Nuit Blanche is one of my favourite nights of the year in Saskatoon. The festival brings together talented artists from all walks of life to showcase their talents and express themselves under the darkness of a prairie night. There's something about seeing public art in the dark that makes the works unique and special.

Xiao Han expresses the uniqueness of Nuit Blanche Saskatoon way better than I can. She is an artist and photographer here in Saskatoon, and is this year's curator of Nuit Blanche. She sees our community through a special lens, and I think that comes through in our conversation. Xiao explains what listeners will experience on the night of September 20th, why the festival is spread out over three locations (Broadway, River Landing and Downtown) and how this year's theme of "Living In Between" has inspired artists this year.

It was such a pleasure speaking with Xiao! We met on a Saturday morning at the large steps that overlook the K.W. Nasser Plaza in River Landing, and it was wondering hearing why this location means so much Xiao.

You can learn more about this year's Nuit Blanche Saskatoon by visiting the website and give it a follow on Instagram as well!

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. I hope to see you out and about on Saturday night!

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 Eight debut of YXE Underground. I’m Eric Anderson and welcome to the University of Saskatchewan’s Physical Activity for Active Living, or PAAL, program.

It’s a Wednesday night in late August. I’m in the gymnasium room of the Physical Activity Complex on the UofS campus. There are children and teenagers running and jumping on different obstacles set up throughout the space, and they’re joined by high school and university student volunteers who are helping them make the most of their time tonight.

PAAL is a program for individuals of all ages who are experiencing physical and or intellectual disabilities. Its mission is to provide quality physical activity focusing on fun, skill development and social interaction.

On this night, the child/teen PAAL program is wrapping up its summer session for youth ages 5 to 18. Half of the class is here in the gymnasium while the other half is downstairs in the pool…which we will visit later on.

It’s hard to articulate just how much positivity and joy are taking place in these two spaces, but I hope by the end of the episode, you will be able to feel just how impactful PAAL is for the participants, the student volunteers, and the parents of the children.

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the YXE Underground website, and I am excited to say that you can now listen to the podcast on YouTube! It only took eight years. Simply search YXE Underground on YouTube and you will find all 116 episodes of the podcast.

Don’t forget to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear.

A big thank you to Saskatoon photographer Rona Andreas for taking amazing photos for this episode, which you can see on Facebook, Instagram and X. Simply search YXE Underground.

Thank you also to Saskatoon’s Danger Dynamite for creating and maintaining the website and to Saskatoon’s Vita Beauty Bar for supporting this episode.

Before I go, I would like to acknowledge that these interviews were gathered on Treaty Six territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis.

Thank you so much for listening and for your continued support!

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 summer bonus episode of YXE Underground. I hope you are having a wonderful summer!

One of the highlights of my summer is always enjoying the Saskatoon Fringe Festival. It is put on by Saskatoon's 25th Street Theatre and features artists not only from Saskatoon and Canada, but from around the world as well. The Fringe Festival attracts amazing live theatre productions to our community and brings people together in very unique ways that Philippa Williams explains in this episode of the podcast.

Philippa Williams has been with 25th Street Theatre for years, and this year is one of the leaders who is ensuring the festival runs smoothly. I met with Philippa at the Fringe Festival site in W.E. Graham Park in the Broadway neighbourhood to learn more about this year's festival and discover why fringe performers continue to choose Saskatoon as a place to share their talents. Philippa also shares her passion for ensuring the Fringe continues to make a difference in our community. I think you will love our conversation and hopefully it sparks an interest in checking out this year's Saskatoon Fringe Festival!

Click here to learn more about the shows being performed at this year's festival and to purchase tickets. The Fringe Festival runs from July 31st to August 9th, and I hope to see you at one of the shows!

Don't forget that Season 8 of YXE Underground launches in September!

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?"

This episode focuses on summer and how so many of us get caught up in trying to do everything during July and August. Lisa shares her wisdom on how we can have a wonderful summer but still feel refreshed by the time September rolls around. She also explains why it's ok for us, and especially our kids, to feel bored, and argues why the word linger should be on the top of our minds as summer begins here in Saskatoon.

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

It’s a Saturday night and emerging Saskatoon artist Rowen Dinsmore is hosting her exhibition entitled, “What Gave You That Impression (?)”

Friends, family and art enthusiasts are here to check out Rowen’s stunning paintings, which she has been working on in this space for the past two months thanks to the Bridges Art Movement artist collective, also known as BAM.

BAM was formed 11 years ago by a group of University of Saskatchewan Fine Arts graduates who were looking for a space to work and showcase their art. Dave Stonhouse was one of those graduates and today he not only leads BAM but works closely Saskatoon artists to help develop their skills and find their artistic voice.

At a time when local artists are working hard to find spaces to share their talents, Dave and the BAM collective are ensuring these emerging voices are being heard. I've known Dave for years as he used to teach at Mount Royal with my wife. He currently teaches at Nutana Collegiate and sees the world through such a unique lens, which I think comes through wonderfully in our conversation.

We also discuss why working with emerging artists is so fulfilling and how being a father to a very busy 3 year-old boy has changed is relationship with art.

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

Don’t forget to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear.

This is the final episode of Season 7 of the podcast and I really want to thank all of you listeners for your incredible support this season. We shared a really wide variety of stories this season; everything from yoga for patients in the Adult Short Stay Mental Health Unit at Royal University Hospital to the emphasis put on community by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. From EAL teachers in elementary and high schools to learning how to safely administer naloxone to a person in distress. We even hosted a movie night at the Remai Modern which was so much fun!

We covered a lot this season and I am grateful you can along for the ride. I am also grateful to all of the people who took the time to share their stories and passions with listeners. It’s not easy talking into a microphone and I really do appreciate their courage in telling their stories.

I will be taking July and August off to gather interviews for Season 8, which will drop in September, but be on the lookout for a bonus episode or two this summer!

And if you know someone or an organization who you think would be a wonderful guest on the podcast, let me know. There is a nomination form on the website or you can email me directly at ericandersonyxe@gmail.com. You can also get in touch with me through social media.

Thank you again for all of your support and I hope you have a wonderful summer.

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?"

This episode features a very special guest star, Ross Neilsen, who happens to be married to Lisa! The three of us discuss the evolving relationship between fans and artists in a social media age. This conversation stems from a recent Jason Isbell concert we attended in Saskatoon (it was an amazing show!) and got Lisa and Ross thinking about the relationships we have with our favourite artists.

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 more than 50 years, Saskatchewan’s Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathologist communities have advocated for a university program in our province that would educate and train students in these professions.

That dream will soon become a reality at the University of Saskatchewan.

You will meet Kara Broks and Tami Turner in this episode of YXE Underground. They are designing the province’s first Master’s program in Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology and share with listeners why this work means so much to them.

For decades, if you were interested in becoming an Occupational Therapist or Speech Language Pathologist, you had to leave the province. That will change in September of 2026 when the University of Saskatchewan launches Master’s of Speech Language Pathology and Master’s of Occupational Therapy programs. Both of these programs will fall under the School of Rehabilitation Science at the University of Saskatchewan.

How these new Master’s programs will work together to meet the demand in our province is just one of the questions I had for Kara Broks and Tami Turner.

Kara is an SLP, creator and owner of the Speech Language Network business in Saskatoon, and is the Speech Language Pathology Implementation Coordinator with the UofS. She was also the third ever guest on this podcast in 2018.

Tami is an Occupational Therapist who has worked with universities across Canada developing OT programs and recruiting students and is the Occupational Therapist Implementation Coordinator with the UofS.

They have worked together for the past year building these new Master’s programs from scratch, with the help of many new colleagues, and are so excited for the positive impact it will have on people throughout Saskatchewan.

Kara and Tami are passionate about making a difference in our communities and I love how they have become dear friends through this process. You would never guess they didn’t know each-other until the university tasked them with creating two new Master’s programs.

I met with Kara and Tami last week in the University of Saskatchewan’s Health Sciences building to learn more about how all of this came to be and the impact their work is going to have in our communities.

Listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify or the YXE Underground website.

Please feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear. Positive reviews really do make a difference in getting the podcast discovered by more people so thank you in advance for your help!

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

It’s an overcast Saturday morning in late March and Station 20 West, located on 20th Street West and Avenue L South, is buzzing with activity.

People have gathered to learn more about Naloxone, how to safely administer it to someone overdosing from opioids, and to talk about what can be done to help our community get through this difficult point in time.

Saskatoon’s drug and overdose crisis has been all over the news. A CBC story notes the Saskatoon Fire Department has responded to 935 overdose incidents or suspected opioid poisonings since the start of the year. That’s compared to 376 incidents in the same time period last year.

The Saskatoon Library closed two branches for a month over safety and overdose concerns, and Prairie Harm Reduction, which we have featured on the podcast several times, temporarily paused its operations in March to give its staff an opportunity to deal with the trauma they are seeing every day in our city.

I think the local media and the Hard Knox Talks podcast have done an exemplarily job of telling the stories amidst this crisis, and I struggled to find a way to get into the crisis through the podcast.

Then I learned about this gathering at Station 20 West and thought there might be some people who would be willing to share their stories. So my wife and I went on this Saturday morning and we met some pretty incredible people. We also learned how to administer Naloxone, which you will hear in this episode.

We met Colleen Christopherson-Cote, Board Chair for Station 20 West, University of Saskatchewan doctoral candidate, Maryellen Gibson, and Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan, Barbara Fornssler. My sincere thanks to them for sharing their passion for helping others and their community in this episode.

You can listen and follow YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify or on the website.

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

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