Canadian History Ehx

A Costly Disaster: The 1998 Ice Storm

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In January 1998, freezing rain began to fall along the St. Lawrence River but instead of the system moving on, it hung around. It created one of the m...

Canadian Time Machine: Oscar Peterson

27 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This episode comes courtesy of Canadian Time Machine, produced by our friends at The Walrus Lab.  Host Angela Misri takes you back to key anniversa...

Introducing "History of the 90s Xmas Movies"

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The 1990s were loaded with great holiday movies. From Home Alone to A Nightmare before Christmas there was something for everyone. In this episode of...

Decades for Justice: The Christine Jessop Case

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Oct. 3, 1984, Christine Jessop disappeared from her home. Three months later, her body was found. While one innocent man was convicted of the crime...

CHE Biography: Randy Spracklin

13 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For three generations, Randy Spracklin's family has been building in Newfoundland and Labrador. Today, their company, Newfound Builds, helps restore h...

Canada's Greatest Soldier: Tommy Prince

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tommy Prince fought in the Second World War and Korea. Highly decorated, he was a ghost in the night and a terror to the enemy. Despite all he gave fo...

Canada's Sweetheart: Barbara Ann Scott

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

She was called Canada's Sweetheart for her grace on the ice. The only Canadian woman to win a figure skating gold in singles, she was celebrated coast...

A Monumental Change: When Canada Went Metric

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From the 1970s to 1980s, Canada made the monumental effort to go from the Imperial System to the Metric System. It was met with praise and anger and d...

Half Century Since Tragedy: The Edmund Fitzgerald

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Nov. 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared beneath the waves of Lake Superior in a terrible storm. The sinking took the lives of 29 men and w...

North Atlantic Tragedy: The Sinking of the Llandovery Castle

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1918, a German U-Boat emerged from the waters of the North Atlantic and fired a torpedo at HHMS Llandovery Castle. It became one of the worst atroc...

Refusing Orders: The Terrace Mutiny

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1944, with conscription in place to send Canadian troops in Canada overseas, the largest mutiny in Canadian history began in Terrace, British Colum...

CHE Biography: Lauren Ash

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the best improvisers in Canada, she rose to national fame on Superstore as Dina Fox. A gifted musician, her first album "Call Me When You Get T...

Introducing... Stop Rewind: The Lost Boy | Through A Glass Darkly | 1

25 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Taj Khyber Rowland knows he’s not who people think he is but he can’t quite remember how his life went so off course. He decides to spool backwa...

Challenging Our Inner Columbo: Canadian Mysteries

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From the mysterious death of a great painter, to the story of a legless man who appeared on a beach, Canada has many fascinating mysteries to explore....

CHE Biography: Fred Penner

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To many Canadians, he is a beloved figure from childhood. The host of Fred Penner's Place, he has won multiple Junos, has the Order of Canada and has ...

Vancouver's Time To Shine: Expo 86

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Canada's second World's Fair was held almost two decades after its first. While Expo 86 wouldn't be watershed moment in Canadian history that Expo 67 ...

Our Greatest Athlete: Bobbie Rosenfeld

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It was said the best way to sum up the athletic prowess of Bobbie Rosenfeld was to say she was bad at swimming. Two Olympic medals, championships and ...

CHE Biography: Ron Sexsmith

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ron Sexsmith is one of Canada's most celebrated singer-songwriters. From his early years playing the circuit in Toronto, to his acclaimed albums throu...

A Life-Saving Relay: The Race Against Death

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Fort Vermilion and Little Red River were in danger of a diphtheria outbreak, a lot of people came together to save lives, including one of Canada...

CHE Biography: Terry O'Reilly

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For two decades, Terry O'Reilly has been educating Canadians on the world of advertising and marketing. His radio show and podcast remains as popular ...

Glory and Tragedy: The Mystery of Bill Barilko

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Bill Barilko is familiar to many Canadians thanks to The Tragically Hip. The story of his rise to fame as an NHL player and his mysterious disappearan...

From History of the 90s: Cod Moratorium

30 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In July 1992 the Canadian government banned cod fishing along Newfoundland’s east coast in an effort to help restore cod stocks that had been deplet...

Terror On The Lakes: The White Hurricane of 1913

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In November 1913, a storm system slammed The Great Lakes, sinking over a dozen ships and killing hundreds of people. It remains the worst natural disa...

My History Mentor: Pierre Berton

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Aug. 6, 2025, I adopted a three-year-old St. Bernard-Pyrenees cross. I gave him the name of Berton in honour of my favourite historian. In honour ...

