The Forgotten Corner: Recent Episodes
Scott Schmidt, Jeremy Appel and Mo Cranker
The Forgotten Corner is a weekly podcast recorded in Medicine Hat, the 65,000-citizen hub of southeast Alberta, where people often wonder, “When will everyone just do what we want to do?”
Scott Schmidt, Jeremy Appel and Mo Cranker have a combined journalistic experience of more than 20 years, much of that spent covering news and politics in Medicine Hat. After garnering some attention through the Medicine Hat News for our willingness to criticize the provincial government, we thought a podcast would be a great way to have in-depth discussions with experts of any and all fields from across Alberta, and perhaps beyond.
It’s likely our focus will pertain to the world of politics, especially in Alberta, but we won’t put limits on the topics we might discuss and hope to bring you a show that is both entertaining and informative. It will also be opinionated and even bold, but as journalists, our goal is to host a wide variety of guests and relevant, necessary conversations.
And if there is someone you’d like to hear on our show, let us know. We hope you enjoy three white male print journalists attempting to provide a much needed different voice to the world of podcast radio…
Consider supporting us on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/forgottencornerpod
Matt Lech joins the show this week to talk about a wide range of topics that impact North Americans.
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Another week, another Just Us. This time, Scott and Jeremy discuss safe supply in Canada, and all things harm reduction.
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University of Calgary political scientist Lisa Young joins the Forgotten Corner this week to talk provincial and federal politics.
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Green Party of Alberta leader Jordan Wilkie joins Scott to talk about his path to politics, the Green Party of Alberta and much more on today's episode.
Follow Jordan on Twitter here.
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AUPE communications officer Mimi Williams joins Scott and Jeremy this week!
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Hello…? Is this thing on?
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A note: Scott refers to outgoing Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA Michaela Frey as her previous last name “Glasgo.” He apologizes for referring to Ms. Frey with her incorrect last name and did not mean to do so in a negative way.
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Dr. Victoria Bucholtz joins Roberta, Jeremy and Scott this week!
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Check out the Karla Marx Facebook page.
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Welcome to part two of our read-through and discussion of Thomas King's The Inconvenient Indian.
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Dr. Muna Saleh joins to show for a great chat with Scott!
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Druh Farrell is running for the Alberta NDP in the Calgary Bow riding. She joins the show this week to speak about her life before politics, and a bit about her vision for Alberta.
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Welcome to our second book club!
We are reading The Inconvenient Indian, by Thomas King.
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SPOILER ALERT
It can and will.
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Bridget Stirling joins the show this week to talk about having police officers in schools, and why it may not be the best idea in the world.
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Calgary councillor Courtney Walcott joins the Forgotten Corner this week to talk about his path into politics, and much more.
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Check out Part 1 of this conversation here!
The second part of our chat with Alberta Party leader Barry Morishita!
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Check out Part 2 here!
Alberta Party leader Barry Morishita joins the show this week (and next) to chat about his party and the upcoming provincial election.
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Join Scott and Jeremy for their Saturday morning chat over coffee — who will lead the Federal Conservatives?
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Kurt Phillips joins the show this week to tell the story of the Canadian Anti-Hate Network.
Follow Mr. Phillips on Twitter. And follow the Network!
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We welcome Dr. Angela Grace and Dr. Carla Peck to the show this week to talk about the Alberta curriculum that is being shoved through by Jason Kenney and the UCP.
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A look into what it's like when Jeremy and Scott hang out.
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ULFA president Dan O'Donnell joins the show this week to talk about the labour action happening at the University of Lethbridge.
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Scott and Jeremy tackle a number of topics in this week's Just Us.
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Markham Hislop returns to the show this week to talk about everything going on in the world.
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Markham's other episodes: here and here.
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The second half of our conversation with author Tyler Shipley, about his book Canada In The World: Settler Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination.
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We welcome author Tyler Shipley to the show this week to talk about his book, Canada in the World: Settler Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination, and the process of writing it.
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Chris Brown joins the show this week to share his journey through life, his battle with cancer, and how he created a successful podcast.
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Welcome back to a TRUE Just Us episode, with Jeremy and Scott chatting!
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Some links from Jeremy:
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2022/01/canadian-covid-relief-cews-wage-subsidies-cessco-alberta-strike
https://thecjn.ca/podcasts/what-is-the-future-of-progressive-zionism/
https://appelorchard.substack.com/p/kaycee-madus-political-career-is
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Welcome back to the book club! Today we discuss part 4/4 of Canada In The World Settler Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination by Tyler Shipley.
Get the book here.
Follow Mr. Shipley on Twitter here.
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Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association, joins us this week to talk ALL things education in Alberta.
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Conor Ruzycki joins the show this week to talk about COVID-19 and why it's important that everyone talks about how airborne the virus is.
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Bridget Stirling is back on The Forgotten Corner to chat about leaving politics and working on her Ph.D.
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Welcome back to the Forgotten Corner Book Club! Here is Part 3 of our look at Canada in the World: Settler Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination.
Mo's recommendation this week is to watch ALL of the Heritage Minutes segments. Found here.
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Dr. Gosia Gasperowicz is back to talk about a potential fifth wave of COVID-19 in the province.
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Mo's song suggestion.
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Our first Just Us in a couple of months. Enjoy!
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Mo's song suggestion.
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Newly-elected Medicine Hat councillor Alison Van Dyke joins the show this week to talk about her journey to municipal politics.
Coun. Van Dyke can be found on Twitter.
Harbinger Media Network.
Mo's song suggestion.
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Welcome to the second part of our discussion of Canada in the World: Settler Capitalism and Colonial Imagination! We recorded this one in person!
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Mo's song recommendation.
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Medicine Hat's new mayor joins The Forgotten Corner for a lengthy discussion about who she is, where she came from, Medicine Hat, and her vision for the city.
Follow Mayor Clark on Twitter.
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Mo's song suggestion.
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NDP MLA and health critic David Shepherd joins The Forgotten Corner this week to discuss his path to politics, and how his time as an MLA has gone.
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Mo's song suggestion.
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Emergency doctor Paul Parks joins the show this week to give listeners an inside look at the state of Alberta's hospitals.
Dr. Parks can be found on Twitter here.
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Mo's song suggestion.
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Jyoti Gondek is running to be mayor of Calgary. She joins the Forgotten Corner to talk about her campaign, the race and the state of Alberta.
Find out more about Jyoti here.
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Read Scott's latest column here.
Mo's song suggestion.
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Welcome to the first Book Club discussion about Tyler Shipley's Canada in the World.
No Scott in this one, lots of Mo. Thanks to Roberta for stepping in to lead the discussion.
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Mo's song recommendation.
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Welcome to our LIVE interview with Duncan Kinney, who is running for the Senate.
More information on Duncan's Senate run here.
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Mo's song recommendation.
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It has been a string of bad weeks for Medicine Hat, and things do not seem to be getting better. COVID-19 cases and deaths have drastically increased, with vaccination rates stalled. Schools are all linked to COVID-19 cases, and the hospital is pushing capacity.
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Mo's Song suggestion.
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We welcome Dr. Angela Grace to the show this week to talk about the proposed curriculum changes in Alberta.
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Welcome to The Forgotten Corner Book Club! In a nutshell, we are going to ever so slowly read books and talk about a new section once each month until that book is read. Use our promo code to get 20% our first book, “Canada in the World: Secular Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination,” by Tyler A. Shipley (@le_shipster).
The book is described as “an accessible and empirically rich introduction to Canada’s engagements in the world since Confederation, this book charts a unique path by locating Canada’s colonial foundations at the heart of the analysis.”
What’s best about our club is anyone can join and, even if you don’t participate, our discussions along the way will be well worth a listen! In this episode we outline details of the book club and how to participate in discussions. In one month’s time we will discuss the first 100 pages, so it should be a breeze to keep up!
Use the hashtag #forgottenbookclub to discuss the book on Twitter with us!
Visit http://www.fernwoodpublishing.ca/ and use the promo code: FCP20 to get 20% off Shipley’s book. Offer is valid until Sept. 30, 2021.
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The Forgotten Corner is honoured to welcome Migizi-Wasaa-Ewaabit (David Restoule) to the show this week. David (his “income tax” name), and Anishinaabe Ojibiwe from the Dokis First Nation in Ontario, is the Indigenous student support services specialist at Medicine Hat College.
David grew up colonized, living through a “normal Catholic” life before beginning to discover his heritage and true self about 15 years ago.
Now a Knowledge Keeper, Sundancer and a proud grandfather, David’s efforts to decolonize allow him to break to the cycle of indoctrinated whitewashing with his own family and beyond.
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Dr. Roberta Lexier joins the show once again to chat about the 'labour shortage' we keep hearing about, and why it's a farce.
Follow Roberta on Twitter @rlexier.
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Kim Siever is back on the Forgotten Corner to catch up with the guys.
Listen to Part 1 of our chat here.
Check out Kim's daily news stories.
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Dr. Joe Vipond returns to The Forgotten Corner — on short notice and while en route to Edmonton for a noon-hour rally — to discuss the internationally criticized Alberta government plan to not only remove all public health orders of any kind, and while cases rise at never-before-seen rates, but to also cease proper testing and contract tracing by Aug. 16.
Listen to his first and second episodes — Part One — Part Two.
The longtime Calgary ER doc has been on the frontlines of the fight against COVID, as well as the fight against our own government and public health officials, since the pandemic arrived oh so long ago.
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Medicine Hatter Kym Porter joins the show today to talk about her life and the tragic loss that led her to become an advocate for harm reduction.
Kym is a member of Mom's Stop the Harm, which "calls for an end to the failed war on drugs through evidence-based prevention, treatment and policy change. We support a harm reduction approach that is both compassionate and non-discriminatory for people who use substances," according to the MSTH website.
Kym is active on Twitter and can be reached here.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on just about everything, including our ability to concentrate on all the ways our provincial government is risking the future of Alberta. Thankfully, when the issue of coal mining in the eastern Rocky slopes or the mass closure of parks came up, Albertans responded in droves and have mounted a pushback that just might work.
Becky Best-Bertwistle is a community engagement coordinator with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, an organization on the frontlines of the fight to protect our land and water. The Forgotten Corner is extremely pleased to welcome Becky to the show this week to discuss that ongoing fight and how we can help win the war. Her passion for protecting her home province is extremely contagious, and that’s something we can all actually celebrate the spread of.
Follow Becky on Twitter at @bestbertwistle
Follow CPAWS Southern Alberta at @cpawssab
To find out more or to take action, visit their website.
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Ryan Bartsoff and his good friend Paula Weigle shared a dream to open a cannabis business together that allowed them to being the many benefits of this versatile little plant to the people of Medicine Hat. Cancer stole that dream from Paula just as it was being realized, but Ryan continues in her honour today.
Ryan, who has been a licensed grower for more than 15 years, joins The Forgotten Corner this week to talk about that dream and why it’s so important to him, plus he helps break down some of the stigma that still surrounds cannabis and why he believes we are only just now starting to tap into its true potential.
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Tyler Shandro took his family to a Canada Day event full well knowing thousands of people who hate him would be there. In this episode of Just Us, Dr. Roberta Lexier (@rlexier) joins us to talk about where the line should drawn as to when it’s appropriate to tell your political leaders what you think of them, and when it isn’t. A lot of talk revolved around his children, but as we discuss in depth in the episode, anything that “happened” to his kids in this instance is Shandro’s own fault. Period.
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Well, it’s officially the end of the pandemic and the deadly COVID-19 virus and all its variant pals are gone forever. Yeehaw, let’s have a Stampede! The only problem is none of this is true and we are still lifting all restrictions as of the airing of this episode. We think people should do what they’re allowed to do, and we don’t judge anyone who is taking the leap into full fledged ‘normalcy,’ but we can’t help but wonder if #bestsummerever is the wrong approach...
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In an important episode of Just Us, MRU’s Dr. Roberta Lexier joins our hosts to talk about the real history of Canada, as opposed to the whitewashed version most grow up learning. In the wake of at least 215 children’s remains found buried at the Kamloops Residential School, Canadians are starting to face the truth about how our country was built, and the native peoples who were eradicated in the name of colonialism.
Follow Dr. Lexier on Twitter at @rlexier
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Listen to our chat with Markham from last year right here.
We welcome the one and only Markham Hislop back to the Forgotten Corner this week to once again chat Canadian energy.
Check out Markham's work here.
Listen to Markham's podcast here.
Follow Markham on Twitter and like their Facebook page.
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David Moscrop is a well-known political theorist, currently living in Ottawa, who writes a regular column for The Washington Post, and has been featured in Canadian publications such as Maclean’s and the Ottawa Citizen.
The Forgotten Corner welcomes David to the show this week to talk about his life growing up in Peterborough and his desire to expand his horizons beyond. We talk about his first book, Too Dumb For Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones, and the systemic changes needed to develop a proper democracy. We have a few laughs, talk a little about the academic world and dice into a few current events.
Follow David on Twitter at @David_Moscrop
Read some of David’s recent work below.
Opinion: A Toronto educator is being attacked for standing up for Palestinians
Opinion: Doug Ford must Resign
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Sandy Garossino is a former Crown prosecutor and regular contributor to the National Observer. The Forgotten Corner is pleased to welcome Sandy to the show this week to discuss her life, her work and her recent efforts looking into the anti-Alberta inquiry has garnered national attention.
Follow her on Twitter at @Garossino
Check out Harbinger here.
*At one point in the episode, we ask Sandy about her past support for TMX. It was an on-the-spot question and she requested after that we add a note to her answer:
“Indigenous land issues should be paramount. I have often said and still believe that the community benefit agreements with First Nations are far too skinny. That so little money flows to First Nations suggests too little bargaining power, and, ergo, a colonial holdover. I could not support forcing a pipeline onto an unwilling First Nations community.” — Sandy Garossino
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This week, the guys welcome Dave Cournoyer to the show to get an in-depth look at Dave, and how he became Daveberta.
Dave is well known in the Alberta political world for his website, www.daveberta.ca.
