- 37 minutes 19 secondsCHE Biography: Chris Hadfield
Throughout his career, Chris Hadfield had many firsts. The first Canadian to spacewalk, operate the Canadarm, serve as Mission Specialist and command the International Space Station.
That space career all began thanks to Apollo 11 and Star Trek.
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Craig Baird
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*sources*
- Macleans Magazine Archive
- An Astronaut’s Guide To Life On Earth by Chris Hadfield
- Canadian Encyclopedia: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/chris-hadfield
- Chris Hadfield: https://chrishadfield.ca
- Canadian Space Agency: https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts/canadian/retired/bio-chris-hadfield.asp
- Royal Military College of Canada: https://www.rmc-cmr.ca/en/college-commandants-office/chris-austin-hadfield
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8 May 2026, 12:00 pm - 43 minutes 44 secondsBuilding Film: Canadians In Early Hollywood
During the Silent Film Era, the movie industry in Hollywood was built by Canadians. From "America's Sweetheart" Mary Pickford, to directors Mack Sennett and Al Christie, to icons like Florence Lawrence, it was an industry established by Canadians.
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Craig Baird
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*sources*
- Mary Pickford: The Woman Who Made Hollywood by Eileen Whitefield
- Canada's History: https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/arts-culture-society/the-canadians-who-shaped-hollywood
- Hollywood North Magazine: https://hnmag.ca/exclusive/5-hollywood-pioneers-you-didnt-know-were-canadian/
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5 May 2026, 12:00 pm - 46 minutes 22 secondsThe Greatest Canadian: Tommy Douglas
In 2004, a poll was held to determine The Greatest Canadian. It was won by Tommy Douglas, the Father of Medicare in Canada and someone who had a massive impact on Canadian history.
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Craig Baird
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*sources*
- The Life and Political Times of Tommy Douglas by Walter Stewart
- Tommy Douglas [Canadian Encyclopedia] https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tommy-douglas
- Douglas, Thomas Clement [Parks Canada] https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=15195&i=83162
- Thomas Clement "Tommy" Douglas [Government of Canada] https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2019/03/thomas-clement-tommy-douglas-19041986.html
- Douglas, Thomas Clement [Dictionary of Canadian Biography] https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/douglas_thomas_clement_21E.html
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28 April 2026, 12:00 pm - 24 minutes 49 secondsThe Hero of The War Of 1812: Laura Secord
Laura Secord's life was upended by war. Her husband was wounded, and her home was taken over. One night, she heard a secret and decided to change Canadian history with what she knew.
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Craig Baird
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*sources*
- Canadian Encyclopedia https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/laura-secord
- Parks Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/services/defence/caf/militaryhistory/wars-operations/1812/laura-secord.html
- Valour Canada https://valourcanada.ca/military-history-library/laura-secord/
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21 April 2026, 12:00 pm - 37 minutes 49 secondsSaving Millions: Sir Frederick Banting
Frederick Banting originally wanted to be an artist, but when this failed he turned to medicine.
Art's loss was humanity's gain when he discovered insulin and saved millions of lives.
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Craig Baird
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*sources*
- Banting House
- Canadian Encyclopedia: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-frederick-grant-banting
- Canadian Medical Hall of Fame: https://www.cdnmedhall.ca/laureates/frederickbanting
- Banting Legacy Foundation: https://bantinglegacy.ca/bantings-legacy/
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14 April 2026, 12:00 pm - 29 minutes 2 secondsTime Lord: Sir Sandford Fleming
Sir Sandford Fleming is most famous for developing time zones and standardized time, but he was so much more. He created our first stamp, built our railways and event connected the British Empire by telegraph.
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Craig Baird
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7 April 2026, 12:00 pm - 36 minutes 33 secondsFame and Murder: Francis Rattenbury
Francis Rattenbury was a brilliant architect who helped define the skyline of Victoria, BC.
He was also an arrogant man whose treatment of his wife during an affair led to him leaving Canada forever.
But he is most famous for his murder by his second wife's lover.
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Craig Baird
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*SOURCES*
- Deadly Triangle by Susan Goldenberg
- The Outrageous Life and Death of Francis Rattenbury [Monte Cristo Magazine] https://montecristomagazine.com/community/the-outrageous-life-and-death-of-francis-rattenbury
- Francis Mawson Rattenbury https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/francis-mawson-rattenbury
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3 April 2026, 12:00 pm - 29 minutes 38 secondsMountain Tragedy: The Hillcrest Mine Disaster
Coal mining was always dangerous, but the worst day in Canada's coal mining history came on a June day in 1914. That day saw almost 200 men never return home to their families in the mountain community of Hillcrest, Alberta.
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Craig Baird
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*sources*
- Devil's Breath: The Story of the Hillcrest Mine Disaster
- Discover Crowsnest Heritage: https://www.crowsnestheritage.ca/hillcrest-mine-disaster-memorial
- Canadian Mining Journal: https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/featured-article/remembering-the-fact-that-hillcrest-mining-disaster/
- Defining Moments Canada: https://definingmomentscanada.ca/all-for-9/historical-articles/canadian-mining-disasters/
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31 March 2026, 12:00 pm - 24 minutes 36 secondsOne Last Shot: Leduc No. 1
After drilling 143 dry wells, Imperial Oil decided to attempt one more drill in Alberta to find oil.
The location they chose changed Alberta's, and Canada's, history forever.
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Craig Baird
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*sources*
Last Chance Well by Beatrice Hunter
Parks Canada: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=33
Canadian Energy Museum: https://www.canadianenergymuseum.ca/our-story
Canadian Encyclopedia: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/striking-oil-in-leduc-there-she-blows-finally-feature
Macleans Archive
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24 March 2026, 12:00 pm - 27 minutes 27 secondsAn Alberta Legend: John Ware
Born into slavery, John Ware came to the Alberta area on a cattle drive and never left.
Over the next few decades, he became an Alberta ranching legend, still remembered fondly to this day.
Thank you to Cheryl Foggo for speaking with me for the episode.
Find John Ware Reclaimed here: https://www.nfb.ca/film/john-ware-reclaimed/
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Craig Baird
PO Box 2384
Stony Plain PO Main, Alberta
T7Z1X
*Sources*
- John Ware [Canadian Encyclopedia] https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/john-ware
- John Ware [Parks Canada] https://parks.canada.ca/culture/designation/personnage-person/john-ware
- Ware, John [Dictionary of Canadian Biography] https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/ware_john_13E.html
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17 March 2026, 12:00 pm - 48 minutes 31 secondsCHE Biography: Ken Read
Ken Read was one of the greatest Canadian skiers in history. As one of The Crazy Canucks, he helped Canada serve notice to the ski world that we had arrived on the scene. With his many podium finishes, he became a skiing legend.
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Craig Baird
PO Box 2384
Stony Plain PO Main, Alberta
T7Z1X
*Sources*
- Ken Read [Team Canada] https://olympic.ca/team-canada/ken-read/
- Ken Read [Canadian Ski Hall of Fame and Museum] https://skimuseum.ca/honoured-members/ken-read/
- Ken Read [Canada's Sports Hall of Fame] https://halloffamers.sportshall.ca/?ken_read&language=EN
- The Crazy Canucks: Canada's Legendary Ski Team by Janet Love Morrison
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