Why Canadian history isn't as boring as you think it is: Chris Turner at TEDxYYC

Summary

The speaker passionately argues for the importance of Canadian history, emphasizing that it is not as dull as commonly perceived. They draw parallels with American storytelling, highlighting the United States' ability to create compelling narratives around its history. The speaker critiques the stereotypical image of Canada as boring, exemplified by the character of Sergeant Preston and his dog, and attributes this to the influence of American media. They advocate for reclaiming and retelling Canadian stories with richness and depth, using the Klondike Gold Rush and figures like Sam Steele as examples of the exciting tales that can be shared. The speaker concludes by urging the audience to explore and share Canada's vibrant history to better understand the nation's identity and potential.

Takeaways

• 😀 Canadian history is often perceived as boring, but it's filled with exciting and important stories that define the nation's identity.
• 🌟 The power of storytelling is crucial for understanding our past, present, and future, and it's a skill that Canadians should embrace more.
• 🇺🇸 The United States has been influential in shaping the narrative around Canadian history, often portraying Canadians as less exciting than their own mythologized frontier stories.
• 📸 Eric Heg, a Swedish immigrant and photographer, played a significant role in creating the popular image of the Canadian Mountie and the Klondike Gold Rush through his iconic photographs.
• 📺 The rise of mass media and photography allowed for the widespread dissemination of images and stories, which helped to shape the mythology of the Klondike Gold Rush.
• 🎭 The long-form narrative drama, akin to the novel for our time, offers a new medium for telling historical stories in depth, which could be harnessed to bring Canadian history to life.
• 🚨 The Klondike series, produced by the United States, risks perpetuating the stereotype of Canadians as dull and law-abiding, rather than showcasing the rich and varied history.
• 🏰 The story of Sam Steele, a historical figure involved in significant events like the Red River Rebellion and the Klondike Gold Rush, is an example of the rich and under-told narratives in Canadian history.
• 📚 Pierre Berton's work, particularly 'Klondike,' is highlighted as a rich source of colorful characters and stories that could be better utilized in modern storytelling.
• 🗣️ The speaker calls for Canadians to reclaim their historical narratives, to explore and share the exciting and diverse stories that truly represent the nation's heritage.

Q & A

Why does the speaker believe Canadian history is important?

The speaker believes Canadian history is important because it is a living, exciting, and significant part of the past that shapes the present and future. It helps define who Canadians are, their capabilities, and where they can go next.

What does the speaker suggest Canadians can learn from Americans in terms of storytelling?

The speaker suggests that Canadians can learn from Americans' storytelling skills, particularly their ability to create myths and narratives that inspire and resonate with people, making history feel alive and important.

Why does the speaker think Canadian history is often perceived as boring?

The speaker thinks Canadian history is often perceived as boring due to a lack of compelling storytelling and a dominant image of Canada as steady, law-abiding, and unexciting, which was perpetuated by popular culture and media.

Who is Pierre Berton and why is he significant in the context of Canadian storytelling?

Pierre Berton was a renowned Canadian historian and writer known for his vivid storytelling about Canadian history. He is significant because his work brought color and life to historical events, making them engaging and accessible to the public.

What role did Sam Steele play during the Klondike Gold Rush according to the speaker?

Sam Steele was the head of the Northwest Mounted Police Detachment in the Klondike during the gold rush. He played a crucial role in maintaining order and preventing potential humanitarian disasters by enforcing regulations and providing guidance to the gold seekers.

Why does the speaker argue that the Klondike Gold Rush is a significant part of Canadian history?

The speaker argues that the Klondike Gold Rush is significant because it was a major event that attracted a large number of people and had global impact. It also showcased the role of the Northwest Mounted Police in managing the situation and preventing chaos.

What is the speaker's view on the portrayal of Canada and Canadians in popular culture?

The speaker views the portrayal of Canada and Canadians in popular culture as often stereotypical and dull, which does not reflect the rich and exciting stories that exist in Canadian history.

What does the speaker suggest as a solution to the underrepresentation of Canadian stories in media?

The speaker suggests that Canadians should take back the storytelling of their history and produce more content that accurately and engagingly represents their past, using modern mediums like long-form television dramas.

Why does the speaker criticize the new Klondike series being produced by Discovery Channel?

The speaker criticizes the new Klondike series for potentially missing the mark on Canadian history by focusing on American characters and perpetuating stereotypes, rather than exploring the rich and complex stories of the actual historical event.

What is the significance of Eric Heg's photographs according to the speaker?

