Wingmates for Life: Graduating in ’98
In this series finale of Late in ’88, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda take listeners on an emotional road trip, visiting their high school, meeting present‑day students and reflecting on the question they set out to answer, what if they were friends?
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains subject matter that some listeners may find triggering. If you or someone you love is struggling please contact the Canadian suicide crisis help line at 988, or kidshelpphone.ca anytime, day or night. Internationally please contact your local crisis assistance centre.
In this series finale of Late in ’88, Bronwin Parks and Elinor Svoboda take listeners on an emotional road trip through the landscapes of their youth. They revisit their high school, meet present‑day students who inherit a very different culture, and wander through Confederation Park where they once held vigil for their late friend Steve. A quest for the “last ’90s food court” leads them from Brentwood to North Hill Mall, where ginger beef, fortune cookies, Buffy, and Xena become portals into queer identity, media, and survival in conservative 1990s Alberta.
Bronwin returns to their former “gilded cage” in Hawkwood, confronting memories of domestic violence, boom‑and‑bust family dreams, and the terrifying openness of having nowhere safe to run. A quiet moment with a bumblebee becomes an unexpected symbol of self worth, softness, and healing.
Elinor, meanwhile, uncovers how early grief and the loss of her best friend carved deep fears of abandonment and shaped the way she shows up in friendships today. Together, in parking lots and mall food courts, the two co‑hosts reflect on making this podcast, the armor they thought they’d already shed, and the radical tenderness of being fully witnessed by a friend.
They graduate from this season as wingmates, inviting listeners to honour their own inner teens, tell their stories, and keep queer histories alive, one shared memory at a time.
Episode Resources:
Get Help: Family Violence Helplines and Services [resources]
Prairie Sky Equine Assisted Therapy - Positive Pathways [youth program]
The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives [historical collection]
For a complete list of 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations and resources visit: https://latein88.com/resources/
Distributed by Women in Media Network
https://www.womeninmedia.network/
