Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's taking his "Axe the Tax" rallies across the country ahead of another carbon tax increase on April 1. Meantime, more than 200 economists have signed an open letter criticizing Poilievre's message and calling for "sound evidence and facts" in the debate around carbon pricing. Predictably, prominent Conservatives like Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe are questioni...

Were you shocked to see Rakhi Pancholi pull out of the Alberta NDP leadership race with three months to go? (We were!) Many people saw the popular Edmonton MLA as a legitimate successor to Rachel Notley, and a formidable candidate to be the next Premier of Alberta. So, what's up?  3:49 | Rakhi tells us when and why she decided to leave the leadership race and endorse Naheed Nenshi.  21:54 | First...

Gil's in, and Rakhi's out. On an eventful day in the Alberta NDP leadership race, we find out why the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour figures he's the best best to return the NDP to power. 2:00 | But first...Rakhi Pancholi's out of the NDP leadership race, withdrawing and endorsing Naheed Nenshi just moments before we record this episode. Ryan offers some initial thoughts (more at 1:...

Landon Johnston thinks Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek's doing such a lousy job, he organizes a petition to recall her from office. Instead of ignoring the petition, which is unlikely to succeed, Gondek invites Johnston to sit down one-on-one at City Hall and discuss his concerns. What was said during their brief meeting, and where do both parties go from here?  2:55 | Mayor Gondek tells us what she an...

This edition of The Flamethrower is a healthy mix of love letters and hate mail based on our recent Justin Trudeau and Danielle Smith interviews. Enjoy, courtesy of our friends at The Dairy Queens of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

Have you been paying attention to what's going on in Alberta? Premier Danielle Smith's government is kinda sorta rolling out a provincial police force, and paving the way for municipal political parties. But is that what's best for Albertans?  4:10 | Alberta Municipalities president Tyler Gandam and director Tanya Thorn shoot straight on the proposed provincial police force, Alberta's crumbling in...

Is there anything more important to human survival than water? Water is everything - without it, ecosystems, industry, and individuals would die. So, why don't we talk about it more? In this episode of Real Talk, we examine the past, present, and future of water use (and conservation) in our own backyards and beyond. 2:45 | Canadians are bracing for the worst drought we've seen in 50 years. We've...

Leaked documents show a direct link between Take Back Alberta, the Recall Gondek campaign, and the push for municipal political parties in Alberta. What does it mean for you? We dig into it in this episode of Real Talk.  3:10 | Political scientist Dr. Duane Bratt connects the dots on our top story, then breaks down the NDP leadership race in light of Gil McGowan's pending announcement, and discuss...

Should prostitution be outlawed in Canada? Canadians are split on the issue: some believe sex work should be legalized, regulated, and taxed, while others say it's exploitation, and it needs to be stopped. Andrea Heinz sold sex for seven years before going in a completely different direction. Today, she's an author, filmmaker, and activist against sexual exploitation.  2:25 | Andrea explains how s...

Pierre Poilievre wants BC Premier David Eby to join his fight against the carbon tax. Eby declines, citing Poilievre's "bologna politics". Poilievre fires back, suggesting Eby doesn't understand British Columbians can't even afford bologna. (No matter how you feel about bologna, you've gotta love the word play...) 3:03 | We ask Charles Adler if Poilievre can convince the public he's Canada's top p...

Inspired by Edify's annual Best Restaurants issue, we talk about the business of food in this episode of Real Talk. What's the secret to creating an iconic dish? How have customers changed, post-pandemic? Does Instagram influence menu and restaurant design? How do you navigate labour and supply uncertainty? Will restaurants still be around in 50 years?  2:32 | Miles Quon from legendary Chinese res...

Inspired by Edify's annual Best Restaurants issue, we talk about the business of food in this episode of Real Talk. What's the secret to creating an iconic dish? How have customers changed, post-pandemic? Does Instagram influence menu and restaurant design? How do you navigate labour and supply uncertainty? Will restaurants still be around in 50 years?  2:32 | Miles Quon from legendary Chinese res...

