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Season 3
No. Title Air Date
1 Nathalia Buchan June 28 and July 1, 2011
The Bolshevik Revolution? Been there. Japanese prisoner of war camp? Done that. The Viet Nam war? Nathalia Petrovna Buchan helped start it. Tall tales, you say? Think again. Nathalia passed away not so long ago in Victoria, having reached the century mark in her remarkable life. But before she came to the relative quiet of Canada, Nathalia was in Asia, living through many of the dramatic events that shaped the 20th century. Nathalia was no adventurer though. All she ever wanted was a stable and comfortable family life. Instead, bullets and bombs constantly followed her, testing her courage and her religious faith.
2 David Trask July 5 and 8, 2011
David Trask was born on land but lived most of his life on the waters off the coast of Nova Scotia. A respected dragger captain, he would often return from fishing trips, his boat brimming with the bounty of the sea. His uncanny ability to land impressive catches won him respect at the wharf and his disarming sense of humour made him popular with colleagues and strangers alike. David knew the ocean floor the way many people know the streets of their neighbourhood.The sight of a breaching whale, the cry of a gull, the power of the tides never ceased to amaze him. He was at peace on the sea, but he also knew her dangers. And so, when Captain David Trask - a brave and generous man - saved the life of his crew, but not himself, no one was surprised.
3 Chava Rosenfarb July 12 and 15, 2011
Chava Rosenfarb wrote her first poem when she was eight years old, in her hometown of Lodz, Poland. She developed her literary voice in the Lodz Ghetto during the Second World War. Later in the Nazi concentration camps, she continued to write poetry in her native Yiddish, scribbling the words on the ceiling above her bunk bed with a stub of a pencil. Chava managed to survive Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. After the war, she moved to Montreal. Yet even as she raised her family and built a new life, she was compelled to relive her old one, to bear witness to the Holocaust and its effect on her beloved Lodz and its Jewish residents. Her life, her art, were dedicated not just to preserving those memories and the people who were lost, but to preserving Yiddish, the language of that lost era.
4 Bryce Keller July 19 and 22, 2011
Bryce Keller wanted to be a solider. His parents were concerned, but accepting as their son felt it was a calling. Even in his childhood in Regina, Saskatchewan, Bryce was described as a natural born leader. Someone you could always depend on. But it was in the last few moments of his life that defined the person he had become. It was August 3rd, 2006 - in one of the bloodiest days of fighting for Canadians in the Afghanistan War, Bryce Keller went above and beyond the call of duty. The young man's heroic actions saved the lives of many on that fateful day.
5 Jon Lien July 26 and 29, 2011
Jon Lien was the Whale Man, a shaggy-haired Viking from South Dakota who saved hundreds of whales from certain death in the waters off Newfoundland; the animal behaviourist found a way to get the marine giants co-operation, to let him free them from the fishing nets they were trapped in. In the process, he helped two species - the fisherman and the whale - learn to co-exist. He was also a passionate professor; an organic farmer; and a man who loved life - and his family - in equal measure. Jon was and is an inspiration to those who seek new and innovative answers to old problems.
6 Ottilia Chareka August 2 and 5, 2011
Ottilia Chareka grew up in a small, rural village in Zimbabwe. A beautiful young woman, her father expected to collect a "bride prize" as quickly as possible, assuming she'd marry young. But Ottilia had other plans. She had ambitions to become the first girl in her clan to finish high school and become a teacher. She succeeded. But when she moved to Canada, she found out her credentials were not accepted. So, she began again. While working as a maid at a hotel in Fredericton, she saved enough money for university tuition. After completing her PhD, she became a highly respected professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, NS. She was a spirited mother to five girls and her boundless enthusiam, intellect and empathy made her a favourite of both staff and students. Tragically, Ottilia died on March 16th, 2011. Her husband has been charged with first degree murder.
7 Father Jean Pochat August 9 and 12, 2011
Father Jean Pochat was seen by many as a rebel. An open-minded, trustworthy priest, he was not afraid to challenge the hierarchy of the church. Born in France, he spent nearly 60 years with his feet firmly planted on the permafrost in the Northwest Territories. He was head of the residential school - Grandin College - and charged with producing nuns and priests, instead he encouraged his graduates to become aboriginal leaders and activists. Father Pochat also helped survivors of abuse from other residential schools stand up for their rights. Father Pochat died in 2010 at home, in Behchoko, NWT with his family, the Tlicho.
8 Kazim Jafri August 16 and 19, 2011
Kazim Medhi Jafri was an engineer, scholar and devoted father. He was born in India 1917 but the turmoil of partition forced him to move his family to the new Islamic state of Pakistan. His life changed course again when, as he approached 60, he moved his family to Canada to seek a better life. A devout Muslim, he doted on his six daughters. He encouraged each of them to pursue higher education. But it was the youngest of his girls who would ultimately test his faith and traditions in his new land.
9 Lynn Thomson August 23 and 26, 2011
Lynn Thomson had a smile that could light up a room. The tough talking wheelchair bound double amputee dedicated herself to helping young people get off drugs and start new lives in the process. Lynn could relate to the hard life on the streets of Winnipeg since she had been a street kid herself. But in her sobriety, and grateful for a second chance, she led a generous and selfless life.
10 Noah Augustine August 30 and September 2, 2011
Noah Augustine lived his life in the promise of his people. He was a proud Mi'kmaq man, a skilled orator, writer and poet, whose words pointed to a better way and a better life for aboriginal communities. His larger than life personality enchanted many who knew him, including some of the most powerful and influential politicians and business people in New Brunswick.
But Noah Augustine also faced tragedy, courted controversy and lived through many highs and lows. And he died young....before he could fulfill his promise as a First Nation leader.

