YXE Underground

Eric Anderson
  • 5.0 (3)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

An original podcast featuring interviews with people who are doing amazing things in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but are flying under the radar. Former CBC journalist is Eric Anderson is the creator, host and producer of the podcast.

  1. Bonus Episode - Craig Silliphant and Don Sparrow - 'How Chee' Documentary

    2D AGO ·  BONUS

    Bonus Episode - Craig Silliphant and Don Sparrow - 'How Chee' Documentary

    Growing up in Swift Current, I never saw the infamous Great Buffet of China television ad that aired all the time from 1996 to 1998, but Craig Silliphant and Don Sparrow sure did.  They remember seeing it in the mornings before university, at supper during the news, and into the wee hours of the night.  The story of how this advertisement came to be, the impact it had on those involved in the production of the advertisement, and why it became a viral hit in China, are all touched on in Craig's new documentary film, 'How Chee.'  The film debuts at the Broadway Theatre on Thursday, April 2nd, at 7pm, but Craig was kind enough of take time out of his busy schedule to join me at the Yard and Flagon Pub to give YXE Underground listeners a preview of the documentary and why he wanted to tell this story. Saskatoon artist Don Sparrow, who designed the documentary's poster, joined us at the Yard and Flagon to share his memories of the advertisement and why it is such a memorable piece of nostalgia for so many people in Saskatoon.  I am lucky to call Craig and Don my friends. They are both gifted storytellers and two of the most creative people I know. They also recognize how lucky we are in Saskatoon to have such a passionate community of creative people who support each-other in their artistic endeavours. It was a blast speaking with them and learning about this truly unique slice of Saskatoon pop culture.  You can visit the Broadway Theatre website to get your tickets for Thursday night's screening, which includes a special Q&A after the film featuring Craig and several of the characters in the film.  Thank you for listening and hope to see you Thursday night. Congrats on the film, Craig!  Cheers...Eric  Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    38 min
  2. Season Eight - Episode Seven - Wayne Pilon

    MAR 19

    Season Eight - Episode Seven - Wayne Pilon

    It’s a Tuesday afternoon and the commercial kitchen at Mount Royal Collegiate is filled with grade 11 and 12 students preparing a restaurant quality meal under the careful and encouraging eye of Wayne Pilon.  Wayne teaches the commercial cooking program, along with the high school’s food skills and sewing classes (he is also the school's Athletic Director), and today he is dividing up the students into three stations: protein, vegetables, and sauces.  The kitchen has everything students would expect to see in a restaurant kitchen. Stoves and ovens are turned on and ready for use, knives are sharpened, and supplies are stored in large, walk-in freezers.  This is one of Wayne Pilon’s happy places.  Wayne grew up in restaurant kitchens. He loves the controlled chaos and communication of a busy kitchen, and he brings that passion every day to his students.  Wayne is teaching his students more than just the joys and challenges of cooking. He’s instilling them with confidence and showing them the benefits of teamwork and communication; qualities that will reach far beyond the kitchen for these students.  I spoke with Wayne in his classroom over his lunch break before his commercial cooking class got going in the kitchen. Wayne is such a personable guy and a gifted storyteller, and I really loved learning about his commitment to connecting students to Saskatchewan’s natural pantry of ingredients.  Please feel free to leave a 5-star review of YXE Underground if you like what you hear, and don't forget to tell your friends to like and follow YXE Underground on their favourite podcast app. Listen to YXE Underground wherever you listen to podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or the YXE Underground website.  Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. I really do appreciate it. Best of luck to Wayne and his students on the rest of their semester! They prepared a heck of a meal in this episode! Cheers...Eric  Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    45 min
  3. Bonus Episode - Tennille and Lydia Corbett

    MAR 7 ·  BONUS

    Bonus Episode - Tennille and Lydia Corbett

    I am very excited to share a conversation with you featuring two wonderful people who you met a few years ago. Tennille and Lydia Corbett are mother and daughter who wrote a best-selling memoir in 2024 entitled, ‘(Un)Remarkable: How Cancer and Depression Intertwined Our Stories of Grief and Hope.’ Their 2024 episode focused on Tennille’s cancer journey, Lydia’s mental health challenges, and how they worked together to tell their stories in the memoir. It was a really powerful conversation, and I’ve had many listeners ask me how Tennille and Lydia are doing. So here is a bonus episode of YXE Underground featuring Tenille and Lydia Corbett sharing an update in their lives, and let me tell you, they have been busy! Tennille has started a pair of businesses. One is called Apothecare which is Canada’s first cancer support registry, and the other is called Early Shift which features women-only pop-up dance parties that end early and are as much fun as you think they would be! Lydia has been travelling the world and formed a group in the city called Girls Who Like to Do Stuff, which is all about creating a shared community and friendship for women.  We talk about their motivations for starting these endeavors and how their lives have changed since the release of their memoir. Tennille also gives listeners an update on her health.  We met a few Saturdays ago at Jr’s Café on Broadway. The place was busy, as you will hear in our conversation, but we managed to find a table beside the large windows overlooking Broadway Avenue.  I hope you enjoy our conversation and don't forget to follow and listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts. Cheers...Eric Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    45 min
  4. Bonus Episode - George Stroumboulopoulos

