One Great History

Rooster Town aka Pakan Town aka Grant Park Mall and High School. Find out the history of this area in this month's episode!

Is it Bay Days? Coincidentally! But, also, this episode is all about the past, present and future of the historic Portage Avenue Hudson's Bay department store.

In 1870, Louis Riel and those who fought alongside him insisted that the rights of their descendants be protected. Specifically, the Manitoba Act promised 1.4 million acres of land to the Métis. Decades later, less than 10% of that land had made its way into the hands of Métis families. What happened to the rest of it?

In this episode we'll be talking about Métis scrip: perplexing government policies, deliberate fraud, and the men who got rich from the whole fiasco.

We're back! Did you miss us? We've compiled a collection of advice letters from the early 1940s about the pressing issues of the day: how do girls learn more about 'necking', are cigarettes a gateway drug to divorce, and should a woman leave traps for her husband to see if he's cheating?

A live podcast recorded on November 8, 2023 - aka Winnipeg's 150th birthday!

Is this the most star studded episode of One Great History ever? We've got Al Simmons, Carter Chen, Fred Penner, Gramma Shingoose, John K. Samson, Katharena Vermette, Michael Redhead Champagne, Ron Robinson, and Rosemary Barton!

Originally from Wikwemikong First Nation, Daphne Odjig came to Winnipeg in 1970 and opened Canada's first-ever indigenous-owned gallery. In this episode we discuss Daphne's art, the path that brought her to Winnipeg, and the impact of her life.

Thank you to Franchesca Hebert-Spence for her input on this episode! Currently residing in Inuvik, the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Franchesca is Anishinaabe (member of Sagkeeng First Nation) from Winnipeg, Manitoba, her grandmother Marion Ida Spence was from Sagkeeng First Nation, on Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba. Hebert-Spence has worked as a cultural producer with a background in making, curating, research, and administration. She has described her curatorial practice as “snacks and chats,” the foundation of which stems from Ishkabatens Waasa Gaa Inaabateg, Brandon University Visual and Aboriginal Arts program. She is the Curator of Indigenous Ceramics at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, and previously the Curatorial Assistant within the Indigenous Art Department at the National Gallery of Canada. She is a PhD candidate in Cultural Mediations (Visual Culture) at Carleton University, examining the presence of guest/host protocols within Indigenous methodological practices with a focus on visual art in Canada.

In 1976, a man got a parking ticket in Saint Boniface. The events that followed would challenge the foundations of Manitoba's laws, and the tolerance of Manitobans for their neighbours. In this episode we discuss Georges Forest and his quest for francophone rights.

Thank you to Raymond Hébert and Roger Bilodeau for their input on this episode, and to Annie Langlois for her great archival finds!

 

Stephen Juba was a mayor who loved a gimmick. And it paid off for him - despite a contentious reputation and attempts to oust him from the mayoral seat, he remained popular enough to serve nine consecutive terms over 20 years.

The 1950s were a busy time for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. They performed for the Royal Visit in 1951, launched several tours across Canada and the United States, were filmed by the National Film Board - and then, of course, there was the fire. Behind it all was the ballet's founders and managers, Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Hay-Farraly.