Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

From an Edmonton MP's visit to Ukraine, to a broadcaster's battle against an online harasser, to the UCP's plan for healthcare, this is a Real Talk episode you'll want to catch from start-to-finish.  3:15 | Heather McPherson's just back from Ukraine, where the Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona met with diplomats and civilians amid Russian attacks. She tells us about what she saw there,...

The Alberta city of Grande Prairie (population 68,000) has $10M from the province to transition from the RCMP to a municipal police service. It's interesting timing, with Premier Danielle Smith intent on replacing the Mounties with a provincial force. Ryan chats with Mayor Jackie Clayton and Councillor Dylan Bressey on the heels of Monday's 8-1 city council vote in favour of the move. But first......

On International Women's Day, we feature back-to-back Real Talk Round Tables presented by Urban Timber: the heavy lifting emergency shelters are doing in Alberta, and game-changing opportunities for women in the male-dominated aviation industry.  1:40 | It's an ugly reality: domestic violence is more of an issue now than ever before in Alberta, and thousands of women and children are being turned...

It's hard to imagine the devastation caused by the Turkey-Syria earthquake on February 6: more than 50,000 people killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, and at least $100B in damage to Turkey's infrastructure alone. Medair is one of the NGOs working to provide basic resources including water and shelter in and around Aleppo. Aid worker Raija-Liisa Schmidt-Teigen joins us live from Damascus. But...

It's easy to understand why members of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation are "dismayed" to discover millions of litres of toxic oilsands tailings leaking into land and water where they harvest food. Chief Allan Adam has ordered his community to destroy any food (including game) collected since May. It's the latest chapter in an ongoing battle between industry and nearby Indigenous communities w...

Wade says Ryan needs to "grow a pair," and Rod's sick of seeing "bullshit corporate delay tactics" with toxic tailings ponds near Ft. McMurray. Both take centre stage in this week's Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services. KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

It was a big week in Alberta politics. A big-spending budget from Premier Danielle Smith's UCP says a lot about how the governing party intends to win the May election. So does the response from Rachel Notley's NDP. Pundits say it's too close to call right now. So, what'll it take for either party to win? Our Real Talk Round Table digs in. But first... 2:45 | Sarah Lawrynuik's been doing remarkabl...

Society's on a road to ruin. We're slaves to our devices. Teenagers can only focus on one task for an average 65 seconds at a time. We're losing our ability to pay attention, let alone think deeply. Best-selling author Johann Hari joins us to talk about his new book "Stolen Focus". But first... 1:45 | A majority of Canadians believe China is interfering in our democracy, and Ottawa needs to do som...

2:20 | The doctor is in the house! Does physician Shazma Mithani think the UCP's $68B budget has what it takes to heal healthcare? The ER doc and social media educator diagnoses what's leading to unprecedented burnout among health professionals, and explains why she's adamantly against private or "third way" options to ease surgical wait times.  FOLLOW DR. MITHANI ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/s...

This might be our best Trash Talk to date. Tania's got a pointed message for Vladimir Putin, Dani the Disgruntled Oilfield Wife is sick of her political choices, and Michael uses his blowtorch to send a clear message to Ryan and other media personalities talking about the far right fringe.  TRASH TALK IS PRESENTED BY LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES: https://localenvironmental.ca/

2:47 | It's been a few weeks since Supriya Dwivedi's joined us on the show. She returns with a gut punch of an update on what her family's dealing with, and what she's learning firsthand about health care in Canada.  28:35 | Our interview with Justin Bourne prompted so many of you to reach out to the show, telling us about you or your loved ones' battles with addiction. Ryan reads personal stories...

3:16 | Nobody's putting up electric fences to keep you in your "district". Nobody's going to take away your car, cut off your bank account, or arrest you for visiting friends across town. Despite what conspiracy theorists and fear mongers are saying, the urban design concept of "15 Minute Cities" makes perfect sense. But that doesn't necessarily mean people's concerns should be laughed off. Edmont...

What would you do if you were suddenly paralyzed? How would you adjust to life on wheels? PUSH is a new CBC series starring Edmonton's "Wheelie Peeps". Two stars of the show - Bean Gill and "former bad boy" Brian McPherson - join Ryan in studio for a hilarious and enlightening interview. But first... 1:42 | Could Athabasca U help solve Canada's healthcare crisis? Newly-minted president Dr. Alex Cl...

How's your relationship with alcohol? Are you a social or a solo drinker? Is there a difference between a "heavy drinker" and an alcoholic? Are you willing to talk about it? We grapple with sensitive subject matter on this episode of Real Talk. But first... 1:33 | How do you feel about Jully Black's rendition of O Canada at the NBA All-Star Game? Replacing "home and native land" with "home on nati...

Nellie the teacher is navigating a "massive political shit storm," and Marty's had enough of the paranoia around "15 minute cities". Their rants are front and centre in this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services!  KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

The 2023 Alberta provincial election will be won (or lost) in Calgary. Jeremy Klaszus (0:55) has his finger on that city's pulse, as editor-in-chief of The Sprawl. He digs into what'll matter to voters in May, whether or not Calgary has an insecurity issue, the slow wither of the Calgary Herald, and the likelihood of a new arena anytime soon. SUPPORT THE SPRAWL: https://www.sprawlcalgary.com/ 32:5...

7:44 | Alberta may still be a few months away from an election, but that doesn't mean politics aren't front of mind. Renowned strategist David Herle tells us what both Danielle Smith and Rachel Notley need to do to win. Before David joins us, Ryan reads Real Talker Andrew's response to Max Fawcett and Evan Scrimshaw's takes on yesterday's episode. EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com  14:07 | Da...

Premier Smith hasn't even called the election yet...but at least a couple political commentators believe it may already be too late for Rachel Notley's NDP to win. Max Fawcett and Evan Scrimshaw explain what they think Notley needs to do to win in May. But first...a whole bunch of you had a lot to say about our episode with Brett Kissel. Ryan recaps what happened in studio and after the interview...

Country music artist Brett Kissel will release four albums this year, titled The Compass Project. One track in particular, "Line in the Sand," has prompted backlash for its pandemic-related lyrics. The three-time Juno Award winner joins Ryan in studio to respond to his critics, and explain his complicated relationship with social media.  HEAR THE ALBUM FOR YOURSELF: https://brettkissel.com/ 36:23...

Wes "Ice Weazel" Bauman set two World Records on the roof of an Edmonton fire hall last week: Most Cards Memorized While in an Ice Bath, and Most Rubix Cubes Solved in a 30 Minute Ice Bath. Now that he's thawed out (!), Wes joins Ryan in studio to explain how he does it, and what got him started with cold plunges in the first place. Don't miss the most interesting insights from this fascinating fe...

Larry's sick of sex selling, Patty's got a new definition for MAID, Brad's got his blowtorch ready re: orphan wells, and Marshall's mortified about The Handshake. Presented by our friends at Local Environmental Services, it's a high-octane edition of Trash Talk!  KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/ EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

Black creators have been underrepresented in the arts throughout history. Filmmaker Nauzanin Knight and author/actor Jesse Lipscombe tell us how they're changing that. But first...we talk handshakes and healthcare with Eric Denhoff. 1:50 | Did Premier Danielle Smith intentionally snub the Prime Minister this week? Eric Denhoff's seen it all as a former chief federal negotiator, and longtime deputy...

Alberta's got a big mess on its hands: a quarter-trillion dollars worth of "orphan" wells. Legal experts and energy economists are slamming a controversial new program - RStar - that would use billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded royalty breaks to subsidize energy companies to fulfil their legal duty and clean up old wells.  3:35 | Researcher Regan Boychuk, energy critic with the Alberta Green P...

Alberta's provincial election is less than four months away. The NDP will need to win in Calgary to form government. The UCP will need to win big outside Edmonton to keep government. In this episode of Real Talk, we ask NDP leader Rachel Notley about her party's plan. But first... 0:00 | Did you see Premier Danielle Smith's handshake with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau? Of course you did. What mess...

Should lawyers be required to participate in Indigenous cultural training to avoid suspension? More than 850 lawyers said "no" in a vote conducted by the Law Society of Alberta, but more than 2600 voted "yes".  5:50 | Koren Lightning-Earle and Brooks Arcand-Paul are Indigenous lawyers practicing in Alberta. They explain why they support the requirement, and respond to critics calling it "wokeness"...