TELUS Talks with Tamara Taggart

Canada's housing crisis is about more than rising home prices and affordability. Journalist Jessica Barrett says the real issue may be our definition of home itself. From Vancouver's soaring housing market to innovative housing models in cities like Vienna and Harare, we explore how community shapes our wellbeing. Jessica explains why building more homes hasn't solved affordability and what happens when we design housing around people.

Children are telling us they want to feel safe in the digital world. Online harms are growing more complex, from cyberbullying to exploitation, and many young people are asking adults to take action. Sara Austin of Children First Canada and advocate Farah Nasser discuss what kids are asking for and how families, educators and leaders can help build digital spaces where young people can thrive.

How do you change the way a country teaches its history? Educator and author Rosemary Sadlier has spent decades doing exactly that. Her landmark children's book, The Kids Book of Black History in Canada, has been reimagined for a new generation. Rosemary explains why giving young people the full story matters now more than ever.

Our emotions are powerful forms of energy shaped by the brain. Neuropsychologist Dr. Julia DiGangi says emotional pain and emotional power are two sides of the same system and avoiding difficult feelings actually keeps us stunted. Julia breaks down the neuroscience behind stress, anxiety and confidence, and how to work with emotional energy instead of fighting it.

Medical science is advancing faster than ever, and science writer Mary Roach has seen it up close. We explore the breakthroughs transforming modern medicine, from lab-grown skin and organ preservation to advanced prosthetics and bioprinting. We also look at how these innovations are changing recovery, extending lives and reshaping what's possible for the human body.

Your brain does its most important work when you stop working. Neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli says that when we pause, daydream or simply stare into space, the brain activates a hidden network that boosts creativity, memory and emotional wellbeing. Joseph shares the science of slowing down and why small moments of rest can change how you think, feel and move through the world.

You can't build a healthy country without stable and affordable homes. Urban planner and author Carolyn Whitzman breaks down why homes have become so hard to find, afford and keep. She explains why mismatched supply, rising costs and outdated assumptions are putting pressure on every generation. We explore solutions that actually work, from non-market housing to stronger renter protections.

There is a missing piece between setting our goals and achieving them. Productivity expert and author Chris Bailey says the problem is intention. He talks about his new book Intentional and why so many goals quietly fade away. Chris explains how our habits, values and daily decisions shape whether we follow through. When we want to improve our productivity, goal-setting and finishing what we start, it's small intentional shifts that can make a big difference.

The average adult checks their phone more than 150 times a day, often without realizing it. Kaitlyn Regehr says it's important to be more intentional about our screen time and studies how technology shapes our minds, relationships and families. We discuss her idea of digital nutrition and being smart about what we consume online.

Guilt is one of the most powerful relationship tools we have. Psychologist and author Chris Moore explains how guilt alerts us when something needs our attention or repair. He also breaks down what healthy guilt looks like and how it guides us toward empathy, accountability and healing. Chris says it's possible to make peace with your guilt and use it to improve your life.

Writer Carla Ciccone grew up believing she was messy and emotional. She actually had ADHD. She was diagnosed at 39, after years of masking, perfectionism and exhaustion. We explore the "lost generation" of women who grew up undiagnosed and misunderstood. Carla shares what ADHD really looks like in women, how gender bias kept so many girls invisible and why diagnosis can be the first step to healing your relationship with your brain.

Food banks across Canada are under more pressure every day. The Greater Vancouver Food Bank now supports 16,000 people every week and distributes millions of pounds of food each year. CEO David Long joins us to share how his team is fighting hunger with innovation. David explains the food bank's efforts to turn surplus produce into healthy food and partner with farmers to exchange food across provinces.

How well do we really know our pets? Science broadcaster and author Jay Ingram explores what's going on in the minds and bodies of the animals who share our homes. Jay explains why humans have been drawn to animals for tens of thousands of years, how that instinct shapes modern pet-keeping and what research can tell us about our pets.

What if menopause was a chance to reset your health? Dr. Kelly Casperson believes understanding your hormones is the key to feeling better and living longer. Tamara and Kelly break down significant myths about menopause and share how to approach midlife with confidence. If you've ever needed guidance for discussing menopause symptoms with your doctor, Kelly has great advice for you.

When financial planner and journalist Beth Pinsker became her mother's caregiver, she quickly realized she was unprepared for the maze that came with financial caregiving. Beth shares what she learned about managing a parent's finances with compassion and grace. We talk about what you can do before a crisis hits, how to organize caregiving duties and why the hardest conversations can actually be acts of love.

We often eat to escape instead of nourishing our bodies. Psychiatrist and neuroscientist Dr. Judson Brewer says overcoming cravings is not about willpower, it’s about habit. He explains how our brains learn to crave comfort and how awareness can break that loop. We discuss the difference between hunger and emotion, why diets fail and how mindfulness can rewire your relationship with food.

Young Canadians are being squeezed like never before, facing rising costs, unaffordable housing and a changing climate. Dr. Paul Kershaw, founder of Generation Squeeze, believes it’s time to “squeeze back.” He joins us to explain what generational fairness really means and how smart policy can create a future where every generation thrives. We discuss what it means to build intergenerational solidarity and why being a good ancestor starts with rethinking how we spend, save and care for one another.

What does it mean to survive the night and look toward dawn? Writer and filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat joins us to talk about his new book We Survived the Night and his Oscar-nominated documentary Sugarcane. Julian shares how storytelling and art become acts of survival amid colonial violence and displacement. He reflects on his family’s history, the legacy of residential schools and how Indigenous Nations continue to resist and heal together. Through myth, memory, and truth-telling, Julian shows that survival is the only way forward.

Pepper Stetler’s daughter Louisa, who has Down syndrome, was required to take IQ tests to access an education. Pepper began to question what these numbers really measure. Her search uncovered the complex history of the IQ test and how it shaped who was seen as capable. We discuss Pepper’s deeply personal relationship to IQ testing and the systems that often miss the full humanity of the people they claim to assess.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping work, creativity and healthcare. But how does AI actually work? Oxford neuroscientist Christopher Summerfield joins us to explore how it’s impacting our daily lives. He explains what it takes for a machine to think and what we need to consider as this technology becomes part of our future. We also dive into his new book These Strange New Minds: How AI Learned to Talk and What It Means.