Real Talk Ryan Jespersen

Pierre Poilievre's calling out Mark Carney for wearing $2,000 shoes. This, as Poilievre campaigns in a $2,000 parka (and Carney surges in the polls). DOES ANYBODY CARE? We demand more (58:00) in this highly-entertaining episode of Real Talk. 

3:45 | But first...(speaking of nice shoes)...we check in with economist Todd Hirsch. Could Canada stop this trade war in its tracks by hitting Tesla with a 100% tariff? Todd talks steel, aluminium, and the overall impact of this standoff. Do you agree with his take on Canada as the 51st state (39:10)? 

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected] 

54:40 | This weekend's Jasper forecast is PERFECT for a Valentine's visit to Marmot Basin! We've got all the details covered in #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper. 

SAVE 50% on SKIING & SNOWBOARDING: https://www.skimarmot.com/

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO JASPER: https://www.jasper.travel/

58:00 | Does anybody care about the cost of Mark Carney's shoes (or Pierre Poilievre's parka, for that matter)? 

1:18:00 | Jespo agrees with Trump on something...kinda sorta. How about 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.

Forget about that one month pause on Donald Trump's tariffs. The President shook everything up (again) with an off-the-cuff announcement aboard Air Force One en route to the Super Bowl. Do Americans realize Trump's policy will make everything more expensive...for everybody? 

4:50 | Quick Dick McDick joins us from Louisville, Kentucky with a report on what Americans are saying about Trump's tariffs. Ryan picks his brain on polling showing a "Carney bump" for the Liberals, and the reasoning behind Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe staying out of the limelight on Canada's tariff response. 

CHECK OUT QDM ONLINE: https://quickdickmcdick.ca/

SUBSCRIBE TO HIS YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@QuickDickMcDick

49:30 | Real Talkers chime in on the alleged UCP/AHS interference scandal, as discussed on our February 10 episode with The Globe and Mail's Carrie Tait. 

ALLEGED UCP/AHS SCANDAL EXPLAINED: https://youtu.be/DAeFHclI-L4?si=4FoaXxLwBEogNZjs

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [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.

Premier Danielle Smith says reports tying her to alleged wrongdoing related to Alberta Health Services' procurement and contracting are "false, baseless and defamatory". Meantime, Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi is calling for an RCMP investigation into allegations Smith’s government dismissed the head of AHS two days before she was scheduled to meet with the province’s Auditor-General to discuss her investigation into procurement contracts and deals for private surgical facilities. We get into what's at stake in this episode of Real Talk. 

3:30 | Journalist Carrie Tate takes us into her exclusive story in The Globe and Mail.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected] 

28:00 | Real Talkers have their say in our Live Chat powered by Park Power. 

52:00 | What a bizarre Super Bowl. Jespo and Johnny recap the game, Kendrick Lamar's halftime show, and the party at On the Rocks. 

1:00:00 | Whatever happened to pausing tariffs for a month? U.S. President Donald Trump says he's hitting steel and aluminum right now. 

1:10:30 | Speaking of Trump, more Canadians want Mark Carney negotiating with POTUS, not Pierre Poilievre. So says a new Nanos Research poll. Do you buy it? 

1:15:30 | Ryan reads more of your thoughts on the AHS story, including an insider insight into demand for surgical facilities in Alberta. 

1:25:00 | A Jasper business will be back in the water (in a good way!) this spring thanks to an amazing group of people who got together over the weekend to Raise the Raft. Positive Reflections is presented weekly on Real Talk by our friends at Kuby Energy. 

GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/

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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.

Sheryl schools us on dead chickens and dancing monkeys, Jenny wants you to join the resistance, Alanna's spitting fire over the newest Alberta Health scandal, Steve's sick of being robbed, Stephanie's had enough of the "treacherous tangerine," and Cody wants everybody to rethink a specific, recurring chore. 

It's 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, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!

More than 600 families remain displaced after wildfire ripped through Jasper in July of 2024. As clean-up continues and rebuilds begin, officials are at odds over the "right way" to rebuild one of Canada's most magnificent tourism destinations. With hundreds of millions of dollars hanging in the balance, we check in with federal, provincial, and municipal leaders to figure out what they agree on, and what they don't. 

2:45 | Minister Terry Duguid, federal lead on Jasper recovery efforts, tells us about his trip to the mountain town and conditions around $160M in new funding. 

23:10 | We ask Hon. Ric McIver, Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs, why the province is withholding the $112M it promised for housing. 

46:10 | Mayor Richard Ireland talks housing crunch, tax shortfalls, and the future vision for Jasper. 

1:16:45 | The next generation isn't drinking like generations before did. Why is that? 

1:31:30 | Sheryl schools us on dead chickens and dancing monkeys, Jenny wants you to join the resistance, Alanna's spitting fire over the newest Alberta Health scandal, Steve's sick of being robbed, Stephanie's had enough of the "treacherous tangerine," and Cody wants everybody to rethink a specific, recurring chore. It's 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, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you!  

HANG OUT WITH JESPO AT OTR ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: https://ontherocksyeg.com/

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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.

Countless Canadian businesses are taking a closer look at their supply chains, export markets, profit margins, and more in light of a potential trade war with the United States. 

