COMMONS is a documentary podcast that proves Canada is anything but boring. Each season, host Arshy Mann guides you through the country’s dark underbelly, bringing you stories about crime, corruption and all manner of misdeeds.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is it — the final announcement of our crowdfunding month. We're thrilled to introduce the new host of Canadaland's Monday edition and unveil the new title for the show. Wait for it...
Do you have burning questions for any of our new hosts? Well, if you're seeing this on Thursday, you're in luck: We're doing a LIVE "ask me anything" call-in show this evening, from 4:30-6:30pm EDT. Head to callinstudio.com/show/canadaland or dial in at 888-401-7056 when the time comes. Sam, Noor and our new host (no spoilers!) would love to hear from you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's true. Jesse Brown has fired himself as a host of Canadaland podcasts.
So who will Canadaland's new hosts be?
Stay tuned and support the next chapter of Canadaland here: canadaland.com/join
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Copernic Affair is available now, wherever you get your podcasts.
The life of an unassuming sociology professor in Canada gets turned upside down when he is accused of carrying out a 1980 bomb attack on a synagogue in Paris. Hassan Diab says heʼs innocent, but French investigators are determined to prove otherwise.
Journalists Dana Ballout and Alex Atack take listeners through the twists and turns of this extraordinary story, all the while asking…
Is Hassan Diab guilty, or is he a scapegoat? And what if one person’s justice means committing an injustice to another?
You can become a Canadaland supporter to listen to the whole series early and ad-free.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is it — the final announcement of our crowdfunding month. We're thrilled to introduce the new host of Canadaland's Monday edition and unveil the new title for the show. Wait for it...
Do you have burning questions for any of our new hosts? Well, if you're seeing this on Thursday, you're in luck: We're doing a LIVE "ask me anything" call-in show this evening, from 4:30-6:30pm EDT. Head to callinstudio.com/show/canadaland or dial in at 888-401-7056 when the time comes. Sam, Noor and our new host (no spoilers!) would love to hear from you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's true. Jesse Brown has fired himself as a host of Canadaland podcasts.
So who will Canadaland's new hosts be?
Stay tuned and support the next chapter of Canadaland here: canadaland.com/join
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Copernic Affair is available now, wherever you get your podcasts.
The life of an unassuming sociology professor in Canada gets turned upside down when he is accused of carrying out a 1980 bomb attack on a synagogue in Paris. Hassan Diab says heʼs innocent, but French investigators are determined to prove otherwise.
Journalists Dana Ballout and Alex Atack take listeners through the twists and turns of this extraordinary story, all the while asking…
Is Hassan Diab guilty, or is he a scapegoat? And what if one person’s justice means committing an injustice to another?
You can become a Canadaland supporter to listen to the whole series early and ad-free.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
COMMONS is coming to an end after six years, with a final investigation available on the CANADALAND feed. Publisher Jesse Brown sits down with COMMONS host Arshy Mann to discuss the new episode, and to help introduce Arshy’s new venture, The Hatchet.
Host: Arshy Mann
Credits: Jordan Cornish (Producer, Mixing & Mastering), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Caleb Thompson (production support), max collins (Director of Audio), Jesse Brown (Publisher)
Further Reading:
The Hatchet, Arshy Mann’s and Jordan Cornish’s new publication
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The video game industry, like much of the tech, has been resistant to unionization for a very long time. But like so many other white-collar businesses, video game studios are built on the backs of thousands of exploited, low-paid workers.
This is the story of Canada’s first-ever video game union. And the lengths that the industry went to try to stop it in its tracks.
Featured in this episode: James Russwurm, Johanna Weststar, Pablo Godoy
To learn more
Not All Fun and Games: Videogame Labour, Project-based Workplaces, and the New Citizenship at Work by Marie-Josée Legault and Johanna Weststar
“Members of Canada’s first video game industry union vote in favour of strike action” by Curtis Ng in Global News.
“The video game industry is booming. Why are there so many layoffs?” by Kenzie Gordon, Jennifer R. Whitson, Johanna Weststar, and Sean Gouglas in The Conversation.
“2024 has already had more video game industry layoffs than all of 2023 — and it's only June” by Nicole Carpenter in Polygon.
