Welcome back to Here & There!In this episode, we highlight The Hawai‘i International Film Festival (HIFF), which is returning this month for its 45th year. And this time, Canadian filmmakers are making a big impression.From powerful documentaries to innovative narratives, Canada’s creative presence will be felt across the festival’s programming, which spotlights cross-cultural connections across the world.In this episode, Here & There podcast host Liz Beatty teams up with her longtime colleague and collaborator, award-winning NPR personality and producer Thomas Wilmer, who calls Hawai‘i a second home. From Shōgun to Lost, Wilmer shares how Canadians have become an integral part of HIFF’s international lineupListen in on a captivating story connecting filmmakers and celebrating the shared spirit of storytelling.

This episode is from Black Cabin Studio archives, which originally aired on North Americana Podcast. Sometimes, truth outpaces even the wildest fiction, especially when it comes to family history.This week on Here & There, host and producer Liz Beatty tugs on a long-lost thread from her own family’s past — one that unravels into a surprising tale involving a British monarch, a U.S. president, a Canadian railway empire, and yes… a hot dog. Together, they played a small but pivotal role in a defining moment of North American, and global, history.Tune in for a story where lineage meets legend.

From the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco to Nelson, British Columbia — today we explore American hippie counterculture north of the 49th parallel. What if you took this cyclone of hippie spiritual thinkers and draft dodgers, free love and anti-war sentiment out of San Francisco? What if you transplanted a piece of it into an absolutely unpolarized, idyllic British Columbia town? What would all this look like almost six decades later? That’s the question we answer today. San Francisco journalist Breena Kerr went to Nelson to find the story.

In this week’s episode of Here & There, listeners will learn about a remarkable First Nations crossroads in pre-contact North America: Manitoulin Island, in northern Ontario.Join host and producer Liz Beatty as she journeys through the heart of the Great Lakes region, meeting the First Peoples whose stories and traditions illuminate Manitoulin’s role as an ancient hub. For thousands of years before Columbus, trade, ideas and culture flowed through this land, stretching from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico, the Rockies to the Atlantic coast.Discover the deep connections that shaped a continent, long before colonial borders.Thank you to Jay Kipps Band for the theme song music. This episode originally aired on the North Americana Podcast (https://www.northamericanapodcast.com/). 

The 1972 Toronto production of Godspell has taken on legendary status. Tom Hanks and Conan O’Brien have both expressed wistful admiration, wishing they’d seen it live. It wasn’t just a musical—it was a launchpad. A remarkable ensemble of young performers, many of whom would go on to become giants of comedy, first found their footing on that stage. Together, they helped redefine what funny would mean for generations.In this episode, North Americana producer Lia Grainger speaks with those who were part of that extraordinary production, those lucky enough to witness it, and others who felt its pull from the sidelines. Together, we reconstruct the world of that moment—how a combustible mix of raw comedic talent converged in one place, at one time, nearly 50 years ago.Thank you to Jay Kipps Band for the theme song music. This episode originally aired on the North Americana Podcast (https://www.northamericanapodcast.com/). Useful links:The Toronto Theatre District is a part of the Toronto Entertainment District in Downtown Toronto that contains the largest concentration of stage theatres in Canada. It is the third largest English-speaking theatre district in the world, after West End in London and Broadway in New York City. Check out the links below to learn more about the famed 1972 Godspell production or to start planning a Toronto Theatre getaway.* A great Godspell fan site (https://godspell1972.wordpress.com/)* The Theatre Museum of Canada (https://theatremuseum.ca/)* Historic Toronto (https://tayloronhistory.com/category/torontos-old-theatres/)* Toronto Theatre (https://www.toronto-theatre.com/)* Stars in the House (https://www.starsinthehouse.com/)* The Actors Fund (https://entertainmentcommunity.org/)

