Advertise on podcast: Curious Canadian History

In the aftermath of 9/11, Canada went to war in Afghanistan. What began as a mission to dismantle al-Qaeda and topple the Taliban became a grinding, thirteen-year campaign of combat, counterinsurgency, and nation-building. More than 40,000 Canadians served. 158 soldiers and a diplomat died, and more than 1,500 Canadians were wounded. Yet, in August 2021, the Taliban returned to power, leaving difficult questions about the war’s costs, consequences, and legacy. For the next several weeks we here at Curious Canadian History are going to look at this war from some rather unique perspectives: this will include first-hand accounts, the controversy surrounding an official history of the war, a campaign to earn one Canadian soldier a Victoria Cross, and spotlights on key events that have come to shape the experience. To start with, we are doing an historical overview of the conflict itself. How did it start? What were objectives? How did these objectives change? And what is the lasting legacy of the war? The wonderful people at the Canadian War Museum are also exploring this defining conflict in its just finished eight-episode series, The Long War. For this episode I am joined by Museum historian Andrew Burtch to examine Canada’s experience in Afghanistan and the lessons that remain. Andrew has been a historian at the CWM since 2006 and has written extensively on Canada’s military history with particular focus on Afghanistan. He is also the co-creator of the CWM’s podcast on Afghanistan. Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week’s CCH spotlight episode looks at the Air India bombing in June 1985, when a bomb planted by Sikh extremists exploded aboard Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 travelling from Montreal to London and onward to India. The aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people aboard, including 280 Canadian citizens. The attack was linked to extremists associated with the movement for an independent Sikh homeland, Khalistan, and was motivated by anger over the Indian government’s 1984 military operation against the Golden Temple in Amritsar. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history and one of the deadliest acts of aviation terrorism worldwide. Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when terrorism is no longer driven by an organized group, a formal hierarchy, or a clearly defined ideology—but by a single individual acting alone? In Canada, so-called “lone wolf” terrorism has become one of the most difficult and misunderstood forms of political violence to define and confront. Today we are going to explore the history of lone actor terrorism in Canada, tracing its roots through the twentieth century and examining how its motivations and characteristics have evolved in the twenty-first. What drives an individual to commit an act of terrorism? How important are religion, ideology, and gender? And what can some of Canada’s most significant lone-actor attacks tell us about the changing nature of terrorism? But perhaps the most troubling question is what happens when there is no organization to infiltrate, no leader to identify, and no conspiracy to uncover. How do you stop someone who may have no accomplices, no obvious network, and no warning that they are about to act? And as we look at the history of lone actor terrorism in Canada, we may discover that the greatest challenge isn't understanding what happened—but recognizing what might happen next. Joining us today is Professor Steven Hewitt. Steve Hewitt is Associate Professor of North American history at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. He has published extensively around topics related to security and intelligence, including terrorism and counter-terrorism in the past and present. His new book, A History of Terrorism in Canada, will be published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in October. Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step into the turbulent birth of Vancouver through the story of Gassy Jack and Quahail-ya. This episode explores ambition, colonial power, and a deeply controversial marriage, while tracing how Quahail-ya outlived Deighton to become a respected matriarch, reshaping the legacy of a woman long overshadowed by the city's founder's myth. Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Prohibition-era Vancouver, getting drunk meant slipping through hidden doors into smoky backrooms, whispering passwords, and drinking bootleg whiskey poured from unmarked bottles. Police raids were always possible, yet jazz, laughter, and clinking glasses filled the night as speakeasies (blind pigs) thrived, proving that banning alcohol never stopped Vancouverites from raising a glass. To explore this incredible history we went on an incredible walking tour with Will Woods from Forbidden Vancouver. Will started this coming many years ago and has refined it into one of Vancouver’s favorite historic attractions. For any of those in Vancouver or visiting Vancouver soon make sure to check out all the tours offered by Forbidden Vancouver at forbiddenvancouver.ca Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this CCH spotlight episode we 'dive' into the history of the Welland Canal, or really, the Canals. A major infrastructure project that shaped the economic future of the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario and Canada. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Lake Ontario has surged into headlines after President Donald Trump ordered it renamed "Lake America" for U.S. federal use, igniting outrage across Canada. The centuries-old name—shared by a lake that's more than half Canadian—has become the latest flashpoint in an escalating cross-border political and cultural dispute. To kick off our 12th season we are diving deep into the history of Lake Ontario.   