Episodes
The Great Deportation: Acadia's Scattering and Survival
In 1755, the British expelled some 12,000 Acadians from Nova Scotia, scattering them across the Atlantic world. This episode traces the roots of that tragedy, from the founding of Port-Royal and the Acadian policy of neutrality to the oath of allegiance and the fateful decision by Governor Charles Lawrence. We follow the ships that carried families to New England, the Caribbean, and even back to France, and the harrowing story of those who escaped to the woods and marshes, eventually finding…
The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush and the Rerouting of the Pacific Northwest
In 1858, the discovery of gold along the Fraser River in British Columbia set off a rush that would transform the Pacific Northwest and change the course of Canadian history. This episode tells the story of how the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush brought thousands of miners to the banks of the Fraser, sparking a violent collision between newcomers and the Nlaka'pamux people, and forcing the British Crown to step in. We follow Governor James Douglas as he struggles to maintain order, the arrival of the…
The Gold Rush That Rerouted the Pacific Northwest
Before the Klondike, before the Comstock, there was the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858 — the event that turned a sleepy Hudson's Bay Company outpost into British Columbia. This episode follows the rush from its explosive discovery at Hill's Bar, through the chaos at Yale and the colonial crackdown that followed, to the arrival of Governor James Douglas and the Royal Engineers. We look at how the gold rush redrew the map of the Pacific Northwest, sparked the creation of a new colony, and set…
The Great Lakes: How the Iroquois and French Shaped Canada's Heartland
In this episode of The Story of Canada, Lucas and Luna dive into the pivotal role of the Great Lakes in shaping Canada's early history. From the Iroquois Confederacy's strategic dominance to the French fur trade's expansion, they explore how this inland sea became a battleground for empire and a crossroads of cultures. Learn about the Wendat (Huron) confederacy, the Beaver Wars, the role of the coureurs des bois, and the founding of key settlements like Montréal and Detroit. Discover how the…
The Blackfoot Confederacy: Buffalo Lords of the Plains
Before the horse, before the fur trade, the Blackfoot Confederacy ruled the northern Great Plains. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how the Siksika, Kainai, and Piikani built a powerful alliance that shaped the region for centuries. They trace the confederacy's origins, its mastery of the buffalo jump, and the spiritual significance of the land. The conversation moves through the arrival of horses and guns — how the Blackfoot adapted with astonishing speed, becoming the most feared…
The Beothuk: Canada's Lost People of Newfoundland
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the tragic history of the Beothuk, the Indigenous people of Newfoundland who were declared extinct in 1829. They trace the Beothuk's first contact with European explorers like John Cabot, their reliance on caribou hunting and the sea, and the devastating impact of European settlement, disease, and resource competition. The conversation highlights the pivotal role of Shanawdithit, the last known Beothuk, whose drawings and testimony provided invaluable…
The Gallic Wars: Caesar's Siege of Alesia
In 52 BCE, Julius Caesar faced his greatest challenge: the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix, who united the tribes at Alesia. This episode digs into the brutal siege that decided the fate of Gaul — the double circumvallation, the relief army, and the desperate battle that ended with Vercingetorix surrendering his arms. We explore the politics behind the war, the engineering of Roman siegeworks, and the legacy of a conquest that shaped Western Europe. With Vercingetorix's tactics, Caesar's…
The Gallic Wars: Julius Caesar's Conquest of Gaul
In this episode, Lucas and Luna delve into the military genius and political maneuvering of Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars. From the Helvetii migration to the decisive siege of Alesia, we explore the battles, strategies, and personalities that shaped the Roman conquest of Gaul. Discover the role of Vercingetorix, the unity of the Gaulish tribes, and the engineering marvels that allowed Caesar to defeat a numerically superior enemy. We also examine the human cost of the wars, the impact on…
The Last Spike Revisited: Canada's Railway Workers
