The Critical Compass

In this episode, Dr. Dennis Modry, unpacks Alberta’s push for sovereignty. From economic struggles and healthcare challenges to a proposed constitution with robust checks and balances, Dr. Modry outlines why Alberta’s independence could reshape Canada and inspire global change. Learn about the interim constitution, public referendums, and the economic benefits of eliminating personal income tax. D...

We were thrilled to be able to sit down with Bow Valley Credit Union CEO Brett Oland (the "Based Banker" as Mike has dubbed him) to chat about a number of economic and monetary policy issues currently affecting most of the Western world. We discuss inflationary spending, how immigration and social policy artificially drives up costs of living, the scourge of UBI and CBDCs, and what our m...

Mike & James discuss their observations from their attendance at two recent events in Edmonton centred around the growing Alberta independence movement: the August 12th presentation by the Alberta Prosperity Project and the August 14th AlbertaNext panel hosted by Danielle Smith. We compare and contrast the demographics of the two events, the differences in the levels of heightened emotion vs....

Jeff Rath is an Alberta lawyer specializing in Aboriginal treaty rights and environmental law, and has successfully represented indigenous groups as Lead Counsel at the level of the Supreme Court of Canada. He is Lead Counsel of the Alberta Prosperity Project and a staunch advocate of Alberta independence. In this long-form interview with Jeff, we had the pleasure of discussing a broad range of im...

In this episode, Mike and James are joined by Daniel Tyrie to discuss Canada’s immigrant crisis. Daniel -- founder of The Dominion Society of Canada and former Executive Director of the People's Party of Canada -- is an Ottawa-based political commentator, Canadian nationalist and historian, and self-described "Remigration Enthusiast."Daniel lays out for us his conception of what remi...

Bruce Pardy is professor of law at Queen’s University, senior fellow with the Fraser Institute, and executive director of Rights Probe. We were happy to have Bruce join us on the show last to discuss a number of issues related to Alberta independence. In this hour-long discussion we were able to cover a number of pertinent topics which we hope will help further the discussion and seize the moment...

In this episode with returning guest and friend of the channel Marty Belanger (Martyupnorth), James and Mike get a progress report about some of the movements being made inside the Alberta independence movement. Marty shares some of his CBC interview misadventures, insights from recent sovereignty meetings, and concerns about Alberta’s demographic shifts. We end our chat by briefly touching on the...

We were pleased to be joined on the show by Cameron Davies, former UCP campaign manager and newly announced leader of the Alberta Republican Party. In this episode, we discuss Cameron's journey through Alberta politics, the UCP’s slow, predictable drift from conservative principles, and allegations of corruption from within the party. Davies explains why he cut ties with the party he helped to...

In this discussion, Mike & James toss around some final pre-election thoughts about Edmonton's perpetually unsatisfied "mayor," how Liberals don't understand Conservatives, and why political commentary seems to always devolve into emotional hyperbole.#liberal #conservative #cdnpoli #election -----Follow us on X: https://x.com/thecritcompSubscribe to us on Rumble: https://rumb...

In this episode, Mike & James cover a wide swath of sociopolitical topics in the news and social media over the last few weeks. From "Elbows up" Mark Carney Liberalism and fake carbon tax relief, to Trump tariffs, to Iran/Israel war-hawking, and a lengthy accounting of the race and immigration debate currently raging in Canada -- we hope you enjoy!-----00:00 Intro01:09 What makes a g...

In case you missed it!... In this livestream recap, we had the pleasure of having Martyupnorth (Martin Belanger) join us again on the show to give us a rundown of what the Trump tariff threat might mean for Canadians, how our provincial and federal politicians should've reacted to it, and the broader picture and implications of a self-inflicted hamstrung Canadian economy. Follow Marty for more...

We were pleased to have Jason Bale, an Edmonton City Council candidate for Ward Karhiio for the 2025 municipal election, join us on the show to discuss a number of pressing issues on which he hopes to be a better representative for Edmontonians. In our full hour discussion, we touch on such topics as: - What makes a well-managed city - Apathy and distrust in municipal politics - Urban planning mis...

In this 2.5-hour long deep dive discussion featuring Eva Chipiuk, Martyupnorth, and Sheldon Yakiwchuk, the group discusses Justin Trudeau's recent decision to prorogue parliament while the Liberal Party of Canada gets their house in order and votes on a new leader. What do you think about this unprecedented event in Canadian political history? How will this affect Canadians with the imminent inaug...

Marco Van Huigenbos is a business owner, a former Fort Macleod town councillor, and perhaps most well-known for the integral role he played in the Coutts border crossing blockade during the COVID lockdown protests of February 2022. Marco joined us on the podcast to discuss a number of pressing issues in local and provincial politics. In this hour and a half talk, we chat about the recent UCP AGM,...

Marty Belanger is a 12th generation (1634) Franco-Albertan and retired engineer, known for his sharp political commentary and cultural observations. He embodies a libertarian perspective, often critiquing what he perceives as a shift in societal norms towards the left. In this episode, we recap and unpack some thoughts on the recent United Conservative Party Annual General Meeting held on Nov. 1-2...

How does the way an election, a politician, or a social issue is covered by corporate media influence the way it is perceived and discussed in common discourse? Is it appropriate for publicly-funded news outlets to "play favourites" or make partisan pronouncements or judgements on politicians and the issues of the times? Whatever your thoughts on the value of a national press, the quickly fading r...

As the results of COVID-19 vaccine mandate arbitration rulings start to roll in, even with the wins come questions about how exactly arbitration works, how binding the decisions are, and what sort of precedence -- if any -- they set for future grievances. Eva Chipiuk was gracious enough to join us on the show again to chat about a recent -- albeit short -- decision regarding terminated healthcare...

Is what we are witnessing the past couple weeks in the UK more indicative of a far-right white supremacist uprising, or a justified (or at least predictable) response to what may be called the emergence of a 2-tiered justice system overtaking the West? It feels more and more that we are being told to reject the evidence of our own eyes and ears when it comes to the worrying rise of violent crime a...

For roughly the last decade, the political right has been fairly consistently united in its denunciation of "cancel culture" -- namely because they have been the consistent victim of it. In the hands of a coordinated media/institutional/big tech apparatus seemingly controlled by and for the left, one thing has been clear: Cancel culture is wrong. It unfairly punishes people in real life...

In this episode Mike and James discuss how identity politics in the West affect the perception of the Israel Palestine conflict. This episode explore oppression dynamics, antisemitism in protests, and the shutting down of discourse. Israel vs Palestine | Common Ground Conversations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJa2V83fyeM Equality Index https://www.equaldex.com/equality-index Douglas Murray on...

In this episode Mike and James review the conflict within the 1 Million March 4 Kids Protest on September 20th, 2023 in Edmonton Alberta. This episode discusses the protestors point of view and reasons for demonstrating. It also covers the counter protestors response, Antifa and Marxist supporters, and the protection of Antifa by Edmonton Police Officers. The protesters side chanted: Leave Our Kid...