Alberta Unbound

Protecting Trans Kids: a Conversation with Alex Marshall and Kristy Harcourt

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.

The State of Journalism

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.

Corb Lund: Cowboy Troubadour

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.)

Disinformation Contagion

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.

The Proof is in the Pudding

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.)

Talkin’ ‘Bout Communication

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?!

Reference Check

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?

Alberta Pension Fact-Check

(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. 

S4 Episode 10: Chinese Inclusion Acts

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.

S4 Episode 9: Alberta Ablaze

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