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What's Old is News

What's Old is News

por Sean Graham

Historia Noticias Sociedad y Cultura

Temporada 3

Indigenous History & the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada

This week, Sean Graham talks with Cody Groat, author of Always Part of the Land: The Federal Commemoration of Indigenous Histories. They 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. They also chat about Board members' influence on commemorations, how public servants have shaped the process, and the Board's efforts towards Reconciliation. Historical Headline of the Week Chadd Cawson, "Plaque unveiled to honour Coast Salish knitters and the Cowichan sweater," Nanaimo Bulletin, April 2, 2026.

The Beach Cure

Sean Graham talks with Meghan Crnic, author of The Beach Cure: A History of Healing on Northeastern Shores. They 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. They also chat about how beach areas were built up, the transformation of space from health to recreation, and the legacy of the 19th century on beach towns. Historical Headline of the Week Emma Loewe, "Going to the beach is good for your brain, according to science," National Geographic, May 22, 2025.

Colonial Newspapers

Sean Graham talks with Shelisa Klassen, author of Imprinting Empire: Land and Settler Colonialism in Manitoba Newspapers. They talk about late 19th century Manitoba newspapers, the audiences both in Manitoba and the rest of Canada, and how the press framed colonial practices. They also discuss how newspapers fit into other commercial projects, what information was included and what was intentionally omitted, and the legacy of the era's newspapers. Historical Headline of the Week Clare Hennig and Jean Paetkau, "Digital archive of old B.C. textbooks highlights 'constant dehumanizing of Indigenous people,' CBC.ca, September 4, 2018.

Common Sense

This week, Sean Graham talks with Michael North, author of Making Common Sense: On the Construction of the Obvious from Antiquity to AI. They talk about what counts as 'common' sense, its relation to the 5 senses, and how that understanding shaped perceptions of common sense. They then get into a discussion about the modern understanding of common sense, the difference between that and reason, and how algorithms and AI are shaping our understanding of what counts as 'common' sense. Historical Headline of the Week Jo Marchant, "The American Revolution's Overlooked Influence? Physics. How 'Common Sense' Spelled Out Astronomical Expectations for a New Nation," Smithsonian Magazine, Summer 2026.

The Governors General

This week Sean Graham talks with John Fraser, author of The Governors General: An Intimate History of Canada's Highest Office. They talk about John's experiences meeting all the Canadian-born Governors General, how personality shapes the office, and the role's political limits. They also discuss the people who held the office, how they managed the position's responsibilities, and what purpose the monarch's representative in Canada has in the 21st century. Historical Headline of the Week John Fraser, "Julie Payette's disastrous reign as Governor General: 'Act of perpetual petulance,'" National Post, April 2, 2026.

Commercial Tattooing

This week, Sean Graham is joined by Jamie Jelinski, author of Needle Work: A History of Commercial Tatooing in Canada. They 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. They then discuss questions over regulation and the criminalization of tattooing before chatting about some of the unique case studies in the book. Historical Headline of the Week Steven Dyer, "Tattoos in the workplace, how has society's perception of ink changed?" CTV News, September 21, 2024.

Writing Canada's Military History

In this episode, Sean Graham talks 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. They 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 Directorate. They also discuss the changing nature of military history, incorporating more voices into the stories of Canada's armed forces, and how those changes relate to broader historiographical trends. The final session of the Shannon Lecture Series, entitled The Transnational Making of United Nations Peacekeeping by Brian Drohan, will take place on May 6 at 4p ET on Zoom. You can find more information here. Historical Headline of the Week Defence Stories, "Web portal to military historical documents open to the public." June 11, 2024.

Canada's National Debt

This week, Sean Graham talks with Angela Tozer, author of The Debt of a Nation: Land and the Financing of the Canadian Settler State, 1820-73. They discuss how governments take on debt, the purpose of debt, and how colonialism fuelled land speculation. They also chat about how resource extraction was critical to servicing debt, the changes brought on by Confederation, and the on-going legacy of 19th century national debt. Historical Headline of the Week "Debt Management Strategy for 2020-21," Department of Finance Canada.

Teenage Consumers

Sean Graham talks with Katherine Rollwagen, author of The Scramble for the Teenage Dollar: Creating the Youth Market in Mid-Century Canada. They discuss the creation of the 'classic' teenager, how marketing shifted to attract young people, and how much family considerations shaped advertisements. They also chat about Eaton's, how it attracted teenagers to the store, and the legacy of mid-century marketing today. Historical Headline of the Week All Things Considered, "How Tech Companies Are Catering to Generation Z Teens," NPR, November 27, 2017.

Canadian Armed Forces Purge

Sean Graham talks with Lynne Gouliquer and Carmen Poulin ahead of their Shannon lecture on Monday November 24 entitled "Purging the Canadian Military of 'Sexual Deviants': The War on 2SLGBTQIA+ Members and Their Partners from the 1960s to Present.' They talk about the administrative order that established the policy of purging homosexuals from the military and how it was executed. They also discuss Lynne and Carmen's research, their interviews with members who were purged, and the long-term implications on families. Historical Headline of the Week Brian Bradley, "She was among those purged from Canada's military. Today, Michelle Douglas looks back on the pain and progress," Toronto Star, April 2, 2023.

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