Welcome to Valerie Veillard’s sitting room. There’s tea and snacks on the coffee table in front us and she’s flanked on her couch by Nathalie Baudais and Twyla Yobb. Between the three of them, they have decades of experience in sponsoring refugees and helping them settle in Saskatoon. 

Valerie, Nathalie and Twyla are part of a sponsorship group working with the Mennonite Central Committee to bring a refugee family from Afghanistan to our city. The Jamili family has been waiting for months to learn if they will begin a new life in Saskatoon, while Valerie and the team have been working behind the scenes to ensure they will get to Canada safely. That means filling out forms, fostering relationships with organizations like the Saskatoon Open Door Society, and fundraising…lots and lots of fundraising.

The group has already sponsored the settlement of two adult children from the Jamili family, and it is hoping to soon reunite the family here in Saskatoon. 

The world of refugee sponsorship is new to me, and I am grateful to Valerie, Nathalie and Twyla for walking me through the process of how it works, and why they commit so much of their time and energy to helping others in this way.

If you would like to help bring the Jamili family to Saskatoon, please click the link below.

DONATE

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite including Apple Podcast, Spotify, Goodpods or on yxeunderground.com

Please feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. These positive reviews help the podcast show up in more podcast feeds so I really do appreciate the support. 

You can follow the podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Simply search YXE Underground.

I want to thank Rob Rongve and his team at RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode. Rob has been an incredible supporter of the podcast since day one and I really appreciate his continued generosity and kindness. If you need someone to manage and invest your money, you need to meet Rob and his team at RBC Dominion Securities.

I also want to let you know of an exciting event I am working on with the Remai Modern. Please mark April 17th on your calendar as that’s when YXE Underground will be presenting a movie at the Remai Modern’s lovely theatre beginning at 7pm. 

We will be showing the short film Molly Schikosky and I made last summer celebrating the podcast followed by the Pixar classic, Wall-E because it’s one of my favourite movies of all time and I think it connects nicely to YXE Underground in meaningful ways. 

The Remai does this with other community organizations who select a movie for the public to watch for free and it’s really cool to partner with the gallery in this way. Plus, it’s free to attend!

So I would love to see you on the night of Thursday, April 17th, to celebrate the podcast and watch one of the best films of the past 20 years. Oh, and there will be free podcast swag if you come!

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. 

Cheers,

Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

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 trusted mental health advocate within our community.

She has a true gift of explaining mental health issues and sharing insights in a clear, honest and compassionate way and I am thrilled that she will be sharing her wisdom with us in Season Seven of the podcast.  

The premise of these Walking With Lisa episodes is simple. Lisa and I will go for a walk (or sit down for lunch, ha ha) and I will start our conversation with this question: "What's on your mind, Lisa?"

In this 'Walking With Lisa' episode, Lisa and I met for brunch at Hometown Diner and we explore the complex topic of forgiveness. We do this through the lens of the popular television show, Shrinking, and Lisa shares so many wonderful insights and reflections on a topic that can be hard for people to grasp at times. I struggle with forgiveness and so I really appreciate Lisa showing me its benefits, and how long the road can be to forgiveness, in our conversation. 

Listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcast including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can Follow YXE Underground on your favourite podcast app so that you won't miss a single Lisa episode and feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. 

Thanks so much for listening and for supporting a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon.

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

A cancer diagnosis at any age is scary and life changing, but receiving this news the you are at a point in your life where having children, starting a family or growing your family is on your mind, raises a different set of challenges. Saskatoon's Prairie Cancer Fertility Preservation charity supports cancer patients when it comes to fertility challenges. 

Helping patients navigate fertility issues during a cancer diagnosis is something Dominique Paulgaard and Lierin Baerg do in their roles as nurses at Royal University Hospital and with their charity, Prairie Cancer Fertility Preservation. The charity was started three years by a group of oncology nurses in Saskatoon and today features Jessica Smith, Taylor Huang, Lierin Baerg and Dominique Paulgaard as its members. 

The purpose of Prairie Cancer Fertility Preservation is to preserve the ability for cancer patients to have children. As I learned from Lierin and Dominique, this can either be through sperm or egg preservation, and as you are about to hear, it can be quite the journey. 

Lieren as been a Registered Nurse at Royal University Hospital’s Inpatient Cancer and Stem Cell Transplant unit for the past 10 years. Dominique has been a nurse in the same unit for 13 years. They both have families with young children and find the time to run this charity.

How the charity works, why it means so much to them, and what conversations are like with their patients when it comes to fertility are topics we cover in our conversation. We also discuss how overwhelming it is for someone who has just received a cancer diagnosis to think about if they want to preserve their ability to have children in the future and the financial challenges that come with their decision.

Prairie Cancer Fertility Preservation has a fundraising event on Saturday, March 15th at Crossmount Cider Company. Tickets are 50 dollars and Saskatoon’s Ross Nielsen will be playing live sets of music. You can learn more by following Prairie Cancer Fertility Preservation on Facebook and Instagram, or click this link to purchase tickets.

