At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, carpenter Khaleel Seivwright found himself busy building shelters for unhoused people. He'd calculated that a person living in one of the structures he was making could act as a heat source. His tiny shelters would be a vital resource as winter arrived in the city and they had the potential to save lives. But the City of Toronto took a dim view of his work. John Tory's government filed a court injunction against Seivwright and continued to criminalize those living in parks. The city's argument against the shelters was that the tiny wooden houses were uns ..read more

Whether it's in New York or Toronto, Chinatowns are being attacked by the forces of gentrification, development pressure, and much more. But communities are resisting this pressure to retain their intangible cultural heritage forged by the bonds of a shared history - often tied together by the historical racist policies of their new homes. Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka talk with director Karen Cho and community organizer Rick Wong about how Cho's new documentary, "Big Fight in Little Chinatown," shows how people are mobilizing to save these places. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform ..read more

Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka celebrate On Docs' 100th episode with Jane Jankovic, TVO's executive producer for documentaries, in a wide-ranging discussion about the evolution of the documentary genre. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be a spectacle, but in the spotlight is the country's use of migrant labour to build everything from stadiums to highways. Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka are joined by Michael Page, Human Rights Watch's deputy director in the Middle East and North Africa, to talk about the sacrifices made for football. Canada Soccer has released a statement stating that, "Canada Soccer supports the ongoing pursuit of further progress regarding workers' rights and inclusivity as Qatar prepares to host the world." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka speak with director Stacey Tenenbaum to talk about "Scrap," the stuff that gets thrown into landfills and the title of her latest documentary on how we need to rethink our waste-filled consumer culture. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka watch HBO's "Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage" and Netflix's "Trainwreck: Woodstock '99," and discuss the disastrous concert that redefined a legendary music festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka speak with filmmaker Sinead O'Shea about her latest documentary, "Pray for our Sinners," which explores the role of the Catholic Church in her hometown of Navan, Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Colin Ellis speaks with legendary singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie about how a new documentary, "Carry It On," captures her life and career. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka chat with director Henri Pardo about his new documentary, "Dear Jackie." The film explores how Montreal attempted to cast itself as a post-racial city after legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson played for the Royals, but, as we learn from the stories of people from the city's historic Black neighbourhood Little Burgundy, it was anything but. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Colin Ellis and Nam Kiwanuka speak with Michelle Shephard and Sahal Abdulle about "The Perfect Story," a new documentary that examines what happens when cracks form in a journalist's story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more