In Prohibition-era Vancouver, getting drunk meant slipping through hidden doors into smoky backrooms, whispering passwords, and drinking bootleg whiskey poured from unmarked bottles. Police raids were always possible, yet jazz, laughter, and clinking glasses filled the night as speakeasies (blind pigs) thrived, proving that banning alcohol never stopped Vancouverites from raising a glass.

To explore this incredible history we went on an incredible walking tour with Will Woods from Forbidden Vancouver. Will started this coming many years ago and has refined it into one of Vancouver’s favorite historic attractions.

For any of those in Vancouver or visiting Vancouver soon make sure to check out all the tours offered by Forbidden Vancouver at forbiddenvancouver.ca

Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History!

Hostile History on Spotify

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Hostile History on Amazon

Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:

Amazon

Indigo

Dundurn

Goodreads

Indiebookstores.ca

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Today, Lake Ontario has surged into headlines after President Donald Trump ordered it renamed "Lake America" for U.S. federal use, igniting outrage across Canada. The centuries-old name—shared by a lake that's more than half Canadian—has become the latest flashpoint in an escalating cross-border political and cultural dispute. To kick off our 12th season we are diving deep into the history of Lake Ontario.

Daniel Macfarlane is a Professor in the School of Environment, Geography, and Sustainability at Western Michigan University. His most recent book is "The Lives of Lake Ontario: An Environmental History" (September 2024).

Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History!

Hostile History on Spotify

Hostile History on Apple

Hostile History on Amazon

Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:

Amazon

Indigo

Dundurn

Goodreads

Indiebookstores.ca

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This summer reboot looks at the fall of Hong Kong in December 1941.

**Announcement** - Season 12 kicks off next week! First episode of the new season drops September 8th!

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Picture a quiet harbour on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Calm waters. Towering forests. It seems peaceful enough—but beneath that surface lies a story that helped shape Canada's Pacific coast. Long before warships lined the docks, Indigenous peoples lived and thrived here. Then came explorers, empires, sailors, and soldiers, each leaving their mark on what would become Esquimalt Harbour. How was this natural harbour connected to broader British imperial interests in Latin America? And how did it allow the British to project imperial power over the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest? Was this the final key in completing the Canadian project?

"Scott Stephen is a historian and educator based in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He is currently working in education policy and as a consultant for Trailmark Systems. Scott’s research areas include British imperial history, British Columbia’s history and naval history. His work on the Esquimalt naval base began during his graduate studies at UBC, and he won the Jacques Cartier MA prize for 2024 from the Canadian Nautical Research Society for his thesis.

His recent article “Esquimalt and its Latin American Connection: Linking British Concerns in Pacific Latin America to the Establishment of a Naval Base on Vancouver Island”, published in the Canadian Historical Review, repositions Pacific Latin America as an essential component to the navy’s interest in Esquimalt Harbour circa 1858 and details the larger imperial context within which that interest arose.

Check out Canyon Entertainment’s newest podcast Hostile History!

Hostile History on Spotify

Hostile History on Apple

Hostile History on Amazon

Don’t forget! You can purchase a copy of Punching Above Our Weight: The Canadian Military at War Since 1867 right now at the below links:

Amazon

Indigo

Dundurn

Goodreads

Indiebookstores.ca

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.