Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

January 27, 2022 - Paid Sick Leave; Former Mayor Club: Naheed Nenshi, Tara Veer, Chris Spearman

14:10 | Decent Work and Health Network's Dr. Gaibrie Stephen unpacks how without paid sick leave many workers are forced to choose between protecting public health by staying home and going to work sick to support themselves and their families.
43:08 | Ryan welcomes members of the "former mayors club" to Real Talk. Calgary's 36th mayor Naheed Nenshi, the second woman to be Red Deer's mayor Tara Veer, and Lethbridge's mayor from 2013-2021, Chris Spearman, discussed the province's emergency services, health care, protests, and retirement.

January 26, 2022 - Russia Ukraine Tensions & Canada’s Role; Trucker Mike Duggan on Convoys

3:11 | Ryan and the team discuss baseball star Barry Bonds' unsuccessful final bid to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, plus what doping means in sport and athletes' legacies.
20:20 | McGill University's Dr. Maria Popova unpacks the rising Russia-Ukraine tensions, what the West can and should do about it and where Canada factors in.
39:59 | Long-haul truck driver Mike Duggan on the trucking industry, what vaccine mandates in the US/Canada as well as the Trucker Convoy means for the industry. Plus a few parking tips.
1:17:55 | #MyJasper Memories | Ryan makes us all hungry and thirsty for the Jasper Beer & Spirits Festival which is part beer/spirit fest, intriguing story-time seminars, and part wilderness adventure, at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Presented by Tourism Jasper

January 25, 2022 - MP George Chahal; Elks’ New CEO; Gaps in Women’s Health Care

3:27 | Liberal MP George Chahal addresses the intimidation tactics used by protestors who came to his family home over the weekend, plus his election in Calgary Skyview, and paying a $500 fine for removing another candidate's flyer tapped to the door of a home on the campaign trail.
19:09 | The new CEO and president for the Elks, Victor Cui on why he's signed on to lead the Edmonton's CFL team, what he hopes to accomplish, and why the fans are a big part of it.
41:50 | Dr. Jane Schulz,  Suzanne Pescod, and Alberta Womens’ Health Foundation's Teagan Gahler unpack a new report, Findings the Fractures, detailing the health care gaps experienced by women which have been exposed by pandemic.

January 24, 2022 - #TruckersForFreedom; Alta. Teachers Leaving Profession; History of Jew-Hate

3:41 | Ryan gets the show rolling with his take on the #TruckersForFreedom protest driving across the country challenging the vaccine mandates in Canada. 
15:56 | More than 30% of Alberta teachers are considering leaving the profession after this school year, according to a new report from Alberta Teachers’ Association. The research lead Dr. Phil McRae and a teacher who is retiring early, Darin Gibson, explain what educators across the province are experiencing.
47:06 | Jewish Pride author, Ben Freeman discusses the history of Jew-hate, how some anti-vaxxers people are likening vaccinations to the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany, the on-going strife in the Gaza Strip, and how to combat antisemitism.
1:10:48 | Ryan reviews the most recent Question of the Week results on morality and professional sports. Presented by Y Station
1:28:57 | #PositiveReflections | A way to get the week started off on the right foot—a look at the positives in the news, sports, and pop culture. Presented by Kuby Energy

Trash Talk - January 21, 2022

Ryan lets off a whole bunch of steam with emails from Real Talkers on what's grinding their gears.
Presented by Local Waste.

January 21, 2022 - Alexa McDonough’s Legacy; Notorious Athletes Real Talk Round Table

16:52 | We look back at the career of Canadian politics trailblazer, Alexa McDonough. Author of Alexa!: Changing the Face of Canadian Politics, Stephen Kimber shares on the legacy of the Canadian politician who was the first woman to lead a major federal political party. She passed away on January 15, 2022.
38:15 | NBA reporter Seerat Sohi, Sportsnet host Tara Slone, and Toronto Star columnist Bruce Arthur discuss the major force athletes can have in our culture, if they are role models, and what happens to fandom when sports figures do bad off the field.
1:20:11 | Trash Talk | Ryan lets off a whole bunch of steam with emails from Real Talkers on what's grinding their gears. Presented by Local Waste.

January 20, 2022 - BodyBreak’s Hal & Joanne; Kids’ Mental Health & COVID; Omicron impacting Schools

3:33 | Edmonton Public Schools board chairperson Trisha Estabrooks on the rising number of classes going online across the city and province as students and staff deal with the Omicron variant.
18:10 | Child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Tyler Black explores how school, the pandemic, and online learning can affect children and youth mental health.
41:28 | Canadian fitness icons Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod share about their long-running series of wholesome fitness vignettes, BodyBreak, its cultural significance, and ongoing health message.
1:12:29 | Question of the Week | Ryan reviews Real Talkers predictions for what 2022 will hold in politics, sports, and pop culture. Presented by Y Station.

January 19, 2022 - ”We’re all Pissy”; Elevating your Personal Brand

2:12 | Ryan wonders if the heated "pissy" exchange between NHL reporter Jim Matheson and Oilers' player Leon Draisaitl is a reflection of what everyone is feeling—fed up with winter and the pandemic.  
30:35 | Marketing consultant Laurie Kellough explains why personal branding isn’t narcissistic or something just for aspiring influencers. She explores the value of everyone cultivating their own brand and how it can serve you in your everyday life. 
57:43 | #MyJasper Memories | The Real Talk team shares some of their favourite times spent out in Jasper National Park. Presented by Tourism Jasper.

January 18, 2022 - Min. Madu in Hot Water; Joe Rogan’s Misinformation; Food Prices on the Rise

2:08 | Ryan clocks the troubling circumstances around Alberta’s Justice Minister Kaycee Madu calling the Edmonton Police Service’s Chief after the UCP MLA received a ticket for distracted driving in a school zone, and what the Premier says he's going to do about it.  
13:40 | Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy Timothy Caulfield and Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences president Dr. Imogen Coe share why they've joined 270+ signatories on a open letter to Spotify. The medical professionals, public health experts, and science educators are demanding the company take action against “mass-misinformation events which continue to occur on its platform,” specifically The Joe Rogan Experience as the prominent source of misinformation.
41:04 | Agri-Food Analytics Lab's Dr. Sylvain Charlebois explains what the new 2022 Canada’s Food Price Report forecasts for Canadians groceries, with supply chain issues, extreme weather, and the pandemic at play.

January 17, 2022 - If Omicron is Actually Mild, Why Are AB Hospitals Slammed?; Toxic Positivity

13:51 | Alberta-based physicians Dr. Neeja Bakshi and Dr. Shazma Mithani discuss the Omicron wave, why they don't refer to the variant as "mild", and how it's resulting in dire outcomes in hospitals and on health care staff.   
51:54 | Psychotherapist Whitney Goodman encourages people to not be positive all the time and why that's good for our mental health. She details the problem of being upbeat at all costs in her new book, Toxic Positivity.
1:24:26 | Positive Reflections | Ryan looks at the bright side of life with some help from some polar bears and sheep. Presented by Kuby Energy