Now Or Never

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How to pop your social bubble

Studies have found about one in five Canadians experience loneliness or social isolation. Some experts have even argued that being lonely for long periods could be more harmful than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. That's why Now or Never is hoping to nudge you to step outside your social bubble — and meet the strangers that are all around.

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Going All In

What does it really take to go "all in?" Today on Now or Never, meet people who are risking their life savings, their relationships, even their health...to chase down an impossible dream. A 39-year old athlete who just quit her job and moved across the country - all for one last-ditch effort to make the Olympics. A woman determined to hike the world's most dangerous and remote trails...even though she lives with a life-threatening condition. And a cautionary tale from a Toronto couple who nearly lost everything after their dream of opening a restaurant....turned into a nightmare.

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Living a 'double life'

We all have sides of ourselves that aren't for everyone to know. In school, you might present a completely different identity than you do at home. Whether it's to fit in, to feel safe, or to protect your secret passion, there are many reasons that people choose to keep their identities separate. On this Now or Never, you'll hear from people who are living what some might call "double lives" — and how they're managing to pull it off. A Punjabi hip-hop superstar... who's completely anonymous in his hometown of Calgary. An investigative reporter who went undercover to infiltrate a neo-Nazi group recruiting across Canada. A queer South Asian drag queen who hasn't come out to his super traditional parents — and has no plans to. And listen in as one woman grills her 70-year-old mom about pot, past loves, and the bad-ass woman she was before kids.

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What's in a name?

We all have a name. Some are chosen for us, others we choose for ourselves. Names can influence our identity or honour our family history, but they can also be a burden that require a lifetime of explanations. So what's in a name? Turns out, a lot more than we may realize.

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Making big dreams come true

Today Now or Never is dreaming big. Shooting for the stars. Punching above their weight. Getting right up alongside Canadians who are chasing a big (seemingly impossible) dream, and overcoming huge obstacles to get there. A 50-year old bodybuilder in Calgary overcomes a troubled past to make one last attempt at becoming Mr. Universe. A First Nations community ends 100 years of isolation when their "Freedom Road" officially opens. And a super-fan gets to meet her childhood hero, figure skating legend Kurt Browning - and ask him a question she's been wondering about for 25 years.

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How prepared are you for your retirement?

Retirement is supposed to be our 'golden years' - a chance to relax, re-invent ourselves, and start the next chapter of our lives. But it can also be filled with uncertainty, poverty and loneliness. Today we're diving in with Canadians facing the challenges of their retirement head on.

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Finding real connections in digital communities

The amount of time we spend glued to our devices can sometimes be overwhelming. Whether it's social media, video games or group chats, why is it so gosh darn hard to peel yourself away? But it would be a mistake to label all of our screen time as negative or harmful. Because there are great things happening online. Beyond the likes and the follows, there are strong communities being built and meaningful relationships being formed. On this Now or Never, meet Canadians who are using their digital connection to create real-life connections.

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The Now or Never environmental challange

Since the United Nations released a shocking climate change report in October, 2018, a lot of people have been moved to take action. The report is truly life-or-death - it says we have only 12 years to make drastic changes to limit global warming or face devastating consequence like droughts, floods, extreme heat, and poverty, just to name a few. Hearing news like that can be paralyzing. What can any one person do to slow the destruction of the earth in just 12 years? Well, on this Now or Never you will meet people who are refusing to sit on the sidelines. They're taking on corporations, changing their lifestyles and trying to convince their friends and families to join the fight for our environment.

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What's in your mental health toolbox?

In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. If that's not you, it's definitely someone you know. There are few things as troubling as not understanding what's going on with your mind - or having any idea of how to deal with it. So on this Now or Never, meet people fighting hard to find mental health tools that work for them. Hear how hitting the comedy stage for the first time - at the age of 64 - helped one P.E.I. woman with her depression after her daughter took her own life. Meet a group of women who are knitting their way to better mental health. And a former NHL player tells us about how being open with his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder was the first step in addressing it. Plus, drop in on a Grade 5 classroom in Winnipeg where kids are getting a boot camp in mindfulness.

