Premier Doug Ford's government is prepared to wage war on the City of Toronto if it proceeds with plans to decriminalize minor possession of hard drugs. This, as Premier David Eby's government in British Columbia is all but trashing its plan to do the exact same thing. What's the right move, amid an opioid crisis that's killed 43,000 Canadians since 2016? We get into it (36:25) in this episode, in addition to a whole bunch of your feedback on city building, cancer, journalism, research funding, and the pains of parenting. 

4:56 | Who would have thought rezoning bylaws could light a fire under so many people? Ryan and Johnny circle back on Calgary's marathon (sixteen-day!) Council meeting, and your response to our May 15, 2024 Real Talk Round Table on placemaking. 

WATCH THAT EPISODE: https://rtrj.info/051524RTRT

20:11 | RIP Dutchy. Ryan and Johnny celebrate the life and career of Darren Dutchyshen, dead at 57.

30:12 | Why are so many young people dying from Cancer? Ryan reads an email from Real Talker Harry. 

36:25 | Ontario's PC government says it'll fight Toronto tooth and nail if the city proceeds with plans to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. We revisit our recent conversation with Guy Felicella and Mo Amir about B.C. recriminalizing possession, and how the two stories fit together. 

GUY AND MO ON REAL TALK: rtrj.info/050824BCPOLI

54:10 | How can we stop journalism from dying a slow death in Canada? Real Talker Shane has a few thoughts after our May 14, 2024 interview with Amber Bracken.

AMBER ON REAL TALK: rtrj.info/051424Bracken

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected] 

1:00:45 | Maybe it's not such a bad thing after all for Premier Danielle Smith's government to review how research is funded at Alberta post-secondaries. Real Talker Cyril makes the case. 

REAL TALK ROUND TABLE ON BILLS 18 & 20: rtrj.info/041624RTRT

1:11:03 | We wrap the show with powerful messages from Real Talkers Jay and Sheryl about our March 19, 2024 interview with sex trade abolitionist Andrea Heinz.

WATCH THAT INTERVIEW: rtrj.info/031924Heinz

GOLFERS: The Real Talk Golf Classic presented by CWB Wealth is close to selling out! We'd love for you to join us Thursday, June 20 at The Ranch G&CC for Edmonton's Best Golf Tournament in support of the Real Talk Julie Rohr Scholarship. 

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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.

Star actor Nathan Fillion shone a spotlight on his hometown of Edmonton the other day, posting a video of the brand new Nathan Fillion Civilian Pavilion on historic Whyte Avenue. The "parklet" is just one of many placemaking initiatives, part of a strategic effort toward density and walkability. Cities around the world are reimagining public spaces. How different will our communities look ten, twenty, fifty years from today? 

3:03 | Amos Kajner-Nonnekes, Puneeta McBryan, and Kalen Anderson lay out the logic behind modern city building, including the concept of placemaking. We cover rezoning controversies, car (and pedestrian) culture, and more.

VIGNETTES: https://www.edmontondowntown.com/articles/vignettes/

EDMONTON DBA: https://www.edmontondowntown.com/

38:41 | May Long Weekend is the perfect time to visit Jasper National Park! Check out our Top Five To Do list in this week's #MyJasper Memories, proudly presented by our friends at Tourism Jasper.

BOOK YOUR JASPER GETAWAY: https://www.jasper.travel/

GOLFERS: The Real Talk Golf Classic presented by CWB Wealth is close to selling out! We'd love for you to join us Thursday, June 20 at The Ranch G&CC for Edmonton's Best Golf Tournament in support of the Real Talk Julie Rohr Scholarship. 

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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.

Have the federal Liberals taken over the Alberta NDP? Could a Naheed Nenshi leadership win spell the end of the so-called "worker's party"? Hours after pulling out of the Alberta NDP leadership race, labour leader Gil McGowan joins Ryan in studio for a campaign post-mortem. Later in the episode, photojournalist Amber Bracken tells us why she's choked at the state of journalism, and why the general public needs to start giving a rip. 

3:35 | Gil tells us why he withdrew from the NDP leadership race, why he's concerned about the party's direction, and whether or not he's endorsing a candidate for leader.

43:40 | Amber Bracken says more Canadians need to care about troubling trends in journalism. The World Press Photo of the Year Award winner talks about her fired-up Twitter thread on World Press Freedom Day, and takes us into her photo essay in Alberta Views on a 10-year-old fundraising phenom. 

