The Honest Talk

Dr. Jennifer Gunter is a Canadian obstetrician and gynecologist, a pain-medicine physician, a podcaster, and a best-selling author. Her books The Vagina Bible , The Menopause Manifesto , and her latest, Blood, have brought conversations about women’s health and periods to an absolutely new level. Dr. Gunter has been described as the most important truth teller in women's health.  She joined us at...

We have talked to female political leaders and journalists, to activists and athletes. But this episode is the first time we speak with a leading punk rock artist! Bif Naked is a Canadian musical icon with a multi-decade, award-winning global career. In this episode of The Honest Talk, we talk with Bif about her birth in India and how being adopted by missionaries shaped her life. She shares with...

Silken Laumann captured the hearts and minds of Canadians by rowing for this country in three separate Olympics — and winning three Olympic medals. She also won a world championship and a gold medal in the Pan American Games. Her athletic career was exceptional. But what's so interesting about Silken is that she's also been a champion on another front — raising awareness about mental health. She's...

Join Jennifer and Catherine on this episode of The Honest Talk as they sit down with Melissa Carvalho, RBC’s Vice President of Global Cyber Security Strategic Services. Recognized as one of Canada's Top 20 Women in Cyber Security by IT World Canada and a global executive standout, Melissa shares her inspiring journey — from dreaming of a career as a teacher to becoming a leading cyber security exp...

Join Jennifer Stewart and Catherine Clark on this compelling episode of The Honest Talk as they sit down with the iconic Marilyn Denis. In an intimate and honest discussion, Marilyn opens up about the challenges women face in the media industry, confronting ageism with grace, and her personal journey through loss.  The conversation takes an emotional turn as Marilyn shares her experience of losing...

Michelle O'Bonsawin made history as Canada's first Indigenous Supreme Court Justice. She joined us at The Honest Talk to share insights from her 20-year legal career, including the adjustments she had to make in her personal life to take this role, security issues, and self-care. Join us as we explore her commitment to education and community service, and her vision for a more equitable and inclus...

Jyoti Gondek is the first female Mayor of Calgary – a leader who learned the value of compassion and empathy as the daughter of immigrants who came to Canada when she was a child. In this thought-provoking conversation with Jennifer and Catherine, Mayor Gondek discusses the importance of authenticity, the challenges of being a woman in politics, and the need to address polarization in society. She...

Our special guest for this episode is Harriet Thornhill, a former Vice President with RBC and a true champion of mentorship. Harriet has won numerous awards, including being named one of the 100 most influential Black Canadians, and she’s a force to be reckoned with, now holding the prestigious position of Chancellor at Tyndale University. Immerse yourself in this empowering episode of The Honest...

Lieutenant-Colonel Melanie Lake is one of the most public-facing women in the Canadian Armed Forces. As Task Force Commander of Operation UNIFIER, she led a team that trained the Ukrainian army months before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Melanie joins Jennifer and Catherine to talk about her experience as a woman in the Canadian Armed Forces and her decision to go to Ukraine when her da...

Kirsten Hillman is Canada's Ambassador to the U.S. and the first woman ever to hold this role. In the past, she has also played a critical part in negotiating major trade agreements for Canada. Ambassador Hillman joined Jennifer and Catherine to talk about the preparation for President Biden’s historic visit to Ottawa in March and how the team at the Canadian Embassy to the U.S. was involved in th...

Christina Cleveland is RBCs Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion. At a time when D&I discussions are top of mind for businesses, governments, institutions, and individuals across the country and around the world, she shares various perspectives on the importance of why everyone needs to Speak Up for Inclusion.

Heather Stefanson is the 24th Premier of Manitoba and the first woman ever to hold the role. She was elected to the Manitoba legislative assembly in 2000, and she has won every election since. Premier Stefanson has navigated the ups and downs of politics for over 20 years. She has mentored other women who want to get involved in public service, and she has raised two kids while serving her constit...

