Welcome to the YWCA Saskatoon's Hopeful Hearts Home program.

The program takes place in a four-story building that opened last year and is a transitional housing wing attached to the main YWCA building.

The Hopeful Hearts Home program provides women and their families with a safe home in a nurturing environment to heal from experiences of interpersonal violence. There are 35 suites in the building that can house up to 75 people, and it is truly making a difference in the lives of the women and children who call it home.

Mirna is the Manager of Hopeful Hearts, and as you will hear in this episode, is passionate about helping women and children in need access the many services provided by the YWCA.

Whether it’s the Employment and Learning Centre in the YWCA, or the cultural supports offered within the Hopeful Hearts Home that you will hear about in the episode, Mirna wants women to feel supported and cared for when they enter the program.

I first heard of Hopeful Hearts Home in October of 2023. That’s when I interviewed Kim Fisher for the podcast. Kim is the Director of Residential Programs at the YWCA, and in her episode, she talked about looking out her office window and imaging a building that could meet the transitional housing needs of the community. It took years of fundraising and hard work behind the scenes, but that dream is now a reality, and Kim is so happy that her long-time colleague, Mirna, is managing Hopeful Hearts Home.

A big thank you to Mirna for taking the time to share her passion for the Hopeful Hearts Home program with me on the podcast. If you want to learn more about the program, and how you can become a volunteer, please visit the YWCA Saskatoon's website.

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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

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 Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis

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 Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis