Your Neck of the Woods
46 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago -A podcast hosted by former councillor candidate Jacob McGregor and Jason Diodati to discuss issues affecting Calgarians throughout the city, province, and country. Topics ranging from news to hot-button issues. From events in the community to guests from across the political spectrum. Tune in to learn everything going on in the world of politics as it relates to Calgarians.
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Episodes
013: Jason and I
March 30, 2022 14:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBWell, we haven’t done this in a while. No guests on this episode of Your Neck of the Woods, just Jason and I chatting about things going on in Calgary, Alberta, and the world. We’ve had a provincial budget affecting priorities right here in Calgary, the relaxing of COVID pandemic restrictions but not before civil unrest leading to the historic and potentially infamous depending on your point of view; declaration of a national emergency, uncertainty about the revitalization of downtown, the p...
012: Citizen Brewing Company
March 16, 2022 14:00 - 55 minutes - 38.4 MBWe are all citizens. That’s the motto that encompasses everything you need to know about Citizen Brewing Company. In this episode on Your Neck of the Woods Jason and I continue our series highlighting local business stories as we go behind the mic with Joel Field head brewer at Citizen Brewing Company, a Calgary craft brewery and pub that prides itself on social responsibility and offering something for everyone. With a background in biochemistry, brewing beer seems natural for Joel even if...
011: Jordan Schmuszko - Owner of Joyful Java
February 23, 2022 23:00 - 53 minutes - 37 MBA place to feel at home, connect with people, and work peacefully at your own pace. That’s the vision Jordan Schmuszko and his family started the Joyful Java Cafe. This week on Your Neck of the Woods we talk to Jordan about Joyful Java as well as The Village Lifestyle Centre in Brentwood an important home for made-in Calgary businesses and community events. The Cafe values great, fresh home-cooked food and a community atmosphere where you can connect with people, work, relax and feel at hom...
010: Danielle Smith
February 16, 2022 15:00 - 1 hour - 53.9 MBThis week we had the absolute pleasure to have a conversation with someone who’s been part of the political, business, and media spheres in Alberta. This week on Your Neck of the Woods we chatted with the President of the Alberta Enterprise Group, former Calgary radio personality, and former leader of the official opposition as leader of the Wildrose Party Danielle Smith. With so much happening at all 3 levels of government and with the state of political discourse in Canada, there was so mu...
009: Melba Seto - Owner of Bowness Soapworks
February 09, 2022 15:00 - 49 minutes - 33.8 MBPart of what makes doing the show so much fun is all the interesting people that I get to talk to. It would be hard to find somebody more interesting than Melba Seto. Polyglot, altruist, survivalist, adventurer, not to mention businesswoman and maker of “adventure soap”. She just happens to be the first in what I hope to be a recurring feature on Your Neck of the Woods where we showcase and amplify local business owners. Melba is the owner and founder of Bowness Soapworks, as you might guess...
008: Terry Rock - CEO of Platform Calgary
January 26, 2022 15:00 - 57 minutes - 39.6 MBIf there’s one thing we’re learning from the pandemic it’s the importance of local businesses in our communities. Most of the time this has taken the form of calls to buy products and services locally to support your community. Of course, it’s much easier to support local the more local businesses we can foster. Terry Rock CEO of Platform Calgary and our guest this week on Your Neck of the Woods is hoping we can shift towards “build local” and “work local”. Platform Calgary is an organizati...
007: Shane Wenzel - President of Shane Homes
January 19, 2022 22:00 - 58 minutes - 40.2 MBIf you were to look at Calgary 30 years ago it would certainly look very different from Calgary as we know it today. That’s when this week’s guest on Your Neck of the Woods Shane Wenzel became involved with the company named after him by his father and began helping build our communities. Jason, Shane, and I chat about his early years at Shane Homes moving from drawing and comic books to working on job sites always with a strong work ethic instilled by his parents. Back then building lots fo...
006: Sonya Sharp - Ward 1 Councillor
January 12, 2022 15:00 - 1 hour - 41.3 MBWell, we're back after our break for the holidays and they couldn’t be more glad that we record the show indoors because Your Neck of the Woods has been dropped in the deep-freeze the last couple of weeks. For our first show back, Jason and I had the pleasure of chatting with a once political rival in the form of Ward 1 Councillor Sonya Sharp. Sonya graciously took some time to come on the show and talk about what her priorities have been in serving as your Councillor up here in Northwest Ca...