FairPlay4GameWorkers Twitch Channel
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Sponsors:
Douglas: Douglas is giving our listeners a FREE Sleep Bundle with each mattress purchase. Get the sheets, pillows, mattress and pillow protectors FREE with your Douglas purchase today at Douglas.ca/Canadaland.
Article: Article is offering our listeners $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more. To claim, visit ARTICLE.COM/COMMONS.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The huge rise in international students in Canada — most of them from Punjab, India — has become one of the biggest stories in the country. But most media outlets and political parties have framed it entirely as a housing issue.
They’re missing the point.
This is a story about the creation of a new, racialized underclass to do all of the work we don’t want to do. And it’s about the human wreckage that’s left in the wake after we’re done squeezing those people of every penny and every drop of sweat that we can.
Featured in this episode: Jaspreet Singh, Rupa Banerjee
To learn more:
“The International Student Boom Might Be Over” by Kuwarjeet Singh Arora in Baaz News
“How recruiters in India use false promises to lure students to Canada” by CBC’s Fifth Estate
“Canada’s open secret: International students are here to be exploited” by Kunal Chaudry in The Breach
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Sponsors: Douglas, Article
Additional music from Audio Network
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Earla Phillips has almost 16,000 Uber rides under her belt. But over the last few years, she’s been trying to hold Uber, one of the most powerful tech companies in the world, to account.
Earla is a leader in a growing movement of gig workers who are trying to reclaim the basic labour rights that have been stripped from them.
She expected to face opposition from tech companies and governments that are hostile to workers. But what she didn’t anticipate was that one of the biggest obstacles in her path would be a labour union.
Featured in this episode: Earla Phillips, Anthony Milton (Ricochet)
To learn more:
“Rideshare drivers are fighting to unionize. One of Canada’s biggest unions is standing in their way” by Anthony Milton in Ricochet
“How Uber got almost everything it wanted in Ontario’s Working For Workers Act” by Vanmala Subramaniam in The Globe and Mail
“Union worked with Uber to ensure Ontario government would not classify gig workers as employees, documents show” by Vanmala Subramaniam in The Globe and Mail
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Sponsors: Douglas, Article
Additional music from Audio Network
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mandalena Lewis is one of far too many flight attendants who have been harassed or assaulted on the job. And her story is just one example of a culture of sexism and abuse that she alleges pervades the airline industry.
But it’s not just airlines. So many workers, especially in female-dominated professions like nursing, education or food service, have to endure similar demeaning and violent treatment.
And when they go to their employers, not only are they often ignored. They’re actively silenced.
Featured in this episode: Mandalena Lewis, Julie Macfarlane
To learn more:
“Former WestJet flight attendant hails ‘history making’ decision to allow class action lawsuit” by Jenny Peng in The Toronto Star
“B.C. Court of Appeal certifies former flight attendant's class-action lawsuit against WestJet” by Joel Ballard in CBC News
Notice of Civil Claim in Mandalena Lewis vs WestJet Airlines Ltd. (2016)
“How NDAs silence victims and let perpetrators off the hook” by Julie Macfarlane in Broadview
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, Article
If you value this podcast, please support us. We rely on listeners like you paying for journalism. As a supporter, you’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on Canadaland merch, invites and tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis and you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Come join us now, click the link in your show notes or go to canadaland.com/join
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 2006, Zakaria Amara was arrested and imprisoned for planning what could have been one of the deadliest terror attacks in Canadian history. A ringleader of the so-called “Toronto 18,” he’s one of the most infamous Canadian convicts of the last few decades.
But this won’t be an episode about the Toronto 18 terror plot. This is about what happened to one of the ringleaders after that plot was foiled. About his many years of incarceration. About the possibility of rehabilitation. And what role, if any, imprisonment and prison labour played in that.
Featured in this episode: Zakaria Amara
CORRECTION: We stated in this episode that this was Zakaria Amara’s first interview with a member of the press. But it was in fact his first broadcast interview since his release. We regret the error.