AMBER'S ALBERTA VIEWS FEATURE: https://albertaviews.ca/run-for-the-children/

Save 50% on a one-year subscription to Alberta Views with the promo code AVRJ: https://albertaviews.ca/subscribe/

AMBER'S PHOTOGRAPHY: https://www.amberbracken.com/

1:17:50 | Have you ever considered becoming a mentor? Ryan shines a light on BGCbigs' 100 Men in 100 Days campaign. 

BECOME A MENTOR: https://bgcbigs.ca/100Men/

GOLFERS: The Real Talk Golf Classic presented by CWB Wealth is close to selling out! We'd love for you to join us Thursday, June 20 at The Ranch G&CC for Edmonton's Best Golf Tournament in support of the Real Talk Julie Rohr Scholarship. 

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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.

Have you seen the video of baton-wielding police officers clearing a pro-Palestine encampment at the University of Alberta? Current and former students and professors are speaking out, ripping the U of A for calling in the cops. Meantime, University president Bill Flanagan is doubling down, saying it's his job to "take all reasonable measures to prevent harm." What's the right call here? How do demonstrations - regardless of theme - factor into a post-secondary institution's mandate? We get into it with Charles Adler.

4:40 | This episode is presented by the Juno Beach Centre, Canada’s Second World War museum and cultural centre located in Normandy, France. As the 80th anniversary of D-Day approaches, Real Talk is proud to support the Flag Sponsorship Program, preserving the legacy of the Canadians who served in WWII. 

SPONSOR A FLAG: https://www.junobeach.org/flag-sponsorship-program/

6:45 | Chuck takes a look at a nasty cross-check to Oilers superstar Connor McDavid's face, cops clearing protestors at the University of Alberta (15:30), a Conservative MP calling out Tim Horton's (30:35), Donald Trump comparing migrants to Hollywood's most famous cannibal (34:00), and Naheed Nenshi calling United Conservative MLAs "monkeys" (39:10). 

Charles Adler is presented on Real Talk by Tice Automotive Consultants. Buying a vehicle should be fun! Tice can make that happen: https://www.ticeautomotive.com/

51:07 | Eighty years after Canadian soldiers helped liberate Holland from German occupation, Dutch citizens continue to recognize our country's contribution. Dennis Meijeringh of the Dutch Legacy Keepers of Canadian Heroes joins us in studio to explain the significance of Canadian military involvement 80 years ago, and why it resonates with younger Dutch generations to this day. 

1:03:40 | We celebrate an amazing idea becoming reality - and a beloved Hollywood star's reaction - in this week's Positive Reflections presented by Kuby Energy. 

SEND US YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: [email protected]

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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.

Gerald things Jerry Seinfeld needs to "grow a pair," Alison says we need to get serious about rail options for rural Albertans, and Peter says the government is "caving to the delusional demands of the far-right fringe". Real Talkers are all fired up for The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected]When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, make sure you let 'em know Real Talk sent you!

Do not despair! Human life on Earth may not be doomed, after all. We connect with five Planet Protectors in this edition of The Best of Real Talk. We talk about our plastic problem, the future of wildfires, and our most precious natural resource: water.

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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.

We get it: not everybody has time to catch every single episode of Real Talk. That's why we've put together The Best of Real Talk: Politics Edition. These are the key moments from our highest-profile political interviews of 2024, including a few that made national news.
Enjoy the highlight reel from our recent conversations with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Danielle Smith, Minister Randy Boissonnault, Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff, and every candidate vying for the leadership of the Alberta NDP.

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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.

Ottawa has approved the B.C. government's request to recriminalize the use of illicit drugs in public spaces. This, about a year and a half after the province introduced a pilot project allowing adults to carry up to 2.5 grams of drugs for personal use without facing criminal charges. The move comes amid growing concerns around "hard" drug use in public, including playgrounds and hospitals. 

3:55 | Recovery expert Guy Felicella and TV/podcast host Mo Amir tell us why they think the drug pilot crashed, and what it means for harm reduction efforts across the country. 

CONNECT WITH GUY: https://guyfelicella.com/

THIS IS VANCOLOUR: https://www.thisisvancolour.com/

GARTH MULLINS ON REAL TALK: https://rtrj.info/121020Mullins

32:20 | Check your junk mail and spam folders! All of a sudden, our Real Talk newsletters are being diverted out of folks' inboxes. Ryan has details on how you can win your way into NorthwestFest, Canada's longest-running documentary film festival. 

35:45 | Ryan and Johnny debrief after the interview with Mo and Guy. We see what Real Talkers in the YouTube live chat have to say about politics and drug policy. 

