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Beyond the Headlines, an in-depth, one on one conversation on the issues shaping our future.
Episodes
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Ep 439 - A Recipe for a Life Well-Lived
Guest: Dr. Doug Clement
“May you live long and prosper” (“dif-tor-heh”) is an idiom from a Jewish term and is popularly attributed to Commander Spock of Star Trek. While that may be so, it is also an apt description of the life of Dr. Doug Clement.
“The questions,” asks Clement, “is how do you do both? Live long and prosper?” The average life expectancy in British Columbia is just north of 82 years. “So living long isn’t the issue,” says Clement, “but living long isn’t a guarantee [that] you will live well, especially when you cross the 60-year mark.”
According to Clement, there are a plethora of factors that contribute to wellness. He says they include “physical and mental fitness, an ongoing sense of purpose and contribution, a sufficient amount of money to alleviate financial stress, and happiness.” Clement also points to the findings of the Grant Study of Adult Development, a Harvard program that tracked the lives of 238 people between 1938 and 2000, which states, “The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health.”
We invited Dr. Doug Clement to join us for a Conversation That Matters about his recipe for a life well-lived.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Ep 438 - Acupuncture
Guest: Dr Linda Rapson
Renowned acupuncturist Dr. Linda Rapson was the 2021 co-winner of the Dr. Rogers Prize for Excellence in Complementary & Alternative Medicine. The $250,000 prize is the largest of its kind and available only to work conducted in Canada. Dr. Rapson is an appropriate recipient.
Throughout her career, she has battled the establishment. From the time she entered medical school in 1965 as one of only 13 women, she has broken down barriers and, as stated on the Dr. Rogers Prize website, “swam uphill developing unfailing courage and a thick skin to ensure that her creative and caring view would reach the conservative medical community.”
In 1974, after years of compassion for her patients who were suffering from acute and chronic pain, Dr. Rapson entered the practice of acupuncture. Once again, she was a groundbreaker. She has advocated for patients' access to acupuncture, gone to battle with regulators, and worked with chiropractic, naturopathic and acupuncture professional organizations and associations.
Dr. Rapson has applied acupuncture treatment in hospices for palliative care and initiated groundbreaking HIV/AIDS treatments. She is currently introducing acupuncture as a treatment for people facing opioid and drug addiction.
We invited Dr. Linda Rapson to join us for a Conversation That Matters about acupuncture and the role of complementary treatment in health.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Ep 437 - The Cold & Flu Rescue Kit
Guest: Dr Samuel Gutman
You feel a tickle in your throat; you notice your child snuffling; or your older parent is zapped of energy. You can’t help but wonder: COVID? Or what other respiratory disease is going to work inside your and your loved ones’ bodies? “We are all hyper-aware, just having endured three years of COVID”, says Dr. Samuel Gutman. “I was an ER doc who, for 3 decades, saw the look of fear on the faces of people who flooded emergency departments looking for answers.”
With more than six million Canadians who can’t get a family doc, patients have few choices to find answers. Gutman says, “So they come to the ER and, in doing so, they are creating another form of congestion – hours-long waits to see a doctor. And who can blame them?”
It’s not just COVID. The list of fears includes Strep A, Influenza A and B, and now RSVs – all of which are sending Canadian families to the ER. “I’ve treated patients who have waited more than 12 hours,'' says Gutman. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Out of compassion and necessity, Gutman and a team of other healthcare professionals went to work to develop a kit that puts the power to diagnose what is ailing you, your child, or your parents in your hands – an at-home tool called the “Cold & Flu Rescue Kit,” which provides accurate and quick test results and is backed up online and over-the-phone. The benefits are many and include knowing what is the appropriate course of action.
We invited Dr. Samuel Gutman to join us for a Conversation That Matters about tackling one of our biggest health care fears, not knowing what is wrong, and whether the government should be providing you with this valuable tool.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Ep 436 - Personalized Cancer Genomics
Guest: Marco Marra
Unlocking the genomic code of cancer – all types of cancer – is an ongoing research endeavour that, when completed, will be a great leap forward. POG is a BC Cancer, Genome BC and Terry Fox Research Institute program designed to offer personalized oncogenomic treatment to cancer patients.
