Best 1895 Films Podcasts (2026)

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Small-White Duel 14:49

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8m ago14:49

14:49

226 years ago, the Attorney General was shot and killed in a grove near the Distillery District. Everybody knew who did it, but the shooter went free because it happened in a duel. This week’s episode is about the Small-White Duel, a tale of two gentleman who faced each other in mortal combat over a matter of honour and because their wives couldn’t…

1
Bonus: A Christmas Story Filming Locations 5:24

16d ago5:24

5:24

Over the years, A Christmas Story has become a bona-fide holiday classic. However, I would guess that most viewers don’t realize that much of the film was made right here in Toronto. Since we’re only four days away from Christmas Day, we decided to make a bonus episode about the different locations where film scenes were shot. Happy Holidays from M…

1
A Movable Feast - Chinese Restaurants in Toronto w/Leo Chan 36:18

21d ago36:18

36:18

Leo Chan, professor chef and general food expert, joins us to talk about the history of Chinese restaurants in Toronto - from Sing Tom's Cafe (founded in 1901) to the Big Four (Nanking, Lichee Garden, San Woo and Kwong Chow) to the later waves of newcomers and the vast diversity of Chinese regional cuisines. It's the holiday season, so order some C…

1
Toronto's Forgotten River - The Ghost of Garrison Creek 16:32

1M ago16:32

16:32

Garrison Creek used to run through western Toronto before flowing into the harbour. Over the years, it would be covered and filled in, but its ghost lingers on. If you know where to look, you can still find traces of it throughout the city. Learn more about Toronto's forgotten river on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. You can follow Muddy …

1
Royal Ontario Museum 24:55

2M ago24:55

24:55

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is the largest and most-visited museum in Canada. But who built the ROM? Where did the totem poles in the lobby come from and who was the Mr. English who offered to build a planetarium entirely on his own dime? Learn more about Toronto's most distinguished museum on this episode of Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history pod…

1
Toronto Kids TV (50s & 60s) w/Retrontario 42:27

2M ago42:27

42:27

Ed Conroy of Retrontario joins us to talk about the Golden Age of Kids TV in Toronto. We'll be looking at Uncle Chichimus, the Friendly Giant, Mister Rogers, Butternut Square, Mr. Dressup and more on this episode of Muddy York. You can find more information about ImagiNation: The Golden Age of Toronto Kids' TV here: https://imagination.retrontario.…

1
Kit Coleman, Trailblazing Female Journalist of the Gilded Age 23:12

3M ago23:12

23:12

Kit Coleman was a woman; she was also a journalist. When she began her career in 1889, this made her a trailblazer and even a subversive figure. For some people, female journalists were only slightly higher than streetwalkers in the Victorian social hierarchy. For 22 years, she wrote for The Mail and The Mail and Empire newspapers. Then, she struck…

1
Toronto Zoo 41:51

3M ago41:51

41:51

The Zoo is a Scarborough institution. But it raises the question: what is a zoo in Toronto’s eyes? Is it an animal sanctuary? A school field trip factory? A conservation lab? On this episode of Muddy York, we'll look at the history of the high-minded, ethically ambitious and chaotically managed mega-zoo that we know today as well as the Riverdale Z…

1
Yonge Street - 1867 to Today 21:06

4M ago21:06

21:06

In our last episode, we covered the history of Yonge Street up to 1867. This episode will focus on the last 150 years. We’ll talk about how it became the city’s main shopping street, how streetcars and urban development moved north, and how the Yonge Street Strip was left to decay before a massive shopping mall helped to kickstart a recovery. You c…

1
Yonge Street - 1793 to 1867 18:34

4M ago18:34

18:34

Is Yonge Street the longest street in the world? Hard to say. But it is the most important street in Toronto. On this episode of Muddy York, learn more about the history of this thoroughfare, including how it was built in the middle of winter, what it was like to travel during the 19th century and the corrupt businessman who managed to steal it. Yo…

1
Patty Conklin, Carnie King of Toronto w/John Thurston 28:52

5M ago28:52

28:52

If you went to the Ex from the 70s to the 90s, you may remember seeing a clown’s head logo with red hair, a black hat and plus signs over his eyes. The clown was named Conko and he was the logo for Conklin Shows, the company that managed the CNE midway alongside a host of other fairs across Canada and the U.S. John Thurston, author of Carnie King, …

