Today on the Pod we will be discussing the Titanic. As probably all listeners are likely aware, this vessel – infamously touted as unsinkable –sank on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Of the 2200 people on board, over 1500 people lost their lives that night in the cold, ice ridden Atlantic. This makes it one of the largest maritime disasters in history.

As this April 10th marks 112 years since the ship set sail on its doomed journey, I thought it might be a good way to kick things off on the Podcast. The RMS Titanic has been the subject of countless studies, documentaries, and movies and has captivated the world since its tragic end over a century ago.

However, the legacy of the ship itself and its connection to the British and American cultures has somewhat overshadowed the Canadian perspective. Here in the Maritimes, the Titanic’s legacy resonates loudly. After all, it was just 300nm south of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland when the Titanic met its end making it the closest land to the disaster. 
 
One of the first responding harbour’s on the cold night of April 14 1912, was the Port of Halifax. Nonetheless, within the city there are dedicated memorials the Titanic including museum exhibits and a graveyard. 
 
 But few people consciously acknowledge that that there were Canadians on board the vessel that night. And I don’t just mean just any Canadians. There were very prominent Canadians, which is something that I hope to get into here.
 
The Titanic is such a "titanic" subject that i wanted to bring in some help to discuss the nuances of the vessel. I discussed this with Mr. Stephen Ernst a few days ago. 
 
Mr. Stephen Ernst. Is the Deputy Mayor of Lunenburg and an amateur historian, and lifelong friend. I have been a fan of Stephen’s work for a long time. He’s a passionate advocate for historical accuracy and has a reputation for being thoughtful and kind. He is also an author of “Lunenburg; A history in pictures” a photographic presentation of the town of Lunenburg in all its historical glory. Mr. Ernst has graciously offered his time to be with us today.

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This will be a cultural podcast based in Atlantic Canada.

The style of the pod cast should be classified as a kitchen table gab. That is to say, we will do our best to be accurate, but this will likely be more of an anecdotal approach to subjects.

Some topic ideas to look forward to would be historical subjects, (like the Springhill mining disaster, or the Halifax explosion) topical subjects, (like climate change or the spread of ticks across the region), or political subjects (like the regional medical system or how the climate change affect policy).

Local media is important and with all of the changes recently within small media (and large media for that matter), the regional perspective is more important than ever.

If you're interested in helping out the local perspective, reach out and let me know.

Thanks for listening!

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