Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

June 28, 2021 - Genetic Counselling; Lack of Openly Gay Athletes in Sport; Dr. Eva Jewell

6:41 | Genetic Counsellor Alessandra Cumming explains the complexities of genetic testing and the role her profession plays. 
43:40 | Question of the Week Results
56:47 | Addressing the lack of openly gay athletes in professional sport, with former OHL and professional hockey player Brock McGillis and The Hockey Writers' journalist Paul Quinney. They unpack why hockey culture makes it so hard for queer players to come out and what needs to change. 
1:33:50 | Dr. Eva Jewell with the Yellowhead Institute shares about the Calls to Action Accountability: A 2020 Status Update on Reconciliation she co-authored on the five year mark of the TRC document being released. 
2:03:36 | Starting the week with Positive Reflections courtesy of our friends at Kuby Energy.

Trash Talk - June 25, 2021

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.

June 25, 2021 - Two-Spirit Resurgence; Alberta Downloading Costs onto Villages, Towns & Cities

0:00 | Ryan reflects on "who we are" as residents of Canada while the number of unmarked and mass graves at former Indian Residential Schools mount, and attacks on racialized women escalate across the country. 
15:20 | Edmonton Two Spirit Society's Jeffery Chalifoux explains how traditional Indigenous acceptance of gender diversity was severely damaged, fragmented, or even lost due to colonialism—and how it's now being reclaimed. 
37:43 | A roundtable on service costs being passed from the Alberta Government onto the province's municipalities, making the local governments the bad guy. City of Brooks Mayor Barry Morishita, Town of Okotoks Councillor Tanya Thorn and Village of Hythe Mayor Brian Peterson explain the very dire impacts to the finances of Albertan municipalities.  
1:43:02 | Trash Talk courtesy of our pals at Local Waste.

June 24, 2021 - Conversion Therapy Ban; Treaty 8 Grand Chief Noskey; The Next 30 Possibility Summit

4:28 | Conversion therapy survivor Matt Ashcroft shares about the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change a person's sexual orientation and the banning of the practice this week with Bill C-6 passing in the House of Commons, despite 63 voting against it.
23:05 | Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta Grand Chief Arthur Noskey reflects on the breaking news of 751 unmarked graves found by Cowessess First Nation at site of former residential school in Saskatchewan. He explains how contempt for Indigenous Peoples continues today as harvesting rights are violated and why these need to be tracked.
54:49 | Samson Cree Nation Councillor Laurie Buffalo, The Next 30 founder Chad Park, and Earth Works Farm's Brenda Barritt explore what the next three decades in Alberta can look like and how reconciliation must be involved. The trio is participating in the Possibility Summit on June 26, 2021.

June 23, 2021 - "Lying flat" trend in China; Labour Lawyers on Vax at Work; Tristin Hopper

8:36 | Insider Journalist Cheryl Teh explains the "lying flat" movement emerging in China where youth are giving up on the rat race and staging a quiet rebellion against the 9-9-6 work culture.
38:45 | #MyJasper Memories | The many camping spots and adventures awaiting in the Rocky Mountains. https://www.jasper.travel/realtalk
42:27 | Employment Lawyers Dwayne Chomyn and Dennis Buchanan outline if employers can require staff to get COVID-19 vaccinations as part of return-to-work policy.
1:32:14 | National Post Columnist Tristin Hopper gives us his take on wearing shoes inside the house.

June 22, 2021 - How to be an Ally at Work; Author JB MacKinnon; Digital Undertaker

Chartered Professionals in Human Resources of Alberta CEO Rod Miller on the importance and productivity benefits in the workplace when employees get allyship and inclusion training.
Is consuming less our best strategy for saving the planet and can we even do it? Journalist J. B. MacKinnon shares what he found out while investigating his new book "The Day the World Stops Shopping". 
Digital Undertaker Sharon Hartung explains what happens to personal online content, from social media profiles to bank accounts, when a person dies and what can be done to plan for it.
 
15:49 - Rod Miller44:30 - J.B. MacKinnon1:30:08 - Sharon Hartung

June 21, 2021 - National Indigenous Peoples Day: Language; Cuisine; Restorative Justice

24:07 | Directors Robert Watt and Georgina Liberty share about the new Commissioner of Indigenous Languages Office designed to help First Nations, Inuit and Métis reclaim their traditional names on passports and other government ID. 
59:33 | Chef Andrew George Jr. explains how food is vital in promoting cultural understanding and the ways he learned about it from his Wet'suwet'en Nation family members. 
1:23:07 | Alberta Legal Aid Lawyer Jessica Buffalo outlines how Indigenous Courts can better work and heal alongside First Nations, Inuit and Métis people who enter the criminal justice system. 
1:52:54 | Plus, we start the week with Positive Reflections presented by the good folks at Kuby Energy!

Trash Talk - June 18, 2021

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.

June 18, 2021 - Michael Geist on Bill C-10; Power of Parking panel

15:30 | Canada Research Chair for Internet Law, Dr. Michael Geist dissects the Broadcasting Act Bill C-10 and botched work on it as Speaker Anthony Rota found that the committee “exceeded its authority” by passing the amendments after the House-imposed time limit on further work by the committee had expired.
38:00 | Urban Planner Ashley Salvador, City Planner Brent Toderian, Halifax Parking Services Manager Victoria Horne discuss how parking is a powerful driver of the design, form, and function of neighbourhoods. 
2:07:34 | Trash Talk

June 17, 2021 - Pride Toronto; Cst. Tad Milmine; Vet Mental Health; Residential school to Resort

15:03 | Pride Toronto's Sherwin Modeste discusses the indefinite ban on uniformed police at the city's Pride events and how healing is necessary before officers can be involved again. 
33:06 | Openly gay Calgary Constable Tad Milmine shares how Pride police bans impact him while he also appreciates that trust needs to be built between the LGBTQ2S+ community and law enforcement. 
51:55 | Canadian Veterinary Medical Association's Dr. James Fairles explains the mental health challenges veterinarians face on the job and why #EarstoVets in the USA is supportive for all animal health professionals.
1:30:17 | Former Chief of Ktunaxa/Kinbasket Tribal Council, Sophie Pierre shares why the First Nation decided to transform the Kootenay Indian Residential School into St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino.