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