Podcast
The Secret Life of Canada
Episodes — page 2
- S6: General Idea
When three young queer men formed an art collective in the late 60s in Toronto named "General Idea", no one expected that they would end up becoming one of the most iconic art coll…
- S6: Crash Course on Icelandic Canada
Gimli is more than a dwarf in J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy series Lord of the Rings, in fact the community in Manitoba is home to the world’s largest Icelandic population outside of Ic…
- S6: The Secret Life of the Canadian Teen Drama
From PSAs to Euphoria, the identity of the teen on TV has shifted a lot over the years. Leah and Falen take a look back at the invention of the teen and teens on TV. They make the…
- S6 Crash Course: How Black students led Canada's largest student protest
It would become one of the key moments in Black history in Canada. In 1968, six Black students from Sir George Williams University in Montreal filed a complaint of racism against t…
- S6: Sorry not Sorry
Canadians are always apologizing, or are they? We are back for a sixth season and in this episode [1:29] Leah and Falen discuss how they use the word “sorry” and why [4:20] and tak…
- The Secret Life of Canada returns with Season 6!Trailer
Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson are back with a brand new season of conversations about the country you thought you knew. Catch our premiere episode on February 22, 2024 with n…
- BONUS | The story Falen never thought she’d tell: On stage at Hot Docs
Falen Johnson took to the stage at the Hot Docs festival to speak candidly about her experience of growing up on Six Nations, a place that was both idyllic and complicated — especi…
- S5: Crash course on losing the Shanghai Restaurant
In this episode we talk about lost buildings across Canada. Falen and Leah look into the history of the now torn-down Shanghai Restaurant, owned by the Lee family for over 70 years…
- S5: The Potlatch Ban
In 1921, Chief Dan Cranmer held a secret Potlatch — a ceremony celebrated by many First Nations along the Pacific Northwest. But because the ceremony had been banned by the Canadia…
- S5: Crash Course on Bread and Cheese
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…
- S5: Eugenics in Canada: Leilani Muir's fight for justice
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 popula…
- S5: Crash Course on homeless memorials
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…
- S5: The Forgotten War
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 n…
- S5: Crash Course on a patty by any other name isn't a patty
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…
- S5: Crash Course on the Moose Jaw Tunnels
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. B…
- S5: Jewish Montreal: A culinary history
How much history is contained in a meal, a restaurant or even a sandwich? Falen and Leah journey into the culinary history of Montreal’s Jewish community. We learn the backstory be…
- S5: Newfoundland, the one who almost got away
Confederation took place in 1867 but Newfoundland only joined Canada in 1949. We find out why the province held out for so long, what it all meant for the Indigenous people in Newf…
- S5: Crash Course on Rat-berta
Is it true that Alberta is a rat-free province? Is there really a Rat Patrol? We find out the truth behind the province’s rat hating reputation. For more about this episode visit u…
- S5: Dead Malls
Where have all the malls gone? And what happens to a mall when it “dies?” In this episode we look into how the mall started, what it looked like in its heyday and what happened whe…
- We're back! It's Season 5 of The Secret Life of CanadaTrailer
Hosts Leah-Simone Bowen and Falen Johnson are back with an all new season of conversations about the country you know and the stories you don't. Catch our premiere episode on March…