41:50 | Why did a multi-billion dollar carbon capture and storage project in Alberta hit the skids? Max Fawcett, lead columnist at Canada's National Observer, shares his theory. But first, Max takes us into his column on Pierre Poilievre coming for your charter rights. Make sure you stick around for Real Talker Brynley's query about the Karl Marx photo on Max's bookshelf.

READ MAX'S WORK: https://www.nationalobserver.com/

1:15:20 | We love hearing about first-time visits to Jasper National Park! We take a look at photos Alyssa shared from her "bucket filling" spring break family getaway. Plus, you've still got time to check out Taste of Spring in Jasper! It's #MyJasper Memories presented by our friends at Tourism Jasper. 

TASTE OF SPRING: https://www.jasper.travel/taste-of-spring/

1:27:30 | Gerald things Jerry Seinfeld needs to "grow a pair," Alison says we need to get serious about rail options for rural Albertans, and Peter says the government is "caving to the delusional demands of the far-right fringe". Real Talkers are all fired up for The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! 

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected] 

When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, make sure you let 'em know Real Talk sent you! 

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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.

This episode is about the WHY. Why is it newsworthy (or not) that senior officials were pressured to support Alberta's wind and solar moratorium? Why might the government be walking back its controversial Bill 20? Why might Premier Danielle Smith be considering changes to Alberta's auto insurance industry? Why could an ethical quagmire mean the end of a federal cabinet minister's career? And why on earth would Pierre Poilievre be picking a fight with business advocacy groups across the country? 

4:15 | The Discourse co-hosts Cheryl Oates and Erika Barootes go back and forth on The Narwhal scoop about the renewables moratorium, tension between the province and municipalities (11:45), public auto insurance (22:00), Minister Randy Boissonnault (29:00), and Poilievre's National Post op/ed (39:00).

48:05 | Emmy and Peabody Award-winning comedian Paul Mecurio tells us if he agrees with Jerry Seinfeld about political correctness killing comedy, and how he booked Paul McCartney to do his podcast. 

SEE PAUL IN EDMONTON MAY 10 & 11: https://wem.thecomicstrip.ca/attraction/paul-mecurio/

CHECK OUT PAUL'S PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/inside-out-with-paul-mecurio/id1118318083

1:26:00 | The Real Talk Golf Classic presented by CWB Wealth is close to selling out! We'd love for you to join us Thursday, June 20 at The Ranch G&CC for Edmonton's Best Golf Tournament in support of the Real Talk Julie Rohr Scholarship. 

REGISTER TODAY: https://ryanjespersen.com/real-talk-golf-classic

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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.

Political correctness is killing comedy. So says one of the all-time greats, Jerry Seinfeld, in an interview with The New Yorker. Is he right? We ask Charles Adler and our live audience (24:07). Later in the episode, Jason Leslie of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce has his Eye on Alberta Business - taxes and electricity costs in particular.

5:30 | Presented by Tice Automotive Consulting, Charles Adler gives us his take on Governor Kristi Noem's book passage about meeting North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (!), Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's "fib" about the renewables moratorium (13:14), and Seinfeld's comments about the state of stand-up comedy in 2024. 

BUYING A VEHICLE SHOULD BE FUN: https://www.ticeautomotive.com/

37:00 | Did you catch our Real Talk Round Table: Filmmakers Edition? Ryan revisits our May 3 episode ahead of NorthwestFest's Opening Night: May 9.

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY: https://www.northwestfest.ca/

WATCH THE ROUND TABLE: rtrj.info/050324NWF

42:15 | Were you a little surprised to see Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre tell Canadian business owners to cancel their Chamber memberships? We sure were. Ryan puts Poilievre's National Post op/ed in front of Jason Leslie from the Alberta Chambers of Commerce before discussing the ACC's advocacy on corporate taxes and electricity rates. Jason takes a second to congratulate all the nominees for the 2024 Alberta Business Awards of Distinction (June 20), and shares a few details about the ACC's AGM coming up May 23-25 in Red Deer.

ALBERTA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE: https://abchamber.ca/

1:03:09 | We LOVE hearing from younger members of our audience like Brady, 11, who doesn't miss a single edition of Positive Reflections! Brady shared a super cool video of a very considerate elephant named Shanmai - we haven't stopped smiling! 

SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: [email protected] 

GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE TODAY: https://kubyenergy.ca/

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj 

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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.

Colin's wondering where all the money's going, LD's fed up with UCP suck-ups, Gabriel just can't take a certain Real Talk panel seriously, and James says Liberal corruption is making him sick. Real Talkers are all fired up for The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected] When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, let 'em know Real Talk sent you!