Daybreak Alberta from CBC Radio Calgary

Over the course of the last 6 years on Daybreak, Russell Bowers and Angie Abdou have gathered monthly to discuss new Alberta books. On the final Daybreak Christmas Book Show, they chat one last time about 4 new books from, Theresa Shea ("The Shade Tree"), Micheline Maylor ("The Bad Wife"), Ken Haigh ("On Foot to Canterbury"), Colin Harris (Take me Outside: Running Across the Canadian Landscape")

Over the course of the month of December, CBC is looking into the high cost of food. A recent Dalhousie University study pegged food inflation at 5% and the group, Vibrant Calgary, found families are spending roughly $220/month more this year over last. Budgets are tight so to examine how some folks are coping, Russell Bowers reached out to 3 Albertans for his show, Daybreak. Joan Karlowsky is a retiree in Calgary, Georgia Hanson is a teacher in Fort MacLeod, and Shauna Ogston is a stay-at-home mother is Calgary. You can find more of these stories and other ways to save money on groceries on our website, cbc/ca/calgary, or google CBC Calgary and The High Cost of Food. You can also contribute your own story and any helpful hints you may have found

The Romance genre is the most popular fiction genre on the bookshelves and millions of readers consume these tales of love every day around the world. Eight Alberta romance writers have combined their talents to publish an eight-novel collection under the title, "Hugs, Kisses, and Mistletoe Wishes." The stories range from sexy to historical but in keeping with the season, these eight writers decided to stick with “sweet romance,” charming feel-good love stories set during the holidays. One of the authors involved is Ellen Jorgy and joined Russell from her home in Red Deer county.

Daybreak's books reviewer, Angie Abdou ("This One Wild Life") joins Russell to discuss a new book about multilingualism by Julie Sedivy, as well as a new children's adventure by Jocey Asnong.

Each year, the clubs belonging to the National Hockey League take it in turns to select amateur players from all over the world. Some of the young athletes already come with reputations for greatness but most of the teams draft in hope of finding raw talent. During the last 50 years, a handful of these drafts have played a pivotal role in shaping the NHL for a generation. The story of those drafts is detailed in a new book, "Inexact Science: The Six Most Compelling Draft Years in NHL History," and it's written by father and son, Evan Dowbiggin and Bruce Dowbiggin (Of Ice and Men, Cap In Hand, The Meaning of Puck.)

For the first time in 40 years, Swedish pop megastars, ABBA have returned to record shops with a album of new material. Fans and retailers alike were excited by the news, as was University of Alberta instructor, Jon Eason. He teaches Scandinavian Studies and this new music was a welcome sound in his classroom. He joined Russell to chat about and listen to the album.

Books reviewer, Angie Abdou stops by for the month of October to have a chat about "Praying to the West: How Muslims Shaped the Americas" by Omar Mouallem of Edmonton.

Julie Sedivy is an award-winning writer and linguist who has just published her latest book, "Memory Speaks - On Losing and Reclaiming Language and Self." Its a scientific and personal meditation on language loss and the possibility of renewal. As a child, Julie Sedivy left Czechoslovakia, eventually settling in Alberta. The English language soon took over her life and she writes that for her there was more at stake than the loss of language: there is also the loss of identity. Julie Sedivy spoke with Russell safe from home on Daybreak.

Jon Turk has been an adventure writer over the last 6 decades. His new book will be featured at the Banff Mountain Book Festival and it's available from Rocky Mountain Books. The new book is called "Tracking Lions: Myth, and Wilderness in Samburu." Books Reviewer, Angie Abdou, sat down with Russell to discuss it.

During the federal election, politicians and pundits have plenty of opportunity to express their views, so at Daybreak, Russell decided to reach out to some of the voters who will actually cast a ballot this year. Bonnie Beaumier is a part-time teacher, James Raworth is lawyer, and Wendy Stans is a florist.

