Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Buckle up: Cheryl Oates and Erika Barootes are back to break down the top political stories across the country, including Justin Trudeau's Senate appointments (2:40), Jagmeet Singh's publicity stunt, Danielle Smith's war with AHS, the future of Calgary's Green Line LRT, and the upcoming Saskatchewan election.  JOIN US SEPT. 7 at 5pm at the JASPER WILDFIRE BENEFIT CONCERT: https://www.eventbrite.ca...

More than 13,000 Canadians chose Medical Assistance in Dying last year. That's up 30% from the year before. People don't tend to talk much about MAiD, and there's still a lot of misunderstanding around what it is, who is requesting and receiving it, and what the approval process looks like. We focus on the facts around MAiD on this episode (35:10). But first...  4:12 | Jagmeet Singh says he's done...

Is Dr. Kristopher Wells the most controversial Senate appointee in Canadian history? That's what his critics say. In fact, the loudest ones are calling him "atrocious," "radical," and "dangerous". We go one-on-one with the educator, Pride Tape founder, and longtime LGBTQ2S+ activist two weeks ahead of his swearing-in. 3:40 | Premier Danielle Smith calls him a "left wing partisan,", suggesting his...

Was our August 28 interview with Covid vaccine class action lawyers Eva Chipiuk and Jeff Rath a mistake? Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur explains why he thinks it was (19:50). But first, we talk about the outpouring of public sentiment around Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau's tragic deaths (3:10), and Leon Draisaitl's record-setting extension with the Edmonton Oilers (14:30). FOLLOW BRUCE ON TWITT...

Covid vaccine class action lawyer Jeff Rath lit a fire under a bunch of you during his August 28 appearance on the show, to say the least. Real Talkers Ron, Nat, Megan, Mike, MJ, and Gregory are all fired up in this week's 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,...

The future is now. The way we grow, purchase, and eat food could be drastically different in just a few years. Experts say the food-ag transition will be bigger than the global energy transition. What does that mean for you? For the environment? For the economy?  2:20 | Isha Datar and Dr. Sean Yam join Ryan in studio for one of the most fascinating Real Talk Round Tables we've ever presented. ISHA...

Alberta's got at least two disasters to manage, with the Jasper rebuild and an overburdened healthcare system dominating news headlines. We go straight to the source for updates from Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland and Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Paul Parks.  4:30 | Mayor Ireland talks to us about losing his home to wildfire, and the early stages of Jasper's rebuild. When will tourists...

Do you know somebody who experienced a negative health side effect from the Covid vaccine? Alberta lawyers are suing the provincial and federal governments, alleging "unlawful, negligent, inadequate, improper, unfair, and deceptive practices...in relation to the warning, marketing, promotion, and distribution of the Covid Vaccines."  3:15 | Lawyers Eva Chipiuk and Jeff Rath explain the premise of...

Alberta's rolling out controversial new Social Studies curriculum for K-6 students this fall. It's the culmination of a years-long journey to rewrite what and how students learn about the world around them.  2:40 | Dr. Carla Peck and Laurence Miall explain why teachers are calling out Alberta's new K-6 Social Studies curriculum en masse.  SAVE 50% on a one year subscription to Alberta Views with t...

Garth, Tobias, and Clay aren't exactly thrilled with PM Justin Trudeau's latest Senate appointment. It's an all-Adler 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 tell 'em Real Talk sent you! 

Like it or not, the world's weaning itself off fossil fuels. While that doesn't mean oil companies will be out of business next month, or your job will be eliminated next year, common sense suggests we'd better be ready for what's coming.  2:40 | Journalist Markham Hislop has been covering the energy beat for decades. We get into campaign politics and the carbon tax, a controversial new energy tra...

As we approach 1,000 episodes of Real Talk, we count down the top ten show stopping statements uttered on the show..  Find all these interviews and more highlights in our YouTube and podcast archives!  TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com  FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj  REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL T...

