The Conversation Piece

Dr. Nel Wieman: Elders, Belonging, and Public Health in First Nations Communities

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

First Nations elders play a vital role in their communities. Forcing them to relocate in the pursuit of adequate health care doesn’t just undermine ...

Dr. Olive Bryanton: The Lifelong Need for Connection

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Rural communities thrive when older adults are invited to remain visible and valued members of their communities.Dr. Olive Bryanton is a researcher, a...

Dr. Rose Joudi: The Power of Purpose in Later Life

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

How can we reframe aging as a lifelong process grounded in joy, rather than a fixed state of decline?Dr. Rose Joudi is the senior adviser for gender e...

Dr. Emma Duerden: Teenage Digital Consumption

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Social media is built around rewards—a digital feedback loop of likes, shares, and comments. For teenagers, whose brains are still developing, the r...

Jeff Adams: Resilience in Sport

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

As the 2026 Winter Olympics continue and the Paralympics approach, a familiar narrative emerges, one of triumph through determination. But resilience ...

Dr. Daniel Munro: Challenging Technology that Enforces Bias

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We’re often told that improving our digital skills will help keep us safe online. Yet managing the risks we face has less to do with our own know-ho...

Rachel Blais: Food Insecurity in Nunavut

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Food insecurity among Inuit in Canada has been called one of the longest-lasting public health emergencies in Canadian history. It’s a crisis rooted...

Jesse McCormick: We Can’t Build Canada Strong Without Building Trust First

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Canada is racing to build the infrastructure that will shape its economic and political future. But moving faster means little unless the systems guid...

Pacinthe Mattar: DEI and Anti-Palestinian Racism

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The adoption of DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion, is often framed as progress, but for some, it functions as nothing more than corporate strat...

Bardia Sinaee: Poetry Versus The Machine

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What happens to poetry—and art at large—in a world shaped by algorithms?Poet Bardia Sinaee considers what it means to live in a time dominated by ...

Dr. Jan Hare: The Role of Teachers

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Teachers play a significant role in the lives of youth, shaping not just what they learn, but who they become. Yet, across Canada, schools are facing ...

Rachel Doran: Canada’s Electrification Opportunity

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

You could be forgiven, listening to the news these days, for thinking the electrification economy is dead. And yet, over the next two years, 95 percen...

Cyndi Gilbert: How The Bike Brigade Fosters a Culture of Community Care

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Community isn’t just built through service. It’s sustained through shared purpose, trust, and care.Cyndi Gilbert is a board member and logistics c...

Vinod Rajasekaran: Prioritizing Wellbeing in the Volunteer Sector

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Well-being can no longer be an afterthought for volunteers and non-profit workers.Vinod Rajasekaran is the CEO and editor-in-chief of Future of Good. ...

Kasandra James: Reimagining More Diverse Stories of Volunteerism

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Embracing creative, reciprocal, and culturally-rooted community-building models can help marginalized communities easily navigate the often complicate...

Suman Roy: Volunteer Programs Must Respect the Needs of Volunteers

24 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can organizations that rely on the labour of volunteers make the experience of volunteering more meaningful?Suman Roy is the founder and CEO of th...

Darrell Pinto: Finding Purpose Through Volunteering

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Volunteer work is more than just a resume booster. It’s a source of identity, pride, and purpose.Darrell Pinto is the director of employment at Jump...

Susan Pinker: Volunteerism’s Impact on Health, Happiness, and Longevity

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The science behind social connection is clear: volunteerism and face-to-face contact with our community members are essential for our well-being.Susan...

Sara Lyons: Canada’s National Volunteer Action Strategy

03 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Canada’s volunteer sector is in crisis. How can the culture of volunteerism be restored?Sara Lyons is the chief strategy and advancement officer at ...

Chief Kluane Adamek: Land, Water, and Belonging

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Finding belonging isn’t just about building connections with people—it’s also about nurturing our relationships with the natural world.Chief Klu...

Kelly Lendsay: Indigenous Workplace Belonging

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does it mean to belong in the workplace?Kelly Lendsay is the president and CEO of Indigenous Works and the chief executive transformation officer...

Dr. Becky Cook: Rebuilding Indigenous Autonomy, Nationhood, and Belonging

19 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Colonial policies have long undermined traditional Indigenous education systems. How can communities come together to reclaim this knowledge?Dr. Becky...

Camryn Dewar: Finding Belonging Through Indigenous Opera

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meaningful representation in creative spaces can help facilitate a strong sense of belonging and community.Camryn Dewar is a Métis opera and classica...

Kahir Lalji: The Importance of Culturally Relevant Social Prescribing

12 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How might personalized, culturally-specific interventions shape more effective responses to social isolation?Kahir Lalji is the provincial director of...