 

Season 2
No. Title Air Date
1 Walter Rudnicki July 1 and July 4, 2010
Walter Rudnicki was a risk taker and a rule breaker. Surprising perhaps for a man who was also a dedicated civil servant. Walter ran into trouble when he choose integrity over servility. In bending the rules, Walter used codenames. He held secret meetings. And he is credited with saving thousands of lives. The Metis considered him a warrior for native rights. And while his achievements were impressive, he was placed on a blacklist. Meet Walter Rudnicki, a man who put his country first above all else, even his job.

The documentary on Walter Rudnicki was by Neil Morrison in Ottawa.
2 Clairette Oddera July 8 and July 11, 2010
When Clairette Oddera was a little girl, her father used to take her to the opera in the southern French city of Marseille. Her ears were opened wide. For the next eighty years, singing was at the heart of her life. Clairette's beautiful voice helped her escape the drudgery of a factory job and opened up a new world across the ocean. When she arrived in Montreal in 1950, she had planned to sing a few songs and sail back home. However, she sensed that French-Canadians were hungry for something more. Clairette opened a nightclub and gave young people the stage. They never looked back. Clairette's passions helped spark Quebec's cultural revolution and kept her in front of audiences until she was 88 years old.

This documentary on Clairette Oddera was by David Gutnick in Montreal.
3 George Blondin July 15 and July 18, 2010
George Blondin came from a family of powerful Dene medicine men, but his gift was storytelling. He was raised around Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories, in a time when a man with medicine power could guide a bullet with his mind, or heal a wound with his breath. Convinced that the stories of his people would be lost forever, George picked up a pen. With a Grade Three residential school education, George authored three books and hundreds of newspaper columns detailing some of the most astonishing and supernatural events in the history of the Dene people. The storyteller and hunter also became a native activist and vice-president of the Dene Nation. A remarkable man who danced to the beat of his own drum.