To learn more:
The Boy and His Sandcastle: A Journey of Redemption by Zakaria Amara
“The Toronto 18 case still skews our views on ‘radicalization’ and terrorism” by Adnan Khan in The Globe and Mail
“Bomb plot ringleader: ‘I will change…’” by Michael Friscolanti in Maclean’s
“Books behind bars” by Leslie Sinclair in This Magazine
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Article
If you value this podcast, please support us. We rely on listeners like you paying for journalism. As a supporter, you’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on Canadaland merch, invites and tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis and you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Come join us now, click the link in your show notes or go to canadaland.com/join
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
♩♪ A long, long time ago, I can still remember
How the music used to pay my bills
I knew that if I got my break
That I could be as big as Drake
And then I could stop shopping at No Frills ♩♪
♩♪ But Spotify, it’s nearly killed us
Ticketmaster’s ground us to dust
The companies got too large
Now monopolies are in charge ♩♪
♩♪ And the record labels I fear the most
Have all just merged and so now we’re toast
Don’t you think it’s just so gross?
The way, the music, died ♩♪
Featured in this episode: Simon Outhit, Cory Doctorow
To learn more
Chokepoint Capitalism: How Big Tech and Big Content Captured Creative Labor Markets and How We'll Win Them Back by Rebecca Giblin & Cory Doctorow
“'A public relations nightmare': Ticketmaster recruits pros for secret scalper program” in CBC News by Dave Seglins, Rachel Houlihan & Laura Clementson
“We went undercover as ticket scalpers — and Ticketmaster offered to help us do business” in Toronto Star by Robert Cribb & Marco Chown Oved
“Is Live Music Broken? It’s Not Just Ticketmaster, It’s Everything” in The Ringer by Nate Rogers
A Statement From Live Nation Entertainment
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Associate Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas,
For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Prison labour is largely invisible in Canada. Most prisoners who work do institutional upkeep, the kind of cleaning, cooking and maintenance that’s required to keep a prison running.
But then there are prison industries. Not only do Canadian prisoners work for for-profit businesses, but they’re sometimes doing dangerous and nauseating work around.
Featured in this episode: Calvin Neufeld
To learn more:
Bloody Bad Business: Report on the Joyceville Institution Abattoir
“Prison farm supporter worries new Kingston farms may exploit prison labour” by Jonna Semple in Global News
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, Pod Save The World
For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
All labour exists on a spectrum, ranging from enslavement at one pole, to fully, freely given on the other.
And, in Canada, at the most extreme end of that spectrum are prison labourers. Incarcerated people have few rights and fewer options when it comes to their working lives.
If we want to truly understand our criminal justice system and Canadian labour, we need to examine how prisoners work.
Featured in this episode: Jordan House, Asaf Rashid
To learn more:
Solidarity Beyond Bars: Unionizing Prison Labour by Jordan House & Asaf Rashid
“Prison breaking-point: Canada’s jail system is in crisis, and that affects all of us” by Justin Ling in The Globe and Mail
“The case for a prisoners’ union” in Briarpatch by Jordan House & Asaf Rashid
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas
For a limited time, get 6 months of exclusive supporter benefits for just $2/month. Go to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, fishing is more than just an industry or a job. It truly is a way of life. It’s at the core of what has made this place what it is.
Today, as fishers leave the industry in droves, all of that is at risk of dying.
But is it even worth it to try to keep all of that alive? After all, there’s plenty of ways to make a living. And what kind of future is in store for the people who refuse to let go?
Featured in this episode: Kimberly Orren, Leo Hearn, Jenn Thornhill Verma, Ryan Cleary
To learn more:
“Could smaller, more sustainable cod fishing make a comeback? Newfoundlanders look cautiously for ways to rebuild” by Jenn Thornhill Verma in The Globe and Mail
“Fishing school takes students out of the classroom and out on the water” by Amanda Gear in CBC News
“The Fishing Revolution and the Origins of Capitalism” by Ian Angus in Monthly Review
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Rotman, AG1
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The cod collapse is a harbinger of the many environmental disasters we’re about to face. But what happens to workers in the aftermath of that kind of catastrophe? In Newfoundland and Labrador, monopolistic corporations took advantage.
The history of the Atlantic fishery can be understood as a power struggle between fishermen and merchants.
And the merchants are winning.
Featured in this episode: Glen Winslow, Ryan Cleary, Jenn Thornhill-Verma
To learn more:
“Who Controls Fish Processing in Newfoundland & Labrador?” by Jenn Thornhill-Verma & Jack Daly in The Independent
“Why are fish harvesters protesting in Newfoundland?” in CTV News
“Danish company Royal Greenland buying 4 more N.L. fish plants” in CBC News
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, AGI
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The closure of the cod fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador was the most devastating mass layoff in Canadian history. And its impacts are still being felt to this day.
