Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

We advance the conversation around drug legalization in Canada with "Maverick MP" Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. Dr. Tehseen Lada paints an unflinching picture of Alberta's COVID-crammed hospitals. And Dancing with the Stars champion Kaitlyn Bristowe, the pride of Leduc, AB, joins Ryan for an extended conversation about her exploding celebrity.

How do Edmonton, Portland, and Austin fit together? Catherine Warren, new CEO of Innovate Edmonton, lays out her take on the impact economy. Bitcoin Well CEO Adam O'Brien explains why cryptocurrency is seeing a big surge right now. Lawyer Kyla Lee and Families for Justice spokesperson Sheri Arsenault tackle Alberta's new drunk driving legislation.

Globe and Mail health journalist Andrea Woo outlines Vancouver's move to decriminalize drug possession. Drs. Elaine Hyshka and Hakique Virani broaden the conversation to include Canada's opioid crisis amid COVID-19, and the importance of keeping politics out of public health. Ryan's brother Kyle Jespersen wraps the conversation with an inside look at Vancouver's InSite supervised consumption site, where millions of visits (and zero deaths) have been recorded since 2003.

Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu and Corey Hogan debate the ethics of media leaks, and take on government bully tactics displayed by UCP staffers. World Sikh Organization VP Harman S. Kandola outlines the COVID impact on ethnic communities, and offers insight on farmer protests in India (and around the world).

Real Talk presents the inaugural edition of Trash Talk, presented by Local Waste. Every Friday at 10am, we'll read your best rants (on whatever), as submitted to talk@ryanjespersen.com. Buckle up and enjoy! 

Senator Paula Simons on media leaks and federal COVID relief. Plus, our inaugural Real Talk Round Table featuring indie media voices Tomi Ajele, Jeremy Klaszus, and Derek Fildebrandt. And, the debut of Trash Talk! 

Treaty Six Grand Chief Billy Morin talks COVID-19 in First Nations, and Indigenous sovereignty in health care. Dr. Shazma Mithani takes us inside one of Alberta's busiest ERs. And Julie Rohr describes her cancer journey, including navigating the health care system during a pandemic.

UCP MLA Drew Barnes, entrepreneurs Emma May, Katy Ingraham, and Mo Blayways, and Postmedia columnist Licia Corbella dig into the Alberta government's updated COVID-19 restrictions. Spoiler: not everybody agrees on everything!

ICU physician Dr. Darren Markland joins us for Real Talk about Alberta's COVID-19 explosion. Then, Prof.Timothy Caulfield talks vaccine hesitance, and digs into his new book, "Relax, Dammit! A User's Guide to the Age of Anxiety."

In our very first show, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson joins for an exclusive one-on-one to discuss why he won't seek re-election next fall. Plus, Dr. Lynora Saxinger on Alberta's exploding COVID-19 cases.