Yxe Underground

For the past three years, Wanuskewin’s Artist-in-Residence program has welcomed emerging and established Indigenous artists to not only create within its beautiful space, but to share their inspiration and process with visitors to the park. This program is helping our community connect with Wanuskewin in new ways, and you’ll meet some of the people behind the program in this episode of YXE Underground.Last year, I was at an art opening for Saskatoon’s Brody Burns, an amazing Indigenous artist, hosted by The 525, and I ran into Andrew McDonald. He is the Co-Executive Director of Wanuskewin, and as we marveled at Brody’s art, he shared his passion for Wanuskewin’s Artist-in-Residence program. Andrew is a great guy and I loved his pitch, so a few weeks ago, I spent a morning at Wanuskewin meeting people who love this program and want to see it grow and thrive.In this episode, you are going to meet Olivia and Greg Yuel, along with the current Artist-in-Residence, Chris Chipak, and Andrew McDonald and Marcel Robit

Hello, I'm Eric Anderson and welcome to YXE Underground. If you are a long time listener of the podcast, thank you! If this is your first time listening, welcome. YXE Underground is a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon that shines a light on people who are doing incredible things but are flying under the radar. I am so excited that the wonderful Lisa Greig is once again joining us in Season Eight for Walking With Lisa episodes. We've done several episodes focusing on mental health and they have become some of the most listened to episodes in the seven seasons of the podcast. It got me thinking that it would be great if we could do a quick mental health check in every month and luckily Lisa said yes to the pitch. This is Lisa's third season on YXE Underground and I am grateful for her support. Lisa Greig is a mother of two young children, a social worker who now works for Saskatoon's Rock and Bloom, the author of a best selling children's book entitled 'Scream! Shout! Let's Feel Our Grief Out' and a

Empathy and compassion are qualities Brynn Service has in spades, and they are enabling her to make a difference the lives of Saskatoon’s homeless population and those who are at risk of homelessness. Brynn is the Saskatoon supervisor of a national program called Coordinated Access, and she shares why this work means so much to her in this episode of YXE Underground.Saskatoon continues to face the challenges of a growing homelessness population. A point-in-time count conducted on October 16th of last year found that 1,931 individuals were experiencing homelessness. That number is up by 29 percent from 2024. Brynn was one of the people who helped conduct the count and knows the need for people experiencing homelessness to get help is high. She also knows there is a large group of people and organizations who are ready to help, and they are working together to reach people in need. Brynn became the Supervisor of the Coordinated Access program last August. The program is designed to standardize the intake and as

Hello and welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground. I’m Eric Anderson and I hope you had a great holiday season.For 13 years, Swinging with the Stars has paired community leaders with professional dancers for a night of entertainment and raising money for the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation. This year’s event is on Saturday, January 31st at TCU Place, the theme is Broadway, and Chris Sikorsky cannot wait. Chris is the Co-Owner of Sikpics Productions and a Swinging with the Stars Alumni. He is also a Swinging with the Stars Committee Member and was kind enough to share his passion for the event with me for the podcast. We met at Sikpics headquarters in downtown Saskatoon and I had so much fun listening to Chris share stories of why this event means so much to him and his own experiences of being one of the dancers a few years ago. We also touch on why Saskatoon is so great at coming together as a community to support fundraising events like this. I want to mention that Chris and the committee h

In this bonus episode, we are going to learn about a new and innovative project from Elmwood Residences that will make a real difference in Saskatoon’s disability community.It’s called the Elmwood Community Hub, and you might remember it being discussed in our last episode that highlighted the work being done at Elmwood’s Community Homes throughout Saskatoon. The Community Hub, which if everything goes well will open in 2030, will sit on the grounds of the current Elmwood Manor on Arlington Avenue and will feature a variety of amenities including a performance theatre, life skills kitchen and residential units. I was lucky to sit down with Dani Carr, Maggie Stevenson and Jackie Smith to learn more about the project. Dani is the Executive Director of Elmwood Residences. Maggie is the Manager of Community Engagement for Elmwood.Jackie is a former Elmwood board member whose brother was cared for by Elmwood for many years. I met Dani, Maggie, and Jackie at the Elmwood Manor and we all sat down in one of the board

