Under the Mat: A Dark History Podcast

Aubrianna Snow
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Under the Mat is a dark history podcast uncovering the overlooked corners of our collective past, centring feminist and anti-violence perspectives to challenge how we remember. Please note: This show will be on hiatus until Spring 2027. Thank you so much for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Jul 1

    Episode 40: The Butterbox Babies

    Allen, C. (2010). Butterbox baby searching for her mom. Saltwire. https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/butterbox-baby-searching-for-her-mom-114603Balcom, K. (n.d.). Scandal and Social Policy: The Ideal Maternity Home and the Evolution of Social Policy in Nova Scotia, 1940–1951. McMaster University. https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/acadiensis/article/view/10719/11433Cahill, B. (1992). Butterbox Babies: Baby sales, baby deaths, and the scandalous story of the Ideal Maternity Home. Seal Books.Canadian Children’s Rights Council. (n.d.). The Ideal Maternity Home: Butterbox Babies. https://canadiancrc.com/Butterbox-Babies_Killers-Child-Trafficking-Canada/Butterbox-Babies-Baby-killers-child-trafficking-selling-babies-Canada-adoption-story.aspxEdwards, D. (n.d.). The East Chester Ideal Maternity Home. Fairview Historical Society. https://fairviewhistoricalsociety.ca/the-east-chester-ideal-maternity-home/O’Neill, H. (1999). Six Decades of Hope for a Daughter Who Disappeared. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-apr-11-mn-26314-story.htmlParsons, K. (2016). 'Butterbox babies' maternity home survivors still search for birth families. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ideal-maternity-home-butterbox-babies-family-search-1.3875973 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. May 31

    Episode 39: The Somalia Affair

    Amad, A. (2018). Remembering the ‘Somalia Affair,’ Canada's Forgotten Abu Ghraib Moment. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/remembering-the-somalia-affair-canadas-forgotten-abu-ghraib-moment/Department of National Defence. (2018). International Operation: UNOSOM I. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/military-history/history-heritage/past-operations/africa/cordon.htmlFoot, R. (2019). Canadian Peacekeepers in Somalia. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-peacekeepers-in-somaliaFoot, R. (2018). Somalia Affair. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/somalia-affairGerster, J. (2013). Experts wonder if military remembers lessons from Somalia affair. Times Colonist. https://www.timescolonist.com/national-news/experts-wonder-if-military-remembers-lessons-from-somalia-affair-4582354Knaus, C. (2020). War crimes: former minister reveals why Canada disbanded its special airborne force after scandal. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/dec/03/war-crimes-former-minister-reveals-why-canada-disbanded-its-special-forces-after-scandalLazzarino, D. (2013). The Canadian Airborne Regiment's Somali Affair, 20 years later. Edmonton Sun. https://edmontonsun.com/2013/03/15/the-canadian-airborne-regiments-somali-affair-20-years-laterPostmedia News. (2020). Look Back: 25 years since Somalia affair stained Canada’s reputation. Toronto Sun. https://torontosun.com/news/national/look-back-25-years-since-scandal-led-to-airborne-regiment-being-disbandedPratt, S. (2016). Life After Somalia: Kyle Brown, PTSD and the past. Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/insight/life-after-somalia-kyle-brown-ptsd-and-the-pastSmol, R. (2010). A lament for the Canadian Airborne. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/a-lament-for-the-canadian-airborne-1.931658Wilson-Smith, A., Demont, J., & Fisher, L. (2003). Somalia Inquiry's Damning Report. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/somalia-inquirys-damning-report Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. May 11

