Podcasts about UCP

Blackballed With James Di Fiore

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2025 106:52

What will it take for Alberta's teachers and the UCP government to get a deal done and end this strike? Athabasca University labour expert Dr. Jason Foster gives us an informed take (45:30), including why he's skeptical the two sides are anywhere close. But first... 3:30 | Supriya Dwivedi tells us what she's keeping an eye on as an Israel/Hamas peace deal is signed, Canada looks to repair its relationship with India, Canada's Supreme Court justices undergo a makeover of sorts, and former PM Justin Trudeau is spotted smooching pop superstar Katy Perry on a yacht. Real Talk's feature interviews are presented by Mercedes-Benz Edmonton West. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com MBEW: https://www.mercedes-benz-edmontonwest.ca/ 42:00 | Brent Kelland thought he'd seen it all as a retired paramedic. That is, until he became a patient at the CK Hui Heart Centre at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. We feature Brent's story in this week's Echoes of the Alex, celebrating 125 years of care, compassion, and community at the Royal Alex. HELP ENSURE STORIES LIKE BRENT'S CONTINUE: http://givetoroyalalex.org/ 45:30 | AU professor Dr. Jason Foster compares the 2002 and 2025 Alberta teachers' strikes. CHECK OUT THE AU ADVANTAGE: http://athabascau.ca/ 1:14:30 | Jespo and Johnny debrief re: the teachers' strike, the Jays' back-to-back losses against the Mariners, and the Trudeau/Perry romance. GET YOUR TICKETS TO NorthWestFearFest: https://www.northwestfest.ca/fearfest 1:40:15 | Shout out to everybody who worked through the Thanksgiving weekend! Ryan shares a firsthand story about a power outage in rural Saskatchewan in Positive Reflections presented by Solar by Kuby. GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/ SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

canada thanksgiving supreme court teachers behind the scenes real talk solar negotiation katy perry justin trudeau echoes saskatchewan mariners israel hamas jays ucp kuby athabasca university jason foster tell us what you think supriya dwivedi royal alexandra hospital

David Parker from Take Back Alberta

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 63:31

David Parker is the founder of controversial separatist group, Take Back Alberta. He is also quite controversial, often in the background of major political events inside that province. He joins us today to talk about Danielle Smith's UCP government, his case with Alberta Elections, and if wanting a change in provincial leadership means aligning with opposites in media and in politics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

danielle smith ucp david parker take back alberta

Sara Aswegan | Strategic Advisor | Rare Disease Advocacy, Patient-Centric Solutions, & Global Collaboration