005: Cory Morgan of the Western Standard
December 22, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBOur cohost Jason is back this week as for the second episode in a row we are chatting with the journalist. This week Your Neck of the Woods welcomes Cory Morgan of the Western Standard! We discuss the latest goings on at City Hall, how action can change from the campaign trail to when you begin your term in office, money in municipal politics and what lessons we can take if any from what we’ve seen from October to now. Speaking of interesting lessons our guest has a background in Alberta so...
004: Jeremy Appel - Journalist, Podcast Host, and More
December 16, 2021 04:00 - 1 hour - 42.4 MBThis week on Your Neck of the Woods I had the pleasure of chatting with a freelance writer, podcast host, and former City Hall reporter for The Sprawl Jeremy Appel. After some lamentation on the fate of Canadian cultural staples like Much Music, we took a look at media and journalism in Canada and the rise of multimedia alternatives like podcasts to the traditional daily news reporting format. As you can imagine being hosts of podcasts ourselves has presented unique opportunities as we saw i...
003: Kourtney Penner - Ward 11 Councillor
December 11, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 44.4 MBWe have our first returning guest of season two, although last time she was going by her married name. In this episode on Your Neck of the Woods, we welcome back then-candidate now councillor Kourtney Penner of Ward 11. Kourtney, Jason, and I chat about what the first month and a half of Council’s been like, some takeaways from the budget adjustment process, police funding, and the work culture at City Hall. After roughly a month and a half since being sworn in things become a little more r...
002: Christopher Brown - Host of Cross Borders Podcast
December 01, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MBThis week on Your Neck of the Woods we had the pleasure of sitting down with Christopher Brown the host of the Cross Border Interview Podcast. This was an episode a long time in the making after I appeared on his show and he moderated forums throughout the municipal election. Naturally, this led to the takeaways from the election, what it meant as well as early surprises from the new city council and there have been a few especially during budget week After some behind-the-scenes about org...
001: Pat Kelly - MP for Calgary Rocky Ridge
November 24, 2021 20:00 - 1 hour - 47 MBIt’s a new season here in Your Neck of the Woods and we couldn’t be more excited especially because to start off season two we had the honour and the pleasure of interviewing the Member of Parliament for Calgary Rocky Ridge Pat Kelly. This episode covered lots of ground between the recently past federal election, the wariness of Canadians towards the current Liberal government, and what a day in the life of an MP during a Covid session of Parliament was like, what the future looks like now t...
0.5: Season 2 Preview
November 18, 2021 14:00 - 50 minutes - 34.6 MBWith the announcement of our first nine guests for season two of Your Neck of the Woods Jason and I decided to give you a little preview of the excitement that’s coming very soon! The first nine guests represent the expansion of Your Neck of the Woods to a wider audience, touching on political issues from all three levels of government, as well as business, the media, arts and creativity and community events and initiatives. The nine guests we talk about this episode are: Pat Kelly MP for C...
031.5: Referendum Special
November 01, 2021 15:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBIt’s not quite Season Two of Your Neck of the Woods yet but Calgarians Had Lots of Questions Posed to Them Aside from Council on Election Day. So, Jason and I Figured We Would Do a Show Breaking down the Results of the Equalization, and Daylight Savings Referendums As Well As the Fluoride Plebiscite in Calgary. Here Is a Breakdown of the Results: Equalization: Alberta Voted by a Margin of Roughly 62% to 38% That This Section of the Constitution Should Be Removed. Jason and I Discuss What t...
031: Election Day is Today! (Season 1 Finale)
October 18, 2021 14:00 - 58 minutes - 40.1 MBHosting Your Neck of the Woods for the past year has been a major part of an incredible journey for me. When this episode comes out it will be election day here in Calgary. This is the day we’ve been talking about on the show for a long long time, and it seemed only fitting to have our election day show not only covering some of the recent events in the campaign but to reflect on what it’s been like to host the show for you. It also wouldn’t be proper to do this episode without our sometimes...
030: Lets Talk About PACs!
October 17, 2021 14:00 - 40 minutes - 27.8 MBPACs or the Third Party Advertisers in the jargon of the Local Authorities Elections Act have become a hot topic on the campaign trail in Your Neck of the Woods. These are groups that, while not affiliated with a specific campaign [directly] are known for advocating for specific policy outcomes. They’ve risen to fame as a mainstay in American politics where most advertising is funded at least partially by a political action committee. They’ve risen to prominence here as a result of the bleed...
029: Debate Summary
October 16, 2021 14:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBThings are heating up in Your Neck of the Woods, time is running out in the municipal election campaign and traditionally these campaigns include a debate. The pandemic means this isn’t exactly the easiest time to hold such an event though. Luckily Chris from the cross-border interview podcast was able to put on a debate for each of the awards including in Ward 1. Out of what turned out to be nine candidates eight of us participated, in this episode, I sit down and summarize my debate answer...
