

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

May 11, 2022 • 1h 16min
May 11, 2022 - Should We De-Extinct Animals? Pandemic Photo Project; Chuckegg Wildfire Anniversary
3:03 | Award-winning photojournalist Leah Hennel takes us into Alberta ICUs, ERs, and COVID wards via the stunning images in her new book, "Alone Together: A Pandemic Photo Essay".
Check out more of Leah's work: https://leahhennelphotography.com/
Get your copy of the book: https://bookpublishers.ab.ca/titles/alone-together/
18:24 | REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for our Real Talk Golf Classic on June 23rd at The Ranch! Ryan shares a few details about the big day, which you won't want to miss!
REGISTER: https://ryanjespersen.com/real-talk-golf-classic
21:21 | It's been three years since the Chuckegg Wildfire tore through more than 800,000 acres near High Level, AB. Mayor Crystal McAteer and Chief James Ahnassy of the Dene Tha' First Nation look back on May of 2019, and share how their communities have been working together ever since to address the challenges of living in such a remote, rural region.
43:30 | Should we de-extinct animals like the Woolly Mammoth? Should we be concerned insect populations are plummeting? Do mushrooms and mould actually rule the world? Anthropomania podcast hosts Jay Ingram and Niki Wilson look at nature through a human lens, and explain why an "empathetic world view" is so important.
Subscribe: https://anthropomania.com/
1:05:44 | This week's #MyJasper Memories celebrates Jasper local Naji Khouri, whose entire job is to ensure visitors to the region have the best-possible experience. Whether you're looking to chase summits or birdie putts, eat picnics or five-star spreads, or sleep under the stars or in the lap of luxury, Naji's got you covered!
Check out more about his story (and amazing options to explore Jasper) here: https://www.jasper.travel/realtalk/

May 10, 2022 • 1h 22min
May 10, 2022 - Sandy Garossino: An Adult Conversation About Abortion; Love in the Time of Fentanyl
8:18 | National Observer columnist Sandy Garossino says it's time for "an adult conversation about abortion". She lays out exactly what that conversation needs to look like, including the role men need to play.
Read Sandy's column here: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2022/05/07/opinion/lets-have-adult-conversation-about-abortion
34:10 | Ryan reviews the results of Monday's unofficial, unscientific Twitter poll on pandemic-related data collected from Canadians' cell phones, and privacy concerns around the common practice.
Check out the final poll results: https://twitter.com/ryanjespersen/status/1523665964448899074?s=20&t=uxJhV43esR9uLarsLsk4NA
43:30 | It's one of the most powerful films you'll ever see. Love in the Time of Fentanyl screens at NorthwestFest on Friday, May 13. We catch up with filmmaker Colin Askey, and harm reduction workers Ronnie Grigg and Trey Helten.
Get your tickets to see Love in the Time of Fentanyl at NorthwestFest: https://www.northwestfest.ca/films-2022-backend/love-in-the-time-of-fentanyl
1:21:26 | Every Tuesday, we feature innovators and difference makers in The Leading Edge presented by Leading Edge Physio. This week, it's Priority Printing in the spotlight!
https://leadingedgephysio.com/

May 9, 2022 • 1h 25min
May 9, 2022 - Avian Flu Update; PMJT in Ukraine; Ethics in Agriculture: Jeff & Coralee Nonay
3:59 | Ryan kicks off the week with a couple stories making news over the past couple of days, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's surprise trip to Ukraine with Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly. We also take a look at the "BlueDot" story, and ask how you feel about being anonymously tracked to contribute to public health data.
17:04 | Poultry producers across North America are being hammered by Avian Flu, with tens of millions of birds culled, including more than 900,000 in Alberta alone. Lisa Bishop-Spencer of the Chicken Farmers of Canada joins to explain how Avian Influenza is spreading across different provinces, what it means for farmers and consumers, and how controversial culling methods in the US are impacting conversations in Canada.
41:07 | Continuing our conversation around ethics and Agriculture, farming couple Jeff and Coralee Nonay explain what it means to operate a "family farm" these days, including facing criticism from animal rights advocates.
Let us know what you think about the issue: talk@ryanjespersen.com
1:19:25 | This week's Positive Reflections presented by Kuby Energy highlights a "Take what you need" community pantry initiated by a young guy named Hunter. Plus, we focus on a fundraiser aimed at assisting Ukrainians. Learn more about it here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/yeg4ukraine

May 7, 2022 • 4min
Trash Talk - May 6, 2022
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.

