In this bonus episode, we are going to learn about a new and innovative project from Elmwood Residences that will make a real difference in Saskatoon’s disability community.

It’s called the Elmwood Community Hub, and you might remember it being discussed in our last episode that highlighted the work being done at Elmwood’s Community Homes throughout Saskatoon.

The Community Hub, which if everything goes well will open in 2030, will sit on the grounds of the current Elmwood Manor on Arlington Avenue and will feature a variety of amenities including a performance theatre, life skills kitchen and residential units.

I was lucky to sit down with Dani Carr, Maggie Stevenson and Jackie Smith to learn more about the project.

Dani is the Executive Director of Elmwood Residences. Maggie is the Manager of Community Engagement for Elmwood.

Jackie is a former Elmwood board member whose brother was cared for by Elmwood for many years.

I met Dani, Maggie, and Jackie at the Elmwood Manor and we all sat down in one of the board rooms to discuss the Community Hub.

Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy this episode! Oh, and don't forget to listen to our previous episode exploring Elmwood's Community Homes Program.

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

Kyle Danylyshen is one of four residents living in one of Elmwood Residences' community homes for people with intellectual disabilities. For 56 years, Elmwood has supported individuals experiencing intellectual disabilities with the care and services they need to live full and meaningful lives.

The organization operates 15 community homes in Saskatoon. These homes have care staff providing 24-hour care, and as you will hear in this episode, the homes are empowering residents with the skills and opportunities to live independently within the greater community.

Kyle’s home is on Preston Avenue near Market Mall. It is a one-story house that is fully accessible for people in wheelchairs, including a ramp to the front door and into a large backyard. Kyle has lived here since 2021, and one of his best friends is his roommate, Tiernan Huber, who moved in last August. They quickly bonded through their mutual love of the Saskatoon Blades and being active in the community. They are quite the pair and were an absolute joy to speak with.

You will also meet Julien Hendrickson and Linda Boyko from Elmwood in the episode.

My thanks to Kyle, Tiernan, Julien, Linda and the entire Elmwood team for making me feel so welcomed during this whole process. This episode was so much fun to produce, and I think you will really enjoy next week’s bonus episode where we learn more about Elmwood's Community Hub Project and the impact it will have on Saskatoon. That episode drops December 18th.

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

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

A big thank you to Rob Rongve and his colleagues at RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode of the podcast. Rob is one of the most generous and kind people I know, and it means a lot to have his support. I am also grateful to Rob and his team for their care in managing my investments for the past 12 years. If you are looking for someone to help manage your money, Rob is the person to speak with!

I would like to acknowledge that these interviews were gathered on Treaty 6 territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis.

• 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

Welcome to Saskatoon Fire and Flood. It’s a Friday afternoon and Brennen Mills is showing me and my photographer, Rona Andreas, around the building. It’s a really impressive space full of tools and equipment designed to help people recover from an incident such as a house fire.

I feel lucky to say I have never had to call on Brennen and his team for their help. In fact, Brennen was not on my radar for podcast guests until his colleague, Candace Chickowski nominated him through the YXE Underground website. Her email was compelling and it really got me thinking of how important communication is in Brennen’s line of work.

Here is a portion of Candace’s email that really connected with me and got this episode in motion.

Brennen was born and raised in Saskatchewan’s construction industry. He knows this work inside and out, but what makes him different is his ability to see the human side of it. We deal with people going through some of the hardest days of their lives, fires, floods, and major loss and Brennen never lets us forget that we’re not just fixing buildings; we’re helping people get their lives back.

Helping those in need and giving back to the community are priorities in Brennen’s leadership style and his personal life. He is the Vice-Chair of the Saskatoon Public Schools Foundation and his willingness is volunteer his time and energy led the SPSF to recognize Brennen and Saskatoon Fire and Flood at this month’s National Philanthropy Day.

Here's the thing about Brennen; he would rather talk about anything else than himself, which made for some very funny moments in our conversation when I would press him for a story.

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

Please feel free to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear.

You can follow YXE Underground on social media. Simply search YXE Underground on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. That's where you will see some lovely photos of Brennen and his puppy dog taken by Saskatoon photographer, Rona Andreas. My thanks to Rona for her amazing work on this episode.

Thank you to my cousin, Andrew Dickson, for creating the original theme music for the podcast.

Thank you to Saskatoon’s Danger Dynamite for creating and maintaining the website.

These interviews were gathered on Treaty Six territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis.

YXE Underground is a production of the Salthammer Production Company. Thank you so much for listening and we’ll talk to you soon, Saskatoon.

• 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