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Mainland

20 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratings

The stories of British Columbia, Canada.

Society & Culture History history british columbia canada educational funny fun talk local canadian hobby
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Episodes

Mainland 19 - Hayashi Studio: interview with filmmaker Hayley Gray

January 13, 2020 21:00 - 27 minutes - 18.6 MB

After a short hiatus, we're back!  In this episode, Natalie and Joel interview filmmaker Hayley Gray about her film Hayashi Studio. Hayashi Studio is about the lost-and-found photographs of Senjiro Hayashi, a Japanese-Canadian photographer from Cumberland, BC. We chat with Hayley about -the history of white settlers vs other lost histories of BC, Japanese and otherwise -how glass negatives can be so forgotten that they could be used to make a greenhouse -how we can change the BC’s settle...

Mainland 18 - Nanaimo and the Nanaimo Bar

November 05, 2019 19:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MB

Natalie tells us a bunch about Nanaimo, BC, and Nanaimo Bars! Do you know what a Nanaimo Bar is? Is it world-famous, or do we just tell ourselves that? How Nanaimo, BC was almost pretty much called "CoalVille", Why World Famous Nanaimo Bars don't require any baking, And how the Vancouver Bar would probably contain blackberries and pickles. References/more reading: https://www.nanaimo.ca/about-nanaimo/history-of-nanaimo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaimo https://www.timescolonist.com/i...

Mainland 17 - From Mexico to Canada (interview with Mafer Douglas)

September 02, 2019 02:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MB

Joel interviews Mafer Douglas, an actor, director, and playwright from Vancouver, BC. Mafer takes Joel through her experience of coming to BC from Mexico as a young adult,  and living in the province for over six years. Along the way, we explore Mafer’s experience assimilating and immigrating to the country,  the idea of living with a "hyphenated" identity (Mexican-Candian, German-Canadian, etc.), and how BCers can make the place more welcoming for the rest of the world.  See more about...

Mainland 16 - TRUE CRIME: The Babes in the Woods, Part 2

July 31, 2019 20:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MB

This episode is about a cold-case murder story. If you are not interested in hearing about murder, we've got many other episodes to choose from! Natalie takes us through theories relating to "The Babes in the Woods", the cold-case murder mystery of two children in Stanley Park, Vancouver. In this episode, we focus on theories, wacky and realistic, and why this case was never solved. Along the way, we learn where the original theories went wrong, how two of the cutest-named detectives wer...

Mainland 15 - TRUE CRIME: The Babes in the Woods, Part 1

July 04, 2019 23:00 - 19 minutes - 13.7 MB

This episode is about a cold-case murder story. If you are not interested in hearing about murder, we've got many other episodes to choose from! Natalie takes us through the story of "The Babes in the Woods", the cold-case murder mystery of two children in Stanley Park, Vancouver. Two skeletal remains were found, along with three other pieces of evidence, including the murder weapon. Why was this case never solved? Along the way, we learn how important it is to hire the right kind of doct...

Mainland 14 - The Pig War: Britain v America, feat Dr. David Borys

June 11, 2019 22:00 - 36 minutes - 16.6 MB

This very special episode of Mainland features military historian David Borys from the podcast Cool Canadian History! Dr. Borys tells us how the slaying of a pig brought 600 American soldiers and three British war ships (with soldiers) to the tiny San Juan Island, just off the coast of BC and Washington. Along the way, we learn how Europeans thought of the Pacific North West in the 1800s (surprise: they were wrong!), how Americans and the British thought they could share an island (surprise...

Mainland 13 - "Vancouver's Little Florence Nightingale"

May 29, 2019 23:00 - 21 minutes - 9.67 MB

Natalie tells us all about Sister Francis Redmond, one of the many influential, kind women who contributed to the community in the 1800s! Sister Francis Redmond devoted her life to helping others, and helped build one of Vancouver's first hospitals and a school for nurses, after the city's Great Fire in 1886. Today, she is remembered for this and her caring, giving, cheerful spirit. We also discover that people who's "thing" is to help people are the coolest, how people in the UK are inter...

Mainland 12 - Filling False Creek & Rupturing Ripple Rock

April 29, 2019 21:00 - 27 minutes - 12.8 MB

In this episode, Joel takes us through the story of the Ripple Rock explosion and the filling of False Creek in Vancouver! Ripple Rock was the biggest non-nuclear explosion in history at the time (the '50s!), and False Creek used to be about a quarter bigger than it is today, because Vancouver really, really needed a garbage dump. We also address our own biases as people sharing history, discuss how appropriate it is to change the natural landscape (when explosions and garbage dumps are i...

Mainland 11 - The Trolleys of BC

April 01, 2019 07:00 - 26 minutes - 12 MB

This week, Natalie takes us through a deep-dive into the world of trolleys in the Lower Mainland, BC! Vancouver’s Electric Railway played a huge role in establishing this part of British Columbia’s infrastructure, and helped bring electricity to towns like Chiliwack! We learn how delightful, yet dangerous, the trolley system was, how long it lasted, why it fell out of favour, the evolution of transportation in the lower mainland, and how much Natalie loves saying the word "trolley"! Sourc...

Mainland 10 - Cascadia: Fir Trees, Waterfalls, and Chill Vibes

March 22, 2019 07:00 - 39 minutes - 18 MB

Natalie and Joel look at Cascadia, an idea of the Pacific West Coast being its own country! Many have tried to make their own nations, but will Cascadia succeed? Maybe just, like, in our minds, man. Joel walks us through how BC, Washington and Oregon came to be, our shared Weset Coast bioregion and laid-back atmosphere, how people see Cascadia as a way to connect or a way to sell each other stuff we found in the ground, and our very own Cascadian flag and national anthem (yup, they both exi...

