Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Real Talkers sound off on Nazis in the House of Commons, political posturing, an Alberta Pension Plan, coal mining in the Rockies, and leaf blowers (!) in this week's edition of Trash Talk!  SUBMIT YOUR RANT: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

Canada's got an affordable housing crisis. Nobody can argue that. But is cracking down on short-term rentals like Airbnbs the right solution? The federal government is considering it as part of a bigger-picture plan. What ripple effects should homeowners and real estate investors expect?  11:15 | Ryan's not sure it's the right move. We take a look at what Real Talkers are saying in the YouTube liv...

We're talk mental health and addiction today...DON'T SCROLL PAST! We get it...it's uncomfortable subject matter. But we guarantee you'll learn something (and maybe even save yourself) by checking out this extended-length episode of Real Talk.  3:25 | But first...Ryan opens the show with a few thoughts about Wab Kinew and the NDP's big victory in Manitoba. How does it change the political dynamic a...

Do you have a strong opinion on the proposed Alberta Pension Plan? It's leading national news headlines, as the Alberta government is asking citizens to chime in on the idea. In this episode of Real Talk, we get a couple different perspectives so you can make an informed decision.  3:40 | Canadians have come to trust Dr. Trevor Tombe's informed, non-partisan takes on economic matters. The Universi...

Our elected MPs gave a former Nazi SS soldier a standing ovation in the House of Commons. Alberta wants to pull out of the Canada Pension Plan. Manitoba's PC Party is making some mind-boggling moves just days before an election. We've got a lot to talk about in this episode of Real Talk!  2:55 | Who should be most embarrassed by 300 or so federal MPs standing to applaud a former Nazi SS soldier? W...

Everybody's talking about the "1 Million March 4 Children" that went down earlier this week, so it's no surprise you've got a LOT to get off your chest. In response to our inbox being absolutely slammed, it's an extended edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services! EMAIL US: talk@ryanjespersen.com

People don't feel safe these days. Whether it's riding inner-city transit or living in a remote, rural location, Canadians are experiencing escalating rates of violent crime. What's the solution? Bail reform? Tougher sentences? More robust support services? 3:30 | The presidents of the Alberta Crown Attorneys' Office (Dallas Sopko) and the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association (Paul Moreau) join us f...

Thousands of Canadians participated in the 1 Million March 4 Children, organized to "free children from the bondage of indoctrination; breaking a system designed to sexualize our children". Thousands more showed up in counter-protest. At the end of it all, were you left with a pit in your stomach? 2:04 | Ryan reflects on the 1 Million March 4 Children, one day later. 24:40 | How do we fix our comm...

The eyes of the energy world are on Calgary, as Alberta hosts the World Petroleum Congress. It makes perfect sense for Premier Danielle Smith to greet the Saudi delegation at the airport...but does the photo op kill Canada's claim around "ethical oil"?  4:20 | Max Fawcett takes that question (and more)...but first, the lead columnist for Canada's National Observer shares his thoughts on the "1 Mil...

It's official: Canada says India's responsible for the cold-blooded killing of Canadian Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, BC on June 18, 2023. Shortly after the Prime Minister made the bold statement in the House of Commons this week, Canada expelled a senior Indian diplomat. India followed suit, sending a Canadian diplomat home. Federal politicians across party lines are calling for acc...

From Donald Trump's gaffe in an interview over the weekend to Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's caught-on-camera debacle at a Denver theatre...from the horrific E. coli outbreak at Alberta daycares to NHL coach Mike Babcock leaving Columbus before coaching a single game...get the informed, common sense insights you need to make sense of what's going on around you in this episode of Real Talk!  4:00 |...

Ronnie's sick of the politics of affordable housing. Michelle says trans rights aren't up for debate. And Morgan wonders what ever happened to real conversations about real issues with real people. It's Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

Canada's experiencing a full-blown housing crisis. Millions of people literally can't afford a place to live, and experts say we need to add more than three million units by 2030. How did we get here, and how do we begin to fix it? We focus on what pollsters say is the number one issue impacting Canadians in this episode of Real Talk.  4:40 | Marie-Josée Houle is Canada's first Federal Housing Adv...