In the 2021 federal election campaign, the Liberals, Conservatives, and NDP are all promising to fix Canada's electricity system as part of their climate policy. The aim is to speed the switch from oil and gas and coal to clean electricity. To do that, experts say Canada will need two or three times as much electricity in the next generation, so all the Parties say we need a national power grid. Markham Hislop is a climate and energy journalist and he spoke with Russell about what this plan means for Alberta.

The Calgary International Film Festival will be celebrating the province's film-making talent during their 22 annual festival scheduled from September 23 to October 3. CIFF's Alberta Spotlight will showcase four diverse feature movies, including "Here and After." It's directed by Calgarian, Shaun Crawford, and the story focuses Ray and Arora as Arora makes an audacious claim that she can predict the outcome of their day together and it only gets more intriguing from there. Shaun Crawford is a first time director on this flick, although he had previous screenwriter success with the film, "A Miracle On Christmas Lake."

During the federal election, politicians and pundits have plenty of opportunity to express their views. Meanwhile at Daybreak, Russell decided to reach out to some of the voters who will actually cast a ballot this year. Jeff Yip is an oil and gas engineer in Calgary, Chuck Orlick is an accountant from Stettler, and Kismet Caffet is an office manager in Medicine Hat.

Books reviewer Angie Abdou is back for the month of August. Angie is a professor of creative writing at Athabasca University and she's the author of "The One Wild Life," a memoir about hiking and adventuring with her daughter. However, Angie joins Russell to chat about 3 Alberta books on her desk this week-end.

This past week, Russell wandered into a shop in the Mission district of Calgary, called Inspirati, a shop that sells tea towels. Many people have memories of the tea towels we would see in kitchens as children. As it turned out, Russell got quite a lesson in tea towels and other types of linens from the shop's proprietor, Wendy Brownie.

In her latest look at a new Alberta book, Angie Abdou (This One Wild Life, The Bone Cage) reviews a new memoir by Reinekke Lengelle, "Writing the Self in Bereavement."

Best-selling author, and long-time New Yorker writer, Tony Hiss has written a prescription for a planet in trouble as he looks at the damage done to Earth and how to move forward. "Rescuing The Planet" takes readers on a journey to meet people who trying to save place for nature to flourish and explains why it is in all our interest. He's especially excited by climate efforts being made in Canada and in Alberta. Russell reached Tony Hiss in New York City.

Ten years ago this month, the multiple award-winning Canadian travel blog Toque & Canoe launched here in Calgary. Co-founders Jen Twyman and Kim Gray portaged a bright red canoe through downtown to mark the occasion. The two women, one a photojournalist and another a writer, were determined to re-invigorate what media coverage of travel in Canada could look like. They felt like mavericks in the digital media space however, a decade on, Toque & Canoe continues to produce their own brand of travel culture in Canada. Editor-in-chief Kim Gray joined Russell to talk all things travel.

Born and raised in small town Alberta, singer, Jennie Harluk, has spent much of her life exploring music and honing her craft. She was studying piano at six, and by age 10 she was performing regularly and writing her own songs. She's already been on the stage at the Calgary Stampede and the Country Thunder Festival. Jennie's debut single “Blame It On Me” came out to all streaming platforms on July 23 and she spoke with Russell about her life and new single.

The amount of physicians and health care professionals available to cover shifts in rural Alberta have been scarce and it's led to a string of temporary emergency room closures, as well as breaks in certain medical procedures for months in smaller communities. A shortage of physicians and other health care staff in rural Alberta isn't new as rural hospitals have always struggled with attracting and retaining physicians and health care professionals for various reasons. However, what hasn't been seen is this frequency of temporary emergency room closures, and breaks in service. The CBC's Tahirih Foroozan joined Russell to talk more about this issue.

Calgary educator, David Gaudet, has been on a mission to help others improve their lives by thinking about our thinking habits. During 2020 , he blogged and podcasted daily about ways to undo our patterns of behavior. He's collected those thoughts, but a host of exercises for readers, into "The Daily Undoing: Being Better At Being Human." He spoke with Russell about his 8 pillars of competency.

Grab a pen and paper to take notes. Author and book reviewer, Angie Abdou, has a strong list of 4 non-fiction books connected to Alberta.

