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Curious Canadian History
David Borys
199 episodes
5 days ago

Historian David Borys dives deep into the fascinating world of Canadian history in this bi-weekly podcast exploring everything from the wonderful to the weird to the downright dark.




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All content for Curious Canadian History is the property of David Borys and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Historian David Borys dives deep into the fascinating world of Canadian history in this bi-weekly podcast exploring everything from the wonderful to the weird to the downright dark.




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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History
Education,
Society & Culture
Episodes (20/199)
Curious Canadian History
The Conflict and Culture Podcast S1E4 The Good Allies - Rest in Peace Tim Cook


On October 26th news broke of the passing of Canadian historian Tim Cook. Tim was a leading voice in the field of Canadian military history and the chief historian and director of research at the Canadian War museum. He is someone I personally have known for most of my academic career and he has been a mentor at times for me during a variety of ups and downs throughout my career. In August I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim about his most recent book The Good Allies, and with the news of his passing I thought it fitting to release this episode right away.


When the Second World War broke out in 1939, it set in motion a deadly struggle between the Axis powers and the Allies, but also fraught negotiations between and among the Allies. On questions of diplomacy, economic policy, industrial might, military capabilities, and even national sovereignty, thousands of lives and the fate of the free world depended on back-room deals and desperate trade-offs between soldiers, diplomats, and leaders.


In North America, Canada and the US strained to forge a new military alliance to guard their coasts and fend off German U-boats and the menace of a Japanese invasion. Wartime economies were entwined to produce a staggering contribution of weapons to keep Britain and other allies in the war. The defence of North America against enemy threats was essential before the US and Canada could send armies, navies, and air forces overseas

 

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5 days ago
42 minutes 52 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S11E3 Unceded Territory and Land Rights in British Columbia


In British Columbia, land acknowledgements often refer to “unceded territory.” Yet many people remain uncertain about the history behind these words or their implications for the future of the province. B.C. has a long history of injustice toward First Nations where government officials refused to negotiate treaties and instead coerced First Nations onto small and scattered reserves while granting settlers access to vast tracts of land. Despite sustained Indigenous resistance, the situation only worsened as non-Indigenous demands for land and natural resources increased in the decades that followed confederation. Understanding this process provides much of the context behind the province’s current reconciliation efforts, including modern treaty negotiations.

 

George Abbott, PhD, enjoyed thirty-five years in elected public office, including seventeen years as MLA for Shuswap and twelve years as a cabinet minister. Among his portfolios were Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation. George has published several scholarly articles on BC’s political history including the award winning article “Persistence of Colonial Prejudice and Policy in British Columbia’s Indigenous Relations: Did the Spirit of Joseph Trutch Haunt Twentieth-Century Resource Development?” George’s most recent book was published in September 2025 through Purich Books/UBC Press titled Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Today. 


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1 week ago
56 minutes 34 seconds

Curious Canadian History
The Conflict and Culture Podcast S1E3 - The Sacred Band of Thebes

The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite military unit of 300 highly trained heavy infantry soldiers (hoplites), famously composed of 150 pairs of male lovers. Formed in the 4th century BCE the Thebans, who came from a uniquely gay-tolerant society, believed that soldiers would fight more ferociously to protect their partners and to avoid showing cowardice in front of them. They were not wrong. The Sacred Band quickly became the shock troops of the Theban army and one of the most dominant phalanx formations of the Ancient Greek world. While most people think of the Spartans when they think of Greek military excellence in the classical world most would also be surprised to know that the Sacred Band went on to not only defeat the Spartans but establish Thebes as a dominant, albeit short-term, power in Greece.


James Romm is Professor of Classics at Bard College and author of numerous books on Greek history and culture, including, Plato and the Tyrant: The Fall of Greece's Greatest Dynasty and the Making of a Philosophic Masterpiece (Norton). Most recently he has published his biography of Demosthenes as part of Yale's Ancient Lives series.

