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

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 focuses on how politics are all around us here in Saskatoon. Our community is in the midst of a municipal and provincial election, and with the American election taking place next month, it seems like we can't escape the world of politics these days. Lisa discusses how that is impacting our lives these days and how the act of listening to understand seems to missing in our political conversations. That phrase...Listening to Understand...really stood out to me from our conversation and I hope it gets you thinking about how we listen to one another in our daily lives.

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. And please get out and VOTE!!

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 ability to slow down, take a deep breath and be present in the moment in something I think most of us take for granted. For Brandon Wicks, developing and growing this ability through yoga has helped him overcome his mental health issues. Now, he and Jen Rondeau are working with the Royal University Hospital’s Adult Mental Health Short Stay Unit to empower patients on their road to recovery.

If you’re looking for Brandon Wicks, there’s a good chance he’s here at Rise Strength Lab. Brandon is not only a personal trainer at the gym but he owns Rise Strength Lab.

Every time I see Brandon at the gym, he has a smile on his face and is talking with staff or members. He’s caring man with a big heart who has battled through some pretty challenging mental health issues in recent years.

You’ll hear Brandon share his personal story in this episode, but there was a point during his story where he needed professional help. In January of 2023, Brandon spent two weeks at the Adult Mental Health Short Stay Unit at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

There was no gym equipment for him to access during his two week stay, but there was a yoga mat! So Brandon would spend an hour every evening on a mat stretching and breathing and trying to ground himself in the present moment. It helped him immensely.

When Brandon left the hospital, he shared his story with Jen Rondeau. Jen is a full time paramedic and also the owner of Ivy Yoga House who has had her own mental health challenges.

Brandon wanted to give the gift of yoga back to the mental health short stay unit, and with Jen’s help, was able to do so earlier this year. The story behind this innovative yoga program is, I think, inspiring and you’ll hear it shared with great emotion by Brandon and Jen.

The program also inspired Jennifer Molloy. She the CEO of the Royal University Hospital Foundation which is now backing the yoga program for an additional two years. So far, the yoga program at the mental health short stay unit has been running one class a week, but thanks to the RUH Foundation’s support, there will be two classes a week starting in 2025.

I want to thank Brandon and Jen for sharing so much in this episode and I know their efforts are truly making a difference in our community.

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.

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

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 reflects on a very busy summer and how fall brings back the joy of routine and schedule. She also shares a fascinating story about a family meeting she had with her husband two young children this summer that set the tone for how they would enjoy the summer months. Lisa's an incredible communicator and this family meeting story really shines a light on the importance of clear and empathetic communication. I know you will take a lot away from this story.

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 welcome back to the podcast, Lisa!!

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 Season 7 of YXE Underground. I’m your host, Eric Anderson and in this episode, we take listeners to the TCU Stage where the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra is preparing for a show!

It’s a celebration of Fleetwood Mac’s career and so the symphony will be performing alongside a rock and roll musicians playing all of Fleetwood Mac’s hits. There is a great energy in the room and that extends out into the lobby where we find Mark Turner.

Mark is the CEO and Creative Producer of the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and seems to know everyone in the lobby. He’s shaking hands, having quick chats with people and sharing his enthusiasm for tonight’s show.

Mark has gone through this lobby routine hundreds of times in the past 10 years with the SSO. His leadership and passion for connecting the symphony with different parts of our community has helped make the SSO one of the most successful symphonies in Canada.

I’ve been a fan of Mark’s from afar for many years so it was a thrill to meet him in his office a few weeks ago to talk about his the incredible growth of the SSO and why connecting with diverse communities means so much to him.

We also discuss the challenges of standing out in a very competitive entertainment market and how the symphony could potentially evolve to include more audience participation in shows.

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.

A big thank you to Saskatoon's Mutt Hutt Grooming for its support of this episode. If your dog or cat needs a haircut, Nikki and her team at the Mutt Hutt is the place to take them! We have been taking our dogs to the Mutt Hutt for more than 10 years and they are an exceptional group of people.

Thank you for listening to this episode and for continuing to support a local, independent podcast 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