May 6, 2022 • 1h 24min
May 6, 2022 - CPC Debate and Abortion Access: Supriya Dwivedi; Innovation Round Table
4:29 | Supriya Dwivedi breaks down last night's CPC Leadership Debate, highlighting her two key points. Per usual, Supriya pulls no punches in sharing her personal perspective on the SCOTUS Roe v. Wade story, and the impact its having on conversations in Canada.
36:40 | This week's Real Talk Round Table welcomes three of the brilliant professionals featured in Edify's Innovation issue. Dr. Lilly Pang talks about "The Poop Scoop" (using wastewater to glean COVID data), "Mr. Robot" Dr. Joseph Ross Mitchell explains how Artificial Intelligence is improving healthcare, and Dr. Mark Summers talks about "Carbon Burial" - how Alberta is managing its "poison" as renewable energy scales up.
Check out Edify's Innovation issue: https://edifyedmonton.com/
Join us on May 11: https://tickets.edifyedmonton.com/innovation-event-2022/
1:19:13 | Giddy up! Local Environmental presents another rowdy edition of Trash Talk!
Submit your Trash Talk: talk@ryanjespersen.com

May 5, 2022 • 1h 4min
May 5, 2022 - Angie Thomas, NYT Best-Selling Author; ”Fat” Isn’t A Bad Word - 3MT Winner Karli Jahn
11:02 | Athabasca University Master of Counselling student Karli Jahn just won AU's 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition with her research around weight stigma. She joins us to discuss the "pathological" way we view fat, and how stigma affects treatment outcomes in counselling.
32:04 and 58:05 | Ryan reads your emails about Avian Flu and abortion discussions on the show.
39:40 | New York Times best-selling author Angie Thomas takes us into the pages of "Concrete Rose," her follow-up to "The Hate U Give," which sold more than 3.5M copies. Angie talks about kickstarting conversations about racism, challenging her audience with perspectives outside their own, and the most powerful feedback she's ever received from a reader.

May 4, 2022 • 1h 15min
May 4, 2022 - Abortion Access in Canada; Ray Parker, Jr. and Fran Strine: Who You Gonna Call?
6:50 | Could a SCOTUS decision impact abortion access in Canada? Joyce Arthur of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada, Meghan Doherty of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, and activist Robyn Schwarz, Ph.D. form a Real Talk Round Table on abortion rights.
39:58 | He brought the world the Ghostbusters theme song, but Ray Parker, Jr.'s career is about way more than that! The legendary singer/songwriter joins filmmaker Fran Strine for a Real Talk exclusive ahead of Opening Night at NorthwestFest. Real Talk is proud to be the presenting sponsor of "Who You Gonna Call?" on Friday, May 6 at 7pm MT at Metro Cinema.
TICKETS: https://www.northwestfest.ca/
57:27 | Where do Real Talkers land on Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's leadership review? We review the results of our most recent Get Real: Question of the Week presented by Y Station.
ANSWER THIS WEEK'S QUESTION: https://ryanjespersen.com/question-of-the-week
1:10:13 | Hop on a hog for this week's edition of #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper, featuring the award-winning Jasper Motorcycle Tours!
MORE: https://www.jasper.travel/realtalk/

May 3, 2022 • 1h 2min
May 3, 2022 - Roe v. Wade; MPs on Canada’s Blood Ban; Animal Welfare Advocate Jessica Scott-Reid
2:52 | Ryan opens the show by taking a look at Politico's exclusive report the Supreme Court of the United States has voted to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
15:09 | Animal rights advocate and freelance journalist Jessica Scott-Reid gives her take on the Avian Flu outbreaks impacting poultry producers across North America, including the controversial cull of 5.3 million chickens at a facility in Iowa.
37:54 | Conservative MP Eric Duncan and Liberal MP Rob Oliphant share their personal connections to Canada's long-standing blood donation ban, and explain why politicians from virtually all parties support recent steps taken by Canadian Blood Services. But, do discriminatory policies remain in place?
49:45 | In this week's edition of The Leading Edge presented by Leading Edge Physio, we celebrate the business legacy of Unbelts founder Claire Theaker-Brown, who built a sustainable fashion brand offering living wages, stable hours, and upward mobility to employees in China and Canada.

May 2, 2022 • 1h 13min
May 2, 2022 - ”Rolling Thunder” with Charles Adler; Global Vaccine Equity: Dr. Madhu Pai
6:07 | The Titan of Talk, Canadian media legend Charles Adler, joins for his bi-weekly appearance on Real Talk. He chimes in on "Woodstock for the Witless," the rally in Ottawa over the weekend, along with Canada lifting its blood ban, the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent apology for residential schools, and Jean Charest's CPC leadership campaign.
37:31 | Canada must do more to ensure people in developing nations have access to COVID-19 vaccines. That's the message Dr. Madhu Pai intended to deliver to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development last week. The McGill University professor and Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology and Global Health explains why his message was interrupted, why he thinks Canada hasn't taken international obligations seriously, and what he hopes human beings learn from the past two-plus years.
Read Dr. Pai's blog post here: https://microbiologycommunity.nature.com/posts/canada-should-support-vaccine-self-sufficiency
1:02:55 | In a special edition of Positive Reflections presented by Kuby Energy, Ryan checks in with Kaleo Collective founder Layna Haley. Demand is way up for resources for single moms, including their annual "Love You Mama" Mothers Day event.
Donate to Kaleo Collective here: https://kaleocollective.ca/

Apr 30, 2022 • 4min
Trash Talk - April 29, 2022
#TrashTalk | Ryan reads a revved up email from a Real Talker about what is really bothering them this week. Presented by Local Environmental.


