Alberta@Noon

What are you doing to save money when you fill up your vehicle? Patrick De Haan from GasBuddy and Lorraine Sommerfeld from driving.ca join us to take your calls.

1000's of people told to leave, smoke in the air. Clogged highways. Another fire season has started in the Fort McMurray area. How are you affected by these fires and what are you thinking as we head into another season of fire and smoke?

At the end of the show, we speak with Alberta Leadership candidate Jodi Callahoo Stonehouse.

Unlike other universities, Alberta encampments are brought down quickly. At the U of C, it lasted less than 24 hours. A similar encampment was removed at the University of Alberta. Was this the right strategy? When protesters set up encampments on campus, what should happen?

4 candidates are vying for your votes in the Alberta NDP leadership race. Three of those candidates, Kathleen Ganley, Naheed Nenshi and Sarah Hoffman, are here today to answer your questions

Canada Post is in big financial trouble. It lost almost 750 million dollars last year and says it could run out of money within a year. The Crown Corporation wants to rethink how it works and what it does. One option is to stop daily mail delivery. Would you care if that happened?

There's a beekeeping boom in this country. Stats Canada reported earlier this year that there were more than 15 thousand beekeepers in Canada, the highest in almost 40 years. It's a growing hobby that comes with some big challenges for first-timers. We want to know why you got into beekeeping.

BC's short lived experiment with allowing hard drug use in public places is over. Oregon has also reversed course on decriminalization? What happened and what's to be learned?

There's a wide variety of approaches to cell phones in Alberta schools. Some have strict restrictions, others not so much. Is it time for a province wide ban?

There are a growing number of Canadians who are working past the age of sixty-five. Many of them are doing it because they need the money, while others just love their jobs. We asked why you are working when you could be retired?

Back in the day, many of us grew up in close-knit communities, where you knew most of the people on your block. Today we're asking, how well do you know your neighbours?

The federal dental care program is now up and running. Are you using it? Do you plan to? How is it helping?

The Trans Mountain Pipeline is up and running after years of construction. Jeff Jones from the Globe and Mail joins us to look back at the history of the project and look ahead to what its completion means for Alberta.

After years of trying, American lawmakers have started a process to end TikTok as it now stands. They passed a law that will either see the app sold or banned. The company CEO took to Tiktok of course to defend his company. What do you think of TikTok and what do you think its future should be?

Why are thousands of British Columbia residents packing their bags and moving to Alberta? In a special joint show with BC Today, we look at why so many people are making their way across Alberta's western border.

Today we spoke about Bill 20. City mayors call it anti-democratic and an overreach. What about you?

Our provincial government believes hydrogen can help us reach net zero. Investing millions of dollars to get us there. Environmental advocates say it's a distraction. What do you think?

The UK has a new strategy to reduce tobacco use - to ban stores from selling cigarettes to an ever expanding cohort. If you're born in 2009 or later, shops would never be able to sell to you. Can you imagine this working here?

Trudeau government is floating the idea of a 'right to disconnect' from work policy for federal employees. Ontario already has a law like that designed to help people manage their work-life balance. Do we need rules around the right to disconnect from work?

The premier says her government should approve deals that cities or universities make with the federal government. The mayor of Calgary says that's the opposite of what we need now. We want to know your thoughts on Bill-18.

Will zoning changes in Alberta's major cities help alleviate the housing crisis?

Calgary's new civic brand is "Blue Sky City", a change from previous taglines like "Be Part of the Energy" and "Heart of the New West." Do you like the change? Does a civic brand change the way you feel about your community? What do you think about the approach that your community is taking?

What will it take to get more workers to choose the trades?

How are you handling grey hair and your changing body? What are you doing physically and mentally to age well? Are you trying to hide it - or embrace it?

How do we keep people safe from aggressive dogs?

If you don't have a will yet, there's no time like the present to create one. It's also important to appoint an executor who will fulfill your wishes. How are you taking care of your estate?

The federal government says it wants to start a housing revolution - and that the new money available in yesterday's budget should help do that. The goal is to add almost 4 million new homes by 2031. To help pay for all this new spending, there's increased capital gains taxes, which will impact wealthier Canadians and businesses.

Today - what do you think? Can you afford a place to live? If you want to buy a home - can you find one you can afford? What about renting? If you own a home - can you afford to keep it?

Do you volunteer your time? If so, what are you doing and what do those volunteer efforts bring to your life?

What happened when you were given a second chance at life?

Coming close to dying - or knowing it's imminent - can change everything. Today, we want to hear about those moments and what changed for you.

Jeremie Saunders, the co-host of the Sickboy podcast, is our guest for the hour.

