Pinecone Diaries: Canada's Stories & History Podcast

Four Canadians crossed the land and water to inspire hope, and each came back changed. These are journeys of purpose, challenge, and unexpected grace. 0:00 - Prologue - Dianne Whalen's Historic Trans-Canada Trail Crossing 21:06 - Story #1 - Jean Béliveau's Walk Around the World for Peace and Children 46:29 - Story #2 - Steve Fonyo's Cross Canada Journey for Lives 76:34 - Story #3 - Josephine Manda...

Explore true stories of Canadian hermits, homesteaders, and a Cree-led wilderness camp who found meaning, healing, and resilience through off-grid living. 0:00 - Prologue - Wendell Beckwith: The Hermit of Whitewater Lake 14:47 - Story #1 - James "Jimmy" Alexander McCouat and His Castle on White Otter Lake 35:35 - Story #2 - Gilean Douglas and Finding Poetic Inspiration in the BC Wilderness 64:20 -...

Discover fascinating stories of how four forgotten Canadian authors and their books were nearly lost forever Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/craigrourke E-mail: craig@pineconediaries.com Substack (Newsletter): https://pineconediaries.substack.com/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pineconediariescanada Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pineconediaries.com Get full access to Pinecone Diaries: Can...

Discover how Canadian literature evolved from campfire stories to copyright battles, public libraries, and artificial intelligence. Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/craigrourke E-mail: craig@pineconediaries.com Substack (Newsletter): https://pineconediaries.substack.com/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pineconediariescanada Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pineconediaries.com Get full access t...

If you ever remember hearing about a Canadian soldier who fought like he was in his own action movie during World War II, you’d probably be thinking about Corporal Léo Major. He’s often called “The Canadian Rambo,” and for good reason. Major was the only Canadian soldier, and one of just three in the entire British Commonwealth, to earn the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) in two separate wars: W...

In 19th century New Brunswick, fear of leprosy led to the forced quarantine of Acadian families on remote Sheldrake Island, where children like young Barnabé endured suffering that remained hidden for generations. This is the incredible forgotten story of the Sheldrake Island leprosy colony. Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/craigrourke E-mail: craig@pineconediaries.com Substack (Newsletter): http...

Yesterday, I had the tremendous opportunity to speak with Kristi Keller 🇨🇦 about what we love most about being Canadian . During our conversation, we explored our personal experiences , shared bucket-list destinations , and dove into so much more. It was a wonderful blend of fun, fascinating facts, and genuine excitement about the unique people and places from coast to coast to coast. I’m thrilled...

Pinecone Diaries: Canada's Stories & History - Episode #1 Hi! This is my first attempt at recording one of my stories as a podcast . It’s today’s story about Vimy Ridge’s forgotten engineers , that I also published to my newsletter . If you're new to Pinecone Diaries, we explore fascinating Canadian stories from lost history to hidden heroes, one story at a time. It's the stuff we didn't learn abo...