Episodes
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CCH Spotlight - The 2008 Sarposa Prison Break
In June 2008, one of the most audacious prison breaks of the war in Afghanistan unfolded in Kandahar. A massive truck bomb shattered the gates of Sarposa Prison, opening the way for a coordinated assault that freed hundreds of Taliban fighters and thousands of other prisoners. The operation was a...
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S12E4 Afghanistan: New Perspectives - The Longest War
In the aftermath of 9/11, Canada went to war in Afghanistan. What began as a mission to dismantle al-Qaeda and topple the Taliban became a grinding, thirteen-year campaign of combat, counterinsurgency, and nation-building. More than 40,000 Canadians served. 158 soldiers and a diplomat died, and...
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CCH Spotlight - The Air India Bombing
This week’s CCH spotlight episode looks at the Air India bombing in June 1985, when a bomb planted by Sikh extremists exploded aboard Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 travelling from Montreal to London and onward to India. The aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Ireland,...
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S12E3 Lone-Actor Terrorism in Canada
What happens when terrorism is no longer driven by an organized group, a formal hierarchy, or a clearly defined ideology—but by a single individual acting alone? In Canada, so-called “lone wolf” terrorism has become one of the most difficult and misunderstood forms of political violence to define...
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CCH Spotlight - Gassy Jack and the Woman that Outlived the Legend
Step into the turbulent birth of Vancouver through the story of Gassy Jack and Quahail-ya. This episode explores ambition, colonial power, and a deeply controversial marriage, while tracing how Quahail-ya outlived Deighton to become a respected matriarch, reshaping the legacy of a woman long...
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S12E2 How to Get Drunk In Prohibition Vancouver
In Prohibition-era Vancouver, getting drunk meant slipping through hidden doors into smoky backrooms, whispering passwords, and drinking bootleg whiskey poured from unmarked bottles. Police raids were always possible, yet jazz, laughter, and clinking glasses filled the night as speakeasies (blind...
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CCH Spotlight - The Welland Canal
For this CCH spotlight episode we 'dive' into the history of the Welland Canal, or really, the Canals. A major infrastructure project that shaped the economic future of the Niagara Peninsula, Ontario and Canada.
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S12E1 Lake Ontario (not Lake America)
Today, Lake Ontario has surged into headlines after President Donald Trump ordered it renamed "Lake America" for U.S. federal use, igniting outrage across Canada. The centuries-old name—shared by a lake that's more than half Canadian—has become the latest flashpoint in an escalating cross-border...
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Summer Reboot - The Fall of Hong Kong
This summer reboot looks at the fall of Hong Kong in December 1941. **Announcement** - Season 12 kicks off next week! First episode of the new season drops September 8th!
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Summer Reboot - Trumps First Tariff War
This is a reboot from an episode we did back in season 10 when President Donal Trump was first elected and completely upended the economic relationship with Canada in a shocking application of across the board tariffs. Sadly, it seems that history is repeating!
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Summer Reboot - The VWC and the 1970 Abortion Caravan
Our summer reboot takes us to 1970 when the Vancouver Women's Caucus heads to Ottawa to protest Canada's changing but still restricted laws on abortion.
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Summer Reboot - The Upper Canadian Militia and the Defence of Canada
A summer reboot series looking at the challenges of mustering the militia in Upper Canada when British North America was threatened by American invasions.
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Summer Reboot - La Famille Verendrye and the Exploration of the North American Continent
The Verendrye family played a crucial role in expanding French knowledge of western North America during the eighteenth century. Led by Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Vérendrye, and later assisted by his sons, they established a network of trading posts stretching from Lake Superior to...
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Summer Reboot - The Pig War of 1859
Even though Season 11 has officially ended we still have a few summer gems for you listeners. For this episode of our Summer Reboot series we go back to the 1850s and look at the Pig War of 1859 in an episode we did back in Season 4. The Pig War was a bloodless border dispute between Britain and...
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S11E22 Canada's Pacific Station - A History of Esquimalt Naval Harbour Part 2
Picture a quiet harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Calm waters. Towering forests. It seems peaceful enough—but beneath that surface lies a story that helped shape Canada's Pacific coast. Long before warships lined the docks, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived here. Then came...
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S11E21 Canada's Pacific Station - A History of Esquimalt Naval Harbour Part 1
Picture a quiet harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Calm waters. Towering forests. It seems peaceful enough—but beneath that surface lies a story that helped shape Canada's Pacific coast. Long before warships lined the docks, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived here. Then came...
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S11E20 The Fight for Valour: Jess LaRochelle and the Campaign for Canada's Victoria Cross
In October of 2006 Jess Larochelle from Ontario was guarding an observation post near the Afghanistan village of Pashmul when dozens of Taliban insurgents attacked Jess’ position. The ensuing battle is almost unbelievable in what Jess did and how he did it. Bruce Moncour is a veteran of…
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S11E19 Moe Norman: A Canadian Golf Legend
Moe Norman was a Canadian golf legend widely regarded as one of the greatest ball strikers in golf history. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, in 1929, Norman became famous for his remarkable accuracy, consistency, and unique single-plane swing technique. During his career he won more than 50 Canadian...
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S11E18 The 'LGBT Purge' and the Limits of Forgiveness
The Canadian government has a long history of regulation, exploitation, and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2) people. One of the most painful chapters in this history is the “LGBT Purge,” a term that refers to the expulsion of LGBTQ2 service members…
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S11E17 John A. Macdonald Part 2
John A. Macdonald stands as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Canadian history, a political architect whose vision helped bring a nation into being. The first Prime Minister of Canada. His rise through colonial politics, his central role in Confederation and his leadership…
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S11E16 - John A. Macdonald Part 1
John A. Macdonald stands as one of the most influential and controversial figures in Canadian history, a political architect whose vision helped bring a nation into being. The first Prime Minister of Canada. His rise through colonial politics, his central role in Confederation and his leadership…
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S11E15 - Prince Edward Island Joins Canada
Prince Edward Island is often imagined as a quiet, pastoral place—rolling fields, red sand beaches, and small communities shaped by the rhythms of the sea. But beneath that picturesque surface lies a history that is far more complex, contested, and revealing than its postcard image suggests.…
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S11E14 Battle Series: D-Day Phase One vs. the Battle of the Scheldt
In this CCH special episode, we bring together two expert historians for a gripping confrontation of perspectives, examining—and challenging—the significance of two defining Canadian battles of the Second World War: D-Day Phase One and the Battle of the Scheldt. These were not just moments on a...
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S11E13 Red River Reflection: The Myth of François Guilmette
In the heart of the Red River Settlement, a vibrant Métis community forged a distinct identity shaped by kinship, trade, and resistance. The latter half of the 19th century was a time of profound upheaval, when the Red River Resistance challenged Canadian expansion into the region. Yet history is...
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S11E12 Rise and Rise Again - The Life and Times of Mary Ann Shadd Cary
Born free in a slaveholding nation and unafraid to confront it, Mary Ann Shadd Cary carved out a life defined by intellect, defiance, and relentless public action. A teacher, lawyer, and the first Black woman in North America to publish a newspaper, she challenged both American slavery and…
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S11E11 The Frontier Regime of New France under Louis XIV
In the 17th century, across an ocean and a continent, the will of Louis XIV stretched deep into New France. This episode examines how an absolutist monarchy governed a fragile colonial frontier. How did royal officials impose order on distant settlements along the St. Lawrence? What roles did...
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S11E10 Canair Relief and the Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) produced widespread famine, particularly in Biafra, prompting an unprecedented humanitarian response from abroad. Canadian churches helped found CANAIRELIEF, an ecumenical coalition that raised funds, mobilized volunteers, and supported clandestine airlifts of...
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S11E9 The Liberation of Bergen Belsen
Names like Auschwitz, Dachau, and Bergen Belsen immediately bring to mind the horrors of the Nazi concentration camp system. At the liberation of Bergen Belsen in particular, Canadian forces contributed medical staff, engineers, and relief supplies to Allied efforts after that camp was liberated...
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S11E8 Curious Canadian History presents: Canadian Time Machine | The Furry Gold of Canada: The Beaver’s 50-Year Legacy
In this episode, we step back in time with the Canadian Time Machine podcast to explore the 50th anniversary of the beaver becoming an official national symbol. For more than 50 years, this small but mighty animal has shaped rivers, driven trade, and quietly transformed the land. Wildlife…
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S11E7 Cigarette Nation: The History of Cigarettes in Canada
Cigarette smoking in Canada is a fascinating look at how consumer products, social rituals, and corporate misinformation interact. While widespread cigarette use began in the 1930s it was in the 1950s where a causal link between smoking and lung cancer surfaced in medical journals and mainstream...
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S11E6 Letters from the Frontier – The Jesuit Relations and Old World Understandings of New France
The Jesuit Relations, a series of annual reports produced between 1632 and 1673 detailing the experiences of Society of Jesus missionaries in what is now Eastern Canada, have long been an influential source on the history of New France and encounters between European settlers and Indigenous...
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S11E5 Canada at War with Angus Wallace
Recently our very own David Borys had the pleasure of having a long chat with Angus Wallace of The WW2 Podcast to explore Canada's military legacy from confederation to the Second World War. Angus and David start at the very beginning with Canada’s military (or lack there-of) in 1867 and trace…
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"Remembrance in their Own Words" a CDA Institute Remembrance Day Series
Our very own David Borys was flattered when recently he was made a fellow at the CDA (Conference of Defence Associations) Institute, Canada's leading think tank on defence and security issues. The Institute immediately put David to work interviewing Canadian veterans as part of a Remembrance Day...