Kyle Danylyshen is one of four residents living in one of Elmwood Residences' community homes for people with intellectual disabilities. For 56 years, Elmwood has supported individuals experiencing intellectual disabilities with the care and services they need to live full and meaningful lives. The organization operates 15 community homes in Saskatoon. These homes have care staff providing 24-hour care, and as you will hear in this episode, the homes are empowering residents with the skills and opportunities to live independently within the greater community.Kyle’s home is on Preston Avenue near Market Mall. It is a one-story house that is fully accessible for people in wheelchairs, including a ramp to the front door and into a large backyard. Kyle has lived here since 2021, and one of his best friends is his roommate, Tiernan Huber, who moved in last August. They quickly bonded through their mutual love of the Saskatoon Blades and being active in the community. They are quite the pair and were an absolute jo

Welcome to Saskatoon Fire and Flood. It’s a Friday afternoon and Brennen Mills is showing me and my photographer, Rona Andreas, around the building. It’s a really impressive space full of tools and equipment designed to help people recover from an incident such as a house fire. I feel lucky to say I have never had to call on Brennen and his team for their help. In fact, Brennen was not on my radar for podcast guests until his colleague, Candace Chickowski nominated him through the YXE Underground website. Her email was compelling and it really got me thinking of how important communication is in Brennen’s line of work. Here is a portion of Candace’s email that really connected with me and got this episode in motion. Brennen was born and raised in Saskatchewan’s construction industry. He knows this work inside and out, but what makes him different is his ability to see the human side of it. We deal with people going through some of the hardest days of their lives, fires, floods, and major loss and Brennen neve

Welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground. My name is Eric Anderson and it has been a busy week for the podcast.Last Monday, I dropped an episode that took listeners to Beaver Creek Conservation Area to enjoy a Dark Skies event put on by the Meewasin Valley Authority.On Thursday, I spoke with Katayoon Navabi about the Diaspora Film Festival she was helping organize at the Remai Modern. I saw a great documentary yesterday as part of the film festival called Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story. My congrats to Katayoon and her team for putting on such a wonderful event. Today, I am sharing a conversation about an upcoming fundraising event that has raised more than three million dollars since 2007.Choc’la Cure is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to purchase cancer treatment equipment used at the Saskaoon Cancer Centre. It formed 18 years ago and has impacted the lives of so many people in Saskatoon and throughout our province.Choc’la Cure’s annual gala event takes place on November 7th at

Hello and welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground. I am  excited to share with you an interview with Katayoon Navabi. Katayoon is the Program Director for the Paivand Society, which is a non-profit organization in Saskatoon that promotes cultural dialogue, and is on the organizing committee of the Saskatoon Diaspora Film Festival. This film festival, now in its third year, shows movies that tell stories of migration, immigration, and of people settling into their new homes while trying to create community. It’s taking place this weekend (October 24th-26th) at the Remai Modern’s beautiful theatre, and you can learn more by visiting paivand-society.ca. I was introduced to Katayoon by our mutual friend and amazing human being, April Sora, and I am so glad she made this interview happen because, as you are about to discover, Katayoon is simply wonderful.She is originally from Iran where she grew up in a family that loved to tell stories. Whether it was reading, listening, or cinema, Katayoon, was su

Hello and welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground. I’m Eric Anderson, and if you are listener of the podcast, you probably know I am a big fan of the Meewasin Valley Authority.The organization does an incredible job of protecting and enhancing our beautiful river valley, and its conversation efforts are always worth celebrating.Meewasin also puts on really great events, and in this episode, we are highlighting one that takes place at Beaver Creek Conservation Area.Dark Skies at Beaver Creek gives people the chance to explore the wonders of the night sky along with learning how to photograph constellations, galaxies and if you’re lucky, like I was in this episode, the Northern Lights.These Dark Skies events sell out quickly. I know this because I’ve been trying for a few years to get a ticket. It finally happened in late August on a beautiful and clear Friday night. I wanted to do a bonus episode to share with you the joy and wonder of a Dark Skies event, and I hope that comes through in what you

