Meet Meredith Bratland, a writer and traveller who has turned her curiosity about people from elsewhere into a podcast called Migration Patterns.

Meredith talks to people who have immigrated to Canada about their homelands. Her approach is personal rather than political, and her first season is full of lovely conversations with interesting people that collectively demonstrate her thesis, without weighing down each episode with such gravitas, that immigration makes our country stronger.

Meredith writes, but blogging was starting to bore her, so she decided a podcast was the best medium for this endeavour. "I went to Best Buy and bought a microphone one day and said, 'This is happening,' " she says. But as you'll hear in our conversation, this hasn't been an impulsive process. She's a methodical and strategic person, and it shows.

You'll also hear how and why she edits her show from 60 minutes of raw tape to 30 minutes of edited conversation; the great question she asks all of her guests; how she draws inspiration from Anna Sale's Death, Sex & Money; an audio disaster she is still living down; how libraries and local media might be able to work together; the power of bringing diverse people together; and big plans for Season 2.

Meredith recommended three podcasts (all of whom belong to the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB!) and four blogs:

• Don't Call Me A Guru, a podcast on social media strategy from Tyler Butler and Linda Hoang;
• That's So Maven, Andrea Beça's interview show by, for and about femmes in business and leadership;
• Modern Manhood, German Villegas's podcast exploring the many facets of masculinity;
• Boots and Bassets, a highly useful fashion blog by Sarah Pankiw;
• Edible Woman, Lyndsay Angelstad's beautiful and delicious food blog;
• Reading in Bed, a sassy book blog by Laura Frey;
• Another Book Blog, written by the witty Rick MacDonnell.

We mention the makerspace at the Edmonton Public Library's recording booths — if you want to use them, book here.

Meredith also mentions Jessica Abel's Out on the Wire, a graphic nonfiction book on how to make great audio stories. (Abel also made a podcast on the same subject.) And, as we mention, the Edmonton Podcasting Meetup is a great way to meet fellow podcasters!

If you have immigrated to Canada from elsewhere in the world, Meredith would love to hear from you. Learn more here.  You can also find her on Twitter: @meredithbratlan, and you can subscribe to her podcast in Apple Podcasts or Google Play.

Many thanks to Castria for editing this podcast. 

This episode of Seen and Heard in Edmonton is brought to you by the Edmonton Community Foundation, which acts as a bridge between donors and charities to help create a strong, vibrant community for generations to come.

Check out the November episode of The Well Endowed Podcast to hear three great stories about what it means to be Canadian: Omar Mouallem on the meaning of "homeland"; Conor Kerr on the power of the Blanket Exercise to teach settlers about Indigenous history; and Erick Ambtman on making Edmonton a more welcoming place for newcomers. Subscribe in Apple Podcasts or Google Play so you don't miss an episode.

This episode is also brought to you by ATB, founding sponsor of the Alberta Podcast Network. 

ATB has been committed and connected to Alberta’s communities for more than 70 years. One of the many examples of that commitment is Four Directions Financial, an ATB agency that ensures that Edmontonians who are homeless or living in poverty can open a bank account, which can make a world a difference.

Find out more about this and ATB's other community-building efforts at atb.com/community.

Musical credits: Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F Minor, Op. 2 No. 1, played by Daniel Veesey, from freemusicarchive.com.