The Current - Live in Saskatoon, the city that punches well above its weight

Episode Date: November 27, 2024

Saskatoon punches above its weight as a hub of creativity and culture, but is also grappling with the same problems roiling other Canadian cities. Matt Galloway hosts a special show at a packed Broadway Theatre to meet the people that make life great in the Paris of the Prairies.First up, singer-songwriter Jeffery Straker performs some music from his new album Great Big Sky, and shares how he recently found out he has a new fan: King Charles III.Then, literary power couple Yann Martel and Alice Kuipers only intended to live and work in Saskatoon for a year, but they fell in love with the “land of living skies” — and never left.Plus, Saskatoon’s new Mayor Cynthia Block shares how she’s going to tackle a growing housing and homelessness crisis, and what it means to be the city’s first female mayor.Also, some of Saskatoon’s biggest comedy stars share where they find their funny. Dakota Ray Hebert looks back at growing up in a trailer park for her new comedy album Trailer Treasure; and viral social media star Farideh lands some laughs about women’s health and being a (sometimes under-appreciated) mother. And Indigenous-led tourism is inviting the world to Saskatchewan, telling the story of this place through a distinctly Indigenous lens. Jenni Lessard and Honey Constant-Inglis tell us about the power and understanding that can come from sharing a story — and a meal.

In 2017, it felt like drugs were everywhere in the news, so I started a podcast called On Drugs. We covered a lot of ground over two seasons, but there are still so many more stories to tell. I'm Jeff Turner, and I'm back with Season 3 of On Drugs. And this time, it's going to get personal. I don't know who Sober Jeff is. I don't even know if I like that guy.

On Drugs is available now wherever you get your podcasts. This is a CBC Podcast. We flew into Saskatoon in a blizzard. The roads were impossible. The schools were closed. Snow banks up to your waist, minus a million. This is a hearty city, but you start to wonder in weather like this, geez, is anybody going to show up tonight?

Come on. It's Saskatoon. It's winter. What do you think? People are going to stay home? We have a packed house here at the Broadway Theatre. You know, we've been crisscrossing this country this year, telling the stories of Canadians to each other. We've been in Winnipeg, Haida Gwaii, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Montreal. Tonight, we are in the city they call the Paris of the Prairies, a place that keeps getting bigger but where people don't forget to say hi to someone on the Mewasson Trail or push a stranger's car out of a snowdrift. This is a hub of creativity and culture. It punches above its weight. It's where the ties go beyond the bridges that span

the South Saskatchewan River. It's also a city that faces some really tough problems, including a homelessness crisis that feels even more urgent when it's 25 below. So coming up, the brand new mayor of Saskatoon on how she wants to help those who are living on the streets stay safe. We'll also meet some of the people who came here, never left, and are working to make this city even better, including the great authors, Yann Martel and Alice Kuypers. We'll hear from people who have been here for generations and the explosion of Indigenous-led tourism in Saskatchewan and fresh from his tour of grain elevators.

Where else can you say a tour of grain elevators? The Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Jeffrey Straker is our soundtrack tonight. singer-songwriter Jeffrey Straker is our soundtrack tonight. Yes, it's freezing out, and I can tell you that because I walked here from my hotel. But you know what? You would never know it inside this theatre. Live from the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, my name's Matt Galloway, and this is The Current. How's everybody doing? Everyone all right?

Oh my goodness. We are so happy to be in your town. The kindness that people have shown to us, the welcome that we have had here in the few days that we've been here has been just overwhelming. And it's just wonderful to be here. So thank you very much for welcoming us. And thank you very much for coming here tonight. We have an incredible lineup of guests for you. And we'll start with our musical guest. He grew up in the small town of Punish Eye, Saskatchewan. His new album is called Great Big Sky. It reflects those prairie roots. Please welcome to the stage

of the Broadway Theatre, if you would, Jeffrey Straker. A tip of the big hat from Jeffrey Straker. How are you, sir? I'm well. Thanks for being here. Thanks for having me. This is really fun. What do you love about playing in Saskatoon? There's so many wonderful venues here, including this one, but the audience is here, and everyone says this about their audiences, but my favourite audiences in Saskatchewan are here. They listen, they're loving, they give as much as they get. They're perfect people, Matt. They're wonderful.

That all might be true, but are you just buttering them up because you are from the other city? I might be from the other city. I came up from down south. It got progressively colder as I made the drive. From Regina. From Regina, exactly. But I'm delighted to be here.

We're not going to hold that against you. Just quickly tell me about the community that you grew up in. Panashai, Saskatchewan is a small grain farming town about three hours from here, about 300 people. Wonderful place to grow up. I grew up on a farm beside the community. The school I went to was mostly First Nations people, about 95% First Nations. We studied Cree as a second language in our school growing up. But a lot of these small towns over time, like mine, they're really shrinking.

And the rural landscape's really changing. We're going to talk about that and those grain elevators that you've been playing in. You have fans across this province. You have fans across the country. You have a fan in King Charles. What is this? This is new, Matt. This is new.

The King. The King. We're not Elvis here. We're talking about, like, the King, exactly. He sent me a memo via the lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan two weeks ago when I was on tour in England, and he really appreciated a was on tour in England, and he really appreciated a song on my last record, and he told me that he

was touched by the tune, and he also sent me well wishes for my tour. I was like, this guy's quite busy, but he took the time to do this, so I was pretty happy with that. The king has a CD player. I know. I knew he had the CD. I knew the CD made its way into his office, because I got an email telling me, and then I was like, yes,

but is there a CD player in Buckingham Palace? So luckily he heard it. Apparently so. You're going to play a song first. What are we going to hear? I'm going to sing a song called Some Say It's Just a Sky. It's a tune I wrote when I was away from here.

I moved to this little town in Ontario that some of you might have heard of. It's called Toronto. And from there, I finally saw Saskatchewan when I got away from it. And this is about me trying to explain what I believe the sky means to prairie people. Live at the Broadway Theater, this is Jeffrey Straker, and some say it's just the sky. These secondhand clouds from Alberta are blown across Saskatchewan.

Or blown across Saskatchewan Remind me how time keeps slipping by Working as heaven's hired gun I see a portrait of a whisper Can't be stretched a thousand miles Some look up and say hallelujah Some say it's just a sky. I moved to the city, my friends would ask, why do you always look up so high? That's where my mind goes when it wanders, you see.

Where it went this time, oh somewhere up there. What is and what ain't can gently collide Some fill it up with their dreams Some say it's just a sky Oh, leave me feeling lonely Remind me how it feels to be found again. And teach me about keeping my feet down on the ground. And fill me with wonder asking why.

