Alberta Unbound

Every year, the Centre for Literatures in Canada at the University of Alberta hosts the Kreisel Lecture, where authors are invited to deliver a lecture on a topic of their choosing. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the centre broke the lecture into three parts, featuring authors Richard Van Camp, Shani Mootoo, and Lise Gaboury-Diallo. Senator Paula Simons was invited to open the lecture series...

The fate of Alberta’s separatist referendum is up in the air. But Alberta’s premier and Alberta separatists aren’t the only ones who want a vote to go ahead. There’s mounting evidence of foreign-backed social media campaigns, trying to influence the outcome of the sovereignty debate. Edmonton author and analyst Patrick Lennox assesses the risks to Alberta democracy - and national security.  You ca...

Edmonton playwright, documentary-maker and award-winning children’s author Marty Chan on growing up Chinese-Canadian, book bans, Bill 28 and racism’s revival tour. To see more of Chan's work, visit his website https://martychan.com for more details. 

Political scientists Melanee Thomas and Yasmeen Abu-Laban, political strategists Ken Boessenkool and Zain Velji, and former Director of the Centre for Constitutional Studies at the University of Alberta Patricia Paradis, dive into the nine referendum questions and how Albertans should respond. Here are the nine referendum questions below:  1. Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increas...

An Alberta Unbound special episode: a live recording of a panel discussion titled "Alberta and the New World Disorder," happened on February 6th, 2026, as part of the University of Alberta's International Week. Panelists the Hon. Anne McLellan, Dr. Rickey Yada, and Dr. Charlie Mballa discussed trade, geopolitics, and a tad-bit of Alberta separatism, in their discussion moderated by Sen. Paula Simo...

Pilar Martinez, outgoing CEO of the Edmonton Public Library, on the role of libraries in the age of AI and book bans. 

Acclaimed Metis scientist David Wishart, a pioneer in the study of metabolomics, and Debby Waldman, an award-winning Jewish-American children's author and journalist, talk about the alchemy that brought them together, and made and kept them Albertans. To read more about Debby's latest work, see her substack here: https://debbywaldman.substack.com/ And to learn more about the Gerhard Herzberg award...

Born in Toronto. Raised in Khartoum. Launched in Lethbridge. Calgary-based stand-up Faris Hyttia has a life story, and a comic sensibility, like no other. His parents sent him from Sudan to Alberta to become an engineer. But fate had other, funnier, ideas. More of his comedy can be seen here:  Homesick Just for Laughs: Dog People vs Cat People Telus Storyhive: Send Help Instagram & TikTok : @f...

Once, Thomas Lukaszuk was the Conservative deputy premier of Alberta. Today, he's leading the campaign to keep Alberta in Confederation. So is his anti-separation petition a great way to drum up Canadian patriotism? Or is he playing right into the separatists' hands? Thomas sits down with Alberta Senator Paula Simons to explain his strategy - and his passion for the country that granted his own re...

Award-winning spoken word poet Nonso Morah on growing up Nigerian-Canadian in rurban Alberta - and on what it means to be an Albertan in Canada today

Former Deputy PM Anne McLellan, former Alberta NDP Environment Minister Shannon Phillips and CPC strategist Ken Boessenkool examine the entrails of the federal election - and confront the threat of Alberta separatism 

Chief Conroy Sewepagaham of the Little Red River Cree Nation talks about “making noise up north” as he works to lead his community through recovery from not one, but two, devastating wildfires.

Bloomberg’s White House correspondent Josh Wingrove reports in from the front lines of Trump’s trade war. 

Activist and author Jesse Lipscombe on Alberta’s Black history, the power of radical patience, and building coalitions of resistance.  Link to Return to Amber Valley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsRkZz1KJB0

Political pundit Graham Thomson on why and where Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland and Pierre Poilievre are all playing up their Alberta roots. 

Dishing the dirt on soil health and regenerative agriculture with Kimberly Cornish, Shorty Fensky and Yamily Zavala.

How Narwhal editor Emma Gilchrist’s childhood in oil and gas country shaped her commitment to environmental journalism.

The Hon. Ron Ghitter was an architect of Alberta’s first human rights legislation. Now, undaunted at 89, he’s fighting to protect it.

Right wing trolls have dubbed Dr. Kristopher Wells Canada’s most dangerous Senator. Now meet the real Kris Wells, Alberta’s “proudest” new Senate representative.

Join Independent Senator Paula Simons of Alberta and Senator Ratna Omidvar of Ontario as they co-host the final roundtable on municipal issues, inspired by Senator Simons' Senate inquiry into the role of municipalities in Canada today. They are joined by Mayor Dawn Arnold, Mayor of Moncton, New Brunswick; Dr. Kennedy Stewart, professor at Simon Fraser University, the former mayor of Vancouver and...

Rejoignez la sénatrice indépendante de l'Alberta, Paula Simons, alors qu'elle anime la deuxième enquête sur les municipalités, modérée par la sénatrice indépendante de l'Ontario, Bernadette Clement. Cette conversation met en vedette des maires franco-canadiens éminents de partout au pays, plongeant dans le sujet vital des municipalités et de la préparation aux urgences. Ils ont le privilège d'être...

Independent Albertan Senator Paula Simons moderates a panel of prominent Canadian experts on the topic of infrastructure and municipalities. She is joined by former federal Cabinet Minister Hon. Lisa Raitt, former Calgary Major and current Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell, urban planner and Co-Chair Commissioner of the Vancouver City Planning Commission Amina Yasi...

Senator Simons talks to Alex Marshall and Kristy Harcourt about proposed legislation that will negatively affect the health and privacy rights of the transgender community. Alex Marshall works for the University of Alberta’s College of Health Science, where she is the college’s Strategic Initiatives Officer for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Kristy Harcourt is a social worker in clinical practic...

As part of Freedom to Read Week celebrations, Senator Simons moderated a panel discussion with journalists Danielle Paradis, Jason Markusoff, and Jonny Wakefield on the state of journalism. This event was presented in partnership with the Edmonton Public Library, LitFest, and Calgary Public Library. Jonny Wakefield has been with the Edmonton Journal/Sun newsroom since 2017. He is now the courts an...

Senator Simons speaks with Corb Lund about western history, storytelling, his evolution from heavy metal urban rocker to western troubadour, his battle against coal mining on the Eastern Slopes, and his brand-new album, El Viejo. (This interview was recorded January 16, 2024.)