For most women, the birth of a child is the most memorable and emotional moment of their lives. However, that isn't always the case and for some women, the aftermath of giving birth is post-partum depression. For women affected by this, it can be frustrating because they may not realize what's happening to them and the medical profession isn't always ready to spot the signs. Yalda Kazemi experienced post-partum depression following the birth of her son and she's just published a book about that in hopes of helping other mothers, parents and families to cope. The book is called "Unapologetic Truths - The Realities of Postpartum We Don't Talk About."

It's being called an antidote for the Stay-at-home blues. Geologist Dale Leckie is back with a new book that guides readers through Alberta's landscape evolution with a trek that goes from Waterton Lakes National Park, to Dinosaur Provincial Park, into the Prairies, and across Alberta's North. “The Scenic Geology of Alberta - A roadside touring and hiking guide" is now at local bookstores and award-winning geologist, Dr. Dale Leckie will give a talk from his book, with a focus on parks like Writing on Stone and Waterton Lakes on Wednesday, June 23 via Zoom. You can sign up at https://scenic_geology_of_southern_alberta.eventbrite.ca

During the week of May 24th, three major events happened for 3 of the major international oil companies. Firstly, a court in the Netherlands ordered Royal Dutch Shell that it has to reduce it's carbon footprint to 45% of their 2019 emissions. Meanwhile, the corporate board of Exxon saw two new directors appointed who were from an activist hedge fund intent on making Exxon fight climate change. And then Chevron shareholders voted in favor of a proposal to cut emissions generated by the use of the company's products. Closer to home in Alberta, Suncor announced that they would likely be walking away from their offshore oil projects on the East Coast. That's a lot of news for one week, and to help digest all of it, Russell spoke with climate journalist and energy industry podcaster, Markham Hislop.

On Daybreak, there have been several conversations about the impact of loneliness and isolation on our mental health and loneliness is at the heart of a debut novel from Genki Ferguson, "Satellite Love." It's a simple story, about a girl, a boy, and a satellite. In the end, the book reveals what it can mean to be human. Genki Ferguson joined Russell to chat about his new life as a writer.

One of the things that has come into sharp over the last couple of years is the mental health crisis as an estimated one in five adults suffer from some form of mental illness. Billions is spent researching the issue yet we are more depressed and anxious than ever before. University of Calgary professor, Bonnie Kaplan, and clinical psychologist Julia Rucklidge, have a new book which they say studies the role of nutrition in mental health. It's called "The Better Brain - Overcome Anxiety, Combat Depression, and Reduce ADHD and Stress with Nutrition."

Each month the books pile up on the desk of Angie Abdou. The acclaimed author ("The Bone Cage" "This One Wild Life") is back for the month of May to make recommendations for three books that piqued her interest. "Bootleg Stardust" by Glenn Dixon; "The Hill" by Ali Bryan; and "Rough" by Robin Van Eck.

The last 12 months or so have taken a toll on so many of us because even if you haven't been sick with Covid, or even known anyone with Covid, the demands on all of us to prevent the spread of the virus has been a constant. Lost in this is the usual health issues the health care system deals with. However, in the midst of all the dire news we see, there are moments of light and that was highlighted for Russell when he got a call from one of his dearest friends a few weeks ago. Russell asked Kathy Drewes to join him on the radio to share what's she's been going through.

Tributes poured in for Sharon Pollock, the former artistic director of Theatre Calgary died on April 23 at age 85 after battling cancer. Pollock twice won the Governor General's Award for Drama for her plays, "Blood Relations" and "Doc." Theatre Calgary called Pollock a "giant" and a "fierce, bold and groundbreaking artist" whose work helped shape the Canadian landscape. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, a noted theatre-goer, praised her for telling "our stories in new ways and forced us to look at ourselves differently." Someone who knew Sharon and worked with her is Allan Boss, a culture leader with the town of Okotoks, as well as a former arts producer with CBC. He chatted with Russell about the legacy of Sharon Pollock.