The program is a clinical research initiative that started in 2012. The aim is to decode the genome – the entire DNA and RNA inside the cell – of each patient’s cancer and provide that information in a way that can be a part of treatment planning and decision-making.
The POG program has and is working. Since its beginning, data sharing has been recognized as a fundamentally important component that supports and enhances local, national and international research which drives innovation and science in cancer research.
We invited Dr Marco Marra of BC Cancer to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the final frontier in defeating cancer.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: Can we solve the Rental Housing Puzzle?
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Ep 435 - British Columbia’s Forestry Woes, Explained
Guest: John Brink
In December 2021, Vancouver Sun columnist Vaughn Palmer penned a startling piece about British Columbia’s forest industry. His headline read, “BC forest companies expanding at a rapid pace, but not at home.” That means BC-based forest companies were and continue to invest heavily in wood product production everywhere except the home province they come from.
The flow of forestry capital out of BC is accelerating, including investments made by Canfor, which last year invested $420 million to acquire Alberta-based Millar Western Forest Products. And the rush to get out of BC continues to spiral upward; on the day of this recording, Canfor announced the closing of a pulp line in Prince George, terminating 300 jobs.
It’s not all bad news. John Brink, the founder of the Brink Group company, is a successful entrepreneur who came to Canada with the proverbial 25 cents in his pocket. He went to work at a sawmill north in the 1960s. He set his sights on owning a wood products manufacturing company. He succeeded and continues to thrive despite the troubles the industry faces. Brink says, “It was my dream and it is my passion to ensure forestry products and jobs remain a vital part of the BC economy.”
We invited John Brink to join us for a Conversation That Matter about how we got to the current state of forestry in BC.
Join me Feb 21 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall examines the Rental Housing Paradox
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Ep 434 - The State of Salmon in British Columbia
Guest: Jason Hwang
Salmon are one of the most magnificent species that you rarely get to see, especially when they go to sea. The migratory route from freshwater to the open expanse of the Gulf of Alaska and then back again is unparalleled. No other species travels these great distances without an overhead view – salmon travel to and from their spawning grounds, guided by some internal sonar that is remarkably precise.
Jason Hwang says, “They swim thousands of kilometres and return to the exact same spot. We still don’t fully understand how they do it. It is truly remarkable.” Over the past 100 years, their numbers have crashed. We know many of the reasons why – spawning ground disruption or destruction, coastal eel grass depletion, predators, and the science also points to impacts from open-pen fish farms. Then there is the mystery of what happens when they head out to the open ocean. Add in a changing climate and the impact is devastating on British Columbia’s salmon populations.
Despite the bad news, some salmon populations are showing signs of resilience. Hwang says, “It’s impressive how salmon are able to adapt.” He goes on to say, “It’s important to note they need us to make responsible choices about salmon habitat.”
We invited Jason Hwang, the Vice President of Salmon at the Pacific Salmon Foundation, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the state of salmon in BC.
Join me Jan 17 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Ian Anderson formerly of Transmountain, Chief Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation, Mark Jacquard, SFU, Ross Beaty, Alterra Power, and Fortis CEO Roger Dall'Antonia.
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Ep 433 - Unlocking the Magic of Probiotics
Guest - Dr. Gregor Reid
In 1983, Dr. Gregor Reid had a wild and crazy idea. He pondered, “Is lactobacilli bacteria good for your health?” It was an idea that was years ahead of its time. Back then, probiotics didn’t exist. No one thought of or considered the microbiome – in fact, the term microbiome didn’t exist. Dr. Reid faced ridicule: “Oh, I was called a whole host of names.”
Dr. Reid looked over the horizon and around the corner of history, and foresaw the use of beneficial microbes to treat and prevent disease. He has been proven to be right and, in doing so, provided a strong vision for the evolution of the field.
From what was an idea, a worldwide industry has evolved. As of 2021, the probiotics field is estimated to generate more than $60 billion annually and it has spanned the development of multiple products that are available and in use around the world.
We invited Dr. Gregor Reid, the 2021 Dr. Rogers Prize co-winner, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about where the future of probiotics will take us.