Nestled in the heart of Montreal, the neighbourhood of Outremont offers a compelling mix of tradition and transformation. Once a quiet residential area, it has been revitalized by gentrification into a vibrant cultural hub, brimming with hip restaurants, cozy cafés, independent galleries, artisanal shops and organic grocers. It’s an ideal place to experience the Montreal's evolving identity.Outremont is also home to one of North America’s largest Hasidic Jewish communities — a deeply religious group living side by side with a largely secular, progressive urban population. This coexistence raises fascinating questions: How does a devout community preserve its beliefs and customs within such a modern, cosmopolitan environment? And how do its members navigate relationships with neighbours whose worldviews may differ dramatically?In this episode of Here & There, North Americana producer Lia Grainger explores these questions, bringing us the story of two remarkable women from profoundly different backgrounds, who are working to bridge the cultural divide. It’s a nuanced, deeply Canadian story of identity, coexistence, and connection.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music. 

From the Black Cabin Studio archives — originally aired in January 2021.In 1934, the Chatham Coloured All-Stars made baseball history as the only all-black, small-town Ontario baseball team to become Ontario Baseball Association champions. And, they did it just one year after joining the league. National Geographic contributing writer and award-winning travel journalist Heather Greenwood Davis takes us to Chatham, Ontario to learn about this incredible team’s run for the championship. Along the way, Greenwood Davis shows us the importance of shining a light on Canada’s shockingly little-known Black history, its widely whitewashed role in North American civil rights history and the fight that continues to get these trailblazing men the recognition they have so long deserved.Useful links:* Chatham Kent Black Historical Society and Black Mecca Museum (https://ckbhs.org/)* Chatham Sports Hall of Fame (https://chathamsportshalloffame.com/)* A Sporting Chance: Achievements of African-Canadian Athletes — By Bill Humber (https://www.dundurn.com/books/Sporting-Chance%20)* Breaking the Colour Barrier Project, from the University of Windsor (http://cdigs.uwindsor.ca/BreakingColourBarrier/)* The Negro League Baseball Museum (https://nlbm.com/)* Chatham All-Stars Etsy page (comic book and cards (https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ChathamAllStars?ref=nla_listing_details)

French roots go deep here in Canada, but today, those culinary roots are wonderfully tangled up with the recipes, stories and delicious kitchen inventions of cooks from around the world. In this episode, we explore how old-world traditions live on, how they’ve exerted influence south of the border, and how they’ve become intertwined with the traditions of new arrivals. Bon appetit!Special thanks to James Gray (https://www.jamesgraymusic.ca/) for our theme song music. Useful links:Museum of Jewish Montrea (http://imjm.ca/)lSchwartz's Deli (https://www.schwartzsdeli.com/)St. Viateur Bagel (https://www.stviateurbagel.com/)Fairmont Bagel (https://fairmountbagel.com/)Falafel Yoni (https://www.falafelyoni.com/)Arthur's Nosh Bar (https://arthursmtl.com/)Jonathan Olivier's story about the Acadia - Acadiana connection (https://bittersoutherner.com/lche-pas-les-langues-de-la-louisiane-louisiana-french-kouri-vini)Toup's Meatery (http://toupsmeatery.com/)Gran Pré National Historic Site (https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/lhn-nhs/ns/grandpre)The Kilted Chef (https://kiltedchef.ca/)Nina Caplan (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=nina%20caplan%20food%20writer&rls=en)

This week, we’re reprising this special episode from early in our first season, as it just won the gold Award for Best Podcast from the North American Travel Journalists Association. And by the way, another Here & There episode took the bronze as well. Below, hear the surprising story of how this young freckle-faced P.E.I. protagonist took by storm on another island half a world away.If you aren't familiar with Anna Green Gables — dare we ask, where have you been? Because of this book, this story is everywhere. It was written at the turn of the 20th century by P.E.I. resident Lucy Maud Montgomery, and it was published in the summer of 1908. The book was an immediate sensation. Readers were charmed by the central character, young Anne Shirley, a feisty orphan girl with red hair. The story follows Anne as she's adopted by aging brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. It’s one of the best selling books in Canada of all time, not to mention Anne movies, TV shows, musicals and cartoons. Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music.