 

 

For ad-free content sign up to Patreon today! The Conflict and Culture Podcast at Patreon

 

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You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:

 

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2 weeks ago
34 minutes 4 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S11E2 Buying Bombs: Defence Procurement in Canada

What is it called when the Canadian Armed Forces go about purchasing something? It’s called procurement. While most Canadians probably understand that the CAF goes through some process to buy new equipment very few truly understand how deeply complex the process actually is. Defence procurement involves several federal agencies and several different stages. Recently, the Canadian government has announced a new initiative called the Defence Investment Agency which is an agency designed to streamline the procurement process. Effectively, making it easier, and quicker, to buy the things we need. This is a major step forward in Prime Minister Carney’s vision of a modern and responsive CAF supported by significant government funding and part of the long-term plan to make the CAF a 21st century leading middle power military.

 

In order to break down this complex process we’ve brought on Philippe Lagassé. Philippe is an Associate Professor and the Barton Chair at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. Lagassé’s research focuses on defence policy and procurement, executive power, and the Westminster system, notably in the areas of foreign and military affairs. In addition to his academic work, Lagassé has served as an advisor and consultant to the Canadian government. Between 2012-2014 he was a member of the Independent Review Panel overseeing the evaluation of options to replace Canada’s CF-18 fighter aircraft, and was a member of the Independent Review Panel for Defence Acquisition within the Department of National Defence from 2015 to 2022. In 2025, Lagassé was awarded the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service for his “exceptional contribution to Canadian defence policy” by the Chief of the Defence Staff.

 

Lagassé is the co-author of a new book, Overseen or Overlooked: Legislators, Armed Forces, and Democratic Accountability, published with Stanford University Press. The book compares parliamentary oversight of military and defence affairs in fifteen counties.


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3 weeks ago
1 hour 4 minutes 23 seconds

Curious Canadian History
The Conflict and Culture Podcast - S1E2 Comic Books and the Second World War

Illustration has been an integral part of human history. Particularly before the advent of media such as photography, film, television, and now the Internet, illustrations in all their variety had been the primary visual way to convey history. The comic book, which emerged in its modern form in the 1930s, was another form of visual entertainment that gave readers, especially children, a form of escape. As World War II began, however, comic books became a part of propaganda as well, providing information and education for both children and adults. Comic books were widely disseminated amongst soldiers and became an integral form of media consumption for much of the conflict and for decades after.

To dive into this subject we have brought on historian Cord A. Scott. Cord has a Doctorate in American History from Loyola University Chicago and currently serves as a professor of history for the University of Maryland Global Campus for Asia. He is the author of Comics and Conflict, Four Colour Combat, and The Mud and the Mirth: Marine Corps comics of WWI. He has written for several encyclopedias, academic journals such as the International Journal of Comic Art, the Journal of Popular Culture, the Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, and in several books on aspects of cultural history. He resides in Okinawa, Japan.

 

Don't forget to follow The Conflict and Culture Podcast today!

 

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1 month ago
48 minutes 46 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S11E1 Canadian Punk Rock Takes Over the World

After punk found commercial success in the ’90s, with bands like Green Day, the Offspring, and Blink-182, a new wave of punk bands emerged, each embodying the DIY spirit of the movement in their own way. While Southern California remained the spiritual home of punk rock in the early 2000s, an unexpected influx of eager punks from Canada took the world by storm, changing the genre forever.

 

This incredible period of music is explored by authors Matt Bobkin and Adam Feibel in their book In Too Deep: When Canadian Punks Took Over the World . Both authors are Toronto-based music journalists whose work has appeared in Exclaim!, Bandcamp, VICE, the National Post, and the Toronto Star. In Too Deep is their first book. I began our conversation by asking Adam and Matt what exactly is punk rock music?


In Too Deep playlist:

  • Spotify
  • Apple Music



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1 month ago
45 minutes 33 seconds

Curious Canadian History
*Brand New Podcast* The Conflict and Culture Podcast Ep1 - The Myth of the Clean Wehrmacht

David Borys has started a brand new podcast and we here at CCH are bringing you its very first episode. The Conflict and Culture Podcast explores everything and anything to do with military history beyond the battlefield. Please head on over to the show page on Apple and Spotify and click follow!


