Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Jespo reunites with longtime talk radio colleague Rob Breakenridge in this episode, just a few weeks after Rob was unceremoniously laid off.  2:05 | The two talk about the future of media in Canada, tackle the country's top political stories, and wrap with thoughts on Syria and the Taylor Swift tour. 1:13:40 | It's an Eras Tour edition of Positive Reflections, presented by Kuby Renewable Energy! S...

Don't let ChatGPT run your show! Heed this warning from Real Talker Bernard (sort of). It's a ChatGPT-fuelled 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! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, INST...

Why are Canadians forced to wait more than a year for a hip replacement? Why does it take 18 months to get an MRI? How is it possible that 6.5M Canadians can't even find a family doctor? The provinces point the finger at Ottawa, while the feds point out provincial jurisdiction. At the end of the day, who's going to heal Canada's healthcare crisis?  3:40 | Federal Minister of Health Mark Holland jo...

He was ordering food in a drive-thru and all of a sudden he couldn't remember how to say "lettuce". That's where Glenn Grant's ALS journey started just a few years ago. Twenty-seven months after his diagnosis, on November 19, 2024, Glenn chose Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).  3:40 | Willy Grant explains why she and "The Husband" Glenn chose to make their ALS journey so public on social media,...

What's Alberta's top political story for 2024? Who's been Alberta's Best MLA? How about the top-performing UCP cabinet minister? And what about the most effective Opposition NDP MLA?  2:30 | Daveberta unveils the winners of his annual Best of Alberta Politics survey.  CHECK OUT DAVEBERTA'S SUBSTACK: https://daveberta.substack.com/ 51:00 | Is Alberta making the right move, outlawing up to 70% of ex...

How do you feel about Justin Trudeau gifting most Canadians $250 and a holiday break from the GST? Sure, you'll keep more money in your pocket (at an expensive time of year), but is it the right move? And what's with President Joe Biden breaking his promise and pardoning his son Hunter? Are we seeing the worst of politics at play?  4:30 | Poll analyst Philippe Fournier talks Trudeau, Poilievre, an...

Rob in Leduc is sick of oil spills. JC in Edmonton predicts "carnage" next provincial election prompted by insurance reforms. Brandt thinks it's time for a certain Liberal cabinet minister to resign. And Brinley's all fired up over the under-achieving Edmonton Oilers. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.c...

What's your biggest money mistake? For some, it's drowning in credit card debt. For others, it may be waiting until later in life to start investing. It's Financial Literacy Month, and we've got you covered in with rock solid tips for Real Talkers of all ages.  2:00 | Bestselling author Robin Taub and JA Northern Alberta CEO Cheryll Watson share their best financial advice for kids, teens, and adu...

Tim Cartmell wants to be Mayor of Edmonton. The two-term city councillor (and former engineer) says Council has lost its way and spending is out of control. Is he the right guy to fix it?  2:15 | Councillor Cartmell announces his mayoral campaign in the Real Talk studio, and lays out his vision for Alberta's capital city.  LEARN MORE: https://www.timcartmell.ca/ 46:40 | Jespo and Johnny dip into t...

Has your car insurance skyrocketed over the past few years? Albertans are already paying among the highest rates in the country, and it's about to get even more expensive. Sources say Danielle Smith's UCP government is about to let auto insurers raise rates well beyond the 3.7% cap it imposed earlier this year. Politicians will promise rates will eventually come down because they're eliminating pe...

REAL TALK EXPANSION NEWS: our live stream is now available on SEVEN different platforms! As of this episode, you can catch us LIVE on YouTube, X, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Mixlr weekdays at 8:30am MT. And, of course, you can find us wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  3:40 | Even cooler: our Real Talk Live Chat powered by Park Power will include...

More than 60 million people streamed (or tried to stream) Mike Tyson and Jake Paul's fight over the weekend. Widely panned as a pathetic spectacle, a few things are for sure: even Mike Tyson can't stop Father Time, Jake Paul still draws huge crowds, and streaming platforms are disrupting absolutely every traditional model.  2:00 | Jespo and Johnny recap the Tyson-Paul fight (and the entire Netflix...

"Tranquil Vibration," Travis, and Keith have hot takes on the U.S. election, Michael's fired up about the RCAF, and Dwayne says Danielle Smith doesn't deserve that 91.5% on her leadership review. 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, Westmount, Newcastle, and...