The collapse of Newfoundland cod is a story of man-made environmental calamity that turned into economic devastation. It’s a story of a government ignoring the knowledge of working people, in favour of the so-called expertise of industry, to disastrous effect.
But this isn’t just history. It’s prophecy. It’s a vision of what may come if we continue to ignore the ecological limits of this planet in the pursuit of profit.
Featured in this episode: Bernard Martin, Jenn Thornhill-Verma, Ryan Cleary, Glen Winslow
To learn more:
Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys by Jenn Thornhill-Verma
Lament for an Ocean: The Collapse of the Atlantic Cod Fishery by Michael Harris
Managed Annihilation: An Unnatural History of the Newfoundland Cod Collapse by Dean Bavington
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Rotman, Douglas
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode was originally published on November 24, 2021.
Twenty-six men were working underground when an explosion tore through the Westray Mine in Nova Scotia. Their friends and colleagues went into the wreckage to try to save them.
The story of Westray is one of managerial malice and the heroism of everyday people. But why is it that governments let this happen over and over again, at the expense of so many lives?
Featured in this episode: Vernon Theriault, Tom Sandborn
To learn more:
Westray: My Journey From Darkness to Light by Vernon Theriault and Marjorie Coady
“Hell’s History” by Tom Sandborn in The Tyee
The Last Shift by CBC’s The Fifth Estate
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Damilola Onime (Producer), Kieran Oudshoorn (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, AG1
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Migrant farm workers are the backbone of Canada’s agricultural economy. But because they can be fired and deported at will, their voices are rarely ever heard in this country.
But Gabriel Allahdua is one of the few who can now speak up. And the story he has to tell is startling.
It’s a story of racism and labour exploitation that goes back decades, even centuries. And it’s a prophecy of what is to come — that the hardships inflicted on migrant farm workers are only a trial run for the rest of us.
This is the second episode in a two-part series on farm labour.
Featured in this episode: Gabriel Allahdua, Chris Ramsaroop
To learn more:
Harvesting Freedom: The Life of a Migrant Worker in Canada by Gabriel Allahdua with Edward Dunsworth
“‘Overtly racist’: Lawsuit challenges Canada’s migrant farmworker system” by Jillian Kestler-D'Amours in Al-Jazeera
“Former Ontario seasonal farmworker speaks out about exploitation, files class action lawsuit” by Jon Woodward in CTV News
“The Canadian state and the racialization of Caribbean migrant farm labour 1947–1966” by Vic Satzewich in Ethnic and Racial Studies
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Rotman, AG1
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The creation of the Canadian Farmworkers Union, as it would come to be called, was the first step in a struggle that continues to this day.
Because even now, farmworkers have far fewer rights than almost any other class of worker. And even today, the men and women who grow our food are subject to horrific working conditions and racial discrimination.
But to understand why the situation remains so bad, we need to go back in time to a moment when there was progress and hope. A moment when it looked like things might truly change for the better.
This is the first episode in a two-part series on farm labour.
Featured in this episode: Raj Chouhan
To learn more:
A Time To Rise by Anand Patwardhan & Jim Munro
Union Zindabad!: South Asian Canadian Labour History in British Columbia by Donna Sacuta, Bailey Garden & Anushay Malik
“Charan Gill: An ‘Epic’ Life of Advocacy” by David P. Ball in The Tyee
“1983: The Year BC Citizens and Workers Fought Back” by Rod Mickleburgh in The Tyee
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, Athletic Greens
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Across Canada, emergency rooms have been shutting down, leaving desperate people in the lurch. And at the heart of this health care crisis, is a labour crisis.
Nurses are leaving their jobs in droves, leaving hospitals understaffed and sometimes unable to carry out their most basic obligations.
In this episode, we'll tell you how nursing went from a profession hailed as heroic to one in an utter state of crisis, all through the eyes of a woman who lived through it all.
