In this episode, we’re commemorating over 125 years of the creation of the Yukon Territory. We speak with Paul Caesar-Jules, a Kaska youth from Watson Lake. He tells us about his work at Liard First Nation’s Language Department, where he digitizes tapes of elders communicating in Dene languages. We also hear from Yukon historian Michael Gates, who takes us back to the 1978 discovery of Hollywood silent films, buried under the permafrost in Dawson City — and what this discovery tells us about the Gold Rush. Finally, we speak with Regional Chief Kluane Adamek. She speaks about the essential role that Indigenous youth play in shaping the future of the Yukon, and about the importance of matrilineal leadership in her community.

In this episode, we travel back to the moment Prince Edward Island entered Confederation, over 150 years ago. Historian Dr. Edward MacDonald takes us back to the Charlottetown Conference, where it’s said that discussions about the Dominion of Canada flowed over several glasses of champagne. He’ll also help us understand why PEI joined the country six years after it was formed. This episode also features reflections on reconciliation from Julie Pellissier-Lush, an actress, knowledge keeper, storyteller, and the first Mi’kmaq Poet Laureate for PEI.

In 1947, Canadian lawyer John Peters Humphrey worked with other members of the Commission on Human Rights to write the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On December 10, 1948, it was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Paris. It’s been over 75 years since this definitive moment, one in which world leaders pledged to do everything in their power to prevent the horrors of World War II from happening again. The Declaration consists of 30 Articles declaring everyone’s equal rights, including those of life, liberty, freedom of movement, and freedom of expression. While there’s a lot to celebrate on this anniversary, it’s also an opportunity to have an honest conversation about the current state of human rights, both around the world, and in Canada. In this episode, human rights historian Dr. Jennifer Tunnicliffe helps us understand the impacts of the Declaration. Hereditary Chief Na’Moks of the Wet’suwet’en Nation also shares his perspective on human rights in Canada, particularly in relation to the treatment of Indigenous peoples.

In May 2023, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) commemorated its 150th anniversary. The federal police force – which originally started out as the North-West Mounted Police – is almost as old as the Dominion of Canada itself. This episode examines the complex and painful history of an institution that has historically mistreated Indigenous peoples and women. It also takes us back to the scene of one of the RCMP’s largest manhunts – the search for fugitive Albert Johnson, also known as “The Mad Trapper.” Our guests on this episode are Sam Karikas, CEO of the RCMP Heritage Centre, and Jean Teillet, a recently retired Métis lawyer, author, and lecturer, who is also the great-grand niece of Louis Riel.

Chinese-Canadians have a long history in Canada. In the 1880s, thousands of Chinese men helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway for a fraction of the wages paid to other labourers. Immediately after the railroad’s completion, the Canadian government imposed the head tax, a fee that was exclusively applied to most people arriving from China. Soon enough, though, the government found that the head tax was not “enough” to dissuade immigration, and on July 1st, 1923, they passed the Chinese Immigration Act, also known as The Exclusion Act. The law barred Chinese immigrants from entering for nearly 25 years, with very few exceptions, and many came to refer to the date the law was passed as “Humiliation Day”.

In this episode we’ll hear about the intergenerational impacts of the legislation on Vancouverite Gillian Der and her family. We’ll also speak to Dr. Melissa Lee, the CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum. She’ll tell us about an exhibit commemorating the 100th anniversary of the law, called “The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act,” which features identity documents collected from the time of the head tax through the years of the Exclusion Act.

In the season finale of Canadian Time Machine, we look at the 50th anniversary of the Decorations for Bravery. We speak with former Governor General, Madame Adrienne Clarkson, about what she’s learned from the everyday heroes she awarded during her tenure and from Russ Fee, a Medal of Bravery recipient who saved a family from a wolf attack. 

In August 1972, Ugandan President Idi Amin announced that all residents of Asian descent had to leave the country within 90 days. The expulsion impacted over 50,000 people — many of whom had ties to East Africa for several generations. Canada played a crucial role in helping resettle over 7,000 Ugandan asylum seekers. In this episode, we’ll hear from two people who were resettled in Canada following the expulsion order: historian and anthropologist Zulfikar Hirji, and writer/editor Tasneem Jamal.

On January 3rd, 1947, Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King became the first person to ever be granted Canadian citizenship. So, how did people in Canada identify before this law came into effect? And how did the law impact people differently? Lawyer and professor Audrey Macklin joins host Angela Misri to help unpack the significance of this anniversary.

En Mai 2023 la Gendarmerie Royal du Canada (GRC) a célébré le 150e anniversaire. Sans aucun doute, la GRC a contribué à la fondation et à l’ordre des territoires du Nord Ouest, et ce même avant qu’ils ne deviennent une partie du Canada. Un moment culminant dans l’histoire de notre pays est celui où Louis Riel et la résistance du Nord-Ouest. Cet épisode raconte l’histoire d’un conflit armée qui s’est passé, en ce qui est maintenant la province du Saskatchewan – et comment Louis Riel – qui a été responsable a négocié que le Province de Manitoba est devenu partie de Canada. Après la résistance il fut reconnu coupable pour trahison. Nous sommes rejoints par Andrew Carrier, le vice-président de la Région de Winnipeg, pour le gouvernement national de la Fédération Métisse du Manitoba, représentant des citoyens Métisses de la Rivière Rouge. Il est le ministre responsable des Services en français et de la Protection de la langue Michif. Il est également ministre des Survivants autochtones des pensionnats et des externats. Le voix de Louis Riel est lue par David Allard, un membre de la famille éloigné de Louis Riel.

Jean Paul Riopelle est né le 7 octobre 1923. Au cours de sa vie il deviendra l’un des artistes les plus importants de l’histoire Canadienne. Avec une carrière de plus de 6 décennies, cet artiste prolifique a laissé une grande œuvre pour inspirer des artistes et des amateurs d’arts comparables. En 2023, il a été reconnu en étant gravé sur une pièce commémorative de deux dollars émise en son honneur. Dans cet épisode nous allons explorer l’exposition Riopelle, à la croisée des temps avec Sylvie Lacerte, Commissaire de l’exposition et historienne de l’art. Également, nous discuterons de l’histoire de Riopelle avec Manon Gauthier, directrice générale de la Fondation Jean Paul Riopelle et Commissaire générale des célébrations du centenaire.

En 1845 la Grande Famine est arrivée en Irlande. Pendant les années qui ont suivi, on a trouvé un grande exode d’Irlandais. Cette migration massive a changé profondément la face de la culture irlandaise. Le Canada était une destination importante pour les migrants qui arrivaient d’Irlande. Dans cet épisode, nous sommes rejoints par Laurent Colantonio, Professeur à L’Université de Québec à Montréal, un expert au sujet de la Grande Famine en Irlande. Également, nous avons Lori Morrison, Vice Présidente de la United Irish Societies of Montreal qui va partager avec nous l’impact des Irlandais sur l’identité Canadienne, et surtout à Montréal.