Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Danielle Smith's got a couple fires to put out. She started one of them herself, and a UCP candidate out of Lethbridge lit the match on the other. Could either situations cost the Premier the election in May? 2:07 | How bad is the video of Premier Smith's call with "pastor" Artur Pawlowski before his trial earlier this year? Ryan kicks off the show with a perspective check. AGREE OR DISAGREE? EMAIL US! talk@ryanjespersen.com 12:43 | There's a mental health crisis happening all around us....

Let's face it: budget coverage is usually pretty boring. The average person doesn't spend much time digging into how governments plan on spending their money. This episode, we focus on the real life stuff: how does the federal government's big-spending, "clean economy"-focused fiscal plan impact you and your family? 1:18 | Erica Ifill isn't your average economist. The animated co-host of the Bad & Bitchy podcast and columnist with The Hill Times brings her signature candid commentary to the...

"Donald Trump is the biggest threat to democracy...and the greatest threat to the Canada/US relationship." That, from former US Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, who headlines this episode of Real Talk. 2:13 | Donald Trump kicked off a rally in Waco, TX with a song by a January 6th prison choir. He's calling the 2024 election "the final battle". What the hell is going on? Former US Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman tells us about his personal experience with Trump, and why he says the...

US President Joe Biden's 27-hour visit to Ottawa dominated the news cycle across the country: was that the whole point? Today's expert guests analyze the key moments, the distractions, and the bigger picture around POTUS in Canada. In other news, two Edmonton Police officers killed March 16 will be honoured today with a regimental funeral and procession. Ryan opens the show with a few thoughts about the service for Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan. 3:33 | Trade, jobs, and security were top of...

Jocelyne is sticking up for all the starving students in this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

When a first responder is killed in the line of duty, their entire community feels the loss. This episode of Real Talk is dedicated to Edmonton Police constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan, murdered while responding to a domestic call early Thursday morning. 3:55 | John Kirkman lost friends and colleagues in Mayerthorpe, Wetaskiwin, and St. Albert over the course of his career as a first responder. The former EMT and ten-year RCMP veteran joins Ryan in studio for a powerful conversation...

This episode, we cover the implications of China meddling in our democracy, and the future of electric vehicles in Canada. But we begin the show with tragic breaking news: the murders of two Edmonton Police officers, killed while responding to a domestic call at an apartment block west of downtown. 0:55 | Edmonton Police constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan were shot and killed in the line of duty early Thursday morning. Ryan begins the show reflecting on our inability as civilians to...

Do we do enough to hold corporations, organizations, and politicians accountable when they behave badly? From toxic leaks to greasy politics, today's episode investigates some of the top stories in the country, and what Canadians are doing about them. 4:09 | Chief Allan Adam didn't mince words on the March 6 episode of Real Talk. Straight up, he called Imperial Oil's nine-month toxic tailings pond leak "a cover-up". Chief Adam's comments have aged well, as Ottawa's stepping in to demand...

Caitlin Erickson's been threatened, followed, and had her house set on fire after speaking out against her former school, Saskatoon's Legacy Christian Academy. She was in the courtroom yesterday for the school's former athletic director's first appearance on sexual assault and sexual exploitation charges. The spokesperson for a proposed $25M class action lawsuit brings us up to speed on this major story. But first... 1:40 | Cason Feuser was playing with his buddies near Rocky Mountain House...

2:00 | After seven years of brutal harassment, broadcaster Jody Vance finally got to face her bully in court. She spoke with us Friday just before the court date, and returns to the show to tell us all about it. Jody shares how it felt to deliver her victim impact statement, and what she makes of Richard Sean Oliver's sentence. 33:20 | Who pissed in Hugh Grant's Corn Flakes? Charles Adler serves up his take on the movie star's less-than-generous red carpet performance at the Oscars. 39:20...

Adam's sick of hearing about "rage farming," and Gabe says there's no such thing as the "far left" in Canada. Both of them blow off a whole bunch of steam in this week's edition of Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services! KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

From an Edmonton MP's visit to Ukraine, to a broadcaster's battle against an online harasser, to the UCP's plan for healthcare, this is a Real Talk episode you'll want to catch from start-to-finish. 3:15 | Heather McPherson's just back from Ukraine, where the Member of Parliament for Edmonton-Strathcona met with diplomats and civilians amid Russian attacks. She tells us about what she saw there, how it shaped her opinion on supports from Canada. The NDP MP also chimes in on Chinese...

The Alberta city of Grande Prairie (population 68,000) has $10M from the province to transition from the RCMP to a municipal police service. It's interesting timing, with Premier Danielle Smith intent on replacing the Mounties with a provincial force. Ryan chats with Mayor Jackie Clayton and Councillor Dylan Bressey on the heels of Monday's 8-1 city council vote in favour of the move. But first... 4:37 | No, you won't soon be able to buy cocaine in BC convenience stores. Moira Wyton,...

On International Women's Day, we feature back-to-back Real Talk Round Tables presented by Urban Timber: the heavy lifting emergency shelters are doing in Alberta, and game-changing opportunities for women in the male-dominated aviation industry. 1:40 | It's an ugly reality: domestic violence is more of an issue now than ever before in Alberta, and thousands of women and children are being turned away from emergency shelters operating at capacity. Jan Reimer, Marla Poelzer, and survivor...

It's hard to imagine the devastation caused by the Turkey-Syria earthquake on February 6: more than 50,000 people killed, hundreds of thousands displaced, and at least $100B in damage to Turkey's infrastructure alone. Medair is one of the NGOs working to provide basic resources including water and shelter in and around Aleppo. Aid worker Raija-Liisa Schmidt-Teigen joins us live from Damascus. But first... 2:08 | It turns out a BC company will not be manufacturing and selling cocaine to the...

It's easy to understand why members of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation are "dismayed" to discover millions of litres of toxic oilsands tailings leaking into land and water where they harvest food. Chief Allan Adam has ordered his community to destroy any food (including game) collected since May. It's the latest chapter in an ongoing battle between industry and nearby Indigenous communities who've seen disproportionate cancer rates over many years. Chief Adam tells us what his community...

Wade says Ryan needs to "grow a pair," and Rod's sick of seeing "bullshit corporate delay tactics" with toxic tailings ponds near Ft. McMurray. Both take centre stage in this week's Trash Talk presented by Local Environmental Services. KEEP IT LOCAL: https://localenvironmental.ca/

It was a big week in Alberta politics. A big-spending budget from Premier Danielle Smith's UCP says a lot about how the governing party intends to win the May election. So does the response from Rachel Notley's NDP. Pundits say it's too close to call right now. So, what'll it take for either party to win? Our Real Talk Round Table digs in. But first... 2:45 | Sarah Lawrynuik's been doing remarkable reporting from the front lines in Ukraine. She joins Ryan to reflect on the people she's met,...

Society's on a road to ruin. We're slaves to our devices. Teenagers can only focus on one task for an average 65 seconds at a time. We're losing our ability to pay attention, let alone think deeply. Best-selling author Johann Hari joins us to talk about his new book "Stolen Focus". But first... 1:45 | A majority of Canadians believe China is interfering in our democracy, and Ottawa needs to do something about it. But what does that look like? How deeply seeded is Chinese influence in...

2:20 | The doctor is in the house! Does physician Shazma Mithani think the UCP's $68B budget has what it takes to heal healthcare? The ER doc and social media educator diagnoses what's leading to unprecedented burnout among health professionals, and explains why she's adamantly against private or "third way" options to ease surgical wait times. FOLLOW DR. MITHANI ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/shazmamithani FOLLOW DR. MITHANI ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/drshazmamithani/ CHECK...