Daniel Macfarlane is a Professor in the School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability at Western Michigan University. His most recent book is "The Lives of Lake Ontario: An Environmental History" (September 2024). Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This summer reboot looks at the fall of Hong Kong in December 1941. **Announcement** - Season 12 kicks off next week! First episode of the new season drops September 8th! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a reboot from an episode we did back in season 10 when President Donal Trump was first elected and completely upended the economic relationship with Canada in a shocking application of across the board tariffs. Sadly, it seems that history is repeating! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our summer reboot takes us to 1970 when the Vancouver Women's Caucus heads to Ottawa to protest Canada's changing but still restricted laws on abortion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A summer reboot series looking at the challenges of mustering the militia in Upper Canada when British North America was threatened by American invasions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Verendrye family played a crucial role in expanding French knowledge of western North America during the eighteenth century. Led by Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Vérendrye, and later assisted by his sons, they established a network of trading posts stretching from Lake Superior to present-day Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Their expeditions strengthened the French fur trade, forged alliances with many Indigenous nations, and greatly improved European maps of the interior. Although they never found the long-sought route to the Pacific Ocean, their journeys opened the Canadian Prairies to further exploration and laid the groundwork for later western expansion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even though Season 11 has officially ended we still have a few summer gems for you listeners. For this episode of our Summer Reboot series we go back to the 1850s and look at the Pig War of 1859 in an episode we did back in Season 4. The Pig War was a bloodless border dispute between Britain and the United States on the San Juan Islands. Triggered when an American settler shot a British-owned pig, both nations deployed troops. Diplomacy prevailed, and international arbitration in 1872 awarded the islands to the United States. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture a quiet harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Calm waters. Towering forests. It seems peaceful enough—but beneath that surface lies a story that helped shape Canada's Pacific coast. Long before warships lined the docks, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived here. Then came explorers, empires, sailors, and soldiers, each leaving their mark on what would become Esquimalt Harbour. How was this natural harbour connected to broader British imperial interests in Latin America? And how did it allow the British to project imperial power over the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest? Was this the final key in completing the Canadian project?   "Scott Stephen is a historian and educator based in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is currently working in education policy and as a consultant for Trailmark Systems. Scott’s research areas include British imperial history, British Columbia’s history and naval history. His work on the Esquimalt naval base began during his graduate studies at UBC, and he won the Jacques Cartier MA prize for 2024 from the Canadian Nautical Research Society for his thesis. His recent article “Esquimalt and its Latin American Connection: Linking British Concerns in Pacific Latin America to the Establishment of a Naval Base on Vancouver Island”, published in the Canadian Historical Review, repositions Pacific Latin America as an essential component to the navy’s interest in Esquimalt Harbour circa 1858 and details the larger imperial context within which that interest arose. Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca         Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture a quiet harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Calm waters. Towering forests. It seems peaceful enough—but beneath that surface lies a story that helped shape Canada's Pacific coast. Long before warships lined the docks, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived here. Then came explorers, empires, sailors, and soldiers, each leaving their mark on what would become Esquimalt Harbour. How did this sheltered stretch of water become the birthplace of Canada's Pacific Navy? And why has it remained strategically important for more than 150 years?   Scott Stephen is a historian and educator based in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is currently working in education policy and as a consultant for Trailmark Systems. Scott’s research areas include British imperial history, British Columbia’s history and naval history. His work on the Esquimalt naval base began during his graduate studies at UBC, and he won the Jacques Cartier MA prize for 2024 from the Canadian Nautical Research Society for his thesis. His recent article “Esquimalt and its Latin American Connection: Linking British Concerns in Pacific Latin America to the Establishment of a Naval Base on Vancouver Island”, published in the Canadian Historical Review, repositions Pacific Latin America as an essential component to the navy’s interest in Esquimalt Harbour circa 1858 and details the larger imperial context within which that interest arose. Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History! Hostile History on Spotify Hostile History on Apple Hostile History on Amazon 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 Indigo Dundurn Goodreads Indiebookstores.ca Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.