The Nations of Canada

Spring 1917.  All four divisions of the Canadian Corps work together for the first time, demonstrating a distinctively Canadian approach to the conundrum of trench warfare at Vimy Ridge. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1916  Faced with war-time budget cuts, the Commissioner of Canada's National Parks system, James Harkin, sees an opportunity in labour provided by interned enemy aliens. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1916.  The residents of Berlin, Ontario face the challenge of being German-Canadians in a nation mobilized for war against Germany.   Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1916.  After two years (and intense study of battlefield conditions), the Canadian Expeditionary Force begins its evolution from colonial auxiliary to vanguard of the British Imperial Army. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1916. The Newfoundland Regiment finds itself at the centre of the worst day in the history of the British Army. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1916.  As the Canadian Expeditionary Force matures, its soldiers, officers, and (eventually) the politicians back in Ottawa come to realize it has outgrown its erratic creator, Militia Minister Sam Hughes.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1915. A group of writers, journalists and activists based in Winnipeg, score the first victory for Canada's women's suffrage movement. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

The Canadian economy, still reeling from a post-war recession, struggles to meet the production total war demands. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

Spring 1915.  The Canadian government grapples with the fact that over 100,000 residents in the country are foreign nationals, native to countries Canada is now at war with. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

Spring 1915.  The Canadian Expeditionary Force prepares for its first battle outside the Belgian city of Ypres, where, unbeknownst to the Canadians, the Germans make their own preparations to unleash a terrifying new weapon.   Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

Summer 1914.  Canadians prepare for a war far from their shores, that will nevertheless change their lives forever.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1867-1914.  How did we get here?  Where are we going next? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

Summer 1914.  Ireland teeters on the brink of civil war, re-opening old sectarian divisions in Canada. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1914. A Sikh businessman charters a Japanese passenger liner to test Canada's anti-Asian immigration laws, while anxious British officials and Indian nationalists look on.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1914. In India, the British government attempts to convince a growing independence movement that Indians enjoy all the benefits of subjecthood, including free movement within the Empire.  A key test of that proposition comes in British Columbia. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

Spring 1914.  A disastrous seal hunt raises questions about the growing social and economic inequalities of an industrializing Newfoundland. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1913.  Over a decade of consistent economic growth comes to an end, souring relations between Ottawa and the provinces, and forcing the military occupation of the Vancouver Island coal district.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1912.  Robert Borden finds that his broad coalition (which was so successful on the campaign trail) makes for an unruly government.  Especially with Britain ever more insistent on contributions to the Royal Navy. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1912.  New regulations on the use of French in Ontario public schools galvanizes the province's growing francophone population and sets off a fresh round of French Canadian nationalism in Quebec. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1911.  A panic over black settlers moving into western Canada sparks a heated debate on Canada's immigration laws, and the country's racial politics.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

September 1911.  An unlikely partnership of conservative imperialists and French Canadian nationalists bring an end to Wilfrid Laurier's fifteen-year rule in Ottawa. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1911. Desperate for a distraction from the Navy Question, Wilfrid Laurier is presented with a golden opportunity to fulfill a decades-long ambition by developments in Washington. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1911.  A damning report from a public health official sparks a national conversation on the future of the Indian Residential Schools program. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

As a growing pile of Canadian capital seeks new investment opportunities, a group of entrepreneurs, engineers, and corporate lawyers descend on the fast growing coffee economy of Brazil.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .

1910.  When Britain calls on Canada to help fund its naval arms race with Germany, Wilfrid Laurier faces his greatest political test since the Boer War. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support .