Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

We tackle Canada's top news stories in this supercharged episode of Real Talk. Bryan Baeumler tells us about his brand new TV show, but not before Dana Larsen and our Group Chat Round Table sound off on what's leading the headlines. 2:00 | Dana Larsen tells us about the police raid on his Vancouver mushroom dispensary, and why he thinks he's being targeted.  DANA'S BUSINESS: https://mushroomdispen...

Danielle Smith says if Justin Trudeau's so confident in his energy policy, he should call an election. Alberta's Premier dared the Prime Minister to do exactly that just hours before our interview with federal Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson. We get into the next chapter of Alberta's longstanding feud with Ottawa over emissions caps, renewables, and the future of the economy. 2:15 | Minister Wi...

What have we learned from the Jasper wildfire, and the devastating fires before that? Could Banff, Lake Louise, or Whistler burn next?  3:15 | Retired foresters Ken Hodges and Emile Begin wrote letters to the federal government in late 2017 warning of a devastating fire in Jasper National Park. We talk to them on the heels of Ken's testimony before a Parliamentary Hearing related to the July 2024...

Is "Sober October" a non-starter for you or someone you love? Are you thinking about cutting back on drinking, but not cutting it out entirely? Mike Pond is a harm reduction psychotherapist who was living on the streets 15 years ago. He and his partner, award-winning journalist Maureen Palmer, say quitting cold turkey and living sober isn't for everybody. We get personal - and explore what's healt...

Ronnie's not a fan of Justin Trudeau OR Pierre Poilievre, Wendy wants less talk about war, Andrew's not a fan of how we handled the October 7th anniversary, and Coreen's all fired up over ignorant comments about educators. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao,...

He's one of the most feared hitters in hockey history. Jordin Tootoo - or "The Tootoo Train" - endeared himself to fans around the world through his fearless play. But the first Inuk player in NHL history battled demons born from childhood trauma to the point of nearly losing his life. Tootoo talks to us about his brother's suicide, his battles with alcohol, and an entirely new life after hockey....

About 90% of startups fail. What's the secret for those that don't? We talk to the leaders behind three success stories in this special episode of Real Talk presented by Edmonton Unlimited.  2:40 | Areto Labs founder Kasey Machin, vrCAVE founder Dr. Nathaniel Rossol, and Drivewyze VP Doug Johnson tell us about taking an idea to startup phase, the art of the pitch, navigating early (and existential...

Nothing's guaranteed, but it sure looks like Pierre Poilievre is Canada's next Prime Minister. In this episode of Real Talk, Stephen Harper's former comms boss tells us why Poilievre better pay attention to what's happening in the UK right now if he wants to last longer than a single term (or less) as PM.  4:00 | Andrew MacDougall served as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's director of communication...

Tiffany Hansen's four year old daughter has already been expelled from SEVEN different childcare centres. Her family is far from alone. There's an epidemic of early childhood expulsion across North America, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Young learners requiring special supports are falling through the cracks from kindergarten all the way up to high school, and research shows many of thos...

It's been a year since Hamas fighters attacked civilian targets in Israel, killing more than 1,400 people and kidnapping 200+ more. Israel's large-scale military response has killed at least 41,870 Palestinians including 16,756 children. The conflict has spread regionally, with Hezbollah engaging Israeli forces along its northern border with Lebanon. Tensions with Iran, a Hamas supporter, remain h...

Harry and Russ chime in on Danielle Smith's chemtrails comments, and Michael calls Alberta's Energy Regulator to the carpet. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, let 'em know Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TW...

Pierre Poilievre says he'll "axe" the carbon tax...but then what? Canadians are waiting for details on how the Conservative leader will approach the climate file if he's elected Prime Minister. In this episode, we speak with two Conservative policy wonks (a compliment, not an insult) who say it's time for Poilievre and premiers like Danielle Smith and Scott Moe to step up their game.  4:00 | But f...

The nation's best rodeo competitors are in Edmonton for the 50th edition of Canadian Finals Rodeo. In this special episode, we hang out with three of the highest achievers in Western sports - on horseback, in front of the bulls, and behind the mic.  2:00 | CFR defending barrel racing champion Lynette Brodoway, bullfighter Brett Monea, and 13-time Canadian Pro Rodeo Announcer of the Year Brett Gard...

