The Honest Talk

The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson arrived in Canada as a toddler, a refugee from Japanese-occupied Hong Kong who grew up to become not just a noted journalist and bestselling author, but the 26th Governor General of Canada – the first Chinese Canadian and only the second woman to assume the role of Commander in Chief.

Adrienne Clarkson never shies away from a good, frank conversation and she discusses health, feminism, supporting new Canadians, and her time as Commander in Chief in her conversation with Jen and Catherine on this episode of The Honest Talk.

She came to Canada from Grenada as a teenage domestic worker and went on to become not just the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons and a cabinet minister. Dr. Augustine has worked tirelessly to improve her community – as a teacher, a mother, a board member, a social justice and equality activist and now as the President of the Jean Augustine Centre for Young Women’s Empowerment, and she joins Jen and Catherine to talk about the influence of the grandmother who raised her, the power of education and the things that give her hope for the future.

Jennifer Tory spent four decades with the Royal Bank of Canada, a career which saw her scale a dizzying series of heights, retiring as RBC’s Chief Administrative Officer, named to the Order of Canada and selected as one of Canada’s most powerful women.

In this episode, Jennifer joins Jen and Catherine to discuss the changes that still need to take place in corporate offices and boardrooms to ensure true equity and diversity, the decisions she made that allowed her to hold a major job while raising two successful daughters, and her advice for other women who want to go there and do that.

Janis Irwin is the MLA for Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood, the NDP critic for Women and LGBTQ2S+ Issues, and the only openly gay elected representative in the Alberta Legislature. She’s a passionate community activist and she joins Jen and Catherine to talk about her journey so far - from growing up in rural Alberta, to a career in teaching to her decision to run for elected office – and we even chat about her most important fan, her famous cat Oregano… it’s all here in this episode of The Honest Talk.

Martha Piper and Indira Samarasekera were the first and so far, only female Presidents of two of Canada’s largest and most respected research universities in Canada, the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta.

In this episode of The Honest Talk, they discuss their ground-breaking new book Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First and why they felt compelled to share their experiences navigating the ranks of leadership and contending with life’s big decisions.

Cindy Blackstock is a member of the Gitxsan First Nation and serves as the Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, working tirelessly to ensure that First Nations, Métis & Inuit children can grow up safely at home, be healthy, get a good education and be proud of who they are.

Cindy, who is also a professor at McGill University’s School of Social Work, has over 30 years of experience working in child welfare and Indigenous children’s rights and has been described as “Canada’s relentless moral voice for First Nations’ Equality.” She talks to Jen and Catherine about her past, the changes afoot in Canada when it comes to her essential work, and her hopes for a just, equal future for all children.

Kristy Kirkup is Parliamentary Reporter for the Globe and Mail - an award-winning journalist who has worked for Canada’s largest media companies, covering major news stories and several election campaigns.

In this episode of The Honest Talk, Kristy displays her trademark authenticity and sense of humour as she discusses everything from social media to the joys and terrors of balancing motherhood, a pandemic and a demanding career.

Megan Leslie has spent her life making a difference. She is a climate and equity advocate, and a former two-term Member of Parliament who served as Deputy Leader of Canada’s Official Opposition and was liked and respected across party lines. Megan is now President and CEO of World Wildlife Fund Canada, and she joins Catherine and Jen to chat about leadership, loss, optimism, and how to make the world a better place.

Farah Nasser is an award-winning journalist and the anchor of Global Toronto’s supper hour newscasts – a woman who has worked at every level of Canadian media, covering major stories here at home and abroad. Farah is also a wife, a mom, and an active community volunteer and she joins Jen and Catherine today to speak about building a career, facing racism, coping with stillbirth, and elevating the voices of those who feel marginalized.

Amber Mac is a successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, a tv and radio presenter, an award-winning podcast host and a popular keynote speaker. She is also widely recognized as a global technology expert, constantly challenging the status quo when it comes to “what’s next” in the field of innovation. From her childhood in rural PEI to building a thriving media company, Amber Mac talks with Jen and Catherine about highlights, pitfalls and life lessons on this episode of The Honest Talk.