Uncover the secrets of the north with ‘The Secret Life of Canada’
Ah, Canada. Or should we say, eh, Canada? No? Sorry. Home of delightful stereotypes like funny accents, slathering on the maple syrup, hating on Quebec, and constantly apologizing, Canada loves its reputation of being exceptionally nice. Except, Canada has some secrets. Some fun ones, some not so fun ones. “The Secret Life of Canada” is a CBC podcast that is filling in the information that textbooks left out.
Guiding us through this secret history are hosts Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson. Johnson is Mohawk and Tuscarora from Six Nations, and Bowen is first generation Canadian from Alberta, whose family comes from Barbados, West Indies. Together, they are finding the missing, or perhaps better described as buried, pieces in Canada’s history. From the first Indigenous player in the NHL to the government-issued slaughter of Inuit sled dogs in the mid 20th century, to Japanese Canadian scientist Irene Uchida who transformed maternal and infant health with her research.
The first season of “The Secret Life of Canada” is mostly aimed at educating fellow Canadians and non-Canadians on the Indigenous people who lived on the land long before them. For instance, ever heard of Franklin’s lost expedition? In 1845, two ships departed England on a British voyage to the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic, led by Captain Sir John Franklin. The expedition quickly turned disastrous when the two ships became icebound in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. For decades, the British Admiral had no idea what happened to that ill-fated caravan, only assuming all 129 officers and men had perished in the harsh conditions.
But the Inuit people in what is now Nunavut knew what happened. In fact, they even told John Rae in 1854 that they had seen 40 of the men, found some of their belongings, and could lead him to one of the now-corpse-riddled encampments they built after they had abandoned the ice-locked ships. But, of course, the British Admiral nor the Canadian government listened to them, and the ship remained lost for over a century and a half. The ships were finally found in 2016.
“The Secret Life of Canada” is filling in the not-so-nice holes in Canadian history. The country, often seen as America’s overly kind, overly apologetic little brother, has an unfortunate history with it’s indigenous people, immigrants, people of color, women, you know the drill. You’ll hear stories of Sasquatch and Ogopogo, sacred figures from Indigenous oral history turned scary monsters or silly mascots. Or, get a crash course on The Whiskey War between Canada and Denmark. You’ll also here mini shout outs to some of Canada’s most brilliant, talented, and overlooked citizens.
Listen to “The Secret Life of Canada” for one of the most entertaining educational experience in just 30 minutes or less.
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