Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Rebecca Schulz wants to be Alberta's next Premier. The former Minister of Children's Services, who resigned this week to enter the UCP leadership race, makes her Real Talk debut to talk about what government would look like under her leadership.  4:39 | Ryan and John feel the pain of motorsport enthusiasts who watched dozens of dirtbikes and scooters crushed under a bulldozer in NYC. Why does New...

7:48 | Quebec and Alberta: it's complicated. Philippe Fournier, the pundit and poll analyst behind 338Canada, shares his insights into "sovereignty" discussions in both Canadian provinces. Philippe speculates on the future of Quebec Premier Francois Legault, Alberta's United Conservative Party (and Rachel Notley's NDP), the Conservative Party of Canada, and PM Justin Trudeau's Liberal government. ...

It's National Indigenous Peoples Day! On today's show, we celebrate Indigenous people making big impacts in their communities and beyond.  9:05 | Shae Bird is CEO of Indigenous Tourism Alberta. He explains what "Indigenous tourism" is, and what international travellers to Canada are looking for. Shae talks about balancing economic opportunities with cultural sensitivities, and how investment in In...

8:41 | Whose side is Charles Adler on, anyway? What's he doing talking to people of different political stripes?! The legendary talk host joins Ryan after mixing it up with his critics on Twitter over the weekend.  39:43 | Steve Brusatte has been fascinated by dinosaurs since he was a little boy. You can imagine how excited he was to sign on as scientific consultant for the new Jurassic World bloc...

Buckle up, baby! Time for another edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Waste!

4:03 | More than a million people are waiting for surgery in Ontario, expert say the system's in crisis - so what gives? Waiting for eye surgery herself, pundit Supriya Dwivedi shares how this might get fixed (or not). Plus, is Michelle Rempel Garner the answer for Alberta's UCP government? Supriya muses on the Calgary MP's tweets hinting at a party leadership run. 40:48 | They're household names...

8:42 | More Canadians believe conspiracy theories than you might think. Ryan and John start the show by taking a look at new stats from Abacus Data that show almost half of respondents believe wars, recessions, and elections are influenced by a small group of decision-makers.  18:56 | More and more people are talking about the Klondike Papers, a complicated, confusing, and somewhat outrageous cons...

8:17 | Rajan Sawhney wants to be Premier of Alberta. The Calgary-NE MLA resigned as Transportation Minister this week to seek the leadership of the United Conservative Party. She tells us how government would function differently if she were in charge, sheds light on her endorsement from MLA Angela Pitt, and explains how she'd approach consultation with teachers, contentious environmental decision...

Thank you for three million downloads! Last night, our Real Talk Ryan Jespersen podcast hit that mile marker, and we're so grateful for everybody who subscribes to, downloads, rates, reviews, and shares our shows. Here's to the next three million!  14:11 | More than 30 white nationalists were detained in Idaho over the weekend, as plans to interrupt Pride celebrations were foiled by an astute citi...

8:42 | Ben Perrin admits he had drug policy all wrong. The former criminal justice advisor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper says current Conservative politicians like Pierre Poilievre and Jason Kenney are ignoring the evidence when it comes to addressing Canada's opioid crisis. Don't miss this extended-length conversation with the author of the best-seller "Overdose: Heartbreak and Hope in Canada'...

Buckle up for this week's (sleep deprived) version of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental!

12:11 | Gas prices are through the roof, along with the cost of most other things families spend money on. Ryan gets the Group Chat Round Table back together for some "real life" takes on inflation, family budgets, and changing habits. Jenny Adams, Jarrett Campbell, and Harman Kandola also chime in on downtown Edmonton's crime woes, and whose job it is to fix everything. 38:10 | Real Talkers are t...

4:44 | Dilly Bar shooters, pizza, perogies, and a shot at Oilers tickets, a new Jeep, and $60k cash: you don't want to miss the Real Talk Golf Classic on Thursday, June 23 at 2pm at The Ranch! Ryan and Johnny tee up our inaugural golf tournament, and share a few highlights they're especially looking forward to. REGISTER YOUR FOURSOME FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://ryanjespersen.com/real-t...

