

Real Talk Ryan Jespersen
Relay
Real Talk about news, politics, and pop culture. Hosted by Ryan Jespersen from Edmonton, Alberta. Live weekday mornings at 8:30am MT. #RealTalkRJ
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 18, 2025 • 1h 20min
NEW POLLS: Carney Climbs, Poilievre Plummets
Talk about a turnaround. New polls from Leger and Angus Reid suggest the Liberals could form a majority government under Mark Carney. Could it be?
9:30 | Poll analyst Philippe Fournier digs into the new numbers and explains what's moving the needle across the country.
MORE: https://www.338canada.ca/
36:00 | What do you make of the tense exchanges between PM Mark Carney and journalists Stephanie Levitz and Rosemary Barton?
EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com
OUR FULL INTERVIEW WITH SUPRIYA DWIVEDI: https://rtrj.info/031725Supriya
56:00 | France wants the Statue of Liberty back. Well, sort of. Could it happen?
1:01:30 | Real Talker Char delivers a pep talk to her fellow Canadians about Donald Trump, Danielle Smith, and global trade.
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta...
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 17, 2025 • 1h 30min
Behind the Scenes of the PMO with Supriya Dwivedi
In her first interview since officially leaving the Prime Minister's Office, our pal Supriya Dwivedi is back with a behind the scenes look at what was going down in Justin Trudeau's inner circle through the party's polling woes, Trudeau's resignation, and the transition to a Mark Carney government.
Supriya tells us what she really thinks about Chrystia Freeland's blindside resignation, Pierre Poilievre's fiery attacks, and Karina Gould's exclusion from Carney's first cabinet.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Leave a comment here or email talk@ryanjespersen.com
1:24:30 | Did you hear about that Larry fella going viral in Wisconsin? Thanks to Real Talker Gerald for passing along this unexpected heartwarming moment - a perfect fit for Positive Reflections presented by Solar by Kuby.
GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE TODAY: https://kuby.ca/
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta...
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 15, 2025 • 7min
"I'm tired of your jokes about Teslas!"
Blahsheep says corruption is everywhere, Paul's pissed he's paying to demo the Coliseum, Jan calls Jespo and Johnny to the carpet over Tesla, and Michael has an NSFW message for our neighbours to the south. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, or Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-talk-golf-classic
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 14, 2025 • 1h 20min
Trump is Screwing American Farmers
Nobody's hurting American farmers more than President Donald Trump. His trade war with Canada is raising prices, and his cuts to USAID are hitting U.S. producers where it hurts. Meantime, farmers and ranchers north of the border are escaping the pain...for now. Everybody knows that could change in an instant. What should Ag producers and Canadian consumers be doing to prepare?
2:45 | We talk Ag with Dave Solverson, past president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Andre Harpe from Alberta Canola, rancher and Cows in Control founder Ryan Copithorne, and Alberta Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Shauna Feth.
CHECK OUT ALBERTA CHAMBERS of COMMERCE: https://www.abchamber.ca/
1:12:00 | Blahsheep says corruption is everywhere, Paul's pissed he's paying to demo the Coliseum, Jan calls Jespo and Johnny to the carpet over Tesla, and Michael has an NSFW message for our neighbours to the south. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, or Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta...
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 13, 2025 • 1h 36min
Sarah Hamilton Wants Out // YEG Wants London
A familiar name will be missing from the ballot the next time Edmontonians elect a city council.
3:30 | Sarah Hamilton tells us why she decided against seeking re-election, and what she thinks the next council's biggest challenge will be.
40:30 | You've probably seen the YEG Wants London campaign over the past while. Why is that direct flight such a big deal? We talk to EIA VP James Jackson about the role airports play in regional economic development.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT: https://yegwantslondon.com/
1:10:50 | Liquor importers are taking legal action against the Alberta government for "breaking the law by seizing private property". We follow up on the saga we've been discussing through the week, as Donald Trump's trade war keeps American booze off Canadian shelves.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta...
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 12, 2025 • 1h 42min
Canada vs. USA: How Bad Could It Get?
We're not used to this. The President of the United States calling Canada "a very bad abuser" and a poor trading partner, a bad neighbour, and a future 51st state. Very few of us have seen the Stars and Stripes as a negative symbol (off the ice, anyway). But the rhetoric, economic pain, and reputational damage is only getting worse under Donald Trump. How bad could it get?
7:00 | Max Fawcett, lead columnist at Canada's National Observer, chimes in on Trump's tariffs, Mark Carney's big win, Pierre Poilievre's polling woes, Ontario Premier Doug Ford's US media messaging, and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's trip to Florida to work alongside right wing podcaster Ben Shapiro.
READ MAX'S WORK: https://www.nationalobserver.com/
50:30 | It's been DUMPING snow at Marmot Basin! 43 centimetres over the past couple of days alone. Plus, the Jasper Pride & Ski Festival launches April 4 - the only gay ski week in the Canadian Rockies. We feature details (and up-to-the-minute powder shots) in this week's #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper.
JASPER PRIDE & SKI FESTIVAL: https://jasperpride.ca/
BOOK YOUR JASPER ADVENTURE: https://www.jasper.travel/
54:00 | We ask Max who he sides with in a dust-up between liquor importers and the Alberta government. We get into Tesla's stock slide and Elon Musk calling Sen. Mark Kelly a "traitor" for visiting Ukraine.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta...
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 11, 2025 • 1h 39min
Mind-Blowing Space Business // COVID Review
Imagine being able to detect pine beetles or gold deposits from space. Imagine using satellite data to boost crops around the world. An Alberta-based company is doing exactly that with the support of Edmonton Unlimited's innovation community.
2:30 | We welcome Wyvern CEO Chris Robson, tech mentor/investor Kristina Milke, and Edmonton Unlimited CEO Tom Viinikka to the Real Talk Round Table.
EDMONTON UNLIMITED: https://edmontonunlimited.com/
WYVERN: https://wyvern.space/
SPROUT: https://sproutfund.vc/
50:17 | Should Alberta liquor stores be allowed to sell American booze during this tariff standoff? Or is solidarity across the country more important? We read an email from Vintage West Wine and Spirits managing partner Matt Thirlwell, and check in on the Real Talk Live Chat powered by Park Power.
1:10:30 | Scott Sinclair made waves ripping his party's budget, and paid for it with his UCP affiliation. Jespo and Johnny recap our exclusive with the MLA from Lesser Slave Lake.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? talk@ryanjespersen.com
1:25:00 | Do you ever think about the days of plexiglass in restaurants, social distancing stickers on the grocery store floor, and buying masks by the dozen? Promped by a Globe and Mail feature, we reflect.
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta...
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 10, 2025 • 1h 48min
Carney's Landslide Win // Exclusive: Outsted UCP MLA
Mark Carney is Canada's next Prime Minister after a landslide 86% Liberal leadership win. Will he still be Prime Minister after an election as early as next month? Plus, have you been following the story involving Alberta MLA Scott Sinclair? Remember, he's the one that spoke out against his own party's budget, saying he'd never vote for it? After we released out March 3 episode, Sinclair was voted out of caucus by his peers. He sits down with us exclusively (30:00) to explain how it all went down, and what he plans to do about it.
9:30 | Former Trudeau/Freeland/Morneau fiscal advisor Tyler Meredith gets into Carney's big win, Freeland's future, and what to expect over the next couple of weeks from the Liberal government.
TYLER'S WORK: https://mbpolicy.com/
30:00 | MLA Scott Sinclair tells us why he went scorched earth on his party's budget, earning him an expulsion from the UCP caucus.
EMAIL SCOTT DIRECTLY: scott.sinclair@assembly.ab.ca
1:43:30 | Thanks to Real Talker Brady for submitting these mind-blowing macro photographs from the Black Artists One Love exhibit at the Art Gallery of Alberta - a perfect fit for Positive Reflections presented by Kuby Energy!
SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com
GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE TODAY: https://kuby.ca/
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta...
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.