Some say it's just a sky. Some say it's just a sky. In all that space, the world we know. And the world we want to be. You can't see it in a photograph And it never answers directly But it's taught me that looking up Is just kind of life

And looking deep inside For forgiveness, for favors So see it's just a game For favors To see his Justice game Won't leave me Feeling lonely Remind me How it feels To be found

Again Teach me by Keeping my Feet down on The ground and feel Me with wonder Asking why I'm keeping my feet down on the ground And feel me with wonder asking why Some say it's just a sky Some say it's just a sky And the stars will make you long

For all you've left behind And every sunrise will whisper Just give it one more try Leave me feeling lonely Remind me how it feels To be found again And teach me about Keeping my feet down On the ground

And fill me With wonder Asking why Some say it's just a sky Some say It's just a sky These second-hand clouds from Alberta Are blown across Saskatchewan Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. Jeffrey Straker. One of the many things that this city is known for is its incredible literary scene. We got here on Sunday in the midst of that storm, and we're lucky enough to have Guy Vanderhaag as our tour guide. We had to go to him because he couldn't get out of his driveway because there was so much snow, but we managed to get him out and drive him around. Tonight, we are lucky to have with us two best-selling authors who make their lives here together.

He is the author of novels including Self, Beatrice and Virgil, and Life of Pi, winner, of course, of the Booker Prize. She is a best-selling author of five novels, seven for younger readers. Her latest is a guide to writing for young people. It's called Spark. Please welcome to the stage of the Broadway Theatre, Yann Martel and Alice Peppers. Thank you.

The story goes, Yann, that you came here as a writer-in-residence at the Public Library in Saskatoon, and then you never left. Why did you stay? I thought I'd only stay a year and finally what kept me here were the people and the skies. I love the skies here.

You know, you look on our license plates, it says Land of Living Skies, which is frankly a lot more poetic than La Belle Province or beautiful British Columbia, which say the same thing. Land of Living Skies is absolutely true. The skies here are extraordinary. First thing I'd suggest someone visiting Saskatoon is just look up.

It's the sunniest province in Saskatoon, first of all. We own the sun here. I won't tell the rest of the country that. It's cold. Who cares? Just dress for it. And then the clouds here are magnificent. Honestly, in the spring and the summer, these cloud ships, they're just extraordinary. So it's that. It's the weather. It's the people. It's that landscape. I like that flatness.

It doesn't bother me. To me, it's like a Rothko painting. It's the subtle beauty of lichen. Yeah, it's a beautiful place, and it's a lovely city. What about for you, Alice? I mean, you grew up in London, England. That's right. It's a big change to come here. Did you imagine yourself living out in the prairies?

He's laughing because I don't think I even knew where Saskatoon, Saskatchewan was, and my family certainly didn't. Or even Canada. Jan can be quite poetic, as you can hear, and he was very convincing that we wanted to build a life here. He had the residency at the public library for that first nine months, and we met so many people who took time to introduce us to this community we found ourselves curling in rosetown and we we skied you across the prairies

at one point we did things that we don't do so much now we have children um and decided to see what it would be like if we stayed a little longer and the longer we stayed the more enmeshed we became with other people, with all the amazing things there are to do here. And we realized this is actually a great place to raise a family and to write books. What surprised you most about this place? Well, minus 40 is a real thing. Cowboys are also real.

I didn't know that either growing up in London. What surprised me is how you can step outside and say hi to someone you know within a couple minutes, but also every time you go somewhere. And tonight is a good example. There's lots of people I know here, lots of people I love in this room, and lots of people I've never seen before

because it's got that big city, small city feeling. So there's always something really fun happening. I mean, I talked about the literary scene in the city, and what is that about? Guy Vanderhaag was speaking about that earlier, and that there's a long tradition of that, of this city supporting writers. And it's not just writers, but writers in particular seem to get some

sort of injection, a little boost from the town. What is that about, do you think? Well, I think the fact that it's so isolated means there's lots of time to spend with other people, and that will yield stories. I think I read somewhere about's so isolated means there's lots of time to spend with other people. And that will yield stories. I think I read somewhere about because there are no mountains, the highest thing on the prairie is someone standing. And so you focus on that.

You focus on the thing that's tallest. That's the person next to you, maybe, if they're taller. And I think a lot of places that are isolated generate stories. Because, you know, if you don't tell your own stories, no one else will. So I think it's a product of the isolation, the ferocious weather. That's quite exhilarating. And it creates community because you're indoors. But you're right.

There is a peculiar, strong literary tradition in the prairies that's very, very, very strong. Alice, how has the landscape filtered into your writing? Well, when I first came here, I didn't really think about setting at all. In fact, I discussed with writer David Carpenter how setting just wasn't important. My first book is written with no setting. It's written on a fridge door. And then as I lived here longer and got to know this territory, Treaty 6 territory, homeland of the Métis, the storytelling culture, traditions, the people who live here, the way people look at the land. The latest book I've written, the editor who just read it and said nice things, which is exciting, said that it's imbued with a sense of place, a place she's never known. And so I think it's

slowly shifted and really filtered through to everything I'm doing. You surprised by that? Very. I'm endlessly surprised by stuff. I find lots of things surprising about this place. I've learned to do something that I call micro-travelling. With four kids it's not as easy to jump on a plane, although we still do luckily, but just taking time to pay attention to that changing, shifting landscape. Like you would have seen as you were running along the trails, which I was very impressed by that you ran at minus 20 today or whatever. Perhaps not the smartest thing I've ever done. But yeah, to know that you've done that, to see that landscape,

to know there was a coyote on the trail just the day before, it's really interesting when you pay attention to this. This is a city, I mean, we said earlier on that there's so much energy here, people are working toward the idea of the city, but it's also a city that faces some big, wicked problems. I mean, the homelessness crisis, we talked about it on our program at length, it becomes much more acute when it is so cold and you see people who are just struggling to get by

when you know that you can go somewhere warm and they can't. How have you engaged with that? I'll say that's another thing that, in a sense, oddly enough, is attractive about Saskatoon. Because it's a town of only 300,000, you see everything. You live everything. It is a real community. So the homelessness challenge is not something far away

on the other side of the city. You see it everywhere. You go to the Miwasan where you see coyotes, you also see homeless people. And, yeah, the ferocious weather means it really matters to us because people die. And it's a result of a racist cleavage here. Also, this is a wonderful place.

It's also a terribly racist place. And you can't escape that. And nor should you want to. We have to live the ugliness of our societies to get through them. And so it's present there. And yeah, work needs to be done. It's getting worse. And these are fellow citizens who are less lucky than us.

