Now or Never

During the pandemic many of us have paid less attention to our looks. But can looking good make you feel good? On this episode of Now or Never, meet people who've discovered the power and joy of looking good — whether it's a knock 'em dead outfit, the perfect haircut, or celebrating the body they're in.

I'm too busy. It'll be awkward. What if they don't like me or even remember me? There are countless excuses to not reach out to somebody. But until you do, you'll never know what you're missing. On this episode, meet people bravely reaching out - to strangers, long-lost friends and potential lovers. When Cheryl Taylor was in high school, her vice principal changed her life. Now decades later she wants to find him and thank him, but is it too late? Can we find Mr. Yakichuk? Corine Mathelier has packed up her life in Toronto and moved to Montreal in hopes of finding the friendships and community she is longing for. We check in to see how it's going, just days after the move. When international students Sele Akere and Dipo Oksesola saw an ad for a room to rent in Kelowna, they thought it was a scam by a tough biker. But they reached out anyway and discovered Bill Pittman is really a big softie... and that they probably saved Bill’s life. So, you want to date Alicia Bunyan-Sampson? There’s a form for that. After too many bad experiences in the polyamorous dating world, she created a fun and insightful Google form as a way of reaching out to her. She tells Ify all about it. We hear from excited and nervous fans of Canadian influencer Spencer Barbosa, as they wait in line to meet their internet hero in person. But backstage, 20-year-old Barbosa is feeling jitters of her own, wondering what her fans will think of her in real life. At the age of 60 Brian Bannister has overcome addiction, abuse, lost two wives and was living on the street. He had all but given up on life, until Danielle MacDuff decided to strike up a conversation and offer him a job on her farm. Now, not only does he wake up every day with a sense of purpose but the two have struck up a wonderful friendship that neither saw coming.

As protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality continue to happen across the country, in the United States, and all over the world, conversations about race are at the forefront now more than ever. CBC Saskatchewan reporter Omayra Issa joins host Ify Chiwetelu for this episode of Now or Never. We invite you to pull up a chair and listen in on conversations with Black women who are processing what this moment in the fight for racial justice means to them.