This December, Dr. Andrew Woolford delivered the Western Canadian Lecture, presented by the University of Alberta’s Department of History, Classics, & Religion the 2021 Western Canadian Lecture. Dr. Woolford is a prominent scholar in Genocide Studies who has worked on the history of Indian Residential Schools in Canada. His talk was titled: “With intent to destroy a group: Genocide’s past and present in Canada.”

In this episode, Chris and Dylan Hall ask Dr. Woolford about his work, about defining genocide in Canada, and about some of the innovative ways Indigenous scholars and communities are moving beyond settler colonial definitions of group destruction. This interview was recorded the day after the lecture.

If you listen and you find yourself needing support, consider calling the National Indian Residential School Crisis line at 1-866-925-4419. You can also reach the National Indian Residential School Text Line for free by texting 68 68 68. 24/7.

You can also call the Canadian Mental Health Association, toll free, 24/7, at 1-833-456-4566 (In Quebec: 1-866-277-3553) or visit crisisservicescanada.ca.

How do you form a good historical question? In this episode, Chris and Trevor talk about trying to do that for a very specific reason: a Canada Graduate Scholarship grant application.

Chris just started a masters in history at the University of Alberta. In this episode we wanted to give you a peek into his day to day life studying to be a historian. Hopefully you’ll understand a little more what it’s actually like in the fall of 2021 to go to grad school when the pandemic’s still on, the university’s open, and most of your classwork and job are actually in person on campus.

Chris talks to Trevor about what it’s like being on campus in a pandemic (surprisingly great), feelings of FOMO picking classes, and studying with John Acorn the Nature Nut. Plus, a little bit about Tacitus and a lot of thoughts on what we owe each other (and/or the state).

The next chapter for Let’s Find Out (and Chris).

Trevor Chow-Fraser asks Chris Chang-Yen Phillips to talk through his days as a wee student starting school, what the purpose of a university education is, and why he’s headed to the University of Alberta to pursue a Masters’ degree in history.

In the next phase of Let’s Find Out, Chris will be sharing what he’s learning, and how.

We won’t be taking listener questions at the moment, but we are inviting you to send in audio clips for a new segment: Fact Finders. Send us an audio recording and tell us about one of your favourite resources for learning about local history! It could be a book, a grandma, an old souvenir from a festival in the ’60s, a local museum, whatever is filling your local history boots these days. We’ll feature some of them on future episodes.

Chris and Trevor rifle through listener questions and messages.

Part 4 of our miniseries about the Mirama Dining & Lounge dim sum restaurant: what exactly happened at the 2004 fight in the restaurant and what is there to know about Asian gangs in Edmonton around the early 2000s?

Part 3 of our miniseries about the Mirama Dining & Lounge dim sum restaurant: Mike Tulley is a former sound engineer with CJSR. Reporter Nathan Fung talks to Mike about his time working at fundraising events held at the Mirama restaurant, which were organized to help out Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) veterans in Edmonton.

Part 2 of our miniseries about the Mirama Dining & Lounge dim sum restaurant: How does Mirama fit in the wider history of Edmonton’s Chinatown? How did business go for Mirama after the alleged gang incident in 2004? And why did Mirama eventually shut down? Reporter Nathan Fung asks Lan Chan-Marples and Games Choi for their insights.