Canadian Grit: North of Ordinary. Episode 1: The Rope, the Pine, and the Torch

Before there was Canada, there was wilderness—untamed, unknown, and unforgettable. In this premiere episode, host Jamie Jackson, PhD (ABD), weaves history, reflection, poetry, and personal truth into a deeply human journey. From childhood wallpaper dreams to the burnout halls of Ontario public schools, this is a story about grit, memory, and why holding the torch of humanity matters.

You'll hear about early explorers like Champlain, the music and literature that shaped a generation, and the invisible systems we’re all swimming in. More than a podcast about Canadian history—it’s a reflection on identity, resilience, educator well-being, and what it means to care in a world that often forgets to.

Featuring voices from Rush, Springsteen, The Tragically Hip, and Colonel John McCrae, this episode is for educators, misfits, seekers, and humans alike.

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca

What does the idea of Canada mean to you?

Before Canada had a name, there was only wilderness—vast, unknown, and full of risk. A sweeping journey through time and psyche: from uncharted oceans to the inner maps we carry as human beings navigating uncertainty.

Today, we look at the STUFF of a nation… what differentiates Canada from the world? This episode offers some specific examples.

Part history, part myth, part reflection—this episode explores the raw courage it takes to sail into the unknown, whether in the 10th century or today’s hybrid digital world. We reflect on early explorers, the Halifax Explosion, and the enduring legacy of Canadian author Hugh MacLennan, whose words inspired Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip's iconic song Courage.

We unpack identity, regret, resilience, and the universal need to belong—drawing parallels between the age of discovery, our own 21st-century, and the return on investment from developing courage.

We’re just getting started!

Keywords

Adventure, Explore, Escape, Wonder, Nature, Canada, history, canadian, culture, geography, outdoors, Tragically Hip, Rush, band, music, creative, Indigenous, stories, space race, resilience, technology, narrative, economy, progress development, pathways, France, identity, Champlain, exploration, colonialism, indigenous, maps, cartography, humanity, human spirit, technology, critical perspectives, Cartier, Cabot, learning, exploration, maps, Religion, War, France, England, militarism, imperialism, Identity, Place, Explorer, Resilience, Native, Iroquois, Great Lakes, Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, camping, space, ships,

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca

What if history wasn’t just a series of dates, but a map of the human soul?

In this epic, cinematic journey through time and space, we trace the arc of exploration, ambition, and identity—spanning from Leif Erikson and the Vikings to JFK, the Space Race, the Avro Arrow, and Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.

We hop from Étienne Brûlé to 1987 with Ronald Reagan's anti-tariff, anti-isolationist speech (given on my birthday, June 12, 1987!). Audio from the famous 'Tear Down this Wall Speech' is included, demonstrating how far Republicanism has shifted since the late '80s, and how such history can be used to unify Canada with itself, and with its most important cultural, economic, and social partner in the world.

I directly connect Reagan's 1987 speech and Cold War to today, and Canada's "trade and tariff wars," upheld by many misled citizens on both sides of the border. and all the way back to the traces and roots of our modern and ongoing reckoning with Canada’s evolving story.

We are living at an unbelievable point in human history. This “bridge” episode connects past and present through the powerful currents of continuity and change, progress and peril.

As we sail the whitecaps of time toward the life of Samuel de Champlain in the next episode, we confront the earliest (known) colonial encounters, the scars and sparks of contact, and evolving forces within Dr. Marshal McLuhan's 'global village'.

These historical and human forces directly shape us and our communities.

Important figures like Dr. Gabor Maté are also examined to better understand implications of our modern obsession with perfection and (un)originality, and how the anxieties of Western culture have disconnected us from a deeper, more rooted way of being. We explore how reunification of the bodymind through wonder, story, and personal connection can offer us a path forward. Whether through Adam Shoalts’ wilderness trails, or Soviet rocket launches, we ask: What does it mean to belong to a land, a legacy, and a people still in formation?

This is north of ordinary.

🧭 Topics Covered/Keywords

JFK, Reagan, Iron Curtain, Berlin Wall, Cold War, USSR, Russia, United States, politics, Indigenous, true stories, space race, Gabor Maté, mental health, resilience, colonial, tech, economy, business, development, pathways, New France, culture, identity, Champlain, Canadian, exploration, colonialism, Donnacona, indigenous, maps, cartography, humanity, human spirit, technology, critical perspectives, Cartier, Cabot, Champlain, caree

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca

We can't change the past. We can only change how we regard it, and how we can use it to best move forward.

You're not going to want to miss this episode.

Canadian Grit isn't just a history podcast. Canadian Grit is going above politics to look at what unites us as Canadians and as humans. Canadian Grit is our ability to find our innate strength by looking at how our shared ancestry got us here. It's a melody of how humans create a place to exist. Together.

Canada's history is amazing. This episode looks immerses you in stories of daredevils launching off Niagara Falls, and explores what drives explorers, rebels, and revolutionaries to risk everything for something unseen.