Would you play a game if it promised to make you feel awkward? Some new game developers are thinking you will say yes to that idea. Not That Funny is a tabletop game that creates everyday allies against racism and discrimination, one awkward conversation at a time. One of the developers of the game is Jesse Lipscombe, an Alberta actor and public speaker, who works with schools and companies to help everyone learn how to be inspired to end stereotypes. Jesse spoke with Russell about this new game.

Angie Abdou is a teacher, writer and frequently, she's on Daybreak to review some Alberta books. Angie's first novel, "The Bone Cage," was championed by Georges Laraque on Canada Reads back in 2011. Her other books include the novels "The Canterbury Trail," "Between," and "In Case I Go." A couple of years ago, she brought forth the nonfiction book "Home Ice," about her life as a hockey mom. Her latest is called "This One Wild Life," a personal story of a mother and daughter bonding over hiking.

It's being called a big win for fans of the "beautiful game." The international soccer world was rocked earlier this week when twelve of Europe's top clubs announced their intention to form a new super league, however, the upstart move prompted a swift and strong backlash. From fans to players to politicians, there was widespread condemnation. Many of the teams have now withdrawn from the group, leaving the proposal in shambles. It's a big contrast in the way sports teams and leagues are organized in North America but Bruce Dowbiggin says how we watch sports and what teams get to succeed and survive could be a point of contention in the years to come. Bruce is a sports journalist and author of "Cap In Hand - How Salary Caps are Killing Pro Sports and Why the Free Market Could Save Them."

For better or worse, vaccination programs are underway with many of us receiving our first shots, and more will come in the weeks ahead. For those lucky to still be working, and maybe even going in to our workplace, some may be wondering if we have to tell our boss if we have gotten the vaccine. Does the boss have the right to ask. And then there is interactions with customers, clients, and other visitors to the workplace. Should they know if staff at a retail space have been vaccinated? What exactly do employers need to know and still maintain employees' privacy? Olivia Cicchini is an employment law content specialist with the Human Resources firm, Peninsula and she spoke with Russell about these issues.

The debut book of poetry for Alberta writer, A.B. Dillon, garnered some early praise with Matronalia winning the Alberta Writers' Guild award for poetry. Her newest work is called Murmuration and one of the poems in it, entitled Miss Mercy, was long listed for the CBC Poetry Prize. Murmuration explores the past through patterns in colour and even in the flight paths of birds. A.B. (Angela) spoke with Russell from her home.

According to The International Energy Agency, Canadians drive some of the most polluting cars in the world with carbon pollution from transportation increasing by nearly 30% over the two decades, thanks to a growing appetite for SUVs and trucks. Like many players in the Renewal Energy sector, transportation is under going a change, according to Markham Hislop, a journalist and founder of Energi Media, and the host of the podcast Energi Talks.

What pushes people to push themselves? It's a question which a new book from Banff's Bernadette McDonald attempts to explore in the lives of mountain climbers in "Winter 8000." Daybreak's books reviewer, Angie Abdou, has a look inside the pages.

A young Canadian woman on a journey to experience Canada's vast boreal forest through her life in the wild. However, she also has her own story of her inner self, and Alberta writer Trina Moyles, tells the story in a new memoir detailing her daily life, work and adventures as a seasonal smoke spotter in northern Alberta. The book is called "Lookout: Love, Solitude, and Searching for Wildfire in the Boreal Forest." and Russell spoke with Trina from from her home in Peace River.

Angie Abdou is Daybreak's Alberta books reviewer, and for the month of March, she joins Russell to discuss "Locations of Grief: An Emotional Geography" (collected essays edited by Catherine Owen).

CBC Radio, in conjunction with the Alberta Writers Guild, produced a series of short stories telling some of the impressions Alberta writers had in the early days of the Covid-19 outbreak. The Guild had sponsored a contest to get Albertans creating new work, and in the Spring of 2021, 8 of those stories, including a Top 3 finalist, were chosen to produce for broadcast. Here are those 8 stories, produced by Allan Boss.

