W5, CTV – “Unlocking Alex”
W5 host and Chief Correspondent Lloyd Robertson takes viewers inside an investigation into dolphin-assisted therapy. “UNLOCKING ALEX” looks at one family’s pursuit of a miracle treatment in hopes of helping their severely autistic child. W5’s cameras capture remarkable therapy sessions as the seven-year-old girl seemingly responds to interaction with her dolphin “therapist”, Leena. Robertson heads to the Curacao Dolphin Therapy and Research Center, joining parents Wendy and Peter Garish as they embark on a hope-filled search to improve the quality of their daughter Alex’s life. Suffering from severe autism that has left her mostly non-verbal and prone to outbursts, her family was given an opportunity for the controversial treatment by a charity. Followed by the W5 team throughout the two weeks of therapy, Alex first resists even getting in the water with the dolphin. But, day-by-day, the little girl begins to respond, eventually communicating with her parents in ways she never had before. While many claim dolphin-assisted therapy is a highly effective treatment, some claim it is a very expensive placebo with no scientific merit. W5 speaks to research scientists and animal experts with vastly different views on the merits of dolphin-assisted therapy. One expert suggests the therapy is little more than junk science. Another expert tells W5’s Robertson that while there was some questionable science to begin with, most recent studies about how dolphins affect people show very promising results.

From Joel Rubinoff of the Toronto Star:

• Over the Rainbow finalist rejects show’s competitive storyline
  Instead of the snarky, girl-on-girl drama that has become a hallmark of TV talent contests, Rainbow’s teenage subjects stood together, holding hands, eternally supportive as viewers voted them off one after another while, I’m guessing, apoplectic producers wrung their hands in frustration. Read more.

Strip The City, Discovery World – “Desert City – Dubai”
Dubai is a gleaming metropolis, grown from the desert sands in just a few decades – yet it sits in one of the driest places on Earth, is pummelled by raging sandstorms, and its skyscrapers are resting on top of sand. This episode looks beneath the city’s skin to discover what keeps Dubai’s buildings standing, protects them from desert storms, and keeps residents alive in the searing heat.

Marketplace, CBC – The Dirt on Hotels (Part 1)
Marketplace puts six of the largest hotel chains in Canada to the test–with shocking results.

The Fifth Estate, CBC – “The Elephant in the Room”
The controversy over what to do with older elephants when they are ready to retire has sparked an elephant war in Toronto and Edmonton, which may spell the beginning of the end for the world’s zoos.

From Nancy J. White of the Toronto Star:

• Big Brother Canada: 10,000 apply for 14 house guest spots
  Ten thousand Canadians have applied for the 14 spots in the first ever Big Brother Canada. The national casting tour that stopped in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Montreal and Toronto and the online audition process have all ended. Read more.