Designing a Humane Future

This two-part episode offers an in-depth understanding of homelessness and housing as a right. In Part 1, we explore the systems challenges of homelessness and interventions like Housing First, as well as initiatives striving to prevent and address youth homelessness and Indigenous homelessness. In Part 2, we learn about the socially innovative solutions that are working and the barriers that remain to meaningfully redesigning these systems to help eradicate homelessness.

To better understand the complexities of homelessness, we look at the City of Hamilton as a case study. A once affordable city located on the western shores of Lake Ontario, Hamilton is now ranked the third most expensive city in North America. We examine various innovative pilot projects happening in and around this community, which has committed to ending chronic homelessness by 2025. We hear the voices of nine experts, working on homelessness in various capacities from the policy to the grassroots level, as we unpack the different perspectives and efforts underway to not just manage homelessness but to end it.

Learn more about those interviewed in this two-part episode by visiting the following links (in order of appearance):

Melanie Redman, President and CEO, A Way Home: Working Together to End Youth Homelessness Partnership; Implementation Director, Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab
https://awayhome.ca/
https://makingtheshiftinc.ca/
Amanda DiFalco, Deputy Director, Built for Zero Canada, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
https://bfzcanada.ca/
https://caeh.ca/
Stephen Gaetz, Professor and Research Chair in Homelessness and Research Impact, York University; President, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness; Research Director, Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab
https://www.yorku.ca/rightthefuture/stories/homelessness/
https://homelesshub.ca/
https://makingtheshiftinc.ca/
Jeff Neven, Executive Director, Indwell
https://indwell.ca/
Calogero Mattina, President, Hamilton Community Land Trust
https://www.hamiltonclt.org/
Marcie McIlveen, Outreach Co-Coordinator, Keeping Six Hamilton Harm Reduction Action League
https://keepingsix.org/
Yolisa de Jager, former Senior Project Manager of Homelessness Policy and Programs, City of Hamilton
https://www.hamilton.ca/city-initiatives/strategies-actions/homelessness-systems-planning
Erika Morton, Systems Planning Officer, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
https://homelesshub.ca/
Sheryl Green, Manager of Housing & Homelessness Supports & Services, Hamilton Regional Indian Centre
https://www.hric.ca/

Check out a new podcast series called Designing a Humane Future. This podcast explores how we can actively engage in imagining and designing a future that is more equitable, intentional, and humane. Episodes in this series will feature interviews with thought leaders in healthcare, housing, food systems, community building, media, and more.

Join me as we explore how we can redesign capitalism: to work within the system to make it fairer, kinder and more supportive of a life we want to live now and going forward. Look for upcoming episodes of Designing a Humane Future at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

In this pilot episode in the series, we look at the food system, the challenges that existed well before the pandemic and which have been magnified during it. We examine some of the fundamental issues underpinning the modern food system. We learn about the various stakeholders working to realign the production, distribution, and consumption of food with the natural cycles so that we can meet our food needs while helping to heal the earth and our connection to it.

The focus is an exciting pilot project, called Our Food Future, taking place in Canada, in the City of Guelph and the surrounding Wellington County, which are located in the province of Ontario. We hear from a number of stakeholders working to develop Canada’s first circular food economy, which is poised to become a new model for other communities across Canada and beyond.

Learn more about those interviewed by visiting the following links:

Our Food Future
https://foodfuture.ca/our-food-future

Wellington Federation of Agriculture
https://www.wfofa.on.ca/

Janet Harrop, Harrcroft Acres
https://harrroft-acres-limited.business.site/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=referral

Nathan Smith, Winterhill Farm & Garden
https://winterhillfarmandgarden.com/

Val Steinmann, Heartwood Farm & Cidery
https://heartwoodfarm.ca/

Cher Mereweather, Provision Coalition
https://provisioncoalition.com/

Barb Swartzentruber, Smart Cities Office, City of Guelph, Our Food Future
https://guelph.ca/city-hall/city-administrators-office/smart-cities-challenge/

Richard Preiss, Escarpment Laboratories
https://escarpmentlabs.com/

Court Desautels, The Neighbourhood Group
https://www.neighbourhoodgroup.com/restaurants

Lynn Broughton, Taste Detours
https://tastedetours.ca/

Brian Watson, Kortright Presbyterian Church
https://www.kortrightchurch.org/

Emily Huddart Kennedy, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of British Columbia
https://sociology.ubc.ca/profile/emily-huddart-kennedy/

Ellen MacArthur Foundation
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

In this two-part episode, we’ll focus on long-term care and how we can better support individuals as they age. Cracks in the long-term care system in Canada were visible long before the pandemic. COVID just further amplified the failures in a system meant to support and care for the most vulnerable. The question is: Will this finally be the impetus need for real change to happen? And if so, what will it look like and how do we get there?

We will examine the overarching challenges of the long-term care system in Canada and will explore various innovative solutions aimed to provide appropriate care and good quality of life at various stages of aging. You will hear interviews with various stakeholders involved with approaches that offer care that is attuned to individuals’ needs at each stage of ageing.

Learn more about those interviewed in this two-part episode by visiting the following links (in order of appearance):

Dr. Samir Sinha
Peter and Shelagh Godsoe Chair in Geriatrics and Director of Geriatrics, Sinai Health and the University Health Network
Professor of Medicine, Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto and Adjunct Professor of Medicine Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
https://www.sinaihealth.ca/team/dr-samir-sinha/
https://nationalseniorsstrategy.ca/about-us/

Louise Bardswich
Co-founder/owner, Golden Girls of Port Perry
https://goldengirlsportperry.ca/

JC Gilbert
Deputy Chief, Operations, County of Simcoe Paramedic Services
https://www.simcoe.ca/paramedicservices/Pages/Community-Paramedicine-Home-Visit-Program.aspx
https://youtu.be/6FAsCJoui1w

Dr. Mark Nowaczynski
Clinical Director, House Calls
Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
https://www.seniorshousecalls.ca/

Candace Chartier
CEO, Providence Living
https://prcc.providencehealthcare.org/our-sites-services/providence-living-place-together-sea

In this two-part episode, the focus is the future of work. In part one, we’ll explore how technology and the economic impacts of the pandemic are shaping jobs now and the opportunities in the future. You’ll hear from experts who help us unpack the current trends we are seeing in the labour market.
In part two, we will focus on universal basic income as an innovation that can address uncertainties in the labour market and ensure everyone has the basics they need to live. We’ll look at the impact of Ontario’s Basic Income Pilot and learn about how a proposed basic income plan can contribute to the Canadian economy.

The episode explores ways to build a post-pandemic economy that centres on making work more equitable, inclusive, and dignified. Learn more about those interviewed by visiting the following links (in order of appearance):

Creig Lamb
Co-Founder & Principal, Shift Insights
https://www.shiftinsights.ca/
Floyd Marinescu
Executive Director, UBI Works
CEO and Co-founder, C4Media
https://www.ubiworks.ca/
Anjum Sultana
Fellow, Public Policy Forum
Contributor, “Skills for the Post-Pandemic World: Scoping Report”
Co-Author, “A Feminist Recovery Plan for Canada”
https://www.anjumsultana.com/
Jessie Golem
Entrepreneur, professional writer, photographer, pianist, and activist
Creator, Humans of Basic Income portrait series
https://www.jessiegolem.com/
Wayne Lewchuk
Professor, School of Labour Studies, Department of Economics, McMaster University
Co-author, “Southern Ontario’s Basic Income Experience” report
https://socialsciences.mcmaster.ca/people/lewchuk-wayne