YXE Underground

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 of her family, really fuelled her passion to speak up during Saskatoon's Black Lives Matter protests. I am grateful to Natalya for sharing these stories as it's never an easy thing to do. 

I learned so much from Natalya during our conversation and I hope you do as well. She really is one of our community's strongest leaders and I am excited to see how she continues to impact people across Saskatoon.

Thank you for listening and supporting this local, independent podcast. If you like what you hear, please give the podcast a five-star review and tell your friends! Subscribe to YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. Stream episodes on Spotify or the website. 

I hope all of you are staying healthy and safe. Thank you again for listening and I hope you enjoy my conversation with Natalya!

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

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 her. 

I hope you enjoy our conversation and my thanks to Julia for staying late to speak with me. 

Don't forget to subscribe to YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. Stream episodes on Spotify or at www.yxeunderground.com.

If you like what you hear, please give a review! 

Thank you for listening and don't forget that a brand new episode of YXE Underground drops on October 8th. 

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 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 and spiritual significance of the bison, and now that the park is once again open to the public, she can't wait to deliver it. The bison hold such meaning for Honey and she explains why in such an eloquent way in the episode. 

I really believe that Wanuskewin is doing a wonderful job of educating our community when it comes to Truth and Reconciliation and indigenous culture and history, and the roles Tara and Honey are playing in conveying that knowledge to the public is vital. I think that comes across in this episode. 

A big thank you to Andrew McDonald at Wanuskewin for making Rona Andreas, my photographer, and I feel so welcomed at the park. Andrew allowed us access a few weeks before the park opened and made sure we were able to see the bison during our time. 

This episode was pure joy to put together. From recording my voice at Wanuskewin when it opened to the public on September 5th to the bison soundscape you'll hear halfway through the episode, it was a lot of fun to immerse myself in the park and hopefully tell Tara and Honey's story in an honest way. 

Thank you so much for listening and supporting this episode of YXE Underground. It's great kicking off Season Three of the podcast with such a dynamic episode and I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to leave a review if you really dig it and don't forget to tell your friends! 

Cheers...Eric

This episode is sponsored by the great team at Citizen Cafe and Bakery in Saskatoon. Their Douglas Sandwich might just be my favourite sandwich on Earth!

YXE Underground is a production of the Salthammer Production Company. 

• 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

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 only our city but our province's theatre scene.

In this episode, you'll hear some great stories from award-winning author, Dwayne Brenna, about the early days of 25th Street Theatre. You will meet Maria Campbell, an award-winning Metis playwright who shares some strong opinions on the role theatre should be playing in Saskatoon. You'll visit Cynthia Dyck's home in Saskatoon and discover how watching a 25th Street production in high school set her down the theatre path. And finally, you'll hear from Anita Smith about why she wanted people in our community to learn about 25th Street's compelling and eclectic history. 

This episode would not have been possible without the hard work of 25th Street summer student, Megan McDonald. Megan booked all of the great guests for this episode and answered so many of my emails throughout the past six weeks. Thank you, Megan!

I hope you enjoy this episode. I had never really partnered with an organization in this way to tell a story like this before, but I sure had fun doing it and learned so much about the important role 25th Street has played in bringing compelling and challenging stories to Saskatoon and Saskatchewan stages. 

I also hope you enjoy the This Is Not That Festival. It would have been so easy for Anita and her team to just throw in the towel due to Covid-19, but instead they have gone above and beyond to bring an innovative theatre experience to our community. I think that's something worth celebrating!

Thank you for listening and supporting this independent podcast. Season Three launches in September and it's going to be the best season yet!! 

Stay safe, keep washing your hands, and talk soon. 

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

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 enough food on the table for her family and how those times have made her a better leader for the Summer Snack Program. She also talks about the meaningful connections made with the kids who show up every day to the park for a meal and how Covid-19 will impact this summer's programming. 

I have lived a very sheltered and privileged life. I can't remember a time as a kid when I was worried about where my next meal would come from. Spending a morning with Candace and hearing her story has opened my eyes to the local food security challenges many families face in our community. 

I feel very lucky to have spoken with Candace. Her kindness and incredible empathy make her a community leader. I think these two qualities really come through in this episode.

This is the final episode of Season Two. I want to thank all of you for listening, subscribing and supporting this local, independent podcast! It really does mean the world to me and I feel honoured to have spoken with so many incredible people this season. I'll be taking July and August off to gather interviews and prepare for Season Three which launches on September 10th. 

Don't forget to subscribe to YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. Stream episodes on Spotify or the website.

If you know someone who is doing great things in our community but is flying under the radar, please let me know! Send me an email: [email protected]

Thank you again for all of your support! Have a safe and wonderful summer and we'll talk with you soon. 

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 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 of how these hubs went from idea to reality in a very short period of time. Chris tells the story well and is very humble in his role in creating these hubs, but after listening to this episode, I think you'll agree that his passion and drive were crucial in making these hubs open. 

Chris has been doing this type of work for years. He genuinely cares for people who, for whatever reason, are searching for a safe and affordable place to call home. He is persistent in helping people and is not afraid to stand up for what he views is right to those in our provincial government who have control over affordable housing in our communities. 

Speaking with Chris was a breath of fresh air for me. The past few weeks have felt like a grind as we settle into this new Covid-19 normal. I miss my life of four months ago, which I know is a very privileged thing to say because, as Chris reminded me in our conversation, there are a lot of people in Saskatoon who are far worse off than I am. What they need is our empathy, our compassion, and our energy to help them during this time. Chris is offering all of those qualities and I truly admire him for it.

I hope you enjoy this episode and learn as much as I did! If you want to learn even more about the work Chris and many of his friends are doing in Saskatoon to help homeless people, visit the Saskatoon Interagency Response website. It is inspiring to see so many people come together and help those in need.

Subscribe to YXE Underground for free on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. Stream episodes on Spotify or the YXE Underground website. 

Thank you for listening and supporting a local, independent podcast. Please give the podcast a review and share this episode with all your friends! 

Keep washing your hands and stay safe, 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

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 different hikes in Oregon and recording them. That's it. There's barely any talking and no gimmicks or sound effects. Just the hypnotic rhythm of a person going for a walk. I find the podcast calming and it allows my mind to let go over the daily challenges we're all dealing with and just...drift away. I wanted to try something like what Jon does on his lovely podcast. 

A journalism professor once told me that radio is the most visual of all the mediums. Her reasoning was that a great piece of audio will make you close your eyes and picture what's happening in your mind. When I listened to Janelle and I walking, I closed my eyes and could see the young guys playing basketball behind Ecole Victoria School. I could see how crowded the Meewasin trail was underneath the Broadway Bridge. I could see how empty the Yard and Flagon pub was. 

To be honest, I thought our walk was going to be quieter. It was a gorgeous Wednesday night and just a few days before Saskatchewan begins to open up again, so maybe that's why there were so many people in certain spots of our walk. But you will hear how quiet our city has become due to pandemic. How that makes you feel is entirely up to you. 

One more thing...Janelle's photos are stunning! You can see them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As you'll discover at the end of this episode, Janelle is moving in a few weeks and I am truly going to miss working with her. 

YXE Underground is a local, independent podcast. You can subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. You can also stream episodes on the website or on Spotify. 

Thank you for listening to this little sound experiment. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review or shoot me an email. [email protected]

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

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 residents safe. We closed our doors to families and visitors, we restricted residents to their respective neighbourhoods and houses, and we closed the spaces where residents and staff congregated.

I'm typing this on April 8th and so far, we have had no cases of COVID-19 at Sherbrooke. We are working hard to keep it that way, but we know there is a chance the virus could make its way into our community. When I watch the news (I am watching too much news right now), I am devastated to see what's happening in other care homes in places like Ontario and Quebec. Staff across the country are doing the best they can to keep their residents safe, and I think you'll hear that dedication from Sherbrooke staff in the episode. 

The changes we have made at Sherbrooke were difficult but necessary. That doesn't mean everyone is thrilled about it. It's a challenging time for residents and staff. You will hear that throughout the episode, but you'll also hear a resolve to keep the community safe and that inspires me. 

Wherever you are listening to this episode, I hope that you are safe. It's a surreal time and I know at times in the last month, I have felt overwhelmed with everything that is happening. Maybe you'll draw a little bit of strength and inspiration from this episode. Maybe you'll just laugh at how Dave, one of the residents at Sherbrooke, somehow works in the story of why my nickname at Sherbrooke is JIGGLYPUFF. It's a pretty funny story!

Thank you for listening and supporting the podcast. Don't forget to leave a review of the podcast and to subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. You can also stream episodes on the website or Spotify. 

Stay safe. Keep your physical distance from one-another. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands! 

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 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 was important for the Broadway to be involved in something like Junofest. We also met her amazing dog, Dolly. You can see pictures of Dolly on the YXE Underground Instagram page! You must see these photos!!

Then we drove down to 9 Mile Legacy Brewery where CEO and co-founder, Shawn Moen, poured us pints of delicious beer and talked about why music means so much to him and his family. He also makes a really strong argument as to how music and beer are two things that bind Canadians. It's a pretty compelling argument!

The last stop was The Underground Cafe, which is tucked away on 20th Street. To be honest with you, I didn't realize it was a music venue until Junofest officials listed it on their website. My wife and I go the Underground Cafe on weekends to eat their waffles, but now I want to see shows there! It's a long, narrow and cozy space that owner Dallyn Guenther notes is perfect for acoustic shows. Dallyn gives some really heartfelt answers about why it means so much that the Junofest folks selected his cafe as a venue. You'll enjoy his interview.

We also hear from Dan Clapson from the Eat North food blog because he's bringing his Bluejay Sessions to the Somewhere Else Pub and Grill. 

As you can see, we put a lot of work into this episode, but it really was a labour of love. There's nothing better than live music and Saskatoon is about to experience a very healthy dose of it in the next few days! 

A big thanks to Janelle for working so hard and capturing some stunning photos and to my cousin Troy for being such a kickass co-host and saving a table for us at Amigos. Who knew the restaurant was also hosting a Girls Rock Camp Saskatoon dance party?? We certainly didn't!

If you like what you've heard, please give the podcast a 5 star rating, subscribe for free and tell your friends.

Enjoy all the Juno festivities and thanks to all the local venues to being so easy to work with!

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

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. We cover everything from how Saskatoon's culinary scene played a vital role in their pitch to how Todd was able to bring more planes to our city to ensure artists were able to get home on time. Todd's a pretty powerful guy!
 

I love the fact that the Juno Awards moves across the country every year, and I know that Saskatoon is going to put on a wonderful show! I also know you're going have a new appreciation for the work it takes to bring something like the Junos to our city after listening to this episode. 

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast app. You can also stream episodes on the website or Spotify. 

YXE Underground is also a proud member of the Saskatchewan Podcast Network. 

Thank you for your continued support of this 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