Bonus Episode -Saskatoon Fringe Festival Preview

07/25/22 • 20 min

1 Listener

Anita Smith is one of my favourite people and it was wonderful to have her back on the podcast for this special summer bonus episode.

Anita is the Artistic and Executive Director of Saskatoon's 25th Street Theatre and a fierce advocate for the arts in our community. When she's not directing and acting in plays, Anita empowers local artists from all backgrounds to tell their stories on local stages. That's one of the many reasons why she is so excited for the Saskatoon Fringe Festival.

25th Street Theatre puts on the Fringe Festival which means Anita and her team are busy all year preparing for the 10 day festival in Saskatoon's Broadway District. This year's festival features the return of international theatre companies to Saskatoon as well as some fantastic local and national companies.
Anita was kind enough to swing by my house on a Sunday morning to offer a preview of this year's Fringe Festival for the podcast. We also discuss the importance of getting kids interested in the arts at a young age and why she feels so strongly about our community supporting local artists.

You can learn more about this year's Fringe Festival and purchase tickets to any of the festival performances by visiting the 25th Street Theatre website.
I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer and don't forget that Season 5 of YXE Underground drops on September 8th! I have started gathering interviews for the new season and can't wait to share them with you!!
Thank you, as always, for supporting a local, independent podcast. I really do appreciate it. Have a great rest of your summer and maybe see you at the Fringe!
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

Anita Smith is one of my favourite people and it was wonderful to have her back on the podcast for this special summer bonus episode.

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

Previous Episode

Season Four - Episode Ten - Science Trek Program

2 Recommendations

It's easy to spot a Science Trek student in Saskatoon. Just look for their bright yellow backpack cover!

To be a member of the Science Trek means you are a part of a family. This is one of the many things I learned about the program after spending a beautiful June day with the class as it prepared for an upcoming canoe trip. It makes a lot of sense.

Students apply to be a part of this unique Saskatoon Public Schools program from across the city and then are chosen from a lottery. Most of the students didn't know each-other on their first day of school, but through a variety of experiences (both inside the classroom and out in the community) they come together to form a family. And this family loves science!
Science Trek teaches students to view the world around them through the lens of science. It is taught by two amazing teachers: Brian Gurney and Ashley Son. Together, they empower their students to discover how science impacts our community in places the northeast swale and the South Saskatchewan River. How they go about doing this is fascinating and I think you'll really admire their approach to teaching.

I had so much fun with the Science Trek class and I think it's a fantastic way to wrap up Season Four of the podcast.
A big thank you to Rob Rongve and his team at Rongve Wealth Management Group of RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode.
And a big thank you to all you listeners for supporting local, independent podcast this season! I truly do appreciate it.
I hope you have a great summer and I can't wait for Season Five to launch on September 8th!
Talk to you soon, Saskatoon...

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

Next Episode

Season Five - Episode One - Phillip Harder

1 Recommendations

Every superhero has an origin story. For hydrologist Phillip Harder, who I consider a water superhero, his origin story traces back to when he first saw a culvert sticking straight up in the air near his farm at the age of seven.

Phillip wanted to know why there was fresh water at the bottom of that odd-looking culvert when there was an alkali body of water nearby. To a seven year-old kid growing up on a farm southeast of Saskatoon, this question needed an answer.

The answer to this question, and the great story that surrounds it, is in this episode of YXE Underground.

Season 5 of YXE Underground begins with Phillip Harder. He is a hydrologist and a Research Associate for the Centre for Hydrology at the University of Saskatchewan. He is also a member of a national team called the Global Water Futures research project.

Phillip is helping communities on the prairies, and especially farmers, learn to best use their fresh water resources. He’s doing this through careful research, flying expensive drones and engaging with people on social media.

I really admire the work Phillip is doing for our communities. I think the issue of fresh water will become more prominent in the years to come here in Saskatoon as we continue to see the impact of climate change and how it impacts the South Saskatchewan River. We rely so much on the South Saskatchewan River here in Saskatoon, but as Phillip points out in the podcast, so do many people in Saskatchewan and Alberta. We are going to need to share this valuable resource and Phillip’s research will help guide us in how best to do so.

You will also hear from Jay Famiglietti in this episode. Jay is the Executive Director for the Global Institute of Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan and hosts a wonderful podcast called What About Water which is produced here in Saskatoon. Jay does an excellent job of putting Phillip’s work into a larger context and discusses the challenges of sharing research with people who are set in their ways when it comes to using water.

This was such a fun episode to produce! I spent a very hot August afternoon with Phillip on his family’s land just south of Clavet, Saskatchewan, which is about 15 minutes southeast of Saskatoon. He not only took me to the infamous vertical culvert but also to a research site where some of his work is taking place. Phillip is passionate about educating people on issues surrounding fresh water and is gifted at explaining things in clear and understandable ways.
I hope you enjoy the Season 5 debut of YXE Underground and I want to thank you for supporting a local, independent podcast! When I started this podcast in September of 2018, I had no idea it would find such a caring and engaged audience, and I sure didn’t think I would make it to a fifth season! Thank you so much for your continued support as I really love sharing the stories of people who are making a difference in Saskatoon but are flying under the radar.

Cheers...Eric