Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

1:50 | Like 1.5 million other Canadians, Lauren Kennedy West lives with Schizophrenia. What makes her especially unique is her YouTube channel, where literally millions of viewers learn about warning signs of psychosis, complicated relationships with prescription meds, tackling mental health stigma, and more. Lauren shares her personal journey toward diagnosis, therapy, and work still to be done....

Kris Cromwell is fed up with bike v. car confrontations. She becomes our first-ever first-person Trash Talker, presented by our friends at Local Environmental Services. Stick around for Colleen's clap back at critics of the beef industry!  SHOOT US YOUR RANT: talk@ryanjespersen.com  KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

A recent survey shows fewer than 5% of women feel comfortable expressing their ideas, perspectives, and opinions (IPOs), particularly in the workplace. Maggie is the world's first unlearning platform for women. We welcome founders Jen Von Berendt and Dani Strang, along with inclusion strategist Erin Davis, to the Real Talk Round Table presented by Urban Timber. What unfolds is a candid, enlighteni...

Edmonton's downtown is in trouble. Crime is up, businesses are shutting down, and an expected influx of new residents just hasn't materialized. What's the problem and how do we fix it?  City councillors Aaron Paquette and Sarah Hamilton join Ryan for a fiery debate in the Real Talk studio. They spell out the reality right now (12:00), why Clr. Paquette doesn't support a new provincial task force (...

0:31 | More layoffs, more closures, more cutbacks...what's happening to journalism in Canada? There's always going to be a need for consistent, credible storytelling. We talk to two experts about what's going wrong right now, and how to fix it. But first... 5:00 | Have you seen Lewis Lavoie's pond hockey masterpiece? The renowned artist painted it specifically for the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic...

Bobby Hull was one of the greatest goal scorers in hockey history. His off-ice legacy is much less spectacular. What's the right way to remember a person like Bobby Hull? What does The Golden Jet have to do with Ivan Provorov (6:30), Jordan Peterson (9:30), the Alberta Law Society (12:00), or Sir John A. MacDonald (32:40)?  "Real Talk" needs to include uncomfortable conversations in life's grey ar...

0:40 | It's been nearly a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths (including civilians) and Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. Ukraine's resolve truly is remarkable. We go live to an undisclosed location amidst a blackout for an update on a group of Canadians training new police officers and firefighters how to provide life-saving medical care i...

Verna's ticked off at Ryan's cussin', Caouette's had enough of the Royals, and Karen's got words for Charles Adler. Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

0:45 | It's almost election season in Alberta. Do you already know who you'll vote for? Is there one issue that matters most to you? We look at the "two horse race" with Stephen Carter and Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean (who just started a new political action committee) during today's Real Talk Round Table.  2:45 | But first...counsellors and advocates for survivors of sexual abuse say Alberta's at a c...

3:43 | Who's lying? Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the CBC's "defamatory" story about her or her staff contacting prosecutors about Coutts charges is "baseless". The CBC is standing by its report. Ryan takes an unflinching look at the facts.  23:05 | Interest rates are up...again. Financial Post journalist Stephanie Hughes tells us what prompted the Bank of Canada to raise the trend-setting p...

You'd think everybody would support evidence-based harm reduction. But, that's simply not the case in Canada when it comes to the opioid crisis. We speak with three experts who studied the closure of a supervised consumption site in Lethbridge, Alberta. What can we learn from the fallout?  0:35 | But first...do you care about the Royal Family? Do you hang on Harry's every word, or could you do wit...

0:30 | Alberta Justice says there's no record of electronic communication between Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office and prosecutors, in the context of charges stemming from the Coutts border crossing blockade. This contradicts what the premier herself told Rebel Media in December. Ryan opens the show with the latest developments in this story, including Real Talkers' comments via Twitter and...

It's alleged Danielle Smith or members of her staff attempted to influence Crown prosecutors involved in cases stemming from the Coutts border blockade. Smith says independent investigators will sift through correspondence between the two parties to determine the truth. How bad could this be for Alberta's premier? We find out. But first... 0:40 | Could you limit your alcohol intake to two drinks p...