Eric Heg's photographs are significant because they documented the Klondike Gold Rush in a way that had never been done before, capturing the reality and drama of the event, and contributing to the popular imagery and mythology surrounding it.

How does the speaker propose Canadians should engage with their history?

The speaker proposes that Canadians should engage with their history by finding and telling the stories that resonate with them, using various chapters of Canadian history as a source of inspiration and national identity.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Embracing Canadian History and its Stories

The speaker introduces Canadian history, admitting that it's often seen as boring but insists it should be viewed as exciting and essential to understanding the nation’s identity. By comparing Canada to the U.S., the speaker emphasizes how Americans have mastered storytelling about their own history, making it matter globally. He argues Canadians should adopt similar narrative techniques to reenergize their connection to history and nation-building. This would help inspire a sense of importance and pride in their collective past.

05:02

🐕 The Boring Image of Canada: From Dogs to Mounties

The speaker explains how Canada’s image has often been shaped by the media, focusing on figures like the 'boring' Mountie. He reflects on the image of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and his dog, Yukon King, highlighting that even in popular culture, Canadians have been portrayed as less exciting than their dogs. The dominant image of the law-abiding, rigid Mountie contrasted with the action-packed narratives from the U.S. has led to a perception of Canadian history as dull. Yet, the speaker points out that real Canadian historical figures, like Louis Riel and William Lyon Mackenzie King, are far from boring.

10:04

📷 The Birth of the Mountie Myth: Eric Hegg’s Photography

The speaker attributes the creation of the Mountie myth to Swedish-American photographer Eric Hegg, who documented the Klondike Gold Rush with iconic images. These photos, taken during the late 19th-century Yukon Gold Rush, helped shape the portrayal of Canada as a place of law and order, centered around the stoic Mountie. Hegg’s work, combined with the rise of mass media like newspapers and telegraphs, spread this image, which became a key part of both American and Canadian cultural stories. The Mountie, depicted as the boring yet steadfast hero, dominated pop culture representations of Canada.

15:05

🎬 The Power of Longform Storytelling and its Impact on Historical Narratives

The speaker delves into the power of longform television dramas, like 'Deadwood,' to bring historical events to life, arguing that the U.S. excels at using its history to create compelling narratives. He expresses concern that Canadian stories, such as the Klondike, are being appropriated by American storytelling, where Canadians are reduced to secondary roles. Referencing a current production about the Klondike, he emphasizes the danger of losing ownership of Canadian stories. The speaker urges Canadians to reclaim their narratives and recognize the importance of telling their own vibrant, complex historical tales.

📚 Rediscovering Canadian History Through Pierre Burton

The speaker shares a personal journey of rediscovering Canadian history while staying at Pierre Burton’s childhood home in Dawson City. He recounts how Burton’s storytelling, especially his work on the Klondike, is filled with colorful characters like 'Diamond Tooth Gertie' and 'The Evaporated Kid.' These vibrant tales demonstrate that Canadian history is far from dull. He calls attention to Sam Steele, a real-life Mountie who played a key role during the Klondike Gold Rush, suggesting that Steele’s life would make for an epic longform drama, highlighting the richness of Canada's past.

🚂 The Untold Drama of Sam Steele and Canadian History

The speaker outlines an imagined multi-season TV series about Sam Steele, a key figure in Canadian history. He envisions several seasons detailing Steele’s involvement in major events, from the Red River Rebellion to his leadership in the Klondike Gold Rush, where he helped avert humanitarian disasters. The narrative would portray Steele’s efforts to maintain law and order during chaotic times, showcasing the heroic, yet often overlooked, aspects of Canadian history. The speaker emphasizes the excitement and depth of these stories, urging Canadians to take pride in their history and reclaim their storytelling.

🇨🇦 The Call to Reclaim and Share Canadian Stories

In the final paragraph, the speaker calls on Canadians to find and tell their own historical stories. He encourages them to look beyond the clichéd images and discover the fascinating details in various chapters of Canadian history, whether it be in sports, music, or the Klondike. The speaker stresses that Canadians need to share these stories, not simply because they are Canadian, but because they are compelling and important. He ends by reminding the audience that a nation's identity is shaped by the stories it tells itself, and Canadians must not forget their rich heritage.

Keywords

💡Canadian history

Canadian history refers to the past events, experiences, and stories that have shaped the country of Canada. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding and celebrating Canadian history as it is not only a rich source of national identity but also a living narrative that informs the present and future. The speaker challenges the stereotype of Canadian history being boring, arguing that it is full of exciting and significant events that have global implications, such as the Klondike Gold Rush.

