Curious Canadian History

It is impossible to deny the legendary status that Jackie Robinson has had in the game of baseball. There have been movies, songs, poetry, books and essays about his career and countless tributes and celebrations of his life and impact on the game. Jackie was born in Georgia in 1919 but spent most of his life growing up in Pasadena, California. By the time he went to college he was already a star athlete, in both baseball and football. He had a short stint in the army during the Second World War before joining the Negro Baseball League. It was there that he caught the attention of Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Ricky who in turn thought Jackie would be the perfect player to break the MLBs historic colour line and forever change the game of baseball. On his path to his legendary career Jackie spent one season on the Brooklyn Dodgers minor league affiliate, the Montreal Royals. In today’s episode we deep dive into Jackie’s incredible life focusing on his one season in Montreal and how that season set him up for a legendary career. For today’s episode we’ve brought on historian and author William Humber. Bill is a member of the Order of Canada (2021), and the first historian inducted into Canada’s Baseball Hall of Fame (2018). He has authored 15 books. Seven of which have been primarily focused on baseball’s history in Canada. (two have just recently been released– Tex Simone: The Man Who Saved Baseball in Syracuse, co-authored with the Simone family; and Old Ontario at Bat: Baseball’s Unheralded Ancestry, released by the Centre for Canadian Baseball Research). As well, he has written on soccer, bicycling, African-Canadian athletes, winter sports, his hometown of Bowmanville, Ontario and on the topic of urban regeneration. He has been listed in Canada’s Who’s Who for over 35 years. A retired Seneca Polytechnic administrator he was recognized for his work in environmental education including Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Sustainability Educator of the Year, an Yves Landry Award for sustainability leadership, and by the College and Institutes of Canada for his Green Citizen campaign at Seneca. He has held secretarial positions, and still sits, on the Boards of Jury Lands Foundation, as well as Valleys 2000, both focused on enhancing the heritage and environment of Bowmanville within the Municipality of Clarington. His initial volunteer position was as President of the Visual Arts Centre of Newcastle in 1975, so he approaches 50 years of community engagement. His roots in Bowmanville date back to his great grandmother’s birth here in 1860 and Bill and his wife Cathie still live there but their grownup children, Bradley, Darryl and Karen have opted for the attractions of nearby big cities.Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca Get add free content at Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 7th of June 1939 a ship sailed for Cuba, on board were 907 Jewish refugees fleeing the violent antisemitic state that had become Nazi Germany. When arriving in Cuba, their visas were no longer accepted, and the passengers were told they could not disembark. The ship then sailed to the United States, where the passengers were once again refused asylum. Finally, the ship sailed to Canada in a last gasp effort for freedom…but they too were denied. Tragically, the ship returned to Europe and the passengers returned to a horrific fate. Jeremy Maron is the curator of Holocaust and genocide content at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, where he has worked since 2011. In this role, Jeremy oversees content development in three of the museum’s core galleries – Examining the Holocaust, Turning Points for Humanity, and Breaking the Silence. He holds a PhD in Cultural Mediations from Carleton University, where his dissertation focused on the treatment of the Holocaust in Canadian cinema. His discussion of Victoria Beach in the episode has been written about here: The stain of antisemitism in Canada | CMHR and he was a contributor to a digital story about antisemitism in Canada here.Don’t forget! You can pre-purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca Get add free content at Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

November 30, 2024 marks 150 years since Lucy Maud Montgomery’s birth, and her legacy continues to endure. Best known for Anne of Green Gables, Montgomery created characters that embody resilience and imagination and some have gone on to become Canadian fiction icons. In this episode her granddaughter, Kate Macdonald Butler, shares family stories, preserves her grandmother’s legacy, and reads from Emily of New Moon, which she views as Montgomery’s most personal work. The episode also explores her influence, her personal struggles, and Dr. Jessica Katz Edison’s insight into how Montgomery’s work resonates with neurodivergent audiences, long before such language existed. Today we’re going to get some help in exploring the life of Lucy Maud Montgomery. You see, our friends at The Walrus Lab have just launched a brand-new season of Canadian Time Machine. Each episode, hosted by Angela Misri, revisits a key anniversary in Canadian history, exploring how those moments continue to shape the world we live in today. With rich storytelling, expert insights, and fresh perspectives, this podcast invites you to see history in a whole new light. More episodes of Canadian Time Machine are available at: https://lnkfi.re/canadian-time-machine. To read episode transcripts in both French and English and explore more historic Canadian milestones, visit thewalrus.ca/canadianheritage. A French counterpart of the show, Voyages dans l'histoire canadienne, is also available—if you're bilingual and looking for more, head to https://lnkfi.re/Voyages-dans-lhistoire-canadienne. Get add free content at Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Group of 7 are some of the most iconic and well-known Canadian painters in the history of Canadian art. While forming on the heels of the First World War, during a dramatic period of social and political upheaval, the painters in the group came to define a uniquely Canadian style of art. One that reflected a country that was searching for new ways to express itself after the incredible and traumatic contributions of the Great War. From the artistic pioneers to the adventurous men of the woods, the Group of 7 reflected and embraced the optimism and pioneering spirit of the day and, while certainly not perfect, went on to become some of the most important painters in this country's history. To help us talk bout the Group of 7 we have brought on John Geoghegan. John is a curator and writer based in Toronto. He joined the McMichael as Associate Curator Collections and Research in 2022 and has contributed to several McMichael projects on topics including the Group of Seven, historical Canadian women artists, contemporary Indigenous art, and many more . He holds an MA in art history from York University.In addition to their regular programming, which includes permanent collection exhibitions that include many works by members of the Group of Seven, the McMichael is currently showing Jackson's Wars: A.Y. Jackson Before the Group of Seven, an exhibition curated by Douglas Hunter, closing February 2nd, 2025. Check it out today!Don’t forget! You can pre-purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:AmazonIndigoDundurnGoodreadsIndiebookstores.ca Get add free content at Patreon! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.