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Food4Kids Muskoka sends a food bag home with kids in need every friday. The non-profit wants to make sure no child goes hungry over the weekend.  With demand growing, they will soon offer their program to Gravenhurst and Bracebridge. Kristie Shaver, the marketing and communications manager at Food4Kids Muskoka, joined us to talk all about it.  Birthdays..Graduations... These are events we think of as milestones in a child's life worthy of throwing a party. But, on social media, some parents are finding smaller victories to celebrate in a big way. They are calling these "inch-stones". Sara Dimerman, a psychologist and author of "How to Influence our Kids for Good", joined us to share her thoughts on this trendy celebration. The sandhill crane is a bird that was almost wiped out by hunters decades ago. But now that its numbers have made a comeback in the province, the federal government might allow it to be hunted again. Some biologists argue this is a bad idea, while others think the bird's population can sustain hunting. We spoke to Matthew Robbins, a wildlife biologist with the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, about the situation.

Amidst dwindling labor shortages and high production costs, many small-time farmers are looking into other ways to keep up with the economic turn. Some have looked towards offshore help, while others have begun to adopt a more robotic approach. Adrian is a dairy and cash crop farmer who has transformed his aging animal barn into a Robotic Cow Barn. We spoke to him in Cochrane, Ontario.  As the family doctor shortage crisis continues in the province, health units are finding new ways to get the care patients need.  The Prince Edward Family Health Team will be opening a new community clinic for those without a family physician, by using a staggered operational model. This comes as a response to the family doctor shortage crisis that continues across the province. Barinder Gill, the Executive Director for the Health Team, spoke to us about the new initiative. The Progressive Conservative government introduced the Get it Done Act. Political watchers say, there’s not a lot of surprises in the so-called omnibus bill. Robert Benzie, the Queen's Park Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star, joined us to discuss the new bill.  At the end of this week, Ukraine marks its second anniversary at war. Two years since Russia launched its full scale invasion, tens of thousands of civilians and soldiers have died. The war now appears to be a stalemate and the future looks uncertain. Andrew Rasiulis, a Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, spoke with us about the grim situation.

A pair of local farmers are now using an ancient Japanese farming technique to boost their produce. The couple, Ava Richardson and Kiyotami Owatari, run an organically grown market garden called Hello Farm. They recently received the Peterborough Agricultural Innovation Award for their work in the county. Ava Richardson spoke to us over the phone. David Scott's desire to document local legends led to his first book: Huron County Hockey Heroes. Now he has put out a sequel: First Overtime. The book discusses the legacies of small town hockey rinks that have survived through generations of hockey players. It's a book that celebrates the preservation of these ice rinks. We spoke to David at length about his newest addition. 10,000 people is the number of Ontarians with developmental disabilities currently waiting for a spot in a group home. Advocates say they’ve had to bunch more people together just to keep up with the demand. Larry Palmer, Executive Director of Camphill Communities Ontario, and Skylar Charlebois, a client of Larry’s,  spoke to us about the scope of the situation.

Housing and mental health issues are rising across the province, and they are being felt in many communities for the first time. Downtown Kingston B-I-A introduced their new Welcoming Streets Steward, Josh Morgan, to help provide support in that area. We spoke to him over the phone. In response to the lack of access to a family physician or nurse practitioner, the federal government announced this month that it's increasing student loan forgiveness for rural doctors and nurses. Employment Minister Randy Boissonnault says the change will expand healthcare access where it's needed most. Pallavi Dutta, a second-year medical student at Queen's University, is optimistic about its effects but says the new program is only a first step. She spoke more about her concerns over the phone. Sugar Season for a lot of maple shacks in Ontario are in full production as we reach the midpoint of this weird winter. One of the first Sugar shacks  opened in the Vanier neighborhood of the capital which is one of only a few urban sugar bushes in Canada. CBC's Halima Sogbesan ventured out into the Richelieu Forest to find out what sugar season is all about.