The Noah of the Plains: Tom Sukanen

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tom Sukanen was a lone man on the Saskatchewan Prairie. He had lost his family and only wanted to return home to Finland. To do that, he decided to bu...

Brightening The World: Maud Lewis

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, Maud Lewis painted on every surface around her. Her tiny home became her magnum opus and she brightened the world around her with her won...

Documenting Canada: The National Film Board

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Since 1939, the National Film Board has documented Canada, its people and its culture. It has won thousands of awards and become a legendary film stud...

A Legendary Humanitarian: Dr. Norman Bethune

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Norman Bethune changed battlefield medicine and brought modern medicine to rural China. He was celebrated in China for decades before Canada final...

Finding A New Home: The Doukhobors

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Doukhobors were welcomed to Canada as new arrivals but it did not take long before Canadians turned against them simply because they wanted to liv...

A Mission of Peace: Thanadelthur

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

During the 1700s, Thanadelthur was young woman who embarked on a mission of peace. Her journey led to peace between the Cree and Chipewyan, and chang...

Respect and Entertainment: Canada's Drag History

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The story of Canada's drag history includes the most successful theatre production in Canadian history, several individuals who fought for LGBTQ equal...

Journey To Equality: Canada's LGBTQ History

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It is Pride Month and throughout this month I have stories of Canada's LGBTQ history. Today, I am taking a journey through Canada's LGBTQ history an...

The Raids of Bigotry: Operation Soap

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It is Pride Month and throughout this month I have stories of Canada's LGBTQ history. Today, it is the story of Operation Soap. The largest mass arr...

Losing A Battle But Winning The War: Jim Egan

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It is Pride Month and throughout this month I have stories of Canada's LGBTQ history. Today, it is the story of Jim Egan. With his partner Jack Nesbit...

Fighting For Change: The We Demand Rally

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It is Pride Month and throughout this month I have stories of Canada's LGBTQ history. Today, it is the first major demonstration of LGBTQ rights in Ca...

A Night of Terror: The SS Noronic Fire

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When the SS Noronic docked at Pier 9 in Toronto Harbour on Sept. 16, 1949, no one expected by the next day that 118 people would be dead and the ship ...

CHE Biography: Jessi Cruickshank

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From her start in an improv group at her high school with Seth Rogen and Nathan Fielder, to her time on MTV Canada and her continued success with her ...

Footsteps Across The Prairies: Anthony Henday

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We know very little about his life, but the story of Anthony Henday is an important one. The first known European to sight the Canadian Rockies, his...

CHE Biography: Mark Critch

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

He has been a fixture of our television screens for over two decades now and Mark Critch shows no signs of slowing down. From getting his start in Ne...

Strength of a Nation: Louis Cyr

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

During his life, he was called the strongest man who ever lived. With hair curls to resemble Samson and accomplished feats of strength that became leg...

CHE Biography: Elvis Stojko

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the this episode of Canadian History Ehx Biography, I talk to the man who brought skating glory to Canada in the 1990s. Elvis Stojko won two Olympi...

More Legend Than Neighbourhood: Kensington Market

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What began as an estate for a rich family, slowly morphed into a multicultural community that has become more legend than neighbourhood. From its star...

The Big Maple Leaf Heist (with Ryan Reynolds)

12 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017, the second-largest gold coin in the world, minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, was stolen from a Berlin museum. It was quite the story and hei...

The Odyssey (with Ryan Reynolds)

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Debuting in 1992 and lasting until 1994, The Odyssey was a surreal CBC show that blended mythology, psychology and social commentary in a way not seen...

CHE Biography: Ryan Reynolds

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the first episode of Canadian History Ehx Biography, I look at the life of Ryan Reynolds and talk with him about his life and how Canada has helped...

Announcement: Canadian History Ehx Biography

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On April 8, 2025, I am launching a new bi-weekly series called Canadian History Ehx Biography. In every episode of my new series, you’ll hear direc...

Building Into The Sky: The Mohawk Skywalkers

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For 125 years, the Mohawk of the Kahnawake Reserve have helped build the bridges and skyscrapers of North America. Nearly the entire skyline of New Yo...

Devoted To The Fur Trade: Peter Fidler

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most important explorers of his era, he was constantly in the shadow of David Thompson but he had quite the story to tell. And 150 years a...

Pure Gold: The Big Maple Leaf Heist

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2017, the second-largest gold coin in the world, minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, was stolen from a Berlin museum. It was quite the story and hei...

The Artistic Spirit of the Coast: Emily Carr

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Emily Carr, was in my opinion, the greatest artist Canada has ever produced. Devoted to art for most of her life, recognition came late for her. Her w...

