For the past three years, Wanuskewin’s Artist-in-Residence program has welcomed emerging and established Indigenous artists to not only create within its beautiful space, but to share their inspiration and process with visitors to the park. This program is helping our community connect with Wanuskewin in new ways, and you’ll meet some of the people behind the program in this episode of YXE Underground.

Last year, I was at an art opening for Saskatoon’s Brody Burns, an amazing Indigenous artist, hosted by The 525, and I ran into Andrew McDonald. He is the Co-Executive Director of Wanuskewin, and as we marveled at Brody’s art, he shared his passion for Wanuskewin’s Artist-in-Residence program.

Andrew is a great guy and I loved his pitch, so a few weeks ago, I spent a morning at Wanuskewin meeting people who love this program and want to see it grow and thrive.

In this episode, you are going to meet Olivia and Greg Yuel, along with the current Artist-in-Residence, Chris Chipak, and Andrew McDonald and Marcel Robitaille, who is the curator at Wanuskewin.

If you would like to learn more about Wanuskewin Heritage Park’s Artist-in-Residence program, please visit their website.

You can also meet Chris Chipak on Saturday, February 21st, as part of the Nutrien Kona Winter Festival taking place at Wanuskewin. That’s when his work will be debuted in the gallery space, and I have no doubt it will look incredible.

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or at yxeunderground.com. Please leave a 5-star review if you enjoyed this episode. Positive reviews really help the podcast get more exposure on apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so your support is greatly appreciated.

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 Eight 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 third 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 Eight 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?"

In this episode, Lisa uses the current 2016 social media trend as a launching point to discuss why so many people are chasing simplicity in their lives. She also explains how self-reflection can help to shine a light on what really matters in your life.

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

Empathy and compassion are qualities Brynn Service has in spades, and they are enabling her to make a difference the lives of Saskatoon’s homeless population and those who are at risk of homelessness. Brynn is the Saskatoon supervisor of a national program called Coordinated Access, and she shares why this work means so much to her in this episode of YXE Underground.

Saskatoon continues to face the challenges of a growing homelessness population. A point-in-time count conducted on October 16th of last year found that 1,931 individuals were experiencing homelessness. That number is up by 29 percent from 2024.

Brynn was one of the people who helped conduct the count and knows the need for people experiencing homelessness to get help is high. She also knows there is a large group of people and organizations who are ready to help, and they are working together to reach people in need.

Brynn became the Supervisor of the Coordinated Access program last August. The program is designed to standardize the intake and assessment process for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness under one umbrella. It connects individuals and families to the right housing and other support services as efficiently as possible.

The Saskatoon contract for the Coordinated Access program was awarded to Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, and the organization hired Brynn to be the supervisor.

There are 13 partner organizations in Saskatoon that are a part of the Coordinated Access program alongside Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, and as you will hear in our conversation, Brynn loves working with them to make a difference in the community.

Those 13 partner organizations are CUMFI, Persons Living with AIDS Network, Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services, Elizabeth Fry Society, Station 20 West, John Howard Society, YWCA, The Salvation Army, Saskatoon Council on Agin, OUT Saskatoon, EGADZ, Sanctum Care Group, and The Mustard Seed.

I have been wanting to feature Brynn for quite some time. She is a Social Worker who has worked in the justice system and with people with Intellectual Disabilities.

Brynn is one of those people who leaves you feeling inspired after a conversation, and that was certainly the case for this episode.

If you enjoy this episode and are a fan of the podcast, please feel free to leave a glowing 5-star review and share it with your friends. Word of mouth is, I think, the best way to share podcasts, and I really do appreciate your support in spreading the word about YXE Underground.

You can find the podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Simply search YXE Underground and you will find some lovely photos of Brynn Service taken by Saskatoon photographer and the pride of Abbey, Saskatchewan, Rona Andreas.

A big thank to the wonderful Rob Rongve and his fantastic team at RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode. Rob has been a dear friend for many years, and his support of all things YXE Underground means the world to me. If you are looking for someone to help manage your finances or invest your money, I can’t recommend Rob and his team enough. They have been taking care of me for over a decade and I wouldn’t be able to buy all the LEGO I do without their help. Thanks Rob.

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