The Leading Difference

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 30:24

Sarah Aswegan, a seasoned biopharma leader and strategic advisor for global rare disease solutions, shares her journey from sales in pharma to her consulting work today. She discusses her experience in transitioning biopharma companies from clinical to commercial success, the evolution of medtech in diagnosing and managing rare diseases, and the collaborative efforts required to bring innovative treatments to market. She also shares insights on current trends in gene therapy, the dynamics of funding, and the importance of data in advancing care for rare disease patients. Guest links: www.saraaswegan.com Charity supported: Interested in being a guest on the show or have feedback to share? Email us at theleadingdifference@velentium.com. PRODUCTION CREDITS Host & Editor: Lindsey Dinneen Producer: Velentium Medical EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Episode 065 - Sara Aswegan [00:00:00] Lindsey Dinneen: Hi, I'm Lindsey and I'm talking with MedTech industry leaders on how they change lives for a better world. [00:00:09] Diane Bouis: The inventions and technologies are fascinating and so are the people who work with them. [00:00:15] Frank Jaskulke: There was a period of time where I realized, fundamentally, my job was to go hang out with really smart people that are saving lives and then do work that would help them save more lives. [00:00:28] Diane Bouis: I got into the business to save lives and it is incredibly motivating to work with people who are in that same business, saving or improving lives. [00:00:38] Duane Mancini: What better industry than where I get to wake up every day and just save people's lives. [00:00:42] Lindsey Dinneen: These are extraordinary people doing extraordinary work, and this is The Leading Difference. Hello and welcome back to another episode of The Leading Difference podcast. I'm your host Lindsey, and today I'm delighted to welcome to the show, Sarah Aswegan. Sarah is a seasoned biopharma leader helping organizations transition and grow from clinical to commercial success. She prides herself on the success of leading multiple global cross-functional teams and contributing to the success of the franchise areas she oversaw and served. Until recently, she's applied these experiences while serving in a consultancy capacity for many small to midsize biotechs entering or expanding in rare disease. She has also successfully helped organizations to start and scale adjacent spaces to biopharma, and most recently has been serving as a Global Head of Commercial Assets, Brands, and Care Solutions, and has led transformational change at UCP, having been part of the design and scale of the business unit for rare disease. She maintains a strong network among clinicians, access, bioethicists, and patient advocacy globally. Well, thank you so much for joining us today. I'm so excited to speak with you. [00:01:52] Sara Aswegan: Thanks, Lindsey. It's nice to be here. [00:01:54] Lindsey Dinneen: Wonderful. Well, I'd love, if you wouldn't mind, sharing a little bit about yourself and your background and what led you to medtech. [00:02:02] Sara Aswegan: Yeah, thanks Lindsey. You know, I, I started my career ages ago in the pharma side of things, and as my career has grown, so has the exposure across pharmaceuticals, into biotech and including aspects of medtech. As we look at some of the areas I've spent the last 18 years in rare disease, the medtech component is coming in largely around if we think about the diagnosis component and then the management of the different conditions over the lifespan of a child or adult affected by a rare condition. You can see things really evolving. I started my career on the sales side of things. My education is in business and communication, so anyone can learn the science if you have good mentors and people to help you along the way. And I was really, really fortunate to work amongst a team of amazing individuals, both in the US and then now having lived away for about 15 years outside of the US that have helped open my eyes to what can be possible and the differences by markets. And as I mentioned, I spent the last 18 years in the rare disease space really helping companies of all sizes build out and scale their teams, bringing in new assets and bringing solutions to the field of rare disease. And it's something I'm very passionate about. [00:03:06] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing a little bit about that. So I'm curious, that's a very specific niche and I would love to understand how you arrived at that and how you realized, "Oh, this is what I'm meant to be doing." [00:03:19] Sara Aswegan: Yeah. So I made a move geographically and company-wise to a small firm at the time. We were just a very small team. We called it the bootstrapping team at Shire Human Genetic Therapies, and I moved from the Chicago area to Boston, and that was my first really exposure to rare diseases. And, it's a completely different field and it continues to evolve even to this day. But the closeness and proximity you have to patients and their families and those with unmet need. And I have, you know, a couple of close friends as well as a family member that's been affected by a rare disease. So as you're seeking care and support for them, it's not always about the medications. It's about that total person and thinking really holistically about the individual and their care teams that are impacted by those conditions. So the external community we were serving really drove me and introduced me to something that I've stayed with, and it brings great passion to try to find ways to support individuals in our western society, but also looking at low middle income countries and helping facilitate diagnosis to treatment to, again, that whole supportive care and largely from the internal teams within the organizations I've worked with has just is been tremendously rewarding and also equally challenging. It's beautiful to see progress. I mentioned diagnosis and. One of the areas I worked in initially was in the lysosomal storage disease area. And it's the age-old question on diagnosis. Do you facilitate newborn screening, for example, so when your child is born, you have a heel prick done and you can do a series of tests depending on the state you live in, and in some countries in Europe it's also provided. But if there's not a therapy, is it okay to do that type of diagnosis support. And so that challenge, you know, in seeing the policy evolve on a state by state basis. When I began in the rare disease space and MPS Type Two Hunter Syndrome, it's a condition that affects mostly boys and a very small part of our population. We knew we could do newborn screening and there was a therapy available, but it wasn't only realized until a few years ago to introduce newborn screening to help those families at the point of birth to know if their child was affected, and therefore start a different trajectory on how they planned for care for them and plan for if there was a medication or other supportive tools and resources available for them. So it's been extremely dynamic to see how things have evolved. And then now as you see medical and pharma medical technology advance as well into gene therapies. You're seeing news about gene therapy and it's a one time treatment and then the individual hopefully will not have be re redos in their lifetime. Along with that come challenges on that diagnosis piece to make sure they're eligible for the gene therapy. So again, through the device and technology sector, it plays a key role. In addition to the supportive care that goes on for some of these really severe conditions, people have some pretty dynamic needs and it's great to see how things are progressing, but it's still as equally as frustrating, whether you're on the manufacturer side or the family side, to see things be kind of slow sometimes. [00:06:15] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, of course. And you're dealing with a specific situation where many times-- please correct me if I'm wrong-- but it seems like many times there's these kinds of studies and conditions are not funded very well in terms of finding solutions to the problem. So how is that something that you, well, first of all, of course we're in a very interesting season of life right now. So how are you seeing funding evolve over the years for these different diseases that are a little bit more rare, and what can we all do in terms of even just awareness and understanding? [00:06:51] Sara Aswegan: Yeah, so that's a huge question. We could probably have about five conversations on this just to scratch the surface, Lindsey. I think if I reflect on the question on what we've seen around funding, I mean there are some wonderful, supportive grants available for the brilliant scientists we have around the world that have a curiosity. So making sure we can facilitate that ongoing academic environment to explore and test the hypothesis. And one of the things that you see coming along, and it's not really around-- I won't think about funding as just pure financial-- but it's the funding of the smarts that go around the table. You see a lot more collaboration amongst academia, industry governments coming together to help build and scale so that there's an awareness and understanding of a condition. I mean, a pediatrician could go through their entire career and never see a boy with Hunter Syndrome. It's just that rare. At the same time, and on the converse of that, if you're working in an industry where you do have access to more funds, the introduction of AI and looking at how we look at drug targeting, drug target selection, genetics and precision medicine have come along quite leaps and bounds in the last several years, but we're still not quite there. But you're seeing advancements with the different cell and gene therapies, having that precision medicine as an option. It's coming forward. The challenge is the size of studies are normally very small because the population is small. So thinking about patient recruitment, how can we help facilitate better identification of individuals that may be out there and not have received diagnosis because of the rarity of the condition? So looking at technology and advancement of integrated electronic health records up to and including, how do we look at the trial designs? And how do manufacturers, academics, industry, and agencies work together to think a little differently around even designing clinical endpoints for the studies that really are meaningful, that will make a difference. And how do you balance that, right? Correct risk benefit conversation, in the spirit of doing no harm. But if there's one chance and there's something available, how do you do that? And coming all the way downstream. If you think about where the organizations have advanced their thinking, their approach, and put funds behind, it's also that ongoing care of the individuals. If you look at the upstream, the types of tests that are available. It could be cancer, it could be the area I am so passionate about in genetic disorders, but it can also be thinking about the workflows that come into play in helping facilitate consistency of care across state borders, across country borders. It's a key piece that are really advancing in real time, but we're still trying to overcome the hurdles that are real. And that's things around data privacy. How do we navigate that in a really meaningful way with the right ethics and integrity. If we think about the regulators, this isn't a huge anti-infective or cardiac study that's ongoing, that there are gonna be tens of thousands of people. So how can we think a little bit differently on advancing the care. In the area I'm working in, Lindsey, especially with some of these individuals that are kids, if they don't get access to care by a certain age point, their window of treatment has closed. And so what could we do to help facilitate earlier diagnosis and then that advanced care. And so I think we can see a lot of really good intentions, and I think the most beautiful thing is even the collective gathering of different patient organizations that have a shared interest of a disease coming together and also helping raise research funds to help support the scientists that have a hypothesis on something that may really make a difference and may matter. [00:10:21] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah. Okay, so, there has been so much innovation in the last few years-- of course, even before that, but it seems to be extremely exciting in the last few years-- especially things like CRISPR and all sorts of new technologies emerging. What are some of the exciting trends that you're seeing in this space specifically that give you hope as you continue to look forward and look for solutions? [00:10:45] Sara Aswegan: I think for me, I mentioned, I touched on it lightly. I think it's that collective, that collaboration and the openness now. The FDA has advanced the way that they think and engage with agencies as well as industry partners. And so what I mean by that, Lindsey, is they're not just engaging with the scientists or with the manufacturers, the drug developers. They're also bringing patients in. And so that collaborative environment, they're even beginning conversations when there's discussion on clinical trial design to understand what really matters. Is it a six minute walk test or is it something around real behavioral or other abilities that can be learned and retained over time that help benefit the quality of life? If you're not gonna be able to cure something, what's really important at that patient front to help facilitate something meaningful. So I think that type of conversation also with the agencies looking at, there was an amazing session held in Europe recently in the mucopolysaccharidosis or the lysosomal storage disease area, looking at advancements of science and saying, can we look at biomarkers alone and create that relationship and understanding there is a clinically meaningful impact if we can address this biomarker. And so, companies like Ultragenyx have really pushed to have that conversation and dialogue and have a drug filed now that's under review based on biomarker endpoints alone, where five years ago, you would never have imagined that being possible. [00:12:12] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Yeah. You touched on something that I would really love to explore a little bit deeper, and that is, when there's a situation that right now we don't have a cure for this disease-- and, you know, obviously we're still working towards it-- but if we don't have a cure, but we are trying to improve the quality of life, how do you balance that in your specific field in terms of: obviously you want the patients to live the best quality of life that they can while balancing so many other, and I don't mean this in a callous way at all, just from a practical perspective, balancing all of these other considerations and things that are also desiring funding and all those competing priorities. So how do you balance that? How, how does that come into play? [00:12:57] Sara Aswegan: So that's a big one. It's a tough one. And I'll oversimplify it and just say data. And what I mean by that, Lindsey is really looking at, with the technology at our fingertips, regardless of the geography you're living in, there's a lot of meaningful information that can be captured. And it's not, again, around one aspect of a disease, but it's the totality of health. So really looking at what could be possible in capturing, is it around energy levels, activity levels. And you'll see that oftentimes in play with the gene therapy, for example, when it's administered, you may have up to 15 years of follow up that you're capturing specific data points. But even in advance of a drug approval, and an area I am also equally passionate about, is access to unlicensed medicines for individuals that can't travel to a clinical trial site and could benefit from an investigational therapy, how do we do that with the right balance in place? And part of that is data and having the willingness of a participant or family member to be so consented in and participating in the study for their child to share that data and share that real world data or real world evidence so that you can measure back and show what impact that drug or treatment or intervention has been having on the individual. So I think it's around that and figuring out how we can overcome some of the complexities and challenges that are real. Not everyone has electronic health records. There's still lots of paper-based offices out there. But in the meantime, there's a lot of advancements in technology. So how do you appropriately use that, that it's also not overburdensome for the individual, for the family as well, that you're doing what really matters and measuring back and having the right conversations with the individuals affected, the investigators, the clinicians, but then the regulators, and going back and sharing why this can be something to help substantiate. It's not your standard phase 1, 2, 3 clinical trial design. That's, yes, there's rigor, but it's a different way of looking at using data to help us advance our understanding of a disease and what's needed by the individual