Daybreak Alberta

On Tuesday, April 7, Premier Jason Kenney announced he wouldn't sugar coat events during a televised address where he talked about the economic future Alberta is facing. To unpack what the premier said, Russell spoke with Andrew Leach, a professor at the Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. They started by listening to a clip of Kenney's speech.

Amid the daily coronavirus briefings by multiple levels of government across Canada, a new essential public figure is stepping into the spotlight — the sign language interpreter. Willow Rose Schultz is the past president of Deaf Youth Canada and she now sits on the board of directors for the Canadian Association of the Deaf. Russell spoke with her via a translator from her home in Edmonton.

This long Easter weekend equals the Easter bunny and chocolate for many but COVID-19 has been an game changer for many producers, as well. For more, Russell spoke with Brett Roy, an internationally renowned chocolatier and owner of Sweet Lollapalooza in Edmonton.

You've likely got eggs in the fridge, either for daily meals, or at this time year, Easter crafts. But have you noticed how some people don't keep eggs in the fridge? And others simply won't buy anything but brown eggs. Claire Tansey is Daybreak's regular food columnist and she’s here to separate egg truths from fictions.

How are your shoulders feeling? How about your back and wrists? If the pandemic means you're working from home on a laptop, these are the kinds of questions you need to be asking yourself, according to Linda Miller, an Alberta based Occupational Therapist, Certified Ergonomist and President of EWI Works.

In a crisis, words matter and some of the phrases we use now are centuries old. To discuss the origins of those phrases, Russell spoke with Tim Cusack, writer, educator and former CBC poetry faceoff winner. They started with something that became a common playground rhyme.

As Canada and the world wrestles with the current wave of Covid-19, some people are already looking ahead to another challenge in fighting the coronavirus. A rebound of the virus that could result in a second wave of the illness down the road. Craig Jenne is an associate professor at the University of Calgary in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases. He's also the Canada Research Chair in Imaging Approaches Towards Studying Infection.

It's all about what you're missing. Daybreak's Books Reviewer, Angie Abdou (The Bone Cage, Home Ice) has assembled a pile of books she'd have on hand to keep amused, engaged and informed while there's time to read at home.

Her list includes books by Marina Endicott, Katrina Rosen, Randy Schroeder, Richard Harrison, Richard Van Camp, and Paul Huebener.

When the NHL suspended their 2019-2020 season, it meant that players, managers, and even stadium staff were all at a loose end. At this point, no one is sure when of if this season will resume. The people who broadcast the games are also facing an uncertain year. That includes Kelly Hrudey, a former NHL goaltender for 16 years, and a commentator for Hockey Night In Canada for over 20 years. This week-end, he spoke with Russell about how he hopes to help others while the lockdown on society carries on.

In early April, we note that it's been a little over a month since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was detected in our province and it's fair to say the effects of this pandemic continue to spread, as it touches our physical, financial and mental health. Dr. Peter Silverstone is a Psychiatry Professor at the University of Alberta and he's helping to develop some new therapeutic tools during this crisis. You can find the tools at http://www.comhs.health/