By Sean Graham This week, I talk with Cody Groat, author of Always Part of the Land: The Federal Commemoration of Indigenous Histories. We discuss the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada‘s approach to Indigenous history, the role of federal commemorations in colonialism, and the power of commemorations. We also chat about Board members’ influence on commemorations, how public… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talk with Meghan Crnic, author of The Beach Cure: A History of Healing on Northeastern Shores. We discuss the origins of the beach as a place to get healthy, the conditions in 19th century American cities that led doctors to prescribe the beach, and the logistics of getting to the cost. We also chat… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talks with Shelisa Klassen, author of Imprinting Empire: Land and Settler Colonialism in Manitoba Newspapers. We talk about late 19th century Manitoba newspapers, the audiences both in Manitoba and the rest of Canada, and how the press framed colonial practices. We also discuss how newspapers fit into other commercial projects, what information was included… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week, I talk with Michael North, author of author of Making Common Sense: On the Construction of the Obvious from Antiquity to AI. We talk about what counts as ‘common’ sense, its relation to the 5 senses, and how that understanding shaped perceptions of common sense. We then get into a discussion about the modern understanding… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talk with John Fraser, author of The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada’s Highest Office. We talk about John’s experiences meeting all the Canadian-born Governors General, how personality shapes the office, and the role’s political limits. We also discuss the people who held the office, how they managed the position’s responsibilities, and what… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week, I’m joined by Jamie Jelinski, author of Needle Work: A History of Commercial Tatooing in Canada. We talk about Jamie’s interest in the history of tattoos, the connection to art history, and the beginnings of tattoos as an industry in Canada. We then discuss questions over regulation and the criminalization of tattooing before chatting about… Read more »
By Sean Graham In this episode, I talk with Jean-Michel Turcotte, Acting Chief Historian of the Directorate of History and Heritage at the Department of National Defence and the convenor of the 2025 Shannon Lecture Series. We talk about Jean-Michel’s background, how that influenced the series theme of ‘Revisiting Canadian Armed Forces Experiences’ and some of on-going projects at the… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week, I talk with Angela Tozer, author of The Debt of a Nation: Land and the Financing of the Canadian Settler State, 1820-73. We discuss how governments take on debt, the purpose of debt, and how colonialism fuelled land speculation. We also chat about how resource extraction was critical to servicing debt, the changes brought on… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talk with Katherine Rollwagen, author of The Scramble for the Teenage Dollar: Creating the Youth Market in Mid-Century Canada. We discuss the creation of the ‘classic’ teenager, how marketing shifted to attract young people, and how much family considerations shaped advertisements. We also chat about Eaton’s, how it attracted teenagers to the store, and… Read more »
By Sean Graham This week I talk with Peggy Nash, one of the co-authors of Women United: Stories of Women’s Struggles for Equality in the Canadian Auto Workers Union. We discuss women’s contributions to the union in its early years, how negotiating priorities were shaped, and the Second World War’s influence on the labour movement. We also chat about the… Read more »