💡Mythmaking

Mythmaking is the process of creating and perpetuating myths or stories that often serve to shape a nation's identity and values. The video discusses how the United States has been particularly successful in mythmaking, creating powerful narratives like the American frontier that inspire and define the nation's character. The speaker suggests that Canada can learn from this skill to better tell its own stories and enhance its national identity.

💡Longform narrative drama

Longform narrative drama is a storytelling medium that unfolds over an extended period, allowing for complex character development and intricate plotlines. The speaker believes that this medium, akin to the novel, is particularly suited for the modern era and can be used to bring historical events to life in a way that resonates with audiences. The video suggests that this format could be used to revitalize the telling of Canadian history, making it more engaging and impactful.

💡Klondike Gold Rush

The Klondike Gold Rush refers to a significant historical event in the late 19th century when thousands of prospectors rushed to the Klondike region in the Yukon to find gold. In the video, the speaker uses the Klondike Gold Rush as an example of a rich and exciting chapter in Canadian history that has been underrepresented in popular culture. The speaker argues for a more nuanced and detailed portrayal of this event to capture the true spirit and drama of the time.

💡Northwest Mounted Police

The Northwest Mounted Police, now known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), were instrumental in maintaining law and order during the Klondike Gold Rush. The video highlights the role of Sam Steele, a member of the Northwest Mounted Police, who is portrayed as a heroic figure that helped manage the chaos and potential disaster during the gold rush. The speaker suggests that figures like Sam Steele offer a more complex and engaging narrative than the stereotypical 'dull' image of the Mounties.

💡National identity

National identity refers to the shared culture, values, and characteristics that define a nation and its people. The video emphasizes the importance of storytelling in shaping and expressing national identity. The speaker argues that by telling more exciting and diverse stories from Canadian history, Canadians can develop a stronger and more nuanced sense of who they are as a nation.

💡Popular culture

Popular culture encompasses the ideas, attitudes, and cultural content that are widely circulated and consumed by the general public. The video discusses how popular culture, particularly through mass media, has often portrayed Canada and its history in a simplistic and unexciting manner, such as the image of the 'straight laced' Mountie. The speaker calls for a reclamation of Canadian stories to better reflect the country's rich and varied history.

💡Eric Heg

Eric Heg was a Swedish photographer who documented the Klondike Gold Rush, capturing iconic images that helped shape the popular perception of the event. The video mentions Heg's work as an example of how photography and media can create and disseminate historical narratives. The speaker suggests that Heg's images, while influential, contributed to the stereotypical and one-dimensional portrayal of the Klondike and Canadian history.

💡Pierre Berton

Pierre Berton was a prominent Canadian author and historian known for his engaging and detailed accounts of Canadian history. The video speaker mentions Berton as an example of a storyteller who was able to bring Canadian history to life with color and excitement. Berton's work is cited as a source of inspiration for a more dynamic and compelling narrative of Canada's past.

💡Sam Steele

Sam Steele was a historical figure and a member of the Northwest Mounted Police who played a significant role during the Klondike Gold Rush. The video speaker uses Steele's life as an example of the rich and complex stories that can be found within Canadian history. Steele's experiences, from the Red River Rebellion to the Klondike, are highlighted as the kind of material that could be developed into a compelling longform narrative drama, challenging the stereotype of Canadian history as dull.

Highlights

The importance of understanding Canadian history as a living, exciting, and significant part of the past.

The idea that nations are defined by the stories they tell about themselves.

The comparison of Canadian history storytelling to the United States' mythmaking engine.

The inspiration from American figures like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk on the significance of history.

The need to capture the spirit of storytelling, not just the history itself.

The stereotype of Canada and Canadians as boring and its impact on the nation's self-perception.

The role of popular culture, particularly mass culture, in shaping the image of Canada and its history.

The influence of Eric Heg's photography on the Klondike Gold Rush and the creation of Canadian icons.

The argument that Canadian history is not boring and the examples of fascinating historical figures.

The story of Louis Riel, a rebel and visionary leader, and his impact on Canadian history.

The tale of William Lyon Mackenzie King, a prime minister who sought advice from his dogs and dead mother.

Jacques Plante's significance as a hockey player and the first goalie to wear a mask.

The potential of long-form television drama as a modern storytelling medium equivalent to the novel.

The missed opportunities in historical storytelling by American productions about Canadian history.

