Meet Leisha Grebinski

Saskatoon Morning has been your local CBC Radio One morning show on 94.1 FM and at cbc.ca/saskatoon for almost two years now! We caught up with your Saskatoon Morning host Leisha Grebinski to find out more about her off-air. Check out our Q&A below.

Make sure to tune in to Saskatoon Morning for all your local news, weather, traffic and everything you need to start your day in Saskatoon!

Q&A with Leisha Grebinski 

1. What do you love most about Saskatoon?

As cliché as it is, I love the river. Every time I drive over one of the bridges I can't help but say (out loud) how beautiful the city is, especially on a sunny winter day.

2. What do you enjoy to do most in your spare time?

Top of the list? Naps and Netflix. I also love reading, wandering around the Farmers Market, and snowshoeing or biking along the river, depending on the season.

I am also lucky to have a 12-year-old 'Little Sister' named Tasha and totally rad boyfriend named Jordan who are always up for an adventure with me. 

Right now, I'm also training for the Saskatchewan Marathon with Brainsport. The half, of course. To keep me honest, I plan to tweet my journey to 21.2 kilometres by using the hashtag​​ #runyxe. This will be my third year as the Saskatchewan Marathon's honourary chair. Running has helped me see things: buds turning into leaves until they scatter on the trails and are covered by ice. I didn't truly see those seasonal changes until I became a runner.

3. Who has been the most memorable guest you've had on the show?

Ninety-two-year-old Orville Middleton who was trying to sell the Borden Bridge for a million bucks. Orville wanted to turn the Borden Bridge into an outdoor dance hall. He wasn't able to make it happen but he didn't see a dream not coming to fruition as failure. The joy came from just trying and I found that so insightful. He had the absolute best outlook on life and his energy was infectious! We could all learn something from Orville.

4. What Saskatoon Morning story has had the biggest impact on you?

My mom bought me a copy of Amanda Lindhout's book A House in the Sky: A Memoir saying, "Leisha, you have to read this!" We both became consumed by her story and spent many hours talking about how in many ways, it could have happened to me. Amanda and I are the same age with a similar sense of adventure and conviction to tell stories. After I finished the book, I had this overwhelming desire to speak with her. I was elated to learn she would be coming to Saskatoon for the Festival of Words. I emailed her immediately and asked her to come on Saskatoon Morning. It remains one of the most compelling conversations I've ever had.

5. What was the inspiration for choosing a career in journalism?

I was pretty much failing my first year of business admin at the University of Regina (who thought quantitative analysis and accounting were a good idea?). I was miserable and my best friend said to me, "You know, you should be a journalist." The next day, I signed up to be a reporter with the U of R's newspaper. Talking to people, asking questions, learning, writing: It was 100 per cent me. I now get to use all of those skills as a radio host. Every morning I get to meet people who stand up for what they believe in or who are bravely dealing with incredibly tragic situations. I also get to laugh at people's jokes. Even Dan Kerslake's!

6. Do you volunteer and why?

My parents are teachers and so I've seen the incredible work they've done with kids over the years. I guess that's why I felt so compelled to be a Big Sister. I've volunteered for almost a decade because I see how a meaningful connection with a child makes our society better. I think these girls help me more than I help them! They've spent time with me during tough times in my own life and they've taught me that nothing beats ice cream and cartoons on a Saturday afternoon. Kids have such a great perspective on life. It's important to listen to them.

7. What is your most memorable trip?

I spent nine months living in Mozambique in 2004. I can still taste the mangoes! After university, I travelled there on a journalism scholarship and was able to tell some remarkable stories about the work being done around HIV/AIDS. My favourite was a story about elders using traditional songs to teach people how to prevent the spread of the disease. People come alive, jumping to their feet to dance, when they hear those songs. The trip made my world bigger. As a journalist, it taught me to consider how people's lives and experiences may be vastly different than my own and why it's important to respect that.

Share your opinions and chat with Leisha each morning on facebook.com/cbcsaskatoon and on twitter at @LeishaCBC.