Alberta
The UnDad turns family life into art
Trent Wilkie has been an actor, a writer, a producer, a journalist and a wilderness guide. But the hardest job he’s ever had is being a parent.
The UnDad Podcast gives the father of two a chance to explore the highs and lows of raising tiny humans, and the bigger topic of family and how it forms us.
Sometimes he interviews someone about being a parent or what it was like to be a kid; sometimes we get a piece of his endlessly creative mind with original stories and soundscapes; and sometimes we get a window into his home life through cameos by his wife Elizabeth and his children, ages two and four.
“My biggest influence is my wife,” he says. “She sets me straight and keeps me focused.”
The UnDad was named best podcast and best family blog in last year’s Best of Edmonton survey. Here’s a bit more about the father of the show:
Q. What will people get out of listening to your podcast?
A. It is not only a parenting podcast, it is an art piece. It is more about existing than selling a product. I create, and this is one of my favourite mediums.
Q. What podcasts do you listen to and why?
A. I listen to Revisionist History, Reply All, and The Last Podcast On The Left. They are entertaining. It isn’t so much the content, but the way it is served. That is the magic spot.
Q. What is the most interesting comment you’ve received from a listener?
A. “My husband was worried about being on your podcast, but I’d like to say thank you. He answered questions that were meaningful, that respected his position in life. You offered him an outlet, that is awesome.”
Q. Do you have any unusual hobbies or talents that would surprise your listeners?
A. I have been a canoe guide for 10 years. I’ve written for the CBC, Fangoria, and countless other high-profile publications. I’ve done a lot. It has made me who I am.
Q. If you could have any guest on your podcast, who would you choose?
A. I’d like to have Stephen King or Cormac McCarthy.
Q. Write your own epitaph — what would it say?
A. ‘Tis a fearful thing to love what death can touch.
Q. What has been your favourite episode so far?
A. I like two: the interview with Gaia Willis and one titled I Love The Rain. The interview with Gaia is my bread and butter. Pure journalistic anthropology. The other is an artistic soundscape that I conceptualized on my own and brought to life.
Be sure to connect with The UnDad on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Each week Todayville will introduce you to members of the Alberta Podcast Network so you can learn more about the many podcasters in Alberta. You can find The UnDad and dozens of other shows at albertapodcastnetwork.com.
About Alberta Podcast Network
The Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB, is on a mission to:
Help Alberta-based podcasters create podcasts of high quality and reach larger audiences;
Foster connections among Alberta-based podcasters;
Provide a powerful marketing opportunity for local businesses and organizations.
Alberta Podcast Network Ltd. is pursuing this mission with funding from ATB Financial and support from other sponsors.
CALGARY — Suncor Energy Inc. says it has agreed to become the operator of the Syncrude project by the end of 2021, as long as each of the joint venture’s owners grants formal approval.
Suncor owns a 58.74 per cent stake in the Syncrude Joint Venture, a position it has increased from 12 per cent in 2016.
Other Syncrude stakeholders who must approve the agreement are Imperial Oil Resources Ltd., CNOOC Oil Sands Canada and Sinopec Oil Sands Partnership.
Suncor chief executive Mark Little says the transition will help Syncrude better compete on cost per barrel.
Little says the deal could yield $300 million a year in synergies, noting Syncrude and Suncor have families employed by both operations after years of close ties between neighbouring energy projects.
Suncor’s statement says that Syncrude and Suncor also stand to gain from the bi-directional pipelines connecting Suncor’s Base Plant and Syncrude’s operations, which are now complete and being commissioned.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2020.
The Canadian Press
EDMONTON — The winning ticket for a record-breaking 50/50 raffle held by the CFL’s EE Football Team has been claimed.
The team said in a release Monday that John Groff of Edmonton is taking home the winner’s prize of $495,900 for the draw, which was held in honour of former EE Football Team and Edmonton Oilers locker-room attendant Joey Moss.
The draw, which closed at $991,800 on Sunday, broke a record set by the team during a July 2017 game against the Ottawa Redblacks where $871,839 was raised.
The remainder of the pot, minus administration fees, will go toward the Joey Moss Memorial Fund created by the Winnifred Stewart Association, a group that empowers people with disabilities.
Moss, who was born with Down syndrome, passed away at the age of 57 this past October. No cause of death was given.
He first became an attendant with the Oilers in 1984 before joining the Edmonton Football Team two years later, holding both positions for over 30 years.
Moss was a favourite in Edmonton among fans and players. He was later given a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for his contributions and achievements in 2012 and was later inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 23, 2020
The Canadian Press
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