Featured in this episode: Nadira Ross
To learn more:
“How Canadian hospitals became dependent on expensive, out-of-town nurses” by Tu Thanh Ha, Kelly Grant and Stephanie Chambers in The Globe and Mail
“How nursing staffing agencies are costing Ontario hospitals untold millions” by Mike Crawley in CBC News
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, AG1
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Labour has undergone a seismic shift over the past decade.
The rise of gig work and temp agencies have made employment more precarious than ever. In the interest of profits, companies are turning more and more towards temporary foreign workers and international students for minimum wage jobs. And even for those with seemingly secure employment, wages and benefits continue to be squeezed.
One thing seems clear: workers are getting screwed.
This season of COMMONS will dig into the fascinating history and ever-changing present of what it means to be a worker in Canada.
Featured in this episode: Jim Stanford
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), André Proulx (Production Coordinator), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Rotman, Douglas, AG1
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Labour has undergone a seismic shift over the past decade.
The rise of gig work and temp agencies have made employment more precarious than ever. In the interest of profits, companies are turning more and more towards temporary foreign workers and international students for minimum wage jobs. And even for those with seemingly secure employment, wages and benefits continue to be squeezed.
One thing seems clear: workers are getting screwed.
This season of COMMONS will dig into the fascinating history and ever-changing present of what it means to be a worker in Canada.
COMMONS: Work launches on March 20th.
Canadaland Supporters can listen to all episodes one week early! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We live in a world of obsessive fandoms. The Stans, Swifties, Potterheads, Beliebers, Trekkies, Bronies, Barbs and their ilk are everywhere to be found.
But at what point does it go from being harmless entertainment and turn into something more sinister?
Featured in this episode: Zoe Alderton, Robert Lawson
To learn more:
“‘Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion within the Harry Potter Fandom” by Zoe Alderton in Religions
“Andrew Tate: how the ‘manosphere’ influencer is selling extreme masculinity to young men” by Robert Lawson in The Conversation
Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It by Kaitlyn Tiffany
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: oxio, Douglas
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Romana Didulo, the self-proclaimed Queen of Canada, is unlike almost any other cult leader Canada has ever seen. In an incredibly short amount of time, she’s been able to gain a mass following, despite her absurd claims and alarming rhetoric.
At various points, she’s claimed to be a political leader, a monarch, an interdimensional being communing with aliens, and so much more. She’s urged her followers to take up arms and execute migrants on sight.
And now, she’s taken up residence in a small Saskatchewan town that doesn’t know what to do.
Featured in this episode: Mack Lamoureux (VICE News), Peter Smith (Canadian Anti-Hate Network), Hugh Everding
To learn more:
“A QAnon Cult Set Up a Compound in a Small Town. The Locals Are Fighting Back” by Mack Lamoureux in VICE News
“Self Declared Queen Of Canada Calling For US Supporters To Invade Canada And Prepare To Execute “Traitors”” by Peter Smith in Canadian Anti-Hate Network
The Storm is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything by Mike Rothschild
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: oxio, Athletic Greens
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Multi-level marketing isn’t based on rational business logic. It’s not even built on irrational business logic. It’s ideology. It’s faith.
MLMs have become such a ubiquitous part of North American life that their tenets are rarely ever questioned. The sector holds enormous political sway. Millions of people join, leave and rejoin every year, almost all of them ending up poorer for the experience.
And to call it a cult is not just a cute turn of phrase. The cultishness of MLMs is essential to their success.
Featured in this episode: Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Julie Anderson
To learn more:
Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing by Robert L. Fitzpatrick
“How lobbying dollars prop up pyramid schemes” by Matt Stroud in The Verge
YouTube: @JulieAndersonvideos
Amway: The Cult of Free Enterprise by Stephen Butterfield
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Aviva Lessard (Additional Production) Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, Oxio, Athletic Greens
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nearly 1.4 million Canadians and almost 50 million Americans are involved in multi-level marketing. And that sheer volume of people makes it a near certainty that you’ve encountered MLMs in your life somehow.
The promise of financial freedom can be an intoxicating lure. But MLMs, like so many other cultish enterprises, are about more than just money. They’re about transcendence.
And in their wake, they often leave behind ruined livelihoods and broken lives.
