>> Nam: THE AGENDA THIS WEEK CONSIDERED THE SITUATION UNFOLDING IN UKRAINE AND LEARNED
HOW NORTHERN ONTARIO IS TACKLING THE OPIOID CRISIS.
THE AGENDA'S WEEK IN REVIEW BEGINS WITH HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN RURAL ONTARIO.
[ ♪ ]
>> Steve: THESE HIGH PRICES FOR HOMES AND HIGH PRICES FOR RENTS, WHAT KIND OF
RAMIFICATIONS DO THOSE THINGS HAVE IN SMALLER COMMUNITIES IN THIS PROVINCE?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT'S DONE IS IT'S PUSHED UP THE PRICE OF EXISTING HOUSING
SIGNIFICANTLY, AND HISTORICALLY, IT WAS ALWAYS MORE COSTLY TO BUILD A NEW HOUSE THAN TO BUY AN
EXISTING HOUSE.
NOW THOSE EXISTING HOMES ARE IN A COMPARABLE PRICE POINT AS BUILDING SOMETHING NEW.
THE RESULT IS IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO FOLKS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, ON LIMITED
WAGES TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD SOMETHING IN TODAY'S MARKET.
AND I JUST THINK THAT CAUSES ISSUES FOR FAMILIES, IT CAUSES ISSUES FOR COMMUNITIES, IT
CAUSES ISSUES FOR SERVICES AND SO ON.
BUT THERE IS A POSITIVE I THINK THAT'S EMBEDDED IN THAT, AND THAT IS IN FACT THE CONSTRUCTION
OF NEW HOUSING BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN WITH THOSE INFLATED PRICES, I THINK IT WILL BECOME
MORE ATTRACTIVE TO DEVELOPERS TO IN FACT BUILD.
AND HISTORICALLY, THE MARKET OFTEN WASN'T THERE IN RURAL ONTARIO FOR FOLKS TO INVEST
SIGNIFICANTLY IN NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
SO I SEE THERE'S A POSITIVE UNDERLYING IT, NOTWITHSTANDING THE HIGHER PRICES.
>> Steve: LISA, DIDN'T YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND IN FACT DO THAT?
>> THAT'S ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE'RE DOING AND STILL DOING.
WE'RE DEVELOPING PROPERTIES FOR RENTALS, MAKING RENTAL INVESTMENTS.
BECAUSE OF COURSE WE CAN SEE THE NEED AND WHAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS FOR RENTALS.
SO WE BUILD TOWNHOUSES.
WE BUILT A BIG 39-UNIT APARTMENT BUILDING.
WE DID HAVE THE SENIORS IN MIND, BUT TO BE QUITE HONEST, WE WERE FLOODED WITH EVERYONE, YOU KNOW,
MILITARY, THE CNL, LOOKING FOR ACCOMMODATION.
SO WE DO PLAN ON BUILDING OTHER APARTMENTS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, GETTING THROUGH THE RED TAPE TO GET THINGS BUILT IS REALLY TOUGH.
>> Steve: WHOSE RED TAPE?
ARE YOU TALKING MUNICIPAL OR PROVINCIAL RED TAPE?
>> OUR TOWN.
OUR TOWN ITSELF.
JUST DOING THE BY-LAWS, WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
THE LAND, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE'RE FITTING ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.
YOU KNOW, SO IT'S TOUGH.
WE HAVE THE INVESTORS THAT WANT TO DO IT.
IT'S JUST BEING ABLE TO BUILD IT AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THE RENTS ONCE WE BUILD IT.
>> Steve: ONCE YOU'VE GOT IT BUILT, HOW TOUGH IS IT TO RENT OUT?
>> IT'S NOT.
IT'S NOT AT ALL.
THE ONLY PROBLEM IS, THE RENTS, BACK AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO COMPENSATE FOR HOW MUCH IT COSTS
TO BUILD THINGS NOWADAYS.
>> Steve: MAYOR JONES, I HEARD SOME STORY ABOUT A FARMER WHO RENTED OUT HIS FIELDS IN YOUR
NECK OF THE WOODS.
WHAT'S THE STORY THERE?
>> THAT'S THE IDEA OF THEM.
PEOPLE COME IN FROM RURAL.
