Dramatic and gripping, this popular series illustrates pivotal moments in Canada’s history, bringing a compelling intimacy to grand, historic developments. From the stories passed down through oral tradition to the first encounters between Indigenous peoples and Europeans, through the battles that engulfed the continent and the formation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867, to the modern era of feminism, multiculturalism and globalization, this captivating series brings to life the moments that have shaped our nation, telling Canada’s story through the eyes of the people who lived it.

Canada: A People’s History won the Gemini Award for Best Documentary Series and attracted over 14 million viewers. It is a collaborative production between the CBC and Radio-Canada and is available in both English and French.

Students can explore Canadian history further by delving into the series’ award-winning website (www.cbc.ca/history), which features behind-the-scenes footage, games, puzzles, lesson plans and links to other historical resources.

Each 105 minute episode is made up of several 10-to-15-minute segments, which can be shown independently. For a more detailed breakdown of the topics covered in each episode, please see www.cbc.ca/history.

 

SERIES 1: 15,000 B.C. to 1800 A.D. For centuries, the territory now known as Canada is home to over 50 Indigenous nations, each with unique traditions and culture. In the 16th century, European explorers arrive, creating Canada’s first colonies, and forever changing the landscape and the lives of the First Peoples.

SERIES 2: 1670 to 1873 By the 1800s, British exploration opens the West to settlement, laying the foundation of a new nation, but also displacing and devastating Indigenous inhabitants. Confederation soon follows, with the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867.

SERIES 3: 1873 to 1940 Canada’s early years are fraught with economic depression, rebellions and tension between English- and French-speaking Canadians. Immigration, rapid growth and sociopolitical change follow, ending abruptly with World War II, a pivotal moment in Canada’s quest for autonomy that comes at the enormous cost of 60,000 lives.

SERIES 4: 1940 to 1990 The end of the Great Depression and the flames and ravages of World War II give way to a new era of peace, progress and prosperity, as well as free trade, globalization, feminism, Indigenous land claims, multiculturalism, Québec nationalism and the explosion of computer technology.

Thousands of Indigenous people enlisted and fought for Canada in World War II, even though they could not be conscripted. While they fought for the freedom of others, they were being denied their rights back home. 

As a reward for service, veterans were allowed to buy land at a cheap price. However, many Indigenous soldiers were never told about the land entitlement, and some returned home to find the government had seized parts of their reserve lands to compensate non-Indigenous veterans.

Narrator Tootoosis gives a historical overview, while Indigenous veterans share their poignant and unforgettable war memories, and the ways in which they have healed.

Awaskinawason is made up of the Atikamekw words awacic (child), aski (earth) and takonawason (having the responsibility for). A plea to respect the great circle of life.

Growing up, Anne Koizumi was embarrassed of having her father work at her school. Years later, she sees their relationship in a new light.

An inspiring and honest look at the challenges facing a transgender teenager and how the love of her family and community allowed her to embrace her true self.

Performance artist Camille Turner uses her works to explore and expose Canada’s racist history and shines a light on the continuing forms of oppression.

In a twist on futuristic sci-fi, a young woman becomes infatuated with a woman who removes a ubiquitous computer implant that has replaced most forms of communication.

Filmmaker Ben-Saud takes us into her family home, where she was confined with her parents and adult brother and sister during the early months of the lockdown, to experience the sometimes funny and sometimes challenging realities of pandemic coexistence.

A docu-fiction portrait of residents of the Mile End neighbourhood in Montreal, QC, and the way they dealt with changes in their lives necessitated by pandemic lockdown measures. The film pairs reflections on the subjects’ changing relationships with their community, with stories from the historic 8pm - 5am curfew.

A young filmmaker contacts six clairvoyants, ultimately discovering a deep need to confront his family history. Blending fiction and documentary, Mutabazi and Boos find surprisingly touching results after speaking with several real psychics.

Jesse is a socially awkward loner who has a hard time getting home after losing his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic in this funny and heartwarming short.

Through a conversation with her family back home, a Syrian immigrant in Canada expresses her loneliness, and faces her mounting fears about the future.

In this modern adaptation of the story of Hercules, a young boxer struggles to negotiate between his shy, bookish nature and his divinely violent temper.

In this dream-like animation, a young Anishanaabe artist comes to a suburban neighbourhood to reclaim her ancestral tradition of sap harvesting.

The story of Mo, a young adult on the autism spectrum whose daily routine is disrupted when a mysterious hole begins to follow them around.

A hilarious take on a “not too distant future” in which we no longer need old fashioned forms of communication like (ugh!) talking.

Jordan Gordon is thrilled to show you around his hometown, taking you through the highlights with a wonderful mix of humour and charm.

A routine home repair becomes a living nightmare as a mysterious gas descends on an apartment building, leaving one of its residents with a terrifying life-or-death decision.

Having recently started a new life in Toronto, a Tamil family comes face to face with their lingering trauma when they first encounter the thundering noise of the air show

Truth and loyalty are tested when three brothers discover a dead body on their way to go swimming in the forest. Content Note: Violence