Champlain Society

Aboiteaux once let farmers manage tides with precision. But 1950s engineers favoured dams over maintenance—saving money but reshaping ecosystems and silencing traditional practices like “tiding.” Read Ronald Rudin’s @ChamplainSoc Findings: bit.ly/CSFindm26 #Fundy

Jonathan Swainger’s @ChamplainSoc Findings draws on British Columbia Provincial Police duty logs to tell the surprising story of a Belgian fencing master who fled Los Angeles during a prolonged divorce and surfaced in Vanderhoof in 1917. bit.ly/CSFindFb26

From Vincent Massey to Adrienne Clarkson, John Fraser shares firsthand encounters with the Governors General who shaped modern Canada. Hear his candid reflections - funny, heartfelt, and revealing on the @ChamplainSoc Witness to Yesterday podcast: bit.ly/WTYm2026

“…as Uyttenhove turned towards the Georges, exaggerated wartime vigilance and a “foreign” last name had attracted official suspicions that he was a German spy….” Read the new @ChamplainSoc Findings/Trouvailles at: bit.ly/CSFindFb26

Did you know: Many iconic Canadian trophies are named after former governors general—Stanley, Vanier, Minto… even the Clarkson Cup? Learn the stories behind the names in this week’s episode with John Fraser. bit.ly/WTYm2026

In 1948 MMRA stepped in to save failing dykes. But with engineers came tension-local knowledge vs. federal expertise. Laurie Anderson’s 1952 meeting offers a rare glimpse of farmers’ voices in this pivotal era. Read Ronald Rudin’s @ChamplainSoc Findings: bit.ly/CSFindm26

Ever wonder who actually lives at #RideauHall and why it matters? In this episode of @ChamplainSoc Podcast, John Fraser joins JDM Stewart to unpack the constitutional curiosity that is Canada’s #GovernorGeneral. Listen: bit.ly/WTYm2026 @GGCanada @sutherlandbooks

From poetic speeches to unforgettable anecdotes, this new episode is filled with stories that bring #RideauHall to life. Hear about triumphs, missteps & even a few gossipy moments in this episode of @ChamplainSoc Podcast bit.ly/WTYm2026 @sutherlandbooks #GovernorGeneral

Before the 1930s, marsh bodies—local farmer collectives—kept Fundy dykes alive. When incomes collapsed, so did their capacity to maintain centuries-old systems. This opened the door for federal intervention. Read the @ChamplainSoc Findings: bit.ly/CSFindm26 #farminghistory

Archival “finds” can reshape how we understand everyday life in the past. A new @ChamplainSoc Findings bit.ly/CSFindFb26 highlights often overlooked details preserved in historical police records & what they reveal about community life and mobility in early 20th‑century BC

“Amid a drawn-out divorce in Pasadena, the 38-year-old Belgian fencing master & athletics instructor had vanished after picking up his young daughters…” Read the new @ChamplainSoc Findings/Trouvailles at: bit.ly/CSFindFb26

John Fraser explains why Canada’s system of constitutional monarchy, & the Governor General’s role in it, still matters today. A fascinating deep dive into tradition, power & personality on the @ChamplainSoc Witness to Yesterday podcast: bit.ly/WTYm2026 @sutherlandbooks

Ever wonder who actually lives at #RideauHall and why it matters? In this episode of @ChamplainSoc Podcast, John Fraser joins JDM Stewart to unpack the constitutional curiosity that is Canada’s #GovernorGeneral. Listen: bit.ly/WTYm2026 @GGCanada @sutherlandbooks

“Amid a drawn-out divorce in Pasadena, the 38-year-old Belgian fencing master & athletics instructor had vanished after picking up his young daughters…” Read the new @ChamplainSoc Findings/Trouvailles at: bit.ly/CSFindFb26

For centuries, farmers along the Bay of Fundy turned tidal marshes into fertile dykeland using aboiteaux. Their work shaped over 30,000 hectares of arable land—until engineers arrived with new ideas. Read the @ChamplainSoc Findings: bit.ly/CSFindm26 #MaritimeHistory

In a new episode of the @ChamplainSoc Witness to Yesterday podcast James Stewart (J.D.M.) speaks with journalist & author John Fraser about The Governors General, his intimate & often humorous look at Canada’s viceregal office since 1952. bit.ly/WTYm2026 @sutherlandbooks

Farmers along the Bay of Fundy long relied on dykes & tiding to maintain fertile marshlands. When federal engineers proposed dams in the 1950s, farmers like Laurie Anderson warned the changes would end tiding & harm the land. Read @ChamplainSoc Findings: bit.ly/CSFindm26

Is Canadian democracy in crisis? James Stewart (J.D.M.) and Andrew Coyne explore the pressures, questions, and concerns shaping the future of Canadian democracy in a new episode of the @ChamplainSoc Witness to Yesterday podcast: bit.ly/WTYm1326 @acoyne @sutherlandbooks

Discover the constitutional quirks, human stories, triumphs, tragedies—and even gossip—behind the people who have represented the Sovereign in Canada in a new episode of the @ChamplainSoc Witness to Yesterday podcast: bit.ly/WTYm2026 @GGCanada @sutherlandbooks

A runaway fencing master. A small B.C. community in 1917. Police duty logs that captured it all. Jonathan Swainger’s @ChamplainSoc Findings draws on British Columbia Provincial Police duty logs to tell the surprising story of a Belgian fencing master bit.ly/CSFindFb26