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For seven decades, the Bar U operated as a corporate ranch, with thousands of cattle fattening up on protein-rich fescue grass in Alberta’s Rocky Mountain foothills. But that grass has a history of its own, co-evolving on this landscape with a different grazer - the bison - over thousands of years. Through the history of three animals who’ve left their hoofmarks upon the prairie grasslands - bison, cattle and horses - we look at Canada’s “beef bonanza” that employed a colourful cast of cowboys, cooks and capitalists, turning grass into money at Bar U Ranch National Historic Site. Special thanks to Jessica Hill. Learn more: Bar U Ranch National Historic Site Plan Your Visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Bar U Ranch Ranching Industry National Historic Event designation John Ware, National Historic Person (Old) Women’s Buffalo Jump National Historic Site Heritage value description of each Bar U building Bison conservation and breeding programs at Elk Island National Park  Plains Bison reintroduction in Banff National Park Other Media: Like Distant Thunder: Canada's bison conservation story by Lauren Markewicz John Ware Reclaimed - Filmmaker Cheryl Foggo re-examines the story of John Ware, the legendary Black cowboy in this National Film Board documentary film. First Marriages - a story from the Women’s Buffalo Jump near the Bar U Ranch (video from the Siksika Consultation Office) Restoring Historic Buildings at the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site (Parks Canada video) Questions about the ReCollections podcast or any of the episodes? Please contact us at ⁠[email protected] Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.

In August 2017, a lightning strike near Waterton Lakes National Park sparked a devastating wildfire that burned nearly 40% of the park. But in the wake of destruction came a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’ll hear from archaeologists and Blackfoot elders about the collaborative archaeology project that’s deepening our understanding of the lives of Indigenous peoples who have lived and travelled in the Rocky Mountains and foothills for millennia.  Learn more: Waterton Lakes National Park Plan Your Visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Waterton Lakes Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site designation First Oil Well in Western Canada National Historic Site designation Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park - UNESCO World Heritage Site Other Media: Post Wildfire Renewal Video and Photo Gallery Dr. Mike Bruised Head’s PhD thesis on the impact of erasing Blackfoot place names in Paahtomahksikimi Questions about the ReCollections podcast or any of the episodes? Please contact us at ⁠⁠[email protected] Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.

In 1930s Europe, thousands of Jewish men and teenagers escaped the Nazi regime as refugees, only to be labelled as “enemy aliens” and sent to internment camps across eastern Canada. One of those camps was at Fort Lennox, an old military stronghold on Quebec’s Ile aux Noix. We’ll hear from one internee, the late Rabbi Erwin Schild, whose story helps illustrate the experience of hundreds of German and Austrian Jews who were imprisoned at Fort Lennox National Historic Site. Oral history recordings of Rabbi Erwin Schild used in this episode:  ©1996 USC Shoah Foundation   ©1988 Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre Learn more: Fort Lennox National Historic Site Plan Your Visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Fort Lennox Heritage Designation: Fort Lennox National Historic Site designation Heritage value description of each Fort Lennox building USC Shoah Foundation Toronto Holocaust Museum Montreal Holocaust Museum Other Media: Major conservation work at Fort Lennox National Historic Site (Parks Canada YouTube) None is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948 by Irving Abella and Harold Troper Special thanks to: Faye Blum of the Ontario Jewish Archives Teigan Goldsmith of the Ottawa Jewish Archives The Montreal Holocaust Museum The Toronto Holocaust Museum USC Shoah Foundation Questions about the ReCollections podcast or any of the episodes? Please contact us at ⁠[email protected] Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.

The southern coast of Labrador in the 1500s was the scene of Canada’s first oil boom. Each summer, Basque crews from Spain and France traversed the Atlantic to hunt whales and render their blubber into a precious commodity: oil that lit the lamps of Europe. It was dangerous, messy… and profitable. The story was all but lost until the 1970s, when researchers and archaeologists flocked to the tiny community of Red Bay, digging in the gardens and diving in the harbour, to uncover the secrets of Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Special thanks to Joxe Felipe Auzmendi and Iñaki Beraetxe, to Daniel Payne for use of his song Selma Barkham’s Waltz, and to Javier Vicente for recording assistance. Our condolences to the family of Robert Grenier, who led Parks Canada’s underwater archaeology work at Red Bay. Robert passed away in January 2026. Learn more: Red Bay National Historic Site Plan your visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Red Bay Heritage Designation: Red Bay National Historic Site UNESCO World Heritage Site designation Other Media: The Great Whale Robbery of Labrador by Canadiana The underwater archaeology of Red Bay: Basque shipbuilding and whaling in the 16th century, edited by Robert Grenier, Marc-André Bernier, and Willis Stevens.  Email us at [email protected] for any questions or suggestions. Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.

