What's Old is News

This week, Sean Graham talks with Cody Groat, author of Always Part of the Land: The Federal Commemoration of Indigenous Histories . They discuss the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada 's approach to Indigenous history, the role of federal commemorations in colonialism, and the power of commemorations. They also chat about Board members' influence on commemorations, how public servants h...

Sean Graham talks with Meghan Crnic, author of The Beach Cure: A History of Healing on Northeastern Shores . They discuss the origins of the beach as a place to get healthy, the conditions in 19th century American cities that led doctors to prescribe the beach, and the logistics of getting to the cost. They also chat about how beach areas were built up, the transformation of space from health to r...

Sean Graham talks with Shelisa Klassen, author of Imprinting Empire: Land and Settler Colonialism in Manitoba Newspapers . They talk about late 19th century Manitoba newspapers, the audiences both in Manitoba and the rest of Canada, and how the press framed colonial practices. They also discuss how newspapers fit into other commercial projects, what information was included and what was intentiona...

This week, Sean Graham talks with Michael North, author of Making Common Sense: On the Construction of the Obvious from Antiquity to AI . They talk about what counts as 'common' sense, its relation to the 5 senses, and how that understanding shaped perceptions of common sense. They then get into a discussion about the modern understanding of common sense, the difference between that and reason, an...

This week Sean Graham talks with John Fraser, author of The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada's Highest Office . They talk about John's experiences meeting all the Canadian-born Governors General, how personality shapes the office, and the role's political limits. They also discuss the people who held the office, how they managed the position's responsibilities, and what purpose the...

This week, Sean Graham is joined by Jamie Jelinski, author of Needle Work: A History of Commercial Tatooing in Canada . They talk about Jamie's interest in the history of tattoos, the connection to art history, and the beginnings of tattoos as an industry in Canada. They then discuss questions over regulation and the criminalization of tattooing before chatting about some of the unique case studie...

In this episode, Sean Graham talks with Jean-Michel Turcotte, Acting Chief Historian of the Directorate of History and Heritage at the Department of National Defence and the convenor of the 2025 Shannon Lecture Series. They talk about Jean-Michel's background, how that influenced the series theme of 'Revisiting Canadian Armed Forces Experiences' and some of on-going projects at the Directorate. Th...

This week, Sean Graham talks with Angela Tozer, author of The Debt of a Nation: Land and the Financing of the Canadian Settler State, 1820-73 . They discuss how governments take on debt, the purpose of debt, and how colonialism fuelled land speculation. They also chat about how resource extraction was critical to servicing debt, the changes brought on by Confederation, and the on-going legacy of 1...

Sean Graham talks with Katherine Rollwagen, author of The Scramble for the Teenage Dollar: Creating the Youth Market in Mid-Century Canada . They discuss the creation of the 'classic' teenager, how marketing shifted to attract young people, and how much family considerations shaped advertisements. They also chat about Eaton's, how it attracted teenagers to the store, and the legacy of mid-century...

This week Sean Graham talks with Peggy Nash, one of the co-authors of Women United: Stories of Women's Struggles for Equality in the Canadian Auto Workers Union . They discuss women's contributions to the union in its early years, how negotiating priorities were shaped, and the Second World War's influence on the labour movement. They also chat about the impact of the Autopact and free trade on la...

Sean Graham talks with Lynne Gouliquer and Carmen Poulin ahead of their Shannon lecture on Monday November 24 entitled "Purging the Canadian Military of 'Sexual Deviants': The War on 2SLGBTQIA+ Members and Their Partners from the 1960s to Present.' They talk about the administrative order that established the policy of purging homosexuals from the military and how it was executed. They also discus...

This week, Sean Graham talks with John Moses ahead of his November 3 Shannon Lecture entitled 'This is not my story, but yours: The Russ Moses residential school memoir.' They discuss his father's experiences at the Mohawk Institute, his military service, and Reconciliation. You can hear John talk about the memoir on Monday November 3 as part of the Shannon Lecture Series . Historical Headline of...

