Yxe Underground

March 20th was the first day of spring and it felt like a day to be outside. I woke up early to go for a haircut and run a few errands, including picking up lunch for my wife who was at home participating in an all day zoom conference. I think seeing her sitting in front of her laptop inspired me to make the most of the afternoon and headed out for a walk.I parked off of 14th Street close to Broadway and headed towards the Broadway Bridge. I knew I wanted to end at the Remai Modern and enjoy the Meewasin Trail and River Landing, but as I approached the Broadway Bridge, I wanted to get away from the sound of cars. So I veered left towards the Traffic Bridge.I haven't walked that bridge in months and you'll hear more people and bikes in this part. I forgot how great the views are of the river on the Traffic Bridge. I also saw lots of lovely puppy dogs and it took all my strength not to walk up to them and say hello...Social distancing played a role in that decision as well!Once I hit the Meewasin Trail, I heade

"If I allow praise to be why I do this job or get wrapped up in that life-saving mentality, I would worry about the job I'm doing. You have to keep some humility."Jen Rondeau is a very humble and wise woman. As a Critical Care Paramedic, her job is to help those who need immediate medical help. She works with Air Ambulance and Road Ambulance based at Medavie Health Services West in Saskatoon's Stonebridge area. She works with others to save lives. What I quickly learned, however, is that accepting praise and then letting it go is really important for Jen and she explains why in this episode.I met Jen last summer when I walked into her yoga studio, Ivy Yoga House. Two things quickly stood out to me. The first was how welcoming the space was. Sometimes I feel intimidated in a yoga studio because I'm just not that good, but there is a great feeling when you enter the studio that instantly puts you at ease. The second was that Jen was there to greet and say hello to everyone. It's a small but I think important ex

How are you doing?It's a question I have asked my friends, my family, my colleagues and plenty of strangers during the last year. It's been a hard year for many in our community due to the pandemic. I think it's fair to say we've all had to deal with various mental health challenges. As we approach one year of the Covid-19 pandemic here in Saskatoon, it seemed like the right time to see how we are all doing in terms of our mental health. I am grateful that Samantha Horswill and Colleen McBride agreed with the timing and to appear on the podcast.Dr. Samantha Horswill is a Registered Psychologist at Chartier Arnold Shimp and Associates here in Saskatoon. Colleen McBride is a registered social worker and counsellor who has a private practice called The Practice. You might remember Colleen from a Season One episode looking at cancer care in Saskatoon. Samantha and Colleen share not only their experiences throughout the pandemic, but so much wisdom and insight when it comes to mental health. You will hear me say s

I love speaking with Scotty Dicks.In Season One of YXE Underground, Scotty appeared on the podcast to talk about his work in growing Saskatoon's culinary scene. A wonderful chef who loves collaborating, Scotty worked with different restaurants and pubs in the city developing their menus while teaching classes at The Local Kitchen and running his own catering company. He was influential in educating our community where our food was coming from and why that was important to know. At the end of that episode, Scotty revealed he was ready to get back in the kitchen and was set to open a new restaurant called Odla. In the span of a few years, it has become a staple in Saskatoon's culinary scene and has garnered national attention. Scotty and his team were really hitting their stride when Covid-19 arrived in Saskatoon. In the span of a few days, everything at the restaurant changed. The menu was revamped, a website was created and Scotty was suddenly left wondering what the future had in store.What you will hear in

I have had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Jodi Grant for the past four years. Jodi is a resident at Sherbrooke Community Centre, which is where I work, and her life has been full of challenges. However, one of her constant sources of joy has been reading stories out loud to students. At Sherbrooke, Jodi reads to grade six students as part of the iGen program. iGen, which is short for Intergeneration Program, is a unique partnership between Sherbrooke and the Saskatoon Public School Division. I have seen how much joy Jodi receives from reading to the students and how captivated those students are with Jodi's flare and grace for storytelling.I think reading out loud is a real art. A person can truly bring a story to life with their voice, their energy and understanding of the text. Jodi is a master storyteller and I am very grateful she said yes to my idea of having her read a Christmas story this year for the podcast.It has been a challenging year for Jodi in terms of reading out loud to this year's iGen class. D

