Untapped - An Original Battlefords Saskatchewan Podcast

Matt sits down to chat with Untapped committee member and founder Leah Milton, about what got her interested in this project. The episode is a bittersweet one, as Matt is moving up to Yellowknife, NWT with his family and will be stepping down as host. There is good news to share tough, as the Untapped podcast has recently been awarded the Rivers West District 2001 award for "Culture-Event"... and we reveal that Leah will take over hosting duties for the show! Leah is a familiar face and...

This episode of Untapped continues our new On Dekk series of livestream musical performances, in partnership with the Dekker Centre. The entire On Dekk series is brought to you thanks to the generous support of our series sponsor The Battlefords and District Community Foundation. This episode of On Dekk introduces you to the Troy Wakelin Band, and the sponsor for this episode of On Dekk is none other than Bridges Chev Buick GMC… so a big thank you to the Bridges team for bringing us the...

This episode of Untapped continues our new On Dekk series, in partnership with the Dekker Centre. The entire On Dekk series is brought to you thanks to the generous support of our series sponsor The Battlefords and District Community Foundation, and the sponsor for this episode of On Dekk is none other than The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce… so a big thank you to Linda and Heather at the Chamber for everything they do for our local businesses and the entire community here. Today’s...

This episode of Untapped continues our new On Dekk series, in partnership with the Dekker Centre. The entire On Dekk series is brought to you thanks to the generous support of our series sponsor The Battlefords and District Community Foundation. Today’s conversation introduces you to Cayla and Annette Ellis of Annette’s School of Dance, a cornerstone of the performing arts scene here in The Battlefords. And this episode is brought to you by a true cornerstone of the culinary scene in this...

In this episode of Untapped, Matt pays a visit to The Battlefords Early Years Family Resource Centre. The centre represents a collaboration between the Saskatchewan Health Authority and The Battlefords Early Childhood Intervention Program This brand new centre *just* opened up right when the pandemic was first first hitting, which meant that they had to close their doors not long afterward. Like most organizations and businesses their 2020 was pretty disrupted, but the team has been working...

On Dekk is a new partnership between Untapped and the Dekker Centre here in North Battleford. Each On Dekk event is a hybrid interview plus performance with local musicians and rising stars. This first On Dekk was live-streamed on January 23rd, 2021 and is presented here as a curated re-cap of the evening. Local fan favourites Back of the Bus specialize in east-coast, Irish and Scottish music, and have been entertaining audiences across the prairies for over a decade now. During the...

Robin Speer was born and raised here in The Battlefords and is Matt's guest for this Season two, episode 8 of Untapped. You’ll learn about what makes The Battlefords special for this local author, where he comes up with the wild ideas for the twenty different stories featured in the book… and learn a lot about his own journey and process as a first-time published author. You can find Robin's book locally at all of The Battlefords libraries and for purchase at Empress Furniture & Decor, or...

On Dekk is a partnership that Untapped has forged with the Dekker Centre, all with the aim of celebrating local artists and connecting with live performances in a technologically safe way. When Matt spoke with Kali, a few things were still up in the air, but we can now officially let you know that that first On Dekk interview and performance will be from Back of the Bus - a fan-favourite local band that delivers East Coast energy with Scottish, Irish and contemporary music. Visit...

This episode is being launched at the tail end of 2020 - so we’re wrapping up what’s been an ‘interesting’, surprising and downright challenging year for most of us. Jane Zielke de Montbrun is the Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Battlefords branch. She’s devoted much of her career to supporting this community through not-for-profit work, and knows first-hand some of the struggles that people are facing in this community… and importantly, what some of the best...

In this episode of Untapped, host Matt Jacques talks with Tesler Mosquito - founder of the Treaty 6ix clothing brand. Learn what inspired Tesler to start an apparel company over the summer of 2020, and what's made his venture a stand-out success already. Beyond the brand and stylish hoodies, Tesler also leverages his company to create a positive impact within the community. He does this by inviting Indigenous and non-indigenous customers alike to learn and participate in the inclusive...

