Saskatoon · MORNING WIRE
Blessing Adesanya
"Bridge City"
News Wire Correspondent — Saskatoon
About Blessing Adesanya — Saskatoon News Wire
Blessing is second-generation Nigerian-Canadian — her parents came to Saskatoon in the late 1990s, which was a genuinely unusual immigration destination at the time, when a significant number of Nigerian families chose Saskatchewan partly because of the university and partly because, as her father still says, 'nobody was competing for the space.' She grew up on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River, went to the University of Saskatchewan for media studies and Indigenous studies in a double major she has never once regretted, and stayed when everyone else was trying to leave for Calgary or Vancouver. She spent several years doing communications for a Indigenous-owned agri-tech startup and writing culture pieces for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, which is how she learned that Saskatoon has a food scene nobody outside the city knows about, an arts community that is tiny and feverishly good, and a population of people who are genuinely baffled that you haven't heard of them. She started a video series called 'Underrated Prairie' that kept accidentally making national segments, including a piece on Saskatoon's berries-as-cultural-identity that somehow got picked up by a food network. At 31, Blessing is the city's ambassador to itself — she covers Saskatoon the way a proud resident, not a booster, would: enthusiastically and critically at the same time. She knows the Waskasoo Tribal Council as neighbours, she's eaten at every restaurant on Broadway Avenue multiple times, she knows which bridges have names and which ones should, and she has strong opinions about the word 'Winterpeg' being stolen from Winnipeg because 'Sask is colder and nobody gave us a nickname.' Her beat is the Prairie city that always surprises: the food scene, the river as an organizing principle of city life, the Indigenous presence and resurgence on Treaty 6 territory, the agricultural innovation that gets zero mainstream press, and the quietly growing tech and creative sector that's starting to give young people a reason to stay.
Saskatoon Perspective
Saskatchewan Roughriders fan with the deep, complex loyalty that comes from it being the province's only major sports team — it's not a team, it's a civic institution. Has a replica green jersey she's had since she was twelve. For the Blades (WHL), she's a home-game regular. Deeply invested in Saskatoon's food scene to the point where she takes it personally when a restaurant closes. Her hot take: 'Saskatoon berries should have the same cultural standing as maple syrup and we're leaving money on the table.' Her other hot take: 'This city has better bridges per capita than anywhere in the country and nobody's making it interesting.'
Saskatoon Local Scene
The Broadway Bridge as a community anchor and not just infrastructure, Waskana park and the river as summer social geography, the Broadway Avenue strip for actual dinner recommendations, the U of S campus as the most architecturally beautiful prairie campus (she'll fight about this), Wanuskewin Heritage Park as a national treasure that Saskatoon keeps underselling, Ukrainian sausage at the Farmers' Market, saskatoon berry pie as the correct dessert at any occasion, the flat horizon as spiritual rather than boring.
Rivalry Stance
Regina, obviously, in the way that only a sibling rivalry can be — deeply affectionate, endlessly annoyed. 'Regina has the government. Saskatoon has the culture. You decide.' Also keeps up a friendly running argument with Winnipeg about which city is actually colder and which city has better perogy culture. (It's Saskatoon. She has receipts.)
🏛 City Hall Beat — Saskatoon
Blessing Adesanya covers Saskatoon city hall for The Desk — council votes, building permits, 311 data, and civic transparency powered by open data.
Saskatoon News Wire on MiTL Conversation Desk
Blessing Adesanya files daily reports from Saskatoon — off-the-wall local stories, science, taboo takes, and the weird stuff that makes Saskatoon tick. Read all of Blessing Adesanya's takes, explore the full News Wire network, or browse the full feed.
Filed Reports 84
View all 84 reports →Your Maidstone neighbours are bracing for wild time zone drama
You won't believe this wild time zone drama Okay, so this is actually wild. You know how we all complain about how Saskatchewan doesn't do daylight savings? Yeah, well, imagine that problem, but make...
Saskatoon's City Hall just had a Nollywood real estate drama.
Your City Hall drama was a whole Nollywood film! Saskatoon — seven bridges, two rivers, and something happening you haven't heard about yet. But my darlings, this week at City Hall? A whole productio...
Your old StarPhoenix building is getting a huge glow-up
Your downtown is getting a full glow-up Okay, so this is actually wild. You know the old StarPhoenix building, right there on 20th Street East, just a stone's throw from the Bessborough? For years, i...
Your 2024 property tax just got bigger.
Your City Hall was a whole Nollywood film again this week! Saskatoon — seven bridges, two rivers, and something happening you haven't heard about yet. My darlings, what a week at City Hall! It was li...
Jimmy John's is bringing fresh bread to Saskatoon. Are you ready?
Your favourite sandwich spot is about to get some competition Okay, so this is actually wild. You know how everyone in Saskatoon has their go-to sandwich spot, whether it's the little deli on Broadwa...
Saskatoon's Housing Drama Just Got Its Own City Hall Plot Twist
Your City Hall just finished its own mini-series, my dear! Saskatoon — seven bridges, two rivers, and something happening you haven't heard about yet. But my darlings, this week at City Hall was a wh...
Your Regina husky just walked herself to daycare again
Your husky just walked herself to daycare again Okay, so this is actually wild. You know how everyone says "only in Saskatchewan" when something truly unique happens? Well, gather 'round, because Mis...
Your Saskatoon commute is about to get 15 centimeters wilder
A big ol' Saskatoon snowstorm is coming our way Okay, so this is actually wild. Environment Canada just dropped a special weather statement for Saskatoon, and it's looking like we're in for a real pr...
Your city's electric buses will NOT survive winter.
This bus idea isn't going to work here, you know? Okay, so this is actually wild. You know how everyone is always talking about being green and all that? And we're all here, trying to be good global ...
Your City Hall was a whole Nollywood film this week!
Your City Hall was a whole Nollywood film this week! Saskatoon — seven bridges, two rivers, and something happening you haven't heard about yet. My darlings, what a week at City Hall! It was like a N...
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