In another cinematic episode, origin stories and dreams of something more than empire form our direction. We voyage deep into the human spirit-- in the past and today-- to have a peek behind our nation’s founding myths.

Featuring passages of Adam Shoalts’ novel and journey of exploration: Where the Falcon Flies: A 3,400 Kilometre Journey from my Doorstep to the Arctic.

I also include reflections on Thomas King’s The Back of the Turtle, the erasure of Indigenous languages, and the tension between old world ambition and new world connection, this is an episode that doesn’t just teach — it challenges.

If Episode 1 was the spark, and Episode 2 was the tinder, this is the moment the fire catches. Grab a log, and have a seat.

You'll be happy you did.

🚨 Listener Prompt:
When was the last time you believed in something so much… you were willing to leap into the unknown?

Keywords:

Explore, Wilderness, Where the Falcon flies, Canada, Canadian History, American History, Philosophy, technology, economy, business, development, pathways, culture, identity, Champlain, fun learning, exploration, geography, maps, Freedom of speech, charter of rights and freedoms, Popular History, Identity, Place, Explorer Mindset, Canadian Grit, Resilience, Adam Shoalts, indigenous history, Great Lakes, Quebec, Montreal, Toronto, Ontario, nature, camping, campfire, drama, cinematic, humanity, psychology, champion mindset, resilience, world history, European history, religion, Indigenous Ways of Knowing, Immersive, Culture, Leadership, psychology, music, development, artificial intelligence, anthropology, archaeology

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca

Canada wasn’t an accident. Canada was the outcome of grit, resilience, & vision.
Canada's origin story matters now more than ever. This isn't just about the past. This is about everything we are... and everything we're becoming.

Part immersive history, part poetic meditation on Canada and becoming, Episode 3.2 explores how the boy became the man, and how the man would someday offer a radically different vision for what a “New World” could be.

🎧 For you:
What did the world you were born into teach you — and what have you chosen to carry forward anyway?

Episode 3.2 starts with an exciting return to 16th-century France where we continue to trace the formation of modern Canada. We start in fortified Atlantic port of Brouage, France, churning with war, ambition, and the scent of cannon smoke. Here, in a village gripped by the Wars of Religion and shaped by the crashing tides of empire, a young Champlain grew up watching his world burn... and quietly dreaming of another way... a way out.

This episode pulls back the veil on the early life of a boy who would one day change the course of world history by settling in North America-- setting the scene for how Canada got here. It took unbelievable grit. Determination. Commitment.

Raised in the chaos of civil war, surrounded by butchers, fromagiers, and soldiers marching to opposing gods, Champlain was forged in a crucible of violence and uncertainty... a certain cauldron of change.

But rather than becoming hardened, he grew curious. Observant. Strategic.

And, ultimately, hopeful.

🔍 Keywords:
Canadian History, Learning, Engaging, Music, Purpose, Life, War, Remembrance, Narrative, Storytelling, France, Turtle Island, Colonialism, Continuity, Change, Popular History, Identity, Exploration, Canadian Grit, Resilience, Champion Mindset, Adam Shoalts, Hybrid Reality Theory (Jackson, 2025)

🙏 Support the show & join the community:
Instagram: @canadiangritmedia
Facebook: Canadian Grit Page
Facebook Community Group: Join the Discussion

If this story moved you — or reminded you of your own grit — I’d love to hear from you.

Know someone with an untold story? Reach out. Let’s give it voice.

Thank you for being here. It means more than you know.

— Jamie

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca

Have an Amazon Prime membership?

Want to help local Canadian cats, all while using a $3 token you’re likely *not* using?

Here's an ingenius *FREE* grassroots mission YOU CAN HELP in under 15 seconds if you have Amazon Prime: $3 "sub" to Richard's charity.

• Richard is a local hero
• From our time together at RMC to community engagement
• LIVE LINKS: WHERE FUNDS ARE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE AND CATS NOW!!!
• Innovative fundraising: "Primed for Charity": the power of tech for charity: Indigenous youth programs; street missions; no-kill cat shelters, biospheres, environment
• Trust within community: essential for success
• Richard's personal struggles: finding purpose in helping others
• Stream for charity: significant impact & awareness
• Understanding platforms like Twitch can empower individuals to contribute to causes
• Donation transparency fosters trust; encourages more contributions
• Connecting with Indigenous communities is vital for cultural understanding and & support
• Leadership involves recognizing value of community & role of elders.

In this engaging conversation, Jamie interviews Richard Desaluniers, a local hero in Edmonton dedicated to community service & innovative fundraising. His unique approach using "Twitch" for fundraising emphasizes the power of technology in making real change. The discussion touches personal struggles, the significance of Indigenous communities, & the role of elders in leadership. To inspire listeners to take action and contribute to their communities.

🫵KEY Takeaways:

• Every action is heroic.
• Community is the heart of change.
• We can change the world together.