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith joins us in the Real Talk studio just hours after meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  1:37 | What did the PM say when Smith asked him to fire Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault? Did they make any progress on pharmacare? What's Premier Smith's response to Naheed Nenshi calling her "immoral"? Why didn't her government work harder to keep its promise on inc...

We're not exaggerating when we claim the most engaged talk show audience in the country. Every day, hundreds if not thousands of you comment on our YouTube episodes, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok posts, not to mention the mountain of emails to talk@ryanjespersen.com. Look no further than today's episode. We asked you to send us your questions for Premier Danielle Smith, and did you ever deliver! Y...

"Incompetent, immoral, and dangerous." There's no room for misinterpreting how Naheed Nenshi feels about Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and her UCP government. The former Calgary mayor launched his Alberta NDP leadership campaign with an indictment of Smith's performance (and integrity) - will NDP supporters see him as the best bet to win the next election?  2:40 | Charles Adler tells us why he th...

Gerald's arguing for safe supply, police officer Anton sees a role for "involuntary" drug treatment, Ben says Big Oil's not pulling its weight, and Kat says Alberta needs to get serious about health supports: it's The Flamethrower presented by the Dairy Queens of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! Fire up your Flamethrower: talk@ryanjespersen.com

ACTION! Our International Women's Day Real Talk Round Table looks at the past, present, and future of women in the workforce and society at large. Where are we seeing progress? Where are we spinning our tires? What issues are girls and young women facing today, and how does that compare to generations previous?  1:50 | Jana Pruden, Margo Long, and Julie Savard-Shaw tell us where their focus is on...

Are you "woke"? Do you describe people who think differently than you as "woke"? Would you characterize Canadian politics and society as "woke"? In this episode of Real Talk, we take a look at new research on the supercharged phrase that was once applied as a badge of honour - now, not so much - and where Canadians actually stand on so-called "culture war" issues. 4:25 | University of Buckingham p...

Nobody will be surprised to learn Alberta and Ottawa are at odds again. This time, it's over the funding and management of Pharmacare. Alberta was the first province to publicly decline the federal government's proposal for a national program...but is that actually a good move for everyday Albertans?  4:15 | Dr. Rupider Toor explains why she thinks Alberta should sign on to the national Pharmacare...

What's wrong with rehab? After all, isn't getting people "clean" an obvious solution to Canada's opioid crisis? As the Alberta government heavily invests in drug treatment facilities (at the expense of Supervised Consumption Sites), we take a look at what's working and what's not in addressing a health crisis claiming 21 lives every day across the country.  3:25 | Euan Thomson and Anthony Furey di...

Have you seen the job posting on LinkedIn for president and CEO of the CBC? We can't help but wonder if it might be a perfect fit for our pal Charles Adler. We ask him about that - plus other, more serious subject matter - in this informative and elucidating episode of Real Talk.  3:50 | Adler explains why he's wearing sunglasses inside, what he doesn't love about the Alberta budget, when he'll ap...

Real Talkers are fired up about the Alberta budget, our Trudeau interview, our Black History Month Round Table, skilled labour shortages, and Ryan's "blind, biased support of Pierre Poilievre" (LOL). It's The Flamethrower presented by the Dairy Queens of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

Everybody's got their own interpretation of a provincial budget. There's a long list of communities, projects, and organizations deserving of big investments. And, inevitably, there's a long list of communities, projects, and organizations that won't wind up with the cash they say they need. In this episode, we lay out the implications of the 2024 Alberta Budget and attempt to answer one Real Talk...

Sarah Lawrynuik's coverage of Russia's war in Ukraine is personal. Her family's from there. She's been there multiple times over the past two years, covering the conflict as a freelance journalist. She can't ignore what she's seen since she last joined us in March of 2023. The country is battered, its people demoralized. The death toll - children included - is unimaginable. How much longer can Ukr...

Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse isn't your average politician. She says what she really thinks, she's not afraid to rattle a few cages, and her energy is off the charts. Despite her relative inexperience in the Legislature (she was elected in May 2023), Calahoo Stonehouse is vying for the leadership of the Alberta NDP. Does she have what it takes as an underdog to emerge victorious?  2:10 | The MLA from E...