Featured in this episode: Julie Anderson, Amanda Montell, Robert L. Fitzpatrick, Marco Moukhaiber
To learn more:
Ponzinomics: The Untold Story of Multi-Level Marketing by Robert L. Fitzpatrick
“'They have you in a cultish grip': the women losing thousands to online beauty schemes” by Amelia Tate in The Guardian
YouTube: @JulieAndersonvideos
YouTube: @AlwaysMarco
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Aviva Lessard (Additional Production) Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Oxio, Athletic Greens
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
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Mary-Jayne Blackmore is one of the oldest children of Winston Blackmore, the most famous polygamist in Canada.
For decades, her family has been the subject of intense media and legal scrutiny because of her father’s 27 wives and 150 children. Their lives have been dissected in documentaries and in court testimony.
The name Blackmore has become synonymous with either faith-based persecution by the state or with cult-like religious fundamentalism that victimizes girls and women.
But for Mary-Jayne, these kinds of black-and-white portrayals miss so much about what it’s been like being a Blackmore.
To learn more:
Balancing Bountiful: What I Learned About Feminism From My Polygamist Grandmothers by Mary Jayne Blackmore
The Bishop of Bountiful B.C. by the CBC’s Fifth Estate
Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Canva, Athletic Greens
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In 1973, a French motorsports journalist claimed to have been visited by a UFO that revealed to him the secret origins of humanity. For the next half-century, the man known as Raël would go on to create a new faith with tens of thousands of adherents all around the world.
The media have portrayed the Raelians as not just a cult, but a strange phantasmagoria of extraterrestrials, orgies and clones. But its followers insist it is the only true path forward for humanity.
Featured in this episode: Nicole Bertrand, Susan J. Palmer, Harold Henning
To learn more:
Aliens Adored: Raël’s UFO Religion by Susan J. Palmer
The Prophet and the Space Aliens by Yoav Shamir
The UFO sect campaigning against female genital mutilation by Monica Mark in The Guardian
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, Athletic Greens
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
An explosion of new spiritual movements in the 1970s led to the creation of an entirely novel academic field. But right from the beginning, the discipline was riven asunder.
The Cult Wars have been raging for decades. They’re fought not only in academic journals and conference seminars, but in the press, the courts and in legislative assemblies. And their battles continue to have enormous consequences.
Featured in this episode: Michael Kropveld, Stephen A. Kent, Susan J. Palmer
To learn more:
“Caught Up in the Cult Wars: Confessions of a New Religious Movement Researcher” by Susan J. Palmer in University of Toronto Press
“Life after Doomsday: Tracking cult activity from a Montreal storage locker” by Simon Lewson in The Walrus
Misunderstanding Cults: Searching for Objectivity in a Controversial Field edited by Benjamin Zablocki & Thomas Robbins
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Oxio
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the 1960s and 70s, there was a fear that cult leaders were brainwashing young people into joining their new, strange movements. But is it even possible to “brainwash” anyone?
At a psychiatric hospital in Montreal, one mad scientist, with the help of the CIA, tried to find out.
Featured in this episode: Alison Steel, Lisa Ellenwood
To learn more:
Brainwashed by Michelle Shephard, Lisa Ellenwood & Chris Oke on CBC Podcasts
The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind Control by John Marks
Father, Son and CIA by Harvey Weinstein
MK Ultra: CIA mind control program in Canada by CBC’s The Fifth Estate
“Federal government quietly compensates daughter of brainwashing experiments victim” by Elizabeth Thompson in CBC News
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Douglas, Oxio
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The story of Brother XII still fascinates and even frightens some people in and around Nanaimo.
He’s often called the Devil of De Courcy Island for good reason.
Brother XII prophesied about the coming apocalypse. But instead, his story would presage something different. He was a forerunner of the strange, new religions that would sweep over the western world.
Featured in this episode: Bill Miner, Justine Brown
To learn more:
Brother XII: The Strange Odyssey of a 20th Century Prophet by John Oliphant
All Possible Worlds: Utopian Experiments in British Columbia by Justine Brown
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Canva, Douglas
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
risis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As organized religion declines in countries like Canada, we’ve experienced an explosion of what some call religious movements and what others call cults.
The idea of cults has become an omnipresent part of our discourse. But what even is a cult? And why have we become so intrigued by these groups?
And the language of cults has moved beyond just religion into so many different spheres — everything from fitness, to politics, to work.