For the first episode we look at the myth of the "clean Wehrmacht," the false belief that the regular German armed forces were not involved in Nazi war crimes or the Holocaust, but were instead a professional, apolitical body separate from the Nazi regime. This myth, propagated by former Wehrmacht officers and generals after World War II, was used to protect the institution's reputation and facilitate West Germany's rearmament during the Cold War. For decades since the war it has also contributed to wide spread misunderstandings about the war and about the Wehrmacht and Nazi war crimes. To unpack this complicated topic we have brought on historian Waitman Beorn.


Waitman Wade Beorn, is a 2000 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and an Associate Professor in History at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. Dr. Beorn was previously the Director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, VA and the inaugural Blumkin Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. His first book, Marching Into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard University Press) Dr. Beorn is also the author of The Holocaust in Eastern Europe: At the Epicenter of the Final Solution (Bloomsbury Press, 2018) and has most recently published a book on the Janowska concentration camp outside of Lviv, Ukraine, tentatively entitled Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv (University of Nebraska Press, 2024). He is currently working on an AHRC-funded project that seeks to create a digital reconstruction of the Janowska concentration camp. 

           Dr. Beorn teaches courses in Holocaust History, Comparative Genocide, German history, Eastern European history, Antisemitism, Modern European history, Jewish history, Historical Methodology, Public history, and Digital history. He is also the Scholar-in-Residence for the Auschwitz Jewish Center’s American Service Academy Program where he instructs service academy cadets in military ethical decision-making using the Holocaust. Dr. Beorn’s work also forms the basis for the Ordinary Soldiers lesson program used by ROTC and the US Army. Dr. Beorn is also the host of The Holocaust History Podcast


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1 month ago
1 hour 41 seconds

Curious Canadian History
Season 11 Episode 1 coming September 23rd!!
While the summer may be coming to an end it's not all bad news because Curious Canadian History is coming back for Season 11! The first episode airs September 23rd and we are pumped for what is going to be a fascinating season!

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2 months ago
49 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E22 The Birth of the Canadian Flag


Surprise! We here at CCH decided to drop a special final episode for Season 10. The Canadian flag is iconic. In almost all parts of the globe people recognize the red maple leaf as distinctly ours, or at the very least a symbol of us…Canadians. Yet, the modern flag’s birth is a story of complexity and is utterly fascinating. It comes out of a distinctly unique period where Canada was changing dramatically and today represents a very modern sense of what it means to be Canadian. Happy Canada Day everyone!

 

Forrest Pass is a Curator in the Programs Division at Library and Archives Canada and a vexillologist, or flag historian. His writing on the flags, coats of arms, and other national symbols has appeared in the Canadian Historical Review, the Journal of American Studies, the Canadian Parliamentary Review, the Literary Review of Canada, and British Columbia History and he is a regular commentator on the history and use of flags for national and international media. He is also editorial director of the Flag Research Center. He holds a PhD in Canadian History from the University of Western Ontario, and prior to joining LAC in 2019, he worked as an historian at the Canadian Museum of History, where he curated the museum’s 2015 exhibit marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Canadian flag, and as Saguenay Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority, where he designed coats of arms, flags, and badges for Canadian citizens and institutions as part of the national honours system. 

 


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4 months ago
46 minutes 59 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E21 Unpacking the Baggage: The 2025 Federal Election

The 2025 Federal Election was one of the most dynamic and issue-filled elections to have occurred since the 1980s. Threats to Canadian sovereignty, an unpredictable US president, issues over Canadian defence, a glaringly vulnerable economy, a global order that seems to be more and more unstable coupled with a brand new Prime Minister attempting to prove to the voting public that he is the right man for the job. The outcome of the election identified serious fault lines within Canada. A massive boost of popular support to the Conservatives with an even larger boost of public support for the Liberals at the expense of the near decimation of the NDP which witnessed an incredible political comeback to victory. In this episode we tackle the 2025 Federal Election, what happened, why did it happen, and how did we get to this point.