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Get up, go outside and experience life on the land

Studies have shown that there are benefits to connecting, meaningfully, with the land. People tend to feel happier when they're surrounded by nature. But the majority of people in Canada feel it's easier to just spend time indoors. So on this Now or Never we're strapping on snowshoes, digging in the dirt, and fighting for vanishing wilderness with people who are determined to connect with the land. A group of refugee and newcomer women go backcountry hiking for the very first time. One young musher sets off on the Nunavut Quest, a week-long traditional dog sled race across unforgiving sea ice and tundra. A former librarian and self-described city girl returns home to run the family farm. A Mi'kmaq elder looks over his community's land as it disappears into the ocean. Alone in the deep woods of the Yukon, a man who left it all behind reflects on a life of solitude.

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What are you doing to prepare for a good death?

Preparing for a good death isn't easy, because the first step is addressing the fact that one day you're going to die - and that is not a fun thing to consider. Here's the thing... you can try to ignore it all you want, but death is a fact of life.  The least we can do is think about death, which means being brave, having some uncomfortable conversations, and considering what you want your last days to look like. On this Now or Never, meet people who are finding ways to make peace with passing on.

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The different paths to parenthood

For many people, the path to becoming a parent is a winding and difficult one. Whether it's deciphering ovulation charts or visiting a sperm bank, finding a surrogate or planning for adoption - the journey to parenthood can be filled with unexpected surprises and crushing disappointments. On this Now or Never, we're discovering what it takes to actually become a parent. A single, gay man has everything in place to be a father including the embryos... now he just needs a womb. How an accidental pregnancy set one man on a path he never expected. And meet an Ottawa woman who suddenly found herself a new mom at the age of 52 - and now has to figure out how to raise a grieving teenager.

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Beyond the shelves: Discovering the magic in public libraries

There is so much more to a library than just the reading material inside. Whether in a small town or a big city, libraries can be a place to build community, connect to resources, or spend time when you have nowhere else to go. From people polishing up their resumes to children discovering the magic of storytelling, you never know who you're going to find at the library - and what they're there to check out. This week, hosts Trevor Dineen and Ify Chiwetelu bring you into the brand new Calgary Central Library to discover all of the Now or Never moments happening inside.

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What's making you dance right now?

Grab your dance shoes, wiggle those hips, and hit the dance floor with Canadians who have deeply personal reasons for getting their groove on. Like a 15-year old who's reinventing the traditional hoop dance - and has big plans to share it with the world. And a group of senior citizens who are tango-ing away the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Plus, Trevor and Ify attempt to start an impromptu dance party on the streets of Winnipeg.

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We need to talk about organ donation

At this moment, 4,600 Canadians are living in limbo as they wait for a life-saving organ transplant. The vast majority of Canadians say they support the idea of organ donation, but less than 25 per cent have registered to do it. Nova Scotia is on track to become the first jurisdiction in North America where consent for organ donation is presumed, which means citizens must opt out if they do not wish to donate their organs. But every year, hundreds of people still die while waiting for an organ. On this Now or Never, we take you into the lives of people who are directly impacted by the fact that Canada has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world. This encore episode first aired in October, 2018.

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How messages from the past can change the present

Whether it's an unearthed letter from an ancestor, a cassette tape message from a high school buddy, or a meaningful note you can't bear to part with - old messages can truly transport us back in time. But they can also change the way we view the future and behave in the present . On this Now or Never, meet people who are being motivated by meaningful messages from the past: A daughter who still carries her mother's suicide note in her wallet, 30 years later. Two friends whose bond is built on the cassette tapes they've mailed back and forth for decades. Former strangers brought together by a mysterious letter from the First World War. A grandmother who has dedicated her life to sharing Anishinaabemowin with her grandson - and the world. And Now or Never host Ify Chiwetelu reads a heartfelt and hilarious email she sent to her future self.

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