Show Notes
In 1948, the people in the British colony of Newfoundland faced a choice. They could become an independent country within the British Commonwealth. Or, they could vote to join Canada in Confederation. In an upcoming series of episodes we travel to St. John's, Newfoundland, to interview former Premier Clyde Wells, artist Kathleen Knowling, writer Bernice Morgan, and former MP Richard Cashin about their memories of the Confederation debate, -- and to ask them if they think Newfoundlanders made the right choice when they joined Canada.
More from Canada's History Podcast
For decades, Bob Joseph has been a pivotal voice in advancing the dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. He is the author of the national best seller, 21 Things You Might Not Know About the Indian Act and, more recently, 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self Government.
To reflect on the transformative summer of Montreal 1976, Canada's History recently brought together two Canadians with thoughts to exchange. Heather Hiscox, a 43-year veteran of the broadcasting industry, spent two decades as the face of CBC Morning Live and has covered 10 Olympic Games. Richard "Dick" Pound is the longest-serving member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). An Olympic swimmer in the 1960 Summer Games in Rome, Pound was a key member of the Canadian Olympic Association (COA) for the 1976 Summer Games and has been a defining force in the Olympic Movement for more than 40 years.
The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line was a radar defence network in Canada's Arctic. It was a Cold War engineering marvel, but it had terrible effects on the land and Inuit communities. With Arctic defence once again a topic of concern, Canada's History Society CEO Melony Ward interviews experts about the DEW Line and its impact.
From Black stevedores in the American Deep South, to Hawaiian Inuit dances, to folk singers on Canada's East Coast music scene -- discover the fascinating world of sea shanties in a special episode by Canada's History contributor Jonah Grignon. With music recorded live by the Bytown Sea Shanty Collective.
The victory at Vimy Ridge, France, remains Canada's most storied attack of the First World War. Beginning on April 9, 1917, all four Canadian divisions advanced side-by-side for the first time in a single attack. But the victory came at a cost: During four days of fighting, Canada suffered more than ten thousand casualties. Today, war letters offer a window on that long-ago time. Here, in their own words, are the stories of the soldiers who fought, and the loved ones back home who cherished them.