Along with the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has been marked by a global movement to raise awareness of social injustices and work to put an end to systemic racism. The Battlefords have faced their share of challenges with racism, but a new annual event aims to bring people from diverse backgrounds together and reveal how our vibrant, strong and inspiring our multi-cultural community truly is. With support of the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan, organizers like Bill Ironstand put together...

Ood Gallifrey hosts this special episode about Ashley Morin, missing from her North Battleford home for over two years now. Hear the story from the family that is actively looking for her, the struggle to get help from their local police, and what you can do to help bring Ashley Morin home. There is a $20,000 Dollar Reward to Help bring Ashley home. Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bringashleymorinhome/ Tipline Email: shorturl.at/pHKMX Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers: Phone:...

Janay Fox and Alexandra Nordstrom have been lifelong friends. While they followed divergent academic paths, they soon realized their studies had more common ground than one might expect. Following an initial brainstorming session, they managed to put together a truly innovative 4-day youth camp at Poundmaker First Nation. The camp explored topics of local conservation by bridging the gap between arts and science, indigenous and western ways of knowing... and between cultures. During this...

There's no denying that COVID19 has thrown us all a bit of a curveball. With gatherings of all sorts cancelled and business as usual put on hold, the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce is doing everything they can to provide local employers and employees with the information and resources they need to find a way forward in this new era of uncertainty. In this episode, Chief Operating Officer Linda Machniak relates some of the challenges being faced, as well as inspirational solutions that...

Kelly Waters had just opened a new live music venue called She-Nanigans when the global COVID-19 pandemic hit. This timing might have been a recipe for disaster, but Kelly was determined to keep being a beacon of positivity during this crisis. She has continued teaching her students remotely, and has turned her passion for cooking into free meals for individuals and community organizations in need. And while the stage at She-Nanigans has remained empty, Kelly started up a "Battlefords' Got...

There's a special friendship at North Battleford's McKitrick Community School between a class of young students and a group of financial advisors that is bringing out the best in the community. In 2017, six investment advisors at RBC Dominion Securities formed a friendship with a group of kindergarten students. The advisors, which include Untapped producer Rob Rongve, wanted to partner with the community school to ensure that every student in this kindergarten class would graduate in...

Nicole Combres is impressive. Not only is she the Executive Director of the Battlefords Boys and Girls Club, but she is making a positive impact in the community through her passion and leadership style. Did I mention she's only in her early thirties? Nicole is able to inspire others to do more thanks to her work ethic and passion. She also dreams big, which is why she pushes her board of directors to do more for the youth of North Battleford. I was so impressed after our conversation...

Gene Aulinger knows how to tell a story. I thought I would break the ice with this well known North Battleford music teacher and architect of the city's music scene by asking him to describe the beautiful Fall day we were experiencing when we met in late September. Instead, he immediately hooked me in by explaining how a young music teacher from Milwaukee, Wisconsin ended up teaching in small town Saskatchewan and eventually in North Battleford! For more than 30 years, Gene has been...

When Bobbisue Thompson was growing up in North Battleford, the thought of being part of an LGBTQ2S community was simply a dream. She felt alone in her community. Flash forward to 2019 and not only is Bobbisue part of the local LGBTQ2S community, she is a strong and vocal leader. Bobbisue Thompson is the Committee President of Battlefords Pride and she is proud of how the local LGBTQ2S community is growing. Is there more work that needs to be done? There sure is, but Bobbisue feels that...

Kali Weber is very busy person, but you'll never hear her complain. Not only is she the General Manager of The Dekker Centre for the Performing Arts in North Battleford, but she is one of six volunteers who helps organize the city's International Street Performance Festival. Kali's love of arts and culture can be traced back to growing up in North Battleford and a teacher encouraging her to join the drama club in Grade 8. Since then, she has shared her passion with the community in many...