YXE Underground

On a December evening in 2017, Andrea Schick's life was thrown into chaos. 

The health of her four and a half year-old son, Sebastian, quickly took a turn for the worse. Doctors in Regina didn't know what was wrong and because Saskatchewan didn't have a children's hospital at the time, Andrea and her family were forced to travel to Edmonton so that Sebastian could receive care. 

It was in Edmonton that Andrea and her family relied on the Ronald McDonald House organization to provide the structure and support they desperately needed during Sebastian's time in the hospital.

Sadly, Sebastian's story did not have a happy ending. He passed away and as you'll hear in this episode, the loss will forever stay in Andrea's heart.

What will also stay in her heart is her support of the organization that helped her family through such difficult circumstances.

In this bonus episode of the podcast, Andrea shares her son's story and explains how the Ronald McDonald House supported her and her family when they needed it most. She also explains why she has become involved with the Ronald McDonald House here in Saskatoon and the importance of supporting those families whose stories do have happy endings.

I want to thank Andrea for agreeing to be on the podcast. Andrea lives in Regina (but grew up in Saskatoon and even worked at McDonalds when she was a teenager) and we connected through Zoom. It's not easy to share a story like this in any situation, let alone over Zoom with a podcast host you've never met. So Andrea, thank you for opening up the way that you did, and I know your story is going to leave its mark on so many listeners.

This bonus episode stems from the last episode of the podcast where we took listeners inside the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon to meet the staff and discover how they have continued to support Saskatchewan families with sick children during the pandemic. The response to this episode has been amazing and it's clear the organization has impacted so many families across the province.

Thank you for supporting this episode and don't forget to subscribe for free to YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. You can also stream all episodes on Spotify or the website. 

A brand new episode drops May 13th and I think you will love it!

Stay safe, keeping washing your hands and thank you for supporting a local, independent podcast.

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

Spend some time in the Ronald McDonald House here in Saskatoon and you will feel a lot of things.

You will feel the kindness of staff as they work to serve the families that are calling the house home while going through extremely challenging times.

You will feel creativity as you discover all the big and little things within the house designed to make a family's stay as pleasant as possible.

And I think you will feel the strength of an organization that has people pulling in the same direction to serve families.

I feel fortunate to have spent a morning back in February in the Ronald McDonald House and that I get to share that experience with you in this episode.

The Covid-19 pandemic, as you will hear, has made the mission of the Ronald McDonald House (which is to provide programs for families with sick children that positively impact the health and wellbeing of the entire family) a bit more challenging to fulfill. 

What you will also hear are people who love what they do at the house and are working together to ensure families are taken care of. 

You will hear from the following team members in this episode, and each provide a unique perspective on the organization and what the past year has been like.

• Tammy Forrester - CEO
• Karen Linsley - Director of Development and Communications
• Kim Gilbert - Director of Human Resource Development
• Stephanie Turner-Chiasson - Director of Finance
• Marcelline Zimmer - Director of Operations

You will also hear from Regina's Andrea Schick who shares her family's experience of staying at a Ronald McDonald House. 

I can't imagine a more harrowing experience as a parent than rushing your child to the hospital, especially if you have no idea what is wrong with them. Some Saskatchewan families in this situation travel to Saskatoon in search of answers at the Jim Pattison Children's Hospital and often they end up spending time at the Ronald McDonald. 

I hope this episode gives you a sense of what happens inside the house and how not even a global pandemic can get in the way of this team fulfilling its mission for Saskatchewan families. 

Follow and subscribe to YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your favourite podcasts. Stream episodes on Spotify or the website. Don't forget to leave a review if you like what you hear. 

A big thank you to the Ronald McDonald House team for welcoming Rona and I with open arms! We both appreciate your kindness and generosity.

Special thanks to Saskatoon's Michelle's Flowers for supporting this episode. 

Thank you for supporting a local, independent podcast! It means a lot.

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

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 headed west towards River Landing and the Remai Modern. You'll hear snippets of conversations from people walking by and one very excited kid who couldn't throw enough rocks in the river. 