1
Bonus: Scadding Cabin 5:40

5M ago5:40

5:40

Today is the first day of the CNE. If you’re one of the millions of people who will plan to visit the Ex, you might want to take the opportunity to check out the oldest building in Toronto. Built in 1794, it’s called the Scadding Cabin and it’s located on the Exhibition Grounds, just west of the Bandshell and next to the large wind turbine. For the…

1
Caribana - The Carnival That Changed Toronto 30:24

5M ago30:24

30:24

Caribana is about artistry, community and joy. It began in Canada's Centennial year of 1967 as a gift from the Caribbean community to the people of Toronto. Since then, it's grown into the largest cultural festival in North America - we're talking about more than a million people, a $400 million economic impact and more feather than a Vegas revue. …

1
Cholera in Toronto 17:44

6M ago17:44

17:44

This episode of Muddy York is about a cholera epidemic that struck Toronto from 1832 to 1834. If we had written this episode ten years ago, it would have been very different. But then Covid arrived. While you’re listening to how people reacted to the appearance of a new disease in the 19th century, you may notice some things that seem familiar from…

1
CN Tower 19:29

6M ago19:29

19:29

The CN Tower is probably the most recognizable symbol of Toronto. Every Torontonian also knew that it was the tallest free-standing structure in the world; we memorized that phrasing. But why was it built and what is it used for besides selling postcards? Today, we look at the history of the CN Tower on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. You…

1
Don River Valley w/Jennifer Bonnell 47:13

7M ago47:13

47:13

On this episode, we explore the history of the Don River Valley. Jennifer Bonnell, author of Reclaiming the Don, joins us to talk about the river, the valley, the parkway and the people who've lived and worked there. Learn more on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠…

1
When Toronto Tore Down the Fancy Stuff 28:32

7M ago28:32

28:32

We’re kicking off a new series that we're calling When Toronto Tore Down the Fancy Stuff — a deep dive into the beautiful, bold, and totally doomed buildings this city once had … and then promptly erased. In this episode, we're talking about Moss Park, Crystal Palace, Government House and Hanlan's Hotel. So buckle up, we’re heading into the age of …

1
The Beaches 23:43

8M ago23:43

23:43

Is it The Beach or The Beaches, singular or plural? We're calling it The Beaches and this episode of Muddy York is dedicated to the history of this distinctive Toronto neighbourhood, from amusement parks to racetracks to stylish water treatment plants. There's a lot more to The Beaches than the beach, although there are plenty of beaches. You can f…

1
Castle Frank 21:43

8M ago21:43

21:43

What comes to mind when you hear Castle Frank? A TTC station? An area of Rosedale? Bob Georgiou joins us to talk about one of those little corners of Toronto whose story touches on the man who founded the town of York, a lost landmark of pioneer days, and two of the biggest infrastructure projects in Toronto's history. Special Guest Star: Nathalie …

1
1895 City Budget 12:32

9M ago12:32

12:32

We're doing something a little different for this episode of Muddy York. We got our hands on a copy of the city budget from exactly 130 years ago and we're going to look at some of the ways that the government used to raise and spend money. There is some interesting stuff - well, it's interesting if you're the kind of person who listens to history …

1
Florence Linehart 32:18

9M ago32:18

32:18

Florence Linehart is one of Toronto’s greatest unsung visionaries. And yet … outside of a very specific group of academics, subway historians, and people who take brunch way too seriously, her name has been completely forgotten. She shaped the Toronto subway system and she fought the souls minions of orthodoxy at City Hall. On this episode of Muddy…

1
Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres 18:25

10M ago18:25

18:25

The Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres were built to host vaudeville as the Canadian flagship of the Loew's theatre chain. The building would become one of top cinemas in Toronto before being converted back into a theatre to host the Canadian premiere of Cats during the 1980s. Learn about the last stacked theatres in the world on Muddy York, Toronto'…

1
Streetcar Strike of 1886 w/Greg Koabel 38:50

10M ago38:50

38:50

In 1886, employees of the Toronto Railway Company went on strike. They weren't fighting for a pay raise or shorter hours; this strike was over their right to even join a labour union. Greg Koabel from The Nations of Canada podcast joins us to talk about this important event in labour history on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. You can foll…

