Discover fascinating stories of how four forgotten Canadian authors and their books were nearly lost forever

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Discover how Canadian literature evolved from campfire stories to copyright battles, public libraries, and artificial intelligence.

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If you ever remember hearing about a Canadian soldier who fought like he was in his own action movie during World War II, you’d probably be thinking about Corporal Léo Major. He’s often called “The Canadian Rambo,” and for good reason.

Major was the only Canadian soldier, and one of just three in the entire British Commonwealth, to earn the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) in two separate wars: World War II and the Korean War.

Yet his name is still missing from most Canadian history lessons.

So, today, I’m sharing his story as part of our “Extreme Canadian Stories” series. By the time you finish listening, you’ll see why he inspires so many people.

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In 19th century New Brunswick, fear of leprosy led to the forced quarantine of Acadian families on remote Sheldrake Island, where children like young Barnabé endured suffering that remained hidden for generations. This is the incredible forgotten story of the Sheldrake Island leprosy colony.

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Yesterday, I had the tremendous opportunity to speak with Kristi Keller 🇨🇦 about what we love most about being Canadian. During our conversation, we explored our personal experiences, shared bucket-list destinations, and dove into so much more.

It was a wonderful blend of fun, fascinating facts, and genuine excitement about the unique people and places from coast to coast to coast.

I’m thrilled to share our chat with you, especially if you’re curious about the story behind Pinecone Diaries, my motivation for starting the project, and what ignites my passion for Canadian history and stories.

A Few Thank-Yous

Kristi has already given a shoutout to a few folks who stopped by while we were recording. I also want to thank Global History Captured, Alexis, and the 70 others who tuned in and contributed to the live conversation. I really appreciate your support!

A Massive Thanks to Kristi

I want to give a huge thank you to Kristi for her interest in what we’re building here at Pinecone Diaries and for helping spread the word. Since our live chat on Substack yesterday, we’ve seen more people discovering and subscribing to the project.

Who is Kristi?

If you haven’t come across Kristi before, she’s an award-winning destination writer, a master builder of online communities, a consultant, and a generous Canadian. Even though she mentions she’s slowing down, she still publishes three newsletters and offers a suite of services for anyone looking to build their own Substack publications.

Please check her out at:

Or:

Or:

And then, have a rad rest of your day!

Get full access to Pinecone Diaries: Canada's Stories & History at pineconediaries.substack.com/subscribe

Pinecone Diaries: Canada's Stories & History - Episode #1

Hi!

This is my first attempt at recording one of my stories as a podcast. It’s today’s story about Vimy Ridge’s forgotten engineers, that I also published to my newsletter.

If you're new to Pinecone Diaries, we explore fascinating Canadian stories from lost history to hidden heroes, one story at a time. It's the stuff we didn't learn about in school ,and is too awesome not to talk about.

There’s definitely a bit of a learning curve to podcasting, but I promise to work just as hard at improving my audio skills as I do at uncovering unknown or forgotten stories from Canadian history.

Each week, I want you to walk away with a new appreciation for Canada’s history, its hidden figures, and its cultural depth.

Sometimes, you’ll be inspired. Sometimes, you’ll be surprised. Sometimes, you’ll rethink something you thought you knew.

Above all, you’ll feel more connected to Canada, to other Canadians, and to your place in history.

P.S. I’d love any feedback you’re willing to share. Don’t worry about hurting my feelings, I’m mature old enough to take it! And honestly, it’ll only help me get better, which means better episodes for everyone.

Thanks for listening, and have a rad rest of your day!

To read any of my 150+ written stories from Canadian History, click this link: https://pineconediaries.substack.com/. If you'd like to recieve the stories by email, enter your email address to subscribe.

I also post tonnes of Canadian content (educational, entertaining, and fun too) on my socials:

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@pineconediariescanada

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pineconediaries.com

Or if you want to connect with me on linkedin, this is my profile there: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-rourke-6514bab1/

Get full access to Pinecone Diaries: Canada's Stories & History at pineconediaries.substack.com/subscribe