As snow finally blankets our region, we caught up with the president of the Kinkardine cross country ski club to see what they have planned for the weekend ahead. Residents in the Quinte Region are grappling with the news that the paper manufacturer, Cascades , will be shutting down after decades in business. The Mayor of Quinte West joined us to discuss what this means to the entire region.  If you're driving along any rural road in Ontario you’ve likely seen those big, black portable sign boards with colorful letters advertising a local business. This morning, we went to Petawawa where a signage battle between the town and a local business could head to court. 

Tiny, Ontario is hosting their Winter Carnival this weekend. The mayor of Tiny joined the show to tell us about it. One of the largest Canadian collections of firefighter memorabilia will soon have a new home in Cobourg. We heard about items dating back to the 1880s from the chair of the Canadian Firefighters Museum.

dozens of dead Canadian geese have washed up on the waterfront shores in Kingston. What's behind the troubling deaths ? The Medical Director from Sandy Pines Wildlife Center joined us to explain the cause and how dangerous the infection is. Grocery prices are taking a toll on everyone's bottom line. That's why the federal NDP is proposing a private members bill they say will protect smaller grocery stores and give the competition bureau more powers to crack down on abuses. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is behind that bill. The year was 1942...wartime! Ottawa decided it needed a military facility for training soldiers on armored tanks and heavy equipment. Meaford was chosen. But it meant a whole community at the site had to move elsewhere. Families, farms, schools and churches. A local author now wants to know about the impact that had. It's going to be a lot more expensive for those living outside Midland to use the local recreation center ... now that town council passed a controversial non-residents fee. But the decision is not sitting well with teams and leagues.

A researcher shares her work into the prevalence of sexual violence against Black women and girls. And why advocates and policy makers must recognize the cultural intricacies of this group. Curve Lake First Nation could be the site of the FIRST Indigenous YMCA in Ontario. This morning, a member from that community and CEO of YMCA Canada joined us to talk about what the project means, and challenges Indigenous communities are facing, particularly with their young adults. It's never too late to pick up a paint brush! We spoke to an Art Therapist and met one of the senior painters whose art work is being exhibited at a Wasaga Beach gallery. More on "INSPIRATIONS OF A LIFETIME".

Dozens if not hundreds of Muskoka residents showed up in recent community consultation meetings, furious at a plan that they say will strip services at Bracebridge Hospital and move them to Huntsville. This morning we heard from one of the local physicians who spoke out against this new split services model. In light of Queen’s University financial crisis, we spoke with a Professor of Higher Education about if this is the foreshadowing event to come for more universities and possibly colleges too. We opened the phone lines to you! All this week we have been talking about the tension on campus at Queens University. From top administrators sending out mixed signals, to nervous faculty and students wondering about the future of the university. What do you think? Maybe you went to Queens, or are thinking about going? We heard your thoughts on a special call-in.

As the unseasonably warm temperatures continue, we got some life saving tips if you ever find yourself or loved ones get caught in icy waters. "Cautious optimism." That's how residents in the Kingston area feel about decriminalizing drugs for personal use. We dove into the results of the consultation -- and how it could inform the way public health responds to the opioid crisis. Not every rural community has the funds to handle the affordable housing crisis. But Prince Edward County just got a windfall from the provincial government to do just that.

How young is too young to snowmobile? Well, one Omemee girl is already competing - and winning - competitions at 6 years old. Peterborough is facing a housing crisis. The Mayor has an idea to fix it that involves some major changes on residential zoning rules. A recent drowning of a dog in South River has raised a lot of questions about specific rescue training for first responders. Local Fire Chief joined us to explain the challenges rural firefighters face and what more could be done to prevent it from happening again.

Did you know that there are 27,000 abandoned gas and oil wells scattered across Ontario. Norfolk county is trying to clean them up. Upskilling for a new economy... how a Peterborough organization is getting people up to par with the help of a federal grant. For the love of the violin... some LIVE music on the show from a Juilliard grad whose giving back to her hometown of Barrie. Infusing cultural humour into his new novel... Ojibway Author Drew Taylor is on the program, to help us understand why it's so important to preserve this part of indigenous history. A battle to tackle the drug poisoning issue in Kawartha Lakes -- why one drug safety group wants biohazard drop boxes around the region.