An Accidental History of Canada

Witness to Yesterday (The Champlain Society Podcast on Canadian History)

Nicole O’Byrne speaks with Geoff Hudson, Megan Davies, John Belshaw, Darrel Manitowabi, and Sasha Mullally about An Accidental History of Canada published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in 2024. An Accidental History of Canada explores the often overlooked smaller-scale accidents in Canadian history, from the 1630s to the 1970s. Covering incidents in workplaces, homes, and leisure activities, the book examines how these events reveal vulnerabilities, inequalities, and power dynamics in colonial, Indigenous, rural, and urban contexts. It contrasts Indigenous and settler views on accidents, linking them to the rise of the modern state. The volume argues that accidents, whether seen as fate or miscalculations, reflect shared societal values and attitudes toward risk. Geoff Hudson is an Associate Professor in the history of medicine at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. Megan Davies is Professor Emerita at York University. She is a historian of health with a regional focus on British Columbia John Belshaw is a historian at Thompson Rivers University. Darrel Manitowabi is an Associate Professor in the Human Sciences Division at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University Sudbury Campus where he is the inaugural Hannah Chair in Indigenous Health and Indigenous Traditional Medicine. Sasha Mullally is a Professor in the History Department at the University of New Brunswick. Image Credit: McGill-Queen’s University Press 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.