Civically Speaking Podcast with Host, Lenore Swystun and Co-Host, Christina Cherneskey

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Dear Listeners,

Thanks for tuning in.

In this episode of Civically Speaking, we spend time unpacking food security… not as a single issue, but as a system shaped by trade, climate pressures, land, science, and governance.

I’m joined by Gordon Androsoff, Executive Director of the Nelson Community Food Centre, joining us from Nelson, British Columbia, and Dr. Tom Wolf, widely known as the Nozzle Guy, a scientist specializing in precision agricultural application and applied research.

Together, we dig into what’s happening right now across Canada’s ag and food landscape.

We talk trade… including market volatility, trade, and how shifts in global relationships ripple all the way down to farm-level decisions and household food costs.

We explore climate implications… particularly drought and water stress and why these issues quickly become governance issues, not just an environmental one.

We spend time on research cuts… and the quiet erosion of public agricultural science capacity. We talk about why research stations, breeding programs, and applied science are not luxuries, but essential infrastructure for managing risk in a changing climate.

Along the way, we also touch on land… rising farmland prices, consolidation, enterprise-scale ownership, and what these trends mean for who gets to farm, how land is stewarded, and how resilient are local food systems?

This is a conversation about food, yes… but also about trust, long-term thinking, and the systems that quietly shape everyday life.

As always, thanks for listening and for staying engaged with the civic questions that matter. Make community radio stations like CFCR 90.5 FM your choice when tuning in. And local podcast versions of shows like this, your go-to!

With regrets from Christina Cherneskey, who couldn’t be with us this week.

Civically Speaking,
 Lenore Swystun

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Dear Listeners,

Part 1 and Part 2 are broken up this week. 

In this first part, Christina and I touch on local newsworthy items. SREDA, Discovery Saskatoon, and more touched on.  PT 2 we go global. 

Be sure to support shows like this and tune in, for real, by your FM dial to 90.5 FM when in Saskatoon or via the digital platforms via cfcr.ca

Civically speaking, 

Lenore with Christina

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Dear Listeners, 

In PT 2, we focus on the global scene and affects felt locally. 

Cognitive dissonance ripples through our world. What we see and what we hear. 

Tune in. Support shows like this and community radio stations like cfcr.ca 

Civicaly  speaking,

Lenore Swystun with Christina

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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 Dear Listeners,

Thanks for tuning in. Much appreciation for your support of shows like this that air on Community Radio and also in podcast form.

The first half of this episode focuses on a changing world order and why it matters to pay attention right now. The conversation looks at how global norms are shifting, what world leaders are saying about Greenland and sovereignty, and how recent events are being framed at the World Economic Forum. It reflects on what it means when cooperation gives way to power politics, and why these signals from global leaders should concern countries like Canada and communities like ours. 

The second half opens with a significant excerpt from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, setting the stage for a discussion about Canada’s role in a changing global and economic landscape. The conversation then turns to Saskatchewan and Saskatoon and key City Council files including corridor planning and the Downtown Event and Entertainment District. It also reflects on housing and homelessness, including recent developments in Regina and what they may suggest for Saskatoon.

As always, Civically Speaking is about connecting global forces to local realities, and thinking together about what it means to care for place and community during uncertain times.

Civically speaking,

Lenore with regrets this week from Christina 

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Dear Listeners,

Thanks, as always, for tuning in to Civically Speaking. This episode was uploaded Wednesday morning, with apologies for the delay.

Christina and I begin with a few ponderings about the weather. It feels much more like spring than winter, and I have to say, I am loving it. We are also supposed to see good weather for a while yet, which feels like a gift.

From there, we jump around to a few different stories, including deep sadness over the death of Trevor Dupois. Trevor was a North Star, originating from the Prince Albert area. He had been living with brain cancer, but his death will now be under investigation following an altercation with security during the early morning or late night hours last Friday. An investigation is supposed to be underway. Our hearts go out to his family. He was an amazing person.

We also touch base on a few other items, including the trip Prime Minister Carney and Premier Moe are taking to China and more.

Have a listen, and please continue to support community radio. CFCR is your station in Saskatoon, and shows like this are made possible because of you.

Civically Speaking,

Lenore Swystun and Christina Cherneskey

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Dear Listeners,

Happy New Year!  

May 2026 bring you and this show and others that air on community radio and are spread through podcast platforms beyond do their very best to stay informed and have us exercising our civic muscles always.

In the first part of the show, we look at major international developments, focusing on Venezuela and Ukraine, and asked why these events matter for Canada and close to home.

We explore how what's going on in Venezuela raises questions about international law, sovereignty, and global energy markets … all of which affect Canada economically and diplomatically. We also discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine and Canada’s deep involvement through aid and diplomacy. And we simply pause on how increasingly unstable the global landscape appears.

In the second half of the show, we bring the conversation home to Saskatoon and examined how civic decisions shape everyday life.