Welcome to Christy Morrissey's acreage.We're about 15 minutes west of Saskatoon on a gorgeous Friday fall morning. The sun is rising and the grass is wet as Christy points a Hairy Woodpecker on an Aspen Tree.Christy Morrissey is an ecotoxicologist and professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Saskatchewan who loves prairie grasslands and wetlands. She is doing important research to protect and preserve these beautiful but fragile ecosystems in Western Canada, which she talks about in this episode.Christy also discusses why is hopeful to see more women in scientific and research roles.I love prairie grasslands, which is kind of ironic because I'm allergic to grass, but I love their subtle beauty, and I think we are so fortunate to have access to beautiful grasslands in and around Saskatoon. I hope that sense of gratitude comes through in this conversation.   You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or on the website

Nuit Blanche is one of my favourite nights of the year in Saskatoon. The festival brings together talented artists from all walks of life to showcase their talents and express themselves under the darkness of a prairie night. There's something about seeing public art in the dark that makes the works unique and special.Xiao Han expresses the uniqueness of Nuit Blanche Saskatoon way better than I can. She is an artist and photographer here in Saskatoon, and  is this year's curator of Nuit Blanche. She sees our community through a special lens, and I think that comes through in our conversation. Xiao explains what listeners will experience on the night of September 20th, why the festival is spread out over three locations (Broadway, River Landing and Downtown) and how this year's theme of "Living In Between" has inspired artists this year.It was such a pleasure speaking with Xiao! We met on a Saturday morning at the large steps that overlook the K.W. Nasser Plaza in River Landing, and it was wondering hearing wh

Hello and welcome to Season Eight debut of YXE Underground. I’m Eric Anderson and welcome to the University of Saskatchewan’s Physical Activity for Active Living, or PAAL, program.It’s a Wednesday night in late August. I’m in the gymnasium room of the Physical Activity Complex on the UofS campus. There are children and teenagers running and jumping on different obstacles set up throughout the space, and they’re joined by high school and university student volunteers who are helping them make the most of their time tonight.PAAL is a program for individuals of all ages who are experiencing physical and or intellectual disabilities. Its mission is to provide quality physical activity focusing on fun, skill development and social interaction.On this night, the child/teen PAAL program is wrapping up its summer session for youth ages 5 to 18. Half of the class is here in the gymnasium while the other half is downstairs in the pool…which we will visit later on. It’s hard to articulate just how much positivity and jo

Hello and welcome to a special summer bonus episode of YXE Underground. I hope you are having a wonderful summer! One of the highlights of my summer is always enjoying the Saskatoon Fringe Festival. It is put on by Saskatoon's 25th Street Theatre and features artists not only from Saskatoon and Canada, but from around the world as well. The Fringe Festival attracts amazing live theatre productions to our community and brings people together in very unique ways that Philippa Williams explains in this episode of the podcast. Philippa Williams has been with 25th Street Theatre for years, and this year is one of the leaders who is ensuring the festival runs smoothly. I met with Philippa at the Fringe Festival site in W.E. Graham Park in the Broadway neighbourhood to learn more about this year's festival and discover why fringe performers continue to choose Saskatoon as a place to share their talents. Philippa also shares her passion for ensuring the Fringe continues to make a difference in our community. I think

Hello, I'm Eric Anderson and welcome to YXE Underground. If you are a long time listener of the podcast, thank you! If this is your first time listening, welcome. YXE Underground is a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon that shines a light on people who are doing incredible things but are flying under the radar. I am so excited that the wonderful Lisa Greig is once again joining us in Season Seven for Walking With Lisa episodes. We've done several episodes focusing on mental health and they have become some of the most listened to episodes in the seven seasons of the podcast. It got me thinking that it would be great if we could do a quick mental health check in every month and luckily Lisa said yes to the pitch. This is Lisa's second season on YXE Underground and I am grateful for her support. Lisa Greig is a mother of two young children, a social worker who now works for Saskatoon's Rock and Bloom, the author of a best selling children's book entitled 'Scream! Shout! Let's Feel Our Grief Out' and a

