Now or Never

It can feel easier than ever to point out what's wrong, but making things better....now that's a challenge. So this week we are cracking open the Now or Never vault to share an episode about people who stopped complaining and decided to do something about it.

Retired social worker Paul Jenkinson is out to fix loneliness with two folding chairs and a homemade sign. He gave up the lease on his home in Nova Scotia to jump in his car and pop up in parking lots, parks and sidewalks across Canada with a simple offer: to listen to strangers, about anything. Trevor tags along.

Wikipedia is the internet’s encyclopedia - but its entries are incomplete, with only one in every five entries featuring a woman. That’s where Toronto journalist Takara Small comes in: trying to fix the world’s most-read encyclopedia, one entry at a time.

Krista Nugent has been single for five years. She's gone on dates and has had her fair share of conversations on the apps, but hasn't had much luck finding something that lasts. Refusing to leave her dating life up to chance, the Victoria-based realtor is doing what she knows works for getting houses sold - marketing herself.

Ruth Hasman operates on stuffed toys for a living. The Vancouver-based teddy bear doctor has patched up hundreds upon hundreds of stuffed toys from across the country over the past three decades. At 82 years old, repairing people’s beloved furry keepsakes still brings her joy, and she hopes to carry on her legacy and pass on her skills to a new generation of tinkerers.

When Melissa Porter decided to collect used clothing donations for a family whose house burned down in Sudbury, she and her husband Drew never expected that simple fix would take over their house, and their lives. How a clothes drive grew into a non-profit organization with a team of nearly 100 volunteers from around the world.

It's hard to afford things these days with the cost of just about everything going up and up. So today we're revisiting a previous episode of Now or Never that won't make you feel so alone when you look at your bank account.

It's time to go on adventures and have a summer full of discovery so we can come back full of stories for you in September.

We'd never leave you without a plan to keep you inspired and entertained while we recharge.

Watch for our favourite episodes that deserve a second listen (or a share!) coming to your podcast feed every Thursday between now and September 10th.

When was the last time you surprised yourself? Pushed past a personal best? Achieved something you didn’t think possible?

We’re celebrating that hustle today on Now or Never by introducing you to people challenging themselves to go beyond their limits.

After a devastating loss, a group of Winnipeg women form the “Try New Things Club” to honour their loved ones by embracing life one new challenge at a time. A bittersweet story of the power of friendship to overcome grief.

At 20 years old Connor Shaw is learning to live on his own in an off-grid Saskatchewan cabin without running water or electricity, that’s a 15 minute drive away from the nearest town. But is it a good idea?

A few years ago Toronto’s Elizabeth Arbour couldn’t walk down the street or take her kids upstairs to bed because of debilitating chronic pain. Now she’s attempting to hike up steep peaks. Find out what changed.

Everytime Zack Mykula hits the stage with his band Pup, the drummer is filled with anxiety, even after 15 years. So what’s he doing to make sure he doesn’t black out on stage as he’s about to leave on an international tour?

When Yukoner Casey Kemble was diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer, the doctors gave him a year and a half to live. Now he’s celebrating surprising the doctors and making it past that “best before date” with an “I should be dead” birthday party.

Our dads teach us all kinds of things, whether they intended to or not. So on this Father's Day weekend, we're sharing stories of all the hilarious, heartfelt and heartbreaking lessons your dad passed down to you, that continue to show up in your life today.

Trevor heads to a Winnipeg brewpub for "Beers & Braids," an event where dads get a crash-course on how to style their daughters' hair. Amongst all the mannequin heads and synthetic hair, these dads get real about the lessons from their own dads that stuck with them the most.

Jada Yee is a tall, suit-wearing businessman with a wife and four kids. But when he puts on a rainbow wig and sparkly gown, he transforms into drag queen, Chyna B. Deadly. It began as a way to stand up for his kids, but it’s turned into something much bigger for him and his community.

For decades, Richard Bales would share stories of his late father's beloved motorcycle with his children and grandchildren, until a chance connection finally brought the bike back home…to his dining room.

As a kid, Tara Weir and her dad Brad bonded over long bike rides. When she moved away from home as an adult, those moments together were harder to come by. But Tara and Brad recently reunited to take on their biggest ride yet, to a place north of the Arctic Circle, that means a lot to them.

And how do you follow in your father's footsteps when your dad is the Chief? For Hayden Mercredi, lessons from his dad meant leaving school to attend high-level political meetings when he was just a kid. Trevor Mercredi, Grand Chief of Treaty 8, and his son Hayden share the lessons they're learning, and why Trevor first had mixed feelings about Hayden's political ambitions.