Alberta Unbound

Latest Episodes:

Disinformation Contagion Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

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 Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

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 Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

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 Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

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:

Alberta Pension Fact-Check Sep 29, 2023

Show notes

(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 Jun 19, 2023

Show notes

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 May 23, 2023

Show notes

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

S4 Episode 8: One Just Transition Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Senator Simons speaks with diversity and inclusion professional Marni Panas.

S4 Episode 7: Pension Planning Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

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;