5:56 | How healthy is our Parks system? Kevin Van Tighem, former Superintendent of Banff National Park, brings us up to speed on some of the stories flying under the radar including coal exploration around Alberta's Eastern Slopes.   28:18 | Spirit Island is truly one of Canada's most spectacular spots. In this week's edition of #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper, we highlight the best...

2:20 | Leela Aheer wants to lead the United Conservative Party. The UCP MLA announces her leadership campaign on Real Talk, and lays out her vision for Alberta, including fixing the UCP's reputation problem.   32:23 | Kristin Raworth checks in live from France, where she visited Juno Beach on the 78th anniversary of D Day. Kristin shares some of the sights and experiences, including what the local...

3:49 | Doug Ford's got an even bigger majority government...but how? Political organizer Jaskaran Singh Sidhu, founder of State Strategy and Baaz digital news network, explains how Ontario's Premier reinvented himself, why voter turnout was so low, and what Ford's victory means for the rest of Canada.  Connect with Jaskaran: https://www.statestrategy.ca/ 27:47 | The "bi-weekly" gig didn't last lon...

10:26 | BC will decriminalize "hard" drugs - the first province to do so - under a limited exemption from Ottawa. Journalist Andrea Woo joins from Vancouver to paint a picture of how serious the opioid crisis is, what led to BC's initiative, and what politicians and the public are saying about it. Check out Andrea's reporting here: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-decriminalize-drugs...

12:25 | Tensions are high between levels of government, as Edmonton's downtown crime rate continues to rise. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi tells Ryan how he's responding to an inflammatory letter from Alberta's Justice Minister Tyler Shandro, and what the city needs to address root causes. Plus, Mayor Sohi tees up Game One of the Western Conference Final between the Oilers and the Avalanche, including wheth...

5:17 | Journalist Brandi Morin checks in from Montreal, where she attended the Canadian Association of Journalists' Annual Awards (and met Cypress Hill). Brandi responds to the NY Post and National Post stories characterizing mass graves outside former residential schools as "fake news," and shares about her own fact finding mission over the weekend. Check out Brandi's new podcast documentary on t...

Ryan wraps up Real Talk's week with a full-throttle version of Trash Talk, presented by Local Environmental.  Submit your Trash Talk: talk@ryanjespersen.com

0:00 | Ryan and Johnny riff on last night's Oilers overtime win, wrapping up the Battle of Alberta in just five games. Who's going to paint Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek's face blue and orange, they wonder? 5:07 | Real Talker Gillian Essien makes her move from the email inbox to on screen, assessing this week's Conservative Leadership French language debate. A born-and-raised Montrealer now living in...

4:50 | Real Talker Jest Sidloski takes us through the journey of #RobinWatch22: the joy and heartbreak of the circle of life, happening right under his family's porch camera.  19:49 | What does it mean for Alberta to be "Fuji, not Kodak"? How does hydrogen fit into Canada's clean energy future? Matthew Klippenstein of the Canadian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association explains how hydrogen factors in...

1:20 | Ryan begins the show talking about the tragic and infuriating mass shooting at at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas that claimed the lives of at least 19 children and two teachers.  15:55 | It's been two years since Pamela Jeffery founded The Prosperity Project to address the impact COVID-19 was having on women in Canada. Pamela joins Maureen Lesham, founder of The 482 Collective, to...

It's the first show back after the May Long weekend, and we've got a lot to catch up on! 3:13 | How do the Flames solve a problem like Connor McDavid? Andrew Walker, host of The Hedge, takes a look at the first three games of the first Battle of Alberta in 31 years, and tees up tonight's Game Four in Edmonton. Check out and subscribe to The Hedge: https://www.thehedgepod.com/ 15:20 | Canada's faci...

This week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental kicks off with a rant about the zipper merge, and picks up steam from there!  Submit your Trash Talk: talk@ryanjespersen.com Check out Local Environmental: https://localenvironmental.ca/