Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Thousands of parents are being inconvenienced with finding alternative childcare arrangements, as daycares across Alberta invoke "rolling closures". The protest is intended to grab the attention of provincial and federal governments over the $10/day childcare program. In fact, operators in multiple provinces are threatening to pull out of the national child-care system or even close their doors. T...

Do parents deserve to know if their child changes their pronouns at school? Should politicians be involved in trans people's personal healthcare decisions? Does the general public deserve a say in any of this?  9:20 | Ryan opens the show with some of the best emails we received after our January 29 episode with Charles Adler about "parental rights" legislation soon to be unveiled by Danielle Smith...

Supporters of Alberta's new parental rights policy will say the UCP is protecting parents' right to know what's happening at school, and in their children's own lives. Critics will say Danielle Smith's UCP is putting children at risk, and doesn't care about some of our most vulnerable citizens. The policy is expected to include age limits for things like hormone therapy and "top surgery," too. In...

On the heels of Ryan's recap of the Tucker Carlson Live show, Real Talkers sound off on the former FOX News star's visit to Alberta. FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com The Flamethrower is presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park: Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road.

Spending more to power and heat your home than ever before? Crossing your fingers that old furnace holds up for a few more months, as cold air continues to seep through your windows and doors? Millions of Canadians are living in "energy poverty". What can we actually do about it?  2:30 | Rod Ruff from Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, Jesse Row from Alberta Energy Efficiency Alliance, and Shaun Miller...

Four NHL players and a European pro have taken leaves of absence from their teams, as London Police prepare to lay charges relating to an alleged sexual assault involving members of Canada's 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship roster. We get into what we do know - what we don't know - and the big picture implications on Canada's favourite sport in this episode of Real Talk. 7:10 | But first...Ry...

January 23, 2024 - an armed gunman walks uninterrupted into Edmonton City Hall, opens fire at a wall of windows, then throws a Molotov cocktail, starting a fire before he's tackled and detained by an unarmed Commissionaire.  2:33 | Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi takes us through the harrowing ordeal, and tells us what he thinks about tightening security at City Hall.  16:15 | Edmonton Councillor Tim...

One of Canada's biggest wind farms is set to fire up in Alberta. At peak generation, it'll provide enough juice to power 160,000 homes. But it wasn't smooth sailing getting the $600M project built. The province continues to treat renewables differently than its golden goose: oil and gas. With jurisdictions around the world competing for billions of dollars of investment in wind and solar, will Alb...

Justin Trudeau's Liberal Cabinet is in Montreal, trying to figure out how to gain back the ground they've lost to Pierre Poilievre. Alberta NDP supporters are taking a closer look than ever before at their up-and-comers, with Rachel Notley's resignation official. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis takes a hint from the people of Iowa, and bows to kiss Trump's ring.  2:20 | Charles Adler nails down what...

A cold snap just about broke Alberta's power grid. Deportation looms for the man that caused a high-profile tragedy. People still don't know how to zipper merge. Real Talkers are fired up for The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!   FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

What does the workforce of the future look like? What will drive growth, retain talent, and ultimately dictate success? What are the world's leading jurisdictions doing? Why are others being left in the dust? When does government need to lead, and when should it get out of the way? What are today's post-secondary students looking for, and what's the best way for industry to connect with tomorrow's...

Quick Dick McDick is one of Canada's most-watched YouTubers. Millions of people have watched his videos on farming, politics, cooking, and more. And, he's the only Real Talk guest (as far as we know) who's released a video of themselves taking a poop in the woods.  2:10 |  @QuickDickMcDick  joins us live from his farm near Tuffnell, Saskatchewan to talk about the future of prairie New Democrats, t...

Rachel Notley took the Alberta NDP from four to 54 seats in the Legislature. She took an unlikely bunch from obscurity to a majority government, and put her progressive stamp on a province that had seen back-to-back conservative dynasties. Upon announcing her intent to resign as leader of the now-Official Opposition, she triggers a race of legitimate contenders vying to be Alberta's next NDP premi...

