Welcome to Witness to Yesterday. This summer, we will be reissuing our top 10 episodes. We hope you enjoy revisiting these with us. The Witness to Yesterday team is working hard, and we're excited to bring you the next new season in September, 2023. Thank you for listening.

Original Episode Description: Greg Marchildon talks with Greg Kealey (professor of history emeritus, University of New Brunswick) on the history of Canadian Spying (RCMP) before CSIS and his book Spying on Canadians: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Security Service and the Origins of the Long Cold War (University of Toronto Press, 2017). This podcast was produced by Hugh Bakhurst and Pernia Jamshed in the Allan Slaight Radio Institute at Ryerson University.

<p>If you like our work, please consider supporting it: <a href="https://bit.ly/support_WTY">https://bit.ly/support_WTY</a>. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society&rsquo;s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada&rsquo;s past.</p>

The History of Canadian Spying (2023 Reissue)

Originally aired on CBC's The World This Hour on July 12, 2023.

World This Hour - RCMP investigating sexual assault allegations at N.S. youth correctional facility

Criminals on Patrol Podcast
Season One: Royal Canadian Mounted Problem
Episode Two: RCMP's Colonial Past

In episode 2, I ask the question of whether we should be celebrating the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) 150th anniversary? Should Canadians be proud or horrified over RCMP actions in the last 150 years.

I talk to two historical experts to see if they can help me answer this question and many more:

Dr. Sean Carleton 
https://www.seancarleton.com/

Dr. James Daschuk 
https://www.uregina.ca/kinesiology/faculty-staff/faculty/daschuk-james.html

YouTube video version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGRLIFG0CFQ

Criminals on Patrol is a podcast hosted by Indigenous lawyer, professor, author, and human rights activist, Dr. Pam Palmater.
https://www.pampalmater.com

This podcast shines a light on the widespread criminality, corruption, and cover-ups in policing, by investigating one specific police force over the course of a season.
https://www.criminalsonpatrol.com

You can also check out the COP Blog which provides resources for each episode:
https://criminalsonpatrol.com/a-colonial-past


Dr. Palmater is a member of Eel River Bar First Nation and an award-winning producer and host of several other podcasts:

Warrior Life Podcast
https://soundcloud.com/pampalmater

Warrior Kids Podcast 
https://www.warriorkidspodcast.com

You can find all of Pam Palmater's podcasts on her Apple Podcast Channel: 
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/channel/pam-palmater/id6449407507

Criminals on Patrol is a podcast by Warrior Life Studios Inc., a production studio that is 100% Indigenous-owned and is currently producing several other podcasts and television series.
(website forthcoming)


FOLLOW ME ON TIKTOK @pp2cool

FOLLOW ME ON IG @pam_palmater

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER @Pam_Palmater

FOLLOW ME ON THREADS @pam_palmater


If you would like to support my work and help keep it independent, here are some links to several donation apps:

Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/join/2144345

Buy Me a Coffee
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/pampalmater

Ko-Fi
https://ko-fi.com/pampalmater

WARRIOR LIFE STORE:
https://www.teespring.com/stores/warrior-life-2


Please note: Nothing in this podcast advocates for violence on Indigenous territories.

Please also note: The information contained in this podcast should not be misconstrued as legal, financial or medical advice, nor should it be relied on as such. This podcast/video represents fair political comment.

#police 
#indigenous  
#truecrime

RCMP'S Colonial Past

On this episode of Driving Law, Kyla and Paul discuss how Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was fined for speeding in Alberta last week. They also talk about a decision involving a Prince George RCMP dog handler who was recently found not guilty of assault with a weapon and obstruction of justice after a 2016 arrest involving a stolen vehicle. And finally, there's the ridiculous driver(s) of the week!