1
Battle of St. Andrew 20:00

11M ago20:00

20:00

Next week's provincial election inspired this episode which is about an election campaign that was fought in the riding of St. Andrew all the way back in 1955. This race was significant because the local Tory candidate wanted to defeat the last communist MPP at Queen’s Park. This campaign was about what it meant to be a communist elected official a…

1
Degrassi w/Sarah Fisher 43:01

11M ago43:01

43:01

Set in the school hallways of Toronto, Degrassi is less about teenagers attending school and more about the architecture of growing up. Join us to learn more about one of the most successful media franchises in Canadian history on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. As a bonus, Sarah Fisher, who played Becky Baker on Degrassi: TNG, joins us f…

1
Toronto Hockey and the Birth of the Leafs 20:37

12M ago20:37

20:37

Welcome to the second episode on the history of hockey in Toronto. When the last episode ended, Toronto’s first professional hockey team had just disbanded. If Toronto was going to win its first Stanley Cup, it would need a new team of pros. Or two teams of pros as things turned out. In this episode, learn how how Toronto won its first Stanley Cup,…

1
Toronto Hockey Before the Leafs 18:59

1y ago18:59

18:59

If you’re going to do a podcast about Toronto, it’s only a matter of time until hockey comes up. However, we’re going to do something a little bit different. The next two episodes of Muddy York will be about the history of hockey in Toronto before the Leafs arrived on the scene. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

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Chapter 01 26:12

1y ago26:12

26:12

More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy Rudyard Kipling

1
Chapter 02 33:27

1y ago33:27

33:27

More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy Rudyard Kipling

1
Chapter 03 30:51

1y ago30:51

30:51

More great books at LoyalBooks.comBy Rudyard Kipling

1
Bonus: Christmas Window Displays 10:39

1y ago10:39

10:39

Welcome to a special holiday episode of Muddy York, the podcast where we dig into Toronto’s hidden stories and, let’s be honest, let ourselves get swept up in a little nostalgia. Today, we’re peeling back the frosty layers of one of Toronto’s most magical holiday traditions: the department store Christmas window displays. You can follow Muddy York …

1
Chinatown w/Arlene Chan 44:43

1y ago44:43

44:43

Arlene Chan joins us to talk about the history of Toronto's Chinatown. The Chinese presence in Toronto goes back to at least 1878. However, the first Chinatown would become a victim of urban redevelopment during the 1960s. Learn more about the people who built this community and the fight to preserve it on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. …

1
Toronto Sewer System (or What Lies Beneath?) 21:28

1y ago21:28

21:28

On this episode of Muddy York, we’re plunging deep into Toronto’s underground story—the tale of our city’s sewers. It’s a story that’s all about overcoming the gritty, grimy obstacles of urban growth. It's also an opportunity for us to make loads of puns. So join us to learn more about the Toronto Sewer System. It's a dirty job, but somebody's got …

1
Toronto and World War I - Part 2 (1917-18) 20:59

1y ago20:59

20:59

By 1917, tens of thousands of Torontonians had joined the Canadian forces fighting in Europe and thousands had died. Women were entering the workforce to replace men who had joined the army and the cost of living kept rising as the war consumed ever more resources. This episode will focus on Toronto’s experience during the last two years of the war…

1
Toronto and World War I - Part 1 (1914-16) 21:32

1y ago21:32

21:32

World War I was a cataclysm that fundamentally changed western civilization. Toronto was just a small piece of this massive event, but four years of war would transform the city in ways both big and small. In commemoration of Remembrance Day, our next two episodes will tell the story of Toronto during the First World War – how the city supported th…

1
Bonus: Other Places Called Toronto 6:32

1y ago6:32

6:32

If you listen to this podcast, then you probably live near Toronto. That usually means that you're from southern Ontario, but you could live in PEI. You could be from Indiana, Illinois or Iowa. You could live in Australia or England. You could even be from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars. Yes, there a host of different places called Toro…

1
Hurricane Hazel (Anniversary Repost) 25:56

1y ago25:56

25:56

Today is the 70th Anniversary of Hurricane Hazel striking Toronto, one of the worst disasters in the city's history. 81 people died and more than 4,000 were left homeless. To commemorate this anniversary, Muddy York is reposting our episode about Hurricane Hazel. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠…

1
Timothy Eaton 21:24

1+ y ago21:24

21:24

For most of the 20th century, Eaton’s was the most famous store in Canada. At its height, 7% of all retail shopping in Canada was done there. Today, all that remains is the name of the Eaton Centre. This week on Muddy York, we will be talking about Timothy Eaton, the man who turned a small store on Yonge Street into the most important retail busine…