Canadians from coast to coast jumpstart their mornings with journalist Anne-Marie Mediwake, co-host of Your Morning on CTV. An award-winning national journalist, Anne-Marie has worked at every major television news organization in the country, reporting on some of the biggest news stories of our time. She is a reporter, a mom of triplets and a friend to morning people everywhere, and she joins Jen...

Meet Flora Do, a remarkable woman who is helping to reshape the face and voice of modern corporate Canada. A progressive and influential voice in Canada's largest bank, she is the Vice President of Investments, Transformation and Client Segments at RBC and the head of RBC Healthcare. She has made a big impact at Canada’s largest bank and on the generation of women leaders who are coming up behind...

Vassy Kapelos is one of the most well-known figures in Canadian media and politics, and the latest guest on The Honest Talk. An award-winning journalist, she hosted Power and Politics on CBC for five years before recently announcing a move to CTV News. There, she will take on the role of Chief Political Correspondent and host not one, but two shows: Question Period and Power Play. On the heels of...

A sports website for women-identifying fans? Now, that is a home run! Just ask Jacie deHoop, co-founder of The GIST, a thriving sports media company and the go-to source for sports coverage and conversations for women. Launched across North America in 2019 by three college friends — Jacie deHoop, Ellen Hyslop and Roslyn McLarty — The GIST is all about changing the game in the male-dominated sports...

Vicki Saunders is making her mark in a radically different way. Over the span of her career, Vicki has co-founded and run ventures all over the world. She is an acclaimed author, a mentor, a public speaker, an award winner, and a change maker. At 50 years old, she founded SheEO, now Coralus, a global not-for-profit that finances woman-identifying and non-binary entrepreneurs. Seven years later, th...

Stephanie Dexter is the first female president of UPS Canada. From being a package handler to senior leadership, Stephanie has seen it all during a phenomenal career that has spanned over 30 years. Although things are starting to change, the feeling of being the only female in the room is all too familiar to her. In this free and frank conversation, Stephanie – who is a champion for women in a tra...

“At a very young age, I seriously committed to myself that I would accept people for who they were.” The Honourable Carla Qualtrough won three Paralympics and four World Championship medals and was named one of Canada’s most influential women in sport six times. Following her exceptional sporting career, she became a human rights lawyer and political leader, currently serving as Canada’s Minister...

“If you want to be a success, you’ve got to work hard and you’ve got to give the time that is required to be a success.” She was one of the longest-serving mayors in Canadian history, and under her leadership Mississauga grew to be the 6th largest city in Canada. Though she is retired from politics, Hazel McCallion is still living up to her nickname of Hurricane Hazel at the age of 101. Hazel is a...

“One of the enduring things that I will always take away from my time as a journalist, was how willing people were to be open and share their stories at some of their most vulnerable moments.” Shachi Kurl is President of the Angus Reid Institute, Canada’s non-profit foundation committed to independent research, and an award-winning journalist. She is often found on television, radio, and in print...

Heather Scoffield is the Ottawa Bureau Chief for the Toronto Star and an award-winning journalist. Previously, she spent almost a decade with the Canadian Press as their Ottawa Bureau Chief and also worked for the Globe and Mail. Heather has spent her career covering economics, public policy, and national politics and has been at the forefront of many of Canada’s historic moments. She has also bee...

“The notion that I’d someday be doing all the things that I am doing is almost unbelievable when you think about where I started.” – Katie Taylor Katie Taylor is recognized as one of the most influential women in corporate Canada. She is the Chair of the Board at RBC and the first woman to hold this role at a major Canadian bank. In Katie’s remarkable professional journey, she has served as the Pr...

“For me throughout my career, advocacy has always been the thing that fires me up the most, brings me the most meaning, and where I feel the most satisfaction.” – Dr. Katharine Smart Dr. Katharine Smart is President of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and a tireless and vocal advocate for children and youth, access to vaccines, and strengthening the Canadian health care system. Prior to her...

“Who I am and where I come from has enabled me to carry myself and be able to confront any challenge that has been put in front of me.” - Jody Wilson-Raybould She’s a proud Kwakwaka'wakw person from the west coast of British Columbia with a phenomenal career in politics and community development. Jody Wilson-Raybould served as the independent Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, Minister...