Let's be Real: many people don't feel safe in downtown Edmonton. Investment is stalled out, vacancy rates are unsustainable, and social issues dominate the narrative. Is downtown Edmonton dead, or is a revival on the horizon?  3:05 | Alex Hryciw, Heather Thomson, and Tim Shipton dig into the past, present, and potential future of Edmonton's downtown.  CHECK OUT THE PLAN: https://yegdowntown.ca/ WI...

Former Invest Alberta CEO David Knight Legg says Canada's trade situation is a "disaster," and the federal government is ill-equipped to work effectively with U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump.  3:45 | DKL tells us where the Trump campaign got it right, the Harris campaign got it wrong, and what Trump's return to the White House means for Canada.  36:20 | What's the real reason Alberta Premier Dan...

The rumour mill has former Prime Minister Stephen Harper taking over as the next chair of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo). What does this say about Danielle Smith's goal of an Alberta Pension Plan, and what might it mean for your retirement income?  2:45 | Veteran political columnist Graham Thomson digs into the AIMCo story, including the Harper rumour. We get into the implic...

More than six million Canadians don't have a family doctor. Millions more are waitlisted to see specialists and surgeons. We've never spent so much on healthcare as a nation, yet access to care has never been worse. How do we begin to heal healthcare?  2:45 | Drs. Shazma Mithani and Sheila Wijayasinghe, hosts of The Doc Talk podcast, tell us how the average Canadian can better know their rights an...

At just 19 years old, Marty Jones stared down Nazi artillery the morning of June 6, 1944 as a gunner aboard the HMCS Prince Henry, one of the ships that led the assault at Juno Beach. Eighty years later, he tells us why he enlisted at 16, and how he navigated life after WWII. EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com SUPPORT THE JUNO BEACH CENTRE'S PROJECT CONCORDIA: https://www.junobeach.org/ FOLLOW...

It's an all-Presidential Election version of The Flamethrower, as Real Talkers share their hottest takes on Trump's return to the White House. The Flamethrower is presented weekly on Real Talk 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 let 'em k...

Ten years from now, when nearly every WWII veteran is gone, who will tell their stories? Does the average Canadian understand the sacrifices of those who fought in the First World War? Or Afghanistan, for that matter? In this special edition of the Real Talk Round Table, we explore the true meaning of Remembrance Day, and the importance of educating the next generation of Canadians.  1:08 | Are yo...

Kevin Van Tighem was portrayed by his political opponents as an "enemy" of Alberta when he ran to become an MLA in 2023. Now-Minister Jason Nixon pulled quotes from his book "Wild Roses Are Worth It: Reimagining the Alberta Advantage," and accused him of portraying Albertans as angry rednecks and resource exploiters. We talk to the former Superintendent of Banff National Park (26:20) about that ex...

So much for "too close to call". Donald Trump soundly defeats Kamala Harris, and will serve as the 47th President of the United States. What does the election result say about America today? What does it mean for Canada and the rest of the world?  2:38 | Mount Royal University Political Science professor Dr. Duane Bratt tells us why he thinks the Trump campaign was so successful, and what the Trum...

Feeling US Election anxiety? We recommend this candid, entertaining, insightful episode of Real Talk with one of Canada's most-watched YouTube commentators, Quick Dick McDick.  9:55 |  @QuickDickMcDick  talks tariffs and other US election impacts on Canadian producers. We get his take on Scott Moe's future as Premier of Saskatchewan, and the story of Orlan Peterson, a construction worker shot on t...

Danielle Smith's leadership review went so well at the UCP AGM, some of her loudest critics are invoking Russia and North Korea in their social media posts. After all, where else do leaders score higher than 90%?  3:40 | Ryan and Johnny discuss Smith's 91.5% approval rating from party members in Red Deer, and muse about what it means for Smith's caucus and criticsc, Naheed Nenshi's NDP and Alberta...

Brendon and David have zero tolerance for Danielle Smith's "Jordan Peterson Law," Brent is sick and tired of "lazy Canadians and liberal media," and TheSco says Real Talk's pushing misinformation on Trump. Everybody's all fired up for 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 Palisade...