1
Toronto International Film Festival 18:19

1+ y ago18:19

18:19

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is a world-famous cultural event that has launched some of the biggest films in cinema history. But it had humble origins as three film producers fought to overcome local skepticism, Hollywood indifference and a censorious province. So, grab your popcorn and settle in as we explore the fascinating hist…

1
Bonus: Private Lives of John & Elizabeth Simcoe w/Adam Bunch 34:53

1+ y ago34:53

34:53

Adam Bunch joins us for this special episode discussing the private lives of John Graves Simcoe, the man who founded Toronto, and his wife Elizabeth. Tune in to learn more about the spy rings, pyromania and thwarted passions of these two public figures. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: …

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Marilyn Bell 18:08

1+ y ago18:08

18:08

Next Monday, September 9th, will be the 70th anniversary of a major athletic and cultural event in the history of Toronto. On that date in 1954, a sixteen-year-old girl touched the breakwater near Sunnyside Beach making her the first person to swim across Lake Ontario. She became a media sensation and Canada’s sweetheart, but two years later, she h…

1
Yorkville Music Scene 20:00

1+ y ago20:00

20:00

During the 60s, Yorkville was arguably the most important cultural location in Canada, launching the careers of people that have made such enormous contributions that we can hardly remember what Canadian music was like before they arrived. In our last episode, we didn’t have enough time to give this topic the attention it deserves, so this week wil…

1
Yorkville 24:50

1+ y ago24:50

24:50

Over the years, Yorkville has been Toronto's first suburb, a working-class neighbourhood, the centre of the Canadian counterculture and one of the swankiest districts in the city. Learn more about this colourful neighbourhood on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

1
Bonus: Toronto Olympic Bids 8:56

1+ y ago8:56

8:56

The Olympic flame has been lit. Join Adam Waiser and Grayson Miller for this bonus episode where we dive into Toronto's many bids to host the Summer Olympics. Some of them failed due to administrative mishaps; others were thwarted by political blunders. Learn all about it on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history podcast. You can follow Muddy York on Twi…

1
John Candy and the 1991 Argos 31:52

1+ y ago31:52

31:52

The story of the 1991 Argos features a rare coin and baseball card collector who owned the LA Kings, the greatest hockey player of all time, and one of the greatest football prospects of the 1990s. Most of all, it featured John Candy. This is the story of the Grey-Cup winning team that electrified Toronto for one magical season. You can follow Mudd…

1
Fred Gardiner 24:37

1+ y ago24:37

24:37

Have you ever wondered who the Gardiner Expressway was named for? Fred Gardiner was the first Chairman of Metro Toronto and he was responsible for some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the city, including the Don Valley Parkway and the highway who bears his name. Learn more about this important builder on Muddy York, Toronto's #1 history p…

1
Fort York 18:53

1+ y ago18:53

18:53

Fort York was built to defend Toronto from our dastardly neighbours to the south. It would participate in two major battles throughout its history. It lost the first one when the Americans captured York during the War of 1812, but it won the second battle, which was a decades-long fight against the developers and city planners who wanted to demolis…

1
Horseshoe Tavern w/Stan Davidson 26:06

1+ y ago26:06

26:06

When the Tragically Hip sang about "that night in Toronto with its checkerboard floors", they were talking about the Horseshoe Tavern. Famous bands like the Pixies and the Stones played there while they were in town and Canadian bands like Blue Rodeo and the Barenaked Ladies played there on their way to fame. Learn more about one of Toronto's iconi…

1
Bonus: Toronto is Getting a WNBA Team 4:51

1+ y ago4:51

4:51

Join host Grayson Miller for this bonus episode of Muddy York where we dive into the monumental announcement of Toronto's new WNBA franchise. We'll reflect on the rich history of basketball in Toronto, explore the present excitement surrounding the expansion and offer an early look at what this development could mean for the future of women's sport…

1
Leaside Aerodrome w/Jeremy Hopkin 42:46

1+ y ago42:46

42:46

Toronto history aficionado Jeremy Hopkin joins us to talk about the history of the Leaside Aerodrome. This airfield was originally built by the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. It would become the site of the first airmail delivery in Canadian history and the home of the Toronto Flying Club. Learn more about this vanished piece of Toronto his…