Sean Graham talks with Matthew S. Wiseman , historian of science and medicine in modern Canada. They discuss why militaries engage in scientific research, the civilian benefits of that research, and how scientists navigated their research during the Cold War. They also chat about research consent within a military environment, the challenges of researching the Cold War era, and the legacy of scien...

Sean Graham talks with Matthew S. Wiseman, historian of science and medicine in modern Canada. They discuss why militaries engage in scientific research, the civilian benefits of that research, and how scientists navigated their research during the Cold War. They also chat about research consent within a military environment, the challenges of researching the Cold War era, and the legacy of scient...

As part of our series with the 2025 Shannon Lecture Series , Sean Graham talks with Sarah Hogenbirk, who will deliver the opening lecture on Monday entitled 'Fighting for Their Place and Recognition: Canadian Servicewomen and Women Veterans in Post-Second World War Canada. The lecture will serve as a launch for Cold War Workers: Labour, Family, and Community in a Nuclear State , in which Sarah has...

We're back from our summer hiatus with a new season and we're kicking it off by talking with Craig Baird, the host of Canada History Ehx about his new book Canada's Main Street: The Epic Story of the Trans-Canada Highway . We talk about his motivation to write about the highway, why the highway doesn't have the same romanticized history as the railroad, and the contested circumstances of its origi...

Sean Graham talks with Mary Frances Phillips, author of Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins . They talk about the process of writing a historical biography of a living person, tracking down new archival sources, and how Ericka Huggins ended up in prison. They also chat about COINTELPRO plots and how Ericka ended up in prison, her spiritual journey and self-car i...

Sean Graham talks with Paul Kahan , author of Philadelphia: A Narrative History . They talk about the city's origins, its connection to the American Revolution, and how the city's history is distinct from the national story. They also chat about community, Philadelphia's political history, and the local culture. Historical Headline of the Week Nancy Steinbach, " Philadelphia: A City Famous for its...

Sean Graham talks with Caitlin Keliiaa, author of Refusing Settler Domesticity: Native Women's Labour and Resistance in the Bay Area Outing Program . They discuss the residential schooling system in the United States, the goal of outing programs, and Indigenous young women and girls' domestic labour as part of the program. They also chat about the community built by the women, how they resisted in...

Sean Graham talks with John M. Efron, author of All Consuming: Germans, Jews, and the Meaning of Meat . They discuss the relationship between Jewish culture and meat consumption, the unique relationship between Germans culture and Jewish meat, and how that has been depicted over the years. They also chat about the cultural significance of meat and meat production, displays of anti-Semitism related...

Sean Graham talks with Peter Fortna, author of The Fort McKay Métis Nation: A Community History . They talk about the origins of the Nation, which is located in northeastern Alberta, the community connections between the Métis and First Nation, and how colonial government structures have influenced community relationships. They also discuss the role of resources and resource extraction in the econ...

Sean Graham talks with Judith Weisenfeld , author of Black Religion in the Madhouse: Race & Psychiatry in Slavery's Wake . They discuss about the origins of the book, how the antebellum period shaped perceptions of African American religion, and the role of 'religious excitement' in insanity diagnoses. They also chat about the connections between race and religion, the pathologizing of religio...

Sean Graham is joined by Sarah E.K. Smith , author of Trading on Art: Cultural Diplomacy and Free Trade in North America . They talk about Sarah's interest in cultural diplomacy, what constitutes art in the context of free trade, and how cultural policies shaped artistic and curatorial expression at the end of the 20th century. They then discuss art as a form of resistance, the benefits and challe...

With the Canadian election days away, Sean Graham revisits his 2022 conversation with Steve Paikin about his biography John Turner: An Intimate Biography of Canada's 17th Prime Minister . They talk about Turner's lengthy career, which spanned the decriminalization of homosexuality and abortion, stagflation, and free trade. They also discuss Turner’s career, legacy, and what we can learn about mode...

Sean Graham talks with Barbara Messamore, author of Times of Transformation: The 1921 Canadian General Election about one of Canada's turning point elections. They discuss the post-war economy's, including tariffs, role in the campaign, how suffrage influenced the election, and the emergence of William Lyon Mackenzie King on the national stage. They also chat about whether the lauded 'ballot quest...