And so, yeah, it's something that both Alice and I have been involved with, an organization called Sanctum, for example, because it's not something that you can just wish away. You have to find concrete solutions for these fellow citizens who are far less lucky than us. Part of the reason that we come out to do events like this is to tell people about a place that they might not know about or that they have an idea of that maybe should be interrogated.

What do you think the rest of the country should know about this city? Well, you know, when I first moved here, the number of people who had asked me, why do you live in Saskatoon? And they were obviously from Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver. And I'd say, why do you live in your place where you have to endlessly commute? You don't know your neighbours.

You know, Saskatoon is like a decathlete. You know, the decathlete is not the best at any single discipline but overall is good enough to win a gold medal at the Olympics. That's fantastic. So, for example, Little Saskatoon, middle of nowhere, has the largest art gallery between Winnipeg and Vancouver, the Ramey, has a terrific Ukrainian museum. There's a large Ukrainian population here. There's wonderful theater here at the university, at the refinery, at the Persephone, the SSO. Middle of nowhere, the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra pulls way above its weight. So there's a lot here. Alice, you talk about micro-travelling. Where's the place that you go in the city to feel like

you have that connection with this town? I always like to go to Delish, the coffee shop just by our house, to take a moment to go write um warner's game in is a world heritage site so it's a little bit more of a drive but it's worth it um and i think just seeing the energy that continues in this place in this building right here we've been to loads of things so it's just really there's lots of choices there's a lot of energy in this city thank you both for being here thank you it's a pleasure thank you for having us jan martell and alice kuypers best-selling authors philanthropists and as you heard proud saskatooners we have a terrific audience here tonight and um we want to say hello to some of the folks who are here with us in the audience yan mentioned um the ramey modern which is an incredible art museum on the river. Michelle Jakes is the chief curator of that museum

and is with us in the audience somewhere. Michelle, hi. Hello. Brand new recipient of a Governor General's Award as well. Congratulations. Thank you. What do you love about this town? It was definitely Ramey Modern that sucked me in right away.

But having arrived here in the middle of a polar vortex a couple of months later, I settled on thrifting. Saskatoon is a really great thrifting town, and I just love that everything here is a mishmash, and that you're forced to sort of look through all of these layers of history to find that gem. I think it's improved my eye as a curator. I'm glad the polar vortex didn't scare you off. The city is better for you being here. Thank you very much. Thank you. didn't scare you off. The city is better for you being here. Thank you very much. Thank you. Also with us here, one of the scientific leaders in Saskatoon, Ingrid Pickering, is Chief Science Officer at Canadian Light Source, which is Canada's only synchrotron. Ingrid, hi. Hi, Matt.

What is that? Good question. A synchrotron is a national science facility here in Saskatoon on the University of Saskatchewan campus. It's about the size of a hockey rink and it is a big machine for making light, incredibly bright light, in particular x-rays, which scientists like me use to discover things about materials that you can't discover anywhere else in Canada. In addition to having that at your disposal, what do you love about being here in Saskatoon? I want to echo what other people have said about community and how important the community is here. Fantastic. I love hearing people talk about home and what they love about home. Thank you very much. Just really quickly, we're going to hear from two other people who are new-ish to this city. This is a great sports city as well.

Sure, Regina has the riders, but Saskatoon has the rush. If you've never seen lacrosse before, lacrosse is Canada's national game. And a live lacrosse game is unreal. I say this from some experience, having seen a bunch of them over my time. We have two members of the city's professional lacrosse team, Brock Haley and Levi Anderson. They are new to this city. Give them a warm welcome.

Levi, what do you love about Saskatoon so far? I'd like to say the fans have been amazing so far. In the first few weeks we've been here, we've had the ability to communicate with the fans at our first scrimmage, as well as the community. It immersed us very, very well. Just how kind everyone's been. That's great. brock people who have never seen lacrosse live how would you describe what it's like uh it's fast physical you might hear some some stuff on the floor you don't want to hear but uh yeah other than that uh fun time it's a good atmosphere make the pitch for people to come out why should people come and see you? Cheap beer. Cheap beer.

The man knows his audience. Thank you both and good luck. Brock Haley and Levi Anderson of The Rush. We're going to take a quick break for the CBC News. Don't go anywhere. We have more music from Jeffrey Straker plus my conversation with the brand new mayor of Saskatoon live in Saskatoon at the Broadway Theatre. My

name is Matt Galloway. This is The Current. We're back in six minutes. Stick around. Hello, I'm Matt Galloway. You're listening to a special edition of The Current, live from the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon. in Saskatoon. We have a great audience here tonight. Lots to get to over the next hour, including the new mayor of Saskatoon and two of the funniest women in town, Dakota Ray Hebert and Faraday.

But please, first, welcome back to our stage our musical guest, Jeffrey Straker. What are you going to play for us? Hey, I'm going to play a song of mine. It's called More Than Two-By-Fours in Timber, Matt. And it's a tune I wrote. I'm taking people out of the city now. We're going out to the countryside, out in the prairies.

It's a song about sort of the fall of the grain elevators and the disappearance from the prairie topography. This is Jeffrey Straker and more than two by fours in timber. applause Tomorrow'd be too late So they came to see it just one last time There was a TV camera there By the railroad tracks Some folks were pointin' lookin' up at it

But most were lookin' back Used to be three grocery stores in town There's just one left Looking back, used to be three grocery stores in town. There's just one left. Padlocked the doors, board windows up. Placed a little frayed at the edges. And that church where they'd sing on Sundays long since closed. Now they're gathered here to struggle with holding on, for once again letting go.

It was so much more than two by fours and timber. That last grain elevator was coming down today under the breath? People say goodbye. They try their best to take it all in stride. They just got used to doing it that way. For years that prairie sky, scrapers stood guard at the end of Main Street Farmers measuring luck By the bushel haul trucks

Of wood, beater, reed But the bottom line Nichols and Dines In progress have their say They knew if you weren't From round here It wouldn't really matter anyway We were so much more

Than two by fours and timber That last grain elevator Was coming down today Under their breath People said goodbye They tried their best to take it all in stride They just got used to doing it that way The bulldozer kept trying

But had a hard time getting her to move Though no one said it It's almost like they knew She had a point to prove An old couple looking on Said well Ain't that just how it goes Nothing lasts forever

Kind of clean their throats Used to mean From a distance We're heading somewhere When hidden here Now more than the last Green elevator Was disappearing

It was so much smaller Than two by fours in timber That last green elevator Was coming down today under their breath People said goodbye They tried their best to take it all in stride It just got used to doing it that way Mr. Jeffrey Straker,

live at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon. More than two by fours in timber. Does that line in the song, if you weren't from here, it wouldn't mean anything anyway? Yeah. For people who aren't from this province, what do and what have those grain elevators meant to Saskatchewan? I fell in love

with them from an early age growing up in a small town and every small town in Saskatchewan had these things. And they, they stuck up on the horizon as you were driving around Saskatchewan, the name of the town was on the side. And, and, you know, it was, it was, it was kind of something to see when you went for a drive in a way in Saskatchewan, you know, and, and one of my first jobs ever was, was cleaning, cleaning the boot of one of these old elevators. All the dust would settle to the bottom. And I had this job at 14 years old, and I would go down this deep hole with this bucket and down a ladder and bring up buckets full of dust. And I'm not Catholic, but I believe I discovered purgatory. Like, it's there. So you're welcome. I found it.