028: Voting
September 23, 2021 17:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBIf I had one I hope it’s that re-watch/listen to this episode of Your Neck of the Woods a couple of times before Election Day. This may very well be the most important and useful episode of the podcast so far. Jason and I walk you through the ballot, the voting process, your voting options and when you can exercise them. Whoever you plan to vote for we want to be your source to have your voice heard. That’s why not only are we talking about the what, how, and when of participating in our de...
027: Brad Field - Mayoral Candidate
September 08, 2021 20:00 - 46 minutes - 32.3 MBIf there are 2 things I’ve emphasized on Your Neck of the Woods they are being a conduit for citizens and that if you vote for the same type of candidate you get the same results. My guest in this episode, Calgary mayoral candidate Brad Field would wholeheartedly agree! Jason and I chat with Brad about a wide range of 2021 election issues. For starters, the daunting task of running against what; at the time of recording, is a 26 candidate field (pun intended) featuring 3 current city Counc...
026: DJ Kelly - Ward 4 Councillor Candidate
September 01, 2021 20:00 - 57 minutes - 39.4 MBCommunity advocacy, collaboration, and economic recovery. These are things that are of paramount importance to the latest guest on Your Neck of the Woods. DJ Kelly a candidate for Ward 4, and community engagement strategist at the University of Calgary as well as a former columnist for Metro and Alberta at Noon has a lot to say on these subjects. As it so happens you know I have lots to say on these subjects and so when we met recently on a tour of Platform Calgary’s innovation Centre asking...
025: Chris Harper - Former Ward 1 Candidate
August 25, 2021 14:00 - 55 minutes - 37.9 MBThis week on Your Neck of the Woods Jason and I have the pleasure and privilege of chatting with a former candidate for Ward 1 in 2010 and 2013 Chris Harper! Now working in the private sector Chris has a unique perspective seeing politics through the lens of both former candidates and private sector consultants. The three of us discuss what the selection will mean for the future of Calgary as even though change is discussed every election cycle it’s not every election that a majority of coun...
024: Checks and Balances, Advance Polls, and more!
August 18, 2021 14:00 - 54 minutes - 37.5 MBBuilding on our conversation from a recent episode Jason and I continue our discussion of the role of City Council as well as individual counsellors, but we expand our conversation to term limits as well as ways to potentially make the city Council more representative. Any time we reach the end of a democratically elected term in Calgary the discussion about term limits heats up. That’s because we end up with councillors that have served multiple terms and a perception grows that these repre...
023: Mike LaValley Rejoins the Show!
August 13, 2021 15:00 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBWe had a familiar face on this episode of Your Neck of the Woods, three months after his first appearance Ward 12 candidate and friend of the show Mike LaValley is back! A lot has happened in three months, to say the least. So, Mike and I chat about updates to various issues like the Green Line, which recently got its first phase approved as well as that project’s future. The ups and downs of the event Centre project; which after another period of frustrating opaqueness now seems to be back ...
022: Who I Am
August 04, 2021 14:00 - 48 minutes - 33.5 MBThis is a very different episode of Your Neck of the Woods than usual, we won’t have a guest or even cohost. This chat is just between you and myself, as I meet more and more of you through door knocking or answer your questions via email and social media, I realize that, as much as I’d like to, I probably won’t get to interact with all of you wonderful people here in Ward 1. So, I figured we could dedicate an episode to you guys learning more about me especially since I want to represent yo...
021: Green Line/Event Centre/Role of Council
July 30, 2021 19:00 - 52 minutes - 35.8 MBOur co-host returns to Your Neck of the Woods this week, good thing too because there’s so much going on in Calgary! In this episode, we chat about the recent Green Line approval, updates and controversy regarding the Events Centre, and city councillors changing their minds and running for different offices. Things are moving fast and changing every single day. The budget for the Events Centre has risen to put the project in doubt for the time being once again largely behind closed doors, w...
020: Kim Feser - Ward 9 Councillor Candidate
July 21, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 41.9 MBWhat we have here is a failure to communicate… with our constituents. More precisely to consult with them on projects that will affect their communities. Instead current Council and administration talk AT Calgarians and tell them what’s best for their neck of the woods. Myself and my guest this episode Ward 9 candidate Kimberley Feser want to change that dynamic. We discuss the need to bring your voice back and make your hard-earned money go further instead of “death by a thousand cuts” wh...