In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the human story behind the Canadian Pacific Railway's last spike at Craigellachie in 1885. They explore the thousands of workers—Chinese labourers, Irish navvies, and Indigenous guides—who risked life and limb to lay track across the Canadian Shield and Selkirk Mountains. Topics include the dangerous tunnel work, the roles of Major A.B. Rogers and William Van Horne, and the head tax that singled out Chinese workers. They also consider how the CPR…
The Underground Railroad's Canadian Terminus
In this episode of The Story of Canada, Lucas and Luna trace the final leg of the Underground Railroad—the secret network that carried thousands of enslaved people from the American South to freedom in British North America. Lucas focuses on the Canadian side of the story, where towns like Amherstburg, Chatham, and St. Catharines became hubs of Black settlement. He introduces key figures like Harriet Tubman, who based her operations in St. Catharines, and Josiah Henson, whose autobiography…
The Mi'kmaq Great Peace: Canada's First Diplomats
In this episode of The Story of Canada, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal role of the Mi'kmaq and the Wabanaki Confederacy in the Great Peace of Montréal of 1701. They discuss how the Mi'kmaq, often overshadowed in histories of New France, were crucial mediators and military allies, shaping the treaty that ended decades of conflict between the French, the Haudenosaunee, and numerous Indigenous nations. The conversation covers key figures like Grand Chief Membertou, the spiritual and political…
The Mi'kmaq and the Great Peace of Montréal
In 1701, the Great Peace of Montréal ended decades of war between the French and the Haudenosaunee, but it also brought together dozens of Indigenous nations from across northeastern North America. Among them were the Mi'kmaq, whose territory stretched along the Atlantic coast. This episode explores the Mi'kmaq's role in the peace negotiations, their unique political structure, and how they used the treaty to secure their own alliances. We'll look at the realpolitik of Indigenous diplomacy, the…
The Great Peace of Montréal: Canada's First Summit
In 1701, Montréal hosted a historic gathering that would shape North America for generations. The Great Peace of Montréal brought together French colonists and Indigenous nations from across the eastern half of the continent, ending decades of brutal conflict. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the unlikely diplomacy behind the treaty—how a Huron chief named Kondiaronk used his eloquence and wit to broker an agreement that even the most powerful nations had thought impossible. They'll dig…
Canada 200: The Great Peace of Montréal
For episode 200, Lucas and Luna step back from conflict to explore a forgotten triumph of diplomacy: the Great Peace of Montréal, signed in 1701. In a single treaty, over thirty Indigenous nations, from the Haudenosaunee to the Wendat, Huron-Petun, Odawa, Ojibwa, and Abenaki, alongside the French, ended decades of bloody warfare that had ravaged the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Valley. Discover how the French diplomat Louis-Hector de Callières, the governor of New France, and the brilliant…
The Selkirk Settlers: A Highland Clearance in Rupert's Land
In 1811, Lord Selkirk bought a huge tract of Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company, intending to settle Scottish farmers displaced by the Highland Clearances. The result was a collision of cultures — Gaelic-speaking settlers, Métis buffalo hunters, and fur-trade rivals — that exploded into the Battle of Seven Oaks. This episode follows the Selkirk settlers from the stormy Atlantic crossing to the Red River, their brutal first winters, Miles Macdonell's infamous Pemmican Proclamation, and…
Pemmican and the Fur Trade: Canada's Original Fuel
Before the Red River cart rolled across the prairies, before the CPR stitched the country together, Canada ran on pemmican. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the story of the High Country's original superfood — how the Métis and Plains peoples perfected a mix of dried buffalo, fat, and berries that could fuel a voyageur for weeks, feed entire fur trade brigades, and even spark a war. From the buffalo runs of the Great Plains to the warehouses of Fort Garry, pemmican was the engine of the…
The Red River Cart: How the Métis Built a Wheel
Before the railway, before the Last Spike, there was a simpler invention that stitched the Canadian prairies together: the Red River cart. In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the cart's origins from indigenous travois to its remarkable role in the fur trade and Métis buffalo hunts. Learn how this creaking, wooden vehicle carried furs and pemmican across the plains, how it was built without a single nail, and why its distinctive sound became a symbol of the Métis nation. From its roots in the…
