
Hosted by Greg Glatz · EN

Nick Coates is a United Church minister trying to reconnect with the original spirit of Christmas: struggle, confusion, uncertainty, promise, and hope. In the second decade of the 21st century, what does it really mean to "keep Christ in Christmas"?

The Calgary Dream Centre is a place where people struggling with addiction find a way to dream new dreams for their lives. We talk with the Dream Centre's executive director Jim Moore and assistant executive director Jennifer English to find out how they implement the centre's core values of mercy, compassion, respect, integrity, and innovation.

No Canadian city has been harder hit by the economic downturn than Calgary. Unemployment is over 10%, downtown office tower vacancy rates are at 25%, and a sense of unease hangs in the air. So, there was a tangible sigh of relief in Cowtown when the Trudeau government announced it was approving the $6.8-billion expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline and approving Enbridge Line 3. But not everyone is happy with this decision, including a significant number of environmental and indigenous groups. Calgary MP and cabinet minister Kent Hehr explains why the Trudeau government thinks pipelines are the right way to build the economy and protect the environment.

The 2016 presidential election has sent shock waves across the United States and around the world. Especially concerned are minorities, immigrants, Muslims, women, and members of the LGBTQ community. We talk to Pam Rocker—an American/Canadian citizen, a Christian, and a member of the LGBTQ community--to get her unique perspective on America's future and why so many Christians voted for Trump.

Some city councillors think cycling is a fringe activity because we get eight months of winter on the prairies. That's not true, but even when the snow does fly cycling is still a possibility … thanks to people like David Coldwell and his bike-powered snowplow. David shares why he's a winter cycling enthusiast and insights from his book, Bicycle Snowplow.

Steve Bell is releasing his 20th career album in November, 2016. It's called Where the Good Way Lies, and Steve says the title track is a departure for him: "Lyrically it gives evidence of the growing influence that my Indigenous friends have had on my thinking and faith. There’s a sanity to an Indigenous worldview that challenges Western colonial Christianity to do some profound soul-searching. It’s hard but vital work: clearing the pathway of love from briers and obstacles so the way of Christ can be known and walked in a manner that honours the deep-down goodness of God and God’s creation." In this podcast, Steve talks about his exploration of "the good way" and how it shapes his music, his relationships, and his work in the world. Features cuts from the new album, including Bring It On, Wait Alone in Stillness, and the title track Where the Good Way Lies.

The Trudeau Liberals were swept to power in the last federal election on the promise of "real change." The political honeymoon for the Liberals appears little diminished a year later, with a variety of opinion polls suggesting the party would win the election all over again if it were held today. Kent Hehr is the Liberal MP for Calgary Centre and the Minister of Veterans Affairs. He joins The Weekend to assess how his government is doing on real change one year into its mandate.

It's still a controversial approach to pain management, but it's quickly growing in popularity because so many people feel it works. Karen Eckhart from Canheal joins Greg on The Weekend to explain how patients can explore medical cannabis as a treatment for a wide range of diseases.

Bridget Eastgaard from Money after Graduation is a millennial who's cracked the code on making, saving, and spending money in your 20's. She's got some great advice for boomers too. Plus, Bridget provides a heads up on an online investing scam that's costing people big money.

Alberta will be the first province to adopt a $15/hour minimum wage, which many advocates consider a living wage. The action taken by Premier Rachel Notley is in stark contrast to Manitoba, where Premier Brian Pallister is freezing the minimum wage at $11/hour, marking the first time in 17 years it will not go up in October. Should minimum wage be a living wage? Kevin Rebeck from the Manitoba Federation of Labour and Amber Ruddy from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (in Alberta) make the case for/against living-wage legislation.