Seen and Heard in Edmonton

Meet Dave Cournoyer, the man behind the well-known, well-read, well-written political blog Daveberta.

Dave has been at this for 10 years, and is definitely one of the deans of the Edmonton blogosphere — so much so that he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Yeggies at the still tender age of 31.

A lot has changed about political blogging since he started. The mechanisms for discovery of new blogs were much different in 2005, for example, and the conversation has shifted somewhat from comment threads to social media. We talk about all of that. We also discuss what the change in the provincial government has meant for a progressive who started blogging when it seemed like the Conservatives would always be in power.

Dave said his debut as a pundit was on the Journal’s Lej Out Loud podcast with Archie McLean in 2008. Sadly, the file doesn’t seem to exist any more, but he often turns up on Alberta Primetime, so you can catch his punditry there.

You can also listen on SoundCloud, in iTunes, or on Stitcher.

You can follow Dave on Twitter — @davecournoyer — and on Facebook — facebook.com/daveberta.

Here are the local blogs and podcasts that Dave recommended:

• Mack Male’s Mastermaq
• David Climenhaga’s Alberta Politics
• Adam Rozenhart’s The Expats

He also spoke highly of Nerd Nite, at which he nerded out about Alberta political history in September. The next Nerd Nite is at the Citadel on Oct. 15.

Dave also recommended some non-local podcasts: The Slate Political Gabfest, BBC 4’s More or Less, and Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History.

This episode is brought to you by CKUA Radio, Alberta’s original radio. You’ll hear content director David Ward talk about what sets CKUA apart, and how you can help keep that voice thriving.

CKUA’s fall fundraising drive runs from Oct. 15 to 25. You can donate online, and if you do so before midnight on Oct. 16, you’ll be eligible to win a trip to the Junos.

Musical credits: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, played by Daniel Veesey, from freemusicarchive.com.