The Quebec Bridge Collapse and Canada's Engineering Reckoning
In 1907, the world's longest cantilever bridge collapsed into the St. Lawrence River, killing 76 workers and shattering Canada's confidence in its own engineering. This episode digs into the design flaws, the hubris, and the human cost of the Quebec Bridge disaster — and how the tragedy reshaped engineering standards for the entire world. We follow the ambitious plans of the Phoenix Bridge Company, the overlooked warnings of American consultant Theodore Cooper, the fatal miscalculations of the…
The Great Fire of 1845: Quebec City's Ashes and Rebirth
In this episode of The Story of Canada, Lucas and Luna turn to a disaster that reshaped one of North America's oldest cities: the Great Fire of Quebec City in 1845. The fire broke out on a June afternoon in the city's working-class Saint-Roch district, swept through narrow streets lined with wooden houses, and left more than fifteen hundred buildings in ashes. Lucas traces the fire's path, the heroics of residents who formed bucket brigades, and the city's remarkable recovery under the…
The Komagata Maru: Canada's Racist Immigration Test
In 1914, the Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver's harbour carrying 376 British subjects from Punjab. They were seeking a better life in Canada, but the Dominion had other plans. This episode digs into the ship's fateful voyage, the racist 'continuous journey' rule that barred Indian immigrants, and the legal battle waged by Gurdit Singh. We trace the passengers' two-month standoff, the Canadian navy's intervention, and the tragic aftermath when the ship returned to India and British troops…
The Cree Trade Empire: Canada's Indigenous Fur Power
Before the Hudson's Bay Company built its first fort, the Cree already controlled the continent's fur trade. In this episode of The Story of Canada, Lucas and Luna explore how the Cree and their allies — the Assiniboine and Ojibwa — used their mastery of the boreal forest, their birchbark canoes, and their strategic position between the French and English to become the middlemen of the northern wilderness. We follow the rise of the Cree trade empire from the 1600s to the 1700s, the devastating…
The St. Lawrence Seaway: Building Canada's 2000-Mile Highway to the Sea
In this episode of The Story of Canada, Lucas and Luna dive into the St. Lawrence Seaway — the monumental 20th-century project that turned the Great Lakes into a deep-water port for ocean-going ships. They explore the engineering marvels like the two-flight locks at Iroquois and the massive Welland Canal expansion, the political tug-of-war between Canada and the United States, and the ecological and human costs, including the flooded villages and the lost Mohawk burial grounds. The conversation…
The Red River Resistance: Louis Riel and the Métis Stand
In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack the Red River Resistance of 1869–70, when a provisional government led by Louis Riel confronted Canada's westward expansion. They trace the Métis fears over land surveys and the transfer of Rupert's Land, the execution of Thomas Scott, and the negotiations that produced the Manitoba Act. Along the way they clarify the difference between the Resistance and the later Northwest Rebellion of 1885, and they reflect on Riel's complicated legacy — political…
Canada's Dazzling Diamond Rush: The Klondike's Boomtowns
Before Dawson City became a legend, there was Forty Mile, a rough-and-tumble frontier town on the Yukon River that boomed and busted in a single decade. In this episode, Lucas and Luna dig into the forgotten first chapter of Canada's Klondike Gold Rush, tracing the rush from the discovery at Rabbit Creek to the chaos of the Chilkoot Trail, the gold-fever towns that sprang up overnight, and the North-West Mounted Police who kept the peace with judicious force. They explore the role of Indigenous…
The Last Spike of the CPR: A Nation's Risky Gamble
In this episode of The Story of Canada, Lucas and Luna dive into the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway — the steel spine that tied a young Dominion together from sea to sea. They unpack the engineering nightmares of the Canadian Shield, the political scandal that nearly killed the project, and the desperate gamble of John A. Macdonald's government. You'll hear about the surveyors who mapped the Rockies, the hard-rock miners who blasted tunnels through the Selkirks, and the thousands of…
The Spanish Flu and the Birth of Canada's Public Health