It’s a Saturday night and emerging Saskatoon artist Rowen Dinsmore is hosting her exhibition entitled, “What Gave You That Impression (?)”Friends, family and art enthusiasts are here to check out Rowen’s stunning paintings, which she has been working on in this space for the past two months thanks to the Bridges Art Movement artist collective, also known as BAM.BAM was formed 11 years ago by a group of University of Saskatchewan Fine Arts graduates who were looking for a space to work and showcase their art. Dave Stonhouse was one of those graduates and today he not only leads BAM but works closely Saskatoon artists to help develop their skills and find their artistic voice.At a time when local artists are working hard to find spaces to share their talents, Dave and the BAM collective are ensuring these emerging voices are being heard. I've known Dave for years as he used to teach at Mount Royal with my wife. He currently teaches at Nutana Collegiate and sees the world through such a unique lens, which I thin

Hello, I'm Eric Anderson and welcome to YXE Underground. If you are a long time listener of the podcast, thank you! If this is your first time listening, welcome. YXE Underground is a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon that shines a light on people who are doing incredible things but are flying under the radar. I am so excited that the wonderful Lisa Greig is once again joining us in Season Seven for Walking With Lisa episodes. We've done several episodes focusing on mental health and they have become some of the most listened to episodes in the seven seasons of the podcast. It got me thinking that it would be great if we could do a quick mental health check in every month and luckily Lisa said yes to the pitch. This is Lisa's second season on YXE Underground and I am grateful for her support. Lisa Greig is a mother of two young children, a social worker who now works for Saskatoon's Rock and Bloom, the author of a best selling children's book entitled 'Scream! Shout! Let's Feel Our Grief Out' and a

For more than 50 years, Saskatchewan’s Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathologist communities have advocated for a university program in our province that would educate and train students in these professions.That dream will soon become a reality at the University of Saskatchewan.You will meet Kara Broks and Tami Turner in this episode of YXE Underground. They are designing the province’s first Master’s program in Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology and share with listeners why this work means so much to them. For decades, if you were interested in becoming an Occupational Therapist or Speech Language Pathologist, you had to leave the province. That will change in September of 2026 when the University of Saskatchewan launches Master’s of Speech Language Pathology and Master’s of Occupational Therapy programs. Both of these programs will fall under the School of Rehabilitation Science at the University of Saskatchewan. How these new Master’s programs will work together to meet the dema

It’s an overcast Saturday morning in late March and Station 20 West, located on 20th Street West and Avenue L South, is buzzing with activity.People have gathered to learn more about Naloxone, how to safely administer it to someone overdosing from opioids, and to talk about what can be done to help our community get through this difficult point in time.Saskatoon’s drug and overdose crisis has been all over the news. A CBC story notes the Saskatoon Fire Department has responded to 935 overdose incidents or suspected opioid poisonings since the start of the year. That’s compared to 376 incidents in the same time period last year.The Saskatoon Library closed two branches for a month over safety and overdose concerns, and Prairie Harm Reduction, which we have featured on the podcast several times, temporarily paused its operations in March to give its staff an opportunity to deal with the trauma they are seeing every day in our city. I think the local media and the Hard Knox Talks podcast have done an exemplarily

Welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground featuring a really wonderful person named Kyle Zurevinski. He is the Digital Media Program Assistant at the Remai Modern Museum and one of his largest responsibilities is curating and facilitating the film program at the museum. I have had the pleasure of working with Kyle on a few community projects in my role at Sherbrooke Community Centre over the past few years and he's just really great guy who loves his community and loves bringing people together. Kyle brings people together by selecting thought-provoking, interesting and compelling films to the Remai, and we discuss how he chooses the movies in this episode. He also talks about the role movie theatres can play in forming community in Saskatoon and what it feels like to experience watching a film in a packed theatre. I am so excited to be partnering with Kyle and the Remai Modern for a special community screening of the Pixar classic film, Wall-E, on April 17th. The show is free to the public (bring