Alberta Unbound

This month's episode takes us out of Alberta bounds and into space. Astronomers Samantha Lawler and Aaron Boley, and political philosopher Daniel Munro, discuss the impacts of satellite debris and satellite congestion. To learn more about Senator Paula Simons' satellite inquiry in the Senate, see this link here:  Senator Paula Simons Topic Intervention 689271 - 37 and Senator Paula Simons Topic Intervention 689271 - 41  Or watch the full speech here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH-FDPCtiXM&t=20s Curious to know more? Read these articles here: SpaceX satellites would outshine the stars | The Narwhal SpaceX Dropped Space Junk on My Neighbor’s Farm. Here’s What Happened Next https://www.cigionline.org/publications/for-all-humankind-a-framework-for-responsible-spacefaring/

The 2026 Kreisel lecturers, Richard Van Camp, Shani Mootoo and Lise Gaboury-Diallo, join Paula Simons onstage to discuss place, truth, and story as community medicine You can listen to Part 1 & 2 of the lecture here: https://senatorpaulasimons.podbean.com/e/the-kreisel-lecture-part-1-the-lust-for-lightning/ https://senatorpaulasimons.podbean.com/e/kreisel-lecture-pt-23-the-call-of-place/  Curious to learn more about the lecture and the authors? Visit these links below:  The Kreisel Lecture: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/literatures-in-canada/programming/kreisel-lecture-series/index.html Richard Van Camp: https://richardvancamp.com/books/ Shani Mootoo: https://www.shanimootoo.ca/ Lise Gaboury-Diallo: https://ustboniface.ca/lgaboury/page.aspx?pid=12004   Photo credits to Anindita Mukherjee

In Part 2 of the Kreisel Lecture, Authors Shani Mootoo and Lise Gaboury-Diallo reflect on place, identity, and the purpose of narrative.   You can listen to Part 1 of the lecture here: https://senatorpaulasimons.podbean.com/e/the-kreisel-lecture-part-1-the-lust-for-lightning/ Curious to learn more about the lecture and the authors? Visit these links below:  The Kreisel Lecture: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/literatures-in-canada/programming/kreisel-lecture-series/index.html Shani Mootoo: https://www.shanimootoo.ca/ Lise Gaboury-Diallo: https://ustboniface.ca/lgaboury/page.aspx?pid=12004

Every year, the Centre for Literatures in Canada at the University of Alberta hosts the Kreisel Lecture, where authors are invited to deliver a lecture on a topic of their choosing. To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the centre broke the lecture into three parts, featuring authors Richard Van Camp, Shani Mootoo, and Lise Gaboury-Diallo. Senator Paula Simons was invited to open the lecture series and moderate a panel featuring the three authors.  The first episode of this special three-part series includes the introduction from Senator Simons on Henry Kreisel, followed by Richard Van Camp's lecture on living in Fort Smith, Indigenous literature, and begging to be struck by lightning over and over again.  Curious to learn more about the lecture and the authors? Visit these links below:  The Kreisel Lecture: https://www.ualberta.ca/en/literatures-in-canada/programming/kreisel-lecture-series/index.html Henry Kreisel: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/henry-kreisel Richard Van Camp: https://richardvancamp.com/books/

The fate of Alberta’s separatist referendum is up in the air. But Alberta’s premier and Alberta separatists aren’t the only ones who want a vote to go ahead. There’s mounting evidence of foreign-backed social media campaigns, trying to influence the outcome of the sovereignty debate. Edmonton author and analyst Patrick Lennox assesses the risks to Alberta democracy - and national security.  You can read his latest Walrus articles here:  Can Alberta Protect Its Secession Vote from Trump? | The Walrus How Did an Alberta Separatist Group Get Its Hands on the Voter List? | The Walrus

Edmonton playwright, documentary-maker and award-winning children’s author Marty Chan on growing up Chinese-Canadian, book bans, Bill 28 and racism’s revival tour. To see more of Chan's work, visit his website https://martychan.com for more details.

Political scientists Melanee Thomas and Yasmeen Abu-Laban, political strategists Ken Boessenkool and Zain Velji, and former Director of the Centre for Constitutional Studies at the University of Alberta Patricia Paradis, dive into the nine referendum questions and how Albertans should respond. Here are the nine referendum questions below:  1. Do you support the Government of Alberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities? 2. Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services? 3. Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially funded social support programs? 4. Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the health care and education systems? 5. Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election? 6. Have provincial governments, and not the federal government, select the justices appointed to provincial King’s Bench and Appeal courts? 7. Abolish the unelected federal Senate? 8. Allow provinces to opt out of federal programs that intrude on provincial jurisdiction such as health care, education, and social services, without a province losing any of the associated federal funding for use in its social programs? 9. Better protect provincial rights from federal interference by giving a province’s laws dealing with provincial or shared areas of constitutional jurisdiction priority over federal laws when the province’s laws and federal laws conflict?

An Alberta Unbound special episode: a live recording of a panel discussion titled "Alberta and the New World Disorder," happened on February 6th, 2026, as part of the University of Alberta's International Week. Panelists the Hon. Anne McLellan, Dr. Rickey Yada, and Dr. Charlie Mballa discussed trade, geopolitics, and a tad-bit of Alberta separatism, in their discussion moderated by Sen. Paula Simons.

Pilar Martinez, outgoing CEO of the Edmonton Public Library, on the role of libraries in the age of AI and book bans.

Acclaimed Metis scientist David Wishart, a pioneer in the study of metabolomics, and Debby Waldman, an award-winning Jewish-American children's author and journalist, talk about the alchemy that brought them together, and made and kept them Albertans. To read more about Debby's latest work, see her substack here: https://debbywaldman.substack.com/ And to learn more about the Gerhard Herzberg award and David's research, see this link: David Wishart - Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering - NSERC

Born in Toronto. Raised in Khartoum. Launched in Lethbridge. Calgary-based stand-up Faris Hyttia has a life story, and a comic sensibility, like no other. His parents sent him from Sudan to Alberta to become an engineer. But fate had other, funnier, ideas. More of his comedy can be seen here:  Homesick Just for Laughs: Dog People vs Cat People Telus Storyhive: Send Help Instagram & TikTok: @farrooossi More information: https://linktr.ee/farrooossi  Recordings of Faris' shows were provided by the comic himself and OK Dope Productions.

Once, Thomas Lukaszuk was the Conservative deputy premier of Alberta. Today, he's leading the campaign to keep Alberta in Confederation. So is his anti-separation petition a great way to drum up Canadian patriotism? Or is he playing right into the separatists' hands? Thomas sits down with Alberta Senator Paula Simons to explain his strategy - and his passion for the country that granted his own refugee family asylum.

Award-winning spoken word poet Nonso Morah on growing up Nigerian-Canadian in rurban Alberta - and on what it means to be an Albertan in Canada today

Former Deputy PM Anne McLellan, former Alberta NDP Environment Minister Shannon Phillips and CPC strategist Ken Boessenkool examine the entrails of the federal election - and confront the threat of Alberta separatism

Chief Conroy Sewepagaham of the Little Red River Cree Nation talks about “making noise up north” as he works to lead his community through recovery from not one, but two, devastating wildfires.

Bloomberg’s White House correspondent Josh Wingrove reports in from the front lines of Trump’s trade war.

Activist and author Jesse Lipscombe on Alberta’s Black history, the power of radical patience, and building coalitions of resistance.  Link to Return to Amber Valley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsRkZz1KJB0

Political pundit Graham Thomson on why and where Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland and Pierre Poilievre are all playing up their Alberta roots.

Dishing the dirt on soil health and regenerative agriculture with Kimberly Cornish, Shorty Fensky and Yamily Zavala.

How Narwhal editor Emma Gilchrist’s childhood in oil and gas country shaped her commitment to environmental journalism.

The Hon. Ron Ghitter was an architect of Alberta’s first human rights legislation. Now, undaunted at 89, he’s fighting to protect it.

Right wing trolls have dubbed Dr. Kristopher Wells Canada’s most dangerous Senator. Now meet the real Kris Wells, Alberta’s “proudest” new Senate representative.

Join Independent Senator Paula Simons of Alberta and Senator Ratna Omidvar of Ontario as they co-host the final roundtable on municipal issues, inspired by Senator Simons' Senate inquiry into the role of municipalities in Canada today. They are joined by Mayor Dawn Arnold, Mayor of Moncton, New Brunswick; Dr. Kennedy Stewart, professor at Simon Fraser University, the former mayor of Vancouver and a former NDP MP; Lewis Cardinal, Project Manager at Indigenous Knowledge & Wisdom Centre in Edmonton; Edmonton City Councillor Keren Tang; and Mary Rowe, President and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute. Youtube link to video version of the panel