Mainland 9 - BC's Natural Disasters

March 01, 2019 08:00 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MB

Natalie and Joel discuss some of the worst natural disasters that BC has had to offer! Natalie walks us through snowstorms, windstorms, flooding, landslides, and more! And we learn Joel and Natalie's greatest fears, why it's OK to have an emergency kit, how only you can prevent forest fires (but also seriously, the government can), and how recent so many of these disasters were (oh golly). Sources/more reading: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/blasts-from-the-past-canada-s-worst-snowstorms-1....

Mainland 8 - The Stories of Our Mountains

February 15, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes - 19.9 MB

In this episode, Joel tells the stories behind some of our mountains' weird names in BC, including Golden Ears, The Twin Sisters (AKA The Lions), Mount Manzo Nagano, and Whistler! Along the way, we learn about how integral people of Japanese descent were and are to BC, how there are no secrets in Maple Ridge (where the Golden Ears are always listening), how renaming a mountain or two might change the way we look at our home, and how loud a hoary marmot can scream (here's exactly how loud: w...

Mainland 7 - A Small BC Town has its Own Holiday: Wrestling Day!

January 14, 2019 08:00 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MB

In this episode, Natalie tells the story of January 2nd in Williams Lake -- also known as WRESTLING DAY! Along the way, we learn how Williams Lake, BC came to be, how it's not such a small town, after all, how Wrestling Day was abolished for one year, why we should all celebrate Wrestling Day and why Mainland will never be sponsored by the City of Delta. Sources/more reading: (As Natalie mentions in this episode, she quotes from many of these sources! They're good reads.) -globalnews.ca/...

Mainland 6 - The CPR Made BC a Part of Canada

January 01, 2019 23:00 - 45 minutes - 20.9 MB

In this episode, Joel and Natalie discuss the creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which connected British Columbia with Canada, changing the land permanently (for better AND for worse). Topics include the creation of a metropolis, a suburb, and an escape route from the dastardly Americans, as well as the role and treatment of workers and simply people who were Chinese in the 1800s. Resources/more reading: Port Moody: http://www.portmoody.ca/index.aspx?page=76 https://globalnews.ca/...

Mainland 5 - BC Penitentiary was IN OUR TINY HOMETOWN

December 01, 2018 23:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

Joel and Natalie look into the history of the BC Penitentiary, which used to exist in our home town of New Westminster! Natalie narrates this one! Listen along, and gasp with Joel!  We discover the many, many riots that occurred in the BC Penitentiary (not that long ago), some of its colourful characters and colourful hostage situations, and a longing for Colin Mochrie and Stuart Mclean! Resources/further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Penitentiary https://globaln...

Mainland 4 - The Hanging Judge (Begbie!)

November 01, 2018 21:00 - 46 minutes - 21.1 MB

Joel and Natalie answer the age-old BCer question: who was Judge Begbie? Why was he called the Hanging Judge? How do we judge a judge who did some cool, progressive stuff, and some not-so-cool, not-exactly-progressive stuff?  Resources/more reading: www.biographi.ca/en/bio/begbie_ma…baillie_12E.html; web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/lawdemo/…ebread/loo93.htm; www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/klatsa…s/208en.html; nationalpost.com/news/canada/what…ion-from-trudeau; Also, check out Ghostly Vancouver T...

Mainland 3 - Don't look for Slumach's Gold (in Pitt Lake)

September 01, 2018 21:00 - 49 minutes - 22.6 MB

In this episode, Natalie and Joel discover the legend of Slumach's Gold, AKA the Pitt Lake Gold Mine! Perhaps you've seen the TV show on the subject? We talk about the legend behind the gold, who found it, where it is, how we can actually go and look for it right now (!), and why you should never, ever do that. There is literally gold in them hills! We publish on the 1st and 15th of every month! Connect with us! Web: www.mainlandpodcast.ca Twitter: @mainlandpodcast Facebook: facebook....

Mainland 2 - Why is Victoria the Capital?!

August 01, 2018 21:00 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MB

In this episode, Natalie and Joel look into why Victoria, and not New Wesminster, is the capital of BC. New West started as the capital, and named virtually everything in the town after Queen Victoria. But she couldn't resist making the capital the town named after her. Also, to protect us from those dastardly Americans! We publish every month on the 1st and 15th! Connect with us! Web: www.mainlandpodcast.ca Twitter: @mainlandpodcast Facebook: facebook.com/mainlandpodcast Email: mainlan...

Mainland 1 - Kingsway, the One Diagonal Highway

July 01, 2018 21:00 - 32 minutes - 14.9 MB

In our first episode, Joel and Natalie answer the age-old BCer question: why does Kingsway go diagonally across every other road that goes straight? We discover how it started as a path, then a wagon road, how the army may have used it, as a lookout/escape route (from the dastardly Americans), and its very diverse population today (including Little Saigon!). We publish every month on the 1st and 15th! Connect with us! Web: www.mainlandpodcast.ca Twitter: @mainlandpodcast Facebook: face...

Mainland 0 - Mainland, the History of British Columbia

June 30, 2018 20:00 - 29 seconds - 266 KB

In Mainland, Natalie and Joel tell the stories of British Columbia, Canada! We discuss the stories that made BC, and where history went right, and oh-so-wrong. We publish every month on the 1st and 15th! Connect with us! Web: www.mainlandpodcast.ca Twitter: @mainlandpodcast Facebook: facebook.com/mainlandpodcast Email: [email protected] Connect with Joel! Twitter: @joelmacken www.joelmackenzie.ca Connect with Natalie! Twitter: @natalieseraf www.kalefarts.com Out intro and o...