The 1918 influenza pandemic killed 50,000 Canadians—more than all Canadian World War I deaths. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine how the deadly second wave exposed the absence of a national health system, forcing Prime Minister Robert Borden's government to create the federal Department of Health in 1919. They trace the pandemic's path from returning troops to remote Indigenous communities, the struggle for beds in crowded military hospitals, and the local measures that often came too…
Klondike Gold Rush: Law and Order in the Yukon
When gold was discovered on Rabbit Creek in 1896, the Klondike Gold Rush drew tens of thousands of fortune seekers to the remote Yukon. But unlike the lawless American mining camps of Skagway, the Canadian side of the border was kept remarkably orderly thanks to the North-West Mounted Police under Superintendent Sam Steele. This episode explores how the Mounties enforced Canadian sovereignty, required miners to carry a year's worth of supplies, and prevented the chaos that plagued other rushes.…
1837 Rebellions: The Patriotes and Canada's Road to Responsible Government
In 1837, French-Canadian patriotes took up arms against British rule in Lower Canada, led by the fiery orator Louis-Joseph Papineau. This episode dives into the causes, key battles at Saint-Denis and Saint-Charles, and the brutal reprisals that followed. It also examines the parallel uprising in Upper Canada led by William Lyon Mackenzie, and how the rebellions — though crushed — paved the way for the Durham Report and responsible government. Hear about the role of Patriote women, the impact on…
Canada's Forgotten Internment Camps of WWI
Long before the Japanese internment of WWII, Canada ran a massive internment operation during the First World War. Under the War Measures Act, over 8,500 people—mostly Ukrainian Canadians, but also Germans, Austro-Hungarians, and others—were labeled 'enemy aliens' and forced into camps in remote locations like Banff, Jasper, and Spirit Lake. Families were separated, property was seized, and many were used as unpaid labour in national parks. This episode of The Story of Canada explores the…
Vimy Ridge The Battle That Made Canada a Nation
In April 1917, the Canadian Corps achieved what the British and French could not: the capture of Vimy Ridge. Under the leadership of Arthur Currie, Canadian troops used innovative tactics like the creeping barrage and full-scale rehearsals to storm the German stronghold. The victory came at a cost of 3,598 dead, but it forged a new sense of national identity. This episode explores the planning, the battle, and the legacy, including the Vimy Memorial and Canada's independent seat at the Treaty…
Dieppe: The Raid That Forged Canada's D-Day
On August 19, 1942, nearly 5,000 Canadian soldiers stormed the beaches of Dieppe, France. The raid was a disaster: over 900 killed, nearly 2,000 captured. But out of the bloodshed came the lessons that saved lives on D-Day. This episode dives into the planning, the chaos on the beaches, and the forgotten heroes—from the chaplain who refused evacuation to the intelligence failures that doomed the mission. We explore how Dieppe shaped Canada's military identity and why its legacy is still…
The Fenian Raids: How Irish Invaders Forged Canadian Confederation
In 1866, a motley army of Irish-American Civil War veterans invaded Canada, hoping to seize the country and trade it for Irish independence. The Fenian Raids—named for the legendary Irish warriors of myth—surprised a young Canada still debating Confederation. This episode explores the Battle of Ridgeway, where the inexperienced Canadian militia faced battle-hardened soldiers; the mysterious Fenian commander John O'Neill; and how the raids inadvertently pushed the British North American colonies…
The Avro Arrow: Canada's Lost Supersonic Dream
In the 1950s, Canada was a world leader in aviation. The Avro Arrow, a supersonic interceptor designed to defend against Soviet bombers, was the jewel of that ambition. This episode tells the story of the Arrow's engineering marvels — the delta wing, the Orenda Iroquois engine, the advanced fly-by-wire system — and the political decisions that led to its shocking cancellation in 1959. We follow the rise and fall of A.V. Roe Canada, the role of Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, and the conspiracy…
The Halifax Explosion: Canada's Devastating Day of Fire and Rescue
On December 6, 1917, the largest man-made explosion before Hiroshima ripped through Halifax, Nova Scotia. A French munitions ship, the Mont-Blanc, collided with a Norwegian relief vessel, the Imo, igniting a chain of fire and a catastrophic blast that flattened the city's north end, killed 2,000 people, and injured 9,000. In the aftermath, a relief train from Boston sped north, forging a lasting bond between Massachusetts and Nova Scotia. This episode explores the collision, the explosion's…