But when these things went up, you know, at the turn of the century, it signaled to the surrounding areas, like, we're a community. We're doing this together. We're giving this our college tribe. We're going to give this a go. And it was the heart of the community. And they were a real going concern for a while. They were the economic hub of those places and now they're coming down.

They peaked in the 50s. There were 3,000 of them, these iconic 30,000 bushel grain elevators and today there's less than 175. What is lost when there's only that number left? To me, they symbolize not just the elevator itself is going but these small towns are going and the, but these small towns are going,

and the hearts of these small towns are going. A lot of them are shrinking before our very eyes, and it's a real shift going on in Saskatchewan, you know? And when they went up, it was all this hope, and as they're coming down, what I hoped to try to ask in that question was, now what? That's a tradition in Saskatchewan. There's another one that you were involved in, not just performing in grain elevators. Tell me a little in Saskatchewan. There's another one that you were involved in, not just performing in grain elevators. Tell me a little about the TeleMiracle. TeleMiracle is a cause near and dear to my heart. It's a telethon, Matt. It's a telethon. People across the country are going to be saying they have a telethon in Saskatchewan. What are they, a 1970? And we're

proud of it. It's a big deal. deal. And it's been going on for 49 years and it's put on, I have to mention, by the Kinsmen and Canettes of Saskatchewan and it helps people in Saskatchewan get access to medically related travel or to get medical devices. Stuff that Medicare doesn't cover. And people do it because they

know they're making a difference in their community. It's so beautiful, Matt. That's lovely. That ties into the next song you're going to play. It does. Yes. And I'm proud to say I've been a host and performer on that telethon for the last 14 years. And part of the telethon is about 70 auditioned talent from small towns across

Saskatchewan perform on the telethon. I am from a small town. As I mentioned, as you mentioned, it's called Punisher. And I wrote a song about being from this place. It's called One Foot on Main Street. I left the community, you know, a lot of years ago to go and explore the world, but there's a part of that town that remains with me forever. And I tried to explain it in this tune. Let's have a listen.

piano plays softly I would hear the horn blowing On the CN train Way from my bike as a kid Dreamed about where it could take me I knew every house and every face inside No one locked their door Think about that place all the time

Coffee roll and twirling stools at the Chinese cafe That solved the world's problems Before nine o'clock each day The past is full of diamonds we once thought were cold mama's shouting from front porches come for supper before it gets cold oh i grew up in a small town i'm a small town at heart. I moved to the city but

deep down I've not gone that far. No matter where my boots take me I grew up in a small town and I still got one foot on Main Street Cruising gravel roads

On a Friday Music up, windows down Setting ourselves free First cigarette outside The dance at the high school Learning how to make mistakes And damn it, we were cool And getting out was on our minds

Yeah, it seemed like only somewhere else Were there fortunes to find 17 loaded up the hatchback Come back once a year at Christmas time To see mom and dad I grew up in a small town I'm small town at heart I moved to the city

But deep down I've not gone that far No matter where my boots take me I grew up in a small town And I still got one foot on Main Street Headed back the other day Took a drive Grandma passed away And we said our goodbyes

Potholes and peeling paint It seemed that a day Some would never see the beauty in this place And I heard the horn blowing on the CN train

And I was a kid on a bike Those were simpler days I used to know every house and every face inside I wonder if they locked their doors think about that place all the time I grew up in a small town, I'm a small town at heart. I moved to the city, but deep down I've not gone that far. No matter where my boots take me, I grew up in a small town. And I still got one foot on Main Street. Main Street. Jeffrey Straker, live at the Broadway Theatre, one foot on Main Street. Thank you very much. We are live in Saskatoon,

and this is, as you've heard over the course of this evening, a great place. People are plugged into this town. There's a sense of community here. They want to make their city an even better place. There are some big problems that are here in this town as well. And it is the job of my next guest to try to tackle them. Joining us now on stage, the new mayor of Saskatoon, Cynthia Block. Congratulations. Thanks for having me, Matt. I actually just really want to welcome you and your crew to Canada's best city. We are charming, and you are clearly seeing

that in your guests this evening. It's been wonderful to be here and people have been so kind and generous and warm and they're welcome. It's been great. That's who we are. Tell me a little bit about why you wanted this job. I wanted this job to make a difference. I mean, I've been serving on my community in many ways throughout my lifetime, really. I was a journalist for a long time in the city, and I was a small business owner. I've served on many volunteer committees and events. I think that we have an incredible opportunity to show the rest of the prairies a really bright north star, even as we have come through some very difficult times, not just in our city, but in cities right across Canada who are facing homelessness and community safety issues and affordability.

Can I ask you about public service and what inspired you to get into public service? I mean, part of this is about one of our heroes, somebody I know well, Adrienne Clarkson. I'm so glad you asked that question. I was in grade eight, and it was about the time when people start to ask you what you're going to do with the rest of your life, which is very daunting and scary. And there was a show called The Fifth Estate on CBC. Yes. And this beautiful woman was doing this news magazine program telling Canada, this is what's going on in your country.

And I thought to myself, that's it. That is exactly what I want to do. And that sort of, I think, launched my sort of efforts to come from a small... I'm a farm girl as well, just like Jeffrey. And we know that it isn't always expected that people that come from small places can do bigger things. And so sometimes folks weren't really sure that I could do it. And truly that just made me more determined. So I heard you on Saskatoon Morning talking to

Stephanie and you said the morning after the election on very little sleep that your top priority is homelessness. We arrived in the middle of a snowstorm, and it's been frigidly cold. The shelters are full. Warming spots are full. How do you see the homelessness crisis in this city right now? Well, right now, I woke up this morning to a record number of people who are staying in the warming shelter. We've never had 260 people that needed shelter on one frigid cold

night and this is just the start of winter here. That is deeply concerning and that warming center, it just seems everything that we've tried to do as cities across the country, it's just, it accelerates at a pace where policymakers and service providers just can't keep pace. And I think what gives me energy and optimism is the people of this city who are stepping up and asking how they can help. If it was not for a lot of private donations and the United Way and the Community Foundation, we would have potentially had a disaster on our hands.

