Episodes

On this episode, Jocelyne Roberts tells us about how the amazing volunteers at 630 Ched Santas Anonymous helped her feel valued when she was younger. And we talk with Janine Foote, Marketing Communication’s Manager at Santas Anonymous about what it takes to deliver thousands of toys to children in low income homes each year. Links: Find out more about 630 Ched Santas Anonymous. See where you can donate toys. Or, if things are tight this year, reach out to them for assistance. Check out thei...

In part 3 of Trailheads, Julian Faid explores the history and impact of car culture on Edmonton. In the first half of the episode Julian is joined by Ashley Salvador, a city planner and president and founder of Canada Backyard Housing Association. Ashley walks us through the automobile’s contentious rise to prevalence through the 1920s, the automobile industry’s campaign to crown the car as king of the road, and whether the industry’s promise that cars provide drivers freedom actually holds up....

In part 2 of Trailheads, Julian Faid is joined by two special guests to guide us on the next leg of our journey through the history of urban planning in Edmonton. Former Historian Laureate, Shirley Lowe will walk us through the colonial land-grab during the fur trade. How the soon-to-be city was first subdivided along the North Saskatchewan River. How the delay of a national rail line led to the first real-estate bust in the area. How the train finally came to Edmonton and how an influx of Ameri...

Welcome to the first installment of Trailheads: a history of urban planning in Edmonton. In this special series we join Julian Faid as he explores the many facets of how Edmonton is designed, the consequences and benefits of these design choices, and how this little patch of land on Treaty 6 Territory has evolved over time. People have been gathering on this land for millennia and that’s where our journey begins. In part one of Trailheads, Julian speaks with Lewis Cardinal and Carolina Roemmich...

On this episode, we’re introduced to Jack Cassidy: a dame and detective in Edmonton 1936, and heroine of the podcast Hardboiled. And we get crafty with Kompany Family Theatre with their Puppets are Essential Too program. Links: Listen to Hardboiled. Find out more about Empress of Blandings Productions. Learn how to make Popsicle Puppets from Space! Check out Kompany’s Instagram page. See more from Kompany Family Theatre. See the latest on our blog! Grants: Young Edmonton Grants – October ...

On this episode, correspondent Emily Rendell-Watson talks with Karli Drew, Marina Banister and Stephen Robinson to explore the impact technology is having on the Millennial Generation. This is the third of four Vital Topics that will be produced throughout the year. Our previous topics focused on Millennial Activism and Engagement, and Millennials and Money. Our final topic will look at the social and economic trends Millennials are setting. Links: Read the Vital Topic: Millenials and Technol...

On this special episode, we look at the actions Edmonton Community Foundation is taking to do our part in making Edmonton an equitable community. We’ll hear about four important projects that are being funded by ECF’s Anti-Racism Fund. Links: You Need This Box – Continue your journey toward anti-racism. Listen to Is This For Real? Say It Loud! Find out more about the Centre for Race and Culture and their Round Table Series: Challenging Discrimination Through Community Conversations. Read EC...

On this episode, we go wandering with a herd of goats! Turns out, they’re great at land conservation. Edmonton and Area Land Trust has hired a specialized herd of goats to help steward their land at Pipestone Creek, and we find out how these goats are helping. Links: Walk the trails at Pipestone Creek! Find out more about how Edmonton and Area Land Trust is protecting Alberta’s wild-lands. Check out Baah’d Plant Management and Reclamation. Read more stories about Edmonton’s amazing charitab...

On this episode, we join our producer, Lisa Pruden, on a transit miss-adventure and learn about how Drive Happiness Seniors Association has risen to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure Seniors have safe transportation. Links: Check out Drive Happiness Seniors Association. Read Graeme Lummer’s Blog: Seniors Still Getting Around! You can find out more about Disabled Adults Transit Service (DATS) here. See the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund at work. Read more stories abo...

On this episode, correspondents Chris Chang-Yen Phillips and Sophia Yang do lunch with Keren Tang and Sarah Chan to discuss how Chinese communities in Edmonton continue to grow strong. Hungry? Here are the restaurants featured on this episode: BaoBao, Silk Road, Padmanadi, Saiwoo Garden and Happy Noodles (no website, but you can find them at 4204 115 street; 780-709-2686). Links: Visit Edmonton Chinese Bilingual Education Association. Learn more about the Chinese Cultural Legacy Fund. Check...

On this episode, we learn about All in for Youth (AIFY). Graduating high school is a major factor in breaking the cycle of poverty. AIFY is an initiative that helps socially-vulnerable children and youth find success through their school years by providing a range of coordinated supports to them and their families. Tune in as we talk with Annette Malin, Manager of Community Strategies at United Way, Alberta Capital Region, and we meet two students who have participated in the AIFY program. Cor...

On this episode, correspondent Emily Rendell-Watson talks with Troy Pavlek, Ilya Ushakov, and Jackie Pearce to find out how Millennials in Edmonton approach civic engagement- from politics to volunteering. This is the second of four Vital Topics that will be produced throughout the year. Our previous topic focused on Millennials and Money. Upcoming topics will look at Millennials’ behaviours around technology and the trends they are setting. Links: Read the Vital Topic: Millennial Advocacy a...

