The Agenda with Steve Paikin (Video)

It's the first time it's happened since at least Confederation: the border between Canada and the U.S. is closed to all but essential traffic. And that's not all that's transpired in these strange times. Steve Paikin talks about ties between the two countries with Bruce Heyman, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada under the previous American administration, and author of "The Art of Diplomacy:Strengthening the Canada-US relationship in Times of Uncertainty."

Ontario's hospitals and long-term care homes are bearing the brunt of the most serious cases of COVID-19. Missed in this is how doctors and family health teams across the province are coping with patient health during a global pandemic. The Agenda looks at how doctors are handling their practices during this time.

With citizens forced to stay indoors, nearly all major crime in cities such as Toronto has dropped. As a result, the job of law enforcement has shifted considerably. New roles include enforcing social distancing, ensuring businesses are shuttered, and delivering fines to those that haven't yet closed their doors. The Agenda welcomes Andy Pattenden, York Regional Police Sergeant and media relations officer, to discuss how police officers are coping with their new tasks?

A disproportionately large number of people live in Canadian cities. Are the country's largest cities hemorrhaging cash as COVID-19 shutters businesses, halts construction, and eliminates transit ridership. Toronto alone is reportedly losing $65 million a week. But police, fire, and garbage collection must still function. Experts discuss the financial plight of cities.

Is the cooperation between China and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic enough to salvage bi-lateral relations following the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in December 2018? The Agenda welcomes University of Toronto political science associate professor Lynette Ong, and Robert Delaney, the South China Morning Post's North American bureau chief.

There are a lot of men who have coached in 100-year history of the NHL, but no one has more victories than William Scott Bowman. As a coach, general manager, or executive, he has been a part of 14 Stanley Cup-winning teams - an astonishing record of success. Ken Dryden's new book, "Scotty: A Hockey Life Like No Other," explains his former coach's brilliance. Dryden talks to Steve Paikin about the life and legacy of Scotty Bowman.

Many of Ontario's long-term care homes face devastation during the COVID-19 pandemic. One has lost almost half its residents to the virus. For very ill people end of life care becomes crucial. For their insights on the role palliative care can play, The Agenda welcomes Dr. Amit Arya, who specializes in long-term care and holds a joint faculty appointment in the Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University in Hamilton and the University of Toronto; and Dr. Naheed Dosani, founder and lead physician for Palliative Education and Care for the Homeless.

Losing a loved one is one of the most difficult things a person will have deal with, but during COVID-19, that is compounded by the inability to properly grieve. And grief is not just limited to those we've lost, but to everything that's slipped away as the world continues to grapple with the virus. Joining Steve Paikin with some advice on how to cope with these feelings are David Kessler, author of "Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief;" and Andrea Warnick, registered psychotherapist and a project lead on KidsGrief.ca.

Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips will be chairing the newly created Jobs and Recovery sub-committee of cabinet. He talks to Steve Paikin about what that committee is doing to prepare for life as restrictions ease in the province after the COVID-19 pandemic.

How much is too much to spend to save lives? Donald Trump has made some questionable statements during this pandemic, but the one thing he has said that most agree on is that the cure ought not to be worse than the disease. To discuss the consequences of restrictive emergency measures and constricted economies. Steve Paikin is joined by economist Armine Yalnizyan, health policy expert Natasha Crowcroft, and Globe and Mail columnist Ian Brown.

Southwestern Ontario Hub journalist Mary Baxter discusses how farmers and governments are dealing with migrant workers coming into Ontario for the spring season.

Demand at food banks has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the ongoing needs of people on the economic margins. It also indicates how close many other people are to those margins, if just one paycheque doesn't come in as expected. Nick Saul, president and CEO of Community Food Centres Canada, talks to Steve Paikin about food security.

The days are getting longer. The ground is thawing. It's GO time on farms across Ontario. But as COVID-19 locks down the province, can the agriculture sector still kick into high gear for planting season? To help us understand this issue, we welcome Dusty Zamecnik, fourth-generation farmer at EZ Grow Farms in Norfolk County; Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture; and Crystal Mackay, CEO of Loft 32, which specializes in communications for the agricultural sector.

The race is on to find treatments for COVID-19. One of the most promising options being tested in Canada and around the world includes using antibodies from the blood plasma of recovered patients to help others fight the disease. The Agenda discusses the trial, as well as what is known about building immunity to the virus.

Half of Canada's COVID-19 deaths have been in long-term care homes. We examine the crisis affecting some of Ontario's most vulnerable citizens, how it could have been prevented, and what needs to be done for these residents to be better protected.