The railway helped build Canada, but it also holds stories that don’t always make it into the history books.

 In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, CBC producer Melody Jacobson joins us to talk about her work on a new CBC special that dives into the history of trains in Canada.

From the role of sleeping car porters to the impact on Indigenous communities to rock concerts that rolled across the country, Melody shares what she learned along the way.

Listen when it goes live here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-141-cbc-radio-specials

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, explorer and author Adam Shoalts returns to share one of the most fascinating stories you've probably never heard.

It's the true story of Hubert Darrell, a Canadian solo explorer who vanished in the remote north nearly 100 years ago. Most people have never heard his name, yet his influence was felt throughout history books.

Adam walks us through how he stumbled across Darrell's story, what he uncovered on the ground, and why some mysteries stay buried for so long.

Get your copy of "Vanished Beyond the Map: The Mystery of Lost Explorer Hubert Darrell" here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/597601/vanished-beyond-the-map-by-adam-shoalts/9780735236868 

00:00 – Who was Hubert Darrell
06:30 – How Adam found the story
13:15 – Retracing Darrell’s last known route
21:40 – The original search and what was missed
29:50 – What this mystery reveals about exploration
36:10 – Why this story still matters today

What happens when one man sits down with 44 people to tell the story of an entire city?

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, longtime pillar of the North Bay community Peter Handley shares the inspiration behind his newest book, Vis-à-Vis: North Bay in Deed & Tale.

We talk about how the project came together, how he chose who to interview, what surprised him most, and why capturing local stories is more important than ever.

0:00 Intro
5:15 How the book’s title and concept came to be
9:00 Merle Dickerson stories and Colin Vezina interview
17:00 Waterfront development and North Bay’s evolution
30:00 The process of gathering and editing 49 interviews
42:30 Reflections on North Bay’s future and what’s next for Peter

People come to Thunder Bay for the views, but many leave with pockets full of purple.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we head into the hills above Lake Superior to visit Amethyst Mine Panorama. Owner Tim Lukinuk shares how his family turned a glint of purple in the dirt into a destination that draws visitors from around the world. 

We talk about the history of the mine, what makes Thunder Bay amethyst so unique, and why people are still showing up with buckets and rock hammers after all these years.

4:30 – How the mine was first discovered  
9:45 – Building a family business around rocks  
15:20 – Why people keep coming back to dig  
21:10 – What makes this amethyst different  
27:00 – The future of the mine and what’s next

Some of the best canoe routes in Canada aren’t in guidebooks. They’re shared around campfires, passed on through stories, and kept alive by the people who paddle them.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Matthew Eberly and Robert James of the Wilderness Canoe Association to talk about what it really means to explore the backcountry. They share their favourite trips, the friendships they’ve built along the way, and how the club helps new paddlers find confidence and connection on the water.

Visit them at: https://wildernesscanoe.ca/
Canadian Canoe Routes: https://myccr.com

00:00 Intro
4:45 What draws people to backcountry canoeing
11:10 Favourite remote routes and hidden gems
18:30 How the WCA helps new paddlers get started
25:40 The community behind the campfires
31:00 Looking ahead and passing down trail knowledge

In their first interview, Sean Lougheed and Lauren Andersen were preparing to paddle 1000 miles through the Yukon wilderness in the world’s longest and toughest canoe race.

Now they’re back, and they’ve done it. In just six days and 22 hours, they paddled over 1,000 miles, slept only a few hours a night, and landed a top-three finish.

In this follow-up episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Sean and Lauren talk about what really happened out there. From exhaustion and hallucinations to wildlife, bonding, and the surreal moment they crossed the finish line.


05:30 – Early race momentum  
11:20 – Sleep and survival  
17:45 – Physical and mental strain  
24:10 – Wildlife and weird moments  
30:35 – Final push to the finish  
36:50 – Lessons from the race  
42:00 – What’s next

Long before northern Ontario had highways or hashtags, there was Joe LaFlamme. He ran liquor through the bush with dog teams, tamed wolves, and somehow became a national celebrity.

Suzanne Charron, author of "Wolf Man Joe Laflamme: Tamer Untamed", shares Joe’s wild story. It starts with him dodging the law and living off the land, but it doesn’t end there. Joe became a performer, a public figure, and a legend.

In towns like Gogama and Kapuskasing, people still remember the man who rode through town behind a pack of wolves.

00:00 – Intro and how Suzanne found the story  
05:45 – Joe’s early life and bush skills  
13:10 – Running liquor and evading police  
19:50 – Taming and working with wolves  
26:30 – Becoming a performer and local legend  
33:00 – Joe’s legacy in Northern Ontario

For more than 50 years, Clermont Duval has been painting the North. His work captures the spirit of the land, the wildlife, and the quiet moments most people miss. But for Clermont, nature isn’t quiet. It speaks to him. Sometimes it yells.

In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, Clermont shares stories from a life in art and in nature. He talks about his early years painting wolves and canoes, what it's like to paint in complete silence, and why he still feels surprised every time someone connects with his work.


06:00 – The accident that changed everything  
12:00 – Stories behind his wildlife paintings  
20:00 – The Little Red Canoe and how it became his signature  
30:00 – Why nature is louder than ever  
40:00 – Legacy, advice, and what still inspires him today

At just 22 years old, Mylène started Follow Her North, a guiding company that’s turning Northern Ontario into a place where people come for adventure and stay for connection. She leads everything from snowshoe hikes to getting you the right supplies for your adventure, helping people slow down and reconnect with the land. 

In this episode, she shares how she turned her love for the outdoors into a business, what it's like being a young woman in the guiding world, and why she believes nature is the best place to reset.

  
05:20 - Guiding as a calling and career  
12:10 - The power of unplugging and getting outside  
18:45 - Campfires, food, and creating simple moments  
26:00 - Starting a business rooted in nature  
33:30 - Looking ahead at what's next

100 episodes of the Backroads Bill Podcast has seen Bill and Ben talk to a number of high profile and educated guests focused on the outdoors, nature and Northern Ontario.

For episode 100 Bill talks about the Canadian Ecology Center. How it started and how it turned into the hub for education and outdoor events that it is today.

Bill also looks to the future following the devastating downburst earlier this summer and how the Canadian Ecology Center will come back stronger than ever!