The call to reclaim Canadian stories and the importance of telling them accurately and engagingly.

The introduction to Pierre Berton's work and its significance in Canadian historical storytelling.

The potential storyline for a Sam Steele miniseries based on his life and contributions to Canadian history.

The conclusion that Canada has rich and colorful history that needs to be better told and celebrated.

Transcripts

thanks all right let's talk about

Canadian

history you're excited aren't you I can

feel it I can feel

that I know I know I know you're not

excited that's fine uh what I'm going to

tell you though is that you should be

excited I'm going to tell you that

Canadian history isn't as boring as you

think it is it isn't as boring as we all

think it is and not only that but it's

important that we understand that our

history is a living exciting important

time in our past because as we all know

we are the stories we tell ourselves

individually as communities as Nations

we are the stories we tell ourselves the

stories we tell ourselves about where we

are now where we came from where we're

going this tells us what we are capable

of doing this tells us where we can go

next

and if we aren't in touch with those

stories of ours it makes it a lot harder

to get that kind of kind of crazy

excitement to to to build the nation

again and start it a new and all that

kind of great stuff and I know it's

cliche when you start talking about

Canadian history to immediately switch

to the United States but I am going to

do a little bit of that because I think

there's a great lesson that the

Americans have taught us we live next to

probably the greatest mythmaking engine

in the history of human

communication absolutely and I do not

mean that as the slightest little bit of

criticism you think about that story of

the American frontier the you know the

the lone individual going out carving

out an existence and knowing that if you

made that that that existence work in

America it would matter to the whole

world everyone from you know Thomas

Edison Henry Ford all the way down to

Steve Jobs and Elon Musk inspired by

that sense that to be American was to

know that your history was important and

that if you wrote a new chapter in it it

would matter to everyone and so I think

that's the spirit we need to cap

not their history but their storytelling

skill and maybe if we can do what I'm

going to attempt to do for you this

afternoon which is to

introduce Dy old Pierre Burton to a show

called The Wire and a storytelling

medium called longform narrative drama

that I do believe is actually the the

equivalent of the novel for our time

that we might get to somewhere pretty

spectacular as a country because there

is you really really lwh hanging fruit

out there for Canadian historians and

Canadian storytellers to begin with

though I assume I can pretty much take

it for granted that we all agree that

this is our general sense of

ourselves uh it is practically on the

the the welcome signs you know sorry

sorry we're boring uh you know there was

the Cod were very important and wheat

was very important logs but other than

that peace order and good government not

a lot happened sorry sorry our history

isn't better uh uh we'll try to try

we'll try harder next

time but ask yourself why do we think

that's the case I would argue a large

part of it is because when it came to

popular culture particularly mass

culture this was the dominant image of

Canada the straight laac

steadfast very very Stout law-abiding

mounty and if that isn't an exciting

story Sergeant Preston of the Yukon uh

you great radio hit of the 30s and 40s

eventually a TV hit the real star of

Sergeant Preston was not the mounty it

was in fact Yukon King his loyal sled

dog and there's a there's a slogan for

you Canadians we're less interesting

than our dogs

uh there's a real Banner to fly Dudley

doite it's a yawn of a name the name

actually makes you yawn to say out loud

Dudley do

right and why was this the dominant

image how was it that we came to think

and by the way it's not just these old

stories I I I wouldn't want to suggest

that we've moved on in 50 years we've

still got the same Sergeant Preston and

the same dog and he goes down to the

United States cuz that's where

interesting things are

happening and he's very straight laced

and boring and and all that where did

this come from you know how is it

particularly given that our history is

not a boring history we been some

amazing figures I'm going to just really

quickly rattle off three Lou Ral a rebel

Visionary leader a guy who was elected

to Parliament three times while living

in Exile and then went into a church in

Washington DC and heard God tell him him

you are the prophet of the new world and

spent the rest of his life dedicated to

making that true building a matey nation

in western Canada until he was executed

is that a boring story do we tell that

story enough William lion McKenzie King

prime minister of Canada during a Great

Depression in a world war all the while

getting serious policy advice from his

dogs and his dead

mother tell me that is not a great

literary

figure jacqu

plant do I need to say anymore is hockey

a boring sport was Jac plunt not only a

great goalie but the first goalie to

wear a mask a boring figure of course

not these are not boring figures this is

not a boring history how is it that we

came to think of it as such who's

responsible the answer is this guy this

one guy not really this one guy but he

