Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

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

Episodes

July 2, 2025 116 mins

Ousted (former) UCP MLAs Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair are reviving the PC Party of Alberta, saying they'll restore "balance and normalcy" to politics in the province. In a Real Talk exclusive, we find out why they're doing it, and how they intend to dethrone Danielle Smith's UCP (2:30). 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

May 22 LUKASZUK INTERVIEW: https://rtrj.info/052225CanadaForever

1:07:00 | Rest in Peace, Jodi...

Mark as Played

Real Talkers Rosie and Cactus Sheriff are fired up over the UCP's library book distraction, while Jennifer and AJ trade barbs after our Don Iveson interview. David, Eddie the Valiant, and Thera-P share their hot takes on residential infill. 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, Westm...

Mark as Played

Elected Ontario school board councillor Catherine Kronas has been suspended for speaking out against land acknowledgements. She's mounting a legal challenge - does she have a case? We put that story (2:00) in front of our Real Talk Round Table panelists right out of the gates as we recognize National Indigenous History Month. Stick around to hear how Matricia Bauer (Warrior Women),  Keith Diakiw (Talking Rock Tours), and Kendra Dud...

Mark as Played

Supriya Dwivedi says PM Mark Carney made a "rookie mistake" on India, and lays out her argument (36:00) along with her thoughts on Carney's "nation-building" Bill C-5 in this episode. But first, we follow up on the Alberta library book controversy (including public survey results) with Education Minister Dimitrios Nicolaides (2:45) and Laura Winton of the Library Association of Alberta (14:30). 

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

Mark as Played

Tim Cartmell wants to press pause infill development. The Edmonton mayor candidate says council has lost the public's trust, and it's time to re-evaluate how mature neighbourhoods are evolving. But what would a moratorium mean, big picture? Jespo gets into it right off the top of the show, and checks in with Real Talker Travis Watt (8:40), who says he's living an infill nightmare. 

THOUGHTS? talk@ryanjespersen.com 

50:00 | Former C...

Mark as Played

Iran and Israel "don't know what the f*ck they're doing," says (an agitated) U.S. President Donald Trump, after the two nations violated what POTUS clearly believed to be a negotiated ceasefire. In this episode, political scientist Dr. Duane Bratt explains why the U.S. is stepping in (3:15), gauges the actual threat of Iranian nukes, and touches on economic implications for Canada.

24:30 | The Alberta NDP holds two ridings in Edmon...

Mark as Played
June 18, 2025 109 mins

UGGGGGHHHHHHH. If you're looking to commiserate with fellow Oilers fans, Jespo and Johnny have you covered (2:22) after a devastating loss in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final. 

30:10 | All things considered, what can we take away from the G7? Is the US really going to war with Iran? Political strategist and commentator Sharan Kaur brings her informed insights.

READ MORE FROM SHARAN on the G7: https://thehub.ca/2025/06/17/need-to-k...

Mark as Played

95% of Alberta teachers have voted to strike - but will they? If so, could it happen before the end of this school year? In this episode, we ask Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling where negotiations are breaking down (3:45), and what it'd take to keep teachers from walking out. 

53:30 | Real Talkers have their say via the Live Chat powered by Park Power.

SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://p...

Mark as Played

After Alberta Premier Danielle Smith runs into rowdy opposition at a recent town hall in southern Alberta, we invite experts Dr. Bill Dohanue and Cornelis Kolijn and activist/musician Corb Lund for an in-depth look at the economics, environmental impact, and politics of coal mining on Alberta's eastern slopes (3:30). 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 

1:09:30 | Real Talkers have their say on coal mining on Alberta's e...

Mark as Played

"Interested Meow" has a beef with school librarians, Lynne says you don't have to have kids to have an opinion, Karen's calling out Alberta's Education Minister, Alberta Gengar's standing in solidarity with postal workers, Andre in Eastern Canada says build the pipeline, and Jeff says it's Danielle Smith's fault young drivers can't afford cars.

