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The F3 podcast is hitting the road for a special bonus edition—live from Super Bowl 60 in San Francisco. Join chef Jonathan Frazier and Erin Haluschak as they pack their gear, chase great stories, and dive headfirst into the ultimate mashup of food, football, and fandom.

In this episode, they preview a Seahawks vs. Patriots rematch, break down their Super Bowl predictions, and reflect on the nail-biting championship games that set the stage. But this trip is about more than the final score. From iconic Bay Area eats like cioppino, Dungeness crab, Mission-style burritos, garlic noodles, and sourdough clam chowder, to the legendary Taste of the NFL charity event, the duo is on a mission to explore the flavors behind the game.

They’ll also be roaming Radio Row, the Super Bowl Experience, and connecting with unforgettable guests—including a Vancouver Island superfan known as “Captain Seahawk.” Expect interviews, live streams, behind-the-scenes moments, and maybe even a giveaway or two. San Francisco, here we come.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Thrifty Foods Parksville for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca.

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This Episode Features:

(24:48) Mike Haan, SunFest Country Music Festival director, shares details about the 2026 lineup at Lake Town Amphitheatre in Lake Cowichan. Fresh from a three-week Antarctic expedition, Haan reveals headliners including Tyler Hubbard, Jon Pardi, and Riley Green coming to Vancouver Island. The conversation explores how SunFest has evolved into a world-class country music venue, generating $13 million in regional economic impact for the Cowichan Valley while supporting local Vancouver Island artists and vendors. Tickets are moving quickly at: https://sunfestconcerts.com

(06:00) Pharmacist Aki Shah discusses seasonal affective disorder and mental health strategies for Vancouver Island residents facing winter blues. Shah offers practical wisdom about treating mental health medications as tools rather than solutions, emphasizing anxiety treatment over antidepressants during seasonal struggles. Learn why the "prep month" philosophy could transform your approach to New Year's resolutions and mental wellness throughout the darker months.

Episode Quotes:

"You really have a sense that you're going to an established venue, a world-class place to see a concert, as opposed to going to a soccer field or rodeo grounds to see a show. And that resonates with people." --- Mike Haan, on what makes Lake Town Amphitheatre special

"Consider medication as a tool rather than a solution... Once the job's done, don't keep holding onto it. You just put it down." --- Aki Shah, on mental health medications

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Episode Sponsors: Tablet Pharmacy, Thrifty Foods Parksville & Ian Lindsay & Associates

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Two Parksville city councillors break down how public hearings, emails, and civic engagement actually work.

Public hearings, council emails, Facebook rants — everyone has an opinion on how to make their voice heard in local government. But most people have no idea how any of it actually works from the other side of the table.

Joel Grenz and Sean Wood, both three years into life as Parksville city councillors — break down what public engagement is actually for, what works, what doesn’t, and why your strongly worded Facebook post probably isn’t moving the needle the way you think it is.

Episode Highlights:

What public hearings are (and aren’t) designed to do, including why council can’t correct misinformation on the spot

Why a personal email will always outperform a form letter

The underrated power of just asking your councillor for coffee

The uncomfortable truth about social media as a civic tool

Why “being heard” and “getting your way” are two very different things — and why that’s actually okay

We’re a representative democracy. That means we elect people to make tough calls on our behalf — even the unpopular ones. This episode is about understanding that system well enough to actually work within it.

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This Episode Features:

(19:00 ) Terra Spencer, 2025 Music Nova Scotia Entertainer of the Year, shares her remarkable journey from funeral director to folk musician. The singer-songwriter discusses her album Sunset, which explores love's arc from beginning to end, and her collaborations with Canadian folk legends David Francey and Stephen Fearing. Spencer reveals how working with grieving families in Nova Scotia influenced her intimate songwriting style. The Interview contains the song “East to West”with Stephen Fearing of Victoria. Spencer is playing Parksville & Quadra Island: https://terraspencer.ca

(07:30) Assistant Fire Chief Cam Cruikshank discusses Parksville Fire Department's volunteer firefighter recruitment program. The department has 42 dedicated on-call members serving the Parksville area. Cruikshank explains the comprehensive six-month training process for volunteer firefighters and reveals how local mid-Vancouver Island businesses support their employees who balance emergency response with regular employment. More at: https://www.parksvillefirerescue.ca

Episode Quotes:

"I didn't expect to be a funeral director either. Got recruited because I was hired on as the organist a long while back... If you want to learn about human relationships and the gamut of emotions, that's one fast way to do it." --- Terra Spencer

"One thing that we always hear from our members is that they don't realize how rewarding it is, especially when you work in your community as a volunteer firefighter. You get to know a lot of people, your friends and neighbours, and then a chance to give back." --- Cam Cruikshank, Parksville Fire Department

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BIG NEWS: F3 is heading back to San Francisco for Super Bowl 60 for Radio Row, fan chats, and food-first storytelling!

