Civically Speaking Podcast with Host, Lenore Swystun and Co-Host, Christina Cherneskey

Lenore Swystun, Host, Civically Speaking on Saskatoon's Community Radio Station, CFCR.ca 90.5 FM with co-host, Christina Cherneskey
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Civically speaking is a podcast that focuses on all things civic - focusing in on Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and wider political, geopolitical, and related issues facing us in a 21st-century word. Host, Lenore Swystun, a Registered Professional Planner, Sociologist, and Facilitator together with Communications Specialist and former Journalist, Christina Cherneskey, invites guests and guest panels to discuss all things current and topical. Civically Speaking episodes are self-produced and aired weekly on Saskatoon's community radio station cfcr.ca along with providing podcast versions and special videocast and podcast direct specials. Tune in, try it, and we promise you'll find yourself coming back for more. We talk planning, politics, people - civically speaking!

  1. 4D AGO

    2026.02.03 Civically Speaking Food, Agriculture, Trade and Research Cuts with Dr. Tom Wolf and Gordon Androsoff

    Send us a text Dear Listeners, Thanks for tuning in. In this episode of Civically Speaking, we spend time unpacking food security… not as a single issue, but as a system shaped by trade, climate pressures, land, science, and governance. I’m joined by Gordon Androsoff, Executive Director of the Nelson Community Food Centre, joining us from Nelson, British Columbia, and Dr. Tom Wolf, widely known as the Nozzle Guy, a scientist specializing in precision agricultural application and applied research. Together, we dig into what’s happening right now across Canada’s ag and food landscape. We talk trade… including market volatility, trade, and how shifts in global relationships ripple all the way down to farm-level decisions and household food costs. We explore climate implications… particularly drought and water stress and why these issues quickly become governance issues, not just an environmental one. We spend time on research cuts… and the quiet erosion of public agricultural science capacity. We talk about why research stations, breeding programs, and applied science are not luxuries, but essential infrastructure for managing risk in a changing climate. Along the way, we also touch on land… rising farmland prices, consolidation, enterprise-scale ownership, and what these trends mean for who gets to farm, how land is stewarded, and how resilient are local food systems? This is a conversation about food, yes… but also about trust, long-term thinking, and the systems that quietly shape everyday life. As always, thanks for listening and for staying engaged with the civic questions that matter. Make community radio stations like CFCR 90.5 FM your choice when tuning in. And local podcast versions of shows like this, your go-to! With regrets from Christina Cherneskey, who couldn’t be with us this week. Civically Speaking,  Lenore Swystun Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    55 min

  2. JAN 28

    2026.01.27 Civically Speaking PT 1. Local. Separate or Apart?

    Send us a text Dear Listeners, Part 1 and Part 2 are broken up this week.  In this first part, Christina and I touch on local newsworthy items. SREDA, Discovery Saskatoon, and more touched on.  PT 2 we go global.  Be sure to support shows like this and tune in, for real, by your FM dial to 90.5 FM when in Saskatoon or via the digital platforms via cfcr.ca Civically speaking,  Lenore with Christina Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    28 min

  3. JAN 28

    2027.01.27 Civically Speaking PT 2 Federal, Global then Local. What we see. What we hear.

    Send us a text Dear Listeners,  In PT 2, we focus on the global scene and affects felt locally.  Cognitive dissonance ripples through our world. What we see and what we hear.  Tune in. Support shows like this and community radio stations like cfcr.ca  Civicaly  speaking, Lenore Swystun with Christina Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    29 min

  4. JAN 21

    2026.01.20 Civically Speaking - The World....Whudtheff and What a Response...

    Send us a text  Dear Listeners, Thanks for tuning in. Much appreciation for your support of shows like this that air on Community Radio and also in podcast form. The first half of this episode focuses on a changing world order and why it matters to pay attention right now. The conversation looks at how global norms are shifting, what world leaders are saying about Greenland and sovereignty, and how recent events are being framed at the World Economic Forum. It reflects on what it means when cooperation gives way to power politics, and why these signals from global leaders should concern countries like Canada and communities like ours.  The second half opens with a significant excerpt from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, setting the stage for a discussion about Canada’s role in a changing global and economic landscape. The conversation then turns to Saskatchewan and Saskatoon and key City Council files including corridor planning and the Downtown Event and Entertainment District. It also reflects on housing and homelessness, including recent developments in Regina and what they may suggest for Saskatoon. As always, Civically Speaking is about connecting global forces to local realities, and thinking together about what it means to care for place and community during uncertain times. Civically speaking, Lenore with regrets this week from Christina  Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    57 min

