Maple History: A Canadian History Podcast

By Christina AustinHistory

Maple History: A Canadian History Podcast episodes

October 08 Pierre Esprit Radisson - No Betrayal Too Shameless
Pierre Esprit Radisson had many admirable traits such as bravery and charm, but his willingness to throw over any sense of loyalty to family or nation when it suited him was truly remarkable. This episode covers his early days in North America where he will craft a plan to change the path of the fur trade in Canada.

Sources:

Bush Runner by Mark Bourrie

The Company: The Rise and Fall of The Hudson's Bay Empire by Stephen R. Brown

Martin Fournier, “RADISSON, PIERRE-ESPRIT,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 2, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed October 7, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/radisson_pierre_esprit_2E.html.
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26 min
September 25 Coureurs des bois - Going Deep In The Bush For Beaver
The late 17th century was a time of great transition in New France. The shift from the free-wheeling coureur de bois to the more recognizable voyageurs is part of this time of change.

Sources

The Canadian Frontier 1534-1760, Revised edition. by W.J. Eccles

Mockerman, Mitchell (2017) “Men of the Fur Trade, ca. 1620-1770s,” McNair Scholars Journal: Vol. 21: Iss. 1, Article 10

Saunders, Richard M. “The Emergence of the Coureur de Bois as a Social Type.” The Canadian Historical Association Annual Report 18, no. 1 (1939): 22–33.

Slater, Sandra. “Fur Traders, Voyageurs, and Coureurs des Bois: Economic Masculinities in French Canadian Fur Trade Society, 1635–1754.” Masculinities: A Journal of Identity and Culture, no. 1 (2014): 92–108.
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27 min
August 20 Madeleine de Vercheres was Horrible
She may be known for bravely fighting off a Haudenosaunee attack at her family fort at 14 but you can find out why I think she was a horrible in this episode. Some salty language in this one but it is warranted.

Sources:

Heroines & History: Representations of Madeleine de Verchèreres and Laura Secord by Colin M. Coates and Cecilia Morgan

Noel, Jan. “New France: Les femmes favorisées.” Atlantis 6, no. 2 (1981): 80–98.

Noel, Jan. “Women in New France: Further Reflections.” Atlantis 8, no. 1 (1982): 125–130.

André Vachon, “JARRET DE VERCHÈRES, MARIE-MADELEINE (baptized Marie-Magdelaine) (Madeleine, Madelon) (Tarieu de La Pérade),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 3, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed August 19, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/jarret_de_vercheres_marie_madeleine_3E.html.

Coates, Colin M. “Warrior Women: The Legend of Madeleine de Verchères.” The Beaver 82, no. 2 (April–May 2002): 8–13.

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32 min
July 23 Acadia Catch-Up
Let's take a quick look at what was happening in Acadia after the feud between D'Aulney and La Tour ended.

Sources:

A Great and Noble Scheme by John Mack Faragher

The Aboiteau in Acadia (info about the unique dike system used in Acadian)

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17 min
July 02 Demonic Possession in New France
New France was slowly attracting colonists in 1660 but one of the young women who came to the colony in those early days soon became tormented by demons set upon her by a jilted suitor. There were many people who tried to help her but the successful exorcist may come as a surprise.

Sources:

The Possession of Barbe Hallay: Diabolical Arts and Daily Life in Early Canada by Mairi Cowan

Marie-Emmanuel Chabot, o.s.u., “GUYART, MARIE, named de l’Incarnation (Martin),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed July 1, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/guyart_marie_1E.html.

Mary Dunn, "Sixteen and Possessed," Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality 22, no. 2 (Fall 2022): 232-251.

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42 min
June 18 The Last Great Feast of the Dead
In 1636 the last great Wendat Feast of the Dead was held in what is now Ontario. The Wendat Confederacy only had a few years left before the devastation of the diseases brought by European colonizers and the war with the Haudenosaunee brought the Wendat to their knees. The Jesuit priest, Jean de Brebeuf recorded the events and his admiration for the ritual in the Jesuit Relations which is where we get much of the information about this particular ceremony and a greater insight into the Wendat world as it was on the precipice of disaster.
This episode is going out early to subscribers and will be out next week to regular listeners.
Sources:
The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger
Huron Wendat: The Heritage of the Circle by Georges E. Sioui
The Huron-Wendat Feast of the Dead: Indian-European Encounters in Early North America by Erik R. Seeman

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33 min
June 04 Book Review of Isola
Is Isola by Allegra Goodman Worth Reading? - Reese Witherspoon Book Club Review

I told the story of Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval and how she was marooned on the Isle of Demons off the coast of Quebec in 1541. Isola is a fictionalized version of that story by Allegra Goodman and in this bonus episode I let you know if it is worth a read. If you have read the book, let me know if you agree with my assessment. Did you feel the same way or do you think I'm way off the mark?
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15 min
April 30 Battle of Long Sault
Adam Dollard des Ormeaux’s last stand at Long Sault became one of New France’s most enduring legends but the real battle was far messier. This week, I look at what actually happened at Long Sault, why the French lost so badly, and how a military disaster became a foundational myth.

The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger
Natives and Newcomers: Canada's Heroic Age Reconsidered by Bruce Trigger
Dispersed But Not Destroyed by Kathryn Magee Labelle
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21 min
April 16 New France - A Tough Sell For Colonists
What made New France so hard to establish? A look at the realities of early settlement and slow colonial growth.

Fischer, David Hackett. Champlain’s Dream: The European Founding of North America. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008

Jacques Mathieu, “HÉBERT, LOUIS,” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 15, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hebert_louis_1E.html.

Ethel M. G. Bennett, “HÉBERT, GUILLEMETTE (Couillard de Lespinay),” in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 1, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, accessed April 15, 2026, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hebert_guillemette_1E.html.
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23 min
March 26 Jean de Brebeuf and his Death Wish (aka Martyrdom)
The Jesuit priest Father Jean de Brebeuf spend over 20 years in Wendake and New France with a deep desire to suffer for the glory of God. Saving souls and martyrdom were never far from his mind. When the Haudenosaunee made there large scale attack in 1649 martyrdom also came knocking for Jean de Brebeuf. Or was it martyrdom at all?

****Very graphic descriptions of torture in this one - I didn't leave anything out

Sources:
Crosses in the Sky: Jean de Brébeuf and the Destruction of Huronia by Mark Bourrie
The Children of Aateantsic: A History of the Huron People to 1660 by Bruce Trigger
The Jesuit Relations: A Biography by Micah True
Carson, James Taylor. “Brébeuf Was Never Martyred: Reimagining the Life and Death of Canada's First Saint.” Canadian Historical Review 97, no. 2 (June 2016): 222-243. utppublishing.com

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27 min

About Maple History: A Canadian History Podcast

From the publisher's feed

A Canadian history podcast where the host, Christina Austin, invites friends to revisit what they may have learned in history class by giving a fuller picture of Canadian history beginning with the…