YXE Underground

Spend five minutes with Bayani Trinidad and Forrest Eaglespeaker and several things become clear. One, they are passionate about their work. Two, they thrive on seeing people change and grow when it comes to their thoughts on Truth and Reconciliation. Three, they have way too much fun together! Bayani and Forrest work for a non-profit organization called Canadian Roots Exchange. It was formed in 2...

Matt Ingrouille wants to see change in Saskatoon when it comes to drug and addiction issues, and he realizes the best way to bring about this change is at the grassroots level. It's one of the reasons why Matt, a Constable with the Saskatoon Police Service, started the non-profit organization, Say Know .  Say Know is a drug education project that is doing incredible work raising drug and addiction...

Do you know where your food comes from? It’s a question Arlie LaRoche is very passionate in answering. Arlie and her family own and operator Farm One Forty , a holistically managed farm about twenty minutes southwest of Saskatoon. As Farm One Forty's website states, “we are a local, sustainable and natural choice for Saskatoon’s ethical eaters.” What stands out about Arlie is how passionate she is...

Janelle and I were really excited to visit Arlie LaRoche at her farm, Farm One Forty , southwest of Saskatoon last Thursday. Arlie is doing some really great things for Saskatoon's food and culinary scenes and she is a fantastic talker. We were also excited because the skies were really dynamic last Thursday, which would make for some great photographs (if you follow us on social media, you'll see...

Constable Derek Chesney has a way of communicating that makes him perfect for his job with the Saskatoon Police Service. It’s direct, respectful, and full of empathy. He credits his style from growing up on a ranch in southeast Saskatchewan surrounded by cowboys. “I got to listen to a lot of old guys BS back in the day, and they tell stories of humanity and people,” explains Chesney. The veteran p...

Michael McLachlan vividly remembers the moment he made the conscious decision to disconnect his mind and his body during his battle against cancer. It was two in the morning. He was on all fours on his hospital bed overlooking the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon. An aggressive form of cancer had invaded McLachlan’s central nervous system and formed a tumor at the base of his spine. “I had a...

Say the word CANCER and each of you will have something different come to mind. It might involve a loved one who had cancer or perhaps is going through treatments right now. When it comes to cancer care, there are gaps in the system, but there are also people in Saskatoon working hard to fill in those gaps. Part One of Episode 12 introduces you to three of these individuals. Kim Swetecki is a canc...

When Carrie Hart got the call that her son Lucas was accepted into the Little Tots program, she didn’t know what to do. “I remember that day. I was with my friend at The Forestry Farm. I was in the car and I think I started crying and then I probably did laps in my car because I was so excited. It was an instant sense of relief.” Relief because her son was about to get the help he needed to overco...

A veterinarian feeling overworked due to a difficult caseload. A student feeling overwhelmed with exams. A family feeling crushed because of the loss of their pet. All are scenarios Erin Wasson confronts at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine. Wasson is a social worker at the WCVM. She provides counselling services to students, faculty and staff, as well as clie...

“My name is Jessica Fisher and I am a cisgender, queer woman who is both Metis and a settler.” That is how Jessica Fisher introduces herself to elementary and high school students in Saskatoon and around the province. Fisher works with OUTSaskatoon, bringing gender and sexual diversity education to students, teachers and administrators. She does this by explaining the building blocks of identity,...

Saskatoon's EcoQuest Program is a grade eight class that uses nature in place of a traditional classroom. This unique outdoor education program is full of incredible students who are learning to see the world around them in new ways. In Part Two of Episode Eight, Eric spends a very cold December day exploring Saskatoon with the 28 students that make up the EcoQuest class. The students walk more th...

When you think of a typical grade 8 classroom, you probably envision a space filled with rows of desks and a blackboard at the front of the room. Saskatoon's EcoQuest class is definitely not your typical classroom. EcoQuest brings 28 grade 8 students together from across the city and allows them to learn in the natural world. It's an outdoor experiential program that not only encourages students t...

Scott Dicks is a very busy man. The Saskatoon chef has worked in some of the finest restaurants in Western Canada and learned from award winning chefs. Now, Chef Scotty is giving back to Saskatoon's food scene by consulting with local businesses like Collective Coffee and 9 Mile Brewery, teaching cooking classes at The Local Kitchen, and even cooking for people in their homes. Scotty believes that...

I take a lot of pride in being the most enthusiastic person in a room. But when I meet Erin McCormick for the first time in her riding arena, I quickly realize that I don’t hold a candle next to her. Erin owns Therapeutic Equilibrium Riding. Every week, she teaches 110 children and adults with varying degrees of physical and cognitive challenges therapeutic horseback riding. In this episode, Erin...

Kenton Lysak is a Senior Interpreter for Saskatoon's Meewasin Valley Authority and a lover of all things nature. All Kenton wants to do is teach you about the Meewasin Valley's natural beauty, and he will do it in a way that will inspire to go out and explore! He is also a brand new father. In this episode of YXE Underground, Kenton takes host Eric Anderson to Peggy McKercher Conservation Area and...

Episode Four of YXE Underground focuses on a pair Saskatoon women who are helping put the city on the map. Aviva Kohen is Tourism Saskatoon's Director of Media and has been working incredibly hard to get Saskatoon national and international attention. DonnaLyn Thorsteinson helps Saskatoon entrepreneurs achieve their goals through her work with SREDA and the Square One program. Eric sits down with...

Communication is something most people take for granted. Kara Broks helps people in Saskatoon who struggle to express themselves, especially when it comes to verbal communication. She is a speech pathologist and owner of the The Speech Language Network. In this episode of YXE Underground, Eric visits Kara at The Speech Language Network to learn more about the work she does with people of all ages...

Sarah Friesen is a registered psychologist with Saskatoon's Alvin Buckwold Child Development Program. Jacqueline Lavallee is a teacher at Saskatoon's Oskayak High School and an Assistant Coach with the University of Saskatchewan's Women's Basketball team. Their jobs are different but their goals are the same. To help children and their families become valuable members of their communities! Host Er...

Mike Fisher is one of the nicest and most sincere guys you will ever meet. He is the co-creator of The Saskatchewan Entertainment Expo, which is a Comic-Con style event that brings people from all over Saskatchewan to Saskatoon every year in September. This interview covers a lot of ground. Mike opens up about how creating The Expo got him through some challenging personal times and why Saskatoon'...