And it's not just here. It's across the country, but it's exploding. There are encampments coast to coast to coast in big cities and small towns. The population of homeless folks in this city has more than doubled, right? So what are we doing wrong, do you think? Well, I think we're being incremental, and I think that we have to be like 100% full force ahead. And that looks like what? What does that mean? Well, the honest answer, I think probably one of the best answers, I was at a conference on Friday and listened to a man who was homeless from the age of 12. He said this, solving homelessness is not complex.

It's just hard. Complex means that we don't actually know what we need to do to help people. And that's not true. What we need is money. We need a lot of investment to make sure that we are adequately helping people to make sure that they can get off the streets into safe housing and transition out of homelessness. So where is that money? You were at the throne speech yesterday. Is that money coming from the provincial government? I'm working on it. I'm working on it.

I mean, one of the things we've heard from advocates who are working on the front lines is the need for transitional housing. We heard that again and again and again from people. What would that, what would transitional housing mean? Well, actually, literally the day after the inauguration, I went to actually help, what do you call that thing with the shovel? I didn't happen to do that before. Oh, digging the, So like a groundbreaking ceremony? A groundbreaking ceremony. That's what you call it.

All the things you... The lingo you have to learn now in this office. All the things I lingo I have to learn. A new transitional home in the Kensington neighborhood that I think, you know, is going to be the start of how we're moving forward with our housing accelerator dollars that our city has accepted. And we are moving aggressively.

I mean mean because homelessness okay it was a good plan and i mean just foundationally people need to be house that that is i think the the you know period that is that is what we have to do and and figuring out homelessness we still also have to figure out those other pieces of the housing continuum affordable housing attainable housing and we're working it. But we need to work right now to make sure that we are taking care of the front lines of homelessness. How do you ensure that people, we've heard resistance from neighbourhoods, we spoke with somebody yesterday who is now on council, who in some ways led a campaign to have a shelter in his neighborhood closed down and moved to a different

neighborhood. How do you deal with the pushback? I think the critical difference between the way forward and where we've been is that we have relied on governments to solve our problems and we need our community with us. We have homeless facilities all across the city, but this one shelter is far larger. And what can we learn from that? What kinds of supports can we put in place to ensure that people who are housed in and around sheltering spaces are safe, but also their neighbours? And these are the things that residents on every doorstep in every neighborhood across the city have been asking us. The estimate is that 90% of people experiencing homelessness in Saskatoon are indigenous. Why is there so much inequality in the city right now? Oh, you know, I mean,

I mean, it's colonialism. It's systemic barriers. I mean, it's the gauntlet of the sad story of a part of the history of Canada that we definitely need to face. That number is staggering. 90% of the people who are out on the streets are Indigenous. Right. Another really big piece of figuring this out is ensuring that we have Indigenous people and people with lived experience at the table to help us learn what is the best way forward. What's the message, do you think, to the rest of the country that Saskatoon, what can this place teach other communities, do you think? I think we're a resilient people. Saskatoon, like every other city in Canada, is on the front lines of a crisis that it doesn't have all the tools to solve. But what we do have is a lot of determination. We're a city that looks after each other. We punch above our weight, like you said, and we never give up. And

I'll just continue to believe that if we work together, that there is nothing we can't achieve or overcome. I'm really glad to have you here. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It's the new mayor of Saskatoon, Cynthia Block. Thank you very much. Our next guest here on stage at the Broadway Theatre is a rising comedy star in Saskatoon. She was part of Just for Laughs' New Face of Comedy showcase last year. You've seen her on the CBC comedy Run the Burbs. She's the proprietor of a brand new comedy club and gallery here in town called The Art Bar.

We're lucky to have her. Please welcome to the stage Dakota Ray Hebert. Thank you so much for having me. Howdy doodly mat. How's it going? I'm really great. I'm better than having you here. This is really good.

I'm super excited to have you here. Tell me about, you have this comedy album coming out. It's called Trailer Treasure. Uh- treasure uh-huh trailer treasure what's that all about it's about growing up in the trailer park in meadow lake what what um my first album is called i'll give you an indian act oh thank you yes a little bit spicy. I was mad. And then I was like, okay, I recorded it in the can, done. I'm taking a break. I'm not funny anymore.

And then Just for Laughs called, and they were like, can you headline in Toronto at Just for Laughs, Toronto this September? And I said, absolutely. I had to write a whole hour. And that's kind of what Trailer Treasure is. It's a story of how I got out of the trailer park, went back in, then got out again, and into the big city of Saskatoon.

And just been given, you know. That's the best answer. What was it like growing up in the trailer park? It was fun. I mean, it has its pros, it has its cons. It's like a community within a small community. What I used to do is, it's Clark Crescent, but I used to add an E to the end of Clark

so it looked fancy. Yeah, it was fun. It was just like, you know, just growing up in any small town in Saskatchewan, lots of bike riding around. How do you think that shapes the comedy that you do now? I think in a relatable sense. There was a moment in time, like an identity crisis,

where I wanted to be the big-name comedy stars who can reach to a lot of people in big cities and have that kind of broader comedy, and that's what I was trying to do. But then I realized that I can do that by touching on my origins, touching on on small towns and then it's also kind of funny too when you're like oh has this ever happened to you and then it hasn't um so and and i think saskatchewanians are just inherently really funny people like we're funny people and we're kind of funny people you know what is that about though i mean there's there's some really funny people that come out of this province.

Because it gets to, like, minus 50, man. And we get snowed into our houses, and we get weird. We make our own vocabulary. We say things like bunny hug, and we say things like gitch. And we say things like vico, you know? We make up our own language. And that's kind of, you know, I'm down with it. You now have a place where people can come and showcase their funny.

Yeah. Tell me a little bit about the art bar. So art bar is actually my sweetheart's vision. I just kind of hijacked it. But it was this dream that he'd had to have a place where we could showcase all kinds of art and it's been really exciting, we don't even have a sign up so it kind of seems like a speakeasy

but it's all legit you seem very insistent in saying that it's very, one of our, we have to have food that we prepare in the venue in order to get our tavern liquor license and it's literally called the slga compliant meal it's a hungry man we put in a microwave it's 15 dollars

she's got a brand new comedy album called Trailer Treasure. Do not go anywhere. Coming up in 90 seconds, we have Faraday coming up. Plus, you're going to hear about some amazing Indigenous-led travel experiences you can have right across this province. My name is Matt Galloway, live at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. This is a special edition of The Current, back in 90 seconds. Stick around. In 2017, it felt like drugs were everywhere in the news.