Check out Dave's podcast here.
Follow Dave on Twitter here, and consider supporting him here.
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On this week’s episode of The Forgotten Corner, Just Us, our hosts take a look at the violence in the Middle East, as Israel continues to pound Gaza with airstrikes.
We also discuss the caucus divide within the United Conservatives, and the recent ousting of Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes. Is a split of the right a good thing for Alberta?
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On the 13th installment of our Just Us series, Scott, Jeremy and Roberta answer a handful of questions from our (wonderful) listeners.
As always, Alberta politics are the main focus of the discussion. We branch off to talk about the opioid crisis, COVID — to name a couple of topics.
Follow Roberta on Twitter @rlexier.
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Back in early February, just days after Alberta entered into Stage One of its so-called reopening plan, we welcomed developmental biologist Dr. Gosia Gasperowicz to the show. She was sounding the alarm that lifting what few restrictions we did have would result in a massive third wave of COVID-19, especially with the incoming and growing variant strains.
Well, here we are in early May and Alberta is smack in the middle of the worst wave yet and the worst current situation in North America. But don’t worry, because vaccines are here and it’ll all be over soon, right?
Not so fast. Dr. Gasperowicz joins us again this week to discuss not only the catastrophe we are mired in now but why the vaccine is unlikely to be enough to end the pandemic any time soon.
It’s a hard subject to discuss and/or hear these days but there has never been a more important time to stay focused on COVID-19 as right now.
You can do something about it by signing onto the letter to the federal government by the Zero COVID Canada group at:
https://zerocovidcanada.org/
Follow Dr. Gasperowicz on Twitter at @GosiaGasperoPhD
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Blogger, union worker and former journalist David Climenhaga joins us this week to discuss the state of journalism in Alberta, as well as the decline of newspapers and why it didn’t need to happen so quickly.
David also tells listeners about the famous 1999 Calgary Herald, some of the folks involved at the time, as well as the evolution of his very popular blog, Alberta Politics.
Follow David on Twitter at @djclimenhaga
Read his work here.
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In one of our most high-profile episodes yet, Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood MLA Janis Irwin joins our hosts.
She is the opposition critic for Status of Women and LGBTQ2S+ Issues, but she is also a lifelong Albertan with a passion for a brighter future for all who live here.
We talk about everything from growing up in Barrhead, to coming out as an adult and taking on issues of equality head on as an MLA. We also talk about the state of Alberta and what she would strive to see happen should her party win back the legislature in 2023.
Follow Ms. Irwin on Twitter at @JanisIrwin.
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Three-term Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi joins The Forgotten Corner just days after announcing he will not be running again this fall.
Nenshi takes listeners through his journey that led him to become one of the most well-known municipal leaders in the world. He talks about his rise to fame, the struggles of the office and what it was like lead a city like Calgary as both a person of colour and the first Muslim mayor in Canadian history.
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The Forgotten Corner welcomes Dr. Carla Peck, a University of Alberta professor and PhD in social studies education and pedagogy, to the show this week to discuss the United Conservatives’ K-6 draft curriculum unveiled in late March.
As someone who intimately understands the process behind writing a proper social studies curriculum, you’d think she would be an obvious choice to help develop one in Alberta. And she was under two previous governments... just not with the UCP.
Follow Carla on Twitter at @cpeck3
Read some of her analysis of the draft curriculum for social studies — here — and here.
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We are back with some of our favourite Jewish friends, this time to celebrate Passover. Scott is joined by cohost Jeremy Appel, Dr. Roberta Lexier of Mount Royal University and Daniel Moser from Alberta Jewish News to take listeners through a traditional Seder, complete with wine drinking, so grab a glass or four! Seders were created as a way for new generations of Jews to learn the story of their people from their elders, and to celebrate the renewal of the season.
As we go through each step of a traditional Seder, our panelists discuss the meaning behind it, the reasons for specific traditions and how it all ties into present-day politics and the ongoing struggles for Jewish people.
Follow our panellists on Twitter:
@rlexier
@ABJewishNews
@JeremyAppel1025
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As a neuroscientist who specializes in memories, Dr. Wing Kar Li has a rare understanding of how the human mind receives and stores information. As an activist who was thrust into the spotlight of the provincial political scene in March 2020, she has a firsthand understanding of how Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro acts when he’s worked up.
Wing joins The Forgotten Corner this week to talk about everything from growing up in rural Alberta after moving from Hong Kong at the age of four, and what drew her interest to the science of the mind, to her current role with Support Our Students Alberta and the importance of activism under a United Conservative government.
Follow Wing on Twitter at @karliwithakay, and Support Our Students at @SOSAlberta
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In a bizarro world where right-wing propaganda dominates the podcast airwaves, the Harbinger Media Network was created to take a stand.
Harbinger is a growing conglomerate of progressive voices spanning from coast to coast.
Executive director Andre Goulet joins The Forgotten Corner this week to discuss the network’s vision, as well as some of the things listeners can expect from following the podcasts within.
In true Just Us fashion, our hosts take some time at the end of the show to discuss the state of the world... more specifically this week, the state of integrity in journalism.
Follow Harbinger on Twitter at @Harbingertweets
Follow Andre on Twitter at @andremarrgoulet
Check out some of Harbinger’s other great pods here.
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Ian Hussey of the Parkland Institute joins The Forgotten Corner this week to break down some of the talking-point myths about the economy that have been ingrained into the public for decades.
Are we actually helping the collective by focusing on the profits of big business at the expense of workers’ livelihood? Does “increasing productivity” mean more jobs? Are the unemployed motivated by social support to stay unemployed? Do we really spend more money than we should? Or more than we can afford?
Even if you know the answer to these questions is “no,” you know governments and big media disagree. Join Ian and our hosts to break down some of these problematic narratives, and what we can do to change our economic focus, and therefore, reality.
Follow the Parkland Institute on Twitter at @ParklandInst
See what they’re working on here.
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Activist Taylor McNallie started Rural Albertans Against Racism in June of 2020 in an effort to see awareness of racial problems brought to areas of the province outside the big city. The group rebranded in October to become Inclusive Canada, but the message remains: Racism - systemic or otherwise - is still a very real problem in Alberta and Canada.
McNallie joins The Forgotten Corner this week to discuss her life growing up in rural settings and the bullying and abuse she endured, as well as her turn toward activism and the decision to not sit quietly while others suffer the same environment she did.
Follow Taylor on Twitter at @TaylorMadeYYC
Visit Inclusive Canada, plus check out all that Taylor is involved in, by busting her link tree here:
Check out everything Taylor is up to here.
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University of Calgary developmental biologist Gosia Gosperowicz joins us this week to discuss the growing concern for another COVID-19 wave, as variant strains are taking hold in Alberta and the government insists on continuing with an ill-advised reopening plan.
Follow Gosia on Twitter at @GosiaGasperoPhD
More information on Gosia sounding the alarm once again.
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Join us for the second part of our conversation with the one and only Ryan Jespersen.
Check out Part 1 here.
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Check out Part 2 here.
