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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

The country you know and the stories you don't. Join hosts Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson as they reveal the beautiful, terrible and weird histories of this land. New episodes every second Thursday.

Visit us at www.cbc.ca/secretlife for show links, transcripts and more!

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The Secret Life of Canada

Falen and Leah say goodbye, in the last episode of The Secret Life of Canada.

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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Goodbye for now!

Ah, the smell of fry bread, bright regalia, and vendors selling everything from dreamcatchers to expensive jewellery — the modern day powwow is really a feast for the senses. But did you know we can trace the roots of these gatherings to dodgy medicines and even old wild west shows? And how do you pronounce scone dog? Falen and Leah take to the powwow trail to find out what the powwow was and what it is now, and how it is helping some connect to culture. 

Check out our episode on the history of blackface here.

And check out our episode on the potlatch ban here. 

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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S6: Powwow

Our country’s first sex scandal! At the height of the cold war several ministers in John Defeinbaker's government decided to have an affair. Turns out, they all ended up with the same woman. Was she really a spy for East Germany?

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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S6: The Sex Scandal & The Spy

It’s been called Canada’s Titanic. 106 years ago the Princess Sophia crashed into a coral reef on route to Vancouver and Victoria. Over 300 passengers died and it was the worst maritime disaster in the Pacific Northwest, so why haven’t we heard more about it? 

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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S6: The final voyage of the Princess Sophia

In 1955, Canada’s immigration officials began a special experimental program to bring in Palestinian refugees through Pier 21. Falen and Leah take a look back at this historic port of entry that saw almost a million immigrants and refugees arrive in Canada and then find out what has changed since Pier 21’s heyday. And then they try to find out if we are currently better or worse at responding to refugees in crisis zones like Gaza and Sudan.

With special guests Jan Raska from the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and Gauri Sreenivasan from the Canadian Council for Refugees.

Related episodes:

Crash Course on Ukrainian Canadians

The Halifax Donair

The province of Jamaica

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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S6: Canada's historic Palestinian immigration program you probably haven't heard of

In honor of spooky season, Falen and Leah are joined by producer Eunice Kim to learn why Winnipeg became known around the world for communicating with the dead. Together they’ll light some candles and find out why, in the mid-1900s, holding seances became sought after and then how that popularity inspired one of the most famous supernatural comedy films of all time — Ghostbusters. 

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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S6: I see dead people (in Winnipeg)

Leah and Falen take a (fully clothed) deep dive into the history of nudism in Canada. They learn the origins behind the naturist movement which includes a love of the outdoors, embracing nudity in a non-sexual way and most importantly, the use of a towel when sitting down. So, when did it all start here, who were the members of the clubs and what happened when someone got ...visibly aroused? We have all the answers in this brief history of nudism.

*Content warning: this episode contains sexual content and adult themes which may not be suitable for younger listeners.

Recommended companion episodes:

Eugenics in Canada

Where is Japantown?

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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S6: A Brief History of Nudism

In a lot of history books we hear the names of European explorers who “discovered” the Americas. Columbus, Cook, Champlain. All boo-worthy men. But what about the people who went the other way? Indigenous people have been crossing oceans and going to Europe, too. But why don’t we know their names? In this episode Leah and Falen look into the story of those who went willingly and those who did not, those who came home and those who did not. With special guests Caroline Pennock, Coll Thrush, and Peter Morin.

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

S6: An American Indian in London

How did this country end up with the biggest Caribbean Carnival in North America? Leah and Falen dive into history of how a small one time event during Expo ‘67 became one of the longest running street parties in Canada — all courtesy of Trinidad and Tobago. With special guests Michelle Walker and Martin Scott-Pascall.

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. 

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S6: The Caribana* Episode (*and yes we're still calling it that)

The Secret Life of Canada went live at Hot Docs. Leah and Falen take a historical deep dive into the greatest thieves, crooks and liars that have made this country what it is today. 

Featuring guests, Sharjil Rasool and Brandon Hackett and music by Andrew Penner.

For more links and more about this episode visit us at cbc.ca/secretlife. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

S6: The Live Show!

How much history is contained in a meal, a restaurant or even a sandwich? Falen and Leah journey into the culinary history of Montreal’s Jewish community. We learn the backstory behind some of Montreal’s most iconic restaurants and why people are so passionate about the city’s bagels. Then, we look into cookbooks like “A Treasure for My Daughter” which has been a staple for many Jewish women in Montreal, providing recipes but also a guide on how to be the perfect Jewish woman. But what can you learn when you read between the ‘latkes’? With guest Andrea Eidinger.

For more about this episode visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

For more about this episode, visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

S5: Jewish Montreal: A culinary history

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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