THEIR PLACE IS IN THE VILLAGE OR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN THEY NO LONGER CAN SUSTAIN THEMSELVES OR, AS IN THIS EXAMPLE, RENT OUT THE FARM,
THE FARMLAND, THE FAMILY WAS OUT OF LUCK.
THEY COULDN'T STAY IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY HAD LIVED THEIR WHOLE LIVES, WHERE THEIR
FRIENDS WERE, THEIR FAMILIES WERE, AND THEIR CHURCH WERE.
I THINK YOU'LL FIND THAT PARTICULARLY RURAL MAYORS, WE TAKE THIS PERSONAL BECAUSE WE
KNOW THESE PEOPLE.
THEY'RE OUR NEIGHBOURS.
THE MAYOR IN A SMALL RURAL COMMUNITY IS THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS A PHONE CALL ABOUT
WHATEVER, NOT RELATED PERHAPS TO MUNICIPAL ISSUES.
SO WE REALLY FEEL FOR THESE PEOPLE WHEN THERE'S AN EXODUS OF SENIORS OUT OF SMALL RURAL
COMMUNITIES TO THE URBAN CENTRES BECAUSE WE CAN'T PROVIDE THEM WITH RENTAL ACCOMMODATION.
[ ♪ ] >> Steve: FROM A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, HOW DOES THE OPIOID
CRISIS AND THE DEATHS THAT IT IS CAUSING COMPARE TO COVID-19 IN PARTS OF THIS PROVINCE?
>> I THINK THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THEY ARE COMPARABLE AT THIS POINT.
ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING OF THE IMPACT OF THE OPIOID CRISIS AND RELATED
DEATHS IS DRAMATIC AND IT'S HUGELY CONCERNING.
I CAN SPEAK TO THE NUMBERS IN MY OWN REGION, WHICH IS SIMCOE AND MUSKOKA, DURING WHICH, YOU KNOW,
OVER THE COURSE -- THE PERIOD OF TIME IN THE PANDEMIC FOR WHICH WE HAVE DATA ON OPIOID RELATED
OVERDOSE DEATHS WOULD BE FROM APRIL 2020 TO JUNE 2021.
WE SAW 195 PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIFE TO OPIOID OVERDOSE DURING THAT TIME.
THE COMPARABLE COVID-RELATED DEATHS IN OUR REGION WERE ABOUT A QUARTER HIGHER THAN THAT,
AROUND 246 DEATHS.
SO IT'S A SIMILAR NUMBER, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE LOSING
THEIR LIVES TO OPIOID OVERDOSE ARE MUCH MORE OFTEN OF YOUNGER AGE.
60% OF THE INDIVIDUALS HERE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES DURING THAT TIME WERE BETWEEN 25 AND 44
YEARS OLD.
SO THEY'RE IN THE PRIME OF THEIR LIVES.
I MEAN, EVERY LIFE, NO MATTER WHAT THE AGE, OF COURSE IS OF GREAT VALUE AND WE WANT TO
PREVENT THOSE DEATHS, BUT IT IS NOTEWORTHY, WHEN LOOKING AT THE IMPACT.
SO, I MEAN, LOTS OF DIFFERENCES OF COURSE BETWEEN COVID AND OPIOIDS, THAT THE SITUATIONS
CAN'T BE DIRECTLY COMPARED.
BUT I DO THINK WE CAN SAY THAT THE OPIOID SITUATION, THE SCOPE OF IT IS HUGE, THE IMPACT IS
DRAMATIC.
IT WAS PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC AND IT IS ONLY WORSE NOW.
>> Steve: MICHELLE, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN TIMMINS?
>> WELL, I WOULD DEFINITELY DESCRIBE IT AS A CRISIS.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU SHOULD ASK THE QUESTION TO THE DOCTOR ABOUT HOW THE NUMBERS COMPARE
BETWEEN COVID AND THE OPIOID CRISIS, AND QUITE FRANKLY, UP IN TIMMINS, THERE ARE MORE DEATHS
DUE TO OVERDOSE THAN THERE HAVE BEEN RELATED TO COVID.
SO IT DOES SHOW THE MAGNITUDE OF THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT ARGUABLY EVERYONE IN TIMMINS DOES KNOW SOMEONE THAT'S BEEN IMPACTED BY
THE OPIOID CRISIS, AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT HAS DRIVEN US IN THE PAST FEW YEARS TO
REALLY TAKE STRIDES IN TERMS OF TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE LOCALLY, BUT IT'S A MAJOR ISSUE
THAT OUR MUNICIPALITY AND THE REGION IS STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH.