The end was my favourite part of the walk. The birds were really singing near the Remai and you can hear a bit of the echo coming off the building. You will also hear a group of eight young adults who belonged to a church youth group and were handing out free lunches to members of our community. 

One of the members had an acoustic guitar so I motioned for him to strum as I approached them. What I didn't expect was for the group to burst out into song but they sounded wonderful and I appreciate them playing music for an absolute stranger holding a microphone. 

I've been listening to a podcast called Field Recordings which features sound from audio-makers from around the world. I just think it's so neat to hear real life in your headphones and so I wanted to capture a little bit of that in this bonus episode. 
 

I hope you all are doing well and staying healthy and safe these days. A brand new episode drops on April 8th featuring the team at the Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon. I think you'll really enjoy it!

Thank you for listening and supporting a local, independent podcast. I really do 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

"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 example of Jen's kindness and she explains why this is important in the episode.

I've got to know Jen since that first class and after hearing some pretty incredible stories of being on the frontlines of the pandemic, I just had to have her on the podcast. I am grateful she said yes and was game for doing the interview in the back of one of the ambulances at Medavie headquarters.

Jen is a wonderful storyteller and opens up about the highs (the love she and her colleagues received from the public when the pandemic first started) and the lows (watching conspiracy and anti-mask protests take root in Saskatchewan) of being a paramedic during Covid times. She also discusses the challenges that come with having her own family question the science behind vaccines. It's not easy to talk about these things so I really appreciate her sharing so much with listeners.

Thank you to Saskatoon physiotherapist and yoga instructor Adrienne Vangool for her help with this episode! 

A big thank you to City Perks Coffeeshop and Sparrow Coffee for supporting this episode. Both of these locations serve great coffee, great food and are wonderful spots for conversations with friends. Thank you to Coralee and her team for their belief in the podcast!

Follow YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts. Stream episodes on Spotify or the website. Please give a 5-star review if you like what you hear! 

Thank you so much for supporting this local, independent podcast! I sure do appreciate it and I know you're going to love getting to know Jen Rondeau. 

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

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 several times in this episode, "I am learning so much from you" because, well, it's true! They both explain complex emotions in clear and articulate ways, and I really think you will learn lots from them. 

This episode is a bit longer than most YXE Underground episodes but I really encourage you to listen all the way to end as there are pearls of wisdom sprinkled throughout. I ended up taking two pages of notes when I listened back to our conversation because Samantha and Colleen share much knowledge!

Thank you to Rob Rongve and his team at Rongve Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode. 

Please feel free to leave a 5-star review of the podcast on your favourite podcast app and don't forget to subscribe for free to the podcast wherever you find your podcasts. You can also stream episodes on Spotify or at www.yxeunderground.com

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast! I really do appreciate it. 

I hope you are all doing well. 

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

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 this episode is Scotty telling the story of the last ten months at Odla, and what I really love about our conversation is how his leadership style and character comes through as clear as the distinct flavours in his cooking. 

I was expecting a bit of doom and gloom from Scotty when recapping his pandemic experience. Instead, I left our conversation inspired and thinking that his leadership style could be applied to so many different businesses and organizations.

What you will also hear are some wonderful sounds from Odla's kitchen on a  Saturday night. Seriously, it was so much fun spending an hour with Scotty and his team gathering sound and watching them in action. I was so pumped up after my time in the kitchen and all I did was hold a microphone!

I want to thank Scotty, Lacey Sellinger and the entire Odla team for allowing me some really great access to produce this episode. I hope you can hear the joy because it was so much to make.

A big thank you to Rob Rongve and his team at Rongve Wealth Management Group at RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for sponsoring this episode. Rob and his team have been managing my money for nearly a decade and they are wonderful to work with! Thanks for believing in the podcast, Rob. 

Thank you for supporting YXE Underground and for supporting local restaurants like Odla. Stay safe and keep washing your hands!

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

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. Due to the pandemic, the class is not allowed in Sherbrooke. Instead, Jodi has used a microphone and portable speaker to read to the students through a fence at Sherbrooke when the weather was mild. She is now using Zoom to read to the students every day at 1pm to their classroom at Ecole College Park. It has been inspiring seeing her overcome the challenges posed by Covid-19 to continue reading to students.