Rejoignez la sénatrice indépendante de l'Alberta, Paula Simons, alors qu'elle anime la deuxième enquête sur les municipalités, modérée par la sénatrice indépendante de l'Ontario, Bernadette Clement. Cette conversation met en vedette des maires franco-canadiens éminents de partout au pays, plongeant dans le sujet vital des municipalités et de la préparation aux urgences. Ils ont le privilège d'être rejoints par la mairesse Elisa Brousseau de Bonnyville, AB, le maire Eric Marquis d'Edmundston, NB, et l'ancien maire de Gatineau, Maxime Pendinaud-Jobin. Lien Youtube vers la version vidéo de cette table ronde   Join Independent Albertan Senator Paula Simons as she hosts the second municipalities inquiry, moderated by Independent Ontario Senator Bernadette Clement. This conversation features prominent French-Canadian mayors from across the country delving into the vital topic of municipalities and emergency preparedness. They are privileged to be joined by Mayor Elisa Brousseau of Bonnyville, AB, Mayor Eric Marquis of Edmundston, NB, and former Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pendinaud-Jobin. Youtube link to the video version of this panel (in French only)

Independent Albertan Senator Paula Simons moderates a panel of prominent Canadian experts on the topic of infrastructure and municipalities. She is joined by former federal Cabinet Minister Hon. Lisa Raitt, former Calgary Major and current Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell, urban planner and Co-Chair Commissioner of the Vancouver City Planning Commission Amina Yasin, and York University Professor Dr. Zac Spicer. This conversation was recorded in late January 2024. Youtube link to the video version of this panel

Senator Simons talks to Alex Marshall and Kristy Harcourt about proposed legislation that will negatively affect the health and privacy rights of the transgender community. Alex Marshall works for the University of Alberta’s College of Health Science, where she is the college’s Strategic Initiatives Officer for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Kristy Harcourt is a social worker in clinical practice and therapist who devotes much of her practice to counselling trans kids and their families. She is a social work instructor at MacEwan University, the organizer of Edmonton’s annual Queer Prom and a long time gay rights activist.

As part of Freedom to Read Week celebrations, Senator Simons moderated a panel discussion with journalists Danielle Paradis, Jason Markusoff, and Jonny Wakefield on the state of journalism. This event was presented in partnership with the Edmonton Public Library, LitFest, and Calgary Public Library. Jonny Wakefield has been with the Edmonton Journal/Sun newsroom since 2017. He is now the courts and crime reporter, covering the Edmonton Law Courts and other justice issues. He came to Canada from the U.S. as a student in 2009 and became a dual citizen in 2020. Danielle Paradis is an award-winning Indigenous (Métis) magazine writer, journalist, editor, educator, podcaster and mentor who lives in Treaty 6 (Edmonton, Alberta). She has written for both local and international audiences. You can read (or hear) her work at Aboriginal Peoples Television (APTN), Canadaland, Chatelaine, The Walrus, Alberta Views, Toronto Star (Edmonton), Canadian True Crime Podcast, and The Sprawl. Danielle covers politics, arts and culture, and Indigenous Issues. Danielle loves a good FOIP story and studied investigative journalism, story-based inquiry method, at the Centre for Investigative Journalism out of the UK. She has journalism, focusing on advanced reporting and reporting on diverse communities at MacEwan University and Humber College. She has also worked for a non-profit, Indigenous Friends Association, that focuses on connecting traditional knowledge and digital technology for Indigenous youth. She also has a background as a literary editor for Other Voices and in-depth media experience in both television and audio journalism. Jason Markusoff has been writing about what's happening – and not happening, but maybe should – in Alberta for more than two decades. He's a writer, editor and producer with CBC Calgary, and before that he's been a correspondent for Maclean's, Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal. He's on Twitter a lot less these days, for patently obvious reasons.Paula Simons was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 2018, after a long and distinguished career as one of western Canada’s most acclaimed journalists. She has been a radio documentary-maker, a playwright, and an author of popular history, but she is best known for her work as a political columnist and reporter with the Edmonton Journal.

Senator Simons speaks with Corb Lund about western history, storytelling, his evolution from heavy metal urban rocker to western troubadour, his battle against coal mining on the Eastern Slopes, and his brand-new album, El Viejo. (This interview was recorded January 16, 2024.)

Senator Simons speaks to Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy and Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Alberta, about the Canadian and global rises of health misinformation and disinformation. Timothy's books, including Relax: A Guide to Everyday Health Decisions with More Facts and Less Worry and The Science of Celebrity . . . or Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything?, can be found here.

Senator Simons interviews Canada's newly appointed Supreme Court Justice, the Honourable Mary T. Moreau, about growing up franco-albertain, her groundbreaking legal career, and moving to bilingual Ottawa.  (This interview was recorded on November 29, 2023.)

