Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

"Senior citizens represent such a large and untapped resource for all of us, but their value and input is often underestimated and they are wildly underrepresented in social media," wrote Erin Gaudet in an email to talk@ryanjespersen.com. She went on to explain what led her and her partners to create seniorsofhumanity.ca, a hub for stories about remarkable seniors that might otherwise not be told....

Industries change quickly, and skill sets can become obsolete. Add a pandemic on top, and it's fair to say employees and employers face an entirely different reality than they did a year or so ago. Deloitte's National Workforce Transformation Leader Kathy Woods joins for an informative (and hilarious) look at how people of all ages can be "future ready". Twenty or so years ago, they all collaborat...

We dig deeper into Ottawa's plan for affordable childcare with Federal Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef. What happens if provinces like Alberta say "No" to federal funding based on strings attached? Grain farmer Allison Ammeter, chair of the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta explains why the provincial government's cancellation of a paltry $250k c...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his Real Talk debut the day after releasing the first federal budget in two years. Trudeau makes his first public statement on Derek Chauvin's murder conviction in the death of George Floyd, then he and Ryan get into budget talk. They cover the Liberals' national child care plan, a Universal Basic Income, business subsidies (and when to cut them off), whether or...

On the heels of the Liberals' first federal budget in two years, we get into the numbers. Is this more of an election platform than a budget? Does it strike the right balance between investing in post-pandemic recovery and plotting a path back to balance? Jason Hatcher, Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean, and Semhar Tekeste dig into the details. Plus, it's April 20th - Happy 4/20! Our "Puff Puff Panel" - Jo...

Will Erin O'Toole's climate plan be enough to push the Conservative Party of Canada into government next federal election? Will support for carbon pricing be enough to convince swing voters? Will it alienate the base on the Prairies? Conservative strategist Melissa Caouette of Canadian Strategy Group gets into it. As China gets set to move forward with its digital yuan, there are questions around...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

With Grace Life churchgoers continuing to gather in "underground" fashion following the closure of their building by Alberta Health Services, Knox United Rev. Dr. Greg Glatz joins to explain why he called out the church in a scathing, open letter. As Albertans continue to demand their provincial government hit pause on problematic draft K-6 curriculum, University of Calgary's Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pr...

"The West wants in" when it comes to meaningful investment from the federal government. With the Liberals' budget coming out on Monday, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Western Economic Solutions Taskforce (WEST) is honing in on specifics. Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark, Yorkton Councillor Randy Goulden, and Rural Municipalities of Alberta president Paul McLaughlin discuss the potential i...

With Ottawa sending $6B to Air Canada (and other airlines looking for the same), what does this mean for the country's airline industry...and the millions of Canadians that endeavour to start travelling again ASAP? Are the federal Liberals really "nationalizing" Air Canada, and does this qualify as a "bailout"? Former Air Canada executive and business professor at McGill University, John Gradek, t...

Professor Timothy Caulfield and Dr. Shazma Mithani fact check a viral video from "mental wealth coach" Kaylor Betts. Ryan debates "platforming," "de-platforming," and the premise behind what qualifies as "Real Talk". We get into your emails to talk@ryanjespersen.com, including commentary on Grace Life Church continuing to gather en masse in defiance of public health orders. With the price of Bitco...

Ryan starts the show with commentary on Sunday's debacle at Grace Life Church. As demonstrators tore down fences erected by Alberta Health Services, where was the "rule of law" Premier Jason Kenney's called for in past? We open the show with another Real Talk Round Table: why are landowners forced to fund their own environmental studies on coal mining in the Rocky Mountains? What are researchers d...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

How does a "social justice church" differ from other houses of worship? Shouldn't social justice be the driving force behind any religious community? Rev. Tyler Ho-Yin Sit's New City Church in Minneapolis has been featured in the New York Times and The Atlantic. He joins Ryan to discuss the intersection of Christianity and politics, Derek Chauvin standing trial for murdering George Floyd, and rece...

Through this pandemic, Canadians have become more familiar with their Chief Medical Officers of Health than ever before. How well do we understand their mandate? Where does their authority begin and end? What happens if elected officials ignore evidence-based advice? Former Alberta CMoH Dr. James Talbot pulls back the curtain, and evaluates the performance of Alberta's current CMoH Dr. Deena Hinsh...

With a third wave of the pandemic (and another lockdown) upon us, how do we ensure this is the last time it happens? Toronto ER Dr. Kashif Pirzada lays out what it'll take to eliminate COVID-19 completely. As Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health faces fire for withholding details relating to a "concerning outbreak," Edson Mayor Kevin Zahara explains why information sharing is so important. Su...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

Not every Real Talk guest can segue effortlessly between Ramona Quimby, QAnon, and history's greatest TV shows...but Scaachi Koul can. The senior culture writer for Buzzfeed News joins from NYC, kicking off Friday's show. Research and innovation at the University of Alberta is on display, as we feature the winners from the annual "Three Minute Thesis (3MT)" competition. Real Talk about affordable...

April 1st means most of Alberta's $25/day child care subsidies are done. Glengarry Child Care executive director Brad West explains what that means for the families at his facility, his staff, and his business. With Alberta headed toward a "third wave" of variant-heavy cases of COVID-19, Dr. Lynora Saxinger and Dr. Gosia Gasperowicz guide us through the stats, trends, and headlines we need to unde...

How do we thrive in a complex world, with disaster all around us? "Meltdown" author Chris Clearfield lays it out for leaders and everyday folks. Alberta's doctors vote "no" to a negotiated deal with the government - what does it mean? Health law/policy expert Dr. Lorian Hardcastle checks in from the University of Calgary. What are the short- and long-term impacts of COVID-19 on children, and how d...

Why are so many people - both parents and educators - so upset with Alberta's Draft Social Studies K-6 Curriculum? Dr. Carla Peck and Dr. Dwayne Donald explain where they believe the new roadmap falls short, and why it "sets Alberta Social Studies back decades". What does "anti-racism" advocacy actually look like, and how can people be leaders on this front in their own communities? Amarjeet Sohi,...

We're back at it after a week away! Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson, joins to discuss the Supreme Court of Canada's recent ruling against Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario's challenge of the federal Carbon Tax. Economist Dr. Andrew Leach, one of the architects of former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley's climate plan, explains why he supports the provinces' ch...

Ryan rolls out the best rants of the week, as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com . Buckle up for another edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste .

Targeted, racist expressions and attacks have increased against Canadians and Americans of Asian descent through the COVID-19 pandemic. The world watched in horror this week as a gunman took the lives of eight people, predominantly Asian women, in Atlanta, GA. UCal Berkeley cultural anthropologist Dr. Lok Siu, former PC MLA Teresa Woo-Paw, founder of Act2endracism, and researcher Rajah Maggay of P...

Karen Gosbee's "glittering marriage" nearly ended her life. The author of "A Perfect Nightmare," now co-chair of Calgary's Mental Health and Addiction Community Strategy and Action Plan, joins Mayor Naheed Nenshi to explain how this new approach changes the landscape (and how it can work in cities around the world). Renowned climatologist and geophysicist Dr. Michael E. Mann, author of "The New Cl...