Hello and welcome to Season 8, Episode 9 of YXE Underground. I’m Eric Anderson, and welcome to OUT Saskatoon’s Newcomer Support Group.

It is a snowy, bitterly cold Thursday night in April, but in the OUT Saskatoon’s headquarters, their main gathering space is packed with people from across the world.

This support group started last May and offers LGBTQ newcomers and refugees a safe space to not only learn about Saskatoon and Canada, but as you will hear in this episode, the group is providing community and friendship to those who come.

Once a month, Iris Akbar welcomes people to the group and leads them through different topics and activities. It could be an art activity or a discussion on how best to survive a Saskatchewan winter. On this night, Iris has invited two-Spirit Elder Shelley Belhumeur, to speak and share about Indigenous knowledge and history.

Shelley begins the night by asking people to introduce themselves and share where they are from. Most people in the room are from African nations such as Nigeria and Ghana.

The person behind this Newcomer Support Group is Iris Akbar. Iris, who uses he/she pronouns, immigrated to Saskatchewan with his partner from Singapore; a country where same-sex marriage and civil unions are not recognized.

Iris started working at OUT Saskatoon in 2019 and was passionate about helping LGBTQ newcomers and refugees get the supports they needed in our city. He was about to start a Newcomer Support Group when the Covid-19 pandemic hit and put that on hold.

When the pandemic ended, Iris continued to help helping newcomers and refugees at OUT Saskatoon in a volunteer capacity; not only in terms of finding supports in Saskatoon, but to make connections and friendships in the community.

Iris started the Newcomer Support Group in May of 2025. As you will hear, what started as a small gathering has now grown into a vibrant collection of people who are eager to learn about their new home and make meaningful connections.

The episode features a conversation I had with Iris a few weeks after I met him at the Newcomer Support Group. We met at Tastebuds Café on Lorne Avenue on a beautiful sunny day; so nice in fact we sat out on the patio!

You will also meet people who were at the Newcomer Support Group that chilly April evening and hear why this group means so much to them.

If you want to learn more about the important work being done at OUT Saskatoon, please visit their website at outsaskatoon.ca

If you have enjoyed 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 so 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.

Thank you for supporting a local, independent podcast here in 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

"Every day is a new, exciting challenge. I am having a great time doing it, but it is a challenge."

Anita Smith has been creating live theatre for nearly 30 years. She is the Executive and Artistic Director of the 25th Street Theatre Company and loves providing Saskatchewan artists the opportunity to tell their stories and showcase their skills.

The company's latest production, however, is pushing Anita and her team to their limits.

Behind Closed Doors takes people to six different sites across Saskatoon to explore unseen conversations and gives them a chance to experience in a performance in a unique venue specific to the story. Each play is 20 minutes, has limited capacity (we're talking 6-8 people per venue), and will no doubt make the impression on audience members.

Anita and 25th Street Theatre is committed to supporting Saskatchewan playwrights and Behind Closed Doors is giving six playwrights the chance to share their voices with our community.

I am a huge fan of Anita as an artist and a person, and any opportunity to talk with her on the podcast is one that I will take. She graciously took time in-between her many duties to speak with me on the University of Saskatchewan campus to tell listeners about Behind Closed Doors and why people will never forget watching a play in a bathroom!

Here are the six plays and their locations in Saskatoon, and you can purchase tickets on the 25th Street Theatre website.

• Historical “Friends” by Kaydence Banga. At The Senator Hotel. Directed by Jennifer Brewin.
• Fallen Women by Marley Duckett. In Kirk Hall, USASK. Directed by Pamela Haig Bartley.
• Hiring by Mitchell Larsen. At The Two Twenty. Directed by Murray Utas.
• First On, Last Off by Clare Middleton. On a bus at Louis’ Pub, USASK. Directed by Pamela Haig Bartley.
• Another Day on the Diamond by Drew Mantyka. At Gordie Howe Sports Complex. Directed by Murray Utas
• This Is It by Cheyenna Sapp. At Louis’ Pub, USASK. Directed by Jennifer Brewin

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast!

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

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 Funes-Klaasen 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.

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

Don’t forget 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 Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to check out photos and videos from the podcast.

Thank you for continuing to support a local, independent podcast!

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