Ryan Jespersen stormed onto the podcasting scene a few months ago with his daily news program, Real Talk. The show quickly became one of the most popular shows in North America, as the former longtime radio host seamlessly mixed daily live talk radio with the freedom of independent podcasting.
The Forgotten Corner is pleased to welcome Ryan to the show for a two-part interview, where we learn about the lifelong Albertan and what led him to radio, plus we talk politics in Alberta, how they’ve changed over the years and what it’s like being in the media under the current United Conservatives.
Follow Jespersen on Twitter at @ryanjespersen and listen to his show weekday mornings at ryanjespersen.com.
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We are back for another episode of Just Us, where Dr. Roberta Lexier of Mount Royal University joins us to answer questions from listeners.
In this episode we discuss topics such as who Alberta’s most dangerous politicians are and why we chose them, and we look at the lifting of restrictions to “help the economy” just as variant strains of COVID are arriving.
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Well, you ask, you get.
After being our most popular guest to date, former deputy premier Thomas Lukaszuk (@LukaszukAB) is back for a much-anticipated Part 3.
Join us as the longtime Alberta politician dives into a few old stories, such as the time current Premier Jason Kenney called him a “complete and utter asshole.”
Thomas also discusses the unabashed cronyism going on within the UCP, breaking down the unprecedented connection between the premier and the UCP’s favourite lobby organization.
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Latasha Calf Robe joins The Forgotten Corner this week to discuss Alberta’s recent decision to expand coal mining on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and the further trampling of Indigenous rights as the UCP strives for corporate profits over the health and culture of the Blackfoot people, and Albertans as a whole.
Latasha offers a passionate and informative view on the current Grassy Mountain Coal Mine project in the Crowsnest Pass. As a member of the Blood Tribe, Calf Robe is fighting for her people and her culture as mining will threaten everything she holds dear.
Visit the Niitsitapi Water Protectors Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/NiitsitapiWaterProtectors
Read more on the fight against the Grassy Mountain project:
https://globalnews.ca/news/7471175/blood-tribe-first-nation-grassy-mountain-mine/
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Listen to Part 1 here.
For Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Joe Vipond, we spoke about COVID, of course, and what it's been like working in a hospital during a global health crisis. He also answers our questions on ventilation and how that could provide a safer way for kids to return to school.
Read The Sprawl's piece on WesJet here.
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Listen to Part 2 here.
In Part 1 of our chat with Dr. Joe Vipond, we talk about the climate crisis and his role in getting the burning of coal banned in Alberta. We also discuss the limits of being a political physician.
Check out the Calgary Climate Hub.
Learn more about the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment.
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In a little over three years, The Sprawl, a Calgary-based independent media outlet, has grown from a “pop-up” journalism initiative started in order to cover the 2017 municipal election, to more than 1,800 crowd-funding subscribers.
Simply put, Calgarians like what The Sprawl offers: truth.
That support has allowed The Sprawl to grow to a core group of seven that covers a wide range of issues facing citizens of the city and the province.
Editor-in-chief Jeremy Klaszus joins The Forgotten Corner to talk about his life in journalism and what led him to begin The Sprawl.
We chat about the differences and similarities between independent journalism and mainstream media. And we discuss the true intentions of journalism and why we believe that has been set aside in favour of a need to always be “balanced” or “unbiased.”
Follow Jeremy on Twitter
Follow The Sprawl at @sprawlcalgary
Visit and become a Sprawler at The Sprawl
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The idea that every story needs to be “balanced” is not one that is taught in journalism school, but once you enter the Mainstream industry, it tends to become the No. 1 requirement.
But the media’s long pursuit of balance has given an equal platform to those with bad science, and the factual issues we face as a planet and a species have become topics of opinion instead of topics of action.
The Forgotten Corner welcomes Dr. Roberta Lexier back to the show to talk about why this happens, and why balance has created a decades-long disservice to the public writ large. We also discuss how and why the media’s “balance” often favours one side over the other. And, at least in Alberta, that side is the extreme right.
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Brent Smith is an instructor at Medicine Hat College, and the developer of a new sustainable agriculture program set to begin next year called AgroEcology.
Brent joins The Forgotten Corner this week to discuss the essential need for society to shift toward sustainable living, and to provide details on his new program at MHC.
We run through some of the jaw-dropping statistics that led him to develop this new program, talk about SE Alberta’s opportunity to be a worldwide leader, and we even finish with a little smack talk about economists.
Biomass distribution figures.
Read more about Energy Return on Investment.
More on EROI.
Read the economist report about climate change cited by Brent during the episode.
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It's the first night of Hannukah and we've got a very Jewish panel episode this week.
Dan Moser of Alberta Jewish News joins Jeremy and Roberta to answer Scott's questions about Jewish identity, white privilege and, yes, Israel.
Follow the Alberta Jewish News on Twitter @ABJewishNews and visit their website at www.albertajewishnews.com
Here's a link to the Briarpatch piece Jeremy mentioned comparing Alberta and Israel's approaches to combatting boycotts.
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As the second wave of COVID-19 rages on in Alberta and across the country, most of us are starting to truly understand what a global crisis is like. For advocates like Emma Jackson, co-founder of Climate Justice Edmonton, seeing that level of widespread clarity has been a dream scenario regarding the nightmare we face with our climate.
The climate crisis is a real f#@king emergency and it’s way past time the entire world and our governments treat is as such. The Forgotten Corner welcomes Emma to the show this week for a no-punches-pulled conversation about the global climate crisis.
We talk about CJE and what led her and a group of like-minded women to establish it, and Emma tells us the story of getting arrested in Vancouver in 2018 as part of a daring protest over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
For our “main course,” we talk with Emma about the Green New Deal and why it’s really “the only way” forward as we tackle this crisis that we have created. She takes aim at politicians, past and present, for their “new climate denialism” and this batshit crazy idea that we can keep expanding fossil fuel extraction while fighting the realities of climate change.
Follow Emma on Twitter at @EmmaJackson57
Follow CJE at @CJEdmonton, or like their Facebook page.
Visit their website.
Read more about the bridge protest in Vancouver.
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When Susan Wright began her blog, Susan on the Soapbox, she wanted to make a difference advocating for Albertans’ right to a strong health-care system. A decade later she has become a household name on the province’s pundit scene, and her blog on all things politics is well known in every corner of Alberta.
With a long career in law in the rearview mirror, Susan brings a wealth of knowledge to the table that is hard to match. The Forgotten Corner welcomes Susan to the show this week for a truly in-depth chat into her 26 years working for oil and gas companies, and her transition into a political writer.
Susan offers expert insight on how the biggest corporations think, and why some are more reluctant to change with reality than others. And our hosts pick her legal brain on the current United Conservative government, including their so-called assault on “red tape” which reads much more like an assault on personal freedoms.
Alberta is extremely lucky to have Susan and if you’re just discovering her today, when you’re done listening to this episode, you’ll know why.
Follow Susan on Twitter at @susanspbx
Read her award-winning blog here.
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Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean is a freelance journalist and host of the Political RnD podcast. She has had her finger directly on the pulse of Alberta politics since 2015, and has met and worked with some of the province’s biggest names along the way.
