Alberta at Noon

From raccoons in the garbage to moose in the backyard, wildlife sightings are becoming more common. We speak with author Dan Werb about his new book on urban animals and hear your wildest city encounter stories.

The initial referendum results are in, with Alberta voting to remain in Canada. Political science professor Jared Wesley joins us for a conversation about what happens next.

The leaves are falling and the seasons are changing. Horticulturist and gardening expert Jim Hole answers your questions about fall yard cleanup, from raking to prepping your garden for the snowy months ahead.

Mashed potatoes, stuffing, or green bean casserole? Chef Darcy Welsch from the Blue Flame Kitchen joins the show to talk about the best holiday sides, secret ingredients, and your family recipes.

Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams joins host Andrew Brown to answer your last-minute questions before you head to the polls.

Ottawa just announced a new rebate program to help Canadians install heat pumps. But do they actually hold up against Alberta's freezing winters? Calgary HVAC expert Justin Giroux joins host Andrew Brown to answer all your questions about heat pumps, furnaces, and AC units.

From celebrity culture and K-pop to Taylor Swift, university classes are getting creative. If you could take any course just for the fun of it, no degree required, what would you study?

The UCP government is inserting itself into city politics again. This time the focus is on Edmonton's zoning rules for infill housing. Do you live in a neighbourhood that is being or has been densified? What do you think about the provincial government getting involved in those decisions?

How are you dealing with high fuel prices?

We analyze Alberta referendum questions 8 and 9 with constitutional lawyers Gerard Kennedy and Geoffrey Sigalet.

Question 8 is: "Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to 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?"

Question 9 is: "Do you support the government of Alberta working with the governments of other willing provinces to amend the Canadian Constitution to 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?"

Wills and estates lawyer Victoria Jones joins us to take your calls and emails.

Is a new pipeline in the national interest? The CBC's Kyle Bakx and energy analyst Janet Annesley join us in studio.

Bird expert Jody Allair joins us in studio to take your calls and questions.

Political analyst Graham Thomson joins us to discuss the Senate question on the provincial referendum ballot.

How did you decide whether or not to have kids? Sociologist Lisa Strohschein joins us for the hour to take your calls.

Pollsters Janet Brown and John Santos join us to take your calls on the shifting dynamics in Alberta politics as the October 19th referendum approaches.

The province is working on new rules for micro mobility vehicles and we want to hear what you would like to see.

We're getting into another one of the referendum questions today.  The Smith government wants the province to have more say over the the appointment of judges. We hear how the system works now and what exactly is being asked of you.

This one is for all the amateur handy-people out there. We want to hear about the time you attempted a renovation at home, the projects that went well and the projects that didn't. 

The referendum is about a month away, and today we're getting into the potential cost of Alberta leaving Canada. A recent report lays out a couple of scenarios.

We asked you to tell us about a dumpster fire in your life and how you put it out. We're not being literal, of course. We wanted you to share stories about something that got out of control and what you did to fix it, or overcome it.

Recent data shows that 68% of Albertans have life insurance coverage. The same study found 26% of Albertans aren’t confident or are unsure that their family would be financially secure if they died unexpectedly. Is life insurance a part of your financial planning?

By now, you know about the referendum on October 19th. Five of the questions are about immigration policies. Are ready to vote on them? What do you want to know about the immigration-related questions on the ballots?

CBC posted a headline last week that read "AI researchers 'earnestly believe' it could kill all humans within the next decade". Alberta has the most proposed data centres in the country, and there is a lot of talk about the speed at which AI is improving and developing. How are you thinking about AI, and how are you processing all the information that is flying around about it?

Once your working life gets going it can be hard to find time for anything else. Once you retire, and have way more free time than you used to, how do you fill it?

Today we're asking you about the separation question in the referendum next month, and the conversations you're having about it with your family and friends and co-workers. Are you comfortable bringing it up or are you walking on eggshells? 

It's a little cooler out there today but we're sneaking in one more gardening phone-in. The outside season is just about over, but Jim Hole is here to tell you about greenhouses and other structures that can extend the season. 

We're celebrating Friday going into the long weekend with a show about trees and what you should do to prepare them for fall and winter.

We're into a new school year, and the province is promising improvements. The government says it has hired more than 2000 new teachers, and a thousand educational assistants. Many of them are part of the complexity teams that are being rolled out to add support in classrooms. So, nearly a year after that, have you noticed any changes in schools? If you have a kid or a teenager in your life what's it like in their classroom? What do you want to ask the education minister?

There are thousands of oil and gas wells that have been abandoned in the province, and for years there has been pressure on the industry to do something about it. What's the situation in your community? Do you have an orphan well on your property or nearby? What are you doing about it?

For the second year in a row, Edmonton Public Schools has cancelled all international trips. The board says it's because of "...ongoing political, economic and public health challenges around the world". The public board in Calgary IS doing trips this year, after cancelling them last year. Today, we want to hear what value you think there is in leaving the country when you're young. Did you go on a trip that changed your life? Or the way you see the world?