affected. [00:14:53] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So, so when you're speaking with these families and or-- well, first of all, let me actually back up. Do you have direct communication with some of these families and patients that you're working with? [00:15:04] Sara Aswegan: Yes. [00:15:05] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. And so when that happens, how. How is it for you? I mean, this is such a challenging area that you have devoted your life to and to, and I'm so impressed with that. And, you're doing the work that's helping save lives and make a difference. But that must be really challenging from a personal level to have these difficult conversations. So how do you balance that as a practitioner and somebody who's desiring to help, but you also have this real life compassion and human being that you're trying to help? [00:15:38] Sara Aswegan: It's tough and it's tremendously rewarding. At the same time, I have so many patient stories I can share with you of meeting them and meeting 'em where they are. I made a trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil once, Lindsey, and met a family that were living in the favelas there, and their aim was to help raise awareness for Hunter's Syndrome because their son had been undiagnosed. They knew something was wrong. He was nonverbal. He had some physical presentation that you could understand. There was something going on, but the technology wasn't there for them. The access to the care center wasn't there for them to get a diagnosis. They were taking buses for hours to different clinics to figure out what's wrong with our son. And he finally received a diagnosis of Hunter Syndrome and they wanted to share the photos because kids with Hunter Syndrome do have some different dysmorphism. So there's something that's strange. They have a bossy forehead, or their bridge of their nose is a little different. Their bellies might be a little bit bigger. So if you start looking at all of these different clues and putting it together, you might suspect and go-- there's other things going on, for sure. So I'm oversimplifying this. However, getting a diagnosis for him by just raising awareness to other families of the physical presentation and what their experience was extremely meaningful for them. And on balance, a family in Florida that I met and their son was diagnosed at age 18 months because their grandmother had seen a program on Mystery Diagnosis and said, "That sounds like my grandson." And so creating the conversation and meeting people where they are is really important because you may have some individuals that are very aware of how drugs are developed and all of the rigor that goes through that to then others that just they don't understand that some drugs are intended for a specific indication, specific population, and helping explain why their child may not be eligible for a particular study. It's tough, and that's not my responsibility, but the clinical teams and the clinicians that are having those conversations. So it's listening and really coming with a open heart and mind and having empathy to help figure out how can you educate. It's even moving into gene therapy. What does gene therapy actually mean? What are the risks? I'm afraid this sounds like it's something so futuristic. What will this mean for my son or daughter in 10 years from now? And, we may not have all of the answers, but you know, science has advanced and it's that risk benefit that you have to exercise. But really it's that coming with compassion and a listening ear and understanding and being honest. And if I can't help, maybe there's someone else that can help or there's a, did you know, there's a clinic here or a center there and helping that network stay connected and thrive is really important. And also being their voice, Lindsey, I mean, we can, we have an opportunity on our pharma, biomedtech side of the world that we can share what we've observed and try to apply that as we come to work every day and think about that family we met in Brazil or in Boston or in Florida or in, you know, Frankfurt, and whatever they may be experiencing. So it's being their advocate in other areas as well. [00:18:34] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, exactly. So with what you deal with, I am wondering what kinds of misconceptions or myths do you often encounter that are interesting and yet you would prefer to correct so that those of us in the general population are more informed? [00:18:52] Sara Aswegan: That's a good one. So I think having worked in the rare disease space, one of the biggest scrutinies there, there's on two sides of the coin. One is around diagnosis and why we can't do more around diagnosis. And sometimes the science is just not there yet. So again, to some of these experiences, like the story of the family in Brazil, it may not be about a blood test. It may be about a physical appearance and helping people piece things together. I think on the other end is at the point of delivery of the diagnosis and then if there is a treatment or intervention that can be taken, and not everyone has the same principle in their heart. There are companies that are motivated for different reasons, but certainly the big topic is are around drug prices, whether it's a gene therapy or a chronic lifetime medication, of how do we navigate that and how do we navigate that in a better way? And I think we have to start looking as an industry, as a community of people, of how do we address that? The cost of doing a clinical trial is tremendous. It's hugely expensive. Does it warrant though huge price tags on drugs forever in perpetuity? What's that right balance? And I think having a level of social responsibility and looking at alternatives. And so imagine if we could reduce the time for clinical studies for requirements because we're able to look at other data. Things like the biomarker approach and the follow on real world data that could be captured, could that help us in the total overall offering and the cost to the overall health system? Maybe. I think that as an industry, every company operates with different principles and wanting to do best for the patient community. Some are more profit driven than others, and so that's a reality, and it's one that I get so often at dinners with friends or in personal conversations, professional conversations, and it's a tough one. At the same time, a study of 60 individuals could be double digit millions of dollars. Just the cost of facilitating the study, the production costs of some of these highly technical compounds of different therapies also becomes a factor. So you have to put all these pieces together and really explore what's driving that. [00:20:57] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, of course. And yes, I'm sure that's a really difficult conversation to have too, when you're especially working directly with patients and trying to explain all of that and that's a lot. That's a challenge. [00:21:10] Sara Aswegan: Yeah. Yeah. [00:21:11] Lindsey Dinneen: But on the flip side, you know, of course the work that you do makes a huge impact, and I'm wondering if there are any stories that come to mind that just really reinforced to you, "You know what? I am in the right place at the right time, in the right industry." [00:21:25] Sara Aswegan: Absolutely. And I think it goes to, I touched on it very briefly, and there are people that aren't living in near major cities, near major medical centers, and that should not make them obsolete from receiving the best care. And there are two things that have happened and partly because of the pandemic, but also partly because of the willingness to educate and have that connected community amongst clinicians, is around that access to unlicensed medicine and finding pathways that it's not just because a doctor says your son or daughter needs this medication. I'm going to reach out to the manufacturer to see if I can get access because they're not near a clinical trial site or they don't wanna participate, or they're unable to participate in a study. But finding means to do that. And there have been some really creative ways that clinicians have been able to do that, of setting up qualified treatment centers where the individual can go to receive the treatment and then that continuity of care is provided then over the life of their disease. It's something that's become real and meaningful, and you would be shocked at the number of individuals around the world that are receiving access to medicines that normally might have only 10 years ago been available if you were living in the Western Europe or the United States because studies weren't conducted in their country and so there's no pathway for access that is all changing. Those dynamics are changing. It takes a team of people, though. It takes regulators, it takes lawmakers, it takes industry. It takes our logistics teams to be sure if something's stored at cold chain, that that product is delivered in the right context at the right time, just in time for that patient to receive it. So it's a complex challenge, but it's one that we've seen serve individuals in a really meaningful way. And without that, they wouldn't have, they wouldn't have another option. [00:23:11] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. So having that impact and just being able to reinforce in those moments of maybe when it's especially difficult or you're especially frustrated like, "Oh my gosh, I wish I could help X, Y, and Z," at least you can look back and go, "Yes, but look at all this that we are doing." [00:23:26] Sara Aswegan: You know, Lindsey, also it's that education piece and being curious and asking questions. The scientific community and one of the lead leaders in the NPS community is in North Carolina, Joe Munzer. Dr. Joe Munzer, he's brilliant. And one of the initiatives that we started was something called a masterclass. And so with Dr. Munzer and seven or eight other clinicians from around the world, we literally went on an educational program around the world. And some of the individuals that had just come out of their postgraduate work, pediatric geneticists or neurologists meeting the number one or two people that know this space so well, being mentored by them. And now those individuals are facilitating their class, the same type of class in their local language to their local communities and creating that level of education and awareness. I mean, it's just to see that real impact over time. I actually get goosebumps just thinking back on the impact that has had. And you've got a community of clinicians that they're, I mean, there's a lot of needs still to study medical genetics. And so hopefully we have individuals that are scientifically interested and will continue that that journey so that they can be the next teachers across borders. That makes the difference. [00:24:37] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Absolutely. Wow. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I was also getting goosebumps just listening to it because that's incredible ripple effect that you had and continue to have. That's amazing. [00:24:47] Sara Aswegan: Yeah. Yeah. [00:24:47] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Oh man. Okay. Well, I could talk about this for a long time, but pivoting the conversation a little bit, just for fun. Imagine that you were to be offered a million dollars to teach masterclass on anything you want. It can be within your industry, but doesn't have to be. What would you choose to teach? [00:25:05] Sara Aswegan: Wow. That is a great question, Lindsey. A masterclass-- a million dollars-- a masterclass on anything I would want. I would be drawn to some of the advancements we're seeing in gene therapies, but I think that would be, I wanna try to serve a broader population. Do you know? I think it's, I think if I could look, I would do something around looking back on some of these, if you will use cases and best practices, to share those learnings, just because we know the impact that it will have and has had and continues to have. And not just on the scientific community, but it ripples down into the patient communities of asking that question of "what can be possible, how can we together." Instead of " no," it's actually, "yes and" or "no and" we hear something else, another construct. And really breaking it down to really enforce what I've talked about on several moments during our conversation today is it can't just be the manufacturer, the, or the developer. It can't just be academia. It can't just be health authorities or regulators. It's a collective community and it has to include that patient within that conversation to help for that learning and advancement and understanding. And so I think it's something around that, the best practices, use cases, and really things that made a difference. Meeting people where they are of a good understanding of the science, not good understanding of the science, that crosses all levels. Drug development overall. The total continuity of care for my individual affected. It's not just about a drug, but it's about assistive devices or other tools that they can have a better life. And so being really thoughtful about that I think would be something that would be really amazing. That it's actually captured and taught back. [00:26:47] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. That would be a fantastic masterclass. All right, and then how do you wish to be remembered after you leave this world? [00:26:56] Sara Aswegan: Well, at some point I know my husband will admit I have the best sense of humor. [00:27:01] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. [00:27:02] Sara Aswegan: I think for me, Lindsey, I really would hope that people would say an open heart, a generous heart, and just a connector of people, personally, professionally. It takes two seconds to be kind and open and nobody has all the answers. So help people connect with others and be willing to say, "How can I help?" [00:27:20] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. And then final question, is one thing that makes you smile every time you see or think about it? [00:27:31] Sara Aswegan: I just came in from my garden and I have to say, seeing my advancement of fostering my garden and I've got things blooming now. There is hope. [00:27:40] Lindsey Dinneen: I love that. I feel that way every time I somehow succeed in keeping a plant alive. [00:27:45] Sara Aswegan: There is hope. It's really around the simple things, right? That's it. [00:27:49] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Now, for any of our listeners who are excited to get to know about you and your work a little bit more, can you just share briefly what is it that you do right now to help companies succeed and how can people get in touch with you? [00:28:02] Sara Aswegan: Thanks, Lindsey. So I am currently doing some advisory board work for a couple of consultancies as well as helping some small and mid-sized biotechs figure out their pathway and how they go to market. How do they facilitate access to unlicensed medicines? I'm passionate about the rare space, so I'm serving also on a couple of special projects on getting drugs and diagnostics into low middle income countries. And it's something I'm very passionate about and I've got a great network of people. So if I can't help, I'm always happy to say, "Not me, however, I know someone you should talk to." And to get in touch, it's not easy to spell, but it's www.saraaswegan.com. And again, if I can't help, I might know someone who can. And I think it's just, it's really good to share our knowledge and experience and really make a difference however we can. [00:28:47] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Absolutely. Well, thank you, Sara. This has been absolutely incredible to learn from you, to hear about your story. So thank you for sharing and being open. I really appreciate that. And my goodness, I just wish you the most continued success as you work change lives for a better world. [00:29:03] Sara Aswegan: Thanks Lindsey, and thanks for everything you're doing. Really, hats off. Thanks a million. [00:29:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Of course, and have the best rest of your day. And thanks also to our listeners for tuning in. If you're feeling as inspired as I am right now, I'd love it if you shared this episode with a colleague or two and we'll catch you next time. [00:29:22] Ben Trombold: The Leading Difference is brought to you by Velentium. Velentium is a full-service CDMO with 100% in-house capability to design, develop, and manufacture medical devices from class two wearables to class three active implantable medical devices. Velentium specializes in active implantables, leads, programmers, and accessories across a wide range of indications, such as neuromodulation, deep brain stimulation, cardiac management, and diabetes management. Velentium's core competencies include electrical, firmware, and mechanical design, mobile apps, embedded cybersecurity, human factors and usability, automated test systems, systems engineering, and contract manufacturing. Velentium works with clients worldwide, from startups seeking funding to established Fortune 100 companies. Visit velentium.com to explore your next step in medical device development.