is actually a big part of this this is a

gentleman by the name of Eric ahg Eric

ah heg was a uh Swedish immigrant to the

United States in the 1880s had a a a

burgeoning photography business brand

new very exciting medium and in 1897

like a lot of young men of his

generation got swept up in the

excitement of the kondy Gold Rush

traveled up the coast through Alaska to

to to the Yukon Territory set up a a

photography studio in in Dawson City and

documented the greatest Gold Rush of its

time and Eric a he brought back

incredible iconic images that had never

existed before of what it looked like

one to be in the Yukon and two to be in

the midst of a gold rush this is the

chilcoot pass this is one of the ways

you could get over the mountains into

the Yukon Territory from the Alaska

Coast an incredible deep moving drama of

of of you know human motion and human

desperation uh among other things it was

known as the Dead Horse Trail because

people kept arriving with horses that

couldn't survive this particular uh uh

environment and Eric K brought all of

these images back and he did so at a

time that really was the first kind of

mass media gold rush gold rushes had

always been a big deal but never had

they been so widely disseminated the

telegraph became WID spread in the 1880s

so did The Illustrated newspaper you now

had photography right in the newspapers

and you had printing presses that could

print papers uh with with illustrations

in them just as quickly as text and so

suddenly it wasn't just this thing

happening far off it was visceral it was

real it was Lively and it invented a

whole mythology because it was the first

one to ever have these tools at its

disposal and among other things it

invented the idea because the kond dite

Gold Rush was about 40 or 50,000 mostly

American young men

and some women uh arriving at a

Northwest Mounted Police Frontier Post

in the middle of the Northwest Territory

and there you have your steadfast mounty

and their loyal sled dog this is where

that image came from this is an Eric heg

photo this is where it permeated into

the pop culture and from there it

disseminated in that amazing way that

only America can disseminate a great

myth from Charlie Chaplain to Bugs Bunny

to ice cream bars clondike the name the

Klondike Gold Rush as a phenomenon came

to become one more chapter in that great

American frontier story with the one

exception that it had this very very

dull figure at its Center who was a a

steadfast law-abiding mounty who made

things difficult for the funloving shoot

him up Roo and tooting uh Blackjack

shocks of of the

kondik and I think it's important to to

recognize that this is where a lot of

our stories come to us now particularly

now because as I said off the top I

believe we are living in a true golden

age for a truly novel medium which is

the long form television drama this is

basically like a novel on the screen it

has freed up writers and creators to

tell these big long stories you don't

have to wrap it up in 45 minutes you

don't even have to wrap it up in two

hours you can go season after season

Deadwood is a great example what does

America do when it creates these great

storytelling tools immediately goes back

to its past starts digging through for

great old detail there is nothing

more alive in the historical record than

the three seasons of Deadwood when

you're done you feel like you've been

there you feel like you lived there

you've learned a whole new language are

there any hoopleheads in the room I'm

just just wondering uh a couple of

hoopleheads out there that's good to see

and this really is an amazing time to be

telling stories particularly historic

stories and really because Americans

know their stories and they know their

myth so well I would argue they permeate

just about all of these great novelistic

uh long form dramas all of these to one

degree or another

our Frontier stories that that myth

continues to propel American

storytelling you can put the frontier

Justice in the middle of downtown

Baltimore and you still have some of the

same iconic resonant figures you can put

it in a New Jersey mob uh uh scenario

and it still resonates and you can put

it amid the desperation of the deep

Southwest and every time you are still

telling great Frontier stories and we

are in danger yet again of having our

Frontier stories handed To Us by the

United States this is the set of the new

Klondike series being shot as we speak

in Alberta by Discovery Channel and

Ridley Scotts production company uh

largely focused on American characters

hunting for gold they built a scale

model uh uh Dawson City downtown up near

Brad Creek that I went and took a look

at and you can see as soon as you walk

on the set if you've got the right eye

how they're going to miss the Mark again

the Canadians are just going to be

totally forgotten we're going to be the

boring old mounties here's the great

example of it I haven't seen the show

maybe they'll correct this in in in

edits but what you see in the foreground

there is a box of Winchester rifles

which is unless there's a story I didn't

get told a huge

anacronismo of Dan mcru could not have

possibly happened at the malamut Saloon

no one had guns in Dawson City it was

not that story that story got handed to

us and is now being handed to us again

and I think it's a story that we really

need need to take back I think we need

to take a lot of our stories back

because one they're great stories and

two they really tell us something about

