Episodes

  • Waterton Lakes: Archaeology in a Burned Landscape

    Waterton Lakes: Archaeology in a Burned Landscape
    Jan 29 2026
    In August 2017, a lightning strike near Waterton Lakes National Park sparked a devastating wildfire that burned nearly 40% of the park. But in the wake of destruction came a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We’ll hear from archaeologists and Blackfoot elders about the collaborative archaeology project that’s deepening our understanding of the lives of Indigenous peoples who have lived and travelled in the Rocky Mountains and foothills for millennia. Learn more: Waterton Lakes National Park Plan Your Visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Waterton Lakes Prince of Wales Hotel National Historic Site designation First Oil Well in Western Canada National Historic Site designation Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park - UNESCO World Heritage Site Other Media: Post Wildfire Renewal Video and Photo Gallery Dr. Mike Bruised Head’s PhD thesis on the impact of erasing Blackfoot place names in Paahtomahksikimi Questions about the ReCollections podcast or any of the episodes? Please contact us at ⁠⁠nouveauxmedias-newmedia@pc.gc.ca Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.
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    38 mins
  • Fort Lennox: The Accidental Immigrants

    Fort Lennox: The Accidental Immigrants
    Jan 22 2026
    In 1930s Europe, thousands of Jewish men and teenagers escaped the Nazi regime as refugees, only to be labelled as “enemy aliens” and sent to internment camps across eastern Canada. One of those camps was at Fort Lennox, an old military stronghold on Quebec’s Ile aux Noix. We’ll hear from one internee, the late Rabbi Erwin Schild, whose story helps illustrate the experience of hundreds of German and Austrian Jews who were imprisoned at Fort Lennox National Historic Site. Oral history recordings of Rabbi Erwin Schild used in this episode: ©1996 USC Shoah Foundation ©1988 Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre Learn more: Fort Lennox National Historic Site Plan Your Visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Fort Lennox Heritage Designation: Fort Lennox National Historic Site designation Heritage value description of each Fort Lennox building USC Shoah Foundation Toronto Holocaust Museum Montreal Holocaust Museum Other Media: Major conservation work at Fort Lennox National Historic Site (Parks Canada YouTube) None is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933-1948 by Irving Abella and Harold Troper Special thanks to: Faye Blum of the Ontario Jewish Archives Teigan Goldsmith of the Ottawa Jewish Archives The Montreal Holocaust Museum The Toronto Holocaust Museum USC Shoah Foundation Questions about the ReCollections podcast or any of the episodes? Please contact us at ⁠nouveauxmedias-newmedia@pc.gc.ca Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.
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    37 mins
  • Red Bay: Discovering the Basque Whalers of Terra Nova

    Red Bay: Discovering the Basque Whalers of Terra Nova
    Jan 15 2026
    The southern coast of Labrador in the 1500s was the scene of Canada’s first oil boom. Each summer, Basque crews from Spain and France traversed the Atlantic to hunt whales and render their blubber into a precious commodity: oil that lit the lamps of Europe. It was dangerous, messy… and profitable. The story was all but lost until the 1970s, when researchers and archaeologists flocked to the tiny community of Red Bay, digging in the gardens and diving in the harbour, to uncover the secrets of Red Bay National Historic Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Special thanks to Joxe Felipe Auzmendi and Iñaki Beraetxe, to Daniel Payne for use of his song Selma Barkham’s Waltz, and to Javier Vicente for recording assistance. Our condolences to the family of Robert Grenier, who led Parks Canada’s underwater archaeology work at Red Bay. Robert passed away in January 2026. Learn more: Red Bay National Historic Site Plan your visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: Red Bay Heritage Designation: Red Bay National Historic Site UNESCO World Heritage Site designation Other Media: The Great Whale Robbery of Labrador by Canadiana The underwater archaeology of Red Bay: Basque shipbuilding and whaling in the 16th century, edited by Robert Grenier, Marc-André Bernier, and Willis Stevens. Email us at nouveauxmedias-newmedia@pc.gc.ca for any questions or suggestions. Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination.
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    48 mins
  • ReCollections is back for Season Two