On the Couch with Jonathon Higgins and James Bisinella (UCP): Talking Top Recommendations

On The Couch

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 38:10

Welcome to the latest episode of On the Couch.In this episode, Henry Jennings is joined by his good friend and long-time market guru Jonathon Higgins from Unified Capital Partners – along with Jonathon's colleague, James Bisinella, Senior Equities Research Analyst at UCP in Melbourne.Most listeners will already be familiar with Jonathon's valuable contributions over the years, and James brings his own sharp perspective to the table.First of all, congratulations are in order – with some standout stock picks recently, it's fair to say their clients must be pretty happy.Talking PointsHow should investors feel about the market right now?Is the hype in AI and tech starting to look overvalued – and is that a concern?Which sectors are worth watching for outperformance?What are your top three stocks to buy now – and why?ZIP has had a great run – can it keep going?EOL has been an absolute screamer from Jonathon – is there more to come?What risks or Black Swan events are on the radar right now?Where should investors be taking profits?Disclaimer: This is general advice only. It doesn't take your personal circumstances into account. Please speak to a licensed adviser before acting on anything in this episode.Looking for personal financial advice? Our friends at Clime Investment Management offer tailored advice and financial planning services across most states. Learn more: marcustoday.com.au/about-us/financial-planning-with-clime/Prefer someone to invest for you? The Marcus Today Managed Strategy Portfolio applies the same strategy we write about daily – but we manage it for you, using Australian-listed ETFs and a long-term growth approach. Find out more: marcustoday.com.au/managed-portfolios/Want to take control of your own investing? Start a free 14-day trial of the Marcus Today newsletter and get daily insights, analysis, and model portfolios designed for self-directed investors. Sign up here: marcustoday.com.au/trial-sign-up/

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"Disgraceful!" UCP Panel Silences Alberta Student

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Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 93:07

Danielle Smith's government is facing fire after a Calgary high school student was silenced, humiliated, and dismissed at an Alberta Next town hall. Is Alberta's freedom-loving premier (and her event moderator Bruce McAllister) practicing what her government preaches? Ryan opens with a some quick thoughts off the top before really digging into the story (32:00). But first... 3:10 | PM Mark Carney's popularity is down since he was elected, but Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has his own problems. There's also a curious trend south of the border, as President Donald Trump's secretary of health is actually less popular than POTUS himself among Canadians. Liaison Strategies' David Valentin takes us into his latest polling. READ MORE: https://www.liaison.ca/ 32:00 | How can anybody take the results of the UCP's Alberta Next panels seriously after what went down in Calgary? Ryan pulls no punches in his assessment of the Evan Li debacle. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 1:03:00 | It's never been more affordable to enjoy fall at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge! We've got details on a 30%-off promotion through the first two weeks of October, and a free (!) TALK concert during the Jasper Dark Sky Festival in this week's #MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper. BOOK at the JPL: https://www.fairmont.com/en/hotels/jasper/fairmont-jasper-park-lodge/offers/fall-getaways.html JASPER DARK SKY FESTIVAL: https://www.jasperdarksky.travel/ 1:07:00 | Jespo gives Real Talkers the floor re: the town hall censorship story via our Live Chat powered by Park Power. SAVE on INTERNET, ELECTRICITY, and NATURAL GAS: https://parkpower.ca/realtalk/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

"She Says One Thing (and Does Another)!"

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2025 6:25

Real Talker Gordon is so fired up about the UCP's school library book ban that he wrote a song about it. For the first time ever, we present an original tune as this week's Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park. FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

EXCLUSIVE: Bif Naked Live in Studio

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2025 109:11

She's Canadian punk royalty. A fearless, unapologetic icon. An activist. A survivor. And an incredible human being. We welcome Bif Naked and producer Adam Scorgie to the Real Talk studio (2:30) in the historic Mercer Warehouse ahead of the Edmonton Film Festival premiere of a new documentary chronicling her remarkable life. GET TICKETS TO BIF NAKED at EIFF: https://2025eiff.eventive.org/films/689b7c33db2368453d0eebc5 1:06:00 | There's no better place to see the stars than Jasper National Park. We've got details ahead of the fifteenth Jasper Dark Sky Festival in this week's #MyJasper Memories presented by our friends at Tourism Jasper. LEARN MORE: https://www.jasperdarksky.travel/ 1:18:00 | Jespo and Johnny debrief on the Bif Naked interview and Jimmy Kimmel's return to late night. We celebrate the life and mourn the loss of a dear friend of the show, Dr. Darren Markland. 1:42:00 | Real Talker Gordon is so fired up about the UCP's school library book ban that he wrote a song about it. For the first time ever, we present an original tune as this week's Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park. FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

Licence to divide

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 36:18

The Alberta government is making headlines with its plan to add a “CAN” citizenship marker to driver's licences, a move Premier Danielle Smith says will safeguard elections and improve efficiency. At the same time, she's pressing for greater provincial control over immigration, even as the province faces the threat of a teachers' strike, a ballooning deficit and renewed talk of sovereignty.West of Centre host Kathleen Petty explores whether Smith is energizing her base or distracting from core issues with Real Talk podcast host Ryan Jespersen, former Tory aide Tom Olsen, and ex-Trudeau adviser Jessie Chahal. The panel weighs whether the UCP government's priorities align with what Albertans really want.Host: Kathleen Petty | Producer & editor: Falice Chin | Guests: Ryan Jespersen, Tom Olsen, Jessie Chahal

Episode 7.30 - Public Interest Alberta Executive Director Bradley Lafortune!

