Jordan Stovra's character cannot be contained behind a mask and a hairnet. 

For the past eight years, the 24 year-old former football player has worked pretty much every job you can imagine at the Varsity Common Sobeys on 8th Street and Cumberland in Saskatoon. Whether it's cutting halibut steaks in the seafood department, collecting carts in the parking lot, checking lottery tickets or even trying his hand in the produce section, there's nothing Jordan can't do in his store. He loves his job and is a joy to be around.

I've seen Jordan every weekend for the past year. My wife gives me a shopping list and off I go to the Sobeys to purchase groceries. I love doing it. It gives me purpose and makes me feel like I am in control of at least one part of my life when so many other things are no longer within my grasp. I wouldn't be able to do this without essential workers like Jordan coming into work every day to make sure the shelves are stocked. 

I wanted to recognize the work of grocery store workers in this pandemic and Jordan seemed like the perfect person to feature on the podcast. I am grateful he said yes and I am also grateful the local and national managers at Sobeys felt the same way! It can sometimes be tricky navigating the corporate structure of a big company to get an interview request answered, but Sobeys was great to work with and I think listeners are really going to love this episode.

Jordan talks about the challenges posed by the pandemic and just how crazy the first few weeks were when Covid-19 arrived in Saskatoon. "Every day felt like December 23rd which was our busiest day. It was like that for two straight weeks," explains Jordan in the episode. 

He talks about how the pandemic has brought his colleagues together in some ways but he also discusses the things Covid-19 has robbed him of. Jordan might give off a rough and tough vibe when you first meet him but he's a really sweet and kind person with a big heart who cares for those around him.Saskatoon photographer Rona Andreas and I were able to spend a Saturday morning in mid-April with Jordan just as the store was opening up. You'll hear people shuffling up and down the aisles, busy checkout stations and Jordan smiling as he cuts halibut steaks for customers to enjoy. It was so much fun spending time with Jordan and seeing how much he truly cares about his job. A big thank you to Ivy Yoga House for supporting this episode of YXE Underground. I think it's the best yoga studio in Saskatoon and I hope you get the chance to check it out!Don't forget to follow and listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your podcasts. Stream episodes on the website as well. Please rate and review YXE Underground if you like what you hear. Thank you for supporting this local, independent podcast. I really do appreciate all of your support and I hope you're all staying well and healthy. 

Cheers...Eric  

• Host, Producer, Editor: Eric Anderson
• Theme Music: Andrew Dickson
• Website: https://www.yxeunderground.com
• Recorded: On Treaty 6 Territory and the traditional homeland of the Metis