So I started a podcast called On Drugs. We covered a lot of ground over two seasons, but there are still so many more stories to tell. I'm Jeff Turner, and I'm back with season three of On Drugs. And this time, it's going to get personal. I don't know who Sober Jeff is. I don't even know if I like that guy. On Drugs is available now wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, I'm Matt Galloway. You're listening to a special edition of The Current. We are live in Saskatoon at the Broadway Theatre. Hello, everyone.

So we've had some great people here with us on stage. We're going to crank things up. Our next guest is a big star here in Saskatoon and beyond. Please put your hands together. Maybe you want to dance as well for Faraday. Thank you. Matriosis, menopause, migraines, PCOS. What's happening to your body? We don't know. Because we've never really studied the female body. Female body. Say it's all in my head, but the research is quite funny.

No, we've never really studied the female body. How are you? I'm so good. People who are listening can't see what you did. Oh, I... And what you're wearing. It's sunglasses, but it's like your full face. My husband says it makes me look like a security camera.

It's a good look. Thank you. That tune, I mean, what is it, 3 million views on TikTok? Yeah, and 17 million on Instagram. What is it like to be a viral star on the internet? I don't know anything about these things. Well, I would say a little overwhelming, honestly. You know, like Maria Shriver posted it and was like, this should be a White House song for the Women's Health Initiative. And I was like, I just put my phone down. I was like, I don't even know how to feel about that.

The tune is called female body. Tell me about it. The song is about the punchline is basically I list many conditions that affect women. And then I'm like, cause they've never really studied the female body. And, uh, I don't know if it's funny.

It's just true. Uh, and it's basically like um research is like they didn't really actually have to include women in research studies until 1993 so personally what happened to me is that i needed to take my husband to the hospital and he was he was having a hard time grabbing stuff he kind of had a hard time going up the stairs and i was like we have to go to the hospital. He's like, no, I don't think so.

I was like, we will. And personally, I was preparing for him to be treated like a woman. And I thought, they're not going to believe you. He's going to send them home. But Matt, you know, it's like when he walked through those doors, it's like he had Beyonce's wind machine on him. like when he walked through those doors it's like he had Beyonce's wind wind machine on him all those nurses were like he looks like our son they like got him an emergency bed hundreds of people are waiting all of them women and they're like we know exactly all the tests to run we're

so glad you're here at that point I'm I'm like, leave him alone. He's fine. It's a mistake. What kind of treatment is, and then I was like, oh, they've actually just, they just know what to do with his body. And that's one of the inspirations for Female Body. Are you surprised that it has become, I mean, that not just Maria Shriver, but that that many people have leaned into this and understood what the message is of the tune? Great question. I, you know, usually with my songs, I'll have an idea of like, oh, this one's going to hit, and then it bombs, and then there's ones that are a surprise. But I have also learned that, like, it seems like comedy is also about, like, pressing a rage button.

And I know that I have lots of friends with endometriosis who have had to advocate for themselves and not been heard. Not believed. Yeah, exactly. Or friends with migraines. And so I kind of thought in my heart, this is something I know women are talking to each other about, that they're angry. So I'll give them a banger. And you did. Yeah.

And you never felt like you had to leave and go somewhere else to do your music? I mean, people, one of the things that we've heard is that people will go and then come back. Yeah, you know, I was like, I am never going to live in this place. As soon as I can get out of here, I'm out of here. This winter is not for me.

And then I had the chance to tour the world. I toured all over Canada. I'm out of here. This winter is not for me. And then I had a chance to tour the world. I toured all over Canada. I toured all over the US, Europe and New Zealand and Australia. And I was like, there isn't a place better. Firstly, everybody's from somewhere. But then I was like, the people, my mom. I'm not going to leave my mom. I'm not going to leave my mom. What is it like when the phone rings and it's Good Morning America or the Today Show on the other line? I'm so grateful. One of the things about living in Saskatchewan is that there are new opportunities that are available because of the internet.

So then you're like, what is happening? Why is Good Morning America calling me? Because I just put a video on my phone. And I think that's one of the things that lets me allow to keep staying is that my career isn't limited by my location anymore because we have an airport and we have the internet. What else do you need? What else do you need? Just my mom. Done. need? What else do you need? Just my mom. Done. You write a lot about motherhood as well. Yeah. What drives you crazy about being a mom? Wow. Well, I mean, I think it is a journey through chaos. It's limitless. But yeah, I did. Somebody asked me, what's the most annoying part about being a mom? And I was like, the most annoying part is that strangers approach my husband in public when he's just pushing a stroller

to tell him how amazing he is. Literally. I have a job where I wish for applause. Where are my strangers approaching me? That sets up this next tune that you're going to play. Yeah, SSR. It was my first viral hit, Matt. It's called Such a Good Dad, That sets up this next tune that you're going to play. Yeah. It was my first viral hit, Matt. It's called Such a Good Dad.

And it's really about all the applause my husband gets. And I want to tell you, he is such a good dad. You're saying that seriously? That is serious. But also, and we learned this right away. When my husband first, when we first had our baby, he took off two months. And he strapped that baby to him in his little baby Bjorn carrier. And he went out in the neighborhood. And you know, because it's a community.

He came home and he was like, I am a god. He's like, strangers, women are approaching me and be like, oh my god, look at that man. My baby daddy wouldn't do that. And like, look at you. And he's like, this is incredible. So we started laughing about this together, about this truth that I'll be like, you realize if somebody is like in the grocery store being like, you're such an amazing dad. I'm like, you realize ain't no mom being approached in a grocery store to be like, you're out with your child in a grocery store? You are so amazing. What a mom.

All right, let's hear it. All right. Performing live at the Broadway Theater. This is from her album, The Motherlode. It's Faraday, and yes, you are such a good dad. I did the cooking and the cleaning and the groceries and the laundry fed the cat and the dog and someone stole my pocket got a gift for your mother but she probably won't like paid a bill wiped it but broke up a couple times then I just about lost my mind because we both were the kids of the park and someone said to you you are

such a good dad you are such a good dad I woke at 5am to screaming in the hallway there was barf in the bed so another load of laundry our kid was crying so we talked about our feelings

you were sleeping That's cool But then you got up and your mom came over and she said You are such a good dad You are such a good dad Yes I did the bath time, story time, the pee time, the snack time. I said, go to bed, just about a million times.