Meet Pulkit Kumar. Just 24 years old, the surgical student has already been featured in Forbes for his innovative work in healthcare. He also happens to be an avid Real Talker who reached out to us after our July 17 episode with Dr. Paul Parks - "Alberta's Healthcare Crisis Explained".  3:40 | Pulkit explains how growing up in India, the USA, and Canada shaped his perspective on healthcare deliver...

We call politicians hypocrites, flip-flops, and worse when they change their tune. We expect our elected (and appointed) officials to stand by what they say no matter what. Whatever happened to "live and learn"? On the heels of our conversation with newly-minted Senator Charles Adler about his personal and political evolution, we connect with another politician in the process of reinventing themse...

Longtime talk radio host Charles Adler is headed to Ottawa to serve as a Senator, after being appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. It's an interesting situation, as Adler has long been critical of the Senate, calling for its abolition back in 2013.  2:05 | We put Chuck's old tweets in front of him, and ask if he's changed his mind (you might be surprised at his answer). He tells us about hi...

Merrick's miffed about paying too much for gas, Wendy's not sure about Adler's take on science, Gerald says Pierre Poilievre is hardly a genius on Bitcoin, and Jill doesn't GAF if you don't like her store's Pride display. They've all fired up The Flamethrower presented by our friends at the DQs in Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visi...

We go behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics with photojournalists Leah Hennel and Candice Ward!  2:15 | Leah's still in Paris. Candice just returned home to Las Vegas. The award-winning photographers tell us what it was like to shoot the world's best athletes on the world's biggest stage.  FOLLOW LEAH: https://www.instagram.com/leahhennelphoto FOLLOW CANDICE: https://www.instagram.com/candicewar...

Alberta's government plans to knock down the former Royal Alberta Museum, replacing the magnificent Manitoba Tyndall stone structure with (more) green space. Many prominent Albertans are speaking out against the plan, including architect Vivian Manasc, who says the UCP is about to make a huge mistake.  3:00 | Vivian explains what makes the former RAM so special, and how it might be reimagined. Plu...

Alberta will allow hunters to target "problem" Grizzly bears that have shown aggression to humans or livestock. The controversial changes to the Wildlife Act have prompted loud public outcry, but is everybody with an opinion truly informed?  3:15 | Mark Hall says the Alberta government is making the right move with "problem" bears. The Blood Origins Canada director and podcast host makes his argum...

UCP MLA Eric Bouchard says he's working to have the COVID vaccine banned in Alberta. In a recent podcast interview, the Calgary-based politician claims to have had "multiple lengthy conversations" with Health Minister Adriana LaGrange, and that his "win would be having the shots removed." We dig into what continues to fuel the anti-vaxx movement, and why so few people got their COVID shot this yea...

C'est fini! With the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the books, we take a look at the athletes and stories that captured our attention and won our hearts.  1:00 | But before we talk Olympics, Ryan and Johnny debrief after a late night at NOFX's final tour stop in Edmonton.  6:10 | What was your most memorable moment from the Paris Games? Who's your new favourite athlete? What should be the next new Ol...

It's an Alberta politics version of The Flamethrower! Travis says Jespo needs to "stop carrying water," Sheryl's calling for "voices of sanity," and Gerald's sick of all the fear mongering. The Flamethrower is presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park (Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road). FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the...

2:10 | Royalty in the house! Miss Universe Canada Ashley Callingbull joins us in studio to talk about why her big win means so much. The first Indigenous woman ever to be crowned, Ashley takes us through the many challenges she's overcome through the years. Plus, we learn about her new film and book projects, and go behind the scenes of her training for the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico in Novem...

Scammers are more active now than ever before. Opportunists are trying to steal donations after natural disasters like the Jasper wildfire, romance and "hitman" scams are targeting people of all ages...and then there are those spam calls that are a daily occurrence for most smartphone users.  4:10 | Consumer protection expert Julie Matthews has been busting scams for twenty years. The longtime TV...

Natural disasters like wildfires impact us in many different ways. On top of the obvious physical devastation, communities typically experience increased rates of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. This Real Talk episode with Dr. Jody Carrington is dedicated to Jasper evacuees and the people helping them, first responders, and the countless Canadians impacted by the Jasper wildfire. Later in the show,...