She is a former board member for the Alberta Party, a former employee of Derek Fildebrandt at his media outlet, The Western Standard, and has made a name for herself as a well-respected voice in media.
Deirdre joins The Forgotten Corner this week to discuss a wide range of topics, from her life growing up in Alberta to her foray into journalism. Deirdre candidly speaks about her past endeavours and talks about how they shaped the journalist she is today. She discusses her venture into podcasting and the new segment on her show called Women in #ABpoli.
Follow Deirdre on Twitter at @Mitchell_AB
Follow Political RnD at @PoliticalRnD
Listen and support Political RnD here.
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In a first for the Forgotten Corner, we open up the proverbial mailbag and answer listener questions.
In doing so, we discuss the under-reported closing of a recovery centre in northern Alberta for homeless men at the same time as the UCP is lavishing money on private facilities. And we also give a local listener tips on how to get politically involved in the Hat, even if you're a bit shy. Hopefully this is the first of many Q&A episodes.
Come at us on Twitter with your questions any time @forgcornpod.
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In a shift away from Alberta politics, The Forgotten Corner crew welcomes Dr. Roberta Lexier this week to talk about the gong show that is the U.S. election. At the time of recording, it had been 24 hours since the polls closed and there was still no winner declared.
Going by up-to-date information at the time, it was looking like Democratic candidate Joe Biden was going to squeak out a win. But President Donald Trump, who had indicated for months that he would not go quietly, had already begun to kick and scream, stamp his feet and, more importantly, rally his supporters to stand behind him as he “fights” this “stolen” election.
The Forgotten Corner dives into what that fight could look like in the short- and long-term future, as well as what might be the best- or worst-case scenarios as this historic moment in history unfolds.
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In part two of our interview with Thomas Lukaszuk, the longtime Progressive Conservative MLA, cabinet minister and former Deputy Premier looks back at some of the portfolios he oversaw, the hard decisions he had to implement, some of the regrets that he has and the responsibility he feels, in hindsight, for the consequences of governing.
Listen to Part 1 here.
Lukaszuk offers advice for fellow Albertans who feel like they’re without a political home, talks about the differences between opposing Rachel Notley’s governance and opposing Jason Kenney’s, and takes aim at the current government and its unabashed neoliberal approach to running the province.
Take it from a man who has personally known every premier since the 1970s… the UCP is nothing like Albertans have ever seen before.
Follow Thomas on Twitter at @LukaszukAB
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We at The Forgotten Corner understand that most Albertans aren’t going to listen to this show and immediately adopt a new outlook on how the province should be governed. We know that being a conservative means a great deal to a lot of people here, and that feeling comes from their bones, from their blood.
Listen to Part 2 here.
However, as not only journalists but citizens of Alberta, if there is one thing we hope to help people realize, it’s that the United Conservatives are not the “conservatives” you might think they are. And, what better way to help shed some light on that than welcoming to the show a longtime conservative Albertan, who not only held several provincial cabinet positions and the Deputy Premier role, but who also personally knows the conservative leaders of our past.
In part one of our interview with Thomas Lukaszuk, we look back on his early life in Canada as a Polish immigrant escaping a dictatorship, through to his happenstance foray into the world of politics. Thomas takes listeners through the events that led to his first time on a ballot, the circumstances behind his 2004 three-vote victory, how he landed his first role in cabinet and what it was like to balance and compromise his way through several portfolios.
Part one caps off with Thomas’s views on what it was like to run for the Progressive Conservative leadership against eventual winner, the late Jim Prentice, complete with a compelling accusation you won’t want to miss.
Follow Thomas on Twitter at @LukaszukAB
Tune in next week for part two, where the former Deputy Premier pulls no punches on the kind of government brought in by Jason Kenney’s United Conservatives. Part two also contains plenty more about Lukaszuk’s lengthy political career, including the gift of hindsight and the parts of his tenure that he looks back on with want, or even regret.
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The United Conservative government announced in February its plan to close 20 provincial parks and seek third-party management for 164 Crown sites, and the public was furious.
Then COVID-19 hit.
With all that has occurred in 2020 to date, it’s easy to understate the importance (and danger) of this decision, as what is already a vastly under-protected environment is opened up to the possibility of exploitation for profit. But a 57,000-signature petition urging the reversal of the UCP’s decision suggests plenty of Albertans are fighting for parks, and with the pandemic highlighting our need to preserve nature, this is a story that deserves more of our focus.
Grace Wark is a conservation specialist with the Alberta Wilderness Association, a Calgary-based, non-partisan, non-profit group devoted to promoting community care of wildlife and wilderness. She joins The Forgotten Corner this week to offer expertise into the impact that park closures of this magnitude will have.
In an environmentally essential episode, we dissect the UCP’s shortsighted decision and discuss some of the various for-profit results that could emerge at the literal expense of Albertans and the wilderness surrounding them.
Follow Grace on Twitter at @WarkInProgress
Follow the Alberta Wilderness Association on Twitter at @ABWilderness
Read Grace’s op-ed in the Narwhal here.
Read more on the parks closures here:
https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/ucp-moves-forward-with-plans-to-delist-alberta-parks-as-government-commits-43-million-to-improve-existing-sites/wcm/2c11bb0f-6d8a-4c6c-ad0b-19bfbab253d7/amp/
https://globalnews.ca/news/6899395/alberta-government-parks-partnership-rules/amp/
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5484095
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Whether it be for purposes of cruelty or simply an ideology gone too far, the United Conservative government in Alberta has taken aim at people with disabilities on multiple occasions, and all involving their wallet.
Marie Renaud, now in her second term at the Alberta legislature in the riding of St. Albert, specifically entered politics to advocate on behalf of those people who already face barriers to their daily lives, and who are already dealing with poverty-level income.
Renaud had four years with the NDP government, where she had more influence, but is now a member of the opposition as the government strips away an already thinly laid program meant to take care of people with disabilities.
The Forgotten Corner is pleased to welcome Renaud to the show this week, where she tells listeners the story of how she came from growing up in Quebec to sitting in the legislature in Edmonton, as well as her thoughts on what this current government is doing to those in this province that need help more than anyone else. Renaud has a lot to say about Premier Jason Kenney and his colleagues and she pulls no punches in her review of the actions they’ve taken as a collective. She’ll also discuss her decision to love the month of October off of $1,685, which is the maximum a person with disabilities can collect on AISH (Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped).
Follow Marie on Twitter at @MarieFrRenaud
Read more about the latest UCP plans for AISH.
More on changing the application process for AISH.
More on AISH being disconnected from inflation increases.
More on Renaud’s exchange in the legislature with Shane Gets.
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Medicine Hat is in the midst of a suicide epidemic. Around 10 young men have taken their lives since June, compared to two who have died from COVID since March. What causes someone to lose hope to the extent that they consider ending their lives?
We brought in a panel of people from the same demographic as the suicide victims to discuss their own brushes with mental health and addiction, breaking a code of silence surrounding suicidal ideation, especially among young men.
