Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

This isn't your average Black History Month conversation! Drs. Chika C. Daniels and Veronica Fynn Bruey accepted our invitation to share their personal thoughts on Black History Month, and WOW do they ever deliver.  2:20 | Prepare to be informed, educated, challenged, and inspired by the dynamic duo from Athabasca University, who share their personal experiences as immigrants to Canada and Black w...

We've never seen a campaign video quite like Sarah Hoffman's. The former Deputy Premier, now Alberta NDP Leadership hopeful, introduces herself as "fat, sassy, and bad at pretending to be something (she's) not" before promising she'll continue to "work (her) f*cking ass off." She's got everybody's attention...but what's her plan for the party, and if she's elected Premier?  2:27 | Sarah Hoffman ta...

Dr. Michael Kehler doesn't like the phrase "toxic masculinity". But he does think we need to have a national conversation about how boys and men act and learn about masculinity in schools, sport, and beyond.  4:00 | Is Dr. Kehler advocating for a future generation of wimps? The research chair in Masculinities Studies at the University of Calgary's Werklund School of Education makes us think about...

Is Jyoti Gondek getting any sleep these days? The Mayor of Calgary is the target of a recall petition, for which organizers have fewer than 60 days to collect more than 500,000 signatures. The petition comes amid a 30% approval rating for Gondek, who's facing criticism for a 7.8% property tax increase and a densification bylaw intended to address the city's housing crunch.  2:23 | Mayor Gondek get...

We tackle the top stories in this entertaining episode of Real Talk, including: was Usher lip syncing at the Super Bowl (and does anybody care)? What should Ottawa do about "blood-sucking, corporate vampires"? Is the Alberta NDP leadership Rakhi's race to lose? Is it time for Joe Biden to throw in the towel?  2:30 | Charles Adler tells us what he really thinks about show business and the Super Bow...

Leckie's fed up with the "immature crybabies" fighting single-use plastics bans, Kyle claps back at David after being called out in last week's Flamethrower, and David thinks we need to do better with uncomfortable conversations. It's another fiery edition of The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com

Kelly Falardeau sustained life-altering injuries at just two years old when her dress caught on fire at a family gathering. Spencer Beach's life was dramatically and forever changed when he was caught in an explosion at work. Their stories will invoke a wide range of emotions, from tears to laughter, in this must-watch episode of Real Talk.  3:55 | But first...it's another gut punch for Canada's b...

Talk about making a splash! Real Talk's got the exclusive as Rakhi Pancholi officially launches her campaign for the Alberta NDP leadership, and announces if elected Premier, she'll axe Alberta's consumer carbon tax.  2:00 | The Edmonton-Whitemud MLA hits the ground running, laying out what the NDP will look like under her leadership.  LEARN MORE: https://www.voterakhi.ca/ 46:10 | Pancholi's plan...

The race is on to replace Rachel Notley. Kathleen Ganley - MLA for Calgary-Mountain View and former Minister of Justice - is the first to toss her hat in the ring. In this episode of Real Talk, she tells us why it was important to announce first, how she'll fix the NDP's reputation in rural areas, how she'll address Alberta's talent shortage, what she'd do about the housing crisis, and which indus...

"Seek to understand." It's one of Stephen Covey's Seven Steps of Highly Effective People. It's also a solid life principle for anybody looking to make a positive impact in the world. It's what we try to do every episode of Real Talk. It's safe to say nobody will be more affected by Alberta's new Trans policies than Trans youth. In this episode, we talk to a Trans journalist born and raised in Red...

Former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi appeared at a rally over the weekend, calling out Premier Danielle Smith for her recently-announced policies on pronouns and parents rights, Sex Ed, and Trans women in sport. It's got people wondering if the winner of the 2014 World Mayor Prize might be gearing up for an Alberta NDP leadership run. If that is the case, it's safe to suggest Nenshi would immediatel...

Real Talkers are allllllll fired up about Alberta's new policies on pronouns and parental rights, Sex Ed, and trans women's participation in sport. Not everybody sees the issues the same way, as you're about to find out 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 BE SURE TO VISIT THE DQs...

Are children really undergoing gender reassignment surgeries? Are kindergarten students really being taught "queer ideology"? Are teachers instructed to keep secrets from parents about their kids?  2:25 | Prompted by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's January 31 policy announcement on trans youth, Sex Ed, and trans women in sport, our Real Talk Round Table features experts in their fields. Dr. Kate...

Alberta will prohibit hormonal treatment, puberty blockers, and gender affirming surgery for children under 16 as part of a series of policies announced by Premier Danielle Smith. Also included: Sex Ed curriculum must now be approved by the Education Minister, and parents will now opt their kids in (not out) of those classes. The policies also prohibit the participation of trans women in women's s...

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...