Senator Simons speaks with Dr. Emily Laidlaw, Karen Unland, and Jen Gerson about current and future communications issues.  Dr. Emily Laidlaw is Canada Research Chair in Cybersecurity Law and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Calgary. Jen Gerson is a co-founder of The Line and a commentator and journalist who has contributed to the CBC, the National Post, Maclean's, the Walrus, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. Karen Unland is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Taproot Edmonton, the creator of the Alberta Podcast Network, and co-host of the podcast That's a Thing?!

Senator Simons speaks to Dr. Eric Adams and Dr. Andrew Leach about the recent Supreme Court of Canada reference judgment, which found the Impact Assessment Act unconstitutional by a vote of 5-2.    Dr. Adams is a Professor in the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. Dr. Leach is a Professor of Economics and Law at the University of Alberta. His new book is Between Doom and Denial: Facing Facts About Climate Change. Dr. Leach will be speaking about his new book, Between Doom and Denial: Facing Facts About Climate Change, during an upcoming series of McGill Max Bell Lectures. Event and ticketing information can be found below:  October 19, 2023 in Ottawa, Ontario: Can governments promise a just energy transition in Canada? October 25, 2023 in Calgary, Alberta: Will the world use enough of our oil and gas? November 2, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec: Do Canada's cold temperatures mean we shouldn't worry about climate change?

(September 2023) The Alberta Government recently announced its intention to move forward with splitting from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and creating a separate Alberta Pension Plan (APP). Senator Simons speaks with University of Calgary professors Dr. Lindsay Tedds and Dr. Trevor Tombe about the possibility of Alberta moving out of the Canada Pension Plan and about the Alberta Pension Plan report that was released earlier this month. Following this new discussion of the APP report is a rebroadcast of our February 2023 episode, in which Senator Simons speaks to a panel of experts about the Canadian Pension Plan and the pros and cons of a possible Alberta Pension Plan. Panelists: Dr. Lindsay Tedds, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Calgary; Deborah Yedlin, President & CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce; Ricardo Acuna, Executive Director of the Parkland Institute; Dr. Trevor Tombe, Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary; and  Dr. Leo de Bever, Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, Senator Simons hosts a panel discussion with panelists Teresa Woo-Paw, Gary Mar, Nathan Ip, and K. Linda Tzang.

Senator Simons speaks with environmental author Ed Struzik about wildfires and the current Alberta wildfire emergency.

Senator Simons speaks with diversity and inclusion professional Marni Panas.

Senator Simons speaks to a panel of experts about the Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) and the pros and cons of a possible Alberta Pension Plan. Panelists: Dr. Lindsay Tedds, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Calgary; Deborah Yedlin, President & CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce; Ricardo Acuna, Executive Director of the Parkland Institute; Dr. Trevor Tombe, Professor of Economics at the University of Calgary; and  Dr. Leo de Bever, Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute.

Senator Simons speaks with the administrator of Mstdn.ca, Chad Ohman about what has been called the Mastodon migration. Mstdn.ca Senator Simons on Mastodon Chronos Vocal Ensemble - Choristers Private Tears

Senator Simons moderates the 2022 University of Alberta Chancellor's Forum on Food for the Future. Panelists include Dr. Ellen Goddard, University of Alberta professor in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences; Gleise M. da Silva, the first BCRC-Hays Chair in Beef Production Systems; Isha Datar, the Executive Director of New Harvest, a nonprofit research institute that funds open, public cultured meat research; Alison Sunstrom, the founder/CEO of CNSRV-X Inc. (Conserve X) and Co-CEO/Founder of GrowSafe Systems Ltd.; and Dr. William “Bill” Shotyk, the Bocock Chair in Agriculture and Environment at the University of Alberta.

Senator Simons speaks with Cape Breton cartoonist Kate Beaton about her graphic memoir, Ducks; her two years spent in the Alberta oil sands; and how the East coast and Alberta influence each other.

Senator Simons speaks to Vice News senior reporter Mack Lamoureux about his deep Franco-Albertan roots and his journalistic focus on extremist groups in Alberta and Canada.

Senator Simons speaks with Cree/Iroquois/French journalist and author Brandi Morin about the papal visit to Canada, reconciliation, and the meaning of Wood Buffalo National Park.

Senator Simons speaks to Cree/Iroquois/French journalist and author Brandi Morin about her memoir, Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising.

Senator Simons speaks to playwright, writer, composer, performer, director, and queer historian Darrin Hagen.

Senator Simons answers questions following the 2022 Merv Leitch, QC Memorial Lecture to the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.

Senator Simons delivers part two of the 2022 Merv Leitch, QC Memorial Lecture to the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.