    ReCollections is back for Season Two
    Jan 14 2026
    ReCollections, the award-winning history and archaeology podcast from Parks Canada, is back for Season Two. Four new stories from national parks and national historic sites across Canada: ● Red Bay: Discovering the Basque Whalers of Terra Nova ● Fort Lennox: The Accidental Immigrants ● Bar U Ranch: Grass Into Money ● Waterton Lakes: Archaeology in a Burned Landscape Join us for a journey of national historic significance.
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    3 mins
  • Introducing ReCollections: A Parks Canada Podcast

    Introducing ReCollections: A Parks Canada Podcast
    Apr 17 2023
    Join us for a journey of national historic significance.
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    2 mins
  • L’Anse aux Meadows: The Saga of Vinland

    L’Anse aux Meadows: The Saga of Vinland
    Apr 17 2023
    Travel back to the Viking Age to uncover the remnants of a thousand-year-old Norse encampment. We’ll hear about their incredible journey from Greenland to northern Newfoundland from a diverse group of experts including historians, archaeologists, and interpreters at L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site. Learn more: L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: https://g.co/arts/zsrgMj8ex1cQe5yK7 Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/nl/meadows/visit UNESCO page: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/4/ National Film Board documentaries: The Man Who Discovered America: https://www.nfb.ca/film/man_discovered_america The Vinland Mystery: https://www.nfb.ca/film/vinland_mystery/ Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections
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    29 mins
  • Dawson City: A Ruby in the Rough

    Dawson City: A Ruby in the Rough
    Apr 17 2023
    Welcome to Ruby's Place in Dawson City, Yukon, “the Paris of the North.” Through the remarkable lives of Madam Ruby Scott and her employees, we’ll hear about Dawson’s Gold Rush heyday and the boom/bust cycle of both the mining and sex work industries. At the heart of the story is Ruby's Place, an elegant false-front building conserved as part of the Klondike National Historic Sites… despite the threats from climate change. Learn More: Klondike National Historic Sites: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/klondike Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/yt/klondike/visit Google Arts and Culture Exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/PwWxfnGFmjSquw UNESCO World Heritage Site (Tentative List): https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/6255/ Tr'ochëk National Historic Site: https://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_nhs_eng.aspx?id=1970&i=65024 The Other Little House: The Brothel as a Colonial Institution on the Canadian Prairies, 1880–93 by L. K. Bertram: https://academic.oup.com/jsh/article/56/1/58/6554394?login=false Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections
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    35 mins
  • Gwaii Haanas: The Living Landscapes of SG̱ang Gwaay

    Gwaii Haanas: The Living Landscapes of SG̱ang Gwaay
    Apr 17 2023
    In this episode, we’ll travel to the Pacific Northwest islands of Haida Gwaii, home to the Haida Nation for more than 13,000 years. Our focus: a collaborative archaeology project at an evacuated village on the remote island of SGang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that was devastated by hurricane-force winds in a 2018 storm. Many voices tell the rich history of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Special thanks to Consulting Producer Camille Collinson. Learn More: Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas Living Landscapes of SG̱ang Gwaay project: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas/nature/conservation/restauration-restoration/vivants-living Follow the Gwaii Haanas - Islands of Beauty Facebook page for the latest on the Living Landscapes project: https://www.facebook.com/GwaiiHaanas/ Plan your visit: https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/bc/gwaiihaanas/visit UNESCO World Heritage Site: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/157/ Take the Haida Gwaii Pledge: https://haidagwaiipledge.ca/ The Hope For Wellness Helpline is available at 1-855-242-3310 or https://www.hopeforwellness.ca/ Do you have a suggestion for a new National Historic Person, Site or Event? We’d love to hear it! Visit https://parks.canada.ca/commemorate for details on how to submit a nomination. A transcript and bibliography for this episode is available on our website: https://parks.canada.ca/recollections
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    45 mins