019: Carolyn Krahn - Ward 11 Candidate
July 14, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 42 MBIt’s easy to connect with someone when you share common experiences and I definitely have some of that with this episode’s guest. Ward 11 Candidate Carolyn Krahn has spent much of her life volunteering to help people with disabilities and knows the challenges faced by many Calgarians, including myself. She’s hoping to bring that experience to help her ward and all of Calgary. In addition to the major projects which have in many ways become running themes in Your Neck of the Woods, we discus...
018: Ted Knudtson - Ward 8 Candidate
July 07, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 46.5 MBThings get a little philosophical today in Your Neck of the Woods is a sit down to chat with Ward 8 candidate Ted Knudtson. Alongside the major issues of the upcoming election, we discuss the proper functioning of a democratic society and whether the rhetoric that disappoints many of us is actually a sign that our municipal government is functioning properly, after all, Council is 15 people making the decisions that affect over 1 million people, we each come from different walks of life in d...
017: Teresa Hargreaves - Ward 12 Candidate
June 30, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBIf you vote for the same, that’s what you’ll get. If there’s one thing, I want you to take away from listening to the show this is probably it. It’s the same lesson Ward 12 candidate Teresa Hargreaves would like people in her ward to take away as well. She ran for city Council in 2017 and wasn’t successful. Among the things she learned was that people will very often stick with what they know even when they want to improve their situation. Case in point, the 2021 election is revolving around...
016: Theo Van Besouw - Ward 2 Candidate
June 23, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 47.9 MBIf you get the process wrong the result isn’t going to be what you’re looking for and the costs are going to be higher than people will accept. If there was a theme to today’s episode with our guest from Ward 2 Theo Van Besouw that would be it. Theo comes from an engineering background so he knows how important the process is to get the result you want. One major reason your property taxes continue to rise is that bloated and unaccountable processes like the Green Line steering committee con...
015: Francis Aranha - Ward 2 Candidate
June 16, 2021 14:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MBWho you are is always going to colour how you see the world and your vision for the future. Nowhere is this more relevant and truer than with Ward 2 candidate Francis Aranha. A first-generation Calgarian coming from India Francis is deeply passionate about helping his neighbours. So much so that he is making it a point to run as cost-conscious a campaign as possible to prove that you don’t need thousands of dollars to get your message out and make your city better. Francis is deeply rooted ...
014: Gurbir Nijjar - Ward 3 Candidate
June 12, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 46.9 MBFull disclosure, this one took two tries because of some technical difficulties but it was definitely worth it. When you think of city services which ones do you think of as needs and which are just nice to have? This is one of the primary questions of today’s episode of Your Neck of the Woods. If you’ve worked on any decision-making body, you’ll be familiar with the concept of scope creep. This is the phenomenon that you start working on a few specific tasks or objectives and in the course ...
013: Jay Unsworth - Ward 13 Candidate
June 09, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 52.4 MBJ’s are wild today on Your Neck of the Woods, we have a Jacob, a Jason, and our guest today Ward 13 candidate Jay Unsworth. Jay knows a lot about Your Neck of the Woods as he describes himself as a “proud Bownesian” before moving to Ward 13 with his family. Today’s episode is brought to you by the word trust, myself and Jay are absolutely passionate about restoring trust and communication between Council and Calgarians. One of the big takeaways I think is the difference between consultation,...
012: Derek Williams - Ward 7 Candidate
June 05, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 48.2 MBWe’re back to a trio on the show this episode as Jason and I sit down with born and raised Calgarian and Ward 7 candidate Derek Williams. Hailing from Montgomery Derek is an avid advocate for community building which made it especially prevalent to once again discuss the Greenline as well as the future of a downtown that will look very different post-Covid. Derek calls the Greenline a “no-brainer” and feels like we should have had shovels in the ground today. The conversation today dealt in...
011: Evan Spencer - Ward 12 Candidate
June 02, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 49.6 MBToday’s episode of Your Neck of the Woods features another candidate from Ward 12, Evan Spencer. A resident of Mahogany for six years Evan says the neighbourhood feels like a home more than any place he’s ever lived. Spending the first several years of his vocational life as a pastor and more recently as a dedicated volunteer in his community Evan wants to emphasize the importance of “neighbouring” and grassroots movements to make the city better. A big part of the conversation this episode...
010: George Chahal - Ward 5 Councillor/Candidate
May 29, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 42.3 MBIt’s a special episode of Your Neck of the Woods we have our first sitting city councillor and incumbent candidate, councillor for Ward 5 George Chahal! No Jason this week so I go one-on-one with George and we have a great discussion about the political discourse in the city, independence in municipal politics, third party political action groups, and the nature of campaigning at the municipal level versus other orders of government. Let me tell you after volunteering with my local MP it rea...