>> Steve: CRYSTAL, AS I GET YOU INTO THIS DISCUSSION, LET'S JUST GET SOME BACKGROUND ON YOU
BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT EXPERIENCE ON THIS FILE IN A WAY THAT OTHERS DO NOT.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE IN SUDBURY RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU'RE ORIGINALLY FROM WHERE?
>> I'M FROM WIIKWEMKOONG, UNCEDED INDIAN TERRITORY ON MANITOULIN ISLAND.
SO I AM FIRST NATION.
I AM INDIGENOUS.
I DO POSSESS LIVED EXPERIENCE.
>> Steve: WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO GET INTO.
BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN TRAINED AS A SOCIAL WORKER BUT I GATHER YOU DON'T CALL YOURSELF THAT.
YOU CALL YOURSELF A PEER.
WHY IS THAT?
>> I REFER TO MYSELF AS A HELPER.
I DON'T LIKE THE TERM SOCIAL WORKER.
I BEGAN THIS TYPE OF WORK AS A PEER.
SO SUPPORTING OTHER WOMEN WITHIN THE VERY CIRCLES THAT I SOUGHT HELP WITHIN.
NATURALLY BECAME AN ADVOCATE.
AND GUIDED INTO THE FIELD OF SOCIAL WORK.
I FOUND IN ORDER FOR MY VOICE TO BE HEARD, I NEEDED TO HAVE AN EDUCATION.
I NEEDED TO BE ON PAR WITH COLLEAGUES AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A VOICE AT TABLES THAT WERE
DESIGNING POLICIES TO MEET OUR NEEDS AS PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION.
[ ♪ ] >> I DON'T ANTICIPATE A MILITARY ATTACK BY RUSSIA BEFORE
FEBRUARY 20, AND I WILL EXPLAIN VERY SHORTLY WHY.
THE RUSSIAN MILITARY ESCALATION RIGHT NOW IS A THREE DIMENSIONAL APPROACH: FIRST, IT'S AGAINST
UKRAINE WHICH MUST ALWAYS FEAR AN IMMINENT MILITARY ATTACK BY RUSSIA.
SECOND, IT'S AGAINST THE EUROPEAN UNION POWERS, SO TO SAY, TO SHOW THEIR TRUE
POLITICAL IRRELEVANCE BECAUSE THEY CANNOT PREVENT A MILITARY ATTACK FROM HAPPENING.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S ALSO AN APPROACH THAT IS ACTUALLY AIMING TO POSITION RUSSIA IN THE
LONG GAME, IN THE SYSTEMIC RIVALRY BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES, TO UPGRADE THE
POSITIONING OF RUSSIA AND, SO TO SAY, BY SHOWING MILITARY MUSCLE, PUTIN IS TRYING TO LEVERAGE
RIGHT NOW AGAINST BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND CHINA FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
>> Steve: INTERESTING.
AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP ON ALL OF THOSE VERY INTERESTING POINTS AS WE CONTINUE.
OKAY, ROBERT.
YOUR VIEW.
DO YOU THINK AN INVASION IS IMMINENT?
>> I'D SAY THAT THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THERE WILL BE SOME FORM OF INVASION IMMINENT.
THE QUESTION IS HOW LARGE?
A LOT OF REPORTS THAT I'VE READ AND THE CURRENT UPDATES ABOUT WHAT ARE THE RUSSIAN ARMAMENTS
AND CAPABILITIES BEING SHIPPED TO THE UKRAINIAN BORDER AS WELL AS TO BELARUS SUGGEST THAT A
LARGE-SCALE INVASION MAY NOT BE IMMINENT IMMEDIATELY, BUT THAT'S NEVER REALLY BEEN RUSSIA'S GAME,
WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS IN THE IMMEDIATE PAST.
WE HAVE TO THINK THAT RUSSIA IS GOING TO BE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY OPPORTUNITY TO
CREATE DIVISION AMONGST THE NATO MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO ARE SUPPORTING UKRAINE.
THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THAT WOULD BE TO HAVE A FALSE FLAG OPERATION WHERE THERE MIGHT BE A
TUSSLE BETWEEN SOME UKRAINIAN BORDER OPERATION AND SOME RUSSIAN SERVICE MEMBERS WHEREIN
IT'S NOT QUITE CLEAR WHAT IS GOING ON.
