The Speakeasy Podcast

Daniel Hearn

 The Speakeasy Podcast dives deep into the systems shaping life in Saskatchewan — from housing and health care to justice and harm reduction. Through honest conversations with lived experience leaders, service providers, and policy thinkers, we explore what’s broken, what’s working, and what’s possible. 

Episodes

  1. 10/02/2025

    Beyond Forced Treatment: What actually helps people who use drugs in Saskatchewan

    Dr. Barb Fornssler and Executive Director of Prairie Harm Reduction Kayla Demong joined me in the studio to unpack the drug policy in Saskatchewan, and what real support should look like. They offer firsthand insight into what happens when public systems label people as problems instead of supporting their healing. Together we challenge narratives about forced treatment, explore how relationships and choice can be healing forces, and question policies that punish people for surviving. This is a conversation rooted in experience, and a call to design systems that meet people where they’re at. Key topics include: • Why forced treatment often causes more harm • Navigating multiple systems: child welfare, justice, and mental health • The power of housing-first and harm-reduction approaches • Youth, trauma, and criminalization • Systems built on risk, not relationship • A call for choice, equity, and compassion in service design =============== LINKS Check out the blog! Prairie Harm Reduction SURGE-SK Listen to us on Audio Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram   For business or speaking inquiries: Daniel@hardknoxtalks.com Check out our blog for more information and insights HERE Follow us on socials Buy us a coffee! (yes we know it goes to Hard Knox Talks, that's still us!)

    1h 50m

  2. 08/22/2025

    When Law Creates Homelessness: Saskatchewan Law Professor, Sarah Beuhler.

    Sarah Buhler, law professor and housing researcher, joins us to explore how eviction law, landlord power, and financialized housing are shaping the homelessness crisis in Saskatchewan. Drawing on data, case reviews, and community insights, Sarah unpacks the systems and legal frameworks that are failing our most vulnerable tenants—and what needs to change. 🔥 Key topics include: • What “legal unhousing” looks like in practice • Why tenants lose 90% of eviction hearings • How corporate landlords move faster to evict • The gap between housing as a right—and housing in reality • Barriers to justice for people with trauma, low literacy, or no phone access • Why involving lived experience in policymaking is not optional Learn more about CLASSIC Law Here Check out our blog for more information and insights HERE Follow us on socials Buy us a coffee! (yes we know it goes to Hard Knox Talks, that's still us!)

    50 min

  3. 07/16/2025

    System Taps: How Public Policy Creates Poverty w/ Colleen Christopherson-Cote

    Colleen Christopherson-Cote joins Dan and Donna for a compelling conversation about the systems we take for granted—and how they’re actually designed to fail people. From health care to justice, education to social services, Colleen exposes how public policy choices—not personal failings—are driving poverty, homelessness, and burnout across Saskatchewan. 🔥 Key topics include: • What “system taps” are—and why the bathtub metaphor matters • Why centralized intake and discharge policies keep failing • The real reason service providers burn out • Why education policy belongs in the homelessness conversation • How we can move from short-term fixes to lasting, systemic solutions =================== Check out the SPRP website HERE Reach out to Colleen at SPRPCoordinator@gmail.com  Check out our blog for more information and insights HERE Follow us on socials Buy us a coffee! (yes we know it goes to Hard Knox Talks, that's still us!)

    1h 12m
  • 3 Episodes

About

 The Speakeasy Podcast dives deep into the systems shaping life in Saskatchewan — from housing and health care to justice and harm reduction. Through honest conversations with lived experience leaders, service providers, and policy thinkers, we explore what’s broken, what’s working, and what’s possible. 

Information

  • Creator
    Daniel Hearn
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    3
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Speakeasy Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Speakeasy Podcast