A young mom accepts a ride into the city from a stranger, and is never seen again. Two years later, her body is discovered south of Edmonton. Seven years after that, the RCMP apologizes for bungling the investigation. To this day, there's been no arrest, no charges, and no peace for her family.  3:00 | Investigative journalist Jana Pruden takes us into the unsolved murder of Amber Tuccaro.  CHECK...

Brent's heard enough from the teachers, and Lynette sounds the alarm on underfunding education. Stick around for Jespo's rant after a night at the theatre in this edition of The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to t...

Ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we connect with two people blending Indigenous and Western knowledge to make a big difference in their communities. Later in the episode, we hear from a Real Talk subscriber in grade 12 re: Jason Schilling's "education in crisis" comments on our September 26 episode. 1:50 | Linea Xaysana and Twylla Soosay explain how tradition and technology...

Alberta's set to spend nearly $9 billion on new schools, but teachers say it won't fix a system in crisis. Meantime, voters in B.C. are deadlocked leading up to one of the most bizarre elections the province has ever seen. We try to make sense of it all in this episode of Real Talk.  2:35 | Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling explains why 90 new schools won't fix Alberta's clas...

G-Money says Jagmeet Singh stole a page right outta the WWE playbook. RMC has a message for the "American right wing wannabes" in Ottawa. First Class Teacher calls Premier Danielle Smith to the carpet. Jackson's furious about vandalism on September 11 at a firefighter memorial. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanj...

Not everybody nerds out on politics as much as we do. This episode is for those folks (and the nerds like us). We talk "real life" angles on the US presidential election, Jagmeet Singh confronting a heckler, Justin Trudeau's Liberal leadership journey, and the chopping waters around the B.C. election.  2:30 | Beyond A Ballot hosts Amanda Alvaro and Rachael Segal talk to us hours before launching S...

Why do we allow politicians to drive wedges between us? Why do we listen when they try to convince us cities are the enemy of rural communities, and vice versa? It's a divisive-yet-effective political strategy in countries like Canada and the USA. Is this the new normal?  2:20 | Dr. Kathy Cramer is an internationally-renowned expert on the urban-rural political divide. The University of Wisconsin-...

agmeet Singh goes toe-to-toe with a protestor outside Parliament, after being called a "corrupted bastatrd". Was it the right move, or could the federal NDP leader pay a political price?  2:20 | Shannon Phillips, Ken Boosenkool, and Tyler Meredith get into the top political stories in Canada, including Justin Trudeau's future, Pierre Poilievre's "Axe the Tax" campaign, Danielle Smith's upcoming le...

Lindsey's got a hot take on Trump at the debate, Concerned Citizen's not sold on the UCP hospital plan, and Jo-Jo and Debra are all fired up about the Green Line LRT project. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, make s...

The way music is made, distributed, monetized, and enjoyed is dramatically different than even five years ago. We get Real with CCMA nominees JJ Shiplett, Hailey Benedict, and Dan Clapson ahead of a big weekend in Edmonton. MORE ON JJ: https://www.jjshiplett.com/ MORE ON HAILEY: https://www.instagram.com/thatsmehaileyb/?hl=en MORE ON DAN: https://www.thebluejaysessions.com/ Jespo and Johnny recap...

You have to assume Andrew Knack has his next move planned out...but what is it? We sit down with the long-time Edmonton councillor just hours after his announcement he won't run again in Ward Nakota Isga.  4:00 | Is Knack considering running for Mayor? Is the rumour mill correct about him joining Naheed Nenshi's team with the Alberta NDP? We talk polarized politics, "left wing" councils, cancelled...

Russia's paying Canadian influencers to sway public opinion. Danielle Smith's government just delivered a death blow to a multi-billion dollar transit project. Jagmeet Singh says he's ready for a fight...but is he?  3:00 | We put today's top political stories in front of Max Fawcett, lead columnist for Canada's National Observer. We talk Russian interference in Canada, the upcoming debate between...