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2025 80:01

An episode with a scoop!We sit down with Public Interest Alberta Executive Director Bradley Lafortune to not only learn more about what PIA does, but also to get into the UCP changes to AISH, the UCP's book bans, the degradation of how government officials interact with the public and a whole lot more!If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're looking for our new merch lineup, you can find that at www.thebreakdownabmerch.comIf you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

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Why Celebrities Are Quitting Ozempic and Switching to THIS

Reversing Hashimoto's

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2025 10:19

Celebrities are ditching Ozempic after shocking side effects like nausea, fatigue, muscle loss, and even stomach paralysis. But what are they using instead?In this video, Dr. Anshul Gupta (Former Cleveland Clinic Functional Medicine Physician) reveals the secret supplement stack that mimics Ozempic's weight loss benefits naturally - without dangerous side effects.- Learn how Alpha Lipoic Acid, Fucoxanthin, Inulin, EGCG, and Berberine can help you lose stubborn belly fat, improve insulin sensitivity, and burn fat safely.- Get the exact supplement routine celebrities are using to stay lean without medications.- Discover how to combine supplements with the right diet and exercise plan for maximum fat loss results.What You'll Learn in This Video -- The dark side of Ozempic and why celebrities are abandoning it- 5 natural supplements that mimic Ozempic's pathways (GLP-1, AMPK, UCP-1)- How to stack these supplements for effective, sustainable weight loss- Dosages, timing, and practical daily routine- How to combine supplements with diet & exercise for best resultsBuy Anti- Inflammtory Bundle - https://functionalwellbeingshop.com/products/anti-inflammtory-bundleConsult Dr. Anshul Gupta from anywhere in the world for personalized, root-cause solutions to your thyroid and health concerns." link below for booking consultation.Work With Me -https://www.anshulguptamd.com/work-with-me/Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more health tips and treatments from Dr. Anshul Gupta.Take The Thyroid Quiz & Evaluate Your Thyroid Health -https://www.anshulguptamd.com/thyroid-quiz/To Buy Good Quality Supplements Goto -https://functionalwellbeingshop.com/To Buy Good Quality Supplements Goto (For India) -https://www.drguptafunctionalcenter.com/shop/Free Gift 3-day Mito-Thyroid Diet Meal Plan) -https://reversinghashimotobook.com/3-day-meal-planCheck Out More Useful Videos -#1 Habit To Get Rid Of Gut Inflammation (Don't Ignore) -https://youtu.be/0CoXDrgAFFk#1 Natural Remedy To Clear Mucus And Beat Allergies -https://youtu.be/dteX2hOjpBcConnect With Me -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anshulguptamd/WhatsApp - https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAWez9HAdNSEf2Wse2rTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/anshulguptamdFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/drguptafunct0:00 - Celebrities & The Ozempic Weight Loss Hype1:30 - The Dark Side of Ozempic & Its Side Effects2:40 - Natural Supplement Stack: A Safer Alternative8:12 - Daily Routine: How to Use These Supplements9:29 - ConclusionFor personalized thyroid treatment plans and expertConnect With Me -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/anshulguptamd/Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/anshulguptamdFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/drguptafunctPinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/anshulguptamdTo Buy Good Quality Supplements Goto -https://functionalwellbeingshop.com/Work With Me -https://www.anshulguptamd.com/work-with-me/Take The Thyroid Quiz & Evaluate Your Thyroid Health -https://www.anshulguptamd.com/thyroid-quiz/About Dr.Anshul Gupta MD -Dr. Anshul Gupta Md Is a Board-certified Family Medicine Physician, With Advanced Certification In Functional Medicine, Peptide Therapy, And Also Fellowship training in Integrative Medicine. He Has Worked At The Prestigious Cleveland Clinic Department Of Functional Medicine As Staff Physician Alongside Dr. Mark Hyman. He Believes In Empowering His Patients To Take Control Of Their Health And Partners With Them In Their Healing Journey.He Now Specializes As A Thyroid Functional Medicine Doctor, And Help People Reverse Their Unresolved Symptoms Of Thyroid Dysfunction.

Episode 7.29 - The Alberta Party becomes the Alberta PC's with Lindsay Amantea!

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 53:57

Two former UCP MLA's have spent the last several months looking for a way to make a home for Progressive Conservatives in Alberta, but Danielle SMith and the UCP have tried to shut them down at almost every turn.Last week though, the Alberta Party officially voted to rebrand as a Progressive Conservative option, and while the final version of the name has yet to be approved, we sat down with Current AP leader Lindsay Amantea to get the full inside scoop as to how this all came to be!If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're looking for our new merch lineup, you can find that at www.thebreakdownabmerch.comIf you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Poilievre calls for temporary foreign worker program to be scrapped

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2025 9:57

Peter Csillag is a vice president at Wellington Advocacy. He previously held senior roles with the UCP, B.C.'s government caucus and worked on the immigration, employment and national defence files federally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#906 - Peter Scholz

Shaun Newman Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 114:03

Peter Scholz is from Calgary, Alberta, a freelance consultant who has made significant contributions to urban planning, policy development, and community engagement throughout his career. He wrote accepted policies for the UCP that include killing e-tabulators, connecting Alberta to more ports and anti-WEF policies. We discuss Alberta independence, 5th generation warfare and uniting the Canadian spirit. To watch the Full Cornerstone Forum: https://open.substack.com/pub/shaunnewmanpodcastGet your voice heard: Text Shaun 587-217-8500Silver Gold Bull Links:Website: https://silvergoldbull.ca/Email: SNP@silvergoldbull.comText Grahame: (587) 441-9100Bow Valley Credit UnionBitcoin: www.bowvalleycu.com/en/personal/investing-wealth/bitcoin-gatewayEmail: welcome@BowValleycu.com Use the code “SNP” on all ordersProphet River Links:Website: store.prophetriver.com/Email: SNP@prophetriver.comExpat Money SummitWebsite: ExpatMoneySummit.com

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Alberta's Book Ban Backfires

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 101:46

Premier Danielle Smith's UCP government presses pause on a Ministerial Order targeting school library books, as Edmonton Public Schools pull 200 titles from shelves, including works by Margaret Atwood, Maya Angelou, and Ayn Rand. Smith calls the move "vicious compliance," promising new, more specific rules to come. Is this anything but a losing battle for the UCP? 7:30 | Political scientist Dr. Duane Bratt assesses the UCP's pivot, and potential longer-term impact on the government's popularity. 36:15 | Jespo's gaggle of "nerds and geeks" made Jasper the number one stop on their annual hockey pool getaway. Check out the highlights (including a must-visit sandwich stop) in this edition of #MyJasper Memories proudly presented by our friends at Tourism Jasper. BOOK YOUR NEXT JASPER ADVENTURE: https://www.jasper.travel/ 42:15 | Pundit Rob Breakenridge tells us why he thinks the UCP's book ban is "disastrous". Stick around for Rob's take on Pierre Poilievre's "Stand on Guard" proposal and Alberta's ballooning spending. CHECK OUT ROB'S WORK: https://robbreakenridge.substack.com/ 1:26:00 | Real Talker Marie's sick and tired of city slickers ripping on rural Albertans. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

Condo Market, Book Ban, Xi, Putin and Kim

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 77:30

0:11 - Xi, Putin and Kim meet for first time in show of solidarity against West. 10:06 - How will this meeting effect us in Canada? We get your thoughts. 18:35 - Capital Conversations; Alberta is rewriting the order banning school library books to protect classics. 27:34 - Capital Conversations; The potential for a teachers strike continues in Alberta. 36:32 - We hear from you on the UCP pausing the book ban. 47:14- We continue with your calls and texts on the book ban. 55:45 - The condo market is struggling. Are they still a good retirement plan? 1:08:43 - How do you feel about the Alberta Teachers Strike? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Episode 7.28 - August 31st, 2025 Back To School (maybe?) Roundup!