Mar 8, 2025 • 8min
MAPLE MAGA: "You're TRAITORS to the Toque!"
Lucky's proudly flying the flag, Janey has a message for "traitors to the toque," Ron says Canada could become Puerto Rico, Jake's up for revoking citizenship, Debbie and Stephen are proud of Danielle Smith AND Justin Trudeau (!!), and Lisa isn't "drinking the Kool-Aid" on cougar hunting.
It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, make sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-talk-golf-classic
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any a

Mar 7, 2025 • 1h 30min
Chrystia Freeland // Legacy of The Fallen Four
Chrystia Freeland says Donald Trump is underestimating Canada's strength. The Liberal leadership candidate tells us her plan for Trump, Ukraine, and the next federal election "when" she's Prime Minister (3:00).
29:30 | Where were you when you heard four RCMP officers had been murdered in Mayerthorpe? Hard to believe it's been twenty years since the tragedy that rocked the nation. We welcome Mayor Janet Jabush, Staff Sgt. Grant Kneller, and Margaret Fraser-Thibeault from RCMP victims' services for a special edition of the Real Talk Round Table.
MARGARET'S BOOK ON GRIEF: https://books.friesenpress.com/store/title/119734000193829121/Margaret-Fraser-Thibault-I'm-OK-Until-I'm-Not-OK
CONTACT MARGARET re: RCMP CHALLENGE COINS: fpthib@telus.net or 780-305-8800
1:14:50 | Ryan's got an inkling something big is about to go down at the Alberta Legislature. What do you think?
EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com
1:20:30 | Lucky's proudly flying the flag, Janey has a message for "traitors to the toque," Ron says Canada could become Puerto Rico, Jake's up for revoking citizenship, Debbie and Stephen are proud of Danielle Smith AND Justin Trudeau (!!), and Lisa isn't "drinking the Kool-Aid" on cougar hunting. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!
FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com
When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, make sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!
REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-talk-golf-classic
FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen
REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch
RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! https://ryanjespersen.com/sponsors
The views and opinions expressed in this show are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Relay Communications Group Inc. or any affiliates.