4 whYXE

A project by Stephanie Danyluk,

podcaster and whYXE Creator

whYXE is a Saskatoon based podcast that talks about local history and heritage framed as a “mystery” to be solved. The podcast was mostly active until 2021, with a last episode before “pod-bernation” in February 2022. The creators of the podcast wanted to make local history accessible and interesting to community members. The podcast allows the listener to access Saskatoon history through the use of modern methods of knowledge transmission. A podcast is an audio series available on most smart devices and internet services. Sarah Rutley and Stephanie Danyluk are the creators of this storytelling and mystery driven project where community members share their  knowledge of the given heritage theme with listeners, thus passing on the community based information. Stephanie has a Master’s degree in history and wanted to share her passion for local history with others in the community. It is through the podcast, a modern alternative to the radio, that she and her co-creator Sarah are able to promote Saskatoon history and mysteries.

The popular podcast promotes local businesses and initiatives all the while providing history education to the listener. One popular podcast topic was the retelling of the experience of staying in the 1971 Canada Winter Games Athletes Village. To learn more, listen to the May 18, 2020 episode of whYXE. Stephanie and Sarah use eye-witness testimony, expert input, and historically based speculations to solve Saskatoon’s most interesting heritage mysteries. The whYXE podcast has listeners on the edge of their seat interested in the suspenseful and thrilling mystery style history lesson. The creators of the podcast have even noted that many listeners will reach out with local history questions and heritage mysteries to be solved.

Living heritage is often represented through community initiatives or engagements. This podcast initiative brings people of Saskatoon and the surrounding area together by asking questions about culture in Saskatoon through a historical lens.

The whYXE podcast is a fantastic way to showcase community heritage in a fun and accessible way. The podcasts are available on ApplePodcast, through Twitter, or on other podcast streaming sites. Interested listeners can also connect with the podcast through social media, notably through Twitter (@whyxepodcast). Recent podcasts have looked at Saskatoon and the Métis, the “founding” of Saskatoon, and Saskatoon based restaurants. Stephanie said that for her, living heritage is: “[…] cumulative histories and culture that we are living and influenced by daily without really even thinking about ‘why?’[…]”. To learn more about Saskatoon’s history or to solve local mysteries, tune in for whYXE podcast on your favourite podcast streaming sites!

The seven episodes of the podcast (and bonus episodes!) can be found through Podbean.