The Current for June 30, 2021
Today on The Current:
Many are treating Canada Day this year as a moment of reflection, rather than celebration, and asking: What does it mean to be Canadian? We discuss the way Canada's history is taught and told — and how that shapes who we think we are — with Falen Johnson, co-host of the CBC podcast The Secret Life of Canada; and Anthony Wilson-Smith, CEO of Historica Canada, the makers of the Heritage Minutes.
Plus, we talk to eight-year-old insect hunter Benjamin Arana-Stirling, who catches and cares for queen ants — then sells them for $30 a pop. McGill University biologist and ant researcher Ehab Abouheif tells us more about the world of ants, and why he loves them.
Then, we continue our reflection on Canada Day with writer Mark Sakamoto, discussing the conflict he feels in being Canadian, given his family's experience in Japanese internment camps.
And Marnie McBean is a three-time Olympic gold medallist, about to head to the Summer Games in Tokyo as Canada's chef de mission. She joins us to discuss the recent news of unmarked graves at former residential schools, how that complicates taking pride in Canada, and the place of protest at the Olympics.