It's the season finale of the What Connects Us Podcast and we're featuring our new CEO who made HERstory when she signed on with Conexus. We're chatting with Celina Philpot about her journey to becoming our first female CEO. Celina chats about her origin story as a first generation immigrant, the experience she gained in the credit union system, wh…

Today's guest on the What Connects Us Podcast is a country music star who is making a big impact in Nashville by reaching number one on the country music charts, performing at the Grand Ole Opry and just finished touring with Lady A. Tenille Arts joins the What Connects Us Podcast to break down the highs and lows that come with establishing yoursel…

On a new episode of the What Connects Us Podcast, we're featuring someone who is a fighter in every sense of the word. Not only is Janna Pratt the first Indigenous woman to obtain a black belt in Canada, but she is a survivor of the residential school system, a trailblazer for Indigenous people in Saskatchewan and a resilient mother of a child with…

Welcome back to The SKoop, the podcast that takes you inside the week in Saskatchewan politics, from the headlines to the backrooms. First, they discuss NDP MLA Nathaniel Teed's so-called "privacy breach" by the government, regarding his position on SLGA liquor stores. Then they dig into the backroom process and politics of Scott Moe and Christine …

On a brand new episode of the What Connects Us Podcast, we're welcoming back our first returning and most listened to guests who has another incredibly compelling, heartbreaking and insightful story to share. Back in March 2021, Tahnee Smerchynski joined the podcast to share how her brother's sudden and tragic passing impacted her life and the pers…

Approximately 45% of farmers across Canada report that they live with high stress and 58% meet the threshold for anxiety. Plus, harvest brings a whole new added level of stress and pressure to farmers all across the province. We're kicking off season seven of the podcast by chatting with an ag producer that is disrupting the industry by spreading a…

Dale has been working on a new podcast recently! Listen to the latest episode of The SKoop: Inside Saskatchewan Politics. From the headlines to the backrooms, The SKoop is the only place for in-depth political analysis and commentary on Saskatchewan politics. Featuring: Kevin Doherty, former Saskatchewan Party MLA and cabinet minister; Sally Housse…

It's the season finale of season six of the podcast and today's guest has made history by breaking the ice ceiling in an Olympic way. Alex Clarke grew up playing hockey and it eventually took her across the border to play at an NCAA level. However, the conclusion of her playing career was only the beginning of the impact she would make on the ice. …

This week's guest on the What Connects Us Podcast is no stranger to Saskatchewan's agricultural eco-system and is known for cultivating his own definition of a "family farm". After a brief stint in pre-med school, Kristjan Hebert recognized he was in the wrong swim lane and made the decision to pivot and re-invest in his roots. Kristjan became an a…

Saskatchewan welcomes ~15,000 immigrants into the province every year and today's guest on the What Connects Us Podcast shares how being a second generation immigrant impacted his upbringing and his journey to becoming one of Regina's most beloved barbers. Andy Chung's parents moved to Regina shortly before he was born so Andy grew up in the inters…

Today's episode features a story of how losing your sight can positively change your point of view. From an early age, Ashley Nemeth navigated a vision impairment that impacted the quality of her eyesight. If that wasn't difficult enough for Ashley, an undiagnosed issue caused her to permanently lose her vision as an early adult. Ashley joins the W…

Like so many Saskatchewan kids - Brock Weston grew up in a small town playing hockey. This eventually landed him at an NCAA level college in Wisconsin lacing up his skates for the Marian Sabres. However, Brock's biggest battle wasn't taking place in the face-off circle, it was understanding and accepting his sexuality while navigating the impacts o…

Weeeee're back! Let's kick off season 6 with a conversation that aims to diffuse some stigmas while showcasing a story of bouncing back in a big way. During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we sat down with Kayla Kozan who shared her experience navigating a nervous breakdown that eventually led to her being diagnosed with a mental health disor…

Today's guest is a fitting end to close out the fifth season of the podcast as he recently closed a monumental chapter of his own. Eric Dillon is joining the podcast to reflect back on his 10 year run as Conexus' CEO and discuss how he knew it was time to begin a new adventure. On February 15, Eric sent one of the most difficult emails he's ever ha…

Saskatchewan has the highest rate of reported intimate partner violence among all provinces and more than double the national rate. Today's incredibly courageous guest, Kendra Weenie, shares her survivor experience and sheds a light on a topic that a lot of people, particularly women, face in silence. Kendra Weenie takes us through her heartbreakin…

We're celebrating our 30th episode of the What Connects Us Podcast by featuring a story of risk and what happens when you follow your passion. This past Tuesday we celebrated International Women's Day and we sat down with Jessica McNaughton who is a female founder of a company that emotionally connects with people of all ages. Jessica is the founde…

You may know Mark Johnston as the friendly co-host of the Play92 morning radio show or the current in-game host of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. But did you know Mark just celebrated his sixth anniversary of being sober from an alcohol and cocaine addiction? On this episode of the What Connects Us Podcast, Mark gets vulnerable and gives us a glimps…