 

To “unpack” this important event we have brought on Richard Johnston. Richard is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Canada Research Chair Emeritus in Public Opinion, Elections, and Representation at UBC. He has also taught at the University of Toronto, the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University (Mackenzie King chair, 1994-5), and the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author or co-author of six books, four on Canadian politics and two on US Politics. He has co-edited five other books and has written over one hundred articles and book chapters. Much of his work focuses on party systems, elections and public opinion in Canada, the US, and Germany. In 2017, he was given the Mildred Schwartz prize for lifetime achievement in the study of Canadian politics and is a Fellow of the American Academy for Arts and Sciences.


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4 months ago
56 minutes 48 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E20 The Trans-Canada Highway: A Nation Connected

The Trans-Canada highway is such a part of the everyday Canadian experience that we often take this lengthy route for granted. Across this country many Canadians drive on it every single day, most without realizing that they are on one the most important infrastructure projects in Canadian history. But this highway is so much more than just a simple strip of asphalt. It represents a period in Canada where the nation was flourishing in the post-war world and where leaders sought to connect Canadians like never before. This form of connection would come to represent some iconic historical moments but more importantly would further unite a country seeking to define itself in the 20th century.

 

For today’s topic we are chatting with historian and fellow podcaster Craig Baird. Craig is the creator and host of Canadian History Ehx, a podcast that delves into Canada's history to tell the story of the good, the bad and the weird. He can also be heard across Canada each weekend talking about Canada's history on the Corus Radio Network. In May, he released his first history book, Canada's Main Street: The Epic Story of the Trans-Canada Highway. If he isn't writing about Canada's history, and sharing our nation's stories online, he is visiting historical locations and traveling to second-hand bookstores to build his research library.


Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


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4 months ago
33 minutes 36 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E19 War Criminals in Canada: A Canadian Cover Up?


In 2024 Jared McBride, Professor at UCLA, conducted a research methodology class with his students. As Jared is an expert on war crimes they investigated war criminals in North America and through their research shifted focus to Nazi war criminals who were able to settle in Canada in the aftermath of the Second World War. In the process of this project, they uncovered an incredible list. Known as the Deschênes List, it was a two-page list written from 1986 that identified hundreds of suspected Nazi war criminals who were allowed to settle in Canada after the Second World War. This was a massive discovery. For decades this list was considered classified by the Canadian government and thought to be inaccessible to the general public. Yet, it very much was available, and Jared and his team found it after simply digging online. In the aftermath of this finding the continued work by Jared and his colleagues have uncovered a problematic and questionable process where the Canadian government, and in turn Library Archives Canada, has obfuscated efforts to gain access to the rest of the records regarding this issue, thousands of still classified pages. This is particularly stark when compared to the U.S. who, in the late 1990s, ordered all documents, millions of pages, to be opened up to the public.

 

Jared McBride is an Assistant Professor in the History Department at UCLA who specializes in Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe in the 20th century with a focus on nationalist movements, mass violence, interethnic conflict, and war crimes prosecution. His research has been supported by the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the Fulbright-Hays Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council, among others, and he has published in  Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Journal of Genocide Research, Kritika,  and Slavic Review . Presently, he is completing a book manuscript concerning interethnic violence and local perpetrators in Nazi-occupied western Ukraine. 



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5 months ago
1 hour 6 minutes 19 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E18 - Canada's Titanic: The Sinking of the Empress of Ireland

The St. Lawrence River can turn treacherous in a second. What was just a moment ago clear sailing can suddenly into dangerous fog and almost no visibility. In 1914 the Empress of Ireland learnt this firsthand and what ensued is the deadliest maritime tragedy in peace time Canadian history. 


To help us dive into this subject today we’ve brought on Eve Lazarus. Eve is a reporter, author and the host and producer of the Cold Case Canada true crime podcast. She has written eleven non-fiction books, and her books have been shortlisted for several awards including the Arthur Ellis Award; the City of Vancouver Book Award, and BC Book Prizes. Eve’s latest book is Beneath Dark Waters: The legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck. You can get more information on Eve at her website evelazarus.com .





