We begin with a discussion surrounding the new “Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw” – specifically, how it will impact Calgary’s queer community. We get the thoughts of Anna Murphy – Vice Chair of the Calgary Social Wellbeing Advisory Committee and an LGBTQ2S+ Community Advocate.

How ‘safe’ are Canadian banks – and what would happen to your money, if your financial institution went under? We get some insight from Olaf Weber – Senior Fellow at the “Centre for International Governance”.

Finally, it’s an emerging issue for law enforcement officials – crimes involving so-called ‘ghost guns’. We speak with Doug King – Professor of Criminology from ‘Mount Royal University’ – who explains exactly how these ‘unique’ firearms are made – and what can be done to combat this new breed of weapons.

Welcome to MWSA Podcast for Tuesday March 14th!

Relations between Canada and China are in a precarious position following revelations of Chinese interference in Canadian elections. Is Canada's new Indo-Pacific Strategy ambitious enough and how economically tied we are to China? We got some answers from Hugh Stevens, Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada & Executive Fellow at the University of Calgary School of Public Policy.

Have sanctions by NATO and allies like Canada succeeded in putting the economic squeeze on Russia? Just how long can the Russian economy fund the war in Ukraine? With some insight, we’re joined once again by Andrew Rasiulis, Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and an expert in Eastern European affairs.

And Cybertip.ca currently receives an average of 70 SEXTORTION reports per week.

This morning we were joined by Catherine Tabak, Program Manager of Cybertip.ca to talk about this trending on-line problem and how we can best protect our kids from it.

Albertans head to the polls at the end of May to elect our Premier. Do you know who you are voting for yet? And if not, are you influenced by political attack ads? Why have these types of ads become the standard and are they effective? We discuss with Dave Cournoyer, Alberta political writer and podcaster.

Child sexual abuse can devastate lives. But with community support, there can be healing. We talk to Glori Meldrum, Founder of Little Warriors and the Be Brave Ranch about how they’re trying to rally community support to grow the world’s only treatment centre for kids who have been sexually abused, based right here in Alberta.

And on this, Motivational Monday, we talk to Yvonne Winkler, a Calgary author has written a book about the power of new beginnings and transformation, sharing her journey over barbed wired fences, through debilitating dependencies and eventually her own figurative, and literal, freedom.

How concerned should parents be about the amount of time kids are spending on online and what are the potential health consequences of social media addiction? We explore new research on the topic from the University of Montreal with PhD Candidate at the School of Psychoeducation at UofM, Kianoush Harandian.

Calgary and Edmonton have joined forces to explore a bid to bring the Commonwealth Games to Alberta. Is this a worthwhile investment for the province and what would be the cost to Albertans? We posed those questions to sports economist and Economics Professor at Concordia University, Moshe Lander.

This is not the first time Calgarians have been concerned about gun violence. Today on the show we chatted with Global’s senior crime reporter and host of the Crime Beat podcast and tv show, Nancy Hixt. Nancy told us about the latest 2-part episode of Crime Beat season 5 just released, featuring the gang war and senseless violence that terrified the city back in 2009. 

Calgary and Edmonton are exploring a join bid to bring the Commonwealth Games to Alberta. Is this a worthwhile investment for the province and what could it cost Albertans taxpayers? Moshe Lander - Economics Professor at Concordia University joined us to discuss.

The Bank of Canada has announced it is ‘holding the line’ and will keep its key interest rate at 4.5%, following six ‘bumps’ to the rate over the past twelve-months. So, what will it take to bring Canada's interest rates back down to earth? We get the thoughts of Bruce Sellery, CEO of ‘Credit Canada’.

Earlier this week the CEO’s of Canada's biggest grocery store chains faced questions from the House of Commons about making record profits while many Canadians struggle to put food on the table. We catch up with Sylvain Charlebois, Director of the ‘Agri-Food Analytics Lab’ at Dalhousie University, for his thoughts on the current sky-high prices and whether the major grocery chains are, in fact, benefitting financially from cash-strapped Canadians.

Still on the topic of so-called “Grocery Gauging”. The MWSA team hit the grocery stores this week to figure out which of the ‘major’ chains offers you the best bang-for-you-buck when it comes to shopping for the staples, and the results may surprise you!

In recognition of “International Women’s Day”, we explore the challenges facing women in politics. We speak with Melissa Haussman, Professor of Political Science from Carleton University and hear why she describes female politicians as "Walking a Gendered Tightrope”

Still on the topic of “International Women’s Day”, personal hygiene products for women and children are often in high demand and obviously very important, but these items are often overlooked during charitable drives. Details on how you can help remedy the issue with Jessica Theroux, Founder of an organization called “Souls for Sisters”.

Finally, our ‘on-air contributor’ Dave McIvor explores the film and tv ‘boom’ currently happening in our city, which includes the hit HBO series “The Last of Us”, which was shot on-location in and around Calgary. Dave catches up with Luke Alzevedo, Operations and Film Commissioner from ‘Calgary Economic Development’ to discuss the ‘uptick’ in Hollywood productions being produced here.

How does the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo track animals that have be released back into the wild? With details about the work they do and how they keep tabs on animals in the wild, we spoke with Lea Randall - Senior Manager of Conservation Operations at Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. Good morning.

We begin with a look at the ‘state’ of the retail industry in 2023. Nordstrom is out and Zellers is making its return. We discuss the overall trends and projections for the retail sector, with Jane Domenico, Senior Vice President at “Colliers Real Estate Management”.

Next, a look at the war in Ukraine in a different light. We examine the influence Joseph Stalin's ‘reign’ still holds in Russia 70 years after his death, and how his leadership style compares to current President Vladimir Putin. We discuss with Dr. James Ryan, Professor of History from Cardiff University.

Meant to be an event promoting inclusion and acceptance, the ‘Reading with Royalty’ program at the Calgary Public Library has been interrupted by hate and homophobia. We speak with drag performer “King Neptune” who was in attendance this weekend, when the event was halted.

Nordstrom is out and Zellers is making its return. Is Canada's retail sector set for growth in 2023? With insight into the growth and trends for Canada's retail industry in 2023, we spoke with Jane Domenico, Senior Vice President of Retail at Colliers Real Estate Management Services.