On this episode, we’re talking about senior sexual health. The topic seems taboo, but it’s a conversation we should be having. Alberta’s senior demographic has seen a rapid increase of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). In 1997, people over 60 had about 1.4 cases of chlamydia per 100,000 people. A rate that was 5.5 times higher by 2017! Correspondent Scott Lilwall speaks with SAGE Seniors Association and the Alberta Society for the Promotion of Sexual Health to find out about the rise of S...

On this episode, we learn about the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund with Martin Garber-Conrad, CEO of Edmonton Community Foundation. Links: See the COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund at work. Learn more about the fund and how to contribute. Curious about the organizations who joined us for this episode? – YMCA of Northern Alberta – Edmonton Arts Council – Meals on Wheels – Art Gallery of Alberta Grants: Winspear Fund Scholarships for Advanced Classical Music – Due May 15th Young Edmonton Grants ...

On this episode we talk to Boyle Street Community Services, Alberta Health Services, and the Boyle McCauley Health Centre to look at the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on people who experience homelessness in Edmonton. Links: Subscribe to Text4Hope to receive daily messages of Mental Health Support. Check out the Mental Health Foundation. Find out more about Boyle Street Community Services, Alberta Health Services, and the Boyle McCauley Health Centre. Find out more about AHS Addict...

On this episode, we’re Stuck In The House with the Citadel Theatre. We speak with Chantell Ghosh, Executive Director and Jessie Van Rijn, Producer about how the Citadel is bringing artists and audiences together in spite of physical distancing. Take that, COVID-19! Links: See the archives and performance schedule for Stuck In The House. Catch today’s Stuck In The House video. Resources and Support: Learn more about ECF’s new Rapid Response Fund. Check out Text4Hope, support for your mental...

On this episode, we learn about the McCauley Development Co-operative and how the community banded together to raise $1 million in less than a month to purchase a problem property in their neighbourhood. Links: Find out more about the McCauley Development Co-operative. Check out the Edmonton Community Development Company. See how the Social Enterprise Fund invests in community. Grants: Belcourt Brosseau Métis Awards Winspear Fund Scholarships for Advanced Classical Music Ranald and Vera She...

On this episode, we explore the Financial Reality of Millennials in Edmonton by spending a day in the life with Alexis Hillyard to find out how she handles her finances. This is the first of four Vital Topics that will be produced throughout the year. The upcoming topics will look at Millennials’ behaviours around advocacy, technology and the trends they are setting. Links: Read the Vital Topic: Financial Reality of Millennials in Edmonton Get your nerd on with the Vital Topic’s Resources. ...

On this episode, we find out about the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program. The program gets kids to design experiments with the goal of having their work loaded into a rocket and launched 400 kilometres up to the International Space Station. And Edmonton Public Schools is not about to miss that trip! This is serious science, friends. Links: Find out more about the Students Spaceflight Experiments Program. Check out this video from the Edmonton Journal about Mission 14: Shrimp Among the S...

On this episode, we visit Bissell Centre and learn about the Solar Array they are installing thanks to a grant from EcoCity Edmonton. And we talk to Simon Irving, Program Manager at Alberta Ecotrust about the huge impact EcoCity Edmonton Grants are having in our city. Links: Find out more about EcoCity Edmonton Grants. Check out Bissell Centre’s Solar Array. See all the amazing environmental projects happening in our province with Alberta Ecotrust Projects Map. Get in touch with the EcoCity...

On this Episode, we tour iHuman Youth Society where we learn about the amazing ways they offer support to vulnerable youth. And we meet Steven Finkleman and Jane Cardillo, the parents of David Finkleman. They have created an endowment fund to support iHuman Youth Society in memory of their son. On Jan. 27, 2014, David was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing Whyte Avenue. He is widely described as a kind, creative, and generous person, who gave a helping hand wherever he could. His parent...

On this episode, we speak to members of Raricanow. A not-for-profit organization that aims to promote human rights for all LGBTIQ2S+ Refugees and newcomers in Canada. Some of the content discussed may be difficult for some listeners. Our guests were open-hearted as they shared their emotional and lived experiences, which include violence and loss. While there are no graphic descriptions, some events and feelings are stated as matter of fact. We are grateful for the opportunity to share this dis...

On this episode, we bring you a compilation of the wonderful history series produced by Edmonton’s former historian laureate, Chris Chang-Yen Phillips. To help Edmonton Community Foundation celebrate its 30th anniversary, Chris had been investigating and gathering stories with a historical connection to Edmonton. And we’ve been sharing those stories on this podcast throughout 2019. From a look at Edmonton during prohibition to visiting the childhood home of Marshall McLuhan, it is our pleasure ...

On this episode, we sit down with Dayna Hyman, Executive Director of KidSport Edmonton. Dayna tells us about why access to sport is so important for kids, and how their group uses fundraising and community partnerships to make sure all kids can play. Clarification: KidSport Edmonton subsidizes sport registration fees. They develop community partnerships with other organizations to help families over come other barriers, beyond finance. Links: Find out more about KidSport! Give the gift of sp...