Then I sat down to write this song and you said, did you notice I mowed the lawn? You are such a good dad. You are such a good dad. Such a good dad. You are such a good dad. Yeah. Such a good dad.

Thank you. Thank you very much. That's fantastic. Faraday. Yes, indeed, she is on the internets. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok. Her handle is ilovefaraday. This is, I said this, and people were surprised that I would admit such a thing.

I've been through Saskatchewan many times, Regina. I've never been to Saskatoon before and I am won over by this town. I love this place and I, as I said, people have been very welcoming for us here and you feel like you have learned something that perhaps you didn't know before you got here. Joining me now on stage, two people who are inviting the world to Saskatchewan and telling the story of their home through an Indigenous lens. Jenny Lessard is Métis from northern Saskatchewan. You could say she's a chef. That would not be nearly enough. You'll hear why in just a moment.

Also joining us on stage is Honey Constant Inglis, who is a Plains Cree artist, archaeologist, and heritage educator. Thank you both for being here. Thank you. As I say, you're inviting the world to this province and to this area. How big of a deal is, in particular, Jenny, Indigenous-led tourism in Saskatchewan right now? Well, I think there's a saying in Indigenous tourism

that nothing about us without us. And I, as a Métis person, I don't want to tell First Nation stories or go into communities and tell their stories for them, so that's super important. And I think there's a, pun intended, there's a huge appetite for Indigenous culinary and Indigenous tourism. And we have the people here ready to deliver those experiences. What do you think is driving the interest in that, Honey?

It's a lot of stories. Like words have meaning. And the more that we're sitting together telling these stories, the more that we realize there's these little invisible strings. So in my language, I'm Plains Cree from Sturgeon Lake, so we call it Wokotoin. And it's a natural law teaching which means all of my relations. It doesn't mean that you have to be blood to be family. It means that everyone is connected some way, shape, or form, whether it's biking on the roads, surviving the snow, whether it's biking on the roads, surviving the snow, or telling these stories, the more that we are realizing our own voice and reconciling with ourselves and healing ourselves and our communities and sharing that out, we're noticing that resiliency, we're noticing that fire,

and we are just welcoming people in, so that way we are able to have these stories led by us. Let's talk about what that looks like. Jenny, you lead a trip called From Field to Shield. Tell me about that. Well, I lived in Jasper, Alberta for quite three or four years as a youth being a ski bum and I participated in something called the Banff Jasper Challenge, or Jasper Banff. I can't remember which way we, yeah, Jasper Banff. And I thought, you know what? Where I'm from, Prince Albert, that's about the same distance.

Woo, go Prince Albert. Love the shout out from the audience for PA. I should say where I'm from, where I was born, and my parents moved us way further north when I was two months old. That's about the same distance from Prince Albert to La Ronge as Jasper to Balfe. So I kept this kind of name in my mind, Field to Shield. So from Prairie Field to Precambrian Shield. And then partnered, well, they came to me, actually, Adventure Destinations,

who are an amazing company. Yay, Adventure Destinations. That provide experiences all over the north. And they basically let me create this culinary tour that starts in saskatoon and honey is part of that so we start out the first day in a good way yes so i am very fortunate to be on a healing journey with myself so my grandparents are residential school survivors and part of my own healing journey is connecting to the medicines and understanding my connection to land so i grew up on the landscape but not connected to the spirituality, and that was just St. Michael's Residential School.

So how I do my entire being, I've wrote my master's on it, even though it's archaeology, was stories. And part of it is understanding who we are and how we're connected to the land and how are we responsible to community members. So we start off with smudging. So I teach them about what smudging is. And then I tell them we're putting down medicine for your travels. That way you can learn in a good way and hopefully find something that you can connect to as well. So after the smudge on the riverbank, we get back on the bus and we drive to Batoche National Historic Site, which is the site of the resistance. I would say it's the Métis heartland in Saskatchewan, and I'm very proud to be part of that community. So then I get to share my Métis heritage.

It's not that long ago. And I think that watching the guests' faces as they're like, wait, that was like yesterday, basically. And then going further north and spending five days in the community of Missinipi which is adjacent to the community of Grandmother's Bay which is part of the Lac-Lorange Indian Band and learning from those community members having language dinners, trap line tours. By the end of that experience and the company that's hosting this is not an Indigenous owned company but they're right in the community so obviously the storytellers are and the culinary folks up there are. By the end, if you've shared a story and a meal, one or the other, but both, you can't go back from that

unless you're just a very hard, rotten person. In that case, don't come to Saskatchewan. But yeah. Can I ask you about the meal part? Just because food is this doorway to conversation and understanding and you have this great knack for making people,

when you talk about food, really hungry. Tell me about this. There's a, what is it? Hanwi moon? So Hanwi is actually a Dakota word. I'm Cree, but it's another indigenous group that is native to this land.

So Treaty 6, homeland of the Métis. That nation, actually, as an archaeologist, I can tell you, at Wanuskewin Heritage Park, if you say that word properly in Cree, it's Wanuskewin. And it's that understanding that place has been a gathering place for thousands of years. As an archaeologist, I want to say 6,000 years. But as an Indigenous person, I want to say since time immemorial, for as long as we told stories, we have been on that landscape. This is why people are trying to have it recognized as the UNESCO World Heritage. Absolutely. Oh my goodness, I could talk forever about that. But for the most part,

Hanui, that word means night, sun, or moon. And when we originally planned this idea and we dreamed about what could this experience be, we thought about bridging Wanuskewin, that story, our people, our history, the landscape and the spirit that lives there, with people in our community. We wanted to kind of curate this visiting, this moment of having a meal, sharing a story, having a laugh, and then we go home and we bring that fire that we brought to the space and share it out into our community. Because for UNESCO, one of the things that they're going to do is come to our community and ask all of you and everyone else who knows about

