Here & There: A Canadian Geographic Travel Podcast Liz Beatty

Our trusty 60s-era Twin Otter fires up for a flight to the Torngat Mountains National Park in Northern Labrador that will feel not unlike passing through the looking glass. Azure skies and the bright red plane wing contrast a lacework of rivers, estuaries and coastal mountains below. Slowly, the land begins, almost rising up beneath us as we approach Canada's tallest mountains east of the Rockies. Forests begin to disappear, revealing bald, ancient rock, craggy and striated by glaciers long gone. Icebergs appear along the shore, the size of a city block. The weather is good. So somewhere north of Nain, our pilot delivers on a promise to fly low, keeping an eye out for polar bears. And minutes later, there she is — a mother leading her cub over a rocky mound of an island that seems just afloat in the North Atlantic. Though teeming with wildlife of far-northern climes, this natural wonderland below is still nowhere near the most compelling reason to come here. In this very special episode, we find out what is.Special thanks to James Gray for our theme song music. Subscribe to Canadian Geographic's newsletters for exclusive photographs and more information about this episode of Here & There.

If you aren't familiar with Anna Green Gables — dare we ask, where have you been? Because of this book, this story is everywhere. It was written at the turn of the 20th century by P.E.I. resident Lucy Maud Montgomery, and it was published in the summer of 1908. The book was an immediate sensation. Readers were charmed by the central character, young Anne Shirley, a feisty orphan girl with red hair. The story follows Anne as she's adopted by aging brother and sister Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. It’s one of the best selling books in Canada of all time, not to mention Anne movies, TV shows, musicals and cartoons. The question we answer in this episode is: how did this young red-headed, freckle-faced PEI protagonist become such a sensation on an island nation over 10,000 kilometres away? Surprised? So were we. Listen in...

On this episode of Here & There, we delve into the extraordinary journey of Jennifer Haddow. From the bustling streets of downtown Toronto to the serene shores of Georgian Bay and finally, to the top of the world, Haddow's life has been a testament to the transformative power of nature and the strength of female companionship. Haddow's story almost defies belief. Today, the owner of (https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/)Wild Women Expedition (https://wildwomenexpeditions.com/)s runs trips guided by women, for women, both in Canada and around the world — and along the way, her company has won accolades globally for her vanguard role in sustainable, transformative travel. Haddow wants women to reconnect with nature, and not just because it's a pleasant thing to do on holiday. For Haddow, finding her way back to the natural world was quite literally the difference between life and death. Award-winning producer and confirmed “city-girl,” Lia Grainger takes us to the shores of Georgian Bay, Ont., to test Jennifer’s assumptions and learn more about her dramatic story.

Foam swords slice through the air amidst fun carnage while villagers eat ice cream on the shores of Lake Winnipeg — this is Gimli, Manitoba’s annual Icelandic Festival. Complete with Viking battle reenactments, sandcastle contests, golf tournaments and more, this annual festival has been around since 1890, the second-oldest continuous ethnic festival in North America. And thanks to award-winning producer and storyteller Robert Reid, we have front-row seats. Next, we head south to Gimli’s US sister community, Mountain, North Dakota, to learn more about these deep cross-border bonds. Through all this, acclaimed singer-songwriter Lindy gives us a lesson in the geography of music — how the culture and landscape of Canada’s New Iceland shaped him and his art.First aired in 2020, we pulled this fan favourite from our Black Cabin Studio production archives for good reason. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Gimli’s Fjallkona (Maid of the Mountain celebrations), which takes place from Aug. 2 to 5, 2024. It’s a remarkable fêting of the wisdom and leadership of New Iceland's female elders. And a special thanks to James Gray (https://www.jamesgraymusic.ca/)for our theme song music.

Jamaica is known for its ackee and saltfish, Thailand for its pad thai, India for khichdi… But what the heck is Canadian cuisine? Listen in as we drop award-winning American journalist Scott Gurian into Toronto's Kensington Market, one of Canada’s most lively and diverse urban neighbourhoods, to tackle this big question. A self-described foodie, Gurian takes up the challenge with an open mind and hearty appetite. Along the way, Canadian culinary icon Michael Bonacini and other rising kitchen stars, help Gurian explore the coming of age of Canada’s vibrant gastronomy scene.

Think Canada’s western adventure culture is pretty macho? Well, yes, but that’s just part of the story. Here & There host and producer Liz Beatty tests her own mettle on backcountry peaks with CMH Heli Skiing and Summer Adventure. And along the way, she introduces us to some amazing women who’ve helped make mountaineering what it is today. Waiting at CMH’s helipad, Liz has second thoughts about being whisked off to a backcountry lodge for a few days of heli-hiking. We're talking remote, fly-in, mountain backcountry west of Banff and Lake Louise, with towering peaks and glaciers everywhere. But what’s really got her fretting is these via ferratas, involving zip lines, tight roping across cavernous river gorges, scaling rock faces at 8,000 feet. She asks herself: “Is this really something I should be doing at, let's say, not 25 and with a fear of heights?” It all seemed like a better idea months before from her living room in very flat southern Ontario. Come along as Liz pushes way beyond her comfort zone, and learns firsthand what makes these mountain women tick.