who we are and now I'll

confess I did not always feel this way I

studied history in

University and what history did I study

I studied mostly American history it's

true I studied the Vietnam War asked me

about Labor Relations in the 1920s and

1930s in the United United States I'm on

it ask me about Dawson City and where it

came from from and it wasn't until I was

there and spent a winter there and felt

the history I mean it's just this

Fountain of incredible stories that I

realized we need to be you know

recapturing some of these myths and of

course I was in the perfect place to do

it I was at Burton house uh Burton house

is Pierre Burton's childhood home uh

Pier Burton gifted it back to this to

Dawson City and eventually got turned

into a writer's residence magnificent

place to spend a Yukon winter there's a

fantastic Library there and that was how

I reintroduced myself to Pierre Burt now

Pier Burton for some of my age anyway

was this kind of weird old guy on front

page

challenge who you weren't really sure

why he was even famous but he was always

around with very alarming

sideburns and it was only when I dug

back into some of the great stories that

he had told Pierre Burton's Klondike is

so overflowing with color this is just a

random sampling of character names that

you will meet on the pages of Pier

Burton's kondic diamond tooth Gertie

Sweetwater Bill ham grease Jimmy and my

very favorite the evaporated kid the

evaporated kid was a was a young boy who

who who worked in one of the saloons and

they said he was so small he looked like

a bottle with hips and that's why an

empty bottle with hips that's why they

called him the evaporated kid but you

know who the really great star of that

book is one of the greatest literary

figures I've encountered in a long time

Sam steel the model of the steadfast

mountainy Sam steel was the head of the

thank you round pluse for Sam steel Sam

steel was the the head of the Northwest

Mounted Police Detachment in the

Klondike during the gold rush and Sam

steel is just waiting for a five season

long Arc detailed drama because this is

not a boring guy I'm going to lay it out

for you season one Sam steel arrives in

Canada joins the military participates

in the Red River Rebellion face to face

with Louis Ral and and the first wave of

of of uh matey dissatisfaction he then

joins the brand new Northwest Mounted

Police and is involved in the Northwest

Rebellion the second shot at at Louis

roal incredible drama happening really

just an amazing chapter at the exact

same time as this young mounty is help

helping to deal with the uh uh Rebellion

we laying tracks crazily across this

empty continent and one of the great

drama atic kind of rail Building stories

towns springing up overnight as people

speculated on land just a huge teeing

chapter in our in in our history that we

barely ever talk about so that's that's

season two of the Sam steel miniseries

uh uh season three finally we come as we

knew we would to the Klondike in that

winter of

1997 50,000 men descending on the

Klondike none of them aware of the kind

of conditions they were going to

encounter it was Sam steel another

Northwest mounted policeman who said you

can't get into Canada if you do not have

a ton of goods to support you through

this winter they also in an emergency

measure sent a bunch of people back up

the river on a steamboat to Alaska to

avoid what would have been an absolute

catastrophe a humanitarian catastrophe

in that first winter of 1897 and then we

finally uh get to the spring of 1898 and

there is this crazy flotilla of homemade

ships thousands and thousands of ships

roaring down what is a very very

dangerous river and it was only the

Northwest Mounted Police that kept that

from becoming a disaster as well by

setting up checkpoints all along the way

making sure that people could actually

get to their destination this isn't as

exciting as Six Guns I admit but it was

an heroic effort that saved an awful lot

of lives finally in season 4 we come to

the Boom Town 1898 in Dawson just an

incredible scene everyone was there it

was the talk of the world it was the

Parish of the north incredible detail

and Sam steel the guy making sure that

it didn't turn to Absolute chaos all the

way through and then almost we we could

keep going season five hey Sam steel

decides to go fight in the boore war

there he is with a bunch of other

steadfast mounties heading off we could

keep going and going and going but the

point is clearly we have amazing color

in our history we have amazing detail

there is a character to men like Sam

steel that is not simply a dull old

mounty that is in in fact deeply

Canadian deeply about collaboration and

getting through and making this country

work whoever happens to show up and I

think we need to tell those stories we

need to take some of these iconic images

like the ones that Eric Eric heg brought

back and start telling those stories to

each other I would challenge you find

your favorite chapter in Canadian

history whether it could be anything it

could be Montreal Jazz in the 50s it

could be you know the early history of

hockey it could be the Klondike and

examine that find those stories and

start telling them because we are the

stories we tell each other don't tell

these stories because they're Canadian

tell them because there are so many

Great Canadian stories and we are not

telling them enough and we are in danger

of forgetting where it is that we came

from thank you