Curious Canadian History

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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca    

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. 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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca

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 .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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca

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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca

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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca

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 Historyhttp://bit.ly/curiouscanadianhistory-surveyDon’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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca

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 Historyhttp://bit.ly/curiouscanadianhistory-surveyDon’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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca

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.comPlease fill out a survey here to provide feedback on what you love (or don’t love) about Curious Canadian Historyhttp://bit.ly/curiouscanadianhistory-surveyDon’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:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca