The Headwaters

It is a largely forgotten blemish on British Columbia’s and Canada’s history, one that creates a potent stigma in the Columbia River Basin. During both the First and Second World Wars, thousands of people, many of them Canadian citizens, were interned in makeshift camps throughout the region. Russian Doukhobors, Austrians, Germans, and Japanese were considered threats to the country and so the gov...

There’s something in our mountain water that’s driving a groundswell in comedic talent throughout the Basin. Never have more people wanted to make others laugh in our little slice of the hinterland. In this episode, you’ll hear our own host on stage and in character, and we visit a raucous amateur comedy night in Nelson, where the scene is exploding. We also interview Golden’s Ricky Diamonds, whos...

People like to do things a little differently out in the back 40. Perhaps it’s the open spaces that create different opportunities when it comes to business, community living, and recreation. In this episode, you’ll hear about an outlier who infiltrated a Slocan Valley commune, Australian entrepreneurs who moved to Canal Flats in search of cryptocurrency, an uncommon residential development, and a...

Have you ever ventured into the spirit world? Had an encounter with a ghost? Heard voices from another realm? We take you to places very few understand, and where even fewer dare to tread. Meet psychic intuitive Norm Pratt, whose unique gift allows him to communicate with missing persons, helping families find closure. Along the way, we’ll go on a ghost walk with Nelson’s Paranormal League and int...

In the Kootenays, we are blessed with an abundance of forests and a multitude of tree species, with some individual trees over a thousand years old. We revere these towering giants, we also depend on them as a resource. In this episode, we dive into the state of old growth with Craig Pettitt and Rachel Holt, two biologists who have dedicated their lives to helping preserve the ancients among us. T...

We’ve got some yarns to tell you. Some real beauties. We swear some are true, while others we can’t quite confirm, except through legend. You’ll hear about rogue circus elephants from 100 years ago and cheetahs in the snow just a few winters back. There’s a mysterious giant golden nugget that fell into the depths of Kootenay Lake, and a homemade sub that might find it. And to round it out, we have...

It’s the fourth largest waterway in North America and the inspiration for this podcast. The Columbia River has a long, storied, and tumultuous history. We dive into all aspects of the river, from a bizarre idea in the late 1800s to join the Columbia to the Kootenay River to the Indigenous Peoples and their powerful relationship to this waterway that dates back thousands of years. We talk about dam...

Their stories are as diverse as their backgrounds: A family from war-torn Syria out for an afternoon of disc golf. Jamaican truckers learning new skills on snowy mountain roads. A Kootenay hot-sauce entrepreneur who escaped tyranny in Africa. Russian immigrants lured by the Columbia River’s abundant rainbow trout. In this podcast, we hear from people making a new life in the Basin and those who ar...

A young hockey player with a dream to play in the NHL. A teenage musician who serendipitously finds herself singing with a mega-star. A multi-disciplinary talent who plays concert piano and climbs competitively. Meet Columbia Basin youth who are dreaming big and living bigger.

Hang on to your toque! We take you on a highline adventure between mountain peaks; we dive deep into the Revelstoke backcountry with an all-female freeride camp; and we wax poetic on the labyrinth that is your local library. Featuring guest host Patricia Smuga.

A century ago, the Kootenays produced approximately 70 per cent of their food and imported the other 30 per cent. Today, that ratio has flipped. For a region blessed with bountiful water and rich soil, why aren’t we producing more of what we consume? We talk to creative people with their hands deep in the dirt of positive change.

We often talk about how technology is coming to the Kootenays — but it’s here, and it’s having a big impact. We meet the creators of a booming nutrition app based in Revelstoke, tour an internationally renowned particle-accelerator company, and introduce you to Nelson vending machines that talk. Join us on a journey through the region’s newest and most exciting business sector.

Climate change is upon us, and it’s more important than ever to do our part to make a difference. In this episode, we meet three Basin residents who are making an impact in very creative ways. We drop by a resourceful shop in Kimberley selling products that yield zero waste. We speak with the young and passionate climate activists behind Fridays for Future. And we learn how anyone can cut their ca...

A pacifist sect of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Doukhobors have had a profound impact on the Kootenay region. We meet the great-great-grandson of Peter Verigin, an influential Doukhobor leader killed in what is considered Canada’s first act of terrorism. We then tour a family-owned state-of-the-art sawmill that’s taking forestry into a more value-added future.

The invention of a new snow-sports industry. The first 3D-printed house in Canada. The birth of a craft-gear collective. Firefighting clothing designed for women. We introduce you to Columbia Basin residents who are growing big ideas from small places.

We take a quirky, investigative look at various definitions of saving species. People who are paid to kill invasive frogs, a rare taxidermy school, and an Indigenous celebration that calls the salmon home; but don’t get us started on the wild turkeys.