Hatters Ryan Oscar, Damyan Davis and Rick Armstrong join us to open up about their personal struggles in an effort to show those who are currently struggling that they are not alone. It is only through frank discussion of the issue at hand that we can even begin to address this crisis.
If you are in the depths of depression and are looking for someone to listen who has experienced what you're going through, you can reach Ryan at rkroscar@gmail.com, Damyan at damyandavis@gmail.com or Rick at rickarmstrong1@gmail.com.
Help is also available 24-7 through Alberta's Mental Health Help Line, which can be reached toll free at 1-877-303-2642.
Life, death and being a man in Medicine Hat
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When the premier of the province begins discussing persons with disabilities as if they are just another draining cost on the budget, maybe it’s time to ask more than questions about his political goals. Maybe it’s time to talk more about the man himself.
Is Jason Kenney a cut-throat, hard-nosed politician willing to do the necessary things to achieve his goals, no matter how cruel they seem today? Or, is it possible he actually isn’t capable of the empathy required to care about other people in the first place?
In an episode where we almost assuredly skirt the line on what is appropriate to suggest about Alberta’s current leader, The Forgotten Corner asks a few hard questions about the human qualities a true leader should have.
Read Scott's column here.
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If the United Conservative government in Alberta is hell bent on picking fights with the province’s workforce, the Alberta Federation of Labour says, “Bring it on.”
Premier Jason Kenney knows the labour movement is the biggest threat his government faces in its pursuit of a more private, less public Alberta where corporations are freer than ever to continue their decades-long exploitation of the province’s people and its resources. That’s why the UCP has taken aim at organized labour on multiple occasions — workers have power.
The Forgotten Corner welcomes AFL president Gil McGowan to the show this week for a spirited conversation about what the province’s workforce faces from its own government in the coming months and years. Gil is a born-and-raised Albertan who caught the bug for journalism in his youth but was quickly scooped up by the labour movement, and is now in his eighth elected term at the helm of the province’s labour umbrella.
Nearly 16 years and seven premiers later, Gil and the AFL face their biggest challenge yet, all while the government they face is writing laws to weaken their resolve. But if Kenney wants a fight, Gil says he’s got one.
Follow Gil on Twitter at @gilmcgowan
Alberta Federation of Labour:
https://www.afl.org/
Read about the AFL resistance:
https://www.kenneyscuts.ca/
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When we hear “religious” we often think “right wing,” and in The Forgotten Corner, there’s no shortage of reasons why that might be.
But being a person of faith is not a life sentence to being conservative, and you don’t even have to venture out of Medicine Hat to find a prime example of that.
Rev. Dave Pollard, a born-and-raised Albertan, has been the minister at Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church for the past four-and-a-half years, and has been an outspoken member of the city’s small but not insignificant progressive community the entire time.
Dave joins the Forgotten Corner this week for a truly spirited conversation that takes listeners through his childhood in Fort Saskatchewan and his eventual decision to join the clergy. He talks about how he became a progressive minister, and why he believes it’s essential for the church to be openly critical of government when the good of the collective is being jeopardized.
Follow Dave on Twitter at @TheRevDave
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The Forgotten Corner’s official stance on the business behind professional sports would not be a favourable one, and the idea of idolizing celebrity would not do much better.
But that being said, as sports fans ourselves, it’s not hard to wrap our brains around the idea that professional sports figures have real power to influence. Athletes in the National Basketball Association have been influencing our society for decades, from the clothes people wear to the music they listen to. And in 2020, as racial tensions once again reach a boiling point in the United States, these athletes have come together in an effort to do something much bigger than simply shaping pop culture.
In the wake of yet another black man suffering at the hands of white police officers — this time a 29-year-old father clinging to life after being shot seven times in the back — NBA players launched a wildcat strike and refused to play playoff games.
How much good can they do? How much power do they have? What can everyday workers learn from these players? What happens next?
The Forgotten Corner sits down with best friend of the show Dr. Roberta Lexier to discuss this in our latest instalment of Just Us.
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For the past five years, Calgary-based Support Our Students has been a vocal advocate for strong, universal public education system from the perspective of Alberta’s youth. Barb Silva, who has handled the non-partisan group’s communications during that time, has made a name as the outspoken public voice of SOS, drawing attention from politicians and private citizens as a no-holds-barred, no-nonsense representative.
The Forgotten Corner welcomes Barb to the show this week to discuss the United Conservative’s so-called plan for a safe return to schools, which will occur province-wide on Aug. 31. Barb takes listeners through her life growing up in Canada with her father, a political refugee of Augusto Pinochet’s Chile, and her personal journey through becoming an engineer, then teacher, then mother of three, before taking aim at the current provincial government and the Alberta Teachers Association regarding their lacklustre efforts for the betterment of the province’s education system, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barb is leaving Alberta with her family for personal reasons, but as one of her final acts as a member of SOS, she lays out exactly how she feels about the upcoming return to school and the plan(s) in place to ensure safety for all. Join us for one of our more passionate conversations to date, especially if you or someone you know has kids heading back to school next week.
Follow Barb on Twitter:
@thatSilvaLining
Learn more about Support Our Students:
https://www.supportourstudents.ca/
Read the UCP’s ‘plan’ for a safe return to school here:
https://www.alberta.ca/k-to-12-school-re-entry-2020-21-school-year.aspx
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For all its promises of the good ol’ days, the United Conservatives’ handling of Alberta’s oil industry has been one of its most prominent failures to date… and there have been plenty.
Longtime journalist Markham Hislop has been exclusively covering the energy industry long enough that, although hesitant to admit it, he’s become an expert in the field. Most notably, Markham has focused his efforts on the coming (and already here) transition away from fossil fuels, clean energy, technology and just a little bit of politics.
As the publisher and No. 1 contributor to Energi Media, Markham has dedicated his career to properly educating the public — and politicians — on the energy industry and the challenges it faces. Markham joins The Forgotten Corner this week to discuss how he came to run an Alberta energy-centric media outlet from Vancouver Island, his recently drafted Energy Declaration and why he thinks you need to sign it, and, of course, some of the ways in which the Alberta government is blowing a crucial opportunity at a crucial time.
Follow Markham on Twitter at @politicalham
Read Markham’s work at Energi Media here:
https://energi.media/
Read the Energy Declaration here:
https://energi.media/the-energi-declaration/
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We are joined again by best friend and honourary member of the show Roberta Lexier to talk about the superficial politics of civility that pop up periodically in the public discourse. The impetus for this discussion is, of course, the "Fuck you Kenney" mug, which conservatives claimed was practically an act of violence.
The left is always held to standards that aren't expected of the right. We are the good guys, the thinking goes. But when faced with an onslaught of privatization and general disregard for human life, as evidenced by the current Alberta government, we contend that tolerance and civility get us nowhere, and can do more harm than good.
We also somehow weave that into a discussion of K-12 schools being ordered to return to near-normal in the fall and how it's a clear attempt to undermine the public education system.
In short, we make the case for substance on civility when discussing the collective good.
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In a last-minute episode of Just Us, we take a look at Alberta’s Bill 32, which promises to “restore balance in the workplace” by drastically weakening unions, limiting their ability to strike, eliminating the majority of overtime pay, dropping minimum wage for persons with disabilities and much much more.