Diana Rose: Social Prescribing in Action

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Social prescribing is empowering vulnerable communities to cultivate a sense of agency through relationship building and resourcefulness.Diana Rose is...

Dr. Kate Mulligan: Focusing on What Matters to Us

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With new evidence emerging about the impact of connection on health, social prescribing is bridging the gap between clinical care and community care.D...

Kim Samuel: Social Prescribing and the Four Ps of Belonging

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How does social prescribing allow us to reimagine systems of care and build societies where no one is left out or left behind?Kim Samuel is the founde...

Samantha Reusch: Why Civic Leaders Need to Listen to Youth

24 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a lot of talk about voter turnout ahead of Canada’s upcoming federal election, especially when it comes to young Canadians. But low turnou...

Kishone Roy: Tackling Generational Gentrification

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There is a growing generational divide in Canada’s housing landscape, one that’s not only pushing young people out of their communities but also l...

Justin Ling: Three Factors Behind Increased Polarization in Canada

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Canada’s political landscape is becoming increasingly divided, making it harder than ever to navigate public discourse productively.Investigative jo...

Valerie Creighton: Canada Is a Creative Powerhouse

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Canada has long been a force in the arts, culture, and media space, but what makes Canadian storytelling stand out?Valerie Creighton, president and CE...

Golnaz Golnaraghi: Why Career Programs Fail Racialized Women

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Many companies champion mentorship programs and leadership initiatives that promise to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. But too often, these ...

Elizabeth Dubois: Digital Citizenship

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Every click, swipe, and like we make in online spaces leaves a digital trace that can influence government and shape our ability to participate in pol...

Luna Matatas: Reconnecting to Pleasure During Menopause

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Building and maintaining sexual and body confidence as we age is essential for living healthier, happier lives. The intensity of the changes brought o...

Dr. Sheila Wijayasinghe: How to Self-Advocate as a Perimenopausal Patient

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Navigating the health care system after a perimenopause diagnosis can be uniquely difficult, especially without a clear script for what questions to a...

Dr. Iliana Lega: Understanding Hormone Replacement Therapy

28 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pervasive myths and misconceptions have made the conversation around hormone replacement therapy a contentious and confusing one. But studies show tha...

Dr. Ariel Dalfen: Four Questions for Menopausal Mental Health

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health and menopause are highly stigmatized, making it hard for those experiencing both to chart a path forward. But what if there was a framew...

Dr. Jenny Godley: Menopause in the Modern Workplace

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that women over forty make up a quarter of the Canadian workforce? Failing to accommodate those experiencing menopause has the potential ...

Sarain Fox: Sitting With Your Grandmother

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the Anishinaabe tradition, the experiences of menopause and menstruation are regarded as sacred and in relationship to the land. These stages of li...

Janet Ko: Closing the Menopause Knowledge Gap

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The impact of untreated menopause symptoms is far-reaching, affecting everything from an individual’s mental and physical health to the output and e...

Dianne Whelan: 7 Lessons From Travelling the Trans Canada Trail

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

487 trails, part of the Trans Canada Trail, can tell an important story about Canada, its history and its people. Dianne Whelan is a filmmaker, photog...

Carolynne Crawley: My Relations

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Indigenous people’s relationship to land forms an “ontological belonging.” Their spiritual beliefs connect them to the land and to all things of...

Ambika Tenneti: Newcomers Access to Nature is Vital

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Racialized immigrants face barriers that restrict their access to nature. Access to public spaces for new immigrants encourages participation in socie...

Iraz Soyalp: Why We Need Equitable Access to Nature

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Environmental health should also consider inequality in the areas of housing, economics, food, education. Iraz Soyalp, PhD, is the Director of Social ...

Dr. Melissa Lem: The Prescription calls for Nature

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some doctors consider nature time to be “the fourth pillar of health.” It can have a positive effect on mood, physical ability, and even mental we...

Sean Kheraj: Canadians’ Troubled History with Oil Pipelines

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How we interact with nature changes over time. Canada has a long and rocky history with pipelines. The opposition has taken different forms. Understan...

Marlaine Koehler: Civic Engagement Builds Our Access to Nature

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is a diversity in trails and their uses. They are a meeting place for communities. They promote an appreciation for the environment. They promot...

Nick Saul: The Magic of Sharing Food in Your Community

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Four million people living in Canada are food insecure. Nick Saul—food and social justice activist and president and CEO of Community Food Centres C...

Jessica Ching: Trust Patients, Trust Women

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A commitment to innovation is important in every field, but perhaps none more so than health care. Jessica Ching—co-founder and CEO of Eve Medical—...

Paulette Senior: Gender-Based Violence Is Not an Exceptional Experience

24 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is a gap between our anti-violence values and our competence and confidence to play an anti-violence role in real life, but Paulette Senior is d...