Check out the "Lawyer Told Me Not To Talk To You" T-shirts at Lawyertoldme.com and "Sit Still Jackson" at sitstilljackson.com

Follow Kyla Lee on Twitter:
twitter.com/IRPlawyer

Follow Kyla Lee on Instagram:
instagram.com/kylaleelawyer

www.vancouvercriminallaw.com

Episode 304: Chrystia Freeland fined for speeding and a RCMP dog handler found not guilty

On this Thursday, August 24, 2023, today's host, Krishna Prasad, brings you all the latest local news and an exciting segment at the end. First up, Rogers Communications has launched the first phase of their new 5G coverage on TTC subways, along with improved emergency coverage for all riders. Second, the RCMP has taken over jurisdiction on the Greenbelt scandal from the Ontario Provincial Police. Finally, Ontario courts have ruled against renowned but controversial psychologist Jordan Peterson following complaints to the College of Psychologists of Ontario’s order. They have asked he pay for a media training course. Finally, Krishna brings you the weather forecast and a new segment from Hidden Histories, a weekly segment about pieces of history you probably don't know.

Rogers Communications launches first phase of 5G coverage on TTC,

On this special episode Kyla and guest host Roy look at the now-viral for all the wrong reasons RCMP video about pedestrian safety and analyze it through the lens of civil litigation. On the Magraken Moment, Erik talks about the division of blame in a rear-end crash.

Check out the "Lawyer Told Me Not To Talk To You" T-shirts at Lawyertoldme.com and "Sit Still Jackson" at sitstilljackson.com

Follow Kyla Lee on Twitter:
twitter.com/IRPlawyer

Follow Kyla Lee on Instagram:
instagram.com/kylaleelawyer

www.vancouvercriminallaw.com

Episode 312: Special Guest Host Roy Ho and Civil Litigation

On Friday, December 8th, our host Shaaranki Kulenthirarasa has the headlines. First, the RCMP under investigation after Indigenous woman's body found one kilometre from where she was missing. Also, CIBC fined $1.3M for failing to comply with money laundering, terrorism financing regulations. And in the US, a woman who threw a chipotle bowl at an employee is sentenced to a fast food job. Finally, Samina Sultana has a book recommendation in her Turn the Page segment!

RCMP under investigation for action, inaction in death of Indigenous woman

On this week's episode, Kyla and Paul look at a quirky case with a judgement filled with pop culture references. Their predictions about police needing retraining for impaired driving investigations also become true!

Check out the "Lawyer Told Me Not To Talk To You" T-shirts and hoodies at Lawyertoldme.com and "Sit Still Jackson" at sitstilljackson.com

Follow Kyla Lee on Twitter:
twitter.com/IRPlawyer

Follow Kyla Lee on Instagram:
instagram.com/kylaleelawyer

Episode 344: Hogan's Heroes and RCMP Retraining

One among the ranks of the thousands of missing or murdered indigenous women in Canada who I learned about recently is Chelsea Poorman, found dead in Vancouver, BC after being missing for 18 months.

The Murdered and the Missing (Song for Chelsea Poorman)

Greg Marchildon talks to Dennis Gruending about his book, A Communist for the RCMP: The Uncovered Story of a Social Movement Informant.

In 1941, the RCMP recruited Frank Hadesbeck, a Spanish Civil War veteran, as a paid informant to infiltrate the Communist Party. For decades, he informed not only upon communists, but also upon hundreds of other people who held progressive views. Hadesbeck’s “Watch Out” lists on behalf of the Security Service included labour activists, medical doctors, lawyers, university professors and students, journalists, Indigenous and progressive farm leaders, members of the clergy, and anyone involved in the peace and human rights movements.

A Communist for the RCMP provides an inside account of Hadesbeck’s career and illustrates how the RCMP uses surveillance of activists to enforce the status quo.

Dennis Gruending has written and edited eight books, including biographies of former Saskatchewan premier Allan Blakeney and of Emmett Hall, whose Royal Commission recommended Medicare for Canada. Gruending has worked as a print and television journalist and as a CBC Radio host. He served as a New Democratic Party MP in the 36th parliament and was his party’s critic for the environment and for international development. He later wrote speeches for former Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert, and later still spent six years at the Canadian Labour Congress. He and his wife, Martha Wiebe, live in Ottawa. You can find more information at: https://www.dennisgruending.com.

Image Credit: Between the Lines

If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.

A Communist for the RCMP: The Uncovered Story of a Social Movement Informant

Nicole O'Byrne talks to Greg Marquis about his book "Canada's State Police: 150 Years of the RCMP. Drawing upon all of the available literature related to the organization's history, Marquis lays bare what he regards as 150 years of state police action and seeks to challenge what he claims are the carefully constructed myths about the RCMP's role in Canadian life.