The assault on the worker is in high gear, and Albertans simply don’t have time to wait for constitutional challenges. It’s not the first blow offered by the UCP, and it won’t be the last.
Unions and workplace action are responsible for every thing from safety laws to 40-hour weeks, from pensions to the existence the weekend. The UCP clearly wants to make sure they have no resources to continue that fight for worker rights.
Join us for an especially rant-y episode of the Forgotten Corner. Hope you like swear words!
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Dr. Jillian Ratti speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to call out her provincial government. The UCP doesn’t like that.The Forgotten Corner once again welcomes Dr. Ratti to the show this week as she takes listeners through her latest run-in with the health minister, who felt compelled to discuss her Twitter account during question period at the legislature.
We also discuss an obvious contradiction from the Health Ministry, as it denies a potential physician exodus while simultaneously asking the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta to write rules that prevent doctors from leaving. And we take a good look at Bill 30: The Health Statutes Amendment Act, an omnibus bill that, among other things, further paves the way to privatization of health services within Alberta.
Dr. Ratti explains why she thinks Health Minister Tyler Shandro and his colleagues are so interested in her all the time, and tells listeners why Albertans should absolutely be worried about access to physicians in the not-too-distant future.
Grab a beverage, grab a chair, and join us for another important, candid episode that all Albertans need to hear.
Follow Dr. Ratti on Twitter at @JillianRatti, and follow The Forgotten Corner at @ForgCornPod.
Read more about Bill 30 here:
https://www.alberta.ca/improving-public-health-care.aspx
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5641665
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The NDP swept to a majority government in 2015, knocking down the 44-year-old PC dynasty in the process. Jessica Littlewood, who was elected as the MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, was one of many political neophytes who won in 2015 and lost in 2019. Although a private member, the one-term MLA successfully pushed for corrections officers to be included under presumptive PTSD coverage and chaired two committees. She remains involved with the party as co-chair of the NDP rural caucus with fellow former MLA Shaye Anderson.
In this wide-ranging discussion, we spoke to Jessica about her upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness and how that informed her politics before talking about what it's like to be a private member in a first-time majority government, her accomplishments, regrets, Bill 32 and how the NDP has been handling its time in opposition against a UCP government hell-bent on dismantling the public sector.
Follow Jessica on Twitter @JLittlewoodNDP
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Dr. Roberta Lexier is back on the show this week for another Just Us episode where we imagine a better future — one where every human is provided the basic essentials for survival, and where working ourselves into early graves for the profits of another is not how we spend decade after decade of our existence.
But, then, how do we get things? How do we pay for them? What do we do all day?
The Forgotten Corner reminds our listeners once again that we don’t have to do things a certain way just because that’s how they’ve been done throughout our own lives, as we take a look at a world where we value ourselves beyond our ability to sell our labour to the lowest bidders.
Follow Roberta on Twitter at @rlexier
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If you don’t yet know the name Elizabeth Strange, you might want to make your acquaintance soon.
The born-and-raised Hatter has wanted to be prime minister since she was seven years old, and at just 27 now has already racked up a dream resume for the world of politics.
Elizabeth has already received a Masters in Law and is about to begin the pursuit of her PhD, and she officially wet her feet in politics in 2019 when she ran under the banner of the federal NDP — she has been a supporter of the New Democrats at the provincial and federal levels for several years.
Elizabeth joins the Forgotten Corner this week to take listeners through her life growing up in mostly-conservative Medicine Hat and what prompted her to pursue her degrees in law, her move to the U.K. and foray into the political world, and then her move home to put her name on the federal ballot. We finish by tapping into her expertise in criminal law and find out why she thinks Canada missed out on the UN Security Council seat, and what we as a nation could do to improve our human rights record.
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People struggling with addiction aren't just battling their drug of choice, but also the many stigmas that come with using the drug in the first place. If society is going to help people and save lives, it must treat those who use drugs based on the realities that exist and the advice of health experts, and stop treating them based on the preconceived notions of politicians and their backward ideologies.
We are pleased this week to welcome Corey Ranger, a registered nurse who is currently a project manager and clinical lead working on safe supply initiatives in Victoria, B.C., and a longtime advocate for people who struggle with addiction.
For those in southeast Alberta, you may have come across his name while he was the clinical lead for HIV Community Link, which has been trying to establish a supervised consumption site in Medicine Hat. While he has since moved to the West Coast, Corey continues to be a member and contributing writer for Change the Face of Addiction, an Alberta-based not-for-profit advocacy and awareness group.
Corey has dedicated his career to addictions support and works every day to tackle the stigmas surrounding people who use drugs. He speaks with passion and expertise, and he doesn’t mince words when talking about those who ignore the health experts. Join us for an extremely informative and important episode of The Forgotten Corner.
Follow Corey on Twitter at @CoreyRanger
Check out Change the Face of Addiction on Facebook here.
An open study on safe supply.
A two-part lecture Corey gave on harm reduction.
Part one.
Part two.
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Free people absolutely must have the right to protest. Citizens of Canada don’t have to face even the thought of not having that right, but thanks to a recently passed bill by the United Conservative government, Albertans must now question whether that fundamental aspect of a democracy still exists.
Bill 1, the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, allows authorities to impose heavy fines, and even jail time, to those who dare use “critical infrastructure” to protest over something they believe in. The Forgotten Corner welcomes David Khan to the show this week to break down Bill 1 and so much more.
Khan, the leader of the Alberta Liberals for the past three years, is a constitutional lawyer who specializes in Indigenous rights and land claims. If ever there were a perfect guest to discuss anything, this is it. Khan has been publicly critical of Bill 1 since its introduction into the legislature, but as the leader of an opposing party, he has been a vocal critic of both the government and the official opposition since the 2019 election.
Khan offers listeners a look into his life growing up in Calgary, the struggles behind coming out as gay at a time when so many were forced to keep it a secret, what led him to toward politics — and, specifically, the Alberta Liberals — and, of course, his expertise into a piece of legislation that he says is unconstitutional… and then some.
Follow David on Twitter @Dave_Khan
Read more on Bill 1 here.
Read more about the Alberta Liberal Party here.
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If there’s one thing everyone can agree on it’s that a good education is an essential component of societal progression. Without providing the opportunity to learn to each and every citizen, the things we need to survive as a social species are put at risk.
Bridget Stirling has been a trustee for Ward G with the Edmonton Public School Board for the past five years and is a dedicated advocate for childhood rights. While formally trained in communications, Bridget has long had an eye for elected politics and has been right at home in her role, as it has given her the avenue to fight for a child’s right to learn in a healthy environment.
The Forgotten Corner welcomes Bridget this week to take a strong look at the direction of Alberta education, from the government’s eagerness to help private and charter schools, to politicized curriculum and the “role” of police officers in schools. Grab a coffee, kick back and enjoy an especially nerdy episode, where we know you’ll learn a few things about public education and why it’s something we should all push to strengthen.
Follow Bridget on Twitter at @bridgetstirling
Read about the Choice in Education Act here.