🌀YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erOPxMEIDFY

🌀Primed for Charity HomePage <--CLICK

All audio episodes now there, too-- animated editions to come later. ❤️‍🔥

Keywords: Agency, Power, Individual empowerment, fundraising, Can

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca

Canada. The United States. Europe. The 1700s. A real vibe.

What do you believe in deeply enough to fight for? Is Canada worth fighting for?

Stone ramparts, swirling snow, and two dying generals—Wolfe & Montcalm—set the stage for a contest that redrew the continent. From the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759) to the failed rebellions of 1837, we trace how maps inked in blood became the blueprint for a stubborn, still-unfinished country.

1. Empires Collide: The Seven Years’ War was the world’s first global war; Québec was its pivot point. New France & Britain hash it out. Plains of Abraham. (not Lincoln.)
   
   
2. Maps ≠ Meaning: When flags change, cultures don’t disappear—they go underground and wait. A nation is not a country. The notion of nation-state as modern country is introduced-- an organic concept of personal & collective identity as tied to the land --> "A house is not a home."
   
   
3. Failure → Fuel: The crushed uprisings of 1837 planted the seed of Canadian self-government. Mackenzie King - Loyalists - Alliances
   
   
4. Grit Lives On: Canada isn’t a finished painting; it’s a fire that needs tending—by us. Making connections to things seemingly long ago as we move toward understanding Canada in 2025 and beyond: Canada 2.0: Our Reformation

Please Subscribe / Rate / Review — it’s the flint that keeps this fire burning. Share the episode with one history-curious friend.

🏷️ KEYWORDS

Canadian History, Podcast, Plains of Abraham, America, USA, Life, Meaning, Nation, International Relations, Tariff Wars, Nationalism, Myth, Legend, Nature, Exploration, Loyalists, Maps, Cartography, Rebellions, Resilience, Truth, Perspectives, Outlooks, Historical, Abraham Lincoln, Railway, Construction, Current Affairs, War, Battle, WWI, WWII, Remembrance, Culture

Ask ChatGPT

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca

A contributing writer for Netflix’s Emmy Nominated Roast of Tom Brady, Tyler Morrison is considered by many to be the most prolific roast comedian north of the border.

A frequent flyer with Just for Laughs and Comedy Central, Ty’s roasted the likes of Ric Flair (Wooo!), Ron Jeremy, and The Iron Sheik at Carolines in New York City. Tyler is an award winning Canadian comedian and writer with a “fearless brand of working class comedy.”

“His comedy specials ‘Pimp Daddy’ & ‘Too Soon’ received high praise. Appeared as part of Andrew Schulz’s "Life" Stadium Tour & Doug Stanhope’s "Second Wind Tour."

Unky TT is “co-host of the ‘Fight Stories Podcast’ and a live tour show that featured guests Artie Lange, Shane Gillis, Dan Soder, and Ken Shamrock”

“During the pandemic, Tyler was part of the Coast to Coast Roast hosted by Mark Normand and Joe List. In 2024, his appearance on CTV Comedy Channel’s Roast Battle Canada earned him a Canadian Screen Awards nomination.”

“Other appearances of note:
- Roast Battle at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles
- Yuk Yuks Massey Hall New Year's Eve
- CTV W5 "Laugh Attack" segment with Russell Peters
- Writer on the 2024 NHL Awards on ESPN.”

Tyler has performed: The Boston Comedy Festival, CBC's Winnipeg Comedy Festival CBC’s hit shows The Debaters and Laugh Out Loud. Winner of 2011 Dark Comedy Festival, & Best New Stand Up at Toronto’s Hogtown Comedy Festival.

Created The Cottage Country Comedy Festival in 2008. “The festival has since grown to see thousands in attendance annually while producing shows with CBC and Sirius XM that have aired to millions across North America.”

"Absolutely Brilliant." Scott Thompson, Kids in the Hall

Reach Tyler @tylermorrison123 OR https://cottagecomedy.com/

Keywords

standup, Comedy Central, roasts, social media, Russell Peters, Main Offenders, Fight Stories, Scott Thompson, Just For Laughs, Yuk Yuks, Canadian Music, Mark Gagnon, Ron Josol, Andrew Schulz, polarization, politics, fun, comedy business, writing jokes, Jelly Roll, telling jokes, getting offended, taking offence, woke, humor, humour

Got a story? Want to reach out? Send me a message!

Support the show

I am so incredibly grateful that you stopped by. Thanks for listening to the show.

I hope you loved it. If you're interested, check me out on socials

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/canadiangritmedia/
OR: @canadiangritmedia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Facebook Discussion and Community Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573998726741

Remember, my friends: We're in this thing together. It means more than you know. We're just getting started!

If you know of anyone-- or if YOU have an amazing story of grit, or even something to share with the world, why not reach out and let me know?

I'd love to give voice to your stories.

All the very best.

Your good pal,

-Jamie

EMAIL: jamie@canadiangritmedia.ca