Slow drivers in the fast lane, Preston's Golden Gig, and Alberta's private surgery plan take centre stage in this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

10:18 | New Zealand's Prime Minster is stepping down, in somewhat of a surprising move. Jacinda Ardern hasn't specifically said why she's leaving, but that's not stopping pundits from speculating. Supriya Dwivedi says it may be proof of a problem plaguing politics around the world. Plus, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh faced fire again this week for talking about poverty while wearing a pricey watch. Is...

0:30 | Are you still wishing people a "Happy New Year"? Ryan kicks off today's show with an unscientific, unofficial Twitter poll. 2:58 | Mo Amir, just back from Maui, is one of thousands of Canadians impacted by airline snafus over the holidays. The host of This is VANCOLOUR on CHEK tells us how he's sticking with his New Year's resolution (three weeks in...attaboy!), what's bugging him about so-...

0:57 | Philadelphia Flyers star Ivan Provorov says his religious beliefs stopped him from participating in the warmup skate during Pride Night. Pride Tape co-founder Dr. Kristopher Wells tells us why he doesn't believe in forcing people to support Pride, and what he'd like to see the Flyers and the NHL do about this messy situation.  HAVE YOUR SAY: talk@ryanjespersen.com  13:40 | We'll be handing...

6:25 | Premier Scott Moe is pissed off (again) at the Prime Minister. This time, it's because Justin Trudeau's team didn't tell the Premier's office about Monday's visit to Saskatchewan. Athabasca University professor Paul Kellogg digs into the dynamic between the two political leaders, and explains why Moe may have been snubbed. Dr. Kellogg, also an expert in Russian political history, lays out t...

11:07 | At least 30 civilians, including children, were killed when Russian missiles destroyed an apartment complex in Dnipro, Ukraine. Charles Adler explains how the rest of the world should be responding to ramped up Russian aggression. Ryan and Charles revisit last week's conversation about COVID vaccine status and eligibility for organ transplants, before taking on Premier Doug Ford's plan to...

Vaccines, fatphobia, and paving over parkland takes centre stage in this edition of Trash Talk, presented by our friends at Local Environmental Services! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

0:36 | Are you superstitious? Does Friday the 13th freak you out? We open today's episode with early results of an unofficial, unscientific Twitter poll, quick question, and review what you told us yesterday about knowing the date of your death ahead of time. (Light hearted, we know!) 12:00 | Real Talker "Ron" is exhausted. He's sick of seeing the anger button pressed so frequently by so many. His...

If you were destined to deal with Alzheimer's, would you want to know years ahead of time? Would you do everything you could to keep the devastating disease at bay? Renowned science broadcaster Jay Ingram has some easy steps we can all take to improve our brain health. But first... 4:28 | You think you're having a rough day? Wait 'til you hear about Aimo Koivunen. Ryan tells the story of the Finni...

Mythbuster Tim Caulfield dug deep, researching media reports around vaccination requirements for organ transplant candidates. He found a "false balance" impacting public opinion, which he explains on today's episode. But first... 3:50 | Nikki Booth is days away from heading into a war zone with Firefighter Aid Ukraine. She'll be part of team teaching Tactical Combat Care training to firefighters a...

Real Talkers are ALL fired up after Ryan and Chuck's conversation about vaccine status and organ donation on Monday's show. You've got the floor this episode, as Ryan reads a bunch of your emails to talk@ryanjespersen.com, and checks in with Dr. Bradley Martin. But first... 4:43 | New tech always has its pros and cons. There's a lot of buzz around the new AI chatbot "ChatGPT," including concerns i...

5:33 | Sheila North was vacationing with her family in Mazatlan when all hell broke loose. The former Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak tells us about the hours following the arrest of an alleged drug cartel leader, and how she was able to get her family home.  Sheila's also done a ton of work advocating for awareness and action around Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. She shares...