Join me Jan 17 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Ian Anderson formerly of Transmountain, Chief Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation, Mark Jacquard, SFU, Ross Beaty, Alterra Power, and Fortis CEO Roger Dall'Antonia.
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated. Here’s the link
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Dec 30, 2022
Ep 432 - A Wicked Problem
Guest: Douglas Todd
In his book, “White Angel,” John MacLachlan Gray describes the Vancouver of the 1920s as “a dirty, smelly, corrupt hellhole.” Anyone who passes through the Downtown Eastside of the city today might wonder if he was referring to 2020 – an unfortunate consideration because, in 2008, then-mayor Gregor Roberstson promised to end homelessness.
When Robertson left office, the Vancouver Sun reported that “tent-city organizers said that they ‘savour Gregor’s resignation and the humiliating end of Vision Vancouver.” When he left office, there were 2,181 homeless people in Vancouver. Today, it is difficult to know the exact number because for the second year in a row, the City of Vancouver cancelled its homeless count. No matter the number, the situation is worse.
As Douglas Todd, a senior Vancouver Sun journalist, wrote in a recent opinion piece, “It’s impossible to find someone who doesn’t feel compassion for the residents of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.” With that said, the situation gets worse year over year. Todd asks, “Why has so much philanthropy and community activism – and arguably billions of dollars of government and charitable money – had such minimal effect? Why does compassion appear to be failing?”
We invited Douglas Todd to join us for a Conversation That Matters about how we got to now in the Downtown Eastside and how to figure out where to go.
Join me Jan 17 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall with Ian Anderson formerly of Transmountain, Chief Crystal Smith, Haisla Nation, Mark Jacquard, SFU, Ross Beaty, Alterra Power, and Fortis CEO Roger Dall'Antonia.
If you love communications and speech writing you'll gain valuable insights from Presidential SpeechWriting which I narrated.
Friday Feb 17, 2023
Friday Feb 17, 2023
Ep 431 - The Magic, Mystery and Power of Words
Guest: Jonathan Berkowitz
By Stuart McNish
Words are magical things. Words, when spoken out loud in performance, can be and often are like music. When rhythm, timber, pitch and pace are spoken aloud, they are like notes of music. Words – whether spoken, read or thought – ignite a complex series of neural circuits that bring meaning to words.
Words can be and are fun unto themselves. Pulling together a combination of words – like “cantankerous old curmudgeon” – oddly and in a contradictory way, is fun to do. Just ask Jonathan Berkowitz, the author of “The Whirl of Words and Tales from the Word Guy,” who says, “Oh yes, they are!” His love of words, he says, “comes from a home where “life was salted with stories and peppered with puns, each delivered with relish.”
He goes on to say, “Words are a part of every language.” For the purposes of this piece, the focus is on English, a global and welcoming language. Berkowitz, in a chapter of his book, called “The Birds and The Bees: Where do words come from?”, said the answer is, “English words come from everywhere, they are created, emerge, are adopted and liberated.”
We invited Jonathan Berkowitz to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the magic, the mystery, and power of words.
Friday Feb 17, 2023
Friday Feb 17, 2023
Ep 430 - How we can Save Plastic
Guest: Bob Masterson
Plastics are ubiquitous. You can’t go anywhere without them. Your kitchen, for example, is filled with them and most likely you don’t realize how much a part of your life they are. Turn on a light switch – the switch, the face plate, the coating around the wires are all made from plastic. Turn on the tap and drain the sink, and it is plastic that delivers the water and takes it away. Not to mention, all of the wraps on foods that are in your fridge or pantry. And then there are the drink containers and sauces.
Bob Masterson, the President and CEO of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada says, “The overwhelming majority of plastic products last for decades because they were designed that way.” He also says, “Far too much plastic waste ends up in landfills and as litter and in water – and the industry is committed to reducing that waste.”
The industry association has launched a campaign working with producers, recyclers and organizations to repurpose plastic called “Save Plastic.” Masterson says, “It is a call to action – a call for a meaningful change.” He goes on to say, “Almost $8 billions’ worth of plastic waste is sent to landfills – waste that can be recuperated.”
We invited Bob Masterson of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada to join us for a Conversation That Matters about turning plastics into a renewable resource.