Featured in this episode: Harold Henning, Amanda Montell
To learn more:
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
Sounds Like A Cult
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor in Cheif)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Rotman, Douglas
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The word cult gets tossed around a lot. The label gets applied to everything from doomsday religions, to wellness fads, to online conspiracies.
Uncovering the stories of both devotees and dissenters, this season of COMMONS will go beyond the true crime cliches and will make you question everything you thought you knew about cults.
Our new season launches on October 18th.
Canadaland Supporters can listen to the first episode a week early! Become a supporter at canadaland.com/join.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with Jashvina Shah to talk about her book, Game Misconduct: Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It.
Featured in this episode: Jashvina Shah
To learn more:
Game Misconduct Hockey's Toxic Culture and How to Fix It by Evan F. Moore and Jashvina Shah
“No, this is not a watershed moment for hockey” by Jashvina Shah in The Globe and Mail
Sex offences against minors: Investigation reveals more than 200 Canadian coaches convicted in last 20 years by Lori Ward and Jamie Strashin in the CBC
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Athletic Greens
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this bonus episode, COMMONS producer Jordan Cornish sits down with host Arshy Mann to discuss our recent season on hockey.
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Derek Boogaard made his living pummeling people on the ice. But outside the arena, he was soft-spoken and kind.
Fighting was just his job. But it would end up taking everything from him.
Hockey fights, and the numerous blows to the head that players have to endure, have become a moral crisis at the very heart of the sport. And the NHL is doing everything they can to deny the science and allow this gladiatorial combat to continue.
And it’s enforcers like Derek Boogaard who end up paying the price.
Featured in this episode: John Branch (The New York Times), Jeremy Allingham
To learn more:
Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard by John Branch
Major Misconduct: The Human Cost of Fighting in Hockey by Jeremy Allingham
“Years after his son's death, Len Boogaard on quest to end fighting in hockey” by Roy MacGregor in The Globe and Mail
“Brain Trust: Big questions surround the most influential concussion research on the planet” by Jeremy Allingham in CBC News
“NHL commissioner disputes link between hockey and CTE brain disease” by H.J. Mai in NPR Morning Edition
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Oxio, Douglas
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Hockey Canada scandal has become one of the biggest stories in the country. And now, hockey appears to be in the middle of a reckoning. But this isn’t the first time. There was another moment, just like this one.
Back then, people tried to warn the hockey world — they were ignored. And even today, the sport won’t name the very specific issue they face.
Hockey has a gang rape problem.
Featured in this episode: Alexis Peters, Laura Robinson
To learn more:
Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport by Laura Robinson
“Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal” in The Globe and Mail
“Hockey Canada, CHL settle lawsuit over alleged sexual assault involving World Junior players” by Rick Westhead in TSN
“Toxic masculinity is part of elite hockey. We need a culture shift” by Alexis Peters in CBC Calgary
“‘We haven’t learned a damn thing’: Sexual violence is embedded in junior hockey culture” by Ian Mendes, Dan Robson, and Katie Strang in The Athletic
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Airbnb, Oxio, Better Help,
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mike Danton was playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs for the St. Louis Blues. And at the same time, he was trying to hire a hitman to kill his agent, David Frost.
Danton’s arrest and conviction would become one of the biggest hockey scandals of all time. But this is not just some salacious true crime story.
It’s an extreme example of everything that’s wrong with hockey culture; hazing and abuse, sexual misconduct and the adult men who control the lives of teenage boys for their own monetary gain.
Featured in this episode: Steve Simmons (The Toronto Sun)
To learn more:
The Lost Dream: The Story of Mike Danton, David Frost, and a Broken Canadian Family by Steve Simmons
“A teenage girl's vulnerability laid bare at David Frost trial” by Christie Blatchford in The Globe and Mail
“The sometimes sad and remarkable journey of Sheldon Keefe” by Steve Simmons in The Toronto Sun
“How police cracked 'the cult'” by Greg McArthur in The Globe and Mail
“I’m glad I went to prison” by L. Jon Wertheim in Sports Illustrated
“Frost case a study in tragedy and farce” by Gare Joyce in ESPN
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Airbnb, Canva for Teams, Better Help,
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Justin Davis was never a superstar. He was a journeyman player, one of tens of thousands, chasing the dream. And at almost every step, when hockey gave him something, it would also take something away.
