For students arriving in Saskatoon with very little knowledge of the English language, one of the first people they will meet in school is an English as an Additional Language teacher. These teachers not only guide students on their journey through the language, but as I discover in this episode, they provide a safe and nurturing space for students who have been through a lot in their young lives.

You are going to meet two incredible EAL teachers in this episode of YXE Underground.

Megan Chan and Laura Jorgenson share many qualities. They are passionate about teaching the English language in the Saskatoon Public School Division. They work hard to create a classroom where newcomer and refugee students feel secure and supported, and they both find their work as EAL teachers incredibly rewarding.

Megan teaches elementary students at W.P. Bate School and Laura teaches high school EAL classes at Tommy Douglas Collegiate. Together, I believe they give you a clear picture of the challenges EAL teachers face as Saskatoon continues to become a more diverse community and school populations continue to rise, and why their jobs are so fulfilling.

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

A big thank you to Rob Rongve and his team at RBC Dominion Securities in North Battleford for supporting this episode. If you are looking for someone to manage your money and investments, Rob Rongve and his team are the first people you should talk with!

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. I really do appreciate it and I hope your 2025 is off to a great start.

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 and I met for lunch at the Park Cafe (she had fish and chips, I had a burger) and she discusses the importance of finding some balance during a busy holiday season. Lisa, as always, touches on many interesting subjects including the importance of establishing boundaries, the difference between self-care and self-soothing, and what we can do to increase capacity in our lives. This is such a timely conversation and Lisa shares her knowledge in such a compassionate manner. I hope you take plenty of wisdom away from this conversation because I sure did!

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. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and we'll talk with you in 2025, Saskatoon!

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

It’s been a busy year at the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre. The organization has seen a 25 per cent increase in the use of its services in 2024, which works out to around 23,000 people a month coming to the Food Bank. Of those 23,000 people, 43 per cent are children.

These numbers, along with the Food Bank’s plan to open a new facility in August 2025 in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood, makes the organization’s Light It Up fundraising campaign all the more critical.

One of the many unique spaces in the Food Bank is the Community Test Kitchen. This is where you can often find Kate Lasiuk and her team leading community cooking classes as well as preparing food for the greater community. Kate is the Nutrition Program Manager with the Food Bank and a big believer that food can bring people together from all walks of life.

The Nutrition Program at the Food Bank has been in operation since 2019, and under Kate’s guidance, it is teaching people not just the basics of cooking but the joy that comes with preparing a meal. The cooking classes, whether they are in person or online, are also bringing people from diverse backgrounds together. I think that’s definitely worth celebrating.

It was a pleasure sitting down with Kate to talk about the difference the Nutrition Program is making in Saskatoon, and why this work means so much to her.

You can follow and listen to YXE Underground wherever you find your favourite podcasts including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the YXE Underground website. Don't forget to leave a 5-star review if you like what you hear.

Follow YXE Underground on social media and our new YouTube page. I promise to get some more episodes on the YouTube page in the days and weeks to come!

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast here in Saskatoon. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and talk with you in 2025.

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