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite including Apple Podcast, Spotify, Goodpods or on yxeunderground.com. Please feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. These positive reviews help the podcast show up in more podcast feeds so I really do appreciate the support. 

I also want to let you know of an exciting event I am working on with the Remai Modern. Please mark April 17th on your calendar as that’s when YXE Underground will be presenting a movie at the Remai Modern’s lovely theatre beginning at 7pm. This is thanks to Kyle Zurevinski, who runs the theatre programming at the Remai, and his generous spirit. 

We will be showing the short film Molly Schikosky and I made last summer celebrating the podcast followed by the Pixar classic, Wall-E because it’s one of my favourite movies of all time and I think it connects nicely to YXE Underground in meaningful ways. The Remai does this with other community organizations who select a movie for the public to watch for free and it’s really cool to partner with the gallery in this way. Plus, it’s free to attend!

So I would love to see you on the night of Thursday, April 17th, to celebrate the podcast and watch one of the best films of the past 20 years.

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon.

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

Hello and welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE underground. I first met Tammy Forrester four years ago when we did an episode focusing on the work being done at the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon. 

Tammy is the CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities in Saskatchewan and leads a wonderful team that provides a safe, secure and welcoming environment for families whose children are undergoing medical challenges. I would highly recommend you listen to our Season Three episode if you would like to learn more about the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon.

The Saskatoon House is filling a gap in the health care system and Tammy is hopeful new Ronald McDonald Houses in Regina and Prince Albert will do the same. 

For the past few years, Tammy and her team have been fundraising to build these new homes and she gives listeners an update in the episode. Tammy also shares why having employees and volunteers pulling in the same direction is vital for an organization to achieve success. 

Follow and listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts. You can also listen to episodes on the YXE Underground website. Don't forget to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. These reviews help listeners discover the podcast and the amazing people who are making a difference in Saskatoon. 

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

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 trusted mental health advocate within our community.

She has a true gift of explaining mental health issues and sharing insights in a clear, honest and compassionate way and I am thrilled that she will be sharing her wisdom with us in Season Seven of the podcast.  

The premise of these Walking With Lisa episodes is simple. Lisa and I will go for a walk (or sit down for lunch, ha ha) and I will start our conversation with this question: "What's on your mind, Lisa?"

In this 'Walking With Lisa' episode, Lisa and I met for lunch at Pique Café in downtown Saskatoon (she had tomato soup, I had a chicken apple brie sandwich) and she dives further into the issue of capacity and how we can support our colleagues, friends and family who are struggling with capacity issues in their lives. Lisa also talks about the "Goldilocks" zone when it comes to communicating with people struggling in their lives and why acknowledging their challenges is so important. As always, I learned so much from Lisa and I know you will too. 

Listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcast including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can Follow YXE Underground on your favourite podcast app so that you won't miss a single Lisa episode and feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. 

Thanks so much for listening and for supporting a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon.

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

For students arriving in Saskatoon with very little knowledge of the English language, one of the first people they will meet in school is an English as an Additional Language teacher. These teachers not only guide students on their journey through the language, but as I discover in this episode, they provide a safe and nurturing space for students who have been through a lot in their young lives. 

You are going to meet two incredible EAL teachers in this episode of YXE Underground. 

Megan Chan and Laura Jorgenson share many qualities. They are passionate about teaching the English language in the Saskatoon Public School Division. They work hard to create a classroom where newcomer and refugee students feel secure and supported, and they both find their work as EAL teachers incredibly rewarding. 

Megan teaches elementary students at W.P. Bate School and Laura teaches high school EAL classes at Tommy Douglas Collegiate. Together, I believe they give you a clear picture of the challenges EAL teachers face as Saskatoon continues to become a more diverse community and school populations continue to rise, and why their jobs are so fulfilling. 

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods or on the website. Please feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear.

You can follow YXE Underground on social media. Simply search YXE Underground on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

A big thank you to Rob Rongve and his team at RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode. If you are looking for someone to manage your money and investments, Rob Rongve and his team are the first people you should talk with! 

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. I really do appreciate it and I hope your 2025 is off to a great start. 

Cheers...Eric  

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

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 every month for Walking With Lisa episodes. 

We've done many 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 trusted mental health advocate within our community.

She has a true gift of explaining mental health issues and sharing insights in a clear, honest and compassionate way and I am thrilled that she will be sharing her wisdom with us in Season Seven of the podcast.  

The premise of these Walking With Lisa episodes is simple. Lisa and I will go for a walk (or sit down for coffee, ha ha) and I will start our conversation with this question: "What's on your mind, Lisa?"

In this 'Walking With Lisa' episode, Lisa and I met for lunch at the Park Cafe (she had fish and chips, I had a burger) and she discusses the importance of finding some balance during a busy holiday season. Lisa, as always, touches on many interesting subjects including the importance of establishing boundaries, the difference between self-care and self-soothing, and what we can do to increase capacity in our lives. This is such a timely conversation and Lisa shares her knowledge in such a compassionate manner. I hope you take plenty of wisdom away from this conversation because I sure did! 

Listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcast including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can Follow YXE Underground on your favourite podcast app so that you won't miss a single Lisa episode and feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. 

Thanks so much for listening and for supporting a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and we'll talk with you in 2025, Saskatoon!

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

It’s been a busy year at the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre. The organization has seen a 25 per cent increase in the use of its services in 2024, which works out to around 23,000 people a month coming to the Food Bank. Of those 23,000 people, 43 per cent are children. 

These numbers, along with the Food Bank’s plan to open a new facility in August 2025 in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood, makes the organization’s Light It Up fundraising campaign all the more critical.

One of the many unique spaces in the Food Bank is the Community Test Kitchen. This is where you can often find Kate Lasiuk and her team leading community cooking classes as well as preparing food for the greater community. Kate is the Nutrition Program Manager with the Food Bank and a big believer that food can bring people together from all walks of life. 

The Nutrition Program at the Food Bank has been in operation since 2019, and under Kate’s guidance, it is teaching people not just the basics of cooking but the joy that comes with preparing a meal. The cooking classes, whether they are in person or online, are also bringing people from diverse backgrounds together. I think that’s definitely worth celebrating. 

It was a pleasure sitting down with Kate to talk about the difference the Nutrition Program is making in Saskatoon, and why this work means so much to her. 

You can follow and listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the YXE Underground website. Don't forget to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. 

Follow YXE Underground on social media and our new YouTube page. I promise to get some more episodes on the YouTube page in the days and weeks to come! 

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and talk with you in 2025. 

Cheers...Eric

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

Hello and welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground.

A few nights ago, my wife and I were able to attend a really wonderful event hosted by artist group called The 525.

It was the closing reception to a group photography and video exhibition called Unbecoming…held in an empty business space on Third Avenue. 

The exhibition was co-curated by Saskatoon’s Rowen Dinsmore and Molly Schikosky. Now, if Molly’s name sounds familiar, it’s because she has worked with me on many episodes of the podcast taking photos, as well as creating the YXE Underground video that was released a few months ago. Molly is amazing and we really wanted to support her…

And I must say the evening was so much fun! 

The exhibition featured 10 female identifying artists from Saskatoon: 

• Leo Lauren Conquergood
• Hannah Alex
• Xiao Han
• Berit Johnson
• Emily Johnson
• Mona Khan
• Molly Schikosky
• Darby Sutherland
• Tammy Zdunich
• Emma Zuck

Each artist had their own space within the exhibition showcasing their photography and videography talents. All 10 artists also shared with a packed crowd the motivation behind their works, and you’ll hear from some of the artists in this episode. 

You will also meet a gentleman named Kehun Fu, who is The 525’s Principal Director. This was my first time attending a 525 exhibition and Kehun shares how this local group is bringing original art to unique spaces across Saskatoon.

Before I take you the event, which as I just mentioned, was full of people, I want to share to you the exhibition statement as I think it will get you in the right frame of mind before meeting some of the artists.

“Unbecoming challenges and reclaims the phrase weaponized against women and act a certain way can be viewed as ‘unbecoming,’ and also references the idea of unpacking and unravelling generational impact left on women by women. Central to this exhibition are themes of evolving womanhood across generations, everyday moments that shape and celebrate female experiences, diverse expressions of femininity, and personal narratives that reveal intimate, transformative stories of empowerment.”

You can follow and listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods or the YXE Underground website. Please feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear and share the podcast with all your friends. You can also follow YXE Underground on Facebook, Instagram and X. 

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

There is an organization in Saskatoon that works to strengthen the economic and social conditions of our city’s core neighbourhoods. It’s called Quint Development Corporation and it’s an organization full of amazing leaders like Kristen Thoms and Julia McCormick. 

Kristen is Quint’s Executive Director and has been with the organization for 18 years. Julia is the Director of Operations with Quint and has called it home for 11 years. Together, they oversee a team that is helping people in the core neighbourhoods find meaningful employment, move into safe and affordable housing, and spark a sense of pride in their neighbourhoods. 

How are they doing this you ask?

I found out when Kristen and Julia took for me a walk through neighbourhoods like Riversdale and Pleasant Hill where they showed me the different ways Quint is helping people. We ended our walk in Optimist Park where you will hear the pride Kristen and Julia have in their work and why it means so much to them. 

They are both kind and warm people who love helping others and are truly invested in helping people who call the core neighbourhoods home improve their lives in meaningful ways. 

I learned so much in this conversation and I know you will too. 

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods or on the website: yxeunderground.com

Please feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear.

You can follow YXE Underground on social media. Simply search YXE Underground on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also now find YXE Underground on YouTube, which is very exciting and long overdue. Right now, there’s just one thing on the YXE Underground YouTube channel and that’s a video Molly Schikosky and I created with the help of many YXE Underground guests that celebrates six seasons of the podcast and this wonderful city we call home. I am so proud of how it turned out. A huge thanks to Molly for her work in creating it and to all of the guests who took time to help us out. 

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon! I truly appreciate it.

Cheers...Eric 

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis