2026.01.06 Civically Speaking It's a New Year 2026

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Dear Listeners,

Happy New Year!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Civically speaking,

Lenore Swystun and Christina Cherneskey

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