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Here is how the Top 20 Canadian TV Shows ranked based on total votes in Canada's Favourite TV Show contest. We had 600,000 votes and 192 shows in the contest.

In 1978, a construction excavation in Dawson City unearthed 533 reels of silent films and newsreels from 1908 to 1929 under a former swimming pool. It was one of the most important film finds in history. So why were those films there? The story begins in 1908 when the Dawson Amateur Athletic Association began to show films in Dawson City. The films came to Dawson City months and even years after they were shown elsewhere in the continent. Due to the high cost of shipping films, it was easier to simply throw the films away once they were shown in the theatre. At first the films were put in the Canadian Bank of Commerce, and then the library basement. In 1929, the Dawson Amateur Athletic Association converted a swimming pool into an ice rink. Unfortunately, the ice rink suffered from uneven temperatures in the middle. Clifford Thomson, who worked for the Canadian Bank of Commerce found a solution. He took the 152 kilometres of film reels and stacked them in the pool. Those were covered with boards and leveled with dirt. The film reels were preserved by permafrost, and remained there until 1978 when the construction of a recreation centre unearthed them. Some of the films were damaged when they were taken out into the hot August sun of Dawson City in 1978. The damage has become known by archivists as "Dawson flutter" in the footage. Yukon historians, Michael and Kathy Gates, helped salvage the films from the dirt. They saw that the find was important and saved the films. The 533 films included many lost films, as well as films starring Pearl White, Harold Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks and more. Some reels contained video of historical events like the 1919 World Series. The films were moved to Library and Archives Canada and the US Library of Congress for preservation. The documentary, Dawson City: Frozen Time, was made about the find in 2018. If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at buymeacoffee.com/craigu

In Flanders Fields In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. - John McCrae, May 3, 1915.

Each year in October, people take to the water of Lake Pesaquid in Windsor, Nova Scotia for the famous Windsor Pumpkin Regatta. Let's explore the history of this event! The race was founded in 1999 by Danny Dill. His father, Howard Dill, grew Atlantic Giant Pumpkins. The first race featured only five entries, and it was won by Leo Swinimer of New Ross, Nova Scotia. As it turned out, Leo would dominate the event, winning every single year from 1999 to 2007, while also being in his 70s. The first person to win the race other than Leo was Anthony Cook, who won in 2008. He won again in 2010. By this point, the regatta had grown to 60 entries with 10,000 people coming out to watch. In the regatta, there are three classes of races: Motoring Experimental Paddling The paddling class is by far the most famous. The race runs for 800 metres, and the giant pumpkins must be the sole means of flotation in the race. In 2005, Martha Stewart stated she would participate in the regatta. While she did enter a pastel-coloured pumpkin, she was unable to attend as she didn't have permission to enter Canada after her incarceration yet. Due to low water levels in Lake Pesaquid, which has now dried up, there has not been a full regatta there since 2018. The lake is man-made and was filled with fresh water from the Avon River. In 2019, the event was nearly cancelled due to a poor growing season and a lack of giant pumpkins. It went forward but was much smaller than usual. No pumpkin regatta was held in 2020 or 2021 due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. In 2022, the regatta made its debut on Thanksgiving Weekend in Shelburne Harbour. The event was held as part of the Shelburne County Giant Pumpkin Festival. The event in 2023 will also be held there on Oct. 7. If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can donate to support Canadian History Ehx at buymeacoffee.com/craigU