    Episode 38: The Soviet Gulag System

    Alexopoulous, G. (2017). Sick Labor: Illness and Treatment in Stalin's Gulags. Yale Books. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2017/05/05/sick-labor-illness-and-treatment-in-stalins-gulags/Applebaum, A. (2003). Gulag: A History. Doubleday.Bauer, B. (2005). Gulag: Life Inside. Hoover Institution. https://www.hoover.org/research/gulag-life-insideBritannica. (2024). Gulag. https://www.britannica.com/place/GulagBritannica. (2024). The Gulag Archipelago. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Gulag-ArchipelagoBuder, E. (2020). The Truth About Stalin’s Prison Camps. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/607546/gulag-stories-russia/Chicago Public Library. (n.d.). The Gulag. https://www.chipublib.org/the-gulag/Filimonov, A. & Coalson, R. (2018). Cannibal Island: In 1933, Nearly 5,000 Died In One Of Stalin’s Most Horrific Labor Camps. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/cannibal-island-in-1933-nearly-5-000-died-in-one-of-stalin-s-most-horrific-labor-camps/29341167.htmlGulag History Museum. (n.d.). Online Exhibit. George Mason University. https://gulaghistory.org/nps/onlineexhibit/stalin/index.htmlGullotta, A. (2020). Russia and the Gulag: Putin is fighting for state control over how Soviet horrors are remembered. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/russia-and-the-gulag-putin-is-fighting-for-state-control-over-how-soviet-horrors-are-remembered-142438History.com Editors. (2024). Gulag. https://www.history.com/articles/gulagJohnson, E. (2017). In letters from Stalin's labor camps, a window into Soviet political oppression. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/in-letters-from-stalins-labor-camps-a-window-into-soviet-political-oppression-71135King's College London. (2021). How victims of Soviet-era Gulags are shaping prosperity. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/how-victims-of-soviet-era-gulags-are-shaping-prosperityLuxmoore, M. (2021). Above the Arctic Circle, A Soviet-Era Metropolis Battles A ‘Drawn-Out Death’. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-vorkuta-soviet-mining-abandoned-gulag-arctic-exodus/31196830.htmlSatter, D. (2007). The Soviet Gulag. Foreign Policy Research Institute.  https://www.fpri.org/article/2007/06/the-soviet-gulag/Wizevich, E.. (2024). Discover the Story Behind a Legendary Exposé of the Brutality of the Soviet Union. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/discover-the-story-behind-a-legendary-expose-of-the-brutality-of-the-soviet-union-180985658/Zgustova, M. (2020). Dressed for a Dance in the Snow: Women's Voices from the Gulag. Other Press.Zgustova, M. (2020). What I Learned About Beauty by Interviewing Women Who’d Been Prisoners of the Soviet Gulag. Time. https://time.com/5776803/women-gulag-history/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. Apr 27

    Episode 37: The Halifax Explosion

    Britannica. (2026). Halifax explosion. https://www.britannica.com/event/Halifax-explosionCommonwealth War Graves Commission. The Halifax Explosion, 105 Years On. https://www.cwgc.org/our-work/blog/the-halifax-explosion-105-years-on/Ingram, K. (2020). Remembering the Halifax Explosion. The Walrus. https://thewalrus.ca/remembering-the-halifax-explosion/Kernaghan, L. & Foot, R. (2025). Halifax Explosion. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/halifax-explosionMacDonald, M. (2017). The Halifax Explosion: Birth of Canadian Red Cross Disaster Response. Canadian Red Cross.  https://www.redcross.ca/blog/2017/12/the-halifax-explosion-birth-of-canadian-red-cross-disaster-responseMarcott, M. (2017). Exploring the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion a century later. Dalhousie University. https://www.dal.ca/news/2017/10/19/exploring-the-halifax-explosion--100-years-later.htmlTattrie, J. (2024). The Halifax Explosion and the CNIB.  The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-halifax-explosion-and-the-cnibWoodbury, R. (2025). Some Halifax Explosion artifacts pulled from the harbour will have a new home. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/halifax-explosion-artifacts-mont-blanc-9.6996705 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. Apr 16

    Episode 36: The Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

    Britannica. (2024). Chernobyl Disaster. https://www.britannica.com/event/Chernobyl-disasterBriggs, H. (2019). Will We Ever Know Chernobyl's True Death Toll? BBC Future. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190725-will-we-ever-know-chernobyls-true-death-tollGalán-Madruga, D. et al. (2019). Chernobyl Has Become a Refuge for Wildlife 33 Years After the Nuclear Accident. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/chernobyl-has-become-a-refuge-for-wildlife-33-years-after-the-nuclear-accident-116303Gessen, M. (2019). What HBO's Chernobyl Got Right — and What It Got Terribly Wrong. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/what-hbos-chernobyl-got-right-and-what-it-got-terribly-wrongInternational Atomic Energy Agency. (2024). Chernobyl FAQs. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/focus/chernobyl/faqsNATO Association of Canada. (2019). Hiding Truth at All Costs: Revisiting the Chernobyl Disaster. https://natoassociation.ca/hiding-truth-at-all-costs-revisiting-the-chernobyl-disaster/OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. (n.d.). Chernobyl: The Site and Accident Sequence. https://www.oecd-nea.org/jcms/pl_28271/chernobyl-chapter-i-the-site-and-accident-sequenceUnited Nations. (n.d.). International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day. https://www.un.org/en/observances/chernobyl-remembrance-dayUN Environment Programme. (n.d.). How Chernobyl Has Become an Unexpected Haven for Wildlife. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/how-chernobyl-has-become-unexpected-haven-wildlifeUnited Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. (n.d.). Chernobyl. https://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/areas-of-work/chernobyl.htmlWillsher, K. (2019). Chernobyl Was Even Worse Than the TV Series. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/16/chernobyl-was-even-worse-than-tv-series-kim-willsherWorld Nuclear Association. (2024). Chernobyl Accident. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/safety-and-security/safety-of-plants/chernobyl-accident Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. Mar 30