Senator Simons delivers the first part of the 2022 Merv Leitch, QC Memorial Lecture to the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.

Senator Simons interviews former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverley McLachlin about her time as a jurist in Ottawa, differences between the Canadian and American Supreme Courts, and her bestselling mystery novels.

Senator Simons speaks with former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverley McLachlin about her Alberta roots, Alberta identity, and the true nature of freedom.

Senator Simons

Sen. Paula Simons sits down with the history-making new mayors of Edmonton and Calgary.

Sen. Paula Simons continues the conversation with an expert panel on equalization, its past and future.

Everything you ever wanted to know about equalization, as Sen. Paula Simons hosts an expert town hall.

Cheryl Whiskeyjack and Omar Yaqub on what Indigenous and immigrant Albertans can accomplish together.

Aaron Paquette on truth, reconciliation and bringing light.

Lawyer Avnish Nanda on looking for justice.

Calgary entrepreneur Lourdes Juan, on the burden of the model minority.

Chaldeans Mensah on the bus ride from Toronto to Edmonton that changed everything.

Natalie Pon, on one Chinese-Albertan’s Covid-19 epiphany.

Barry Morishita, mayor of Alberta’s most multicultural city: Brooks.

Journalist Tomi Ajele on Afros in Alberta, BLM, and true meaning of the Calgary Flames.

Political scientist Yasmeen Abu-Laban on multiculturalism’s forgotten Alberta roots.

They said he’d never amount to anything. Indigenous MD Alika Lafontaine on beating odds and labels.

After years of being locked into a boom-and-bust resource economy, after years of battling against redneck stereotypes, after years of fighting for their future, how do Albertans create the Alberta they want? And what should that Alberta look like? In the fifth and final installment of Alberta Unbound, host Paula Simons, and her panelists -- Dr. Jared Wesley, a professor of political science from the University of Alberta; Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative MP for the riding of Lakeland, northeast of Edmonton; Dr. Diana Steinhauer, the president of Yellowhead Tribal College, and an elder with the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Treaty Six territory; acclaimed journalist and documentary-maker Omar Mouallem,  and author and former Alberta cabinet minister Doug Griffiths – tackle some tough questions from an Edmonton audience.

Who gets to tell the story of Alberta? What are the stories Albertans tell themselves – and what are the stories that get told about them? Whoever controls those narratives controls the way Albertans see themselves and are seen by others. In Part Four of Alberta Unbound, host Paula Simons debates the stories and myths of Alberta with five provocative guests: Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative MP for the riding of Lakeland, award-winning magazine writer Omar Mouallem, Jared Wesley, a professor of political science at the University of Alberta, Doug Griffiths, an author and former Conservative provincial cabinet minister, and Cree elder and academic Diana Steinhauer.

Alberta alienation seems as old as Alberta itself. It has become a touchstone and a trope of Canadian politics. But what does that alienation spring from? And how has it changed over the last hundred years. In Part Three of Alberta Unbound, host Paula Simons discusses Alberta struggles and Alberta stereotypes with panelists Dr. Jared Wesley, a professor of political science from the University of Alberta; Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative MP for the riding of Lakeland, northeast of Edmonton; Dr. Diana Steinhauer, the president of Yellowhead Tribal College; acclaimed journalist Omar Mouallem,  and author and former Alberta cabinet minister Doug Griffiths.

There are so many divides in Alberta: rural and urban, north and south, right and left, Indigneous and settler, myth and reality. With so much diversity, how to do we find an coherent identity? And how do we confront, honestly, the complexity of our history? In part two of Alberta Unbound, host Paula Simons puts those provocative questions to five diverse panelists: Dr. Jared Wesley, a political scientist from the University of Alberta, Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative MP from the riding of Lakeland, in northeastern Alberta, Dr. Diana Steinhauer, the president of Yellowhead Tribal College and an elder from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Omar Mouaellem, an award-winning journalist, and author and former Alberta provincial cabinet minister Doug Griffiths.

What does it mean to be an Albertan? When you think of a “typical” Albertan, do you imagine a rancher? A rigger? A cowboy? A construction worker? How do we define, and redefine, what it means to be of this place? In part one of Alberta Unbound, host Paula Simons puts those provocative questions to five diverse panelists: Dr. Jared Wesley, a political scientist from the University of Alberta, Shannon Stubbs, the Conservative MP from the riding of Lakeland, in northeastern Alberta, Dr. Diana Steinhauer, the president of Yellowhead Tribal College and an elder from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Omar Mouaellem, an award-winning journalist, and author and former Alberta provincial cabinet minister Doug Griffiths.