Fonds, Photos, and Football: How Grace Flegel Archives the Beautiful Game

In this episode, historian and archivist Grace Flegal joins host Jacob Powell to pull back the curtain on how the Saskatchewan Soccer Legacy Project is being preserved for future generations. Grace explains how the University of Saskatchewan History Department’s CoLab program brought her into the work, then walks through the surprisingly human side of archives—sorting mountains of boxes, finding themes, and carefully protecting fragile photos, letters, and trophies from a century of soccer. She breaks down concepts like fonds and series in plain language (using online shopping as her analogy), shares some of the most powerful discoveries she’s made around women’s soccer and Indigenous players, and reflects on how sport has long brought communities together across the province. Grace also talks about why everyday “shoebox history” from families and clubs matters just as much as championship trophies—and how anyone can help keep Saskatchewan’s soccer stories alive.