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

Mark as Played

Nearly 35% of 2SLGBTQI+ business owners report hiding their identity due to fear of discrimination. 25% say they’ve lost contracts because of who they are. As hundreds of Queer entrepreneurs from around the world gather in Toronto for the  2SLGBTQI+ Global Business Summit, we talk to Sarah Evalina, COO at Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce, award-winning storyteller and activist Sarain Fox, and Moe Yassine from the Alberta 2SLG...

Mark as Played

Canada's close to legally locking in supply management rules on egg, dairy, and chicken imports...but is it the right move? We've fiercely protected those sectors for decades, but critics (including some farmers) say it's hurting Canada's international bargaining position. Is it time to kill the sacred cow? 

3:45 | Pundit Rob Breakenridge and (Jespo's cousin) dairy farmer Graham Jespersen debate the merits of supply management. 

TE...

Mark as Played

Alberta welcomes the most powerful leaders on planet earth as the G7 summit touches down in Kananaskis Country. We talk to Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek (3:00) about G7 security and other preparations, and what she's hoping to see emerge from the summit. We talk housing affordability, zoning bylaws, a tumultuous 2024, dissipating (?) tensions with the province, and Gondek's bid for re-election. 

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

Mark as Played

It's a dare/double-dare showdown, as California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump clash over a National Guard crackdown on immigration protests. How bad could this get? And what does it mean for the entire United States...and the rest of the world?

We talk to PM Stephen Harper's former federal Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander about Trump's attack on democracy in California (5:55), ramped-up Rus...

Mark as Played
June 7, 2025 5 mins

Rob's had enough of "MAGA stupidity," Dave and Ted have hot takes on the Alberta library book controversy, Nesen says it's time to rethink Canada's export strategy, and Touring Zebra takes on the Texas Ten Commandments story. 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 Basel...

Mark as Played

Alberta's capital city has the potential to boom just like Dubai. So says Dr. Murtaza Haider, the newly-installed Radhe Krishna Gupta Executive Chair in the Cities Institute at the University of Alberta. The new executive chair is made possible by a $5M gift from Rohit Gupta, president of the Rohit Group, who joins Dr. Haider and BILD Edmonton Metro CEO Kalen Anderson in a smart and inspiring edition of the Real Talk Round Table (2...

Mark as Played

Critics say the Alberta government is being heavy handed in flagging controversial books found in school libraries. They say teachers and librarians, not politicians and parents, should choose which books are on the shelf. In this episode, we talk to Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides (1:03:15) about the UCP's online survey, classroom funding, and a strike that seems more and more likely to happen. 

But first...Jespo and Jo...

Mark as Played

How is Alberta's demand for a better deal landing across the country? Why is Pierre Poilievre pretending to drink from an empty coffee mug? Will this Canada Post labour situation ever get sorted out? And could the Alberta separation movement ACTUALLY succeed? We get answers to these pressing questions in this rock solid episode of Real Talk. 

7:30 | This is VANCOLOUR host Mo Amir breaks down the premiers' meeting with PM Mark Carne...

Mark as Played

Parents' rights groups are pressuring the Alberta government to pull what they deem to be "pornographic" books from school libraries. The government's putting it to public consultation before introducing new policy ahead of the next school year. Who's best equipped to decide which books are appropriate for which ages, and what literature belongs in libraries? In this episode, we get into it with Laura Winton from the Library Associ...

Mark as Played

What's at stake as Mark Carney meets in person with Canada's premiers for the first time since becoming Prime Minister? What happens if the first ministers' meeting wraps without a deal to advance Canada's role as a "global energy superpower," or progress toward "free trade in Canada," as Carney promised on election night? 

Senator Charles Adler gets into it (13:00) with his trademark brand of Canadian common sense.

TELL US WHAT YO...

Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!

    24/7 News: The Latest

    The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.