009: Lauren Herschel - Ward 11 Candidate
May 26, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 53.8 MBWe’re taking another trip to Ward 11 in our series covering candidates from the races outside Ward 1. Today, myself and Jason sit down with Ward 11 candidate Lauren Herschel. After growing up just outside of Toronto Lauren has lived in Calgary for 15 years and has a wide variety of professional experiences that it was fascinating to learn about. Her life experience in the greater Toronto area led to a great discussion on the Green Line and public transit in general. In a subject not uncommo...
008: Mike LaValley - Ward 12 Candidate
May 22, 2021 14:00 - 1 hour - 49 MBOur election 2021 series highlighting candidates from raises outside Ward 1 continues this week as Jason and I sit down with Ward 12 candidate Mike Lavalley. Originally from a town on the border of Saskatchewan and Manitoba Mike moved to Calgary for work and now calls it his home. With Mike’s experience working for RBC the conversation easily moves to the importance of a renewed sense of fiscal responsibility beyond empty gestures talked about in election years, that is, after we briefly tal...
007: Green Line and GLAP
May 19, 2021 14:00 - 53 minutes - 36.9 MBWhen you do a podcast covering politics and current events in a major city you have to be prepared to be flexible. Often the story will take twists and turns that you don’t expect. That’s why after the planning and urban development committee decided to make major changes with regards to the Guidebook for Great Communities, renaming it the Guide for Local Area Planning and then stripping it of its statutory status we had to cover what these unexpected developments and meant for the future of...
006: Event Centre
May 12, 2021 14:00 - 50 minutes - 35 MBChances are if you’ve spent a significant amount of time in Calgary whether you live here or maybe just come for Stampede you probably have memories in the Saddledome. Concerts, comedy shows, and of course major sporting events have been hosted at our arena since 1983. I can tell you some of the best memories I have growing up in Calgary are from events I went to at the Saddledome. Like a lot of us, I was swept up in the magic when the flames made it all the way to the Stanley Cup final in 2...
005: Kourtney Branagan - Ward 11 Candidate
May 05, 2021 14:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBAs we all know the 2021 election is one of the biggest things happening in Your Neck of the Woods this year. While we can agree that this podcast is focused on Ward 1 whoever represents this Ward will have to work with 14 other people. That’s why Jason and I have committed to highlighting candidates from the other races in the election. This will also bring a wide range of perspectives to the show. After all, Your Neck of the Woods is meant to be a conversation. This week Jason and I sit do...
004: Budgets and Finances
April 28, 2021 22:00 - 45 minutes - 31.3 MBThere’s an old saying that says you can only count on two things in life; death and taxes. Well, when it comes to politics, I’m pretty sure we can all agree you can only count on the second one. Taxes pay for a lot of things; this is especially prevalent at the city level. City services like garbage collection, snow removal, road maintenance, among many, many other things. For a long time, we were pretty spoiled in Calgary, commodity prices made it so that the tax base from the downtown offi...
003: Crime and Policing
April 21, 2021 14:00 - 49 minutes - 33.9 MBTonight, on COPS: oops I mean Your Neck of the Woods we’re proud to welcome our first guest to the conversation! Mike Baker is the vice president of the Calgary Police Association and a veteran of the Calgary Police Service. What a time to talk to him, our brave men and women in the police service or under so much scrutiny [some deserved some not] and very few media outlets seem to want to have an honest dialogue with the person behind the badge. That’s exactly what you get here. Myself, Mi...
002: Mental Health
April 14, 2021 14:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBI don’t know about you but I’ve found this last year to be quite a challenge from a mental health standpoint. What’s strange is this isn’t a new issue between the opioid epidemic, and the economic downturn in Alberta this is something that’s been going on in your neck of the woods for quite a long time. Covid and the isolation that has come along with it has merely emphasized how underprepared we are to deal with a friend or loved one in mental health crisis. Today Jason and I talk about th...
001: Meet the Hosts
April 07, 2021 19:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBWelcome to Your Neck of the Woods with Jacob McGregor. In this podcast, we are going to discuss issues and events in Northwest Calgary and the city as a whole. I started this podcast with my friend Jason Diodati because I noticed a lack of communication from our city Councillor and awareness of things going on in our community, I’m looking to bridge that gap as I run for City Council myself. Your Neck of the Woods is meant to be a conversation between myself, Jason, our guests and hopefully ...