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Why I Podcast: Curious Canadian History
Why I Podcast: Curious Canadian History
2022.09.30
Introduce yourself and your podcast
My name is David Borys, I’m a Canadian historian, I work at Langara College in Vancouver, British Columbia and my podcast is called Curious Canadian History.
What keeps you podcasting?
I love the challenge of continuing to create episodes that listeners enjoy. The process of doing so also allows me to continue to learn about a wide variety of topics in Canadian History, many topics which I would normally only have a surface understanding about were I not doing this podcast.
Why did podcasting appeal to you in the first place?
About ten years or so ago I started first listening to podcasts and soon noticed there was nothing good out there specifically about Canadian history (that has changed of course), so I decided to start my own. The first season was rough, but I slowly found my stride.
What is it about podcasts that attracts storytellers and creators? And why do you think listeners love them?
Well, I think that podcasting democratizes the spread of information. Anybody can consume a podcast and almost anybody can make one. It’s an incredible medium for the transmission of stories and any type of story is right there at your fingertips. Thus, this accessibility plays a key role in why so many people are embracing podcasts, and why it’s become such a powerful medium.
What does podcasting means to you?
No doubt podcasts have given me the ability to learn about a wide variety of topics I normally would not have had the time to dig into. More powerfully though it’s connected me to a wide array of literature, authors, and points of view that I probably wouldn’t even know about sans podcasts.
From the perspective of being a podcaster I’ve enjoyed knowing that my podcast has helped a wide variety of people all around the world learn a little bit about Canadian history in all its forms. Getting emails or comments about how much people enjoyed episodes, or how much they learned from an episode is a real treat.
What’s your relationship with your listeners?
I like to make sure I respond to any listeners who write me emails or tweet me (even the negative ones). It’s always a great moment when an episode comes out and I hear from one of our listeners about how much they enjoyed the episode or how much it expanded their understanding of a facet of Canadian history or even Canada today.
How does podcasting fulfill you creatively?
It allows me to continue to dig deep into a wide spectrum of topics in Canadian history and continue to develop as a writer. Unquestionably, I’m far richer in knowledge and understanding about this country and its various peoples because of my time running Curious Canadian History.
Your podcast is always providing listeners with nuggets of knowledge and information, what is the most fascinating thing you’ve learnt from doing the podcast?
That’s a difficult question to answer because I learn something from every episode I write and put out. Broadly speaking I’ve learned that Canada has an incredibly rich, diverse and dynamic history. In my opinion, any one who falls back on the old cliché that Canada’s history is “boring” simply hasn’t spent any time actually learning about it.
As well, I’ve learnt that we can as Canadians celebrate our country’s great moments while at the exact same item address and reconcile with our dark moments. The good and the bad are not mutually exclusive. Having a full understanding of what this country has accomplished as well as the negative actions this country has carried out allows for a much better understanding of who we are today, and the possibilities of where we can go in the future.
What's next for the podcast?
We just started Season 8 so we’ll be pumping out a whole host of great episodes for our listeners all the way into the Summer of 2023.