Episodes

  • S6: The Royal Proclamation
    Jun 6 2024

    It’s been called the Indigenous Magna Carta and the Indigenous Bill of Rights. But what exactly does that mean? In this episode Falen and Leah dive into the history of the Royal Proclamation, a document that is often spoken about when discussing the history of Canada and Indigenous land rights. But what do we really know about it?


    Listen to our Crash Course on Beavers (as mentioned in the episode) here, and listen to our episode on Water here.


    For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife.


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    29 mins
  • S6: Crash Course on Private Mary Greyeyes
    May 23 2024

    A curious World War II-era photograph shows an unnamed woman in military uniform kneeling next to a man in a headdress who holds a pipe above her. We dig into the true story behind this photograph and the identity of this mystery woman.


    For more links and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/secretlife


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    10 mins
  • S6: Canadian Comedy
    May 9 2024

    Comedy has been called one of Canada’s biggest exports. But why exactly is that, and why can’t the country seem to keep our funny people at home? In this episode Leah and Falen look at the roots of comedy in Canada and look into why Canadians are so funny wherever they are in the world. And RIP Just For Laughs?



    For more links and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada



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    45 mins
  • S6: Crash Course on The Persian
    Apr 25 2024

    It’s another baking episode! This time Leah and Falen look at why Thunder Bay, Ontario has their own sweet roll that you can't find anywhere else. We find out how these sweet buns with pink frosting came to be and who Persians are named after (spoiler — it strangely has nothing to do with Persian people).


    For more links and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

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    11 mins
  • S6: General Idea
    Apr 11 2024

    When three young queer men formed an art collective in the late 60s in Toronto named "General Idea", no one expected that they would end up becoming one of the most iconic art collectives of the 20th century. For 25 years Felix, Jorge and AA became internationally known for their edgy, subversive, funny and boundary pushing work. Leah and Falen learn about the early days of the collective [2:11], the time Life magazine tried to sue them [13:17], why they started a ”Miss General Idea” beauty pageant [16:51], and how they ended up creating one of the most indelible images of the AIDS epidemic [25:26]. And then, they’ll hear about the group’s final push to produce a catalog of work before AIDS took the lives of Felix & Jorge in 1994 [30:30]. With special guest AA Bronson.


    Here are some of the pieces referenced in the episode:


    Mail Art


    FILE magazine


    The Miss General Idea Pageant


    P is for Poodle


    IMAGEVIRUS, AIDS


    Fin De Siècle


    For more links on General Idea’s work and more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada


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    36 mins
  • S6: Crash Course on Icelandic Canada
    Mar 28 2024

    Gimli is more than a dwarf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy series Lord of the Rings, in fact the community in Manitoba is home to the world’s largest Icelandic population outside of Iceland. So how did Canada become home to all these Icelanders, why did they end up living on a reserve and what exactly happens during Islendingadagurinn?


    Listen to Part 1 of our episode The Mounties Always Get Their Land (referenced in the episode) here.


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    13 mins
  • The Secret Life of Canada Introduces: Canadian Time Machine | ‘Humiliation Day’, A Look Back at the Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act
    Mar 21 2024

    Explore an important part of the rich history of Chinese-Canadians in this episode of Canadian Time Machine from The Walrus Lab. In the 1880s, Chinese men played a pivotal role in building the Canadian Pacific Railway, enduring challenges for a fraction of the wages. Discover the impact of the head tax and the infamous Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, known as "Humiliation Day." The episode delves into the intergenerational effects and gains insights from Dr. Melissa Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum, on the compelling exhibit, "The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act." More episodes are available at: https://lnkfi.re/slofcxctm. To read the episode transcripts in French and English, and to learn more about historic Canadian milestones, please visit thewalrus.ca/canadianheritage. There is also a French counterpart of this show called Voyages Dans L’Histoire Canadienne so if you’re bilingual and want to listen to more, visit https://lnkfi.re/Voyages-dans-lhistoire-canadienne

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    21 mins
  • S6: The Secret Life of the Canadian Teen Drama
    Mar 14 2024

    From PSAs to Euphoria, the identity of the teen on TV has shifted a lot over the years. Leah and Falen take a look back at the invention of the teen and teens on TV. They make the case that thanks to a little upstart franchise called Degrassi, the teen drama is a Canadian invention.


    Here is the link to our episode Bread and Cheese. And be sure to check out The Degrassi Kid Podcast!


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    49 mins