This episode is another sonic journey in our Hearing History series, taking full advantage of the podcast format by exploring local history through sound. Today’s sonic selection is accordion music. St. Catharines and the Niagara Region have long been home to German, Slovenian, Polish, and other European communities that have brought the accordion and the invariably fun music that goes along with it. From Oktoberfests, to cultural clubs, to television programs, to the Polka King himself, the cheerful sounds of the accordion have been an essential part of St. Catharines for at least 80 years.