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On October 6, 1894, 18-year-old Frank Westwood answered the door of his family's Toronto mansion, Lakeside Hall in Parkdale. Someone standing outside shot him through the gap left by the door chain. In part one of this two-part Victorian true crime story on Canada Is Boring, Rhys Waters takes Jesse Harley through the Parkdale Mystery, the Toronto murder that caused a newspaper frenzy in 1890s Canada. Before Frank died of his stomach wound, he described the gunman as a man in dark clothes with a thin mustache. The only name he gave police was Gus Clark, a "stone hooker" his family had chased off their shoreline for digging out shale. We cover the crowded funeral and the chaotic inquest. We meet amateur sleuth W. H. Hornberry, whom the papers mocked as "Parkdale's Sherlock Holmes." We also look at how newspapers begged Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, to solve the case. Then there's the Listowel Horror, the murder of 13-year-old Jessie Keith, which set off rumours that Jack the Ripper had moved to Canada. Part one ends on a cliffhanger: police arrest a surprising new suspect, a 32-year-old woman. After the story, the Small Talk Dimension Zone covers Jesse's Tuscany wine festival trip, inspired by The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine. Jesse also shares a trick for quitting smoking with ice-cold ginger ale. Rhys helps elderly nuns at Rome's Ciampino airport, and the two trade TIFF celebrity sightings, including Jay Baruchel at the Ken Carter film Stuntman. It closes with Danny Elfman's story of writing the Batman theme in an airplane bathroom. If you like Canadian history, historical true crime, unsolved mysteries and a comedy podcast, subscribe so you don't miss part two. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Canadian stuntman Dusty Friesen didn't just drive his jet boat off a 40-foot waterfall, he spent over a year researching whether it was legal first. Which is possibly the most Canadian thing that has ever happened. On May 25, 2026, Dusty (aka Dusty Dozer) of Dawson Creek, BC took his battered jet boat Dent down the Crowsnest River in southern Alberta and straight over Lundbreck Falls, landing upright in front of a hollering crowd and simply carrying on downstream. He's calling it the highest naturally flowing waterfall ever descended in a jet boat, an unofficial world record, since Guinness doesn't have a category for it. The RCMP and conservation officers investigated. The maximum penalty? A $350 fine for careless operation of a small vessel. There was no warrant, and Dusty says he's just getting started: he wants to jump bigger than Niagara. Rhys and Jesse break down the jump, the legal loophole, the ocean-cleanup fundraising angle, and why Canadian history deserves better movies. Plus a Small Talk Dimension segment featuring a terrified golden retriever, a noisy roof flap, and the worst rental bike in Montreal. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rhys and Jesse dive into the surreal and surprisingly inspiring story of Count Binface, the intergalactic space warrior with a bin for a head who keeps showing up on UK ballot papers. Starting from the obscure 1984 sci‑fi film Hyperspace and the original character Lord Buckethead, they trace how a low‑budget movie villain evolved into a viral political figure who has stood against multiple UK prime ministers and, most recently, Nigel Farage. Along the way, they unpack the darker side of UK politics—anti‑immigrant sentiment, media manipulation, and shady political donations—contrasted with the joyful absurdity of a “joke candidate” who ends up uniting voters, humiliating extremists, and actually outperforming some serious far‑right parties at the polls. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys Waters and Jesse “Two Cups” Harley dive into the wild true story of Grand Manan Island, a tiny community in New Brunswick, Canada, that lost faith in the RCMP and carried out its own brand of mob justice. Discover how a small coastal island (population 3,000) went to war with local crack dealer Ronnie Ross—from escalating harassment and arson to gunfire, a burned-down “drug house” on Cedar Street, and the infamous “Grand Manan Five” who became local heroes. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eccentric Millionaire’s Bizarre Baby Contest in Depression-Era Canada In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys Waters and Jesse Harley dive into the unbelievable true story of Charles Vance Miller, a wealthy and eccentric Toronto lawyer whose bizarre will triggered one of the strangest competitions in Canadian history: The Great Stork Derby. Miller, a successful Toronto lawyer, O’Keefe Brewery investor, and racehorse owner, used his fortune to play elaborate pranks that tested people’s greed, morality, and hypocrisy. But his greatest “joke” came after his death in 1926, when his will offered a massive cash prize to the married couple in Ontario who had the most children over a ten-year period—during the Great Depression, when families were already struggling to survive. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this final episode of the Tinfoil Tuque series, Rhys and Jesse dive into the bizarre true story of Todd Standing, a filmmaker and wilderness guide from Alberta who actually took the British Columbia government to court over Sasquatch. Todd claims to have encountered Bigfoot in the Rocky Mountains and even filmed a large bipedal creature back in 2005. That blurry, shaky video, along with his documentary “Discovering Bigfoot” and his guided Sasquatch tours, form the backbone of his argument that Bigfoot is real, endangered, and in need of government protection. Rhys and Jesse dissect Todd’s evidence, the tone and structure of his documentary, and the way he has built a business around Bigfoot encounters. They walk through his lawsuit against the BC government, where Todd alleged a dereliction of duty and claimed his Charter rights were being violated because the province refused to recognize Sasquatch or issue an official statement on its existence. The hosts then unpack the BC Supreme Court’s response, including the judge’s conclusion that the court is not the place to decide on unproven scientific facts and that belief in Sasquatch is not an immutable personal characteristic protected by the Charter. They also discuss the infamous hair sample that turned out to be human, and the ultimate outcome: Todd’s claim was dismissed and he was ordered to pay the government’s legal costs. Along the way, the conversation veers into Bigfoot churches, dudist ministers inspired by The Big Lebowski, early-2000s-style websites, and the broader way conspiracy-flavoured thinking from the 90s and 2000s has seeped into mainstream culture. Rhys and Jesse close out the Tinfoil Tuque summer experiment by reflecting on podcast listening habits in summer, why “everyone stops listening” is mostly a production myth, and why some of their own cryptid episodes felt more hit-and-miss. They finish by teasing their return to regular Canada Is Boring programming with a wild story about a wealthy Canadian whose will turned his fortune into a series of outrageous contests designed to mess with people’s ethics from beyond the grave. If you’re into Bigfoot, weird lawsuits, or just want to hear two podcasters roast a Supreme Court–level Sasquatch case, this episode is for you. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Rhys and Jesse dive into the soggy saga of the so‑called Thetis Lake Monster—a five-foot fish-man allegedly terrorizing teens near Victoria in the 1970s. From the original reports by Robin and Gordon to the “supporting” sighting by Russell Van Nice and Mike, the story quickly unravels into exactly what it is: a teenage attention grab that somehow survived for decades online. Along the way, the hosts compare it to Ohio’s Loveland Frog, talk escaped lizards, TV creature features, and why obviously debunked stories still thrive in the age of clicks, TikToks, and conspiracy content. Plus: black‑eyed children, porn-title brainstorming, and a peek into Rhys’s workaholic routine vs. Jesse’s summer slump. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rhys and Jesse dive into the mystery of the “extinct” Eastern Cougar in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick—sharing sightings, sketchy government responses, dubious DNA tests, and why officials might prefer this big cat to stay officially dead. Along the way, they detour into conspiracy vans in Vancouver, wild listener theories, dating updates, autobahn anxiety, and the surprising sex lives of kangaroos. 0:00 – Sleep Tracking & Being Exhausted 1:00 – Introducing the Eastern Cougar “Cryptid” 2:20 – Cold Open: Conspiracies & Canada Is Boring Intro 3:38 – Back from Break: Rhys and Jesse Reunite 4:05 – Ridiculous Cryptids & Livestock Jokes 5:00 – What Is the Eastern Cougar, Really? 6:00 – Sightings, Photos & “It Just Looks Like a Cougar” 7:30 – Dashcam Cougar, Trail Cams & Blurry Evidence 9:30 – Government Takes the Tape (Conveniently Lost) 10:30 – “Mistaken Identity” Animals & Official Charts 11:55 – Cougar Bar Jokes & Karaoke Research 13:00 – Biologists, DNA Evidence & Exotic Pets 14:20 – Snake Pets, Smells & Listener Call to Action 16:40 – More DNA Evidence & Jesse Calls Out Bad Science 18:05 – Extinction, Habitat Loss & Elusive Big Cats 19:00 – Why the Government Won’t Admit Cougars Exist 20:16 – Nova Scotia Politics & Reluctance to Change 20:57 – Condos, Empty Buildings & Rich Investors 21:29 – Do We Believe in the Eastern Cougar? 22:07 – Small Talk Dimension Intro (STD Zone) 22:56 – Rhys’s Europe Trip & Autobahn Anxiety 24:57 – Jesse’s Dating Life Update 25:34 – Listener Jess’s Top 3 Conspiracies 27:26 – Heartfelt Comment from Listener in Australia 28:00 – Kangaroos, Three G******s & Weird Biology 29:26 – Googling Kangaroo Anatomy Live 30:19 – Teasing the Next Lake Monster Episode For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Canada Is Boring: The Tinfoil Touque, Rhys Waters and Jesse dive into Project Magnet, Canada’s secretly funded UFO research program from the 1950s, led by government engineer Wilbert Brockhouse Smith. They unpack how a respected radio and broadcasting expert went from establishing ionospheric monitoring systems and TV allocation standards… to claiming telepathic contact with “space brothers” and linking UFOs to psychic phenomena. Along the way, they explore: How Project Magnet tried to harness geomagnetism as a propulsion systemWhy Smith believed UFOs were intelligent extraterrestrial craftThe mysterious status of never-fully-declassified Canadian government filesParallels with Star Trek’s Prime Directive and modern UFO loreWhat happens when a serious scientist appears to lose his grip on realityThe episode wraps up with small talk in the Small Talk Dimension, including ADHD, trying Vyvanse, near-miss pool-water drinking incidents, and a tease for the next East Coast cryptid/conspiracy story. If you’re into UFO history, Cold War weirdness, Canadian conspiracies, or just well-crafted rants, this one’s for you. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Tinfoil Touque from Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse dive into the viral case of Andrew Dawson, the TikToker who claimed to film a giant on a BC mountainside—then later posted strange follow-ups about government agents, mysterious helicopters, and being stalked… before tragically dying a few months later. They unpack: The original “giant on the mountain” video near Valemount / Canoe Mountain, BCPossible mundane explanations (CBC transmitter mast, SkyTram station, firefighting / survey helicopters)How a creator’s mental health struggles got erased by conspiracy narrativesWhy people are so drawn to giants, UFOs, Freemasons, and secret societiesThe limits of public power even when we “catch it on camera”And how Dawson’s follower count exploded after his death, just like a modern myth in real timeAlong the way, they go on classic Canada Is Boring tangents about: TikTok view inflation and opaque social media metricsWhether governments even need to cover things up anymoreFreemasons, “gentlemen’s clubs,” and real vs imagined influenceRhys’ family trip to Germany and Jesse’s secret Fantasia film fest dateThis episode balances dark humor, skepticism, and empathy, ending on a reminder that behind every viral clip is a real human being. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are aliens surgically mutilating cattle across the Canadian prairies… or is there a far more grounded (and grosser) explanation? In this episode of Tinfoil Touque, Rhys Waters and Jesse dive into decades of bizarre prairie cattle mutilation reports from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and BC. We talk missing eyes and tongues, vanishing sex organs, no blood at the scene, strange surgical cuts, and RCMP files that still aren’t fully released. Along the way we explore: Classic conspiracy explanations: UFOs, secret government bioweapons, and satanic cults What ranchers, vets, and pathologists actually say about these cases The infamous “intergalactic vagina explosion” quote How scavengers like ravens, magpies, and blowflies can create “surgical” wounds Why some cases still don’t fit the natural explanation Plus, in the STD (Small Talk Dimension) Zone, Rhys talks about joining a new gym in Halifax, Jesse preps for a mystery biker-dive-bar date, and they tease next week’s story about a TikToker who filmed a “giant” in the Rocky Mountains. Is it aliens, cults, or just maggots doing what maggots do? For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Tinfoil Tuque, Rhys and Jesse dive into one of Canada’s most famous UFO cases: the Falcon Lake incident. Was Polish immigrant and amateur prospector Stefan Michalak really burned by a UFO in 1967—or was it a bizarre self‑inflicted hoax? Along the way they rant about conspiracy theories, flat‑Earthers, media bias, cops, and how the internet turned every would‑be investigative journalist into an online conspiracy-hunter. They also talk about the legacy of the case, from government investigations to a literal glow‑in‑the‑dark Canadian coin, and finish off in the Small Talk Dimension with vacation chaos in the Alps and smoked cocktails. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this debut episode of Canada Is Boring Presents: The Tinfoil Touque, Rhys and Jesse dig into one of Canada’s most famous “evidence of time travel” photos: a 1941 crowd scene at a bridge reopening in British Columbia featuring a mysterious man in wraparound shades, a logo sweater, and what looks like a modern camera. Was he really a time traveler… or just a fashion-forward hockey fan with a new Kodak? The pair break down how this single image went viral in the 2010s, why people are so eager to see the fantastical instead of the obvious, and how gravity makes “unsexy” time travel (a.k.a. time dilation) very real. Along the way, they riff on aging and fashion, internet conspiracy culture, superhero flame wars on Reddit, and Rhys’s new favourite church-parking-lot ice cream stand, Holy Cones. Stay to the end for a tease of next week’s story: the Falcon Lake incident, a classic Canadian close encounter of the second kind. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this premium “special friends” episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys shares a surprisingly heartwarming Disney-level story from his own Nova Scotia neighborhood: a mother black bear and her two cubs, one of which, soon christened Kelly the Bear, ends up roaming alone through suburbia and ultimately being “relocated” to a wildlife park. Rhys also announces their upcoming summer mini-series, “Tin Foil Touque” a run of conspiracy- and paranormal-themed episodes featuring UFOs, frogmen in lakes, radiation burns from glowing aircraft, and even a real-life legal battle involving Bigfoot. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture this: it’s too hot to think, the news is depressing, and your brain wants something fun and strange that still feels entertianing. That’s Tin Foil Touque. This summer series is Rhys and Jesse taking a detour from “respectable” Canadian history into all the stuff your high school textbook pretended didn’t exist. It’s not the usual “9/11 was an inside job” sludge or hour-long Illuminati diagrams. It’s the fun side of paranoia, a weird Canadian summer of conspiracies, cryptids, and campfire stories you probably shouldn’t believe… but definitely should hear. For premium content, socials, merch, to leave a voicemail or message us go to canadaisboring.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.