During the Second World War, the Allies dreamed up something that sounds impossible — an aircraft carrier made of ice and sawdust. Not a metaphor, not a Canadian stereotype, but a real, bulletproof iceberg ship, built in secret on a frozen Alberta lake.This is the story of Project Habakkuk, the bizarre wartime invention that could have changed the war. We’ll travel to Jasper National Park, where pacifists worked under RCMP guard to build the prototype, and to the meeting rooms where Winston Churchill became giddy at the thought of a floating fortress.It’s a tale of wild ingenuity, Canadian resourcefulness, and a legacy that still shapes Arctic engineering today. Sometimes, wartime courage isn’t about storming beaches — it’s about building an iceberg and seeing if it floats.In this episode:Why the Allies needed a floating mid-Atlantic airbaseHow Canadian scientists turned ice and sawdust into bulletproof pykreteThe strange role of conscientious objectors in the projectWhy the ship never sailed, and how its legacy lived onSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/from-far-and-wide-with-tod-maffin/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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6:20
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6:20
Roll Up the Regrets
If Alberta wants to leave Canada, fine. But they’re not going alone. I made a packing list. It includes some national treasures we probably don’t need anymore. From dial-up-speed Senators to the world’s saddest coffee coupons, this is what I’d send along with them. Call it tough love, Canadian style.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/from-far-and-wide-with-tod-maffin/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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3:57
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3:57
Holding Pattern
Air Canada flight attendants are striking, and I get it. Imagine doing 35 hours of unpaid labour every week, while being responsible for safety at 35,000 feet. In this episode, I break down why this strike is long overdue and how Canada’s outdated regulations keep letting airlines off the hook. Disclosure: An earlier version of this episode, up for about 30 minutes, had a significant factual error in it. This version of the video has removed that part of the script.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/from-far-and-wide-with-tod-maffin/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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2:39
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2:39
Courage Beyond Compassion
She wasn’t a spy. She wasn’t in the military. Judy Feld Carr was a Canadian mother of six who used whispers, money, and Torah messages to save thousands. Her quiet mission reveals something profound about Canada’s past—and raises urgent questions about our present immigration system. This is the moment we decide what our values really mean.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/from-far-and-wide-with-tod-maffin/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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5:03
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5:03
Anne of Green Gaslighting
Every Canadian has had the fantasy: sell it all, move to PEI, and live in a charming farmhouse by the sea. But the reality? Well water, blackflies, and no Costco for hundreds of kilometres. In this video, I unpack why the dream is so tempting, why it rarely works, and why that’s perfectly okay.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/from-far-and-wide-with-tod-maffin/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Canada’s history is weirder, wilder, and more surprising than you think. Each episode dives into a true story you’ve probably never heard — the forgotten, the buried, and the unbelievable. No myths. Just Canada, unfiltered.
Ireland