Hurry Hard: Canada's Curling History

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While curling was not invented in Canada, we have absolutely claimed it as our own. From our earliest curling clubs to the major tournaments of the Br...

Hell on the East Coast: The Halifax Explosion

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On Dec. 6, 1917, the collision of two ships in Halifax Harbour led to a 2.9 kiloton explosion that levelled Halifax, killed 2,000 and injured 9,000. I...

The Oligarchy Ruling Canada: The Family Compact

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For four decades, a small group of men controlled nearly everything in Upper Canada. This oligarchy stifled progress in the name of padding their own ...

A Voice From Heaven: Portia White

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Portia White was one of the most famous concert singers of her day, and called a Voice from Heaven. Sadly, her career, and life, were far too short. ...

A Trailblazer's Story: Rose Fortune

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The daughter of escaped enslaved parents, Rose Fortune became a legend in Annapolis Royal thanks to the company she founded and her work as the unoffi...

An Interview with Cazhhmere Downey

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sounds Black is a new four-part documentary series on History and STACKTV that explores the history of Black music in Canada. It is a fascinating expl...

Introducing: A Most Audacious Heist - Shoot For The Moon | 01

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a summer night in 1998. Vienna, Austria. And petty thief Daniel Blanchard is about to carry out the heist of a lifetime. Stealing a crown jewel...

Breaking Barriers: George Dixon

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

George Dixon was the greatest featherweight boxer in history, at least according to Ring Magazine. One of Nova Scotia's greatest athletes, his career ...

Canadian History Ehx Presents: Canadian Time Machine | Nunavut Turns 25: Land, Language, and Self-Determination

09 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we step back in time with the Canadian Time Machine podcast to explore the past, present, and future of Canada’s youngest territory...

Front Row To Justice: Viola Desmond

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Viola Desmond decided to go see a movie in New Glasgow while her car was repaired, she changed Canadian history and helped start the country's ci...

The Little Giant: George Mercer Dawson

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The man they called The Little Giant nearly died from spinal tuberculosis when he was 11. It left him with stunted growth and a curved back. He went o...

Taken From Their Homes: British Home Children

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From the 1860s to the 1940s, over 100,000 children were sent from England to work and live in Canada. Many of those children dealt with extreme hardsh...

15000 Years of History: The Canadian Museum of History

19 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In July 2024, I went to Ottawa and Gatineau to tour several museums. The first museum I visited was The Canadian Museum of History. It was a transform...

Terror on the Seas: The SS Atlantic

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Before there was the Titanic, there was the SS Atlantic. On her 19th voyage across the ocean, she struck rocks off the coast of Nova Scotia and was lo...

Curious Canadian History: Jackie Robinson in Montreal

12 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Today, I have a special bonus episode of the show courtesy of David Borys at Curious Canadian History about Jackie Robinson and his time in Montreal. ...

When The World Came To Canada: Expo 67

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Quebec moved through The Quiet Revolution, Montreal welcomed the planet to Expo 67. It became not just a watershed moment in Canada's history durin...

2025's Historic Milestones

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2025, we are going to be celebrating several historic milestones. From the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Quebec, to the 200th anniversary of t...

From Mummering To Sinck Tuck: Canada's Christmas Traditions

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From mummering to Tibbs Eve, from our first Christmas tree to our Christmas carols, there are many wonderful Christmas traditions in Canada's history....

From One Coast To The Other: The Walking Race Across Canada

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the late-winter of 1921, three teams of individuals set out at different times to walk across Canada from Halifax to Vancouver. What started as a l...

One Flag For The Nation: The Great Canadian Flag Debate

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1964, Canada made its first steps to creating a flag to represent the country. The path to get that iconic flag was a bumpy one that tore Parliamen...

Lightning In A Bottle: Godspell in Toronto

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1972, a group of unknown actors were cast in the musical Godspell in Toronto. After the musical finished its record-breaking run in 1973, those act...

Success Amid Near Failure: The Barr Colonists

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1903, 2,000 British colonists left their homeland to settle on a plot of land in Western Canada. Led by a man who made a lot of big promises, just ...

A Month-Long Celebration: The Royal Tour of 1939

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was the biggest event in Canadian history to that point. For the first time ever, a sitting monarch visited Canada when King George VI and Queen El...

Breaking Barriers: Canadian Women In Politics

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of Canadian History Ehx, I speak to several women who broke barriers in politics, from the municipal to federal level. Reg...

Building Hollywood: The Canadians of Early Hollywood

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the silent era of Hollywood, Canadians led the way for the new film industry. From Mary "America's Sweetheart" Pickford, to Mack Sennett to man...