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5 months ago
40 minutes 26 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E17 The Frank Slide - A Town Buried Under Rock

The town of Frank, Alberta is tucked into the bosom of Turtle Mountain which sits in the beautiful Crows Pass of the majestic Rocky Mountains. In the early 20th century, the town revolved around the local coal mine. 100 men (out of roughly 600 people who lived in Frank) worked at the mine. A couple dozen were working the night shift when in late April 1903 over 100 million tonnes of limestone came crashing down from the mountain. What ensued was the deadliest rockslide in Canadian history.


To help us dive into this subject today we’ve brought on Andee Groat. Born and raised in the stunning mountains of the Crowsnest Pass, Andee Groat got her start at the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre as summer student. With over 6 years of experience, she worked her way up to her current position as the Coordinator of Visitor Services. The centre operates all year round and is open to the public and for hosting tour groups. People can check out the website (frankslide.ca) and social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) for up-to-date information about what’s going on around the Interpretive Centre. When not at work, Andee enjoys time outdoors hiking and tackling her next embroidery project.  


Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


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6 months ago
36 minutes 6 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E16 Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867

Today we are changing things up! Several months ago David published his newest book titled Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 which is a single-volume history of the Canadian Armed Forces at war since confederation. This book has proved timely. In recent months the Canadian military has been in the news frequently, more so than at any point since the end of Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan in 2011. Part of the rhetoric surrounding the CAF addresses current issues of sovereignty and our ability (or lack thereof) to protect said sovereignty. Much of this is focused on the Arctic, however, there are also rampant discussions of Russia’s threat to Europe and Canada’s brigade group that is currently expanding in size in Latvia. Even the upcoming election has leaders putting defence issues at the forefront, something not seen in an election for decades. With the zeitgeist being as it is CCH has decided to change up the format for today and post an episode from the podcast Witness to Yesterday – brought to us by the Champlain Society and University of Toronto Press. Recently David was on discussing his new book and the state of the military today, so for today’s CCH episode David will be the interviewee and Larry Ostola will be the interviewer. 



Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


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6 months ago
41 minutes 34 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E15 - The Beatles in Canada with Terry O'Reilly

The Beatles are one of the most influential bands in the history of popular music. When they arrived in North America in the early 1960s, they forever changed the musical landscape. Countless musicians in both Canada and the United States speak of the arrival of the Beatles as if it was their own personal musical awakening and there are untold numbers of modern day rock stars who publicly state that their entrance into music was because of the ‘Fab 4’. The ‘arrival’ of the Beatles in North America is often attributed to their famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964. What many don’t know is that the Beatles had already established a presence on the continent before this, but in Canada.  


To help us dive into this incredible subject we have brought on legendary broadcaster and radio personality Terry O’Reilly. Terry has had a long career in radio and broadcasting including CBC shows such as The Age of Persuasion and O’Reilly on Advertising. He has published several books on marketing and Canadian society and his most recent book titled My Best Mistake: Epic Fails and Silver Linings won the National Business Book Award in 2022. Terry is also the creator and host of the podcast Under the Influence which has just launched a new series called The Beatlology Interviews exploring the deep influence the Beatles have had on the North American musical landscape. 



Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


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7 months ago
40 minutes 39 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E14 A Border of Blood and Dirt: Part 2

While Canada is in the midst of immense economic uncertainty as a result of Donald Trump’s wildly unpredictable tariff threats, the border is continuously brought up by the American president as a key issue in why he seeks to create such economic chaos. In today’s episode we wrap-up a two-part conversation with Benjamin Hoy on the history of the Canadian-US border. We chat about cross-border cooperation, the reaction to the border by First Nations in both countries, efforts to modernize the border post-WW1 and the historic issue of crime and the border. Finally, Ben shares some thoughts on Trump’s current obsession over the border.

Benjamin Hoy is an associate professor of history at the University of Saskatchewan. His research focuses on the creation of the Canada-US border as well as on how communities, both past and present, have learned about history through the games they play. His first book, A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada-United States Border across Indigenous Lands received the Governor General's Prize, the Albert Corey Prize, and the Best Book in Political History Prize.

Please fill out a survey here to provide feedback on what you love (or don’t love) about Curious Canadian History


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Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


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7 months ago
44 minutes 46 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E13 - A Border of Blood and Dirt: Part 1

Since the election of Donald Trump, one of the most frequently discussed issues has been that of the Canadian-American border. President Trump has labelled accusations that Canada has not done enough to stem the tide of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the US. While the veracity of Trump’s claims is hotly debated, his emphasis on the border as a concern in Washington brings up some interesting historical questions. How did this massive national delineation get created? Have drugs and immigration always been a border issue? Are there historical precedents for what Trump is arguing?


To take us through a two-parter exploring the Canadian-American border from an historical lens is historian Benjamin Hoy. Benjamin is an associate professor of history at the University of Saskatchewan. His research focuses on the creation of the Canada-US border as well as on how communities, both past and present, have learned about history through the games they play. His first book, A Line of Blood and Dirt: Creating the Canada-United States Border across Indigenous Lands received the Governor General's Prize, the Albert Corey Prize, and the Best Book in Political History Prize. 

Please fill out a survey here to provide feedback on what you love (or don’t love) about Curious Canadian History


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Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


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8 months ago
37 minutes 32 seconds

Curious Canadian History
S10E12 Trump's Tariff War



You cannot turn on the news right now without hearing about President Donald Trump’s threat to apply a 25% tariff to Canadian goods. While his claim that our border is contributing to America’s fentanyl and illegal immigrant problem may be dubious, the ramifications of a tariff war are very real. Has a tariff war like this ever happened before? How has Canada historically responded to American economic aggression? What would the consequences of a trade war be today?


To help us walk through these complex issues we have brought on economist Trevor Tombe. Trevor is a Professor at the University of Calgary’s Department of Economics and the Director of Fiscal and Economic Policy at The School of Public Policy. His research explores a broad set of topics, from international trade to public finances to fiscal federalism. He has published in top economics journals, is co-author of the textbooks Public Finance in Canada and Macroeconomics, co-editor of the recent volume Fiscal Federalism in Canada, and is Co-Director of Finances of the Nation. In addition to his academic work, he actively advises various governments on a wide range of issues (currently a member of the Government of Canada Working Group on Productivity in the Public Sector; and previously a member of the Bank of Canada panel reviewing its pandemic response) and contributes to policy development and discussions through regular op-eds, articles, and media engagement.


Website: www.trevortombe.com


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Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


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8 months ago
49 minutes

Curious Canadian History
S10E11 - Mackenzie King: The Spiritualist Prime Minister

William Lyon Mackenzie King was Canada's longest-serving Prime Minister, from 1922 to 1930 and from 1935 to 1948. Historians have ranked him as Canada's greatest Prime Minister for his political leadership in winning Canada's autonomy from the British Empire and for organizing Canada's enormous war effort that enabled Winston Churchill and President Roosevelt to lead the western allies to victory in World War II. But what many people don’t realize is that Mackenzie King was also a die-hard spiritualist. From fortune tellers, to mystics, to seances with the dead, Mackenzie King used every tool in his spiritualist toolbox to communicate with his dead family and to help guide him in important political decisions. 


To help us dive into this matter we’ve brought on the show Anton Wagner. Anton Wagner was a founding executive member of the Association for Canadian Theatre Research and has edited ten books on Canadian theatre and drama. He was the Director of Research and Managing Editor of The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre, published by Routledge. Anton was a member of the Hiroshima Nagasaki Day Coalition steering committee in Toronto for more than a decade, and produced and directed Our Hiroshima on Canada, Mackenzie King, and the atom bomb for Canadian and international television. He holds doctorates in drama (University of Toronto) and theatre (York University). Anton has recently published a two-volume history of William Lyon Mackenzie King titled The Spiritualist Prime Minister which offers a uniquely fresh look at Canada’s longest serving PM. 


Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:


Amazon

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9 months ago
26 minutes

Curious Canadian History

Historian David Borys dives deep into the fascinating world of Canadian history in this bi-weekly podcast exploring everything from the wonderful to the weird to the downright dark.




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