The 519 Podcast

There are few things we take for granted more than our drinking water. 

When we want water, we turn on the tap, and there it is. And, by and large, we trust that the water coming out of our tap is clean and safe for us to use. We’re completely dependent on that water as we use it for everything in our lives, from brushing our teeth, to bathing, to cooking with it, and obviously to drink it.

But, what happens when something goes wrong? What happens when that water becomes tainted?

On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we take a look at how an entire town’s water supply became so dangerous that it led to severe illness and death. 

It’s not often that, in a small town, someone disappears out of thin air. So, when Lois Hanna vanished after a dance in the small Bruce County town of Lucknow, it left an impact. So much so that people are still looking for her to this day.

On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we look at the disappearance of Lois Hanna, and talk about theories as to what could have happened on the night she was last seen.

If you know anything about Lois's disappearance,  please contact: PleaseBringMeHome.com

To listen to more details about Lois's story: Sheddinglight.buzzsprout.com

It seems as if every small town in Ontario has seen its fair share of missing posters, or posters declaring a reward for information on murder cases. Many of these cases have gone years unsolved, with posters that have faded over time. 

This week on the 519 Podcast, we look into one of these cases: the unsolved murder of Karen Caughlin, which has been haunting Sarnia for nearly 50 years. 

When you think of the Klu Klux Klan, would you consider them to be strictly American? A racist enterprise restricted to the southern United States with little to no influence in another country, especially not Canada, right? 

Sadly, this was not the case in the early 1900’s, when the Klan's twisted ideas bled across the border into Southwestern Ontario. It was during this time that there were parades of thousands of Klansmena nd crosses were burned at their meetings. 

It’s not exactly a bright spot in Ontario’s history, needless to say. It’s not an overly well known history either.

On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we look at the KKK's history in our region. 

It was an unusually sunny and warm March day in London - that also happened to be a Saturday, which also happened to be on St. Patrick's Day. These events led to the a massive riot near Fanshawe College.

On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we examine the St. Patrick's Day Riot of 2012.

How it happened, the fallout, and what was done to ensure it would never happen again.

There were several people who played significant roles in trailblazing the Black press in Canadian history. 
As we heard on the last episode of the 519 Podcast, those included Henry and Mary Bibb.

But the subject of this episode was very unique in what she brought to the table. 

In a time when breaking through the barriers of racism was already near impossible, Mary Ann Shadd Cary had to deal with a historically terrible era of sexism. Despite it all, she became the first Black woman to open, own, and run a newspaper.

This was a significant achievement. But the amazing part is, this was just one of the things she was able to accomplish in her lifetime. It was essentially a single line in a resume that grew for decades, with recognitions and contributions to the abolition movement, to educating settlers in Canada, to getting a law degree, to helping the Union in the American Civil War. 

She was recognized as a Person of National Historic Significance by the Government of Canada in 1994. 

On this episode of the 519 Podcast, we tell her story. 

There is a rich Black history in Canada, particularly in southwestern Ontario, where thousands of escaped slaves ended up after crossing the border in pursuit of freedom. We have a treasure trove of incredibly inspiring local black history, and in this episode of the 519 Podcast we dig a little deeper into the story of Henry and Mary Bibb.

Henry and Mary Bibb settled in Old Sandwich Towne in Windsor, Ontario in August of 1850. Five months later they opened ‘The Voice of the Fugitive’, the first ever black owned newspaper in Canada. It was a massive step forward for the anti-slavery movement, as well as a significant milestone in Black Canadian History. 

As difficult a task as it would have been to start ‘The voice of the Fugitive’, the road leading to that moment was much more difficult

Henry Bibb was born a slave, seeing nothing but the horrors of human ownership through his entire adolescence. And while Mary was born a free woman, being a black woman in America during that era was no cake walk either. They had a lot to overcome to get to where they were. In this episode of the 519 Podcast, we tell their story. 

This is 'Printing for Freedom’.

Among the most troubling statistics to come out of Ontario in 2022 was the number of people who died in fires. 

In fact, the number was the highest we have seen in two decades. And it had been growing for years, leading up to 2022. 

From 2010 to 2019,  Ontario saw around 75 to 100 fire-related deaths each year. Then, when COVID-19 hit, people started spending a lot more time at home. 

And we started seeing more people lose their lives in fires.

In 2020, the number was 115. In 2021, it was 125. 

And in 2022, the number climbed to 133. 

So, are fires getting more dangerous or are we becoming more complacent? The answer, oddly, is both. 

This is 133 Dead: Ontario's Tragic Record Breaking Year.

It’s a murder that people still talk about over 100 years later - one that some blamed on one of the most infamous serial killers we’ve ever known.

The gruesome crime happened in the small town of Listowel in 1894 - and has become a part of local legend.

On this episode of ‘The 519 Podcast’ we look at the Murder of Jessie Keith and the time Jack the Ripper was thought to be in Ontario.

In 1966, then 12-year-old Rob Freeman saw the unthinkable, a UFO. While he was initially laughed at when he told friends and family, he was validated the next day by the Sarnia Observer.

“It’s a Balloon… It’s a Meteor…. No, it’s a UFO!” was the headline for a story that included roughly 200 other witnesses being referenced in the article. 

On this episode of the 519 Podcast we look at the Rob’s UFO sighting and dive into his eight years of adventuring with Mark McNabb in UFO exploration.