Breaking news - a new episode of the What Connects Us podcast is now live and we're chatting with someone who is no stranger to being on the air. Alex Brown is a morning show host on CTV Morning Live in Saskatoon and is known for her incredible likeability and 100% authenticity both on and off the air. Alex talks about her journey into broadcasting…

Organ donation has been a hot topic in Saskatchewan recently but it hasn't always been that way. Our first guest for Season 5 of the What Connects Us Podcast was a two time survivor of organ failure before she even blew out the candles on her 37th birthday. Brandy Hehn has had her life saved on two separate occasions via a liver transplant in 2009 …

Travelling is typically against the rules in basketball, but in Justin's case, it inspired him to make a difference in the community. For the season four finale of the What Connects Us Podcast, we're talking with Justin Lee who teamed up with his twin brother to start Buckets & Borders - a non-profit organization that utilizes basketball to bring p…

Carla has experienced every parent's worst nightmare - not once, but twice. After grieving the sudden passing of her young daughter, Carla found herself in a similar heartbreaking position when her eight-year old son, Dawson, passed away after complications from surgery to remove a brain tumor. Through unimaginable grief, Carla found purpose in bui…

We're taking a coffee break with Katie Shmelinski who founded The Everyday Kitchen when a $7 cookbook sparked a recipe that would help her overcome some difficult postpartum seasons and eventually change her family's life. Katie shares with us how she became an accidental entrepreneur when her famous sourdough donut recipe took Regina by storm. Whi…

We're going 1-on-1 with Andrew Gottselig who is in his mid-20's but has already founded two companies that specialize in making positive impacts for kids. Andrew always envisioned that he'd follow in his family's footsteps and work in insurance, but after his youth basketball camps rapidly grew in popularity, he realized there was potential to pivo…

For this week's episode of the What Connects Us Podcast, we are hanging out with one of Canada's newest citizens and someone who is currently travelling around Saskatchewan to help showcase why this province is so great. This year's Saskatchewanderer, Felipe Gomez, is stopping by and is going to share with us the challenges he faced and lessons lea…

It's the podcast's first birthday and what better way to celebrate than by kicking off a new season! Greg Moore (aka "Wheels" on the radio) is a familiar face/voice in the province as a co-host of the Z99 morning radio show team as well as one half of the well-known content creator pair of Justin & Greg. Greg did what a lot of people dream of doing…

Adrienne Ivey is a well-known Saskatchewan rancher and agricultural advocate who lives near Ituna. Adrienne joins Dale to discuss her life and career, including early years on her family’s grain farm near Tisdale; her career path in the agriculture and farming industry; blowing up stereotypes of farmers and the heightened awareness of women in agri…

The Humboldt Broncos bus crash was a devastating moment in Saskatchewan history and something that our province will never forget. On the season three finale of the What Connects Us podcast, we are joined by Kaleb Dahlgren, one of the 13 survivors of the accident, to chat about his experience struggling and emerging through tragedy. We discuss the …

Alex MacPherson is the Editor of allSaskatchewan.com, a business news publication in Saskatchewan that recently launched, and was previously a reporter for the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. Alex returns to the Talking 306 Podcast to speak with host Dale Richardson about his early love of flying airplanes and how an autoimmune condition prevented him from…

The PERSIST Podcast is co-hosted and produced by Dale Richardson, host of the Talking 306 Podcast. PERSIST aims to improve mental health in politics and public life. Learn more about PERSIST. Follow the PERSIST Podcast for free: SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS | STITCHER | YOUTUBE In this bonus episode of the Talking 306 Podcast, PERSIST hosts Dale Richar…

Today's guest is driving positive change before she even has her learner's license. At just 13 years old, Catherine Okolita already has 8 years of philanthropy work under her belt and has raised over $150,000 for a number of different charities, causes and organizations across Saskatchewan. Catherine chats with us about starting and running her own…

"If it wasn't going to be saving him. This is the only thing we could have hoped for." Alexis Losie joins us to talk about a very tough time for her and her family while shedding a light on a service that a lot of people aren't familiar with. This past year, not only was Alexis dealing with a global pandemic, but she was navigating a very private s…

Imagine being thrown into a house with strangers for three months while your every move is filmed and broadcast to an international audience. This was Zach Oleynik's reality when he was cast on his favorite reality tv game show, Big Brother Canada. He joins the podcast to tell us all about the intense casting process that forced him to choose betwe…

Fraser Tolmie is the Mayor of Moose Jaw. Mayor Tolmie joins host Dale Richardson to discuss his life and career, including his family's Scottish roots and history; studying War Studies at King's College and his career as an Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces; Moose Jaw's place in Saskatchewan; his career as a city councillor and mayor; taking ris…

We are chatting with a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Josephine Kroeker - a transgender woman from Saskatoon with a captivating and illuminating story of self-discovery. Josephine tells us how it took her nearly four decades to find peace in her trans identity, the costs of medically transitioning, the importance of using proper pronouns, how sh…

Heather Morrison is a producer and host at CBC Saskatoon radio, and has been an actor, director, and leader in Saskatoon’s theatre and arts community for many years. Heather joins host Dale Richardson to discuss her life and career, including her early years at Aden Bowman high school and the acting advice she once gave Dale; her career as an actor…

Andrew Gottselig is the CEO of Hooplife Basketball and the Co-Founder and CEO of Citrus Technologies. Andrew joins host Dale Richardson to discuss the NBA playoffs, the local basketball scene in Regina, cultivating Saskatchewan talent, how Citrus Technologies is progressing, and the recent news that Hooplife will be opening a massive basketball and…

Imagine the feeling of hand delivering a $1 million dollar cheque to fund an initiative you knew would do great things for your community on behalf of your family owned business that you built from the ground up. On this episode, we're sitting down with Vaughn Wyant, one of Saskatchewan's most successful and beloved entrepreneurs to chat about how …

Season three of the What Connects Us Podcast is starting off with a bang as we welcome Kim Coates who has spent four decades travelling the world as a very successful actor in movies, television, Broadway and plays. We chat with Kim about how his Saskatoon upbringing and passion for acting propelled him to stardom in Blackhawk Down, Waterworld, The…

Kira Novak secretly battled an alcohol addiction for years but has very recently taken the steps to take back her life. Kira is over a year sober after spending 60 days at a private addiction treatment center in British Columbia and she is holding nothing back to tell her story about her dark rumble with alcoholism, how it impacted her physically, …

PERSIST is a brand new podcast co-hosted and produced by Talking 306 host Dale Richardson. PERSIST is a multi-partisan podcast that aims to improve mental health in politics and public life. The podcast features conversations with politicians, political staff, experts, and those in public life that share their experiences managing mental health and…

On July 14, 2009, Tahnee Smerchynski's life changed forever when she received the tragic news that her younger brother Taylor had tragically drowned. Tahnee joins the podcast to revisit how she navigated that very public trauma in her life, share the perspective she has learned over the past decade, discuss the different seasons of grief and how it…

Infertility is something that 1 in 8 couples face but it isn't something you hear a lot about. Unless you know someone who is open about their own infertility, it might be hard to fully empathize with the struggle that a lot of people face in silence due to feelings of shame, embarrassment and trauma from unsuccessful attempts. Sara Strueby joins t…

Jenn Dean is a Regina-based family coach and host of the podcast "Families Matter Most". As part of the Saskatchewan Podcasters Series, host Dale Richardson speaks with Jenn about her life and career, including growing up in Ear Falls, Ontario; how her parent’s story shaped how she is as a parent; how she met her husband and their journey to Saskat…

For the past year, we have all been asked to shoulder an immense amount of stress during a very traumatic year. On top of that, we all have our own jobs, relationships and responsibilities that require us to take on further worry, empathy and anxiety. Kasey Mahnic, a social worker with Creative Options Regina loans us some hard lessons she has lear…

Jade Roberts is an Indigenous educator, artist, and the host of Still Here, Still Healing - a podcast that brings awareness to the history and lasting impacts of residential schools. As part of the Saskatchewan Podcasters Series, Host Dale Richardson speaks with Jade about her life, including growing up in La Ronge and her family’s diverse history;…

Imagine going from being a fan in the stands of Mosaic Stadium to sitting in front of national media while being named the new President & CEO of the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Craig Reynolds joins the podcast to chat about how he landed at the Riders via an adventurous journey that took him from Foam Lake to Arizona, Luxembourg, London, Calgary, an…

James Avramenko is the host of Friendless, a podcast about losing friends, one hour at a time. As part of the Saskatchewan Podcasters Series, host Dale Richardson got together with James recently to discuss his life, including growing up in Calgary; his relationship with his parents and being a child of divorce; his love of theatre and the arts and…

We're diving into the world of fostering and adoption to squash some misconceptions and learn from someone who's been there. Megan Reves joins us to chat about the intense roller coaster that comes with fostering, talk about the long emotional process that came with adopting her three kids and she sets the record straight on the financial impacts t…

Mason Gardiner is a public relations specialist at Conexus Credit Union and the host of "What Connects Us", a podcast powered by Conexus. As part of the Saskatchewan Podcasters Series, host Dale Richardson speaks with Mason about his life and career, including growing up in a farming family in Lemburg, Saskatchewan, and some challenging early years…

Being diagnosed with cancer is a very real fear for so many of us and a lot of us have the privilege of only imagining what it is like to rumble with the disease. To kick off Season 2, Brianne Urzada joins us to tell her story of how her life was impacted when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma when she was only 23-years old. Brianne…