Join us as Stephen Riley, author of God's Paddlers, joins Pierre and Dr. James Arnold. It's Stephen's first appearance on the podcast so we talked at length about his writing process and the experience of writing a book 50 years in writing. If you haven't read the book, now's the time to get multiple copies for Christmas for your family and friends. I'm thinking hard of soliciting in River Heights with copies before the holidays. We can all carry baskets full of books... (every once in a while I flashback to meat selling).

Pierre and Crazy James talk baseball. Specifically, the World Series, the condition of Rogers Centre, and the Montreal Expos. Local politics creep in as we celebrate 16 years of James' service to his city, High Prairie on the city council. I likely insulted someone somewhere along the way, but Crazy James kept it on track. Oh yeah, and we chat briefly about the new book out by Stephen Riley - God's Paddlers. Note: when recording this, we were still in the bliss of a possible Blue Jays win in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.

Pierre and Dr. Arnold break down about the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in the matter of R. v. Sheppard. The Doctor and I have followed the Sheppard case and podcasted about it in the past. Now that we have a decision by the nation's highest court. We talk about the Court's findings and legal reasoning. The ruling was clear in its purpose and intent. Sheppard was reincarcerated and the Court sent a message to all the provinces: sexual violence is not to be trifled with when making sentencing decisions. The Friesen case toughened the standards: Sheppard reinforces it. Sheppard is now precedent. We end this presentation by asking "What's up with the convicted pedophile's perjury in his trial?" Sheppard never disclosed a 1987 Ontario conviction at his Alberta trial. (Chief Justice) Wagner: "You ask him the question — he's the one who knows — he said no. Is that perjury?"Beresh (Sheppard's attorney) replied, "I suggest it isn't," saying he also didn't know about any prior criminal record.

Pierre and Crazy James talk about recent civic activities, including upcoming local elections in October where James is running for city council again. Pierre shared his reappointment to the Library Commission for another four years. Pierre and Crazy tried to discuss Dungeons & Dragons, and James explained the significance of rolling a natural 20. Things go downhill from there.

Pierre and Doctor Arnold talk about the Sheppard case after having some time to reflect about its importance in Canadian jurisprudence. The Canadian Supreme Court's decision to uphold the original sentence of 6 years for sexual assault was meant to send a strong signal about their expectations - specifically around the Friesen case, which tries to make sure that sentences are fair and reflect current understanding of crimes, rather than what might be a more lenient past. Enjoy.

Pierre and Crazy James discuss the 2025 Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. We focus on goaltending, defense, and offensive capabilities, all the while hating on the Maple Leafs, because, you know, Toronto.

A frank discussion about ptsd of all sorts. We talk about its history - when ptsd started making its way into our society, the symptoms, and how to deal when it's really hard to deal. Post Traumatic Shock Syndrome is so ingrained in us that its acronym itself is a trigger to many people.

Jim and Pierre talk His Majesty the King v. Sheppard . Decided on 23 April 2025, Paul Sheppard was ordered back to jail to serve his full six-year term. We talk about the Canadian parole system, the legal process, and the costs associated with legal proceedings, especially when a case goes to the Supreme Court. A crisp discussion topping off a series of podcasts about the case.