Greg Marquis is a historian at the University of New Brunswick. He specializes in Canadian history and criminal justice theory. He has developed a number of courses in the area of law and society, and is on the editorial board of Acadiensis. He is the author of multiple books including, The Vigilant Eye: Policing Canada from 1867-9/11, Truth & Honour: The Death of Richard Oland and the Trial of Dennis Oland, and John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Year That Canada Was Cool. Greg Marquis lives in Quispamsis, New Brunswick.

If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.

Image Credit: James Lorimer & Company Ltd., Publishers

Canada’s State Police: 150 years of the RCMP

"Riot in the Rain" is a raw and unfiltered anthem of resistance, channeling the anger, frustration, and unyielding spirit of Indigenous peoples standing against the systemic oppression symbolized by the RCMP. The track embodies the rage of centuries of mistreatment, the fight for sovereignty, and the pain of lives uprooted and traditions threatened.

Through gritty drill beats and fiery bars, the song paints vivid imagery of clashes between the RCMP and Indigenous protesters, echoing the real-world confrontations over land, rights, and freedom. The lyrics lay bare the tensions of riot squads confronting those who protect their sacred lands, exposing the stark imbalance of power and the resilience of Indigenous communities in the face of state-sanctioned force.

With its heavy basslines and intense delivery, "Riot in the Rain" is both a battle cry and a mournful lament, blending anger with hope as it calls for unity, resistance, and justice. This track is not just music; it’s a testament to the ongoing struggle and a reminder that the spirit of resistance cannot be extinguished.

Riot In The Rain

Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There are some Cortes Island elements to the story of a boat stolen from Campbell River on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. 

Someone living in the Potlatch Road area of southern Cortes Island observed ‘big military type planes’ and some helicopters flying around the ocean that morning and thought it might be a Sea-Air Rescue excerise. He did not think about it again until reading about the incident on CHEK News.

At 8 AM the Powell River RCMP received a request from the Quadra detachment to help intercept the stolen boat. GPS tracked it to the vincinty of Mitlenatch Island. An RCMP vessel from Powell River responded and was en route to Mitlenatch when it was notified that the Quadra detachment had already located the stolen vessel. 

The stolen boat was escourting it to the Mansons Landing dock, on Cortes Island, where it was secured and two ‘suspects’ were arrested for Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over $5,000. They were transported back to Campbell River and turned over to the Campbell River RCMP. 

Mansons Landing dock is maintained by Harbour Authority Cortes Island (HACI), but as it was a straighforward matter police did not think it necessary to inform them. Consequently HACI did not learn of the incident for another five days.

The Quadra Island detachment used to issue weekly reports of their activities on Quadra, Cortes and other Discovery Islands, but have discontinued that service. The RCMP press release for this incident comes from the Powell River detachment.   

Cortes Island Elements In A Boat Theft Story

Cortes Currents is a news platform that asks what's current in Cortes and the Discovery Islands. Web articles & radio podcasts: Cortes Island, Quadra Island, Discovery Islands, Campbell River: news, lifestyle, local politics, affordable housing, economy, food security, health, ferries, tourism, history,  culture, environmental issues, sustainable forestry, oyster farming, the arts, First Nations, energy, climate change, overshoot

Join award-winning host Pam Palmater, Mi’kmaw lawyer and author, as she turns true crime on its head by exposing the thin blue line of criminality, corruption & cover-ups in policing.

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), libertarian socialist, dad, lover of life.

young indigenous rapper from a small town trying to tell his story 

Immerse yourself in Canada’s history! Witness to Yesterday episodes take listeners on a journey to document a time in Canada’s past and explore the people behind it, its significance, and its relevance to today. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: https://bit.ly/support_WTY. To learn more about the Society and Canada’s history, subscribe to our newsletter at https://bit.ly/news_WTY.

Toronto Metropolitan University's campus and community multi-media hub. Listen at 1280 AM or online at metradio.ca

Driving law drives the law. Our legal system is shaped and developed by what happens when we are in our cars. Acumen Law Corporation lawyer Kyla Lee discusses with guests all things related to the rules of the road and how it is constantly changing the legal landscape.

New tracks tagged #RCMP