You've seen them: the black and white image of ironworkers eating lunch on a beam in the skies above New York City. Meet the Kahnawá:ke Mohawks who, over the past century, have helped build America’s most iconic skyline. In this episode, we learn about their storied home across the bridge from Montreal in Kahnawake Mohawk Territory, a place that could not be more different than the city they helped build.Every July, the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory comes alive with an exciting annual event: the Echoes of a Proud Nation Powwow (https://kahnawakepowwow.com/#). For more than three decades, this powwow has been held to honour the Oka Crisis, a land dispute that shone light on Indigenous sovereignty and social justice. Today, this powwow is a lively, colourful weekend-long celebration drawing in thousands of tourists as the biggest influx of visitors Kahnawake sees all year.But during a quieter time and you will be rewarded because there’s another story in Kahnawake — one that’s touched virtually every local family in one way or another. And once you know that story, you’ll begin to find evidence of it all over town. It’s a story that has allowed the people of Kahnawake to reach far beyond the borders of their nation and shape worlds far, far away.Thanks to James Gray (https://www.jamesgraymusic.ca/) for our theme song music.Useful links* Watch the NFB documentary High Steel * Skywalkers: A Portrait of Mohawk Ironworkers at the World Trade Center * Watch a thirteen-part documentary series about the Mohawks of Quebec (http://www.mohawkironworkers.com/)* Kahnawà:ke Tourism (https://kahnawaketourism.com/)* Indigenous Tourism Quebec (https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=indigenous%20tourism%20quebec&rls=en)

First published on Black Cabin Studio’s NorthAmericanaPodcast.com In today’s episode, we head west, just off the shores of Vancouver, B.C. With the help of talented journalist Lavonne Leong, we explore thriving Hawaiian roots on Canada’s Salt Spring Island, which dates back to a time long before Canada and the United States were formed. It's a fascinating story. Listen in.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music. 

For senior producer Lia Grainger, the film industry has been a part of Vancouver's identity for as long as she can remember. Working in the TV and movie business has always been something that just happened to people around her. But here’s the thing — she never had a clear understanding of why Vancouver became the go-to spot in North America, after Los Angeles, to make films and TV, until now. Listen in as Grainger traces it all back to one thrilling, one-of-a-kind movie that was shot in Vancouver in the early ‘90s.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music. 

In today's episode, award-winning contributing producer Scott Gurian takes us to Montreal, QC., a city often split between languages and cultures, yet passionately united behind their love of the iconic hockey team, the Montreal Canadiens. But as Scott reveals, Montreal is far more than just another hockey-crazy town. To “Habs” fans province-wide, hockey embodies the spirit of Quebecois people, their history and culture. Listen in as Scott tells us why.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music. 

In today's episode, award-winning contributing producer Scott Gurian takes us to Montreal, QC., a city often split between languages and cultures, yet passionately united behind their love of the iconic hockey team, the Montreal Canadiens. But as Scott reveals, Montreal is far more than just another hockey-crazy town. To “Habs” fans province-wide, hockey embodies the spirit of Quebecois people, their history and culture. Listen in as Scott tells us why.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music. 

As Canadians, we think we know every permutation of “cottage country”. But have you heard of the “Cape Cod of the Midwest”. In this episode, we take you there. Spoiler alert — there will be deep-fried cheese curds. Look at a map of Wisconsin, U.S., and you'll see the peninsula jutting out into Lake Michigan on the eastern side of the state, kind of like a thumb — that’s Door County. The Door County Peninsula, with Green Bay on the western flank, has long been kind of a midwest cottage country, actually for more than a century. And not surprisingly this region’s history all connects to water, from boat-building to bayside family-run lodges, restaurants and boutique business of every kind. There are quaint white clapboard towns along 300 miles of shoreline, something from another era, all with ocean-like views (though yes, it is Lake Michigan). And the rocky alkaline soils of the Niagara Escarpment that define the geography of Door County also create perfect conditions for growing cherry trees, apple trees, and a multitude of other agricultural delights. Fun fact: Door County has the largest number of historic lighthouses of any county in America — who would think Wisconsin could boast that? Today we explore it all with award-winning NPR podcaster and radio personality Tom Wilmer. Listen in...

