One Great History

Originally from Wikwemikong First Nation, Daphne Odjig came to Winnipeg in 1970 and opened Canada's first-ever indigenous-owned gallery. In this episode we discuss Daphne's art, the path that brought her to Winnipeg, and the impact of her life. Thank you to Franchesca Hebert-Spence for her input on this episode! Currently residing in Inuvik, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Franchesca is Anishina...

In 1976, a man got a parking ticket in Saint Boniface. The events that followed would challenge the foundations of Manitoba's laws, and the tolerance of Manitobans for their neighbours. In this episode we discuss Georges Forest and his quest for francophone rights. Thank you to Raymond Hébert and Roger Bilodeau for their input on this episode, and to Annie Langlois for her great archival finds!  

Stephen Juba was a mayor who loved a gimmick. And it paid off for him - despite a contentious reputation and attempts to oust him from the mayoral seat, he remained popular enough to serve nine consecutive terms over 20 years.

The 1950s were a busy time for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. They performed for the Royal Visit in 1951, launched several tours across Canada and the United States, were filmed by the National Film Board - and then, of course, there was the fire. Behind it all was the ballet's founders and managers, Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Hay-Farraly.

Thomas George Prince was always a man willing to leap into action. It's what made him save Ernest Pollard from drowning in the Red River in 1955, made him enlist in both the Second World War and Korean War, and travel to Ottawa in 1947 to advocate for Indigenous rights in Canada. This episode discusses residential schools, PTSD, military service, addiction and homeless. Please take care when liste...

In the 1930s, new ideologies flourished in the face of global economic crisis. Jacob Penner, a local communist activist, was elected to Winnipeg City Council in 1933 and remained in that position for many years, advocating for increased relief in the darkest years of the Great Depression. Despite his radical proclivities, Penner was respected by many of his less radical colleagues. In this episode...

If you haven't heard of Lewis Benjamin Foote, you've almost certainly seen his work. That iconic photo from 1919 of a toppled streetcar? That was Lew. If you've seen old photos of North End slums or the construction of the Fort Garry Hotel, those were his too. For decades, Foote captured the public and private lives of Winnipeggers. In this episode, we talk about the less-than-roaring 20s seen thr...

In the eighth episode of our One Great 150 series, we talk about John Robinson, a railcar porter and labour activist who founded one of the first black-led unions in North America. We discuss the exclusion of black workers from railway unions, the creation of the Order of Sleeping Car Porters, and how Robinson's union responded to the Winnipeg General Strike.   Project funded in part by the Winnip...

In 1917, Helen Armstrong burst onto the labour scene. A passionate and opinionated speaker, dedicated to the labour movement, she quickly became a voice for working women in Winnipeg in a time of rapid social change and growing labour movements.

En route to a military training camp at the start of the First World War, Winnipeg veterinarian Harry Colebourn purchased a baby black bear cub for $20 from a hunter on a train platform and named her Winnipeg. She quickly become the darling of the Canadian Veterinary Corps and the rest of the troops at Salisbury Plains, and when Colebourn left her at the London Zoo for safekeeping she became a fav...

In the fifth episode of our One Great 150 series, we talk about Margaret Scott, an early Winnipeg philanthropist and purveyor of the social gospel. We discuss just how gross Winnipeg was at the turn of the century, and whether organizations like the Margaret Scott Nursing Mission succeeded in making it less so. Thank you to Dr. Esyllt Jones for her help on this episode!   Visit onegreathistory.wor...

Buckle up folks, it's the big moment: Winnipeg is about to become a city. And rushing headfirst to the mayoral race is Francis Evans Cornish, local lawyer and known drunk. Surely everything will go well.

In episode three of our One Great 150 series, we cover the Red River Resistance by following the path of Elzéar Goulet, a mail carrier who became a leader in Louis Riel's Métis armed forces and, ultimately, was one of six men who decided the fate of Thomas Scott. Though Goulet was a player in many of the key moments of the resistance, the most lasting impact of his story may have been the tragedie...

The summer of 1850 saw the Red River Colony embroiled in scandal. Captain Christopher Foss was sueing several residents of Upper Fort Garry for defamation after they'd accused Sarah Ballenden (the Metis wife of the Chief Factor, and functionally the first lady of the fort) of having an affair. Social lines were drawn within the colony, highlighting the divides that been steadily growing over the p...

Welcome to the first episode of One Great 150, folks! We're beyond excited to get this project going and to have you along for the ride. And to kick things off, we're starting with Chief Peguis!   The Red River Valley that Peguis arrived into was one already marked with the scars of the fur trade, and he quickly established himself as a skilled leader, hunter, and warrior in the area. Over his sum...

Happy Hanukkah! This December, we explore some historic Hanukkah celebrations in Winnipeg, including a potato-grating contest and a questionable fruit salad. We are also joined by Belle Jarniewski from the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada, who tells us a little bit about the history of the holiday and its significance for Winnipeg's Jewish community.

Alex and Sabrina look back at the history of Winnipeg's paper of record and some of the journalists who helped make it what it is today. They also convince Nick to do a skit!

Alex tells Sabrina and Nick all about Manipogo, Manitoba's very own sea monster! Future doctor Kimber joins us to explain how this cannot exist.

We've got a special guest today, folks! Musician and author Melanie Gall joins us to talk about movie star Deanna Durbin. In the 1930s and '40s, one movie star above all had captured Winnipeggers hearts: Deanna Durbin. Born Edna Mae Durbin at Winnipeg's Grace Hospital, Durbin skyrocketed to fame in the late 1930s with a stint on Eddie Cantor's radio program Texico Town and the film Three Smart Gir...

It's time for another beach episode - this time, to the other side of Lake Winnipeg! Explore the history of Grand Beach from the first ill-fated tourist excursion to the 'grand old days' as a Canadian Northern Railway Resort.

So, there's this guy. You used to see him around town, but he keeps moving away. His name is Burton Cummings. They named a theatre after him, and a community centre, and probably a few other things. He owns Salisbury House, got into a fight at a North End 7-Eleven, and even wrote a song or two that got played on the radio. He used to play these songs for royalty and presidents, and sometimes for k...

Join Sabrina, Alex and Nick on a journey through the development of Winnipeg's 2SLGBTQ+ across the 1970s - from the early days of the Mardi Gras and the Marlborough all the way to the creation of Giovanni's Room (better known to some as Gio's). Thanks to Danielle with the Brandon General Museum & Archives for joining us for Collecting Conversations! Visit brandongeneralmuseum dot ca for more infor...

When homesteaders were coming to Canada by the tens of thousands in the late 19th century, William Beal was one of a small number of black pioneers who staked his claim in Manitoba. Though by all accounts he was never much of a farmer, Beal made his mark as a booklover and autodidact in the community at Swan River Valley. In this episode, we explore the life of William Beal as well as the history...

On the evening of July 2nd, 1873, a visiting Scottish lord, Lord Gordon Gordon, was kidnapped from James McKay's Silver Heights home and rushed towards the American border. The events that followed would spiral into a full-scale international incident involving both the Canadian and American governments and the discovery that Lord Gordon Gordon was not who he seemed. A huge thank you to Jon Benson...

Once a year, in ye olde days of the late 90s, children across Manitoba would dress their teachers as cattle, wear their best milk moustaches to school, and go to bed dreaming of winning a giant, inflatable cow. In this episode, Alex interrogates the historical origins of this somewhat unusual childhood tradition known as Milk Spirit Week. Listen to find out: Were six spilled cans of milk coinciden...