Since 1981, the Elizabeth Fry Society has supported women across Canada who are criminalized or are at risk of criminalization. In Saskatchewan, the organization is led by Nicole Obrigavitch, and she is helping to grow the Elizabeth Fry Society’s impact in our city, especially when it comes to affordable housing.

When Nicole started as the Executive Director of the Elizabeth Fry Society in 2023, the organization had seven staff and focused on helping women who were leaving the prison or were in the criminal justice system. Today, Nicole leads a staff of 31 people who are still providing those services but are also helping women get the supports and services they need to prevent entering the criminal system.

Nicole is proud of the work being done by her team and is grateful for the partnerships the Elizabeth Fry Society has formed in the past three years with community and government organizations. Especially when it comes to creating affordable housing opportunities for women in Saskatoon.

My friend Brynn Service, who was on the podcast last year, first mentioned Nicole to me as a potential guest for the podcast, and I am grateful she did because, as you are about to hear, Nicole is a passionate advocate for women at risk, and she has a direct style of communication that is leading to positive change in Saskatoon.

Empathy is a major theme in my conversation with Nicole. She admires the empathy her team shows to all their clients, even in the hardest of circumstances, and Nicole understands firsthand the impact incarceration can have on women because she has spent in jail.

If you ever have the chance to have a conversation with Nicole, take it. She will teach you about our community, the challenges it faces, and how through cooperation and empathy, change can happen. And she will do it in articulate and thoughtful manner.

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

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I would like to acknowledge that these interviews took place on Treaty 6 territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis.

YXE Underground is a production of the Salthammer Production Company. My name is Eric Anderson. Thank you so much for listening, and we’ll talk to you soon, Saskatoon.

• 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 and welcome to a special bonus episode of YXE Underground.

Back in May, I was fortunate to host a book launch at McNally Robinson for my friend, Chelsea Coupal. Chelsea is an incredible poet, and her new collection, entitled 'U Alive', is a powerful read.

The collection was published by Saskatchewan's Thistledown Press. I got to speak with the publisher's Publicity and Marketing Manager, Mariah Warriner, after Chelsea's event, and I'm excited to share that I will get to host some upcoming book launches for Thistledown Press.

The first of these book launches takes place on Friday, October 16th, at McNally Robinson featuring author, university professor, and wonderful human being, Jeanette Lynes. It starts at 7pm, is free to the public and I hope you can make it because Jeanette is simply wonderful.

Jeanette is a Professor of English and Directory of the MFA in Writing Program at the University of Saskatchewan. She is an award-winning author and poet who has written four novels, and her latest book is a collection of non-fiction essays entitled, 'Apron Apocalypse: Lyric Essays' published by Thistledown Press.

I am delighted to host her book launch and to share with you a conversation I had with Jeanette recently at the Yard and Flagon Pub in Saskatoon's Broadway neighbourhood.

We cover a lot of ground in this conversation. Everything from the importance of the collection's sequence of stories, to Jeanette's appreciation of glowing signs at night, and why university students are going to be alright when it comes to writing original stories in an age of artificial intelligence.

Jeanette's book launch, which I am honoured to host, takes place at McNally Robinson on Friday, October 16th, and there might be prizes of immeasurable worth at the book launch. I hope to see you there, and I hope you get a chance to meet Jeanette and buy her book!

• 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

In Season Seven of the podcast, I had the pleasure of meeting a Saskatoon nurse named Dominique Paulgaard. She was one of five Saskatoon oncology nurses who started a charity called Prairie Cancer Fertility Preservation a few years ago.

The purpose of Prairie Cancer Fertility Preservation is to preserve the ability for cancer patients to have children. This can either be through sperm or egg preservation, and it can be quite the journey for patients who are undergoing cancer treatments.

This episode connected with so many listeners and parts of it were featured in a story I did with CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend that was aired across Canada.

Fundraising and awareness continue to be challenges for Dominique and her team, which is why they are hosting a fundraising event on Friday, October 16th at Crossmount Cider Company. It's called Jams For A Cause and features live music from Matt Johner and an impressive silent auction. For this bonus episode of the podcast, I sat down with Dominique and her fellow PCFP board members, Jessica Smith and Katie Nyandwi, to learn more about the event and how their work has been a making a difference in the lives of cancer patients.

Thank you to Dominique, Jessica, and Katie for not only taking the time to appear on the podcast, but for the work they are doing. It's really important work, and I hope this episode can help a little bit when it comes to raising awareness on this important issue.

Thank you for listening and best of luck on the 16th, Dominique, Jessica, and Katie!

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