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Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 108:36

It's back to school and our Alberta Politics roundups are back too with a scorcher of an episode!On this episode we deep dive into not only the massive self inflicted blowback on the UCP's book bans, we also git into the impending teachers strike, Alberta's constantly revising COVID Vaccine policy and the recent scandal with a UCP minister letting a hate preacher into the legislature for a special late night tour and impromptu worship ceremony!Plus we get into coal mines and AI a little. If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're looking for our new merch lineup, you can find that at www.thebreakdownabmerch.comIf you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Gerrymandering, 'Kids These Days', Housing

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 85:32

0:11 - Mark Carney's busy week in Europe. 9:59 - The younger generations are increasingly distracted, anxious and commitment-averse. 22:47 - We get your thoughts on 'kids these days'. 28:58 - Forget Texas, Alberta has it's own gerrymandering effort. 40:30 - Is the UCP gerrymandering? 55:40 - We continue your thoughts on gerrymandering in Alberta. 1:06:23 - Caffeine pouches are getting popular among young people. But are they safe? 1:16:16 - How has housing changed in Canada? We take your calls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UCP Defectors Expose Danielle Smith: The PC Comeback & Skeletons in the Closet

The Discourse

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 28, 2025 51:49

Two former UCP MLAs spill the tea in an explosive conversation about why they ditched Danielle Smith's party, and why they're resurrecting the once-mighty Progressive Conservative brand as Alberta's next political force. From backroom betrayals to policy blunders, they dish on everything the Premier is doing wrong, the skeletons she'd rather keep hidden, and how the Alberta Party is getting a very familiar rebrand. ⚠️ Warning: Pete Guthrie's Wi-Fi didn't quite survive the UCP exodus. His choppy video looks like it's buffering straight out of 2006. (Don't worry, the tea still pours scalding hot.)

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Episode 7.27 - The Breakdown Live in Edmonton (August 16, 2025)

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2025 179:47

We did a thing!On August 16th we did our first live show ever and went up to Edmonton to do it!Not only that, but after we did a deep dive on the UCP's book bans, we had a panel discussion with Curriculum expert Dr. Carla Peck, ATA President Jason Schilling, Advocacy Leader Bradley Lafortune and the best voice in Alberta Politics TikTok Lisa B!But we didn't stop there!We also sat down with former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk to talk Forever Canadian!Plus we announced our revitalized merch line! You can check all the goodies out at www.thebreakdownabmerch.ca!If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

529: SELWYN SEYFU HINDS - SHOWRUNNER

Hilliard Guess' Screenwriters Rant Room

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2025 153:04

In this episode, Hilliard sits down for an in-depth, over 2-hour conversation with SELWYN SEYFU HINDS Showrunner/Creator of WASHINGTON BLACK the new hit series on HULU!HIGHLIGHTS: The Source Magazine in the late 90s and the climate of Hip-Hop, going from Guyana to Brooklyn in the height of Classic Rap, the night Biggy Smalls died, his college years at Princeton, becoming an author, moving to LA to write screenplays, pitching tips and how he and his team cast and produced Washington Black and so much more! More about him:Selwyn most recently served as the creator, showrunner, and executive producer of the epic adventure series WASHINGTON BLACK, an adaptation of Esi Edugyan's esteemed novel of the same name, which recently premiered on Hulu. He previously served as a writer/producer on Jordan Peele's reboot of THE TWILIGHT ZONE, penning the critically hailed episode “Replay,” which made him a finalist in the Drama Teleplay category for the 2020 Humanitas Prize.He has a number of films in development including PRINCE OF CATS, the adaptation of Ronald Wimberly's graphic novel, at Legendary; and 1000 MILES, based on the memoir Running A Thousand Miles For Freedom by William and Ellen Craft. He and Mad Massive Entertainment currently have an overall deal with UCP, where he is developing a television adaptation of Usher's seminal album, Confessions.Previously, Hinds served as Editor-in-Chief of the hip hop magazine The Source in the late-‘90s, and created the Vertigo comic-book series Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child. He is represented by CAA, Entertainment 360, and Del Shaw Moonves.Subscribe, like, follow, share & 5-star review!Our Motto: “Keep it GAME all day!"WWW.SCREENWRITERSRANTROOM.COMMerch (NEW T-SHIRTS/HOODIES)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Hilliard Guess on all social media@Hilliardguess.bsky.socialIG: @ScreenwritersRantRoomGuest:@SelwynhindsBTS: @wmb.photographyWE ARE NOW OPEN TO SPONSORSHIPS AND BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ :Screenwritersrantroom@gmail.com

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Calgary is 150. Why is it so hard to celebrate our history?

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2025 5:39

Evan Menzies is a senior campaign strategist with Crestview Strategy and served as director of communications for the UCP and Wildrose Caucus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alberta's Book Ban - Bonus Mashup Episode!

Blackballed With James Di Fiore

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2025 71:50

With the UCP Government rolling out its wide reaching book ban policy, we're presenting a special mashup of our coverage up until the ban was fully revealed. This includes the June 1st segment addressing the underlying issues behind the bans and how they're almost certainly going to cause harm AND the June 22nd segment with our FOIP that revealed that the UCP not only used American and religious book ban lists to inform their policy, but also how the claims they made about the schools these books were in were not just inflammatory, they were profoundly misleading!If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

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AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos Credibility Problem

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2025 29:30

Athana Mentzelopoulos is ate the centre of the AH/MHCare Medical scandal, as a lawsuit petitioner against the UCP government, and the likely source behind much of the work published by Carrie Tait of the Globe and Mail. But how credible is Athana? Find out today on Blackballed as we do the deep dive other outlets refused to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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"Happy Fourth of July to our Loud, Lovable, Slightly Unstable Neighbours!"

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2025 6:22

Chantal's pissed off about Airdrie's Canada Day parade, Wes has NO time for a Progressive Conservative revival (or EVs), Blahsheep's keen on Danielle Smith's Alberta Sheriffs - TSM feels differently, Les is less than subtle about the UCP, Patrick says we need to pay more attention to Quebec, and Krista has a (hilarious) Fourth of July message for our American neighbours. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen REAL TALK MERCH: https://ryanjespersen.com/merch RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE PERKS - BECOME A REAL TALK PATRON: patreon.com/ryanjespersen 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

Fourth of July Special: Repairing the Canada/U.S. Relationship

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 4, 2025 94:56

This Fourth of July feels different, doesn't it? As President Donald Trump reignites his trade war with Canada, we check in with a special guest south of the border (3:45) who reminds us there's lots of goodwill yet to spend between the two nations. CHECK OUT PKJ ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING: https://www.pkjentertainment.com/ 49:15 | Jespo and Johnny tell a few stories from the Glendale Ladies Member Guest tournament in support of Uncles & Aunts at Large. Real Talker Karen gives us a first hand report of what's slowing residential rebuilds in Jasper (56:00). We check out AOC's fiery rant about Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" (1:06:40), and we revisit Danielle Smith's response to the relaunch of the Progressive Conservative party in Alberta (1:18:00). 1:27:00 | Chantal's pissed off about Airdrie's Canada Day parade, Wes has NO time for a Progressive Conservative revival (or EVs), Blahsheep's keen on Danielle Smith's Alberta Sheriffs - TSM feels differently, Les is less than subtle about the UCP, Patrick says we need to pay more attention to Quebec, and Krista has a (hilarious) Fourth of July message for our American neighbours. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

EXCLUSIVE: Alberta's Progressive Conservatives Are Back

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2025 116:02

Ousted (former) UCP MLAs Peter Guthrie and Scott Sinclair are reviving the PC Party of Alberta, saying they'll restore "balance and normalcy" to politics in the province. In a Real Talk exclusive, we find out why they're doing it, and how they intend to dethrone Danielle Smith's UCP (2:30). TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com May 22 LUKASZUK INTERVIEW: https://rtrj.info/052225CanadaForever 1:07:00 | Rest in Peace, Jodi Broadhead. Ryan remembers a friend of the show who died under tragic circumstances on June 21. 1:10:40 | The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge's world-class golf course is officially open, celebrating 100 years! Plus, the (beautiful) Ursidae Lair Scotch tasting lounge has specials through the summer. We've got details in MyJasper Memories presented by Tourism Jasper. BOOK JPL GOLF: https://www.jaspermountaingolf.com/ RESERVE A TABLE at URSIDAE LAIR: https://ursidaelair.com/ 1:15:30 | Jespo and Johnny debrief on PC 2.0, take a look at the University of Pennsylvania/Lia Thomas story (1:26:30), Paramount's settlement with Donald Trump (1:28:55), and the Diddy verdict (1:31:00). 1:50:50 | We hope you had a fantastic Canada Day. Jespo highlights a fireworks capture on one of his favourite Instagram accounts for Positive Reflections presented by Solar by Kuby. FOLLOW SAMEER on IG: https://www.instagram.com/sameer.pictures/ SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

"You've Become the SNOWFLAKES You Warned Us About!"