Dual-practice healthcare is rolling out in Alberta this month. That means doctors who perform some elective surgeries, like hip and knee replacements, will be allowed to operate in both the private and public system. We talk to Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Adriana LaGrange as well as Dr. Braden Manns from the University of Calgary about the changes.

We're joined by Darcy Welsch from the ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen as we take your suggestions for the best sandwich.

Do you have a dream that's come to you over and over? Author and journalist, Karen Van Kampen, talks us through the research behind why we have some of these dreams repeatedly.

Whether it's a late-summer harvest or a pre-autumn planting, we put your gardening questions to Joanna Tschudy for one last Friday.

The Canada - U.S. trade war started roughly 18 months ago, but the breakdown of recent trade talks has only turned the heat up even more. Today, we want to know, what new-to-you Canadian products have you discovered? Are there Canadian brands, or food that you're enjoying, that you didn't used to buy?

Back to school is just around the corner for most Alberta students. Although some are already in classrooms! According to a recent survey from the Retail Council of Canada, the average household spending for school supplies ranges from $600 to $750 per child when electronics are involved. That same survey says that 91 per cent of respondents felt back-to-school items have become more expensive. How much is back to school costing you this year?

On Saturday, CBC aired an encore broadcast of The Tragically Hip's final show from Kingston, Ontario. That got us thinking about musical acts that stay with you. The artists whose work moves you. The musicians you would like to see - if you could - again.

Are you wondering about a plant that is struggling in your yard? Or maybe you're thinking about some late-season planting and want some advice. Calgary based horticulturalist, Kath Smyth from the Calgary Horticultural Society joined us to answer your questions.

The U.S. has now put 50 per cent tariffs on some of our exports, amounting to 5 percent of our trade, worth about 28 billion dollars. Canada has promised dollar for dollar retaliatory tariffs, starting September 8th. What do you make of the path Canada has taken so far in this trade war?

School begins for most in Alberta in less than 2-weeks. That means summer jobs are coming to an end! That got us thinking about all the weird and wonderful jobs we have heard about over the years. What is the most unusual job you've ever had?

Love is Blind, a popular reality TV show on Netflix, is coming to Canada and that has us wondering - what reality show would you want to be part of? An adventure show? Cooking? Maybe suriving on a remote island?

With news of another proposed shopping mall redevelopment in Edmonton, we ask you for your Alberta shopping mall memories.

Have you ever participated in a clinical trial? What was your experience like?

We're devoting one full hour to your questions about what's growing or not growing in your neck of the woods. Jim Hole is our expert today.

There is a LOT happening in the skies these days, from a partial solar eclipse to a bounty of meteor showers. So what celestial activity has caught your eye? What's the most memorable thing you've seen in the night sky?

Is your partner's snoring driving you crazy? Have you decided to sleep in separate beds or rooms? It's what some call a "sleep divorce." We hear your stories about choosing to sleep apart.

Whether it's the pay off you feel at the top, like a waterfall, or a bird that you spotted on your life list, we want to hear your stories about the moments you've loved while on the trail.

It's roadtrip season, and Alberta has no shortage of roadside attractions! We have a giant sausage in Mundare, the Pysanka in Vegreville, giant mushrooms in Vilna...the list goes on! We want to know what is the roadside attraction that got you to pull over and hop out of your car?

Arborist and tree expert Gerard Fournier joins us in studio to take your calls and questions.

What would a hot summer day here in Alberta be without taking a dip in a lake, or river, or neighbourhood pool? Or spending time on a boat, paddle boarding, or kayaking? All of those activities are really popular - but not without risk. What kind of close calls have you seen, or experienced while on the water? What did you learn from it?

Parker disappeared from a care facility in northwest Calgary on July 16th sparking a massive, nearly two-week-long, search by police and volunteers which ended tragically. Thousands of people were involved in the search for Parker. What have we learned as a community from the disappearance and death of Parker?

A new national survey shows one in ten emergency room doctors are leaving their jobs in the ER. Many of them say they're in a constant state of stress because of their daily workload, with no end in sight. We hear about your recent experience in the ER at your local hospital.

We're heading into the August long weekend, and many of us will be spending part of it working in the garden.

We hear from listeners about the tips and tricks they use to make their camping lives as simple as possible.

We're living in a time when outrage isn't that unusual. People feel frustrated with the government, the economy, and social issues. On the show today, we talk to a doctor who's written a book about a cure. 

Summers in Alberta are jam-packed with live performances, from music festivals to theatre festivals to circuses to busking. So what is the best live entertainment you've seen? Which live performance left you in awe?

We're in the thick of fire season across the country. In BC wildfires are burning out of control, which can make for a very smoky Alberta. So how do you think our governments should approach climate change? Are we on the right track?

Our summer gardening series continues! For one hour every Friday we open our phone lines so you can ask our gardening expert your questions.