  5. JAN 14

    2026.01.13 Civically Speaking - In the News Today

    Send us a text Dear Listeners, Thanks, as always, for tuning in to Civically Speaking. This episode was uploaded Wednesday morning, with apologies for the delay. Christina and I begin with a few ponderings about the weather. It feels much more like spring than winter, and I have to say, I am loving it. We are also supposed to see good weather for a while yet, which feels like a gift. From there, we jump around to a few different stories, including deep sadness over the death of Trevor Dupois. Trevor was a North Star, originating from the Prince Albert area. He had been living with brain cancer, but his death will now be under investigation following an altercation with security during the early morning or late night hours last Friday. An investigation is supposed to be underway. Our hearts go out to his family. He was an amazing person. We also touch base on a few other items, including the trip Prime Minister Carney and Premier Moe are taking to China and more. Have a listen, and please continue to support community radio. CFCR is your station in Saskatoon, and shows like this are made possible because of you. Civically Speaking, Lenore Swystun and Christina Cherneskey Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    55 min

  6. JAN 7

    2026.01.06 Civically Speaking It's a New Year 2026

    Send us a text Dear Listeners, Happy New Year!   May 2026 bring you and this show and others that air on community radio and are spread through podcast platforms beyond do their very best to stay informed and have us exercising our civic muscles always. In the first part of the show, we look at major international developments, focusing on Venezuela and Ukraine, and asked why these events matter for Canada and close to home. We explore how what's going on in Venezuela raises questions about international law, sovereignty, and global energy markets … all of which affect Canada economically and diplomatically. We also discussed the ongoing war in Ukraine and Canada’s deep involvement through aid and diplomacy. And we simply pause on how increasingly unstable the global landscape appears. In the second half of the show, we bring the conversation home to Saskatoon and examined how civic decisions shape everyday life. We talk about the proposed community hub that our mayor, Cynthia Block is proposing. We discuss the Downtown Event and Entertainment District, Bus Rapid Transit, and University of Saskatchewan endowment lands, focusing on how major investments in land and infrastructure raise important questions about priorities, access, and the public good. Across both conversations, one theme is clear … the choices made today shape who benefits, who belongs, and the future of our city. Have a listen. Support community radio and may 2026 be a year we get a good civic engagement work-out. Civically speaking, Lenore Swystun and Christina Cherneskey Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    56 min

  7. 12/24/2025

    2025.12.23 Civically Speaking - Federal Politics - A Year in Review with guest, Rupan Sambasivam

    Send us a text Dear Listeners, As we head into the holiday season, this week on Civically Speaking, I’m joined by Rupan Sambasivam, a recent political science graduate and aspiring media voice, for a year-end reflection on the major political milestones of 2025. We walk through the federal election, leadership shifts, and key moments that shaped national politics over the year, and then look at how those federal decisions and dynamics rippled closer to home in Saskatchewan and Saskatoon. The focus is on connecting the dots, offering different perspectives, and making sense of a dynamic political year. Civically Speaking, Lenore Swystun, Host Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    54 min

  8. 12/16/2025

    2025.12.16 Civically Speaking - This Week's News and Technology Trends in our Civic Arenas

    Send us a text Dear Listeners, Thanks for tuning into Civically Speaking. This two-part episode of Civically Speaking brings together what’s happening right now and what it means for civic life moving forward. In Part 1, we walk through the most important stories from the past week, moving from global events to local City Hall decisions, including: Major earthquakes and tsunami warnings in JapanSevere flooding in the Pacific Northwest and British ColumbiaSolar flares and space weather affecting global systemsCanada’s federal government moving one seat away from a majority, raising questions about opposition leadershipA fatal incident at a Saskatchewan potash mine and its impact on the fertilizer sectorRenewed U.S. tariff threats on Canadian fertilizerRising food bank demand in SaskatchewanCity Hall decisions in Saskatoon and Regina, including budget debates, transit pressures, neighbourhood naming, Wildwood Park and infill discussions, and governance processes shaping growth and public spaceThis segment focuses on what’s happening now — and why these stories matter for communities and civic decision-making. Part 2 steps back to examine how technology is reshaping civic systems, with real-world examples from Saskatchewan, across Canada, and globally: Artificial intelligence becoming decision-making infrastructureTechnology’s role in reshaping work and labourData as municipal infrastructurePlatform consolidation and the loss of public digital spaceCybersecurity as a public safety issueThe growing relationship between technology and inequalityTogether, the episode connects the week’s news to broader trends shaping governance, democracy, and community life. Civically Speaking, Lenore Swystun with Christina Cherneskey Civically Speaking- Saskatoon Saskatchewan's #1 show about civic issues.

    56 min
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About

Civically speaking is a podcast that focuses on all things civic - focusing in on Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, and wider political, geopolitical, and related issues facing us in a 21st-century word. Host, Lenore Swystun, a Registered Professional Planner, Sociologist, and Facilitator together with Communications Specialist and former Journalist, Christina Cherneskey, invites guests and guest panels to discuss all things current and topical. Civically Speaking episodes are self-produced and aired weekly on Saskatoon's community radio station cfcr.ca along with providing podcast versions and special videocast and podcast direct specials. Tune in, try it, and we promise you'll find yourself coming back for more. We talk planning, politics, people - civically speaking!

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