96 episodes

The Secret Life of Canada is a podcast about 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. Season 6 is here! 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 Podcasts newsletter for the finest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives. 

The Secret Life of Canada CBC Discover & Learn

    • History

The Secret Life of Canada is a podcast about 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. Season 6 is here! 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 Podcasts newsletter for the finest podcast recommendations and behind-the-scenes exclusives. 

    S6: Crash Course on Icelandic Canada

    S6: Crash Course on Icelandic Canada

    Gimli is more than a dwarf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy series Lord of the Rings, in fact the community in Manitoba is home to the world’s largest Icelandic population outside of Iceland. So how did Canada become home to all these Icelanders, why did they end up living on a reserve and what exactly happens during Islendingadagurinn?

    Listen to Part 1 of our episode The Mounties Always Get Their Land (referenced in the episode) here.

    Follow us on social media. We're on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    • 13 min
    The Secret Life of Canada Introduces: Canadian Time Machine | ‘Humiliation Day’, A Look Back at the Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act

    The Secret Life of Canada Introduces: Canadian Time Machine | ‘Humiliation Day’, A Look Back at the Impact of the Chinese Exclusion Act

    Explore an important part of the rich history of Chinese-Canadians in this episode of Canadian Time Machine from The Walrus Lab. In the 1880s, Chinese men played a pivotal role in building the Canadian Pacific Railway, enduring challenges for a fraction of the wages. Discover the impact of the head tax and the infamous Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, known as "Humiliation Day." The episode delves into the intergenerational effects and gains insights from Dr. Melissa Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum, on the compelling exhibit, "The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act." More episodes are available at: https://lnkfi.re/slofcxctm. To read the episode transcripts in French and English, and to learn more about historic Canadian milestones, please visit thewalrus.ca/canadianheritage. There is also a French counterpart of this show called Voyages Dans L’Histoire Canadienne so if you’re bilingual and want to listen to more, visit https://lnkfi.re/Voyages-dans-lhistoire-canadienne

    • 21 min
    S6: The Secret Life of the Canadian Teen Drama

    S6: The Secret Life of the Canadian Teen Drama

    From PSAs to Euphoria, the identity of the teen on TV has shifted a lot over the years. Leah and Falen take a look back at the invention of the teen and teens on TV. They make the case that thanks to a little upstart franchise called Degrassi, the teen drama is a Canadian invention. 

    Here is the link to our episode Bread and Cheese. And be sure to check out The Degrassi Kid Podcast!

    Follow us on social media. We're on Instagram, Facebook and Tik Tok.

    • 49 min
    S6 Crash Course: How Black students led Canada's largest student protest

    S6 Crash Course: How Black students led Canada's largest student protest

    It would become one of the key moments in Black history in Canada. In 1968, six Black students from Sir George Williams University in Montreal filed a complaint of racism against their biology professor. By 1969, the university denied their complaint and more than 200 students began a peaceful sit-in. By the end of it, a fire broke out, police in riot-gear were sent in and 97 people were arrested. Named “The Sir George Williams Affair” it is now considered to be the largest student protest in Canadian history. 

    Here is a link to previous episode mentioned in this episode:

    The Province of Jamaica: https://link.chtbl.com/OOwfXRW2

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

    • 16 min
    S6: Sorry not Sorry

    S6: Sorry not Sorry

    Canadians are always apologizing, or are they? We are back for a sixth season and in this episode [1:29] Leah and Falen discuss how they use the word “sorry” and why [4:20] and take a deep dive into the theory that it comes from the country's British foundations. [8:33] We learn that the British and French brought dueling with them as a way to resolve conflict. [20:00] Then we look at how the word is connected to conflict resolution, which Indigenous people already were doing before contact [21:44] and examine the many apologies of the Canadian government [25:05] and try to find out whether or not Canadians actually apologize any more than anyone else.

    Here are links to previous episodes mentioned in this episode:

    Kanesatake 300 Years Later, Part 1: https://link.chtbl.com/eUDOXoMZ
    Kanesatake 300 Years Later, Part 2: https://link.chtbl.com/jeMsG6HU

    For other links, references, transcripts and more about this episode, visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

    • 32 min
    The Secret Life of Canada returns with Season 6!

    The Secret Life of Canada returns with Season 6!

    Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson are back with a brand new season of conversations about the country you thought you knew. Catch our premiere episode on February 22, 2024 with new episodes biweekly.

    • 2 min

Top Podcasts In History

Mandela: The Lost Tapes
Richard Stengel
Real Survival Stories
NOISER
Conspiracy Theories
Spotify Studios
Dark History
Audioboom Studios
History Extra podcast
Immediate Media
Short History Of...
NOISER

You Might Also Like

Canadian History Ehx
Craig Baird
The Current
CBC
Ideas
CBC
Front Burner
CBC
Unreserved
CBC
Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly
Apostrophe Podcast Network

More by CBC

Evil By Design
CBC
Ideas
CBC
The Banned Teacher
CBC
Hunting Warhead
CBC
The World This Hour
CBC
Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo
CBC