Demands for a fun theme park? Far from it. His actual demands: land, money, kids, and a sanity plea, all under the barrel of a gun. #HostageNegotiation #TrueCrime #Demands #CrimeStory
The Union Army mistook her for a man, but she was a woman in disguise. Even more shocking: she went undercover as an Irish woman and a Black female slave on two separate occasions. Her true identity? A woman posing as a man. #HistoricalFacts #Espionage #Undercover #MilitaryHistory
A fallen “sexiest man alive,” a glue gun, and the least profitable bank heist spree on the Prairies. In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse dive into the bizarre true story behind Amazon Prime’s The Sexiest Man in Winnipeg, following former Winnipeg TV news anchor Steve Vogelsang…
In this part two of the Tim Hortons saga, Jesse Harley and Rhys Waters dig into how predatory private equity and corporate ownership have hollowed out one of Canada’s most beloved brands. Building on examples like Friendly’s and Toys “R” Us, they explain how firms use debt-loading, bankruptcy, and aggressive…
Mining nostalgia for limitless profit. Rhys and Jesse kick off a two‑part deep dive into how Tim Hortons went from a beloved Canadian community hub to something that feels strangely empty. They start with personal nostalgia: Jesse’s memories of the late‑90s Tim Hortons as a true “third place” where you’d…
If you had to face a bear with NO gun and only a household item… what are you grabbing? Rhys is going straight for his chainsaw (and yes, he has a backup). Comment your pick! #shorts #podcast #podcastshorts #funnyshorts #comedy #storytime #whatwouldyoudo #supersoaker
The Legend of Rattlesnake Island. In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys shares the unbelievable true story of Eddie Haymour, a Lebanese-Canadian businessman who tried to build a Middle Eastern–themed mini theme park—complete with pyramids, mini golf, restaurants, and a giant camel—on tiny Rattlesnake Island in British Columbia. After…
It was about time we had a video intro to go with our audio intro! Excited to share this!! #podcastlife #comedy #podcast
When a 69-year-old Churchill, Manitoba resident hears screams outside his home, he steps out in pajamas, slippers, and armed with nothing but a snow shovel—only to find a woman in the jaws of a polar bear. In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse dive into the incredible…
In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse dive into the incredible true story of William Ayotte, his split-second decision to attack one of the world’s most dangerous predators, the brutal mauling that followed, and the community effort that saved his life. #polarbear #canada #manitoba
In this unexpectedly heavy episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse dig into a part of Canadian history most people never hear about: Canada’s 200‑year relationship with slavery. While many Canadians grow up hearing about the Underground Railroad and Canada as a safe haven, Rhys reveals a much darker…
The story of John Graham, a Canadian diplomat in 1960s Cuba who became an unlikely spy during the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis.John Graham, Canada’s Quiet Spy in Castro’s Cuba
John Graham, Canada’s Quiet Spy in Castro’s Cuba. The story of John Graham, a Canadian diplomat in 1960s Cuba who became an unlikely spy during the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Because the United States had no embassy or formal presence in Cuba after the revolution, President John F.…
In this Canadian history / true crime-adjacent episode, we explore the real story of Gary Hoy, a corporate and securities lawyer at Holden Day Wilson in Toronto, Ontario, whose bizarre accidental death in 1993 became an internet meme, urban legend, and staple of “dumb ways to die” lists: Toronto in…
A Canadian Legend in The American Civil War. In this episode of Canada Is Boring, Rhys and Jesse explore the wild, stranger‑than‑fiction life of Emma Edmonds, a Canadian who fought in the American Civil War while living under multiple identities. Born in 1841 in rural New Brunswick to a harsh,…
Brian Spencer grew up in remote Fort St. James, pushed toward the NHL by a hard working, hyper-intense sports dad who saw hockey as a path to opportunity. On the night of Brian’s first nationally televised NHL game, his father drove to a CBC station armed and took staff hostage…
Best Of Canada Is Boring After 499 episodes proving that Canada is anything but boring, we’ve reached Episode 500, and we’re handing the microphone to the people who made it possible. This special milestone episode of Canada Is Boring is a chaotic, heartfelt, occasionally abusive celebration featuring listener voice notes…
In 1886, Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, finally set out to see the country he had helped stitch together by rail. The Canadian Pacific Railway had just been completed, and a grand cross-country tour was planned—complete with speeches, pomp, and a private rail car. What no one…
Santa letters full of profanity and personal insults. When a beloved Canada Post program lets kids write letters to Santa, what could possibly go wrong? In 2007, Ottawa families found out the hard way. Rhys and Jesse dive into the true story of the “rogue elves” who sent obscene letters…