The Last Spike: How the CPR Built a Nation
How did a railway become the literal and figurative tie that bound Canada from sea to sea? In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the epic construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway — from the political crisis of the Pacific Scandal and the engineering nightmares of Rogers Pass to the thousands of Chinese labourers who blasted tunnels and laid track through the Rocky Mountains. They revisit the driving of the Last Spike at Craigellachie by Donald Smith, the push-and-pull between John A.…
Japanese Internment: Canada's Wartime Injustice and Redress
During World War II, the Canadian government ordered the forced removal and incarceration of over 22,000 Japanese Canadians, most of them citizens. This episode explores the origins of that policy — from Order-in-Council PC 1486 to the seizure of fishing boats and homes — and the harsh conditions in camps like Hastings Park, Slocan, and Tashme. It also examines the little-known story of the Nisei soldiers who volunteered to prove loyalty, and the decades-long fight for redress that culminated…
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham: Quebec 1759
Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal Battle of the Plains of Abraham in 1759, which decided the fate of New France and laid the groundwork for modern Canada. They discuss the strategic genius of General James Wolfe, the tragic death of the Marquis de Montcalm, the role of the British Navy and French irregulars, and the enduring legacy of the battle for Quebec City and Canadian identity. The conversation also touches on the broader Seven Years' War context and the mythologization of both…
The Red River Cart: How the Métis Built Canada's Fur Trade
Long before railroads or highways, the Métis of the Red River Valley built an ingenious mode of transport that powered the fur trade for half a century: the Red River cart. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore why these creaking, two-wheeled carts—made entirely of wood and hide—were the backbone of prairie commerce. They follow the cart trails from St. Paul, Minnesota to Fort Garry, then north to York Factory on Hudson Bay. The story touches on the Métis buffalo hunts, the rise of the…
The Great Deportation: Acadian Expulsion and Its Legacy
In 1755, British forces forcibly removed thousands of Acadian settlers from Nova Scotia, scattering them across the American colonies and Europe. This episode explores the lead-up to the expulsion, the key figures involved—Governor Charles Lawrence and Lieutenant Colonel John Winslow—and the fate of the displaced Acadians, many of whom ended up in Louisiana, becoming the Cajuns. We also examine the Mi'kmaq alliance with the French and the impact on Indigenous communities. The story includes the…
Canada's War of 1812: Laura Secord's 20-Mile Warning
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of Laura Secord, a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. In June 1813, after overhearing American plans for a surprise attack on British forces at Beaver Dams, Secord walked 20 miles (32 km) from Queenston to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon. Her journey through swamps and woods, avoiding American patrols, helped secure a British and Indigenous victory. The episode examines Secord's life, the Battle of Beaver Dams, the role of…
The Rideau Canal: Building Canada's Forgotten Waterway
Before the St. Lawrence Seaway, before the railways, there was the Rideau Canal — a 202-kilometer engineering marvel carved through the wilderness of Upper Canada. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of Lieutenant Colonel John By, the British military's ambitious plan to build a secure supply route after the War of 1812, and the canal's role in shaping Ottawa as Canada's capital. They discuss the gruelling conditions faced by the thousands of Irish and French-Canadian labourers…
Canada's Underground Railroad: The Forgotten Freedom Seekers
This episode of The Story of Canada shifts focus from Confederation and railways to a quieter but no less extraordinary chapter: the Underground Railroad in British North America. Lucas and Luna explore the network of Black freedom seekers who escaped slavery in the United States and found refuge in what is now Canada. They discuss the role of the American Revolutionary War and the British promise of freedom, the founding of settlements like Africville in Nova Scotia and the Elgin Settlement in…