    Episode 35: Stigma, Policy, and the Drug Poisoning Crisis ft. Dr. Elaine Hyshka

    Host Aubrianna Snow speaks with Dr. Elaine Hyshka about the drug poisoning crisis in North America, reducing stigma surrounding substance use, and how governments can address the crisis through evidence-based policy. Dr. Elaine Hyshka is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Health Systems Innovation at the University of Alberta’s School of Public Health, and Scientific Director of the Inner City Health and Wellness Program. Her program of health systems and services research is focused on advancing a public health approach to substance use in Canada. She works closely with service providers, health authorities, people with lived experience of substance use, and all levels of government to identify, evaluate, and scale systems innovations for improving health outcomes and advancing health equity. Between 2019-2023 Dr. Hyshka co-Chaired Health Canada’s Expert Advisory group on Safer Supply and between 2017-2019 she served as Co-Chair of the Alberta Minister of Health’s Opioid Emergency Response Commission. Her research and leadership have been recognized with multiple awards, including a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, a Trailblazer Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research’s Institute of Population and Public Health, and a President’s Excellence Award for Outstanding Achievements in Innovation from Alberta Health Services. More about harm reduction and drug policy: Canadian Drug Policy Coalition National Harm Reduction Coalition If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, reach out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. Mar 16

    Episode 34: The Opioid Crisis in Canada

    Bains, C. (2024). More than 1 in 4 deaths among young people in Canada were opioid-related in 2021, study finds. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-young-people-1.7174098Boynton, S. (2025). New Purdue opioid crisis settlement builds ‘momentum’ for Canada: B.C. AG. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/11247593/opioid-crisis-lawsuits-purdue-mckinsey-canada-bc-us/CATIE. (2025). Reported drug toxicity deaths dropped in parts of Canada in 2024 – But what’s behind the numbers? https://www.catie.ca/prevention-in-focus/reported-drug-toxicity-deaths-dropped-in-parts-of-canada-in-2024-but-whatsCBC News. (2025). Edmonton region hits all-time monthly peak in opioid-related deaths. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-drug-poisoning-opioid-1.7575814Freeze, C. & Woo, A. (2026). Opioid deaths are declining. Five factors help explain why. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-opioid-deaths-have-declined-sharply-in-canada-these-five-factors-help/Howlett, K. (2020). Canada’s Opioid Crisis. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadas-opioid-crisisPugliese, K. (2025). Healing works, but First Nation opioid crisis isn’t stopping. APTN. https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/healing-works-but-first-nation-opioid-crisis-isnt-stopping/Uguen-Csenge, E., Ayres, S., & D’Souza, S. (2025). Health Canada ignored expert advice to expand access to safe drugs for opioid users, internal documents show. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/opioid-overdose-crisis-street-drug-government-funding-9.6976562Van Santvoort, A., Wilson, C., & Xiong, D. (2023). Adding up the billions of government dollars directed at Canada’s opioid crisis. Times Colonist. https://www.timescolonist.com/local-opioid-crisis-news/adding-up-the-billions-of-government-dollars-directed-at-canadas-opioid-crisis-7073142Zafar, A. (2025). Opioid deaths in Canada fell 17% in 2024, but thousands are still dying. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/opioid-deaths-decline-canada-1.7615255 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  8. Feb 17

    Episode 33: Unfreedom North of the Border ft. Dr. Harvey Imani Whitfield

    Host Aubrianna Snow speaks with Dr. Harvey Imani Whitfield about the history of slavery in early Canada, the lives of enslaved people during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and the legacy of slavery in North America today. Dr. Harvey Amani Whitfield is a professor and Centennial Carnegie Chair in the History of Slavery in Canada at the University of King’s College in Halifax. Prior to his current role, he taught for 17 years at the University of Vermont and four years at the University of Calgary. He grew up in Maryland and attended Colorado State University. His MA at Dalhousie focused on West African history. His area of research interest is Black migration, coerced and free, to the Maritimes during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Dr. Whitfield is the author of several books including Blacks on the Border: The Black Refugees in British North America, 1815-1860; North to Bondage: Loyalist Slavery in the Maritimes; Biographical Dictionary of Enslaved Black People in the Maritimes; Black Slavery in the Maritimes: A History in Documents; and The Problem of Slavery in Early Vermont, 1777-1810. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

Under the Mat is a dark history podcast uncovering the overlooked corners of our collective past, centring feminist and anti-violence perspectives to challenge how we remember. Please note: This show will be on hiatus until Spring 2027. Thank you so much for listening! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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