Dr. Werner Becker from the University of Calgary joins us to take your calls and questions on migraines.

We're joined by two guests today to share book recommendations. Jacqueline Baker is an author and associate professor of creative writing at MacEwan University in Edmonton, while Calgary's Anne Logan reviews books on her blog ivereadthis.com.

The provincial government has launched a plan to train and retain more doctors in under served areas of Alberta. But, those doctors won't be ready to practice for another six years or so. We asked how you're feeling about primary care right now in your community.

Four school boards in Ontario have launched a massive lawsuit against social media platforms like Tik Tok, Instagram and Snapchat. The suit claims the sites are addictive, and negatively affecting the behaviour and mental health of children. How is the use of social media apps affecting your kids or grandkids?

Today on Alberta at Noon, we wanted to hear your thoughts on when is the best time to start collecting your share of the Canada Pension Plan.

The cost to fill up at the pumps is going up. What will it mean for you?

If you've been vaccinated against measles - or if you've had measles in the past - is it time for a booster? Craig Jenne from the University of Calgary joins us for the hour to take your calls and questions.

The so called 'sandwich generation' is growing, and more people are feeling the squeeze. Millions of boomers are living longer thanks to breakthroughs in modern medicine and more young adults are still living at home because of the rising cost of housing. We want to know what it's like to be a hard working member of the 'sandwich generation'.

The province is considering changes to its recall legislation. What do you think of the way it stands now, and how would you like to see it changed?

You might have a question about your indoor plants, or this sudden warm weather might have you thinking about what you're going to plant this spring. We have Jim Hole for the hour.

A new report describes many of the challenges facing small rural communities in Alberta right now. When young people leave, and newcomers choose to live in big cities, it can trigger the demise of a town, or village. We wanted to hear your stories about life in small town Alberta. Past, present, and future.

Has there been a moment when you decided that you needed to find another job? We asked you what happened and if it worked out the way you expected it to.

What is your experience using diabetes drugs like Ozempic for weight loss?

Do you use the self-checkout or do you prefer chatting with a cashier? What do you think of the idea of scanning a receipt before you can leave a grocery store?

Is the federal carbon tax on its last legs? In the absence of a federal carbon tax, are there better ways to tackle climate change?

Who should be the next leader of the Alberta NDP?

The Oscars have come and gone for another year. Did the Academy make the right picks? What did you think of the show?

We talked about potlucks on the show today. Are you like Carmen Cheng and you love them as a way to be introduced to fabulous new foods? Or maybe you're with Phil Wilson who's been to too many potlucks where KFC and veggie trays were the centerpieces. We wanted to know your thoughts.

The Bank of Canada is holding interest rates at 5%, saying it's still too soon for a rate cut. What does this mean for your finances and your mortgage?

How have surgery wait times in Alberta affected you?

With a second Biden-Trump matchup all but certain, we talk to political scientist Greg Anderson from the University of Alberta about what to expect as the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches.

Today we talked about whether or not we should have political parties in municipal elections. Most polling shows Albertans don't want them, but the premier has said she wants them; that in her mind, it's already partisan so parties would just make it more transparent.

The pause on renewables was lifted and there are now a new set of rules that come into effect March 1st. Projects like wind and solar farms cannot be built on prime agricultural land unless they can co-exist with crops or livestock. Wind turbines won't be allowed near protected areas and in places where they might affect so called "pristine viewscapes." No such rules exist for oil an gas, logging or coal. So what do you make of these new rules for renewables?

The federal government has announced the creation of a national pharmacare program - but Alberta wants to opt out. What do you think of the idea of national pharmacare, and what should Alberta's response be?

David Marples from the University of Alberta joins us for the hour to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Sheila Liming is an associate professor of writing at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Her new book "Hanging Out: The Radical Power of Killing Time" looks at the joy and the importance of simply hanging out with people. Is this a part of your life? What's the best thing that's ever happened to you while just hanging out?

In 2023, at least 4 people died on average everyday from opioids. That's over 17 hundred people. So if you've lost someone to the drug crisis, what was their story, and what is yours?

We talk to bestselling author Dr. Jen Gunter about her new book "Blood: The Science, Medicine, and Mythology of Menstruation."

Today on Alberta at noon, we talked about your love of wrestling. Peter Klein has a podcast all about wrestling and joined us on the show. So did Edmonton filmmaker Omar Mouallem who just made a documentary about the indie wrestling scene.

Today, we looked at the Premier's economic outlook announced last night. The plan is to bump up the amount of money we pump into the Heritage Saving Fund, to restrain spending, and to delay promised tax cuts. What are your thoughts?

Have you pursued a career in the trades? What are the benefits and what are the drawbacks?