Hockey exacts a heavy toll on many boys and young men — on their minds and their bodies. And then they’re told not to talk about any of it outside the locker room.
It’s enough to make you ask the question. Is this a sport? Or a cult?
Featured in this episode: Justin Davis
To learn more:
Conflicted Scars: An Average Player’s Journey to the NHL by Justin Davis
“Hockey Is Not for Everyone” by Akim Aliu in The Players’ Tribune
“Flying” by Stan Rogers
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
“I Am a Man Who Will Fight for Your Honor” by Chris Zabriskie, adapted.
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Better Help, Ecojustice
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The NHL likes to call Willie O’Ree the Jackie Robinson of hockey. And no one can deny how significant it was when he became the first Black player on the ice in an NHL game in 1958.
But what the league doesn’t like to talk about is what happened next.
Because after O’Ree, the NHL didn’t admit another black player for sixteen years. So did the NHL resegregate? And why don’t we talk about the experiences of the players who broke hockey’s second colour line?
Featured in this episode: Bob Dawson, Bill Riley
To learn more:
“Mike Marson on challenges he faced as NHL’s second black player” by Wayne Scanlan in SportsNet
“Life of Riley; Career of N.S. hockey trailblazer Bill Riley remembered during Black History Month” by Paul Hollingsworth and Allan April in CTV News
Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player by Willie O’Ree with Michael McKinley
“How Conn Smythe's racism kept Herb Carnegie from achieving his NHL dream” by Ian Kennedy in Yahoo Sports
“The dark history of the NFL’s original sins” by Chelsea Stark-Jones and Lex Pryor in The Ringer
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Oxio, Better Help, Ecojustice
If you value this podcast, Support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Of the estimated 7000 people who have played in the NHL only around 100 of them have been Black. That’s an absurdly low number compared to any other major North American sports league.
But what makes that statistic especially shocking is the fact that the modern game has its roots with Black players on Black teams.
The Coloured Hockey League wasn’t just a sideshow to the main event of white hockey. And the way that league was targeted by the white establishment is reflective of the racism that Black players faced over the next century.
Featured in this episode: Bob Dawson, Darril Fosty, George Fosty
To learn more:
Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925 Darril Fosty & George Fosty (Author)
“1960s college hockey player recalls racism on the ice” by Bruce Deachman in The Ottawa Citizen
“The all-Black league that invented hockey as we know it” by Jasper Hutson in Defector
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Sponsors: Canva, Douglas, Better Help, Slow Burn
Canadaland is turning 10! From May 24 - June 2, sign up for our highest level of ongoing support for only $10 a month. PLUS you'll receive a FREE limited edition 10th Anniversary tote bag. Head to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
You can listen ad-free on Amazon Music—included with Prime.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hockey is a hell of a lot of fun. But right now, the sport is going through a reckoning. Allegations of racism, corruption, sexual misconduct and so much more are rocking the game to its core.
But the truth is that in Canada, hockey is more than just a sport. It’s a civic religion, with a billion dollar business attached to it.
Over the next seven episodes, COMMONS will be digging into the cult of hockey, scrutinizing its doctrines and exposing its secrets.
Canadaland is turning 10! From May 24 - June 2, sign up for our highest level of ongoing support for only $10 a month. PLUS the first 100 signups will receive a FREE limited edition 10th Anniversary tote bag. Head to canadaland.com/join to become a supporter today.
Editor's Note: a different version of this episode was published on the subscriber-only feed of Commons. No inaccuracies were found in the original version, changes were made by the Editor in Chief for storytelling purposes.
Featured in this episode: Ian Kennedy (The Hockey News)
To learn more:
“How a Toronto hockey league turns kids’ joy into an $8.8m cash cow” by Ian Kennedy and Nathan Kalman-Lamb in The Guardian
“Aliu says GTHL rejected organization that would have assured spots for BIPOC players” by Rick Westhead in TSN
“Prospective buyer says he was coached to skirt GTHL’s rules on organization sales” by Rick Westhead in TSN
“Rinks of dreams: The Little One had style” by Bruce Lowitt in The Tampa Bay Times
Credits: Arshy Mann (Host and Producer), Jordan Cornish (Producer), Noor Azrieh (Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor)
Additional music from Audio Network
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