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S11E4 Internment to Exile: The Japanese-Canadian War Experience
During the course of the Second World War nearly 22,000 Japanese-Canadians were uprooted and forcible interned by the government of Canada. More than half of those had been born in Canada, thousands more were naturalized British subjects. Despite no shred of evidence that the population posed any...
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Special Episode - The Good Allies - Rest in Peace Tim Cook
On October 26th news broke of the passing of Canadian historian Tim Cook. Tim was a leading voice in the field of Canadian military history and the chief historian and director of research at the Canadian War museum. He is someone I personally have known for most of my academic career and he has...
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S11E3 Unceded Territory and Land Rights in British Columbia
In British Columbia, land acknowledgements often refer to “unceded territory.” Yet many people remain uncertain about the history behind these words or their implications for the future of the province. B.C. has a long history of injustice toward First Nations where government officials refused…
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The Conflict and Culture Podcast S1E3 - The Sacred Band of Thebes
The Sacred Band of Thebes was an elite military unit of 300 highly trained heavy infantry soldiers (hoplites), famously composed of 150 pairs of male lovers. Formed in the 4th century BCE the Thebans, who came from a uniquely gay-tolerant society, believed that soldiers would fight more…
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S11E2 Buying Bombs: Defence Procurement in Canada
What is it called when the Canadian Armed Forces go about purchasing something? It’s called procurement. While most Canadians probably understand that the CAF goes through some process to buy new equipment very few truly understand how deeply complex the process actually is. Defence procurement...
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The Conflict and Culture Podcast - S1E2 Comic Books and the Second World War
Illustration has been an integral part of human history. Particularly before the advent of media such as photography, film, television, and now the Internet, illustrations in all their variety had been the primary visual way to convey history. The comic book, which emerged in its modern form in…
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S11E1 Canadian Punk Rock Takes Over the World
After punk found commercial success in the ’90s, with bands like Green Day, the Offspring, and Blink-182, a new wave of punk bands emerged, each embodying the DIY spirit of the movement in their own way. While Southern California remained the spiritual home of punk rock in the early 2000s, an...
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*Brand New Podcast* The Conflict and Culture Podcast Ep1 - The Myth of the Clean Wehrmacht
David Borys has started a brand new podcast and we here at CCH are bringing you its very first episode. The Conflict and Culture Podcast explores everything and anything to do with military history beyond the battlefield. Please head on over to the show page on Apple and Spotify and click follow!...
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Season 11 Episode 1 coming September 23rd!!
While the summer may be coming to an end it's not all bad news because Curious Canadian History is coming back for Season 11! The first episode airs September 23rd and we are pumped for what is going to be a fascinating season!
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S10E22 The Birth of the Canadian Flag
Surprise! We here at CCH decided to drop a special final episode for Season 10. The Canadian flag is iconic. In almost all parts of the globe people recognize the red maple leaf as distinctly ours, or at the very least a symbol of us…Canadians. Yet, the modern flag’s birth is a story of…
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S10E21 Unpacking the Baggage: The 2025 Federal Election
The 2025 Federal Election was one of the most dynamic and issue-filled elections to have occurred since the 1980s. Threats to Canadian sovereignty, an unpredictable US president, issues over Canadian defence, a glaringly vulnerable economy, a global order that seems to be more and more unstable...
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S10E20 The Trans-Canada Highway: A Nation Connected
The Trans-Canada highway is such a part of the everyday Canadian experience that we often take this lengthy route for granted. Across this country many Canadians drive on it every single day, most without realizing that they are on one the most important infrastructure projects in Canadian…
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S10E19 War Criminals in Canada: A Canadian Cover Up?
In 2024 Jared McBride, Professor at UCLA, conducted a research methodology class with his students. As Jared is an expert on war crimes they investigated war criminals in North America and through their research shifted focus to Nazi war criminals who were able to settle in Canada in the…
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S10E18 - Canada's Titanic: The Sinking of the Empress of Ireland
The St. Lawrence River can turn treacherous in a second. What was just a moment ago clear sailing can suddenly into dangerous fog and almost no visibility. In 1914 the Empress of Ireland learnt this firsthand and what ensued is the deadliest maritime tragedy in peace time Canadian history. To…
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S10E17 The Frank Slide - A Town Buried Under Rock
The town of Frank, Alberta is tucked into the bosom of Turtle Mountain which sits in the beautiful Crows Pass of the majestic Rocky Mountains. In the early 20th century, the town revolved around the local coal mine. 100 men (out of roughly 600 people who lived in Frank) worked at the mine. A…
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S10E16 Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867
Today we are changing things up! Several months ago David published his newest book titled Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 which is a single-volume history of the Canadian Armed Forces at war since confederation. This book has proved timely. In recent months the...
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S10E15 - The Beatles in Canada with Terry O'Reilly
The Beatles are one of the most influential bands in the history of popular music. When they arrived in North America in the early 1960s, they forever changed the musical landscape. Countless musicians in both Canada and the United States speak of the arrival of the Beatles as if it was their own...
Topics in this show