When right-wing media personality Tucker Carlson visits Edmonton, Danielle Smith will be joining him on stage. Is it a mistake for Alberta's Premier to make a public appearance with the man who called immigrants "dirty" and white supremacy "a hoax"?  3:10 | Matthew Hays and Peter McCaffrey hash it out.  READ MATTHEW'S PIECE: https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-should-smith-be-elev...

Why did Alberta need to issue an emergency alert about electricity amidst a deep freeze? How did the energy capital of Canada get to the point it can't meet its own power demand when extreme weather hits? Is it Rachel Notley's fault for moving away from coal? Is it past (or present) Conservative government's fault for deregulating the market and failing to secure reliable backup power?  4:00 | Ene...

Alexandra's had enough from the "eco-warrior" at the dog park, Larry thinks Ryan crossed the line with his Shrooms talk, and Garth says he's being misportrayed as an "oil-drunken hillbilly". All three fire up their Flamethrowers, presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com In Edmonton or Sherwood Park? Visit a DQ in Palisades, Nam...

The world didn't end when Canada legalized Cannabis. Should we do the same with Shrooms? Researchers tout mental health benefits from Psilocybin, yet the naturally-occurring psychedelic found in more than 200 species of fungi remains outlawed.  4:20 | Dana Larsen raised eyebrows when he mailed Shrooms and cocoa leaves to every MLA in BC. He tells us why he did it, talks about the fallout from Vanc...

People across Canada are watching Edmonton Police dismantle homeless encampments as temperatures drop below -30C. Amid the outcry, we've seen fires, fatalities, weapons seizures, and other disturbing trends. Advocates say the shelter system is broken. The general public knows the whole situation is unsustainable. So...what's the fix?  2:50 | Edmonton Councillor Aaron Paquette and Renee Vaugeois of...

Canada's plummeting in global rankings of gender parity in politics. Talented women are walking away from elected office. MP Leslyn Lewis is backing a conspiracy theory involving vaccines, sex ed, and the United Nations. Nobody appears to have a solution to the housing crisis. And BC politicians are up in arms after receiving magic mushrooms in the mail. WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT THIS? We connec...

Dr. Leslyn Lewis can't be serious. The high-profile Conservative MP is backing a petition calling for Canada to walk away from the United Nations. Dr. Lewis' critics (like Liberal MP Rob Oliphant) are calling on opposition leader Pierre Poilievre to speak out against Lewis' endorsement, wondering aloud if Conservative foreign policy would be to “abandon our international obligations on human right...

Real Talker Gerald's demanding details from Ryan, and Real Talkers Stephen and Cameron have strong words for people pooh-poohing renewables. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

What's the right move with homeless encampments and open drug use? Should Canada ban cigarettes for good? Is it really that outrageous to suggest certain clothing brands aren't for everybody? Veteran broadcasters Lynda Steele and Jody Vance tackle these hot button questions and more in our first Real Talk Round Table of 2024.  0:15 | But first...got plans on Saturday, February 3?  SIGN UP TO PLAY,...

Andrew MacDougall held the highest-profile communications job in Canada, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's director of comms. His boss is generally remembered as tight-lipped around media and hostile toward scientific researchers.  5:13 | Now a director at Trafalgar Strategy in the UK, MacDougall tells us about the evolution of his position on the politics of climate action, how the Harper era co...

What is the next great disruption? Which new innovation will be most transformative? Exactly how will AI continue to change the game? What are the updated secrets to success in 2024?  2:00 | Innovation strategist and best-selling author Shawn Kanungo tells us how this year will be most different from the year previous. He explains why strategy is energy, predicts The Death of Superstars, and tells...

We're shaking things up in the final Flamethrower of 2023, presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! Jenny, Sarah, KO, Johnny, and Jespo give us their own personal rants. (Ryan really turns up the temperature at the end!) FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, tell 'em Real Talk send...