Nova Scotia is a province home to some amazing sights: the Bay of Fundy, Halifax, and of course, anywhere along Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail. But in a province with 13,000 kilometres of coastline where you are never more than 50 km away from the ocean, there is a town nowhere near the Atlantic Ocean drawing crowds from across the globe. Award-winning musicians, dancers, international yachters, world-class inventors and more have all flocked to this one area for a long time. Located on the shores of Bras d’Or Lake estuary is Baddeck, a small village situated in the heart of Cape Breton - so small that Cabot Trail-bound travellers might easily overlook it as they head to Cape Breton’s famous and fabulous ocean vistas; but that would be a huge mistake. We would argue that Baddeck is the ideal home base for exploring the famed coastal trail and understanding what makes this whole region so special.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music.

I know we’re in the final days of summer, but if you’re planning a winter getaway, ponder this: Experiencing the aurora borealis, the northern lights, hit the top ten of almost every official travel bucket list, often in the number one spot. Today, we take you to two great places in Canada to catch this other-worldly phenomenon. Yes, you’ll learn a lot about the northern lights, but we’ve also dug a little deeper — uncovering how some amateur Alberta night sky watchers turned on their heads the science world that studies the aurora. Our award-winning producer, Lia Granger, has this fantastic story.

Today we ask a question unthinkable for many Canadians: were the Group of Seven painters really that great? Now before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, we’re not defaming these most iconic of Canadian landscape artists. But here’s what we have in mind.  We’re revisiting the meteoric global rise of these remarkable early 20th century painters through a modern-day lens — not discounting the greatness of their original work, but asking Canadians to challenge the story we’ve all told ourselves with a bit more nuance and complexity.  So we thought, who better to explore this modern perspective than an objective outsider who didn’t grow up with these paintings in every classroom, on coasters in your parents’ living room or in gift shops from Vancouver to Halifax? Someone who might pose the questions that we Canadians might not even think to ask. Award-winning American NPR producer Scott Gurian finds the story on an Ontario road trip that both art lovers and outdoorsy types would relish retracing.

My husband (and production partner) Tim and I knew we wanted to do something special to mark the recent 80th anniversary of D-Day on June 6, and the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Tim’s dad was a Wellington, then Lancaster pilot for six years of WWII — the only member of his original squadron to survive the war. Even among Hollywood portrayals of pilots like Pete Peters, who beat the odds (I’m thinking Memphis Bell, Masters of the Air and others), Pete was a unicorn. All these years later, with Pete gone for decades and a resurgence in fascination with the sacrifices of this greatest generation, it’s still hard to glimpse any true sense of what Pete and others like him went through. In this episode, we try to do just that — in two parts — beginning with a firsthand glimpse into the world of those RCAF pilots in the last great war and then exploring the astounding contributions on the home front that kept all the Allied pilots in the air en route to victory. Listen in… 

Our trusty 60s-era Twin Otter fires up for a flight to the Torngat Mountains National Park in Northern Labrador that will feel not unlike passing through the looking glass. Azure skies and the bright red plane wing contrast a lacework of rivers, estuaries and coastal mountains below. Slowly, the land begins, almost rising up beneath us as we approach Canada's tallest mountains east of the Rockies. Forests begin to disappear, revealing bald, ancient rock, craggy and striated by glaciers long gone. Icebergs appear along the shore, the size of a city block. The weather is good. So somewhere north of Nain, our pilot delivers on a promise to fly low, keeping an eye out for polar bears. And minutes later, there she is — a mother leading her cub over a rocky mound of an island that seems just afloat in the North Atlantic. Though teeming with wildlife of far-northern climes, this natural wonderland below is still nowhere near the most compelling reason to come here. In this very special episode, we find out what is.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music. Subscribe to Canadian Geographic's newsletters for exclusive photographs and more information about this episode of Here & There.