Fay Slift and Fluffy Soufflé: Empowering Children to Be Proud of Who They Are

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many 2SLGBTQI+ people face abuse and harassment, often at a young age, but JP Kane and Kaleb Robertson imagine a safer, less prejudiced world for all....

Angela Sterritt: Believe Indigenous Peoples' Stories

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Despite making up only 4% of the female population in Canada, Indigenous women are murdered or missing at much higher rates than any other population....

Shree Paradkar: You Cannot Silence Journalists with Abuse

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There has been a marked increase in the abuse and harassment of journalists, especially journalists who are women of colour.Shree Paradkar is a Column...

Anuradha Dugal: The Gender Gap in Emergency Planning

20 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is a gap in our emergency planning when it comes to intimate partner violence. Anuradha Dugal wants to change that.Anuradha is the Vice Presiden...

Jake Stika: The Papercuts of Patriarchy

13 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Patriarchal structures are bad for women and gender-diverse people, but are they also damaging to men?Jake Stika is the Executive Director and Co-foun...

Pamela Cross: The Unintended Consequences of Criminalizing Intimate Partner Violence

06 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Canadian criminal law is changing in response to intimate partner violence, but is it changing for the better?Pamela Cross is the Advocacy Director at...

Navneet Alang: AI in Debate

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is intelligence? Does it require ethical research, group think, or just a well-programmed code? Today, intelligence has an added layer of data an...

Kamal Al-Solaylee: In Defence of Ghettos

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gentrification has reframed the way we think about ghettos. They’re no longer just in inner cities. As real estate booms, entire communities are bei...

Chief Sharleen Gale: First Nations Are on the Front Line of Energy Projects—and Their Impacts

27 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Oil and gas extraction in Canada has been disruptive for Indigenous communities historically. Sharleen Gale, Chief of the Fort Nelson First Nation and...

Max Brault: Improving Employment for People with Disabilities

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Max Brault, Vice President of People & Change at BDO Canada, describes the five Olympic rings when living with disabilities: housing, transportati...

Sharon Nyangweso: Equity and Justice as a Technical Skill

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Systemic problems require systemic solutions. Sharon Nyangweso, QuakeLab Inc. founder and CEO, explains why the capacity to build, design, and impleme...

Cheyenne Sundance: The Next Generation of Farmers Are in Our Cities

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cheyenne Sundance, a farmer and the founder of Sundance Harvest, shares her journey of self-taught urban farming and its potential to connect city you...

Tabatha Bull: We Will Not Achieve Reconciliation without Vibrant Indigenous Economies

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tabitha Bull, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Businesses, emphasizes the indispensable role vibrant Indigenous economies play...

Cadar Mohamud: Podcasting to Share Authentic Narratives

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The eldest daughter in an immigrant household, Cadar Mohamud, the founder and CEO of The Digital Sisterhood, shares how she discovered her sense of be...

Lynne Groulx: It’s a Life and Death Matter

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Lynne Groulx, CEO of the Native Women’s Association of Canada, emphasizes the pressing requirement for economic reconciliation in order to effective...

Dr. Syrus Marcus Ware: Toward a Future That Is Bigger than We Dreamed

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What does a future look like where trans people live long enough to become elders, where Black liberation is assured, where there is landback and Indi...

Agapi Gessesse: Building Employment Opportunities for Black Youth

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For young Black professionals, the employment line remains a long and bumpy road—to get only half as far. Agapi Gessesse, Executive Director of the ...

International Women's Day | Heather O’Neill: Girls Contain Multitudes

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When women—especially teenage girls—are depicted under the male gaze in art and media, their agency is minimized, and their creativity and passion...

The Late Stephen Trumper: Troubleshooting Disability

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen Trumper passed away on January 4, 2023, and left behind a legacy of disability advocacy that will never be forgotten. He had been an instructo...

André Picard: Were Pandemic Elder Deaths Preventable?

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been three years since we launched The Conversation Piece. 90 episodes measured over pandemic years, launched because for a while there, we cou...

Toufah Jallow: How to Humanize and Accept Survivor Stories

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Trigger Warning: this episode contains subject matter which includes sexual assault and domestic violence. The stories told by sexual assault sur...

Andrea Gunraj: The 5 C's and the Care Economy

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Women, Two Spirit, trans and non binary people across the spectrum have been at the forefront of what it means to be a caregiver. Whether society defi...

Ashlee Cunsolo: Ecological Grief and the Climate Crisis

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Information about global warming is everywhere. And although the delivery of this message brings up awareness, the overload of information can lead to...

Chief Cadmus Delorme: The Future of Truth and Reconciliation

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Generation Y inherited the truth of the 60s scoop, residential schools, and treaties, they did not create it, but Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadi...

