The Secret Life of Canada

CBC Discover & Learn

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! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Subscribe to Sounds Good: CBC's Podcast newsletter for the finest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives. 

  1. Falen’s new show! Introducing: See You in Court

    OCT 8

    Falen’s new show! Introducing: See You in Court

    The stories behind the legal battles that changed Canada — and the unlikely people who made it happen. Some were sh*t disturbers, some were convicts, and some were just regular folks dragged into a fight. Each week, host Falen Johnson teams up with a journalist to dig into a case that challenged the status quo, and asks: what kind of person takes on the law? What are the costs? And what would our lives look like if these cases never happened? Because let's be real, just because a case is closed doesn't mean the story’s over. More episodes of See You in Court are available here: https://link.mgln.ai/syic-sloc

    27 min

  2. JAN 16

    Goodbye for now!

    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.  Follow us on Instagram , Facebook and Tik Tok.

    10 min

  3. 2024-12-05

    S6: Powwow

    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.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    30 min

  4. 2024-11-21

    S6: The Sex Scandal & The Spy

    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.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    10 min

  5. 2024-11-07

    S6: The final voyage of the Princess Sophia

    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.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    20 min

  6. 2024-10-24

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

    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.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    19 min

  7. 2024-10-10

    S6: I see dead people (in Winnipeg)

    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.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    21 min

  8. 2024-09-26

    S6: A Brief History of Nudism

    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.  Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    28 min
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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! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Subscribe to Sounds Good: CBC's Podcast newsletter for the finest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives. 

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