The documentary on George Blondin was created by Catherine Pigott in Yellowknife.
4 Patricia Van Tighem July 22 and July 25, 2010
On a snowy day in September 1983, Patricia Van Tighem's life changed irrevocably when she came face to face with a grizzly bear in Alberta's Waterton Lakes National Park. The bear attacked and left her near dead. Miraculously, Patricia Van Tighem survived, though the vicious mauling left her physically damaged and emotionally scarred. Throughout the rest of her life, she felt the constant pain of her injuries and dove in and out of depression. Yet she never played the part of the victim. Patricia Van Tighem poured her heart into her writing, giving birth to a national best seller that details her journey through recovery and pain. Hers epitomized the life of a survivor. Now her words will live on in place of her.

The documentary on Patricia Van Tighem was by Alison Myers and Michael O'Halloran in Calgary.
5 Aly O'Brien July 29 and August 1, 2010
Aly O'Brien was a man who valued the wisdom and beauty of traditional ways - even if it meant giving up much. Aly O'Brien and his two brothers - all bacheolors - operated a small farm on the edge of St. John's, using the traditional Irish Newfoundland ways that his family had used for generations. As the city of St. John's grew, and surrounding farms turned into housing subdivisions and shopping malls, Aly's farm was still the first priority in his heart. He turned down lucrative offers to sell his property, and to keep up the farm. Aly O'Brien.....A poet, farmer, linguist, teacher and bon vivant.

The documentary on Aly O'Brien was created by Heather Barrett in St. John's.
6 Andrew Reid August 5 and August 8, 2010
Andrew Reid was larger than life.......and he lived life large. Few things could slow him down. On a surfing trip he suffered a spinal stroke and was paralyzed from the bellybutton down - within a year he was the Canadian Handcycling champion. He was an accomplished singer-songwriter and wrote a book documenting his battle with chronic pain and drug addiction. A blondhaired surfer dude with a big smile and presence...A young man killed in a shocking incident in rural Texas.

The documentary on Andrew Reid was by Myfanwy Davies in Fredericton.
7 Harvey Lowe August 12 and August 15, 2010
Harvey Lowe had the world on a string...literally! In 1932, the Victoria, BC native won the World Yo-Yo championship in London. It was a title he would take to his grave when he died in 2009 at the age of 90. But yo-yos are only part of the Harvey Lowe story. He was a nightclub fixture in Vancouver's Chinatown, was the first Chinese broadcaster in Canada and was once a regular on the Smothers Brothers TV show. Harvey Lowe excelled in play and brought great joy to the world.

The documentary on Harvey Lowe was by Yvonne Gall in Vancouver.
8 Gladys Evelyn Cook August 19 and August 22, 2010
Born in a tent on the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation in Manitoba Gladys would become one of the first voices to speak out about the abuses in Canada's residential schools. In later years she would also be one of the few who would forgive her attacker during an emotional reunion at the Elkhorn Residential School. Gladys was able to move past her own difficult history to become a caring drug and alcohol counsellor, and mentor. She was also instrumental in changing the corrections system in Manitoba to include awareness of aboriginal culture for offenders and staff. A woman of great courage and forgiveness.

The documentary on Gladys Evelyn Cook was by Suzanne Dufresne in Winnipeg.
9 David Sealy August 26 and August 29, 2010
David Sealy was a brilliant man with a wondrous way with words. Born in Trinidad, he arrived in Canada as a boy of eleven, and pursued a rich and wide-ranging path through the hallways of academia. His influence on his fellow scholars and students was immeasurable... and imparted through the spoken word, in the rich tradition of stump speakers and Socratic riffs. David Sealy's life was a celebration of ideas, pursued with dogged delight.

The documentary on David Sealy was by Tina Pittaway in Toronto.
10 Sue Klabunde September 2 and September 5, 2010
When Sue Klabunde found out she was pregnant at 43, it was a shock. The mother of two had had her tubes tied years ago. But after consulting with their doctor, Sue and her husband Ed decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and were excited. Sue had a rich life as an artist and businesswoman, but motherhood was her most cherished role. Sadly, Sue's third child, a healthy baby boy, is growing up without her. Meet Sue Klabunde, a large spirit and devoted mother.

The documentary on Sue Klabunde was created by Bob Murphy in Halifax.