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Explore: A Canadian Geographic podcast

Education Podcasts

Host David McGuffin talks to Canada’s greatest explorers about their adventures and what inspires their spirit of discovery.

Location:

Canada

Description:

Host David McGuffin talks to Canada’s greatest explorers about their adventures and what inspires their spirit of discovery.

Twitter:

@cangeo

Language:

English


Episodes
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Michael Palin on Monty Python, polar plunges and travelling with curiosity

2/10/2026
The renowned English comedian reminds us why travel, humility, humour, and listening matter now more than ever

Duration:00:51:42

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Artemis II: David Saint-Jacques on Canada’s growing role in international space missions

1/27/2026
For the first time in more than 50 years, humans are returning to the moon, and Canada is playing a central role

Duration:00:31:02

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Storytelling at the edge of the world with award-winning filmmaker Trevor Wallace

1/13/2026
How one explorer is using film to connect people with place, history, and culture — plus, one-of-a-kind insight into the world of underwater archaeology and more

Duration:01:02:00

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Christmas at Devil’s Portage – Charles Camsell

12/23/2025
Recalling a memorable Christmas along the trail to the Klondike in the 19th century with an annual reading of Charles Camsell’s Arctic explorations by podcast host David McGuffin

Duration:00:08:34

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The Hudson’s Bay Company charter: "Incredible and problematic"

12/3/2025
A look inside the Hudson’s Bay Company Royal Charter, now returning to public spotlight, and its enduring role in Canada’s colonial past and Indigenous displacement

Duration:00:11:45

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Run Like a Girl with Catherine McKenna

11/25/2025
Canada’s former Environment Minister reflects on the personal challenges, political battles and moments of resilience that shaped her journey to the front lines of global climate action

Duration:00:53:57

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Across Quebec's Ungava Peninsula with Dave Greene

11/11/2025
Inspiring the next generation through education, endurance and the power of exploration

Duration:00:41:52

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Frozen fjords and first ascents: Shira Biner’s Baffin Island odyssey

10/28/2025
The 2025 Nat Gillis Adventure Photography Expedition Grant recipient discusses her journey leading a groundbreaking team in Canada's North

Duration:00:53:10

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Gales of November: John U. Bacon on the untold story of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

10/14/2025
Fifty years after the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, bestselling author John U. Bacon revisits the tragedy that changed Great Lakes history

Duration:01:00:24

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Vanished Beyond the Map: Adam Shoalts on the mystery of lost explorer Hubert Darrel

9/30/2025
Through extensive reporting for his new book, RCGS Explorer-in-Residence Adam Shoalts discusses the story of Hubert Darrell, the legendary Arctic explorer who vanished in 1910

Duration:00:58:16

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The future of exploration with Richard Wiese

9/11/2025
From summiting Kilimanjaro 18 times to re-shaping The Explorers Club, Richard Wiese discusses inclusivity, conservation and the next era of global discovery

Duration:00:39:02

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Waterborne: Dan Rubinstein’s 2,000-kilometre paddleboard adventure

9/2/2025
“On a paddleboard, you‘re vulnerable to tides and winds. You don‘t fight them—you learn to fit into natural rhythms.” Journalist and author Dan Rubinstein joins the Explore Podcast for the second instalment in our annual canoe/paddling series to share the story of his epic three-month, 2,000-kilometre paddleboarding journey, which took him from Ottawa to New York City and back via the Ottawa River, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Champlain, the Hudson River, the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario. Along the way, he explored the idea of blue space—the powerful impact of water on our bodies, minds, and communities. In this conversation, Dan reflects on his new book Waterborne, the physical and spiritual pull of water, and why paddleboarding offered a unique way to connect with people, places, and history. From Mohawk communities reclaiming their relationship with the St. Lawrence River to grassroots activists restoring the Hudson to strangers offering kindness along the Erie Canal, Dan’s journey reveals how water shapes us, heals us, and connects us across boundaries.

Duration:00:40:51

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Is a River Alive? with Robert Macfarlane

8/19/2025
The award-winning author shares his thoughts on rivers mountains landscapes and the deep connection between humans and nature

Duration:00:57:30

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Learning from water with Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

6/24/2025
This special live episode of Explore features a thought-provoking conversation about the deep importance of our relationship with water between host David McGuffin and acclaimed Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, and musician Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, recorded at the Ottawa Writers Festival in May. Leanne discusses her latest book, The Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead, a genre-defying work that weaves together traditional storytelling, theory, and land-based knowledge. Through various lenses — skiing, eels, beavers, canoes, shorelines — Simpson reflects on the interconnectedness of people, water, and the natural world, and on how we might reimagine our relationships in a time of climate grief and transformation. This live conversation touches on land based learning, Indigenous ethics, and the hopeful possibilities of communal learning, all grounded in Simpson’s unique voice as both an academic and artist. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is an award winning, best-selling Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg scholar, writer, artist, and musician. She is the author of eight books, including the award-winning Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies and As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom Through Radical Resistance. Her newest work, The Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead, continues her powerful exploration of land-based knowledge, community, and hope. Simpson has been widely recognized for her contributions to Indigenous thought, activism, and the arts. She is a member of Alderville First Nation and is based in Peterborough, Ontario.

Duration:00:47:51

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I Interviewed The Beaverton's Luke Gordon Field. He Replied in Headlines

6/10/2025
The Beaverton, Canada's Leading Satircal News site, is turning 15. A conversation with Editor in Chief Luke Gordon Field.

Duration:00:43:31

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The Open Road: George Strombolopolous on Music, Motorcycles, Movies and Canada

5/27/2025
Strombo!

Duration:01:24:26

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Return to Ellesmere Island with Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely

5/13/2025
Behind the scenes of an epic Arctic crossing as two explorers conquer the Canadian High Arctic in deep winter

Duration:00:43:45

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Singing Back the Buffalo with Tasha Hubbard

4/29/2025
The award-winning filmmaker explores her new documentary and her work examining buffalo restoration, Indigenous knowledge and cultural renewal

Duration:00:45:48

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Dam proud: How the beaver has shaped Canada's environment

4/15/2025
A deep dive into the world of beavers as Canada celebrates 50 years of the iconic species as the country’s national animal

Duration:00:48:27

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Elbows Up! Hockey, politics and patriotism with Roy MacGregor

4/1/2025
The award-winning journalist explores the intersection of hockey, politics and patriotism, highlighting Canada's 2025 4 Nations Face-Off victory over the U.S. amid tensions from Trump's tariff war

Duration:00:28:01