Read about the UCP’s curriculum plans here.
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If 2020 has taught the world one thing, it’s that our health professionals are integral to our individual and collective survival. In Alberta, neither that reality nor the pandemic that magnified it has stopped the United Conservative government from taking aim at the province’s essential frontline workers.
For the province’s physicians, that meant navigating the unknown of a global health crisis while doing battle with the government over fee structures that jeopardized clinics and services across the province.
Dr. Jillian Ratti, a born-and-raised Calgarian family doctor, has been front and centre for much of this fight — refusing to stay silent, refusing to back down. Whether it was the so-called conscience rights of Bill 207, the patient-affecting fee changes, or the unabashed efforts to privatize the health care system, she has been there to vocalize her opposition and support her colleagues and patients. Dr. Ratti joins the Forgotten Corner this week to discuss everything from her childhood and her mindset behind becoming a doctor, to her run for federal politics in 2015; from her pre-Christmas social-media video that brought the ire of Issue Manager Matt, to her ongoing fight to provide the heath care her patients deserve under a government.
Read more on Dr. Ratti’s efforts versus the current provincial government here:
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5379790
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5369332
https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/albertas-new-mobile-health-care-app-has-flaws/amp/
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The Forgotten Corner is back with another instalment of Just Us, but with an expert twist, as we once again welcome MRU professor and Dr. Roberta Lexier to the show.
We start off with a new segment, called Why Scott Was Wrong, which could no doubt be recurring more often than he would like to see. Lexier offers her thoughts on why a PST is not Alberta’s answer — or at least, not on its own — before she helps us dive into the true definitions of socialism and a social democracy.
Can a social democracy work? Can capitalism be regulated enough that it works for the collective? Can centrists and leftists find common ground? Have a listen to all this and more, as The Forgotten Corner crew seeks solutions to a society that neglects the collective for a system that pits us all against each other.
Read the Forbes article we discuss and find out why it is both correct and terrible:
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For the first time in our short history The Forgotten Corner moves away from politics for the most part to finally welcome a guest from our own neck of the woods.
Mark Sakamoto is a best-selling, award-winning author and the host of a new show on CBC Gem, not to mention being executive vice president of Think Research, a digital health company out of Toronto doing some innovative things at an important time in history. He was also born and raised in Medicine Hat, Alta. — the son of the first Japanese Canadian to be born in the Gas City — and the story of his family’s history is one for the ages.
Fighting through the tragedies and destruction of the Second World War, Sakamoto’s grandmother Mitsue and grandfather Ralph each had to fight for survival through the kind of hardship most Canadians will never have to endure, so that one day their children would be alive to meet and start a family.
Mark takes our listeners through his own personal journey growing up in the Hat with a mother battling alcohol addiction, and his eventual departure to pursue a career in law on the other side of the country. He talks about writing the tragic, yet triumphant stories from his family’s history, outlines his new docu-series Good People and discusses both the systemic issues his show pinpoints and the people on the frontlines working to make the world a better place.
Follow Mark on Twitter at @MarkSakamoto1.
Stream Good People here.
Learn more about Mark’s book here.
Buy Mark’s book here.
Check out more on Think Research.
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Kim Siever burst onto the Alberta political media scene recently when he exposed the shady dealings behind a Crown land sale near the southern Alberta city of Taber, drawing attention from both concerned citizens and the United Conservative government.
Since then he has been churning out daily news stories from his home in Lethbridge that are both well-researched and full of (not-so) surprising truths, and he is quickly becoming a household name among independent media. The Forgotten Corner welcomes Kim this week to take a deeper look into who he is, where he came from and what motivated him to take on this new and important role within the province.
We get into everything from his “radical left” ideology — boosted by a tragic story from his past — to his strong faith within southwest Alberta’s Mormon community, and his efforts to balance the two. Kim breaks down some of his recent work, and offers The Forgotten Corner listeners his views on what can be done to put Alberta on the path to a better way.
Read Kim’s daily news stories here:
www.kimsiever.ca
The story that started it all:
https://kimsiever.ca/2020/04/02/the-real-story-behind-the-taber-crown-land-deal/
Committee to look at private busing:
https://kimsiever.ca/2020/05/12/lethbridge-mla-chairing-committee-to-consider-private-school-buses/
If this episode’s use of the word “communism” threw you off, interested you further, or just made you hopping mad, Alberta Advantage Podcast did an episode you should listen to:
https://albertaadvantagepod.com/2020/03/09/kenney-forgot-who-defeated-the-nazis/
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Drew Barnes is Alberta’s MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat. He is also the owner of First Choice Property Management, which owns several rental properties in Medicine Hat and around the province.
A recent story by Press Progress featured a tenant of Barnes named Dustin, who was facing the threat of eviction mere days after a COVID-related ban on evictions had concluded. The story ends positive for Dustin, as the eviction threat was pulled back and the company suggested it would work with its tenant on a rental plan that worked for Dustin.
On our first episode of The Forgotten Corner: Just Us, we take a look at the broader concept of mass property ownership and the problems we have with someone earning large profits off people’s need to have a roof over their head. Join us for a half-hour chat and ask yourself one question: Shouldn’t housing be an essential right shared by all?
Read the Press Progress story here.
A little more about Jared Kushner’s appearance in Netflix series Dirty Money.
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We are extremely pleased for just our second episode of The Forgotten Corner to welcome Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips to the show. Phillips joins us for a great discussion that takes listeners through her early life growing up in a conservative Albertan home to her eventual election as part of an NDP majority government in 2015.
She talks about her time as the province’s minister of environment, and what it was like to face a specific, often vitriolic, opposition. We dive into the Alberta NDP’s record on the environment, and Phillips talks extensively about the myriad issues a government faces from all sides when trying to diversify an economy that has long relied on its energy industry.
The Alberta NDP has faced questions for years about its stance on oil and gas, but those inquiries have mostly come from a staunch conservative point of view. The Forgotten Corner takes a different approach, and Phillips is kind enough to enter into a healthy debate about when and how fast we should be shifting away from oil sands development.
You can follow Phillips on Twitter @SPhillipsAB and on Instagram under the same handle.
Read more about Castle parks:
In 2018, the NDP signs a deal to protect Indigenous rights:
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/globalnews.ca/news/4625600/indigenous-rights-castle-parks/amp/
In 2019, the UCP quietly pauses that plan:
https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5234811
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Welcome to our first episode!
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the many failures of our neoliberal system of capitalism, from the lack of hospital beds to mass unemployment and a failure of the market to meet basic needs. It will take years to know the full ramifications.
Dr. Roberta Lexier, an historian and associate professor at Mount Royal University joins The Forgotten Corner to discuss some of those failures, as well as what possible future could be imagined out of the wreckage.
Lexier is an expert in political activism, and has been active herself on the landscape of social change for nearly two decades. She talks about a new pandemic-related course she will begin in May, as well as some of the things Albertans can do to help see positive change in their own province.
Check out her many great peer-reviewed works and media appearances on her website at robertalexier.com, and be sure to follow her on Twitter at @rlexier.
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