ANY TIME THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS UNCLEAR, THAT IS GOING TO BE THE PERFECT ENVELOPE FOR RUSSIA
TO BE ABLE TO DIVIDE THE ALLIANCE, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO DO, IS
TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT NATO IS NOT UNITED.
THAT'S THE MAIN DANGER FOR NATO AND IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN.
>> Steve: LUCAN, WE HAVE TWO YES, SIRES TO AN IMMINENT INVASION.
WHAT SAY YOU?
>> SO I'M GOING TO NOTE THAT WE REALLY DON'T KNOW.
I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THE ENTIRE WORLD IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN ONE GUY'S
HEAD, THIS GUY PUTIN, HAS BASICALLY NO CONSTRAINTS ON HIS ACTIONS, HE CAN INVADE, HE
CANNOT INVADE.
I MEAN, RUSSIA HAS SUCH A SYSTEM THAT -- WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT PUTIN WANTS.
I DON'T EVEN THINK THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTER OF RUSSIA KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT PUTIN WANTS.
I MEAN, IF I WERE FORCED TO PREDICT, SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT YOU GUYS SAY.
I THINK SOMETHING SHORT, EITHER SORT OF HIDDEN OR AMBIGUOUS, BUT SOMETHING SHORT THAT HE PULLS
BACK SORT OF ENOUGH TO SHOW THAT RUSSIA MATTERS BUT NOT ENOUGH TO UNITE NATO AND CAUSE REAL
SERIOUS REPERCUSSIONS.
>> Steve: LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE OFF THE TOP HERE THAT -- YOU'RE QUITE RIGHT.
NOBODY KNOWS.
ONLY ONE PERSON KNOWS AND HE'S NOT SAYING YET.
BUT WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU THREE HAVE TO SAY SINCE YOU STUDY THE STATE OF PLAY OVER
THERE A GREAT DEAL AND WE WANT TO GET A SENSE OF WHERE THINGS ARE AT.
VELINA, MAYBE I CAN GET YOU TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS.
IF THERE IS AN INVASION AND YOU MENTION FEBRUARY 20TH AS A POTENTIAL DATE, WHAT DOES AN
INVASION LOOK LIKE?
>> SO I AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THERE WILL BE NO FULL-SCALE RE-INVASION OF THE WHOLE TERRITORY OF UKRAINE.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LIMITED OPERATION, LIMITED IN SCOPE AND TIME FRAME.
AND WHY DID I SAY FEBRUARY 20?
WELL, THIS IS THE END OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES, AND I MENTIONED THAT IT'S A THREE DIMENSIONAL
APPROACH, SO CURRENTLY PUTIN SEES THIS OPTIMAL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO TEST THE
READINESS OF THE UNITED STATES FOR BILATERAL TALKS WITH MOSCOW.
THAT'S THE FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT THING.
HE WANTS TO ERASE THE EUROPEAN NATO MEMBERS FROM THE EQUATION.
HE WANTS TO TALK DIRECTLY TO BIDEN.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY ABOUT FUTURE CONCESSIONS BY WASHINGTON.
IF WASHINGTON AT SOME POINT IN TIME IN THE LONG RUN REALLY INTENDS TO LURE RUSSIA AWAY FROM
CHINA -- THAT'S THE FIRST THING.
AND SECOND, RUSSIA SIMULTANEOUSLY COORDINATED DIPLOMATICALLY ITS VIEW ON
UKRAINE WITH CHINA'S VIEW ON TAIWAN.
LET'S NOT FORGET THAT.
THAT HAPPENED IN DECEMBER.
WHICH I THINK IS ALSO IMPORTANT BECAUSE THESE TWO FRONT SCENARIOS WILL CREATE A LOT OF
PROBLEMS FOR THE UNITED STATES AND FOR THE AMERICAN ALLIES IN THE FUTURE.
[ ♪ ] >> Nam: THAT'S JUST SOME OF WHAT WE COVERED THIS WEEK. YOU
CAN FIND THE FULL CONVERSATIONS ON OUR WEBSITE, TVO.ORG, OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL AT
YOUTUBE.COM/THEAGENDA OR OUR TWITTER FEED: TWITTER.COM/THEAGENDA.