Yulissa Campos has a wonderful presence to her. It's a mix of confidence and conviction, fuelled by a lot of passion to tell and share stories on a stage before an audience.At the age of 26, Yulissa has accomplished a great deal in Saskatoon's local theatre scene. She has written and performed plays that are uniquely her own and has started her own theatre company, Ay Caramba! Theatre. She takes pride in telling diverse stories and sharing them with people of all backgrounds, and she is working hard to ensure that newcomer and diverse voices are being heard and celebrated in Saskatoon. I felt Yulissa's presence this past summer when I was hosting a television series focusing on important issues in Saskatchewan's theatre scene. Yulissa was one of the guests for a diversity panel and right away I was just hit with her energy and insights. I knew I had to get her on the podcast! Yulissa and I met in mid-November, a few weeks after a big dump of snow. I mention this because Yulissa is from Ecuador and is no fan o

I was very excited and nervous for this interview. I mean, how often do you get to meet people who are literally trying to save the world? In my mind, Andrea Kroeker and Jill Van Kessel are superheroes and it was a real thrill to speak with them.Andrea and Jill are Research Technicians at Saskatoon's VIDO-InterVac, an organization located on the University of Saskatchewan that has been researching viruses and developing vaccines for decades. This year, VIDO-InterVac has been thrust into the global spotlight because of its work on developing a Covid-19 vaccine. I have loved reading and listening to stories about the work being done at the VIDO-InterVac facility. I think it's wonderful that national and international news organizations are paying attention to what is happening at VIDO-InterVac, and I also think the local media have done a great job of explaining why the work is so important. My friend and former CBC colleague Alicia Bridges wrote a really interesting story in August that you must read, and The

The Broadway Theatre holds a lot of meaning for people in Saskatoon. Some people go to the Broadway for live theatre, others come for movies, and if you're like me, you buy a seat to one of the many of the great concerts hosted by the venue. It really is a hub for Saskatoon's artistic and creative community and like many other venues in our city, it has been hurt by the pandemic.Kirby Wirchenko is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Broadway Theatre. Our relationship goes back to when I was a journalist at CBC and he was kind enough to let me know of a fundraising campaign that was going to be launched today to help the Broadway pay some bills. I thought a conversation with Kirby about how the Broadway has been impacted by Covid-19 and why now was the right time to ask the community for help would make a nice bonus episode of the podcast. I miss live music. I miss it so damn much. What worries me is by the time life returns to some sense of normalcy and artists are ready to tour again, there won't be v

About halfway through our conversation, Natalya Mason describes why she took part in this summer's Black Lives Matter protests in Saskatoon, and I love it when she says, "this wasn't my first protest."It offers you a hint of Natalya's character. She is passionate, caring, determined and not afraid to say what's on her mind and in her heart. Natalya is the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Saskatoon Sexual Health. For the past six years, she has worked with different groups in Saskatoon, from elementary and high school students to newcomers and people with disabilities, on all things relating to sexual education. It turns out that this is her dream job and she tells a wonderful story at the beginning of our conversation about how her Mom set her down this path. Good storytelling is a theme in this episode. Natalya shares some insightful and humorous stories about her time in school classrooms and also opens up about being a black, queer woman in Saskatoon. Her past experiences, as well as the experiences

You don't forget a person like Julia Holliday-Scott. Julia is Director of Support Services at Prairie Harm Reduction (formerly AIDS Saskatoon). She is caring, passionate, and is able to articulate her thoughts in a way that makes you think, "yeah, I can get behind that!"Julia first appeared on the podcast in December of 2019. That was when the safe consumption site was nearing completion. The issue of funding the site, however, was still up in the air. It remains so today. However, Julia and her Prairie Harm Reduction colleagues were not going to let a little thing like money get in the way of opening the only safe consumption site between Lethbridge and Thunder Bay. They rallied their community to raise enough money to open the site on October 1st...which is today!I wanted to speak with Julia at the end of day one to see not only how the day went but how she felt about the doors finally opening. We sat down in her office and she went through not only how the first day went but also what this site means to he