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2025 5:17

Real Talkers Rosie and Cactus Sheriff are fired up over the UCP's library book distraction, while Jennifer and AJ trade barbs after our Don Iveson interview. David, Eddie the Valiant, and Thera-P share their hot takes on residential infill. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen 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.

Indigenous History // Real Talkers Split on Infill

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 95:27

Elected Ontario school board councillor Catherine Kronas has been suspended for speaking out against land acknowledgements. She's mounting a legal challenge - does she have a case? We put that story (2:00) in front of our Real Talk Round Table panelists right out of the gates as we recognize National Indigenous History Month. Stick around to hear how Matricia Bauer (Warrior Women), Keith Diakiw (Talking Rock Tours), and Kendra Dudzic (The Woods Experience) are preserving and amplifying Indigenous history through tourism. WARRIOR WOMEN: https://warriorwomen.ca/ TALKING ROCK TOURS: https://www.talkingrocktours.com/ THE WOODS EXPERIENCE: https://atthewoods.ca/ 50:00 | Real Talkers are coming at the residential infill issue from a ton of different directions. Ryan reads a bunch of feedback from our email inbox (Kaila and Kyle), YouTube episode, and Instagram Reel (@RealTalkRJ). Stick around to hear why Jespo spoke to Edmonton city councillors at a public hearing on the Capital City Community Revitalization Levy (CRL). TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com 1:29:00 | Real Talkers Rosie and Cactus Sheriff are fired up over the UCP's library book distraction, while Jennifer and AJ trade barbs after our Don Iveson interview. David, Eddie the Valiant, and Thera-P share their hot takes on residential infill. It's The Flamethrower presented by the DQs of Northwest Edmonton and Sherwood Park! FIRE UP YOUR FLAMETHROWER: talk@ryanjespersen.com When you visit the DQs in Palisades, Namao, Newcastle, Westmount, and Baseline Road, be sure to tell 'em Real Talk sent you! FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

Alberta Next or Alberta Nexit?

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 51:21

Premier Danielle Smith is pitching her “Alberta Next” roadshow as a grassroots consultation, but critics say its six survey questions steer Albertans toward sovereignty-tinged answers. The travelling panel will study these topics: an Alberta police force, immigration, constitutional amendments, provincial tax collection, federal transfers and equalization, and a provincial pension plan.On this week's West of Centre, host Kathleen Petty asks former UCP staffer Karamveer Lalh, pollster Janet Brown and former NDP government top aide Keith McLaughlin whether the tour aims to placate United Conservatives rather than seek good-faith solutions.The guests say the effort echoes Jason Kenney's 2019 Fair Deal Panel and warn the framing could alienate moderates and newcomers. They note the Republican Party of Alberta's 18-per-cent showing in the Olds–Didsbury–Three Hills byelection proves Smith can't ignore separatist voters. At the same time, NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi now has a seat in the legislature — a development that complicates Smith's push for any referendum as she works to keep her caucus united.Host: Kathleen Petty | Producer & editor: Falice Chin | Guests: Karamveer Lalh, Keith McLaughlin, Janet Brown

Alberta Conservatives BEAT separatists in by-election, Carney wants a “new world order”

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 28:56

On today's episode of the Candice Malcolm Show, Candice is joined by Alberta political commentator Wyatt Claypool to discuss the outcome of Monday's by-elections in Alberta and what it means for Premier Danielle Smith and the governing UCP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trump Irate at Iran & Israel // AB By-elections

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 102:28

Iran and Israel "don't know what the f*ck they're doing," says (an agitated) U.S. President Donald Trump, after the two nations violated what POTUS clearly believed to be a negotiated ceasefire. In this episode, political scientist Dr. Duane Bratt explains why the U.S. is stepping in (3:15), gauges the actual threat of Iranian nukes, and touches on economic implications for Canada. 24:30 | The Alberta NDP holds two ridings in Edmonton, the UCP holds a riding in central Alberta, and Naheed Nenshi finds his way into the Legislature. Duane gives us the takeaways from recent by-election results. THOUGHTS? talk@ryanjespersen.com 36:30 | Turns out you don't have to be worth a billion dollars to own downtown real estate. Former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson, engineer Tegan Martin-Drysdale, and entrepreneur Kyla Kazeil tell us how they intend to reinvent downtown revitalization with Homestead Investment Co-operative. LEARN MORE: https://homesteadcowork.ca/ JUNE 25 OPEN HOUSE DETAILS: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/invest-in-downtown-edmontons-future-hic-open-house-networking-event-tickets-1424658555089 1:29:15 | Jespo and Johnny debrief. 1:38:20 | Congratulations to Real Talker Justin and his growing family! Our faces hurt from smiling at this perfect Positive Reflection presented by Solar by Kuby. SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/ FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

Short: Separatists fail first test, but slow march to referendum continues

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2025 24:58

The results of Alberta's three byelections delivered a largely status quo outcome, but with some notable undercurrents. In Edmonton-Strathcona, NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi secured a decisive win, surpassing former leader Rachel Notley's vote share with 82 per cent. It marks his long-awaited entry into the legislature. The NDP also held Edmonton-Ellerslie, though with a slimmer margin — nearly 11 points down from 2023. That erosion raises questions about the party's grip on “Fortress Edmonton,” particularly as polls suggest the UCP is gaining ground in the capital.In Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, the UCP kept the rural stronghold but lost 15 points in vote share. The Republican Party of Alberta's Cam Davies earned nearly 18 per cent — the strongest separatist showing in years. Still, Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt called the result underwhelming, noting it fell short of the one-third benchmark that would signal serious momentum. He called it a missed opportunity for Alberta's separatist movement, which tends to rise and recede depending on leadership and political climate.In this episode of West of Centre Short, Bratt argues the latest separatist push is less grassroots than previous waves and more top-down — driven in part by Premier Danielle Smith and her inner circle. While Smith says she supports a united Canada, critics point to her past reliance on the Sovereignty Act, efforts to create a provincial pension plan and police force, and paving the way for a potential independence referendum in 2026 as signs of a deeper, ambiguous agenda.Host: Rob Brown | Producer & editor: Falice Chin | Guest: Duane Bratt

Episode 7.21 - June 22, 2025 Alberta Politics Roundup with ALL the FOIPS!

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2025 134:35

We're back after two weeks and on this Alberta Politics Roundup we have a lot to catch up on! We start off with a look at Danielle Smith and the UCP's very bad day in Fort Macleod before we take a look at the changes to seniors drug coverage and COVID vaccination coverage that were quietly introduced over the last few days.From there we do a deep dive in Dani's health care restructuring before be talk about our recent FOIP result on Halal mortgages!We follow all of that up with our recent FOIP results on the book ban before we get into the results of a third FOIP that puts another piece in the puzzle of the whole NDP named "Corrupt Care" scandal.And on the topic of corrupt care...If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

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Bonus: In search of separatists in Alberta

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2025 49:46

Ahead of three Alberta provincial byelections on June 23, West of Centre is sharing a special bonus episode from our colleagues at Front Burner.They recently travelled to Three Hills — a town about 130 km northeast of Calgary — to explore why separatist sentiment continues to simmer in parts of rural Alberta. CBC Calgary's Jason Markusoff joined them on the ground, attending a town hall on Alberta independence and speaking with locals about what's fuelling the frustration with Ottawa.In the riding of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, separatism isn't just a talking point — it's basically on the ballot. The Alberta Republic Party, which supports independence, is fielding a candidate with a fraught history with the UCP. This episode offers a revealing look at the political mood heading into Monday's vote.

