Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

April 28, 2021 - Brent Toderian & aging in cities; Curriculum analysis; Grieving; Chief Allan Adam

Urban planner, Brent Toderian and University of Calgary researcher Dr. Yeonjung Lee explain how Canadian cities are built can negatively impact the aging population. 
Education expert Carla Peck shares about the need for the new Alberta Curriculum Analysis. The non-partisan, research-based website provides a scholarly evaluation of the proposed Alberta’s Kindergarten to grade 12 curriculum.
Funeral director and embalmer, Jeremy Allen, explains how he helps people to learn to live with grief via Death Ed workshops.
Chief Allan Adam from Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations speaks about the call by 11 First Nation and Métis Nations in Northern Alberta for the Kenney government to take action and address COVID-19 immediately.
9:42 - Brent Toderian & Dr. Yeonjung Lee41:13 - Dr. Carla Peck1:07:59 - Jeremy Allen1:35:22 - Chief Alan Adam

April 27, 2021 - Racist attack; Supervised consumption site shut; Ft Mac COVID rise, Long COVID case

Black Teachers' Association of Alberta’s Andrew Parker addresses the April 16, 2021 race-based attack on 14-year-old Black Rosslyn School student, Pazo. Andrew challenges the city, schools and whole community to push for frank discussions about racism and authentic representation of BIPOC.
Moms Stop The Harm’s Petra Schulz and opioid expert Dr. Elaine Hyshka, outline the dire outcomes that may result from the permanent closure of a supervised consumption site in downtown Edmonton amid surging drug addiction.
Mayor for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Don Scott explains the state of emergency declared for the northern Alberta area, including Fort McMurray, due to mounting COVID-19 cases.
Long COVID-19 sufferer Ashley Antonio shares how her 14-month battle with debilitating symptoms has made the simplest tasks extremely challenging and work as a lawyer at times, impossible.
13:01 - Andrew Parker49:08 - Supervised consumption site closure1:10:07 - Mayor Don Scott1:27:53 - Ashley Antonio

April 26, 2021 - Dr. Joe Vipond; Former GSA volunteer Maria De Leeuw; COVID-19 survivors/physicians

Calgary-based physician, Dr. Joe Vipond calls for strong government policies and strict enforcement to address Alberta’s third COVID-19 wave. He cautions against listening to non-medical opinions on how to address the pandemic.
After false claims of a Gender Identity & Sexual Orientation Alliance (GSA) volunteer taking students off-campus without parental permission, Maria De Leeuw wants to set the record straight — she's that volunteer. In an exclusive interview, Maria addresses how the false were weaponized and harm youth.
COVID-19 survivors, family members and physicians, Dr. Anna Fiselier and Dr. Olga Kovalchuk, share their personal experience living through the illness, symptoms and side effects of the coronavirus. Plus, it's Monday, so our friends at Kuby Energy present another inspiring edition of Positive Reflections!
11:07 - Dr. Joe Vipond44:19 - Maria De Leeuw1:19:53 - COVID survivors2:14:27 - Positive Reflections

Trash Talk - April 23, 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.

April 23, 2021 - Seniors of Humanity w/ Erin Gaudet & Monica Lipscombe; the Greenest Home on Earth

"Senior citizens represent such a large and untapped resource for all of us, but their value and input is often underestimated and they are wildly underrepresented in social media," wrote Erin Gaudet in an email to talk@ryanjespersen.com. She went on to explain what led her and her partners to create seniorsofhumanity.ca, a hub for stories about remarkable seniors that might otherwise not be told. Erin and (the absolutely delightful, courageous, and inspiring) Monica Lipscombe take us into this heartwarming and thought-provoking project. "The Confluence" might be the Greenest Home on Earth. That was the goal, anyway, when the Molenaar family approached SAIT to collaborate on an entry for The Living Building Challenge. Tracey Chala, Melanie Ross, and Haley Puppato take us into the remarkable property in Alberta's Waiporous region, and explain what makes this dream home so special. Plus, it's Friday, so fasten your seatbelt for another wild edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste!
14:32 - Seniors of Humanity39:41 - The Greenest Home on Earth1:51:03 - Trash Talk