We talk to entrepreneurs Lane Edwards (Pura Botanicals), Justine Barber (Poppy Barley), and Curtis Hrdlica (Honomobo) about Trump's tariff chaos, "Buy Canadian" messaging, and how they're America-proofing their businesses.

PURA BOTANICALS: https://www.purabotanicals.ca/

POPPY BARLEY: https://poppybarley.com/

HONOMOBO: https://www.honomobo.com/ca/home

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected] 

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Elon Musk isn’t just shaping the future of technology—he’s wielding unprecedented influence over American policy with an official role in Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. With deep economic stakes in transportation, social media, satellite technology, and space exploration, his personal interests are increasingly intertwined with national policy, raising serious ethical red flags. Critics warn that his unchecked access to private data, his ability to control information sharing through X (formerly Twitter), and his lack of accountability pose a grave risk to democracy itself. We get into it with cybersecurity expert Nejolla Korris. 

5:20 | But first...President Donald Trump sent shock waves around the world with his candid comments about the U.S. "owning" Gaza and displacing 1.8 million Palestinians along the way.

16:20 | The world's richest man has a huge influence on America's domestic and foreign policy as an unelected official. We talk to cybersecurity expert Nejolla Korris about Elon Musk's relationship with Donald Trump, America's move toward a tech oligarchy, and the rise of bots on social media sites. 

NEJOLLA'S WORK: https://www.interveritas.com/

1:03:30 | Got plans for Family Day weekend? Why not head out to Jasper! Ryan gives a sneak peek of his family's video collaboration with Tourism Jasper, and has details on an Edmonton fundraiser for Jasper Raft Tours.

FAMILY DAY in JASPER: https://www.jasper.travel/blog/5-ways-celebrate-family-day-jasper-national-park/

RAISE THE RAFT: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1207727644688155&set=pcb.1207727728021480

1:11:11 | When should government fund or defund media? Jespo pulls back the curtain on Real Talk's position, including whether or not we receive a federal media subsidy. 

1:32:20 | Do you engage when a friend or family member shares misinformation on social media? Ryan shares details of a current conundrum. 

1:39:45 | Did you catch the awkward exchange between journalist Lauren Boothby and Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee? 

1:46:45 | Tough look for Edmonton, as Donald Trump's National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett takes a big swipe at Alberta's capital city on an international news broadcast. 

GUY FELICELLA on REAL TALK: https://rtrj.info/051723GuyF

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: [email protected] 

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With U.S. President Donald Trump delaying tariffs on Canada, how should Canadian businesses and investors approach the next month (and beyond)? 

8:45 | Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO Doug Griffiths says this entire ordeal should be a wake-up call for every business. 

CHECK OUT THE CHAMBER: https://www.edmontonchamber.com/

41:15 | What are the markets telling us right now? What's in store for the Canadian dollar? North Road Investment Counsel president Marshall McAlister presents it all in plain language. 

NORTH ROAD INVESTMENT COUNSEL: https://www.northroadic.com/

1:00:00 | Twin sisters Cortney Drover and Connie Claeys fought and survived the exact same rare cancer. They've got a challenge for all of us on World Cancer Day. 

LEARN MORE: https://breastcancerprogress.ca/know_more_stories/twin-sisters-and-both-carriers-of-the-brca2-gene/

TELL US YOUR STORY: [email protected] 

HANG OUT WITH JESPO AT OTR ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY: https://ontherocksyeg.com/

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Stormy seas ahead, as Canada and the U.S. prepare to lock horns. We get three different takes (plus dozens in the Real Talk Live Chat powered by Park Power) on the implications of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canada, and the Canadian counter-offensive announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Don't miss Positive Reflections presented by Kuby Energy near the end of the episode, as we recap the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic, where an incredible crew of players, sponsors, and volunteers came together in wild winter weather to raise $30,000 for charity! 

4:50 | Is Canada the next Ukraine? Political commentator Tasha Kheiriddin gets into it. 

TASHA'S SUBSTACK: https://tashakheiriddin.substack.com/p/is-canada-the-next-ukraine

33:00 | Former Harper cabinet minister and longtime diplomat Chris Alexander gives us his take on Trudeau's response to Trump's tariffs, and Canada's evolving role in Ukraine. 

FOLLOW CHRIS ON X: https://x.com/calxandr

1:00:30 | Athabasca University political scientist Dr. Mark Crawford wonders what a one-month pause on tariffs in Mexico might mean for Canada. 

CHECK OUT ATHABASCA UNIVERSITY: https://www.athabascau.ca/

1:35:00 | WHAT A WEEKEND. $30,000 raised for charity in -25C temperatures at the Real Talk Pond Hockey Classic presented by Molson Canadian! Ryan and Johnny recap a wonderful day in St. Albert. 

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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.

Scott has words for former PM Jean Chretien, Greg's not buying the UCP's COVID task force report, Karen's head's about to explode over coal, Wayne's getting ready to burn tires and poach grizzly bears, Pilot One has a reminder for Westerners, and Ronnie's ready to chase neo-Nazis out of town. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park!

FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: [email protected]

FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, & INSTAGRAM: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen

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REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch

RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen

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