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Separatist SURGE coming in Alberta byelections? Republican leader speaks out

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2025 22:34

Candice interviews longtime conservative campaigner Davies, asking why he broke with Danielle Smith and the UCP? Was it over principles or was it personal? Recent polls show Albertans largely approving of Danielle Smith's performance, but what does Davies make of the Premier's dealing with Mark Carney's Ottawa Liberals? What are Davies' predictions for Monday night? Could he win as much as 30% of the vote as some are predicting – or even win the riding outright? What does it say if Davies fails to win a seat in the very conservative riding? Would he stand a chance elsewhere? And is he at all concerned that his party could split conservative votes and hand control of Alberta back to Naheed Nenshi's socialist NDP? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

UCP stronghold at risk? Local candidate weighs in

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2025 12:27

Candice interviews local United Conservative candidate Tara Sawyer. What is she hearing at the doors about the Premier and the UCP government? Do Albertans approve of the Premier's performance? What does Sawyer say to Albertans who are unhappy with the federal election results and are on the fence with their votes on Monday? And what made her decide to throw her hat in the ring, and what are her plans to represent constituents in Edmonton if she's victorious? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Danielle Smith LASHES OUT at Carney, Liberal MPs REVOLT over C-5

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2025 25:11

Where is Naheed Nenshi?

The Line

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2025 71:08

In the latest episode of On The Line, Jen Gerson is joined by Dave Cournoyer — Alberta politics watcher, writer at daveberta.ca, and longtime chronicler of this province's wilder turns — for a conversation that cuts through the noise and gets to the big question: what is actually going on in Alberta right now?This episode is brought to you by the Metis Nation of Ontario. It's the Abitibi River, Northern Ontario, 1854. They called it “the Long Portage.”From the banks of the Abitibi River, Métis voyageurs hauled heavy freight canoes and Hudson's Bay Company trade goods across miles of forest and muskeg. Their hard work linked Fort Albany and Moose Factory along the James Bay coast with Lake Timiskaming. And, from there, the entire northwest.As the HBC moved inland from Moose Factory to open and work at posts to the south and west, the Métis “Factory Boys” and their families cut the trail, built the storehouse, and ran the trade. They were guides, interpreters, diplomats, and entrepreneurs.And they endured. The Métis remained in northern Ontario and in the story of how this country was built. Because Canada is not Canada without the Métis. Today, Métis rights are a settled fact of law in Ontario.This Indigenous Peoples Month, visit OntarioMétisFacts.com to learn more.The conversation opens with a serious look at the growing undercurrent of separatist sentiment inside the United Conservative Party. They unpack the emotional pull of independence, the logistical realities of separation, and why this movement — once fringe — is now creeping toward the mainstream. They also explore the federal government's role in fuelling some of this rage, and how Alberta's energy economy keeps acting as both asset and anchor.And then, the inevitable question that must be asked in any progressive conversation in this province: where the hell is Naheed Nenshi? Jen presses Dave on why the Alberta NDP is missing in action while the UCP is rolling out wildly controversial ideas. The moment is ripe. The opportunity is obvious. And yet... nothing.As always, like and subscribe at ReadTheLine.ca. You can also follow us on your favourite podcast app so you never miss an episode. Share it with a friend, post about it online, or shout it across the parking lot outside the nearest community centre in Calgary. We'll take it.And don't forget: On The Line drops Tuesday mornings on audio, with the video version rolling out Tuesday evening on YouTube and across our social channels. Prefer to watch? Stay tuned tonight — and follow us to catch the drop.Thanks for listening. We'll see you next week.

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Alberta Ed Minister on Library Controversy & Looming Strike

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2025 99:25

Critics say the Alberta government is being heavy handed in flagging controversial books found in school libraries. They say teachers and librarians, not politicians and parents, should choose which books are on the shelf. In this episode, we talk to Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides (1:03:15) about the UCP's online survey, classroom funding, and a strike that seems more and more likely to happen. But first...Jespo and Johnny are all amped up after the Edmonton Oilers' big overtime win in Game One of the Stanley Cup Final. 33:45 | The Ranch is looking amazing two weeks out from the Real Talk Golf Classic! Jespo shares a few stories and talks about the Real Talk Julie Rohr Scholarship. APPLY BEFORE AUGUST 1: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/scholarship 48:45 | Real Talker Jonny isn't happy about our June 3 interview 1:03:15 | We talk to Alberta's Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides about the library book controversy and a looming teachers' strike. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: talk@ryanjespersen.com PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHOOL LIBRARY SURVEY: https://your.alberta.ca/school-library-materials/surveys/slme FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

Episode 7.20 - June 1, 2025 Alberta Politics Update!

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Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 112:00

On this Alberta Politics Roundup we're taking a look at the by-elections, the latest in the corrupt care scandal, the UCP's new book ban and the latest very wild episode of "Your Province, Your Premier"!If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Alberta Government Targets “Explicit” Library Books

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Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2025 39:33

Danielle Smith's UCP is targeting school library books it deems "graphic and age-inappropriate". The government is surveying the public before rolling out new standards ahead of the next school year. 2:30 | Max Fawcett, lead columnist at Canada's National Observer, says there's more to this story than "banning books". What do YOU think? EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com READ CANADA'S NATIONAL OBSERVER: https://www.nationalobserver.com/ 22:00 | Remember Mike Hanson and Dave Morin? They're back after completing TEN marathons in TEN days in TEN provinces, raising ONE MILLION DOLLARS along the way! READ MORE: https://www.10in10in10.ca/ 35:40 | A complete stranger made Real Talker Sarah's day, prompting her to email the show. We love it! Positive Reflections is presented weekly on Real Talk by our friends at Solar by Kuby. SUBMIT YOUR POSITIVE REFLECTION: talk@ryanjespersen.com GET A FREE SOLAR QUOTE: https://kuby.ca/ REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta... FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

Canada's New Foreign Policy

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 87:45

Prime Minister Mark Carney's new cabinet is making waves—not just at home, but around the world. From military spending signals to the careful choreography with Washington, New Delhi, and Beijing, these picks aren't just about portfolios—they're about priorities. In this episode, we dig into what Carney's picks tell us about Canada's place on the world stage. 3:45 | But first...we take a look at new polling on the "Wexit" movement with 338 Canada's Philippe Fournier, including shocking numbers from UCP supporters in Alberta. CHECK OUT PHILIPPE'S WORK: https://www.338canada.ca/ 22:00 | It's the perfect time of year to take your kids to Jasper! Ryan shares some of his favourite memories (including a trip to Spirit Island), and lays out some of Jasper's family-friendly activity options. #MyJasper Memories is presented by our friends at Tourism Jasper. MAKE JASPER MEMORIES: https://www.jasper.travel/ 25:30 | What do Mark Carney's cabinet picks tell us about the PM's approach to foreign relations? Dr. Bob Murray gets into military spending and our relationships with the U.S., India, and China. FOLLOW DR. BOB: https://x.com/DrRWM 54:00 | Two Alberta boys are about to embark on a remarkable mission: ten marathons in ten consecutive days in ten different provinces. We meet Mike Hanson and Dave Morin. SUPPORT TEN in TEN in TEN: https://www.10in10in10.ca/ 1:09:00 | Jespo and Johnny debate the "Nine/Nine/Nine" challenge, and read emails from Real Talkers Lisa (menopause), Mark (bitumen), and Tana (pipelines and Alberta separation). EMAIL THE SHOW: talk@ryanjespersen.com REGISTER FOR THE REAL TALK GOLF CLASSIC: https://www.ryanjespersen.com/real-ta... FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK, X, INSTAGRAM, and LINKEDIN: @realtalkrj & @ryanjespersen JOIN US ON FACEBOOK: @ryanjespersen 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.

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Danielle Smith's "Reckless Referendum" // Disability Round Table