    FEB 27 ·  BONUS

    Bonus Episode - George Stroumboulopoulos

    I remember being a kid in Swift Current being glued to the television when the Kinsmen Telemiracle fundraiser was on across the province. I would get my parents' permission to call and make a donation to the fundraiser and then wait for hours for my name to slowly crawl across the bottom of the screen. It was such a big deal to see my name on television, even it lasted for just a few seconds and was quickly followed by someone else donating from Moose Jaw, Enfold or Frontier.  Telemiracle is woven into the fabric of our province. For the past 50 years, people have picked up their phones and made a donation that would help someone in medical need purchase a piece of equipment or receive financial support that would help them get the care they need. We did an episode in Season Six highlighting Telemiracle's work and taking listeners behind the scenes to discover the work it takes to run the fundraiser, and it's definitely worth a listen.  Telemiracle turns 50 this weekend and it is pulling out all the stops to mark this milestone. One of the many talented hosts is someone who I have looked up ever since I first saw him on MuchMusic. That would be George Stroumboulopoulos. I first met George in 2011 at a taping of his CBC Television show, The Hour. It was a quick chat after his show and I was struck by his kindness and how he listened patiently to my questions after taping the show. I remained a fan over the years as he did all the things on television, radio and social media, and it was a thrill to meet him again last October when he spoke at Saskatoon's MemoFest.  In fact, George came to Sherbrooke Community Centre, where I am the Communications Leader, for a tour of our long-term care home. It was an amazing afternoon as he met a host of residents and staff and listened to how our organization has worked hard for decades to provide residents with full and abundant life. George also took a lot of photos with residents, staff and even some of our animals! The picture for this episode is of George sitting by Sherbrooke's Aviary. The birds loved him!  Flash forward a few months, and I reached out to George via Instagram when I saw he was in Saskatoon for Telemiracle. I wished him luck and told him how lucky we were to have him back in the city. He wrote back and said, "you gonna have me on the podcast? Haha." Ahhh...yes!  17 hours later, I met George at his hotel and we sat down for a conversation about how he became involved with Kinsmen Telemiracle and why this provincial fundraiser struck a chord with him. It is always a privilege speaking with George because he is in the moment with you...he listens...and I think that's something all of us could do a better job of these days, myself included!  I hope you enjoy our conversation, and a big thank you to George for taking time out of his insanely busy schedule to speak with me on the podcast. Best of luck on the fundraiser this weekend, George, and safe travels home. Enjoy that diner meal in the desert!  Cheers...Eric  Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    34 min
  5. Season Eight - Episode Six - Wanuskewin Heritage Park Artist-in-Residence Program

    FEB 12

    Season Eight - Episode Six - Wanuskewin Heritage Park Artist-in-Residence Program

    For the past three years, Wanuskewin’s Artist-in-Residence program has welcomed emerging and established Indigenous artists to not only create within its beautiful space, but to share their inspiration and process with visitors to the park. This program is helping our community connect with Wanuskewin in new ways, and you’ll meet some of the people behind the program in this episode of YXE Underground. Last year, I was at an art opening for Saskatoon’s Brody Burns, an amazing Indigenous artist, hosted by The 525, and I ran into Andrew McDonald. He is the Co-Executive Director of Wanuskewin, and as we marveled at Brody’s art, he shared his passion for Wanuskewin’s Artist-in-Residence program.  Andrew is a great guy and I loved his pitch, so a few weeks ago, I spent a morning at Wanuskewin meeting people who love this program and want to see it grow and thrive. In this episode, you are going to meet Olivia and Greg Yuel, along with the current Artist-in-Residence, Chris Chipak, and Andrew McDonald and Marcel Robitaille, who is the curator at Wanuskewin.  If you would like to learn more about Wanuskewin Heritage Park’s Artist-in-Residence program, please visit their website.  You can also meet Chris Chipak on Saturday, February 21st, as part of the Nutrien Kona Winter Festival taking place at Wanuskewin. That’s when his work will be debuted in the gallery space, and I have no doubt it will look incredible. You can listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or at yxeunderground.com. Please leave a 5-star review if you enjoyed this episode. Positive reviews really help the podcast get more exposure on apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, so your support is greatly appreciated.  Cheers...Eric  Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    57 min
  6. Walking With Lisa - January 2026

    JAN 29 ·  BONUS

    Walking With Lisa - January 2026

    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 in Season Eight for Walking With Lisa episodes. We've done 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 third 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 Eight 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 lunch, ha ha) and I will start our conversation with this question: "What's on your mind, Lisa?" In this episode, Lisa uses the current 2016 social media trend as a launching point to discuss why so many people are chasing simplicity in their lives. She also explains how self-reflection can help to shine a light on what really matters in your life.  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. Cheers...Eric  Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    18 min
  7. Season Eight - Episode Five - Brynn Service

    JAN 15

    Season Eight - Episode Five - Brynn Service

    Empathy and compassion are qualities Brynn Service has in spades, and they are enabling her to make a difference the lives of Saskatoon’s homeless population and those who are at risk of homelessness. Brynn is the Saskatoon supervisor of a national program called Coordinated Access, and she shares why this work means so much to her in this episode of YXE Underground. Saskatoon continues to face the challenges of a growing homelessness population. A point-in-time count conducted on October 16th of last year found that 1,931 individuals were experiencing homelessness. That number is up by 29 percent from 2024.  Brynn was one of the people who helped conduct the count and knows the need for people experiencing homelessness to get help is high. She also knows there is a large group of people and organizations who are ready to help, and they are working together to reach people in need.  Brynn became the Supervisor of the Coordinated Access program last August. The program is designed to standardize the intake and assessment process for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness under one umbrella. It connects individuals and families to the right housing and other support services as efficiently as possible.  The Saskatoon contract for the Coordinated Access program was awarded to Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, and the organization hired Brynn to be the supervisor.  There are 13 partner organizations in Saskatoon that are a part of the Coordinated Access program alongside Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, and as you will hear in our conversation, Brynn loves working with them to make a difference in the community.  Those 13 partner organizations are CUMFI, Persons Living with AIDS Network, Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services, Elizabeth Fry Society, Station 20 West, John Howard Society, YWCA, The Salvation Army, Saskatoon Council on Aging, OUT Saskatoon, EGADZ, Sanctum Care Group, and The Mustard Seed.  I have been wanting to feature Brynn for quite some time. She is a Social Worker who has worked in the justice system and with people with Intellectual Disabilities.  Brynn is one of those people who leaves you feeling inspired after a conversation, and that was certainly the case for this episode.  If you enjoy this episode and are a fan of the podcast, please feel free to leave a glowing 5-star review and share it with your friends. Word of mouth is, I think, the best way to share podcasts, and I really do appreciate your support in spreading the word about YXE Underground. You can find the podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Simply search YXE Underground and you will find some lovely photos of Brynn Service taken by Saskatoon photographer and the pride of Abbey, Saskatchewan, Rona Andreas. A big thank to the wonderful Rob Rongve and his fantastic team at RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode. Rob has been a dear friend for many years, and his support of all things YXE Underground means the world to me. If you are looking for someone to help manage your finances or invest your money, I can’t recommend Rob and his team enough. They have been taking care of me for over a decade and I wouldn’t be able to buy all the LEGO I do without their help. Thanks Rob. Cheers...Eric  Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    41 min
  8. Bonus Episode - Swinging with the Stars

    JAN 6

    Bonus Episode - Swinging with the Stars

    Hello and welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground. I’m Eric Anderson and I hope you had a great holiday season. For 13 years, Swinging with the Stars has paired community leaders with professional dancers for a night of entertainment and raising money for the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation.  This year’s event is on Saturday, January 31st at TCU Place, the theme is Broadway, and Chris Sikorsky cannot wait.  Chris is the Co-Owner of Sikpics Productions and a Swinging with the Stars Alumni. He is also a Swinging with the Stars Committee Member and was kind enough to share his passion for the event with me for the podcast.  We met at Sikpics headquarters in downtown Saskatoon and I had so much fun listening to Chris share stories of why this event means so much to him and his own experiences of being one of the dancers a few years ago.  We also touch on why Saskatoon is so great at coming together as a community to support fundraising events like this.  I want to mention that Chris and the committee have generously donated two tickets to this year’s Swinging with the Stars event to give away to a lucky listener. I am giving them away on Instagram, so make sure you follow YXE Underground for a chance to win a pair of tickets! And just a reminder that a new episode of the podcast drops Thursday, January 15th, wherever you find your favourite podcasts. Don't forget to leave a 5-star review of YXE Underground if you like what you hear! Thank you for listening and supporting a local, independent podcast in Saskatoon. Cheers... Eric  Host, Producer, Editor: Eric AndersonTheme Music: Andrew DicksonWebsite: https://www.yxeunderground.comRecorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

    23 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

An original podcast featuring interviews with people who are doing amazing things in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, but are flying under the radar. Former CBC journalist is Eric Anderson is the creator, host and producer of the podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Eric Anderson
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    132
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Salthammer Production Company
  • Show Website
    YXE Underground

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