We talk about the proposed community hub that our mayor, Cynthia Block is proposing. We discuss the Downtown Event and Entertainment District, Bus Rapid Transit, and University of Saskatchewan endowment lands, focusing on how major investments in land and infrastructure raise important questions about priorities, access, and the public good.

Across both conversations, one theme is clear … the choices made today shape who benefits, who belongs, and the future of our city.

Have a listen. Support community radio and may 2026 be a year we get a good civic engagement work-out.

Civically speaking,

Lenore Swystun and Christina Cherneskey

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Dear Listeners,

As we head into the holiday season, this week on Civically Speaking, I’m joined by Rupan Sambasivam, a recent political science graduate and aspiring media voice, for a year-end reflection on the major political milestones of 2025.

We walk through the federal election, leadership shifts, and key moments that shaped national politics over the year, and then look at how those federal decisions and dynamics rippled closer to home in Saskatchewan and Saskatoon. The focus is on connecting the dots, offering different perspectives, and making sense of a dynamic political year.

Civically Speaking,

Lenore Swystun, Host

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Dear Listeners,

Thanks for tuning into Civically Speaking. This two-part episode of Civically Speaking brings together what’s happening right now and what it means for civic life moving forward.

In Part 1, we walk through the most important stories from the past week, moving from global events to local City Hall decisions, including:

• Major earthquakes and tsunami warnings in Japan
• Severe flooding in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia
• Solar flares and space weather affecting global systems
• Canada’s federal government moving one seat away from a majority, raising questions about opposition leadership
• A fatal incident at a Saskatchewan potash mine and its impact on the fertilizer sector
• Renewed U.S. tariff threats on Canadian fertilizer
• Rising food bank demand in Saskatchewan
• City Hall decisions in Saskatoon and Regina, including budget debates, transit pressures, neighbourhood naming, Wildwood Park and infill discussions, and governance processes shaping growth and public space

This segment focuses on what’s happening now — and why these stories matter for communities and civic decision-making.

Part 2 steps back to examine how technology is reshaping civic systems, with real-world examples from Saskatchewan, across Canada, and globally:

• Artificial intelligence becoming decision-making infrastructure
• Technology’s role in reshaping work and labour
• Data as municipal infrastructure
• Platform consolidation and the loss of public digital space
• Cybersecurity as a public safety issue
• The growing relationship between technology and inequality

Together, the episode connects the week’s news to broader trends shaping governance, democracy, and community life.

Civically Speaking,

Lenore Swystun with Christina Cherneskey

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Deae Listeners,

This week on Civically Speaking, we begin with a check-in on the weather...because ....winter has truly arrived. 

We talk about just how cold it’s getting across Saskatchewan, what that means for daily life, travel, safety, and especially for our most vulnerable neighbours.

From there, we return to one of our most important and recurring conversations: homelessness in our community. With extreme cold setting in, the risks are higher, the pressure on shelters is greater, and the need for coordinated, compassionate responses is more urgent than ever. We reflect on what we’re seeing, what we’re not seeing, and the ongoing frustrations with unfocused systems, fragmented services, and reactive approaches instead of long-term solutions.

And as always, we close by sharing what we’re hearing on coffee row...the informal conversations, quiet frustrations, hopeful ideas, and everyday observations that often tell us more than official press releases ever could. 

Cold weather. Complex social issues. Real conversations.

Civically Speaking,

Lenore and Christina 

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues. 

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Hello Dear Listeners,

Thanks for tuning in - and supporting community radio shows and podcasts like this - we air to Saskatoon's community radio station cfcr.ca and give an opportunity to hear it via a podcast version.

This kind of talk is best paired with a cup of coffee, a deep breath, and maybe a stiff drink after — because city budgets affect all of us, whether we like it or not. Consider this your friendly neighbourhood heads-up before the next property tax notice shows up in your mailbox wearing a serious face. 

In Part One, we go straight into Saskatoon’s newly approved 2026–2027 City Budget. We break down what the headline numbers actually mean for everyday life — including the 6.7% property tax increase, utility rates, and recreation fees. We talk about where the money is going: roads and snow clearing, policing and fire protection, transit safety, housing and homelessness, water treatment, facilities, and city services you touch every day. We also pull back the curtain on the powerful behind-the-scenes process — the “108 budget options” that shaped what stayed, what shifted, and what almost got cut. And we share reactions from City Hall, councillors, community voices, and residents.

In Part Two, we zoom way out. Because Saskatoon isn’t alone. Across Canada — and in cities around the world — municipal budgets are under serious pressure. We talk about why property taxes are doing so much heavy lifting, how housing, climate change, and population growth are landing on city doorsteps, and how volunteers and community groups are quietly holding things together. We also look at what other countries do differently, and ask the big question:
 Are cities just the maintenance department — or are they true partners in nation-building?

Enjoy this episode about money, priorities, responsibility, and the future of our cities.

Civically speaking,

Lenore Swystun with Christina Cherneskey (who sends her regrets)

Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.