6 JUL 2023 · The Columbia River Treaty governs the water that flows from the headwaters of the Columbia River, through the Kootenays, to where it ends in the United States. It profoundly changed the Basin, turning once fertile valleys into lakes and altering river ecosystems forever, while at the same time, preventing catastrophic flooding and generating billions of dollars in hydroelectric revenue. The treaty that shaped this place is up for renegotiation. We talk to families disenfranchised by treaty dams, politicians who negotiated ways to mitigate its impacts, and writers lobbying for a better future.

29 JUN 2023 · Before our insatiable addiction to the almighty car, getting around the Basin was a much different affair. We were transported on trains and paddle-wheelers, a mode of travel that was often an adventure in itself. In this episode, we look at all the ways we move around: we explore an ancient hiking route over a mighty mountain range, relive train travel, ride bikes with seniors, and learn about the history of moving across big water.

22 JUN 2023 · Although the Basin is blessed with thousands of square kilometres of wilderness, our human impact on the land has been profound: we are changing the landscape and significantly affecting many Kootenay animal species. In this episode, we head into the woods and the water to meet the people who are working to save keystone animals, like the sturgeon, the mountain caribou, and big-horn sheep. We’ll also find out why stink bugs are taking over!

15 JUN 2023 · The Kootenays always produce amazing musical talent, and in this episode, we find out the story runs much deeper. We have an internationally recognized music school here in the Basin, where we’ll meet some talented musicians who’ve emerged from Selkirk College’s Contemporary Music and Technology program. We’ll also take a unique trip into the world of the Kootenay luthier, craftspeople who put many hours of talent and passion into making some of the world’s finest stringed instruments.

8 JUN 2023 · It is a largely forgotten blemish on British Columbia’s and Canada’s history, one that creates a potent stigma in the Columbia River Basin. During both the First and Second World Wars, thousands of people, many of them Canadian citizens, were interned in makeshift camps throughout the region. Russian Doukhobors, Austrians, Germans, and Japanese were considered threats to the country and so the government uprooted them, changing their lives forever. This episode features a New Denver man who made a documentary about the letters written during internment that he found in an old church. We also discover a book titled The Kissing Fence, about Doukhobor parents separated from their children, and we look back on the dark years of Kootenay internment.

1 JUN 2023 · There’s something in our mountain water that’s driving a groundswell in comedic talent throughout the Basin. Never have more people wanted to make others laugh in our little slice of the hinterland. In this episode, you’ll hear our own host on stage and in character, and we visit a raucous amateur comedy night in Nelson, where the scene is exploding. We also interview Golden’s Ricky Diamonds, whose comedic crooning keeps his audiences laughing—and groaning—and we check in with social-media giggle disruptor Katie Burrell and her take on this decidedly difficult but hilarious profession.

25 MAY 2023 · People like to do things a little differently out in the back 40. Perhaps it’s the open spaces that create different opportunities when it comes to business, community living, and recreation. In this episode, you’ll hear about an outlier who infiltrated a Slocan Valley commune, Australian entrepreneurs who moved to Canal Flats in search of cryptocurrency, an uncommon residential development, and a woman who runs. And runs. And then runs some more.

18 MAY 2023 · We’ve got some yarns to tell you. Some real beauties. We swear some are true, while others we can’t quite confirm, except through legend. You’ll hear about rogue circus elephants from 100 years ago and cheetahs in the snow just a few winters back. There’s a mysterious giant golden nugget that fell into the depths of Kootenay Lake, and a homemade sub that might find it. And to round it out, we have a story about the world’s first “unofficial” helicopter. You have to hear it to believe it.

18 MAY 2023 · In the Kootenays, we are blessed with an abundance of forests and a multitude of tree species, with some individual trees over a thousand years old. We revere these towering giants, we also depend on them as a resource. In this episode, we dive into the state of old growth with Craig Pettitt and Rachel Holt, two biologists who have dedicated their lives to helping preserve the ancients among us. Through another tree crusader, we learn about the fascinating Whitebark pine, which relies on a particular bird to germinate, and we travel to Fernie to meet the author of a big-tree guidebook.

18 MAY 2023 · Have you ever ventured into the spirit world? Had an encounter with a ghost? Heard voices from another realm? We take you to places very few understand, and where even fewer dare to tread. Meet psychic intuitive Norm Pratt, whose unique gift allows him to communicate with missing persons, helping families find closure. Along the way, we’ll go on a ghost walk with Nelson’s Paranormal League and interview a writer and podcaster from Revelstoke who goes deep into the “Strange Little Places” of the Kootenays.