CJRU, The Scope

Federal by-elections underway in Toronto and York Centre

The mandate of Elections Canada is to deliver an election at any time, even during a pandemic. CJRU spoke with Natasha Guathier of Elections Canada about the federal by-elections in Toronto Centre and York Centre. 

Brittany Bruce Explains Unintended Consequences of CERB’s Easy Access

Brittany Bruce speaks with CJRU about the realities of social work in the time of COVID-19 and the unintended consequences of CERB repayments that could push clients like hers further into poverty.

TRWRF cares for restaurant workers one gift card at a time

 CJRU spoke with their co-founder Arianne Persaud about the early days of the fund, how their gift card system contributes to the local economy, and their new mental health and wellness stream.

Archiving Asian-Canadian stories with Quarantine Qapsule

Quarantine Qapsule (QQ) is a digital archive of the Asian Canadian experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. QQ is accepting submissions until Oct. 23 from Asian-Canadians who are over 18 and living in Ontario. The project believes that art is created anywhere in any style and submissions are meant to be a low-stakes opportunity for creative expression. CJRU spoke with some of the folks making QQ happen, creator Nightingale Nguyen and Tea Base’s co-creative director Christie Carrière.

Arianne Persaud on restaurant industry, pre and post-COVID

As conversations around indoor dining continue, CJRU speaks with Arianne Persaud on the realities of Toronto’s restaurant industry. Persaud co-founded the Toronto Restaurant Workers Relief Fund and shares insights on how illness was handled prior to COVID-19 and what this history can tell us about the road ahead. 

NFFTT distributes over 10,000 pounds of fruit picked from Toronto backyards

Between June and October, Not Far From The Tree (NFFTT) has picked over 10,000 pounds of fresh fruit from Toronto backyards. The charity has been doing this work for over a decade but this has been a season like no other. As they complete their final picks of the season, NFFT’s picking program assistant Jessica Akiwi tells CJRU about the impact they’ve made in Toronto neighbourhoods amidst rising food insecurity. 

Natasha Ramoutar Releases Book "Bittersweet" A Reflection on Migration, Identity and Scarborough

From her Scarborough home, Ryerson grad Natasha Ramoutar tells CJRU about her first book, Bittersweet. She breaks down the complex feelings and histories that shape her collection of poems.

“It covers a disrupted or suppressed lineage. For me, Bittersweet is about connecting the home I have right now in Scarborough with my ancestral home and what happens when you don’t have links or certain historical documents,” the Toronto-born writer explains.

Dr. Valerie Borum on the role of race and anti-Black racism on mental health

In September, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced an $11.5 million investment in mental health support for Canadians. From this, $4.9 million will go towards the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund. CJRU spoke with Dr. Valerie Borum, director of Ryerson’s School of Social Work, on the intersection of race and mental health.

“It’s impossible to separate the two. When we look at mental health, race is always a variable in a nation that is dominated by whiteness,” Borum says.

Human rights and housing advocates take the City of Toronto to court Thursday

A coalition of human rights and housing advocates are taking the City of Toronto to the Ontario Superior Court for a hearing on Thursday, Oct. 1. Members of the public and media may observe proceedings via Zoom at 10 a.m.