuss the cost of fighting COVID-19, and how his government plans to roll out the vaccines that could finally subdue the pandemic.

Also, the pandemic has led to what's been called a she-cession, forcing many women out of employment. We speak to Janel Sherise, a mother who had to choose between work and child care, but is finding new ways to make a living. And we discuss what a "she-covery" might look like with Dawn Desjardins, deputy chief economist with RBC, and Anjum Sultana, national director of public policy and strategic communications at YWCA Canada.

Plus, as winter takes hold, Toronto carpenter Khaleel Seivwright has been building tiny shelters for unhoused people. But city officials say they're unsafe and have threatened legal action. We hear from Seivwright and discuss the scale of the crisis with Cathy Crowe, a street nurse and a distinguished visiting practitioner in politics and public administration at Ryerson University, and David Hulchanski, professor of housing and community development at the University of Toronto.

And we discuss your reaction to Monday's conversation with former Conservative MP Lisa Raitt about caring for her husband Bruce, who has young-onset Alzheimer's. We talk to Cindy McCaffery, co-founder of YouQuest, which provides recreation programming to people with the disease.

Full Episode Transcript