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Witness to Yesterday (The Champlain Society Podcast on Canadian History)

The Champlain Society
Canada
Canadian History
Hockey
World War II
Indigenous Peoples
Prince Edward Island
Cold War
World War I
Canadian Military History
Korean War
William Lyon Mackenzie King
Saskatchewan
Second World War
John A. Macdonald
Viola Macmillan
Green Gables
Aerial Photography
Environmental History
Newfoundland
United Nations

Immerse yourself in Canada’s history! Witness to Yesterday episodes take listeners on a journey to document a time in Canada’s past and explore the people behind it, its significance, and its relevance to today. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. To learn more about the Society and Canada’s history, subscribe to our newsletter at bit.ly/news_WT... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes374Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
History

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Artwork for Witness to Yesterday

Latest Episodes

Nicole O’Byrne speaks with Donald Savoie about his book Louis J. Robichaud. Louis J. Robichaud, the first elected Acadian premier of New Brunswick, transformed an inward-looking province with an ingrained aversion to change into a vibrant modern soci... more

Larry Ostola speaks with Craig Baird about his new book Canada’s Main Street. Much has been written about the Canadian Pacific Railway, the first major transportation network that bound Canada coast to coast, but almost nothing about The Trans-Canada... more

Larry Ostola speaks with Brendan Kelly about his book Habs Nation. The history of the Montreal Canadiens is about more than just hockey. It’s also the story of how hockey’s most winning team has always skated hand-in-hand with its home province of Qu... more

Larry Ostola speaks with Sylvain Charlebois about his book, Poutine Nation. Poutine Nation traces the evolution of poutine from its origins in rural Quebec to its status as a global phenomenon. Though it was once dismissed as lowbrow junk food, pouti... more

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Recent Guests

Brendan Kelly
Author of Habs Nation, A People's History of the Montreal Canadiens
Baraka Books
Episode: Habs Nation
Sylvain Charlebois
Professor of Management and the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University; co-host of the Food Professor podcast
Dalhousie University
Episode: Poutine Nation
Ed Conroy
Cultural historian, writer, producer, archivist and founder of retroontario.com
Ed Conroy, Retro Ontario
Episode: ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV
Peter MacLeod
Founder and Principal of Mass Lbp; public consultation and deliberative democracy leader
Mass Lbp
Episode: Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public
Richard Johnson
Policy Director at Mass Lbp; former journalist
Mass Lbp
Episode: Democracy’s Second Act: Why Politics Needs the Public
Barbara Messamore
Author of Times of Transformation, The 1921 Canadian General Election (UBC Press, 2025)
University of the Fraser Valley (former), Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada
Episode: Times of Transformation
Dan Black
Author of Oceans of Fate, Peace and Peril Aboard the Steamship Empress of Asia
Author, Historian
Episode: Oceans of Fate
Colin Coates
Professor of Canadian Studies and History at York University
York University
Episode: Political Culture in Louis XIV’s Canada
John Fraser
Author of The Governors General, An Intimate History of Canada's Highest Office
Sutherland House; Institute for the Study of the Crown in Canada
Episode: The Governors General

Hosts

JDM Stewart
Historian and host of witness-focused Canadian history discussions.
Larry Ostola
Host concentrating on Canadian history and military history; co-host for several episodes.
Donald Wright
Host and organizer, engaged in scholarly discussions on Canadian history.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 93 ratings
  • Broad and interesting Canadian history podcast

    It is very hard to give anything other than a five-star review for a free podcast that covers such interesting and under-served territory, but I dock one star to offer this constructive feedback: the interviews are often quite obviously scripted, with the host reading a broad question and the guest reading a prepared response. I know hosting a dynamic, unscripted interview is challenging (and the hosts are full-time academics and not pro podcasters), but the podcast would benefit from some less ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    DWLNO60
    Canada10 months ago
  • Interesting, intelligent Canadian history

    I love this podcast. It’s smart historians talking about fascinating pieces of Canadian history, with an emphasis on primary sources.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Airstrom
    Canada5 years ago
  • Delightful!

    I’ve only listened to their latest episode about Haldane, and what a delight! Probing storytelling, with the simplicity that comes with passion. Buoyed with well sourced knowledge rather than dredged with unfounded opinion. No matter your tastes, the Viscount Haldane episode, is a must for every podcast listener.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    greasemandan
    United States5 years ago
  • Great contribution

    These podcasts are fascinating. I am so glad to have subcscribed and look forward to every new episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Richard Patterson
    Canada6 years ago
  • Interesting interviews with serious historians

    This is a wonderful, serious, history podcast, centred around interviews with historians. There are many gems. I particularly enjoyed the segment on “How Canada Nearly Forgot the Second World War”.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    m_cuffa
    Canada6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Delightful interviews with probing storytelling and solid scholarship.
Broad and interesting Canadian history podcast — deeply sourced and thoughtful.
Intelligent, serious historians with strong primary-source emphasis.
Engaging and informative; episodes are well-researched and accessible for listeners with interest in history.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#170
Canada/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Times of Transformation
Q: What made the 1921 election a turning point in Canadian politics?
Barbara explains that it was the convergence of shifting regional power, the rise of the Progressive movement, the role of newly enfranchised women voters, and the beginning of a more fluid party system that made 1921 transitional rather than a simple electoral shift.
ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV
Q: What was Fred Rainsbury's influence on Canadian children's television and how did his approach shape later programming?
Rainsbury pushed for a respectful, imaginative approach to children's programming, moving away from violent or didactic content and toward programs that invited discussion and exploration, which CBC and TVOntario built upon in subsequent decades.
ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV
Q: Why did you choose to focus specifically on Toronto for the book rather than broader Canadian examples?
Toronto is the hub where a large amount of production occurred, there was an overwhelming number of Toronto-based shows to cover, and concentrating on one city allowed a detailed, coherent narrative that could later expand to other regions.
ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV
Q: How did you manage to pull together the documentation for a book on Toronto's children's television history given the dearth of archival material?
I relied on deep archival research, interviews with people who worked in the industry, access to non-public materials, and the community of memory left by viewers and family members who shared anecdotes in response to YouTube uploads.
Constitutional Challengers
Q: What should listeners take away about the importance of these cases for today?
These cases show that constitutional rights are not static; they evolve through ongoing struggles, public debate, and individual courage, highlighting the ongoing relevance of protecting liberties in contemporary Canada.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Witness to Yesterday

What is Witness to Yesterday about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A history-focused interview program featuring deep dives into Canadian history through conversations with scholars, journalists, and practitioners. Episodes cover topics from modern governance, constitutional law, and Indigenous issues to military history, provincial politics, and university history. The show is notable for its archival depth, access to prominent historians, and a willingness to tackle complex, sometimes contested chapters of Canada's past, often linking past events to present-day debates. Listeners who enjoy rigorously sourced context, primary-source discussions, and nuanced interpretations of Canadian history are likely to find it particularly compelling.

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Which podcasts are similar to Witness to Yesterday?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Witness to Yesterday:

1. The Munk Debates Podcast
2. The Paikin Podcast
3. Curious Canadian History
4. The Herle Burly
5. The House

How many episodes of Witness to Yesterday are there?

Witness to Yesterday launched 9 years ago and published 374 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Witness to Yesterday?

Recent guests on Witness to Yesterday include:

1. Brendan Kelly
2. Sylvain Charlebois
3. Ed Conroy
4. Peter MacLeod
5. Richard Johnson
6. Barbara Messamore
7. Dan Black
8. Colin Coates

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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