Wanuskewin, is this place worthy to protect? And my hope... The audience says yes. Yes. So the Hanwi Moon Dinner is actually a curated, beautiful experience where... It's not just the dinner, let's just say that. I'm a tiny part of this. We start off the night in a good way. We're opening up the space for questions and that maybe just maybe you want to hold on to one thing that you

heard and you're like I'm going to save this for later that prayer or that intention is set and then I take you on a 45 minute walk to get really hungry yeah to get really really hungry so the storytelling that I do is whatever happens on the landscape during the day. And then, of course, we get down to the teepee village. And our producer's there, Don Wasikase, who's here tonight. Yeah, it helps me, keeps me on track, because I, the gifted name that my musha, my grandfather gifted me, is Pagachestrumus, which translates to wild pony. So I get really excited and I talk non-stop. But when we get to the meal, I get to sit with you and we continue having the conversations. But the meal is what does most of my talking for me. So I get to harvest from the land with tobacco offerings. And as you know, if it's

a really bad year, really drought year for certain plant nations, I won't harvest those. I'll get them from down south where I live now on Treaty 4 territory in the Capel Valley. But the main course is bison. The bison were reintroduced to the park in December 2019. So we have bison tenderloin with nettle sancho puree under it, a little smoked bison broth, and you enjoy that meal right in the teepee village

where people actually would have prepared and eaten and you enjoy that meal right in the teepee village where people actually would have prepared and eaten and feasted together i would like to say we're not eating our conservation herd we are not eating our conservation herd duly noted we we sourced our bison somewhere else yeah yes we do locally sourced amazing bison yeah there's there's i mean just finally there's a lot of generosity in the work that you're doing i mean you you are i don't know the world is filled with with some really hard stories and it's easy for people to feel like like there's not a receiving audience in some ways for good do you know what i mean and what you're doing is is putting something out there and trusting that it's going to be received by people who want to receive that and to create something bigger and something better. It's healing through laughter. It's healing through feeding people. It's healing through being hosts and visiting. All our history for so long,

especially targeted in the prairies, has said, don't talk to each other. So what we're doing is we're saying, we're not going to do that anymore. We're talking to each other. And how are we related? So I've adopted all of you sitting here. I expect Christmas gifts. I'm really glad to hear about the work that you're doing. It's important, but it feels set in this place, very specific to this place as well. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Jenny Lessard is a Métis chef, culinary consultant from northern Saskatchewan. Honey Constantin Gliss is a Plains Cree artist, archaeologist, and heritage educator. And they have both been with us here on the stage at the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon. This is a special edition of The Current from the Broadway Theatre. My name is Matt Galloway. It has been such a joy to be here with you in youratoon. This is a special edition of The Current from the Broadway Theatre. My name's Matt Galloway. It has been such a joy to be here with you in your city. We have one more tune to take us out. Please welcome back

to the stage our musical guest, Jeffrey Straker. Thank you. So you, like so many people, you're here, you leave, and then you come back. You were living in Toronto for a good chunk of time.

Yeah, a good chunk of time. What brought you home? Oh, you know, I sort of mentioned in that first song I sang, it was seeing this place from afar and really coming to really appreciate a lot of things about it that I simply never saw when I was here. They ultimately drew me back. And I also hadn't found love in Toronto. I was going to say, there's also a love story to that, right?

Tell us a love story. Well, I moved back here. And I mean, you know, I'm an out gay guy. And I would have thought that in Toronto, the pinkest city in the country, I would have found love, right? Not a chance. So I came back to Saskatchewan. And I met, I met, I met the one Matt. He's, he's my, my partner, Michael. He's from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

We've been together for four years. And the geography and the, the people brought me back and, and, and, and loves keeping me here. And, and I, I, I think, I mean, farming is kind of a sort of a macho occupation. I think I met the only gay farmer in Saskatchewan. And I think, I mean, farming is kind of a macho occupation. I think I met the only gay farmer in Saskatchewan. And he's mine. I'm not entirely sure about that, but yes, continue. He's mine. You're going to play another song for us to close us out. What are we going to hear from you now?

A song I wrote called Sing Your Song. I co-wrote this with Lynn Miles. And it's a song for the dreamers, the hopers, the people who have a vision for making a place better. I think that describes Saskatchewan people to a T. They have such great dreams and hopes. And I think this tries to sum up part of that encouragement I want to give them to bring all that to life. Live on stage at the Broadway Theater is Jeffrey Straker. And sing your song. There's a whole world inside this piano As a kid I'd explore and play

Used to dream of a name on a marquee But I stopped dreaming those dreams one day There was a fault line between who I once was And who I guess I became Against my will, a canyon I fell With wishes, excuses and blame Looking back through the present light canyon I fell with wishes, excuses, and blame. Looking back through the present light, I was only

running from myself. But I found it's okay to not quite belong. Letting down your guard is how to be strong. I was so afraid

of getting it wrong Even if you think your voice ain't the best That's okay, it's yours Go right ahead and sing your song Oh, sing your song If you told me your dreams

I wouldn't judge you Cause I've already stood in those shoes I know what it's like to stand up there alone With everything to lose Yeah, a soul is a bit like lightning And there's thunder when you open it wide

It's the gamble you take You don't know what they'll say And you know you got nowhere to hide Looking back through present life I was only running from myself But I learned it's okay To not quite belong Letting down your guard is how to be strong

I was so afraid of getting it wrong Even if you think your voice ain't the best That's okay, it's yours Go right ahead and sing your song Oh, sing your song Yeah, in your song

So tell me, are you one who's been waiting? Is tomorrow where you place in your beds? Keep on reciting those worn out storylines Pretend the world

made regrets Oh I learned it's okay to not quite belong Let none regard us out to be strong I was so afraid of getting it wrong

Even if you think your voice ain't the best That's okay, it's yours Go right ahead and sing your song Oh, sing your song song It's the pride of Punish High Saskatchewan Jeffrey Straker

His new album is called Great Big Sky. Thank you so much for being our musical guest That is it for The Current from Saskatoon. Thank you to our amazing audience here in the Broadway Theatre. You're awesome.

Oh, my goodness. I want to thank as well everybody who joined us on stage and the people who make this program happen. I am the least important part of this team. We have a producer, Julie Kreisler, who put this whole thing together. Our director, Joanna DeGrucci. The people who make us actually, our voices go through the microphone, our audio wizards, Austin Pomeroy and Chris Haynes. Jenna Leith, who's running these robot cameras that you've

seen here, capturing this for broadcast on television. Senior producer Kathy Simon, our executive producer, Lara O'Brien. This would not also be possible without the amazing team at CBC Saskatchewan, who have done extraordinary work in making us feel welcome here. This kind of stuff, to me, is like public broadcasting at its heart.

This is what I love about my job at CBC Radio. We get to go out into your community. The thing that I say to people is that it's like Canadians explaining themselves to each other. We get to come to your community, we tell your stories, and we broadcast them out into the country. And hopefully people learn a little bit more about this place that we live in and the idea of Canada. So if you want us to come to your community, where should we go next? Email us, thecurrentatcbc.ca. Let us know where we should go and maybe we'll roll into your town next. In the meantime, this has been so great. Thank you for being here with us in Saskatoon. My name is Matt Galloway. Thanks for listening to The Current, and we'll see you soon.

Thank you.