Curious Canadian History

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 asso...

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...

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...

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 explo...

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...

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 alli...

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,...

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. H...

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. H...

In October of 2006 Jess Larochelle from Ontario was guarding an observation post near the Afghanistan village of Pashmul when dozens of Taliban insurgents attacked Jess’ position. The ensuing battle is almost unbelievable in what Jess did and how he did it. Bruce Moncour is a veteran of Afghanistan and for years has been leading the charge, through his organization Valour in the Presence of the En...

Moe Norman was a Canadian golf legend widely regarded as one of the greatest ball strikers in golf history. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, in 1929, Norman became famous for his remarkable accuracy, consistency, and unique single-plane swing technique. During his career he won more than 50 Canadian tournaments, including several Canadian PGA Championships. Although he struggled to adapt socially to th...

The Canadian government has a long history of regulation, exploitation, and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2) people. One of the most painful chapters in this history is the “LGBT Purge,” a term that refers to the expulsion of LGBTQ2 service members and employees from the Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and federal public service b...

John A. Macdonald stands as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Canadian history, a political architect whose vision helped bring a nation into being. The first Prime Minister of Canada. His rise through colonial politics, his central role in Confederation and his leadership in the first decades of this country’s existence shaped the nation we understand today in so many ways....

John A. Macdonald stands as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Canadian history, a political architect whose vision helped bring a nation into being. The first Prime Minister of Canada. His rise through colonial politics, his central role in Confederation and his leadership in the first decades of this country’s existence shaped the nation we understand today in so many ways....

Prince Edward Island is often imagined as a quiet, pastoral place—rolling fields, red sand beaches, and small communities shaped by the rhythms of the sea. But beneath that picturesque surface lies a history that is far more complex, contested, and revealing than its postcard image suggests. Today we trace parts of that story. From its earliest days as Mi’kmaq territory, through European contact a...

In this CCH special episode, we bring together two expert historians for a gripping confrontation of perspectives, examining—and challenging—the significance of two defining Canadian battles of the Second World War: D-Day Phase One and the Battle of the Scheldt. These were not just moments on a battlefield, but crucibles of chaos, courage, and consequence, where the fate of thousands—and the traje...

In the heart of the Red River Settlement, a vibrant Métis community forged a distinct identity shaped by kinship, trade, and resistance. The latter half of the 19th century was a time of profound upheaval, when the Red River Resistance challenged Canadian expansion into the region. Yet history is not always what it seems. Alongside real leaders and lived struggles, one figure—long woven into the s...

Born free in a slaveholding nation and unafraid to confront it, Mary Ann Shadd Cary carved out a life defined by intellect, defiance, and relentless public action. A teacher, lawyer, and the first Black woman in North America to publish a newspaper, she challenged both American slavery and Canadian complacency. Through the pages of The Provincial Freeman , she argued for self-reliance, integration...

In the 17th century, across an ocean and a continent, the will of Louis XIV stretched deep into New France. This episode examines how an absolutist monarchy governed a fragile colonial frontier. How did royal officials impose order on distant settlements along the St. Lawrence? What roles did intendants, governors, and bishops play in enforcing law, regulating trade, and structuring society? From...

The Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) produced widespread famine, particularly in Biafra, prompting an unprecedented humanitarian response from abroad. Canadian churches helped found CANAIRELIEF, an ecumenical coalition that raised funds, mobilized volunteers, and supported clandestine airlifts of food and medical supplies. Motivated by moral urgency and graphic media coverage, these churches sought...