ReCollections, the award-winning history and archaeology podcast from Parks Canada, is back for Season Two. Four new stories from national parks and national historic sites across Canada: Red Bay: Discovering the Basque Whalers of Terra Nova Fort Lennox: The Accidental Immigrants Bar U Ranch: Grass Into Money Waterton Lakes: Archaeology in a Burned Landscape Join us for a journey of national historic significance.

Join us for a journey of national historic significance.

Travel back to the Viking Age to uncover the remnants of a thousand-year-old Norse encampment. We’ll hear about their incredible journey from Greenland to northern Newfoundland from a diverse group of experts including historians, archaeologists, and interpreters at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. Learn more:  L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows  Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: https://g.co/arts/zsrgMj8ex1cQe5yK7 Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows/visit  UNESCO page: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/4/ National Film Board documentaries: The Man Who Discovered America: https://www.nfb.ca/film/man_discovered_america  The Vinland Mystery: https://www.nfb.ca/film/vinland_mystery/ Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections

Welcome to Ruby's Place in Dawson City, Yukon, “the Paris of the North.” Through the remarkable lives of Madam Ruby Scott and her employees, we’ll hear about Dawson’s Gold Rush heyday and the boom/bust cycle of both the mining and sex work industries. At the heart of the story is Ruby's Place, an elegant false-front building conserved as part of the Klondike National Historic Sites… despite the threats from climate change. Learn More:  Klondike National Historic Sites: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/klondike Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/klondike/visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/PwWxfnGFmjSquw UNESCO World Heritage Site (Tentative List): https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6255/ Tr'ochëk National Historic Site: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=1970&i=65024 The Other Little House: The Brothel as a Colonial Institution on the Canadian Prairies, 1880–93 by L. K. Bertram: https://academic.oup.com/jsh/article/56/1/58/6554394?login=false Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections

In this episode, we’ll travel to the Pacific Northwest islands of Haida Gwaii, home to the Haida Nation for more than 13,000 years. Our focus: a collaborative archaeology project at an evacuated village on the remote island of SGang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that was devastated by hurricane-force winds in a 2018 storm. Many voices tell the rich history of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.  Special thanks to Consulting Producer Camille Collinson. Learn More: Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas Living Landscapes of SG̱ang Gwaay project: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas/nature/conservation/restauration-restoration/vivants-living Follow the Gwaii Haanas - Islands of Beauty Facebook page for the latest on the Living Landscapes project: https://www.facebook.com/GwaiiHaanas/ Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas/visit UNESCO World Heritage Site: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/157/ Take the Haida Gwaii Pledge: https://haidagwaiipledge.ca/ The Hope For Wellness Helpline is available at 1-855-242-3310 or https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/   Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections

For over a century, an unassuming island in the St. Lawrence River played a major role in the immigration journey from Europe to North America. A scene of hope and tragedy, punctuated by a series of deadly crises, Grosse Île was home to a quarantine station that served as the gateway for millions of newcomers. Witness to pandemics, health emergencies and the development of modern medical science, Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site is a powerful reminder of the immigrant experience. And it all kicked off with a volcanic eruption on the other side of the planet. Learn More: Grosse-Ile and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/grosseile Plan Your Visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/qc/grosseile/visit Dr. Frédérick Montizambert, National Historic Person: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/DFHD/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=1843 For the Temporary Accommodation of Settlers by David Monteyne: https://www.mqup.ca/for-the-temporary-accommodation-of-settlers-products-9780228006381.php Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/WgXRiCleYInljA Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections

In this episode, we find traces of the lives of enslaved people at the 18th-century French Fortress of Louisbourg in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. By piecing together the unique story of Guinea-born Marie Marguerite Rose, we’ll learn about those who lived and died in enslavement…as well as the rise and fall (and rise again) of the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site. Special thanks to our Consulting Producers: Dr. Karolyn Smardz-Frost and Dr. Afua Cooper of A Black People’s History of Canada Project: https://www.blackpeopleshistory.ca/ Learn More: Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg Marie Marguerite Rose, National Historic Person: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=12005 Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibit: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/vQVxpt_04-996g Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections

A special episode from our friends at the Discover Library and Archives Canada podcast - Bill Mason: Wilderness Artist. If you enjoyed our ReCollections episode Grosse-Île: The Quarantine Island, check out their The Shamrock and the Fleur-de-Lys episode to learn more about Irish immigration to Québec. Bill Mason's films: Pukaskwa National Park and Paddle to the Sea. Plan a visit to Pukaskwa National Park in Ontario. Discover Library and Archives Canada podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe for lots more stories about the treasures in their collection.