ReCollections

The southern coast of Labrador in the 1500s was the scene of Canada’s first oil boom. Each summer, Basque crews from Spain and France traversed the Atlantic to hunt whales and render their blubber into a precious commodity: oil that lit the lamps of Europe. It was dangerous, messy… and profitable. The story was all but lost until the 1970s, when researchers and archaeologists flocked to the tiny community of Red Bay, digging in the gardens and diving in the harbour, to uncover the secrets of Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Special thanks to Joxe Felipe Auzmendi and Iñaki Beraetxe, to Daniel Payne for use of his song Selma Barkham’s Waltz, and to Javier Vicente for recording assistance. Our condolences to the family of Robert Grenier, who led Parks Canada’s underwater archaeology work at Red Bay. Robert passed away in January 2026. Learn more: Red Bay National Historic Site Plan your visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Red Bay Heritage Designation: Red Bay National Historic Site UNESCO World Heritage Site designation Other Media: The Great Whale Robbery of Labrador by Canadiana The underwater archaeology of Red Bay: Basque shipbuilding and whaling in the 16th century, edited by Robert Grenier, Marc-André Bernier, and Willis Stevens.  Email us at [email protected] for any questions or suggestions. Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.

ReCollections, the award-winning history and archaeology podcast from Parks Canada, is back for Season Two. Four new stories from national parks and national historic sites across Canada: ● Red Bay: Discovering the Basque Whalers of Terra Nova ● Fort Lennox: The Accidental Immigrants ● Bar U Ranch: Grass Into Money ● Waterton Lakes: Archaeology in a Burned Landscape Join us for a journey of national historic significance.

Join us for a journey of national historic significance.

Travel back to the Viking Age to uncover the remnants of a thousand-year-old Norse encampment. We’ll hear about their incredible journey from Greenland to northern Newfoundland from a diverse group of experts including historians, archaeologists, and interpreters at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. Learn more:  L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows  Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: https://g.co/arts/zsrgMj8ex1cQe5yK7 Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows/visit  UNESCO page: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/4/ National Film Board documentaries: The Man Who Discovered America: https://www.nfb.ca/film/man_discovered_america  The Vinland Mystery: https://www.nfb.ca/film/vinland_mystery/ Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections

Welcome to Ruby's Place in Dawson City, Yukon, “the Paris of the North.” Through the remarkable lives of Madam Ruby Scott and her employees, we’ll hear about Dawson’s Gold Rush heyday and the boom/bust cycle of both the mining and sex work industries. At the heart of the story is Ruby's Place, an elegant false-front building conserved as part of the Klondike National Historic Sites… despite the threats from climate change. Learn More:  Klondike National Historic Sites: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/klondike Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/klondike/visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/PwWxfnGFmjSquw UNESCO World Heritage Site (Tentative List): https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6255/ Tr'ochëk National Historic Site: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=1970&i=65024 The Other Little House: The Brothel as a Colonial Institution on the Canadian Prairies, 1880–93 by L. K. Bertram: https://academic.oup.com/jsh/article/56/1/58/6554394?login=false Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections