Why does Canada have the second largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world? We talk to historian Dr. Rhonda Hinther from Brandon University to find out why so many people from Ukraine made Canada their home.

Books by Dr. Rhonda Hinther include Perogies and Politics: Canada's Ukrainian Left, 1891-1991 (https://utorontopress.com/9781487500498/perogies-and-politics/), and Re-Imagining Ukrainian-Canadians: History, Politics, and Identity (https://utorontopress.com/9781442610620/re-imagining-ukrainian-canadians/).

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When candy maker A.J. Russell created a recipe for puffed wheat bars in 1913, it became a popular dessert. But only in one half of the country.

We look at why the west loves them and many in the east have never even heard of the chocolatey treat.

This is the history of one Canadian recipe and why early breakfast cereal was invented to prevent sexual arousal (yeah, you read that right).

Special thanks to historians Andrea Eidinger and Kesia Kvill for help with this episode.

Link to recipe: https://visitreddeer.com/story/the-original-puffed-wheat-square

Visit us at: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

Why are there so many Canadians in pro wrestling? We take a deep dive into carnival and sideshow history to find out why Canada became one of the centers of early pro wrestling. We look into the fun and problematic past of performance wrestling and conduct a very scientific poll to find who the top Canadian favorites are. With guests Scarlett Harris and Nug Nahrgang.

Find Scarlett Harris’s book "A Diva Was a Female Version of a Wrestler" here: https://www.fayettevillemafiapress.com/product/a-diva-was-a-female-version-of-a-wrestler/.

For more visit us at www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada.

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/inappropriate-questions-transcripts-listen-1.6740372

Canada’s much-touted multiculturalism was hard-fought-for and started to materialize in the aftermath of immigration policy changes in the 1950s and 60s. A lot of that change is thanks to Black sleeping car porters and their ability to politic with influential passengers on their train routes.

Abolitionist, activist, teacher and trailblazer Mary Ann Shadd wore many hats in her extraordinary life. We take a look at the story of the first Black woman in North America to publish a newspaper and one of the first female journalists in Canada.

Mentioned in this episode: The Indigenous connection to the Underground Railroad by CBC's Unreserved where Falen speaks with historian Roy Finkenbine. Check it out at cbc.ca/1.6061957

Visit us for more at www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

When the CBRE, Canada’s railway union, was created in 1908, it intentionally shut out Black porters. What ensued was a historic and decades-long struggle for Black railways employees to be heard at the negotiating table.

Sleeping car porters were notoriously underpaid and had to fight for tips, condemning most to poverty. Historian Dr. Dorothy Williams describes how porters turned to side hustles and other entrepreneurial pursuits to survive, and to regain the agency they lost as precarious railway employees.

For decades, Canada attempted to purge queer people out of the public service and the military. We look into why it all started during the Cold War, what the fear of the Soviet Union had to do with it and how the invention of a homosexuality test nicknamed “The Fruit Machine” was supposed to aid in the RCMP’s investigations. Spoiler alert — it didn't work. With guest Gary Kinsman.

*Warning, strong language and content.

To learn more about this episode visit: www.cbc.ca/radio/secretlifeofcanada

For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/inappropriate-questions-transcripts-listen-1.6740372

In the early 20th century, musicians and audiences flocked to Montreal for its jazz scene, earning the city the nickname “Harlem of the North.” Historian Dr. Dorothy Williams explains how porters were instrumental in introducing jazz to Canada and how they served more generally as “conduits of culture.”

Where porters went, Black neighbourhoods often followed. Historian Dr. Dorothy Williams breaks down how porters — and the location of railways — catalyzed the creation of historically Black communities and institutions across Canada.