Canada's Chinese Head Tax and the Exclusion Act
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Canada imposed a head tax on Chinese immigrants, starting at $50 in 1885 and rising to $500 by 1903—equivalent to two years' wages. Over 82,000 Chinese Canadians paid this tax, totaling $23 million, before the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act banned nearly all Chinese immigration until 1947. This episode explores the stories behind the policy: the railway workers who stayed after the CPR was built, the families separated for decades, the 1907 anti-Asian…
Louis Riel: The Trial That Divided Canada
In 1885, the Métis leader Louis Riel returned from exile to lead a rebellion that ended in defeat and a trial that still haunts Canada. This episode follows Riel from his childhood at Red River through the Red River Resistance and his years in Montana, to the North-West Rebellion at Batoche and his trial for high treason in Regina. We explore the conflicting evidence on his mental state, the jury's refusal to recommend mercy, and Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald's insistence on execution.…
The Red River Resistance: Louis Riel and the Birth of Manitoba
In 1869, the Canadian government purchased Rupert's Land from the Hudson's Bay Company without consulting the Métis people who lived there. Surveyors arrived to divide the land into square townships, threatening the river lot system that generations of Métis farmers had developed along the Red River. When Ottawa appointed a Protestant English-speaking governor, the Métis formed a provisional government led by a charismatic 25-year-old named Louis Riel. They seized control of Fort Garry…
The St. Roch: RCMP Schooner That Claimed the Arctic for Canada
In 1940, a humble RCMP schooner named the St. Roch slipped out of Vancouver, bound for the treacherous Northwest Passage. Commanded by Sergeant Henry Larsen, a Danish-Canadian with a quiet resolve, the ship was built not for glory but for police patrol—yet it achieved what elite explorers had failed for centuries. Over 28 months, the St. Roch battled crushing ice, scurvy, and isolation, finally reaching Halifax in 1942 as the first vessel to complete the Passage from west to east. This episode…
Canada's Early Arctic Sovereignty: The Forgotten Story of the RCMP Schooner St. Roch
Before the Cold War, before the DEW Line, Canada's claim to the Arctic was defended by a single wooden schooner and a handful of Mounties. This episode follows the RCMP vessel St. Roch — the first ship to traverse the Northwest Passage from west to east, and the first to circumnavigate North America. We meet Sergeant Henry Larsen, the Danish-born skipper who commanded the ship through uncharted ice for over two decades, living for months at a time with Inuit families at remote posts like Pond…
Canada's Quiet Nuclear Moment: The Chalk River Reactors
In the aftermath of World War II, Canada emerged as an unlikely nuclear pioneer. This episode takes you inside the Chalk River Laboratories in the Ottawa Valley, where scientists built ZEEP—the first nuclear reactor outside the United States—and later the NRX, one of the most powerful research reactors in the world. We explore the wartime collaboration with Britain and the US, the defection of British physicist Alan Nunn May who leaked secrets to the Soviets, and the 1952 NRX meltdown that…
Canada's Unknown War: The Aroostook War and the Madawaska Republic
In the 1830s, the border between Maine and New Brunswick was a tinderbox of disputed territory and simmering nationalism. When American and Canadian lumberjacks clashed in the dense forests of the Madawaska region, the United States and Britain nearly went to war over a strip of land barely inhabited by a resilient Acadian community. This episode picks up where the 1837 Rebellions left off, exploring the forgotten conflict known as the Aroostook War: a bloodless war fueled by felled timber…
The Komagata Maru: Canada's Anti-Asian Immigration Laws
In 1914, a Japanese steamship named the Komagata Maru arrived in Vancouver's harbor carrying 376 Punjabi immigrants, mostly Sikhs, who were seeking a better life in Canada. But they were met with hostility, legal obstruction, and ultimately, military force. This episode explores the story of the Komagata Maru and the racist immigration policies that kept it at sea for two months. Lucas and Luna discuss the 'continuous journey' regulation, the role of Gurdit Singh, the legal battle led by J.…
Showing the latest 50 episodes. The full archive of 213 is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and every major podcast app — or via the RSS feed above.