There is an organization in Saskatoon that works to strengthen the economic and social conditions of our city’s core neighbourhoods. It’s called Quint Development Corporation and it’s an organization full of amazing leaders like Kristen Thoms and Julia McCormick.

Kristen is Quint’s Executive Director and has been with the organization for 18 years. Julia is the Director of Operations with Quint and has called it home for 11 years. Together, they oversee a team that is helping people in the core neighbourhoods find meaningful employment, move into safe and affordable housing, and spark a sense of pride in their neighbourhoods.

How are they doing this you ask?

I found out when Kristen and Julia took for me a walk through neighbourhoods like Riversdale and Pleasant Hill where they showed me the different ways Quint is helping people. We ended our walk in Optimist Park where you will hear the pride Kristen and Julia have in their work and why it means so much to them.

They are both kind and warm people who love helping others and are truly invested in helping people who call the core neighbourhoods home improve their lives in meaningful ways.

I learned so much in this conversation and I know you will too.

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods 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. You can also now find YXE Underground on YouTube, which is very exciting and long overdue. Right now, there’s just one thing on the YXE Underground YouTube channel and that’s a video Molly Schikosky and I created with the help of many YXE Underground guests that celebrates six seasons of the podcast and this wonderful city we call home. I am so proud of how it turned out. A huge thanks to Molly for her work in creating it and to all of the guests who took time to help us out.

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon! I truly appreciate it.

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 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 focuses on how politics are all around us here in Saskatoon. Our community is in the midst of a municipal and provincial election, and with the American election taking place next month, it seems like we can't escape the world of politics these days. Lisa discusses how that is impacting our lives these days and how the act of listening to understand seems to missing in our political conversations. That phrase...Listening to Understand...really stood out to me from our conversation and I hope it gets you thinking about how we listen to one another in our daily lives.

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. And please get out and VOTE!!

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

The ability to slow down, take a deep breath and be present in the moment in something I think most of us take for granted. For Brandon Wicks, developing and growing this ability through yoga has helped him overcome his mental health issues. Now, he and Jen Rondeau are working with the Royal University Hospital’s Adult Mental Health Short Stay Unit to empower patients on their road to recovery.

If you’re looking for Brandon Wicks, there’s a good chance he’s here at Rise Strength Lab. Brandon is not only a personal trainer at the gym but he owns Rise Strength Lab.

Every time I see Brandon at the gym, he has a smile on his face and is talking with staff or members. He’s caring man with a big heart who has battled through some pretty challenging mental health issues in recent years.

You’ll hear Brandon share his personal story in this episode, but there was a point during his story where he needed professional help. In January of 2023, Brandon spent two weeks at the Adult Mental Health Short Stay Unit at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon.

There was no gym equipment for him to access during his two week stay, but there was a yoga mat! So Brandon would spend an hour every evening on a mat stretching and breathing and trying to ground himself in the present moment. It helped him immensely.

When Brandon left the hospital, he shared his story with Jen Rondeau. Jen is a full time paramedic and also the owner of Ivy Yoga House who has had her own mental health challenges.

Brandon wanted to give the gift of yoga back to the mental health short stay unit, and with Jen’s help, was able to do so earlier this year. The story behind this innovative yoga program is, I think, inspiring and you’ll hear it shared with great emotion by Brandon and Jen.

The program also inspired Jennifer Molloy. She the CEO of the Royal University Hospital Foundation which is now backing the yoga program for an additional two years. So far, the yoga program at the mental health short stay unit has been running one class a week, but thanks to the RUH Foundation’s support, there will be two classes a week starting in 2025.

I want to thank Brandon and Jen for sharing so much in this episode and I know their efforts are truly making a difference in our community.

You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Goodpods 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.

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. I really do appreciate it!

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