The Secret Life of Canada CBC Podcasts

Bread and Cheese. More than just two of Falen and Leah’s favourite foods. Did you know it’s also a day? In Falen’s community of Six Nations, every Victoria Day weekend people from the community get in line and walk through the local arena to get a big squishy slice of bread and a giant hunk of orange cheese. Delicious? Yes. But why?

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

In 1992, Leilani Muir decided to sue the government. Along with thousands of other people Muir was forcibly sterilized as part of a robust government plan for members of the population it deemed “unfit.”

In this episode we learn why some of the most notable Canadians from history championed eugenics, what it is and why Leilani Muir’s decision to step forward and tell her story changed everything.

With guests Dr. Megan Davies and Dr. Ericka Dyck from the Eugenics Archive.

Warning: this episode contains strong language and content.

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

In the 1990s artist and activist Bonnie Briggs asked herself, “Why isn't there a memorial for homeless people?” In this crash course we look at the work of Bonnie and tie it to the housing crisis we are seeing across the country.

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

Not all Canadian history happens in Canada. Over 70 years ago, nearly 30,000 Canadians volunteered to fight in the Korean War. It was the third-deadliest overseas conflict in our nation’s military history — so why is it often referred to as “The Forgotten War”?

In this episode, friend of the pod and producer Eunice Kim joins us as we learn what led to the conflict, why Canada got involved and the lasting impact of a war that technically never ended. Then, we learn how some Korean Canadians are making sure we never forget.

With guests Andrew Burtch, Sun Choung and Eunice Kim.

*Warning: this episode contains strong language and content.

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

In every part of the world a patty is just a patty, but in Toronto they are often called a "Jamaican Patty" and the why is connected to one of the weirdest stories ever.

We talk to Patty Vs. Patty director Chris Strikes to learn that in the early 80s inspectors from the Canadian department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs tried to fine store owners for selling patties under the name patty.  A battle ensued and guess who won?

With guest Chris Strikes.

Deep below the city of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan lies a network of tunnels from the past. The stories connected to them have turned the passageways into a major tourist attraction. But which ones are true? Were they really used as hiding spaces for Chinese laborers to escape the racism of the time? Did American gangsters like Al Capone actually use them to smuggle goods during Prohibition? Or were they simply built to move heating oil below buildings? With the help of a young listener named Leo, we grab our flashlights and head underground to try to find out fact from fiction, in the famed tunnels of Moose Jaw.

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