A Miracle in Ontario: The Mississauga Train Derailment

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It led to the largest peacetime evacuation in North American history to that point, but the train derailment at Mississauga is known more for what did...

Canadian History Ehx Introduces Haunted Canada

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The home of a former Bank of Montreal is an impressive building that mesmerizes passers and you're there what’s inside…a shrine to Canada’s game...

Bump In The Night: Canada's Spooky Mysteries

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the Old Hag of Newfoundland, to a Headless Nun to the Ghost Light of St. Louis, there are many spooky stories from Canada's history. ORDER MY ...

The Boy In Blue: Ned Hanlan

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ned Hanlan could be called Canada's first sports hero. As a rower, The Boy in Blue became a world champion and one of the most famous Canadians of his...

Death Span: The Second Narrows Bridge Collapse

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1958, a bridge over the Narrows in Vancouver suddenly fell into a cloud of smoke. The disaster claimed 18 lives, but that is only part of the story...

The Bird In the Gilded Cage: Judy LaMarsh

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

She was a woman who entered Parliament in 1960 and in eight short years, helped bring in the Canada Pension Plan, Medicare, the Royal Commission on th...

The Monumental British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From 1939 to 1945, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan oversaw the training of tens of thousands of pilots, air crews and instructors. It alter...

One Long Terrible Journey: The March West

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1874, the new North West Mounted Police began their long march from Manitoba to present-day Alberta. It was a terribly-planned march to the west th...

Bringing The Bard To Life: The Stratford Festival

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1953, Stratford, Ontario opened its first festival under a tent with Alec Guinness speaking the first lines of Richard III. From there, Stratford b...

Canada's Titanic: The Empress of Ireland

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

She has been called Canada's Titanic. In 1914, while sailing in fog in the St. Lawrence River, the Empress of Ireland was struck by another ship and w...

Canada's Greatest Marathoner: Tom Longboat

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the early-1900s to the late-1910s, Tom Longboat was the greatest marathon runner in the world. Along the way, he also served with distinction in ...

The CNE Live Show

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

My live show at the Canadian National Exhibition on Aug. 19, which was all about the history of the CNE. As this was recorded in a large room, the aud...

The Man Who Changed The World: Igor Gouzenko

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Igor Gouzenko came to Canada as a Soviet cipher clerk. His defection would change the course of the 20th century and help spark the era known as The C...

A Year To Celebrate: The Canadian Centennial

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For one year, Canadians from coast to coast got up and celebrated the country and its history. From walks across Canada to Centennial Projects, from E...

Over Prairies and Mountains: The Overlanders of 1862

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was a journey over hundreds of kilometres of the Canadian west, through mountain passes and along rivers. For months, 150 men and one women venture...

From great heights to a steep fall, the story of Eaton's

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For almost 150 years, Eaton's was one of the most important companies in Canada. From its catalogue to the Santa Claus Parade, to its massive impact o...

A Force On The Prairies: Jerry Potts

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jerry Potts was the son of an Indigenous mother and a Scottish father, and throughout his life he cemented himself as a legendary figure in the Canadi...

The Rise and Fall of the Avro Arrow

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When the Avro Arrow debuted, it was a revolutionary aircraft that broke records almost immediately. Then, as soon as it took to the air, it was mothba...

The History of Redvers

20 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The community of Redvers has a fascinating history to explore, from the Indigenous Peoples, all the way to today. ORDER MY FIRST HISTORY BOOK! CANA...

The Queen of the Lakes: The Edmund Fitzgerald

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When she hit the waves for the first time, the Edmund Fitzgerald was called the Queen of the Lakes. For almost 20 years, she journeyed across the lake...

Introducing... Dark Poutine | The Quakers and The Killers: The Murder of Peter Lazier

13 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Episode 294: On the evening of December 21, 1883, near Bloomfield, Ontario, visitor Peter Lazier was murdered by two intruders at the farmhouse of Qua...

5,000 KM for the Cup: The Dawson City Nuggets

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, teams compete for the Stanley Cup while traveling in private jets and staying in fancy hotels. Things were very different 120 years ago when a ...

When Germans Invaded Winnipeg: If Day

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On a cold day in February 1942, Winnipeg and Manitoba fell to Germany in a provincial battle. While it seemed very real, it was part of a Victory Bond...

Seven Decades of Progress: Canada's LGBTQ History

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the course of 70 years, various members of the LGBTQ community have helped make Canada a better and more tolerant place. It has been a long road,...

Introducing... Deadman's Curse Season 2

22 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1931, a larger than life prospector, in search of Slumach’s legendary lost gold mine goes missing in the wilderness of British Columbia. In this ...