The Open Door

The Brown Homestead
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The Open Door is about looking for ways to create a better future - by exploring the past. Host Andrew Humeniuk speaks with guests about historical issues that relate directly to our changing world, while sharing the journey to transform his ancestral homestead into a vital community space for today.

  1. 12/01/2025

    How the Grinch Stole Christmas

    To honour the long tradition of storytelling during the holidays, we are pleased to offer Jennifer Humeniuk’s reading of Dr. Seuss’s classic story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, about everyone’s favourite grump with a heart “two sizes too small.” Merry Christmas from The Brown Homestead team!

    12 min
  2. A Child's Christmas in Wales

    12/12/2024

    A Child's Christmas in Wales

    To honour the long tradition of storytelling during the holidays, we are pleased to offer Jennifer Humeniuk’s reading of A Child’s Christmas in Wales, a classic tale written by Welsh poet and author Dylan Thomas. Merry Christmas from The Brown Homestead team!

    23 min
  3. The Paranormal & Public History

    10/29/2024

    The Paranormal & Public History

    Whether or not you believe in the supernatural, ghost stories can offer valuable insight into the past. Haunted histories often feature real people, places and events - the ghostly tales serve as the medium for sharing. Hamilton and Niagara-based podcaster and Ghost Walks leader Ghost Guide Daniel takes a tour of the John Brown House and considers his approach to storytelling through the lens of the paranormal.

    56 min
  4. Foreword Crossover: Preserving History at The Brown Homestead

    06/12/2024

    Foreword Crossover: Preserving History at The Brown Homestead

    When a historic building is preserved, the stories embedded into its walls and floorboards are also preserved. On this special crossover episode with Brock University’s Foreword, we take The Tattooed Historian YouTuber and podcaster, John R. Heckman, on an immersive audio tour of The Brown Homestead. We peel back the layers of history found in floor stencils, lath walls, and wallpaper to uncover why purpose-driven adaptive reuse matters in the heritage field.

    1h 28m
  5. The Humours of Whisky

    05/14/2024

    The Humours of Whisky

    A history of whisky in Niagara offers a flavourful glimpse into Loyalist agricultural industry and trade in Upper Canada, the social nature of tavern culture, and the unexpected outcome of the temperance movement. Ajay Bhardwaj, Canada’s first certified whisky ambassador, leads a live, guided tasting of three select whiskies paired with insightful stories from Niagara’s past to help us understand whisky culture today.

    40 min
  6. Enduring Oka

    04/17/2024

    Enduring Oka

    The Kanesatake Resistance, or Oka Crisis, was a defining historic moment with an enduring legacy in Canada’s challenged relationships with Indigenous peoples. Mohawk writer and director Tracey Deer speaks to her experience as a twelve-year old girl in the summer of 1990, and how it helped shape her powerful, and immensely personal 2021 Canadian Screen Award winning film, Beans.

    38 min
  7. A Christmas Memory

    12/06/2023

    A Christmas Memory

    In celebration of the holiday season, we are happy to offer Jennifer Humeniuk’s reading of Truman Capote’s classic tale, A Christmas Memory.

    38 min
  8. The Sad Ending of the Author’s Last Trip

    11/08/2023 · BONUS

    The Sad Ending of the Author’s Last Trip

    Is E.A. Brown Dead? In 1894, Charles McCain published a History of the SS Beaver containing a chapter recounting the events of the night that Edward Brown disappeared. Does it contain clues to what really happened or an answer to the mystery that followed and the ultimate fate of his friend? You be the judge!

    35 min
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About

The Open Door is about looking for ways to create a better future - by exploring the past. Host Andrew Humeniuk speaks with guests about historical issues that relate directly to our changing world, while sharing the journey to transform his ancestral homestead into a vital community space for today.

Information

  • Creator
    The Brown Homestead
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Open Door
  • Show Website
    The Open Door