Imagine what hundreds of parents in Calgary are going through right now. Their kids are terribly sick with a rare form of E. coli because the daycare they trusted served food from a cockroach-infested kitchen. At least twenty of those kids are in hospital, seven of them on dialysis. Meantime, the daycares are cleared to re-open: who'd want to send their kids back...but what options to many of thos...

What do you know about trans and non-binary health care? It seems like politicians are talking about it more than physicians themselves, and it's safe to say it's become one of the more polarizing topics in Canada in recent years (including at the Conservative Party Convention over the weekend). We talk to a physician and a CPC delegate in this enlightening episode of Real Talk. 3:50 | Dr. Kate Gr...

Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives are riding high. The party's out-polling Justin Trudeau's Liberals by a wide margin, and that was *before* this weekend's packed CPC Convention in Quebec City. Of course, there's still an eternity before the next federal election. But is the writing on the wall? 5:20 | Before we talk politics with David Herle, Ryan reads an email from Real Talker Garth about "the u...

Did Canada's Conservatives put positive polling momentum at risk at this weekend's convention in Quebec City? We take a look at some of the grassroots initiatives (restricting gender-affirming surgery) vs. issues where Poilievre's gaining ground (affordable housing), and discuss where and how the CPC needs to stay focused if it wants to govern again.  5:00 | But first...no matter how many years it...

Our "Bursting at the Seams" episode on September 6 has Kenneth, Dallas, and Stean all fired up. It's an all-education edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services!  EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com  KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

Losing a parent to cancer at a young age would have an enormous impact on anybody. It's hard to imagine how a young person could pick up the pieces, let alone move forward in pursuit of an education and a career. In this episode, you'll meet Manuela Lopez Aldana and Tyler Gauchier, the 2023 recipients of the Real Talk Julie Rohr Scholarship. 2:00 | Manuela tells us about her family's move from Col...

The loudest voices don't always represent majority opinions. In this episode of Real Talk, we find out what Canadians actually think about a parent's right to be informed, the next Prime Minister of Canada, appropriate supports for wildfire evacuees, parole for convicted killers, and more. 6:15 | Our September 6 episode about class sizes in Alberta resonated with a bunch of you. Ryan shares a few...

Canada's richest province spends the least per student on education. Classrooms are packed, teachers are stretched, and kids aren't getting the supports they need. What's going on in Alberta? 2:30 | Karlee Hren has been teaching elementary school for more than a decade. Laurence Miall's a journalist whose eldest child just started kindergarten. They join Ryan in studio to talk about crowded classr...

Science says it's too late to avoid some of the inevitable impacts of climate change. Journalist Anne Shibata Casselman spent six months investigating what Canada's likely to look like in 2060. Her findings are shocking, to say the least. We get into her Macleans feature on this episode of Real Talk. But first... 5:18 | The trial of "Freedom Convoy" co-organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber begin...

For decades, officials at the Calgary Stampede knew a predator was working with the famed Young Canadians, but covered it up. Strategist Stephen Carter pulls no punches in telling us what needs to happen next. Advocate Danielle Aubry explains how scandals like this can continue undetected for years. MP George Chahal tells us why he thinks the Stampede needs to pay a price for being complicit. Enjo...

Of all the ways to blow $44 billion... Social media experts Kathleen Smith, Karly Watson, and Beverley Theresa give us the goods on the future of Twitter and TikTok. Branding experts Josh Dunford and Ashley Harrigan explain the science of branding, and what makes for a brilliant (or bone-headed) rebrand. Enjoy this episode of The Best of Real Talk!   ryanjespersen.com  #RealTalkRJ

Alberta's Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz tells us about her closed door meeting with federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault. NDP Energy Critic tells us why she thinks Alberta's government is out to lunch pressing pause on renewables. Andrew Leach cuts through the political noise and breaks down the current and future economics of Canada's energy industry. Rural Municipalities of Alber...