The Headwaters

The Headwaters

Discover fascinating stories from Canada's Columbia River Basin. The Headwaters is a podcast that showcases the creative people, spectacular places, unique issues, and innovative thinking that flows from the Columbia River Basin, one of North America’s most compelling landscapes, full of resilient mountain communities connected by a powerful river system. From food security to technology, climate action to high adventure, the Headwaters is hosted by Mitchell Scott, Editor-in-Chief of Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine and brought to you by Columbia Basin Trust.

Episodes

July 6, 2023 29 mins
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 reneg...
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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.
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June 22, 2023 26 mins
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 ...
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June 15, 2023 27 mins
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 ...
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June 8, 2023 25 mins
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 l...
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June 1, 2023 24 mins
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
l...
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May 25, 2023 27 mins
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 run...
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May 18, 2023 27 mins
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 Reve...
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May 18, 2023 27 mins
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 ...
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May 18, 2023 29 mins
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 “unoff...
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October 20, 2022 24 mins
It’s the fourth largest waterway in North America and the inspiration for this podcast. The Columbia River has a long, storied, and tumultuous history. We dive into all aspects of the river, from a bizarre idea in the late 1800s to join the Columbia to the Kootenay River to the Indigenous Peoples and their powerful relationship to this waterway that dates back thousands of years. We talk about dams, how they work, and who runs them...
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October 13, 2022 24 mins
Their stories are as diverse as their backgrounds: A family from war-torn Syria out for an afternoon of disc golf. Jamaican truckers learning new skills on snowy mountain roads. A Kootenay hot-sauce entrepreneur who escaped tyranny in Africa. Russian immigrants lured by the Columbia River’s abundant rainbow trout. In this podcast, we hear from people making a new life in the Basin and those who are helping them.
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June 30, 2022 26 mins
A young hockey player with a dream to play in the NHL. A teenage musician who serendipitously finds herself singing with a mega-star. A multi-disciplinary talent who plays concert piano and climbs competitively. Meet Columbia Basin youth who are dreaming big and living bigger.
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June 23, 2022 24 mins
Hang on to your toque! We take you on a highline adventure between mountain peaks; we dive deep into the Revelstoke backcountry with an all-female freeride camp; and we wax poetic on the labyrinth that is your local library. Featuring guest host Patricia Smuga.
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June 16, 2022 23 mins
A century ago, the Kootenays produced approximately 70 per cent of their food and imported the other 30 per cent. Today, that ratio has flipped. For a region blessed with bountiful water and rich soil, why aren’t we producing more of what we consume? We talk to creative people with their hands deep in the dirt of positive change.
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June 9, 2022 23 mins
We often talk about how technology is coming to the Kootenays — but it’s here, and it’s having a big impact. We meet the creators of a booming nutrition app based in Revelstoke, tour an internationally renowned particle-accelerator company, and introduce you to Nelson vending machines that talk. Join us on a journey through the region’s newest and most exciting business sector.
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June 2, 2022 23 mins
Climate change is upon us, and it’s more important than ever to do our part to make a difference. In this episode, we meet three Basin residents who are making an impact in very creative ways. We drop by a resourceful shop in Kimberley selling products that yield zero waste. We speak with the young and passionate climate activists behind Fridays for Future. And we learn how anyone can cut their carbon footprint by 50 percent by mak...
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May 25, 2022 25 mins
A pacifist sect of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Doukhobors have had a profound impact on the Kootenay region. We meet the great-great-grandson of Peter Verigin, an influential Doukhobor leader killed in what is considered Canada’s first act of terrorism. We then tour a family-owned state-of-the-art sawmill that’s taking forestry into a more value-added future.
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May 25, 2022 24 mins
The invention of a new snow-sports industry. The first 3D-printed house in Canada. The birth of a craft-gear collective. Firefighting clothing designed for women. We introduce you to Columbia Basin residents who are growing big ideas from small places.
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May 25, 2022 25 mins
We take a quirky, investigative look at various definitions of saving species. People who are paid to kill invasive frogs, a rare taxidermy school, and an Indigenous celebration that calls the salmon home; but don’t get us started on the wild turkeys.
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