Canadian Time Machine

In May 2023, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) commemorated its 150th anniversary. The federal police force – which originally started out as the North-West Mounted Police – is almost as old as the Dominion of Canada itself. This episode examines the complex and painful history of an institution that has historically mistreated Indigenous peoples and women. It also takes us back to the...

Chinese-Canadians have a long history in Canada. In the 1880s, thousands of Chinese men helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway for a fraction of the wages paid to other labourers. Immediately after the railroad's completion, the Canadian government imposed the head tax, a fee that was exclusively applied to most people arriving from China. Soon enough, though, the government found that the head...

Why did the Yukon split from the Northwest territories? Who were the first inhabitants of Prince Edward Island? Plus… what does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights mean for Canadians? Welcome to season two of Canadian Time Machine – a podcast that unpacks key milestones in our country’s history. To read the episode transcripts in French and English, and to learn more about historic Canadian...

In 2022, Canada celebrated its 50th anniversary of the Decorations for Bravery. The medals recognize courageous Canadians who risk their lives trying to save others from imminent danger. In this episode, we speak with former Governor General, Madame Adrienne Clarkson, about what she's learned from the everyday heroes she awarded during her tenure. We'll also hear from Russ Fee, a Medal of Bravery...

En 1845, la grande famine a frappé en Irlande. Pendant les années qui ont suivi, plusieurs Irlandais ont quitté leur pays, créant un exode. Cette migration massive a changé profondément le visage de la culture irlandaise. À l’époque, le Canada était une destination de choix pour les migrants qui arrivaient d’Irlande. Dans cet épisode, nous discutons avec Laurent Colantonio, professeur à l’Universi...

In August 1972, Ugandan President Idi Amin announced that all residents of Asian descent had to leave the country within 90 days. The expulsion impacted over 50,000 people — many of whom had ties to East Africa for several generations.  Canada played a crucial role in helping resettle over 7,000 Ugandan asylum seekers. In this episode, we’ll hear from two people who were resettled in Canada f...

On January 3rd, 1947, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King became the first person to ever be granted Canadian citizenship. So, how did people in Canada identify before this law came into effect? And how did the law impact people differently? Lawyer and professor Audrey Macklin joins host Angela Misri to help unpack the significance of this anniversary. To read the episode transcripts in Fre...