Camille Dundas: Going Farther than Hiring a BIPOC

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Activism is changing the strategies of how many media organizations tell their stories: from the Black Lives Matter movement to Asian Heritage Month t...

Naila Moloo: Including Youth in the Climate Change Conversation

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The climate crisis is a global issue and requires a coordinated effort from everyone. But the people who will be most impacted by this crisis are ofte...

Candice Shaw: Colonialism Creates Poverty By Design

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Indigenous peoples face some of the highest levels of poverty in Canada. According to many people, including Candice Shaw, these inequalities are the ...

Fae Johnstone: Mental Health Is about More than Self-care

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our society has taken steps to improve awareness and understanding on the stigmas of mental health. But conversations about mental health are often li...

Jake Stika: Redefining What It Means to Be a Man

20 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“Man up,” “be a man,” and “don’t be a girl” are phrases that boys often hear while growing up. They send the message that men should alw...

Kate Harris: Satisfying Our Inner Explorer

06 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have an innate desire to explore. It’s what drove our early ancestors to migrate out of Africa and why modern humans dream of one day landing...

David MacDonald: CEO Bonuses are Boundless

23 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Canadian economy has suffered since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But not all Canadians have been impacted equally. While many low income wo...

Menaka Thakkar: Dance is a Universal Language

09 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The late Menaka Thakkar was an accomplished dancer and instructor, but in her 2017 talk, she was full of words about the impact of dancing. And it goe...

Claire Trottier: Tax Me, I Am The 1%

23 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Even in the midst of a pandemic, healthcare needs to be covered, roads need to be fixed, which means taxes need to be paid, and ‘tis the season. Acc...

Karina LeBlanc: Becoming your Best Self off the Field

09 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This will be our second Olympic Games held during the pandemic, and it promises to be a very interesting, and isolating experience for our athletes. A...

Joel Bothello: Who Is Most Susceptible to Imposter Syndrome?

26 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It is surprising the kind of people who confess to suffering from imposter syndrome. Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg, singer David Bowie, pro-athlete Ser...

Myrna Lashley: Supporting Youth Mental Health with Equity and Compassion

12 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Canadian children and their parents are once again confronted with the uncertainty of lockdowns and school closures, the mental health of our young...

Natalie Bull: A Hope and a Prayer for Places of Faith

29 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

According to Statistics Canada, being a person of faith, or at least admitting to being a person of faith is becoming less popular. That might just be...

Kerri Martin: Gratitude for Nature and Access to its Beauty

15 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Immersing yourself in your subject is not a new concept. Actors do it. Engineers do it. Writers do it. But why is it important? According to wildlife ...

Devyani Saltzman: Our Culture is at a Tipping Point

01 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

There are days when it may seem like we have solved the diversity issue in the arts here in Canada. When you look around and you finally see Indigenou...

Mark Henick: Surrendering to Discomfort

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many of us have experienced isolation over the past 18 months, which has taken a toll on our collective mental health. During these restless times, it...

Carly Ziter: The Ecosystems in Our Cities

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When you think of the natural world, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? To some, it might be National Park forests, the Great Lakes, or the ...

Roberta Jamieson: I Honour You by Giving, You Honour Me by Receiving

20 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Canada has a lot of work to do to improve relationships with Indigenous communities. But how will we get there as a country? According to Roberta Jami...

Steve Shih: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

06 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the midst of a pandemic, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death in Canada, so it makes sense that we have large laboratories for conduct...

Damian Rogers: World Alzheimer's Day

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Caring for a sick loved one is one of the hardest things a person can go through. But as Damian Rogers found out, it can also be an opportunity to lea...

Prerna Singh: Nationalism Is Not Always Bad for Democracy

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nationalism has become a bad word for many on the political spectrum, but according to Prerna Singh, it is a word people who believe in democracy shou...

Vanessa Tait: Reclaiming Our Place in the Teepee

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Indigenous women are among the most marginalized in Canada. In her talk, Vanessa Tait speaks about how the sacred roles they previously held in t...

Sara Abdessamie: International Youth Day

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Most of the decisions about Canada’s future are being made by the current leaders in government. To Sara Abdessamie, there’s another voice th...

Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika: Resilience is Not Simply Survival

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever been referred to as “resilient?” To some, resilience means survival, and calling someone resilient is meant as a compliment to their...

Vinita Srivastava: Resilience Is Not a Policy

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Resilience is often a celebrated state of being. But is it useful to use resilience as a policy? Resilience might be the watch word if you’re fighti...

Season Three Trailer

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to The Conversation Piece. The first episode of season three drops next week, but here's a teaser to whet your appetite: Hosted on Acast....