There are so many moments from this episode that stand out to me, but one of my favourite is when Tara Janzen and Honey Constant walked up to the massive wire fence to see the bison. They both instinctively reached for the fence and wrapped their fingers around the wires in order to get as close to as possible to the bison. Or as Honey calls them, 'my cousins.'This episode features two young women who are making a difference in their community through their work at Wanuskewin Heritage Park. Tara is the Director of Development and works with numerous stakeholders and groups sharing the story of Wanuskewin. She is also one of the key players in Wanuskewin's efforts to achieve UNESCO status. Tara is a wonderful storyteller who is committed to ensuring her community understands the importance of Wanuskewin and indigenous history.Honey is a Senior Interpreter Guide at Wanuskewin with enough personality and warmth to fill the entire park! She has designed a unique program for students that teaches them the cultural

When Anita Smith pitches you an idea, it's pretty hard to say no!Anita is the Executive Director of Saskatoon's 25th Street Theatre Company. It is a company rich in history and best known for producing the Saskatoon Fringe Festival every year. This year, due to Covid-19, 25th Street was forced to switch gears and do something different than the Fringe Festival.Enter the This Is Not That Festival. It's an all encompassing, multi-disciplinary festival running from July 30th to August 8th featuring live theatre, online plays and even...wait for it...a podcast. Anita, who I am very lucky to call my friend, asked if I would be interested in producing a podcast episode looking at the history of 25th Street Theatre and where it plans to go. As I said earlier, it's hard saying no to Anita because of her passion and energy. I didn't know anything about 25th Street beyond the fact that it produces the Fringe every summer. What I discovered in making this episode is how important this theatre company has been to not onl

Candace Gabriel really is the perfect person to run Saskatoon's Summer Snack Program. For the past 33 years, this program has provided children and their families with free and nutritious meals in parks across the city during the summer months. Candace has been the program's coordinator for the last nine years and has seen the positive impact something as simple as a sandwich can have.When Candace and her family first moved to Saskatoon, their financial situation was challenging. Her daughters made the most of the the Summer Snack Program in their neighbourhood park, but Candace had to overcome feelings of embarrassment before she felt comfortable asking for help. That experience has given her a profound sense of empathy which helps her in so many ways. My friend Hailey Burnett texted me last December after seeing Candace speak at a United Way of Saskatoon event and said "you need to have this woman on your podcast!" She was right. Candace opens up in this episode about her experiences struggling to put enoug

The first few days of the Covid-19 pandemic are a blur for Chris Randall. Chris is a housing advocate who has been working for years with Saskatoon's most vulnerable people. When the pandemic arrived in our city, he was working on a project that tracks the number of homeless people in Saskatoon. That quickly changed when it became clear how vulnerable the homeless population would be to this virus.Chris immediately reached out to his friends and colleagues in organizations like AIDS Saskatoon and Quint Saskatoon to see how they could work together to help people. With shelters restricting their numbers and local non-profits closing their doors to help curb the spread of the virus, it became clear there was a gap in services for homeless people. He quickly found support in community organizations and the result was the opening of two hubs (White Buffalo Youth Lodge and The Salvation Army off of 8th Street) that would serve as a one-stop shop for people who needed help during the pandemic.You'll hear the story

What does Saskatoon sound like during a global pandemic?For the first weeks of our city shut down due to Covid-19, I couldn't get over how quiet the city was. There were fewer cars on the road during my morning commute to work. The trails along the riverbank were sparse and neighbourhoods like Broadway and Riversdale were empty of people. Everything slowed down and it felt like a hush went over the city.I wanted to capture that feeling on the podcast for a few reasons. The first was I thought it would be interesting to look back on this time a year or two from now and remember just how different life was. How a bustling avenue like Broadway could become so calm due to a virus. I really like what the Western Development Museum is doing by collecting photos of life in the pandemic and I thought it would be neat to try something similar with sound.The second reason was that I am really loving an American podcast created by author Jon Mooallem called The Walking Podcast. The podcast consists of Jon going out on d