On a cold day, you wouldn't be blamed for looking for something to do inside and where you can stay warm. On February 6, the Southern Alberta Art Gallery is screening two movies by Lethbridge film-maker, Dana Inkster, including one she made in 1999, "Welcome To Africville" a film that told some of the story of a legendary black community in Halifax. A few years later, Dana did a documentary called "Ladies of the Saturday Night," telling the tale of brothel workers during Drumheller's mining boom. Ahead of the showings, Russell spoke with Dana Inkster via Zoom.

For more than thirty years Cheryl Foggo has chronicled the story of the thriving Black community on the Prairies, including pioneers who lived, worked, and raised families in the west. Her documentary which tells the story of one memorable man, John Ware, is available for free starting February 8 on the website of the National Film Board, nfb.ca. "John Ware Reclaimed" explores the life of a Black rancher who settled in Alberta in the 1880's. Cheryl Foggo joins Russell by phone to chat about the film and her work.

As part of our ongoing CBC Calgary Filipino bureau, Paul Karchut speaks with Filipino community leader, Cesar Cala, about a concept that he refers to as "first we exist, then we matter".

The movie theatre business has been gutted during COVID 19 - with revenues down, 70, 80, 90 per cent. And with so many of us making the move to high def streaming from the comfort of our homes, guest host Paul Karchut asks the CEO of Landmark Theatres, which has 46 theatres across Canada and is headquartered in Calgary, what the future holds for his industry.

Our regular travel columnist Kim Gray speaks with guest host Paul Karchut, about the state of the travel industry during COVID-19, and the ways that she's still scratching the travel itch while following the strict travel guidelines.

A new year is an exciting time to look ahead. However for her January Alberta Books reviewer, Angie Abdou looks back to the 2020 winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, "Molly of the Mall," by Heidi I. M. Jacobs.

Just when it seemed we might be heading for the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel, there are setbacks. There have been more COVID-19 cases than during the first wave last spring and now, troubles with the vaccine supply. There are also COVID variants popping up across the world. How bad is it? And how much should we worry? For his thoughts, Russell reached Jason Tetro, microbiologist and author of "The Germ Files."

What a week it has been in U.S. politics with the end of the Trump era and the beginning of the Presidency of Joseph Biden, along with Vice-President Kamala Harris. Professor Kimberly Brown-Pellum has reflected on an historic inauguration and what comes next. Russell spoke with the history professor at Florida A&M University from her home in Tallahassee, Florida.

"The Secret Marathon" is a documentary that centers on the first Afghan woman who stood up for her freedom and ran in the Marathon of Afghanistan. Her name is Zainub and her simple act of running started a movement for equality. Her story also inspired legendary Cochrane marathon runner, Martin Parnell, to imagine what his life might be like if his gender prevented him from going outside to run. Martin vowed to run in the Marathon of Afghanistan to support Zainab. Alberta filmmaker and first time marathoner, Kate McKenzie, joined the run, and she also made a documentary along the way. "The Secret Marathon will screen online Jan 29-31 through https://ca.demand.film/the-secret-marathon/ Russell spoke with film-maker, Kate McKenzie after hearing a clip "The Secret Marathon."

Marilyn was once a celebrity, the "It girl" on the runway, however, she was "aged-out" of the industry she loves. These days, he gives lectures on cosmetics and demonstrating the various “Looks.” Marilyn is the subject of the play "The Look," getting a North American debut from Northern Light Theatre in Edmonton and the show has been filmed for online audiences everywhere to watch. Linda Grass is the actor bringing Marilyn to life until January 31, and you can get tickets online through northernlighttheatre.com. Linda Grass spoke with Russell about the play from her home

Over the course of the pandemic, Canadian universities have seen a drop in international enrollment with fewer students coming from abroad to attend the University of Alberta, Mount Royal, or MacEwan. Among those who are here, many are struggling to pay the rent and cope with the loneliness of remote learning. Akanksha Lamba is an international student from New Delhi, she is also a freelance journalist who knows about this experience firsthand.