Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Did you know some of the world's best gin and whisky is distilled just outside Edmonton? Did you know Alberta boasts some of the best wine selection on the planet? In this special episode of Real Talk, we connect with experts and entrepreneurs in wine, spirits, and "ready to drink" cocktails and mocktails to better understand what it takes to make it in the booze business. 

1:00 | Anohka Distillery's Gurpreet Ranu, Vino al Vino's J...

Two of the most powerful people on Planet Earth will meet one-on-one, as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin convene in Alaska. With so much at stake, including the future of Ukraine, can either President be trusted? We ask Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and Senator Charles Adler (11:30) where his head's at ahead of the summit in Anchorage. 

1:00 | But first...is Alberta headed for an early election? Jespo chimes in on a trending Alber...

You've probably seen those big, flavoured vape clouds rising from commuters at the bus stop and kids outside the mall. Cigarette smoking is down across the board, but more and more people are vaping. Critics say vapes are a gateway to addiction, while others point to their value as a smoking cessation tool. What does the evidence say? 

2:30 | Dr. Mark Tyndall, firner Director of the BC Centre for Disease Control and author of Vapin...

Alberta has more measles cases than the ENTIRE United States this summer. Seventy people are sick with E. coli after eating at a popular Calgary restaurant. Pistachios are being recalled due to salmonella concerns. Young people are drinking less...but vaping more. A surprising number of Canadians are dying from melanoma (skin cancer). And the Alberta government is continuing its fight against gender-affirming care for transgender y...

Kyle gets graphic (like, "slobbery, blow job, circle jerk" graphic) in his assessment of our Gaza coverage, Michael's sick of personal questions, Patrick stands up for Quebec, Coreen calls out Premier Danielle Smith's library book policy, and Bob says a new Jasper documentary is an "exploitative hack job". It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespers...

A team of Albertans is on a mission to collect 300,000 signatures and trigger a referendum supporting Alberta's future in Canada. We talk to former Premier Ed Stelmach (1:00) and Forever Canadian founder Thomas Lukaszuk about the driving forces behind the petition and the Alberta (and Canada) of the future in our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West. 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

FOREVER CAN...

More than 60,000 Palestinians are dead. Hundreds and hundreds of Israeli families are grieving the loss and abduction of their loved ones from Hamas' horrific October 7 attack. Civilians on both sides are paying the highest price. But this war is not new. It's another chapter in a generational tragedy. How do we even begin to talk about it? 

2:30 | In our feature interview presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West, Dr. Jeffrey Wilki...

Roy Allan Sobotiak spent 35 years in prison for a murder he's always insisted he did not commit. It's the longest sentence served by a victim of wrongful conviction in Canadian history. How many other innocent people are currently behind bars? Has the judicial system evolved to prevent these types of situations? Is Susan Kaminsky's killer still at large? 

1:30 | Innocence Canada's Stéphanie Nowak and Pamela Zbarsky take us into Mr....

For the first time, just hours before this episode, Canadian Armed Forces made a humanitarian airdrop over Gaza using a CC-130J Hercules aircraft that departed from a Jordanian airbase, delivering 9,800 kilograms of aid to Palestinians. This, as P.M. Mark Carney announces Canada will recognize Palestine as a state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. 

2:45 | Sharan Kaur explains why both "Canadian" developments are ...

Real Talkers Rebecca and Brandon have hot takes on Alberta banning graphic books in school libraries, BDP and Alberta Gengar respond to our coverage of the Hockey Canada verdict, Jasper Rob's begging forgiveness from Premier Danielle Smith, and RA says a Trump-supporting Christian musician should be banned from performing in Alberta's public spaces. 

It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park...

This one's for all you August Long Weekend road trippers, along with everybody who's been too busy through the summer to catch every single episode of Real Talk. Jespo and Johnny recap some of our biggest recent moments on the show, and we wrap with another fiery edition of The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com The next time you visit the DQs...

Not guilty doesn't mean innocent. In one of our most important episodes to date, we take on the Hockey Canada verdict with Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE) CEO Mary Jane James and sexual violence survivor/advocate Kristin Raworth.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

SACE: https://www.sace.ca/

SAiF SOCIETY: https://www.saifsociety.ca/

SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk/

HAV...

You've no doubt driven it, perhaps for an hour, perhaps for more than a week straight. But how much do you know about the history of the Trans-Canada Highway? Historian, podcaster, and author Craig Baird (3:30) takes us back to the days of gravel roads and ferry travel as we explore his new book Canada's Main Street: Epic Stories of the Trans-Canada Highway.

CHECK OUT THE BOOK: https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/product/canadas-main-...

Nothing but hot button issues in this episode, as we check in with Freedom Convoy lawyer Eva Chipiuk (4:00) after she was "debanked" by RBC, and get into the nitty gritty of Alberta's controversial new school library book policy. 

35:30 | Provincial Education Minister Dimitrios Nicolaides and Library Association of Alberta past president Laura Winton debate Alberta's so-called "book ban." 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen...

This episode's all about building. Jasper's rebuild. Canada's housing crunch. The truth about immigration. Oh, and Jespo's Happy Gilmore 2 review. As always, we want to know what you think...

EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

3:30 | Some of the most important stories relating to Jasper's rebuild are being buried. Or, at least, they were until Lisa MacGregor released "Crown Jewel in Ashes: Jasper One Year After the Fire". The ...

We tackle the Hockey Canada verdict, shenanigans in the Battle River--Crowfoot by-election, Edmonton's "low key, low energy" mayoral race, and rumours around the federal NDP leadership "race" with Dave Cournoyer and Omar Mouallem (1:30) out of the gates. 

DAVEBERTA: https://daveberta.substack.com/

EDIFY: https://edifyedmonton.com/

51:00 | It'd be impossible to find fiercer advocates than Bean Gill, Carrie Anton, and Brad Bartko. Th...

It's been a year since wildfire tore through Jasper, one of Canada's crown jewels. In this special episode, we connect with Mayor Richard Ireland (3:00), federal Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience Eleanor Olszewski (16:45), journalist Bob Covey (32:15), Tourism Jasper CEO Tyler Riopel (44:15), Fairmont JPL Director of Golf Operations Tahlon Sweenie (52:00), Evil Dave's Grill owner Mike Day (1:01:00), and Rock...

Is Canada's military compromised? As four men (including two active members) face terrorism charges in Quebec, we talk to an expert on extremism and white supremacy in the Canadian Armed Forces. But first, Ryan comments on troubling attempts to harass and intimidate Alberta-based investigative journalist Carrie Tait. 

12:00 | Dr. W. Andy Knight takes us into the findings of his report commissioned by the Canadian Armed Forces. 

REA...