This is probably the most personal episode of YXE Underground I have done. For the past three years, I have worked at Sherbrooke Community Centre, a long-term care home in Saskatoon's east side, as its Communications Leader. It is an incredible place to come every day because of the people who live in the home and the dedicated staff who care for its residents.There is a rhythm to life at Sherbrooke. Our 263 residents interact with one-another and staff in so many different ways and in so many different venues. It could be while working on a painting in the Arts Studio or doing physical therapy in the pool. It might be tending to a herb garden in the greenhouse or taking a trip around the world through the magic of the International Coffee Club. A full and abundant life is what we try and do for each and every resident.On March 15th, COVID-19 threw Sherbrooke off rhythm. We saw what was happening in other parts of the country, and when the virus made its landing in Saskatchewan, we took steps to keep our resi

The best part of the Juno Awards when Saskatoon first hosted in 2007 was, in my opinion, Junofest. The two-day music festival had artists and bands playing all over the city, and it felt like a competition to see how many great bands you could see in one night. There's a picture of my cousin, Troy Weppler, and I standing in the cold out in front of Amigos taken by sister after we had just seen Rob Baker of The Tragically Hip, who was watching a band called Jets Overhead, and we look so darn happy!I wanted to do a podcast episode on Junofest, the work it takes to pull off this festival, and what it means to local venues to host Junofest shows because I love live music. I believe live music is one of the few things in life that can bring people together and that we should celebrate it every chance we get. That's why Janelle and I braved the frigid temperatures on a Saturday morning in February to meet up with Aryn Otterbein of The Broadway Theatre. She opened up the theatre special for us and explained why it w

In 2007, when Saskatoon last hosted the Juno Awards, I was using an LG flip phone to stay in touch with friends during the festivities. Things have changed a bit in 13 years.When I heard the Junos were returning to Saskatoon, I was excited! I have been lucky to attend two Juno Award weeks and had an absolute blast both times.I wanted to learn how our city was able to convince the Juno folks to return to Saskatoon. I reached out to my friend at Tourism Saskatoon, Darby Sutherland, and she was kind enough to introduce me to Todd Brandt and Sarah Berger. Todd is the President and CEO of Tourism Saskatoon while Sarah is the Director of Media. They are part of the Tourism Saskatoon team that has worked for years with Juno officials in Toronto and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to show that Saskatoon was ready and able to host Canada's biggest music night once again.Janelle and I met with Todd and Sarah at Tourism Saskatoon's offices on 4th Avenue and had a great conversation in Todd's office.

Beth Cote shares a wonderful story at the end of this episode that illustrates the potential of a new downtown library in Saskatoon.Now, I'm not saying you should skip to the end of the book (or podcast in this case) because there's plenty of good stuff in the first 43 minutes, but when you hear Beth's story of a conversation she has with a Halifax baker and the pride he had in his city's new library, you'll understand why her work means so much to her.Beth Cote is the Director of Public Services for the Saskatoon Public Library. She oversees all the Library's frontline programming and ensures it connects with the organization's goals and vision.She has also played an important role in the organization's efforts to secure funding for a new downtown branch that would replace the Frances Morrison Library, which was built in 1966.I've been following the SPL's efforts to build a new downtown branch for months and wanted to know more about the role the Frances Morrison Library plays in our community. I feel very l

Thursday night was special and meaningful for many people here in Saskatoon. The Surviv(her) cancer support group, founded by Amy Morris, hosted an event called 'Portraits of Surviv(her)s.' It paired local photographers with Saskatoon women who are cancer survivors and fighters. It also created a wonderful sense of community.The portraits were displayed throughout the event room at LB Distillery. Beside each professional portrait was a 5x7 photo selected by the subject of the photo along with a write-up describing what that small photo meant to them. The stories served as a window into each person's battle against cancer and put into perspective what it meant for them to be in the room on that night. Alyssa Noonan was one of those cancer fighters who shared their story and had their portrait taken. The local photographer she was matched with was our very own Janelle Wallace! I am so proud to work with Janelle on every episode of YXE Underground and it was wonderful to see her talents and character celebrated.