Canadian Ladies: Sexy Since '67!!

We're ending the season with a patriotic bang, on the eve of Canada's 150th birthday, by bringing you an extravaganza of incredible Canuck ladies. From an intrepid viking to a civil rights heroine, from the first Native saint to the first female Supreme Court Chief Justice, we're celebrating the spunky and brilliant women who have defined our country over the last few hundred years. (Because the Dominion of Canada has been officially sexy since 1867, but everyone knows this has been sexy territory since the dawn of time.) And just wait until you hear about Cougar Annie! Happy Canada Day from Heather and Dayna! #CANADA150

*PLEASE NOTE: We're unfortunately currently having technical difficulties with iTunes, and the podcast is currently unavailable through them, which we know affects other podcast apps. Apple is working on this, and we hope to get back up and running on iTunes as soon as possible, but in the meantime, we're publishing this episode on SoundCloud (listen here!), and of course you can also listen right here, on our lovely website. Thanks for your patience everyone!

Filles du Roi: Brave Mothers of Canada!

The Filles du Roi ("Daughters of the King") were 800 intrepid young women, between the ages of 16 and 30, who left everything they knew behind in France to start a new life populating the colony of New France (Quebec), arriving in Canada between 1663 and 1673. They speed-dated their way to new husbands, and quickly got down to business, popping out enough babies to increase the colony's population by more than 150% in just a few years. Millions of North Americans now owe DNA to them, and we think they deserve more than a little applause for their bravery and strength of character. Bien joué, ladies! 

Susanna Moodie: Iconic Canadian Chronicler!

Susanna Moodie is well known to English lit majors from Cape Breton to Vancouver Island, but her full life story is even more interesting than the years depicted in her famous book Roughing It in the Bush suggest. Abolitionist, successful writer, independent lady, Ontario brush clearer, and now Canadian icon: Susanna Moodie probably didn't mean to help define the Canadian identity, but she's right up there with Sir John and Gordon Lightfoot!

LM Montgomery: Patron Saint of Spunky Redheads

Prince Edward Island is well-known for its red dirt, its potatoes, and for being the birth-place of a certain polite commonwealth nation. But Anne of Green Gables is what draws in thousands of tourists from around the world every year. This week we look at Anne's witty, intrepid, and complicated creator, Lucy Maud Montgomery, one of Canada's best-known and most beloved literary heroes.