Curious Canadian History

The Verendrye family played a crucial role in expanding French knowledge of western North America during the eighteenth century. Led by Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de La Vérendrye, and later assisted by his sons, they established a network of trading posts stretching from Lake Superior to present-day Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Their expeditions strengthened the French fur trade, forged alliances with many Indigenous nations, and greatly improved European maps of the interior. Although they never found the long-sought route to the Pacific Ocean, their journeys opened the Canadian Prairies to further exploration and laid the groundwork for later western expansion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even though Season 11 has officially ended we still have a few summer gems for you listeners. For this episode of our Summer Reboot series we go back to the 1850s and look at the Pig War of 1859 in an episode we did back in Season 4. The Pig War was a bloodless border dispute between Britain and the United States on the San Juan Islands. Triggered when an American settler shot a British-owned pig, both nations deployed troops. Diplomacy prevailed, and international arbitration in 1872 awarded the islands to the United States. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture a quiet harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Calm waters. Towering forests. It seems peaceful enough—but beneath that surface lies a story that helped shape Canada's Pacific coast. Long before warships lined the docks, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived here. Then came explorers, empires, sailors, and soldiers, each leaving their mark on what would become Esquimalt Harbour. How was this natural harbour connected to broader British imperial interests in Latin America? And how did it allow the British to project imperial power over the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest? Was this the final key in completing the Canadian project?

"Scott Stephen is a historian and educator based in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is currently working in education policy and as a consultant for Trailmark Systems. Scott’s research areas include British imperial history, British Columbia’s history and naval history. His work on the Esquimalt naval base began during his graduate studies at UBC, and he won the Jacques Cartier MA prize for 2024 from the Canadian Nautical Research Society for his thesis.

His recent article “Esquimalt and its Latin American Connection: Linking British Concerns in Pacific Latin America to the Establishment of a Naval Base on Vancouver Island”, published in the Canadian Historical Review, repositions Pacific Latin America as an essential component to the navy’s interest in Esquimalt Harbour circa 1858 and details the larger imperial context within which that interest arose.

Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History!
Hostile History on Spotify
Hostile History on Apple
Hostile History on Amazon

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:

Amazon
Indigo
Dundurn
Goodreads
Indiebookstores.ca




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Picture a quiet harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Calm waters. Towering forests. It seems peaceful enough—but beneath that surface lies a story that helped shape Canada's Pacific coast. Long before warships lined the docks, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived here. Then came explorers, empires, sailors, and soldiers, each leaving their mark on what would become Esquimalt Harbour. How did this sheltered stretch of water become the birthplace of Canada's Pacific Navy? And why has it remained strategically important for more than 150 years?

Scott Stephen is a historian and educator based in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is currently working in education policy and as a consultant for Trailmark Systems. Scott’s research areas include British imperial history, British Columbia’s history and naval history. His work on the Esquimalt naval base began during his graduate studies at UBC, and he won the Jacques Cartier MA prize for 2024 from the Canadian Nautical Research Society for his thesis.

His recent article “Esquimalt and its Latin American Connection: Linking British Concerns in Pacific Latin America to the Establishment of a Naval Base on Vancouver Island”, published in the Canadian Historical Review, repositions Pacific Latin America as an essential component to the navy’s interest in Esquimalt Harbour circa 1858 and details the larger imperial context within which that interest arose.

Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History!
Hostile History on Spotify
Hostile History on Apple
Hostile History on Amazon

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:

Amazon
Indigo
Dundurn
Goodreads
Indiebookstores.ca
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In October of 2006 Jess Larochelle from Ontario was guarding an observation post near the Afghanistan village of Pashmul when dozens of Taliban insurgents attacked Jess’ position. The ensuing battle is almost unbelievable in what Jess did and how he did it. Bruce Moncour is a veteran of Afghanistan and for years has been leading the charge, through his organization Valour in the Presence of the Enemy, to get Larochelle awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest medal for bravery in the Canadian military. Recently Bruce’s organization has celebrated a couple major victories that are getting him and his organization ever closer to that ultimate goal.

Bruce Moncur is a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, advocate, and grade 5 teacher. In 2006, he deployed to Afghanistan with the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment and fought in Operation Medusa, the largest Canadian-led battle since the Korean War, where he was seriously injured in a friendly-fire incident. After a long recovery, he became a leading voice for veterans’ rights. He is the founder of Valour in the Presence of the Enemy

David O’Keefe is one of the most engaging voices on Canada’s Second World War story, in the classroom, on the page, and on screen. A professor of history at Marianopolis College in Montreal, he’s the bestselling author of One Day in August and Seven Days in Hell, with a new book, Missing Presumed Dead, coming in late 2027. You can also see him right now in the new Tom Hanks World War II documentary, bringing fresh insight and energy to some of the war’s most hotly debated battles.

Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History!
Hostile History on Spotify
Hostile History on Apple
Hostile History on Amazon

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:

Amazon
Indigo
Dundurn
Goodreads
Indiebookstores.ca
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.