Reaching out: To strangers, long-lost friends and potential lovers

09/21/23 • 54 min

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.

Previous Episode

Will I ever feel like an adult?

You've moved out. Maybe you've even graduated, got married, and had kids. So why don't you feel grown up? And what does it even MEAN to be an adult? Our guests are trying to figure that out. Lana Ciarniello is dealing with an empty nest after both of her kids moved away from home. She checks in with 18-year-old Jasmine in her first week at university, to find that her daughter is also struggling with this leap into adulthood. For 55-year old Deborah a big part of living adulthood independently is doing something she was told wasn’t possible for someone who lives with her disabilities - working a job she loves. Today Deborah runs the DANI Cafe in Thornhill, Ontario, and dreams of one day living on her own. Everyone’s got opinions on what it means to be grown. We hear from people from 5 to 105 about the moments they feel truly adult - from doing chores and taxes to realizing that nobody lives forever. Ummni Khan has had a license for six years, but she doesn’t drive. That’s caused some friction with her husband-slash-chauffeur. Can she overcome her adult imposter syndrome and build her confidence behind the wheel? At 22, opera singer Kyle Briscoe has the voice of somebody beyond his years. In many ways, that makes sense - Kyle’s difficult childhood has meant that he had to grow up much faster than anyone should.

Next Episode

As life gets more expensive, meet people navigating this cost of living crisis

Rent. Groceries. Transportation. For so many, the costs of everyday life are adding up - and they're being forced to make tough decisions about how they're going to make ends meet. Hear how people from all walks of life are navigating their way through this financial crisis.

With grocery prices sky high, Robert Gagnon is bagging his own meat. He’s filling his basement freezer with hundreds of pounds of elk meat, as well as salmon, moose nose, and elk tongue, to feed his family and to share with local elders.

Due to rising costs of rent and food, Katherine Goodes can no longer afford to live on her own, which means the 67-year-old is doing something she never thought she would have to at her age... find roommates.

In the centre of Toronto’s financial district you’ll find Brian, an unhoused man who proudly sweeps the streets to earn money from passersby. But with rising costs and a medical condition that restricts his diet, covering his basic needs is a daily struggle.

This school year, undergraduate international students are expected to pay on average at least four times more than their Canadian classmates. Hear how Nepali student Tshering Futi Sherpa is balancing school, work and homesickness to live out her dream of studying abroad.

Alistair Wright was barely making ends meet at his dinner theatre job when the union went on strike. Then the theatre closed. But there’s something that won’t let Alistair give up on his dream.

In Nunavut, grocery store prices are sky high and Kyra Kilabuk is sharing the details on TikTok so everyone can know about it. Kyra shares what it takes for her family of five to make ends meet in Iqaluit.