I also want to say thank you to my friend, Jodi's friend, and iGen lead teacher, Keri Albert for her support in making this episode happen! You're amazing, Keri!! 
 

I hope Jodi's reading brings you a bit of joy this holiday season. Listening to it again sure brought a smile to my face. Thank you so much for all of your support this past year and I really hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday season! 

See you in 2021...

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

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 of our chilly winters, but she has made friends in her seven years living in Saskatoon, and is determined to bring more diversity to our city's theatre scene...not only in terms of the actors on stage but those writing the stories.  

Right now, Yulissa is getting her play, I, Frida, ready for the Singapore Fringe Festival. She was preparing to travel to Singapore to perform it in person, but due to Covid-19, she will record it in Saskatoon and then have it streamed by the festival. It's a really exciting time for Yulissa and she can't wait to see where her career takes her next!

I loved getting to know Yulissa during our conversation and her stories about growing up as a kid in Ecuador (and how she came to love theatre) were so interesting! I still can't believe how young she is, and I am so impressed with the impact she is having in Saskatoon in so many different ways. I know you're going to love her story!

Thank you for listening and supporting YXE Underground. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. Stream episodes on Spotify or the website. 

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and stay safe and healthy!

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

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 Saskatoon Star Phoenix's Zak Verscera has written several great stories highlighting the work being done at VIDO-InterVac. 

I didn't want to copy their stories, but I was curious about what it must be like to be a member of a team working towards such an important goal. 

I mentioned how I think Andrea and Jill are superheroes. I think what makes them so interesting and such a perfect fit for the podcast is that if you ran into them say at the grocery store, and didn't know where they worked, you would have no idea they spent their days working on solving a global pandemic that has impacted all of our lives in so many different ways. 
 

I feel very lucky to have met Jill and Andrea. It took about four months to arrange a time to have our conversation, and it almost didn't happen due to a massive snow storm that effectively shut down Saskatoon last weekend. We actually recorded the interview two days before it was released and they were amazing to speak with! They are humble, kind, passionate about their work and genuinely excited to be part of a global effort to develop a Covid-19 vaccine. 

We cover a lot of topics in this episode (while wearing masks and at a safe physical distance, which is why Andrea and Jill sound a little distant compared to my voice). Everything from the nature of their work and why they love doing it, to how they deal with the pressure that comes with their jobs. They were very open and honest with me and I really do appreciate that. 

There are so many WOW moments in this episode and it was a lot of fun to listen to it again while editing. I hope you enjoy it as well!

A big thank you to Trenna Brusky, VIDO Inter-Vac's Marketing Coordinator, for making this episode happen. We exchanged many emails these past few months and a lot of texts last weekend coming up with Plans A, B and C due to the blizzard. You're amazing, Trenna! 

I also want to thank Saskatoon photographer Rona Andreas for stepping in at the last second to take some really wonderful photos of Jill and Andrea. 

This episode is sponsored by Uncle Mike's All Natural Products. Mike Zimmer is the owner of Uncle Mike's and in my opinion, he makes the best darn soap in the country! I love that this episode is sponsored by a company that makes great soap because we all need to wash our hands...wash our hands...wash our hands! Visit his website to learn more about his products and I bet you'll find a stocking stuffer or two while you're there. 

YXE Underground is a production of the Salthammer Production Company. If you like what you hear, please leave a 5-Star review and tell your friends!

Thank you so much for listening and supporting a local, independent podcast. I really 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

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 venues for them to play. The Broadway Theatre is one of my favourite places to see a show in Saskatoon and I am confident our community will rally to help Kirby and his team reach their goal. 

I hope you enjoy this bonus episode, and if you want to learn more about some of Saskatoon's smaller live music venues, give this YXE Underground episode a listen! It takes you to several smaller venues that were set to be hosts for last April's Junofest music series. The festival didn't happen due to the pandemic, but you'll get a sense of how vibrant Saskatoon's music scene is and why it's important to so many people.

Thanks to Kirby for reaching out to me and thank you for listening! Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. Stream episodes on Spotify or the website. A brand new episode of YXE Underground drops November 12th.

Stay safe and healthy, 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