April 22, 2021 - A "future ready" workforce w/ Kathy Woods; the Midlife pandemic book project

Industries change quickly, and skill sets can become obsolete. Add a pandemic on top, and it's fair to say employees and employers face an entirely different reality than they did a year or so ago. Deloitte's National Workforce Transformation Leader Kathy Woods joins for an informative (and hilarious) look at how people of all ages can be "future ready". Twenty or so years ago, they all collaborated on the University of Alberta's official student newspaper - The Gateway. This past year, nearly thirty talented writers resolved to reconnect and collaborate on a reflection of middle age. The result is a powerful, hilarious, heart-wrenching book called "Midlife". Sarah Chan, Jhenifer Pabillano, Adam Rozenhart, Amanda Ash, Geoff Moysa, and Raymond Biesinger hang out for one of the more memorable (and moving) hours in Real Talk history.
24:06 - Kathy Woods49:31 - Midlife part 1 with Sarah Chan, Jhenifer Pabillano and Adam Rozenhart1:29:26 - Midlife part 2 with Amanda Ash, Geoff Moysa and Raymond Biesinger

April 21, 2021 - Minister Maryam Monsef; plant proteins w/ Allison Ammeter; Infertility Round Table

We dig deeper into Ottawa's plan for affordable childcare with Federal Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development Maryam Monsef. What happens if provinces like Alberta say "No" to federal funding based on strings attached? Grain farmer Allison Ammeter, chair of the Plant Protein Alliance of Alberta explains why the provincial government's cancellation of a paltry $250k commitment means the collapse of their organization. We get into the significant economic implications of global demand for plant proteins, and what it could mean for agricultural producers on the Prairies. It's Canadian Infertility Awareness Week, so we check in with Dr. Alda Ngo, Kristina Melia, and Linda Hoang. What new options exist for Canadians hoping to start a family, what are some of the most significant barriers they'll face, and what proactive steps can people take to improve their chances? Plus, we recap yesterday's interview with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, including childcare, travel restrictions, a looming federal election, and his strained relationship with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney.
14:08 - Minister Maryam Monsef30:47 - Allison Ammeter49:44 - Infertility Round Table

April 20, 2021 - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his Real Talk debut the day after releasing the first federal budget in two years. Trudeau makes his first public statement on Derek Chauvin's murder conviction in the death of George Floyd, then he and Ryan get into budget talk. They cover the Liberals' national child care plan, a Universal Basic Income, business subsidies (and when to cut them off), whether or not there'll be an election this year, coal mining in the Rockies, the two Michaels (Kovrig and Spavor) detained in China, international travel restrictions, Trudeau's strained relationship with Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, and 4/20.

April 20, 2021 - Budget 2021 Round Table; 4/20 "Puff Puff Panel"

On the heels of the Liberals' first federal budget in two years, we get into the numbers. Is this more of an election platform than a budget? Does it strike the right balance between investing in post-pandemic recovery and plotting a path back to balance? Jason Hatcher, Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean, and Semhar Tekeste dig into the details. Plus, it's April 20th - Happy 4/20! Our "Puff Puff Panel" - Jonas Jespersen, Lisa Campbell, Nathan Mison, and Akanksha Bhatnagar - sparks up conversation on the evolution of Canada's legal Cannabis industry, stigma that remains around Cannabis use, and where the trends are going in months and years to come.
33:10 - Budget 2021 Round Table 1:35:18- 4/20 Puff Puff Panel

April 19, 2021 - Melissa Caouette; WSJ's James T. Areddy

Will Erin O'Toole's climate plan be enough to push the Conservative Party of Canada into government next federal election? Will support for carbon pricing be enough to convince swing voters? Will it alienate the base on the Prairies? Conservative strategist Melissa Caouette of Canadian Strategy Group gets into it. As China gets set to move forward with its digital yuan, there are questions around transparency, surveillance, prevalence, and potential impact on global currencies (most especially the US dollar). Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal correspondent James T. Areddy digs into the details, and provides valuable insight into what makes the Chinese government tick. Plus, it's Monday, so our friends at Kuby Energy present another inspiring edition of Positive Reflections!
14:57 - Melissa Caouette38:10 - James Areddy
2:20:15 - Positive Reflections