BONUS RECIPE: Download Chef Jonathan Frazier’s Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders: https://bit.ly/S1EP15FootballRecipe

This week on the F3 Podcast — Football, Fantasy & Food, Erin and Chef Jonathan Fraser break down Championship Weekend as the NFL closes in on Super Bowl 60 in San Francisco.

Seattle hosts the Rams in a high-octane NFC showdown, while New England faces a battered Denver squad after the Broncos lose their starting quarterback. Can a backup QB pull off the upset, or are the Patriots destined for another Super Bowl run?

Spotlight Team: the Tennessee Titans.
The hosts dig into one of the NFL’s most historic franchises — from their Houston Oilers roots to Derrick Henry, Warren Moon, and what went wrong in a brutal 3–14 season. With Robert Saleh now in charge, is a rebuild finally underway?

On the food side, it’s all about Nashville heat and Southern comfort.
Pick of the Week: Nashville Hot Chicken Sliders — crispy, spicy, tangy, and built for game day.

Next week: live coverage begins from Super Bowl week in San Francisco.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Thrifty Foods Parksville for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca.

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This Episode Features:

(07:07) Grant Lawrence, CBC broadcaster, bestselling author, and musician, discusses his upcoming Stories & Songs tour bringing Jill Barber (his wife), Joel Plaskett, Danny Michel, and Desiree Dawson to intimate Vancouver Island venues including Errington, Tofino, and Mayne Island. Lawrence shares his touring philosophy of performing only in meaningful destinations he'd want to visit himself. The former Smugglers frontman reveals exciting news about his 12-year-old son's band Blue Jay Valley becoming Canada's youngest signed band, The Smugglers' 30th anniversary vinyl release with mustard-and-ketchup splattered records, and upcoming boat-access-only concerts through Desolation Sound this July featuring Joel Plaskett and Jill Barber.

(26:55) Diane Moran, visual artist and founder of Mindfulness in May, discusses her annual youth art exhibition empowering students in grades 5-12 across District 69 to express themselves through visual art, photography, and literary submissions. This year's theme explores empathy and kindness during BC Youth Week and National Mental Health Awareness Week. The exhibition takes place at Qualicum Beach Library, details here: https://mindfulmay.artistquarter.com/

Episode Quotes:

"The rule that I created for myself was that I only wanted to do the show in places that I would want to go to, that I would want to spend time in, and nice, smaller places—places that you would go for a weekend or out-of-the-way places that you would want to check out." — Grant Lawrence

"It was basically a piece of cardboard that a person who was homeless might sleep on and they took charcoal and pastel and drew this amazing piece. When I saw this, I thought, how clever, how human, how real?" — Diane Moran

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In this episode of Nonpartisan Hacks, Joel Grenz and Sean Wood sit down with Mayor Nicole Minions of Comox to talk about leadership at the municipal level, and how governing really works when you move from being one vote at the table to chairing the meeting.

Minions reflects on becoming mayor by acclamation in 2022 under extraordinary circumstances, what surprised her most about the role, and why “mayoring” is less about power and more about facilitation, decorum, and trust. From public hearings with hundreds of residents to regional collaboration across the Comox Valley, the conversation digs into the skills that separate functional councils from dysfunctional ones.

Recorded in Sean’s kitchen (fresh bread included) the discussion ranges from core services and infrastructure financing to Bee City designations, asset management, working with opposition MLAs and MPs, and why most of the mayor’s real work happens far from the spotlight.

Episode Highlights:

What actually changes when you become mayor

Why facilitation matters more than force at the council table

How to run public hearings without letting them derail

The difference between core services and the “extra” 10–20% that signals values

Why good governance is often invisible until it fails

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#PulseCommunityPodcast #BCConservatives #NicoleMinions #ThePulseCommunity #SeanWood #JoelGrenz #ParksvilleQualicumBeach #NonPartisanHacks

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BIG NEWS!: F3 is heading to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50 for Radio Row, fan chats, and food-first storytelling!

BONUS RECIPE: Download Chef Jonathan Frazier’s Southwestern grilled chicken nachos — loaded, spicy, and built for game day: https://bit.ly/S1EP14FootballRecipe

This week on the F3 Podcast, hosts Erin Haluschak and Chef Jonathan Frazier break down championship weekend as the NFL races toward Super Bowl 50. Seattle dominates San Francisco, Denver advances but loses its quarterback, and the playoff picture shifts fast.

Spotlight team: The Arizona Cardinals.
The hosts dig into one of the league’s oldest franchises, ongoing struggles, Kyler Murray’s future, and what Arizona needs to change to move forward.

On the food side, it’s all about desert heat and borderland flavours. Pick of the Week: Southwestern grilled chicken nachos — loaded, spicy, and built for game day.

Next up:Tthe Tennessee Titans.

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Thrifty Foods Parksville for supporting ThePulseCommunity.ca.

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#F3Podcast, #PulseCommunity, #VancouverIsland, #FootballAndFood, #TailgateEats, #NFLPlayoffs, #ArizonaCardinals, #SuperBowl50,#GameDayEats

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