Canadian history is fascinating, but it is rarely factual. Guided by Dr. John Fontaine and AI co-host ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence), this podcast applies a historiographical lens to empower listeners to better interpret the histories we have been falsely taught. From the grand narratives of elites (History from Above) to more accurate histories of the common people (History from Below), History is Unreal explores how the past is shaped by the positionality and biases of both writer and you the reader.
The result? Silent/untold histories of communities and its peoples are recovered and brought to light. Designed for post-secondary students, historians, and lifelong learners, we transition from our early podcast episodes on theory (only a few, promise) toward auditing and better explaining actual Canadian historical events; applying our adjusted lens to the messy, chaotic, and real stories that unfolded across the very spaces where we now live and breathe.
Join the reconstruction at
historyisunreal.ca (https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhistoryisunreal.ca&sa=E&source=gmail)
In the Season 1 finale, Dr. John and AI co-host ANI Buddy wrap up our inaugural season on this Canadian History podcast. We compare the "Grand Narrative" to "History from Below," using our St. Paul des Métis case study as our first example to explain the biases that exist. Plus, we preview Season 2: a pivot to university lectures covering baseline Canadian history—from Indigenous beginnings through colonization and immigration.
19 Jul 2026
The Metis of St Paul: a Louder History from Below
In the penultimate episode of our inaugural season, Dr. John and ANI Buddy conclude their deep-dive investigation into the St. Paul des Métis settlement. Featuring an exclusive interview with Dr. Robert Desjardins—recorded on July 10, 2026, at HUB Mall at the University of Alberta—we explore the legacy of the 1909 Métis expropriation. Discover why the sudden demographic shift wasn't a failure of the Métis, but a state-engineered reality, and how historical "silence" became a radical tool for cultural survival.
9 Jul 2026
St. Paul des Métis Better History: Policy over People
The ultimate success or failure of the Métis farmers never mattered. They were simply caught between a federal government executing their economy-building National Policy, and an Oblate Church committing to a French-Catholic settler parish. In Episode 8 of History Is Unreal, we advance to Step 3 of our 4-step framework: The History We Should Instead Tell.
22 Jun 2026
St. Paul des Métis History Told: The Church’s role in the Eviction
In Step 2 of our framework, we examine "the history we've been told" about the 1909 dissolution of the St. Paul des Métis farming colony. Dr. John and ANI Buddy revisit his 2009 Master’s thesis to explore how the Oblate Order, caught between dual mandates as a mission to the Métis and a parish for incoming European settlers, faced a devastating collision of roles that reshaped the community.
28 May 2026
St. Paul des Métis Context: Creation and Eviction
Dr. John Fontaine and ANI audit the 1896 landscape of St. Paul des Métis in what is now Eastern Alberta; establishing the context behind the creation and eventual eviction of the Métis farmers’ colony.
2 May 2026
Theory vs 1879: How a Policy Shaped History
History is an argument built on bias. In Episode 5, we move from theory to action, investigating the 1879 National Policy—the economic "source code" of Western Canada. Dr. John and ANI bridge the gap between theory and reality by establishing a base chronology: a necessary step to connect our intrinsic thinking to the extrinsic factors of the time. We analyze the "transactional logic" of the West and how this "money in, money out" approach transformed a nation.
28 Mar 2026
Historical Bias: Why Our Sources Mislead Us
In this hands-on workshop, Dr. John and ANI explore the Positionality Audit—a tool for uncovering the hidden historical bias that shapes our understanding of the past. Using the War of 1812 as an example, we show how your "Success Nodes" can change the story of Canada's founding.
In this hands-on workshop, Dr. John and ANI explore the Positionality Audit—a tool for uncovering the hidden historical bias that shapes our understanding of the past. Using the War of 1812 as an example, we show how your "Success Nodes" can change the story of Canada's founding.
DOWNLOAD THE WORKSHEET: Visit HistoryIsUnreal.ca to get the Bias Elevator Speech PDF and follow along with the episode.
Subscribe on all platforms and visit fontaineacademicservices.ca for academic strategy coaching.
10 Mar 2026
The Grand Narrative Myth: Why We Love Simple Stories
Is history a collection of facts, or just a biased mirror of the teller? Dr. John Fontaine and ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence) deconstruct the Grand Narratives from Canadian history. Using E.H.Carr's the Chef and the Fish framework we audit the motives behind the stories we have been told.
11 Feb 2026
The AI Mirror: How Tech Rewrites History
Dr. John Fontaine and his AI co-host (ANI) begin to deconstruct the "Grand Narrative" of Canadian history through the lens of historiography. By using ANI as a control group, they reveal how 19th-century nation-building created a "vanishing race" strategy regarding Indigenous peoples and how modern AI datasets, if left unchecked, continue these biases through present day.
2 Feb 2026
Jacques Cartier: Rethinking the Facts We're Told
In episode 1, we learn why 16th c explorer Jacques Cartier is the topic for this episode; based on the biases of what the historian (Dr. Fontaine in this instance) wants to write about, or better, podcast about. This podcast is a search for a better understanding of our history.
27 Jan 2026
Official Trailer: History is Unreal
"History, Canada’s history in particular, is very interesting; but it is not factual.” Welcome to the official trailer for History is Unreal. Dr. John Fontaine and co-host ANI (Artificial Narrow Intelligence) introduce the core mission of the show; that the history we learned is based on the biases of the writer and the context of the present (and the past). This podcast is a search for a better understanding of our history.
27 Jan 2026
Teaser: Reconstructing Canadian History
"The histories we’ve been told are based on interpretations that serve our present and our biases."
Join Dr. John Fontaine and his AI co-host, ANI Buddy, for the debut teaser of History is Unreal. In this 30-second introduction, we set the stage for a deep dive into the friction between human storytelling and digital data.
Using a historiographical lens, we seek to understand the context of why histories are told the way they are—discerning which narratives are plausible and which are simply crap.
Stay Connected with the Project:
Primary Hub: historyisunreal.ca (https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fhistoryisunreal.ca&sa=E&source=gmail)
Academic Services: fontaineacademicservices.ca (https://www.google.com/search?q=https%3A%2F%2Ffontaineacademicservices.ca)
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Music Credits:
Track: Violin Concerto in F minor, RV 297 'Winter' (The Four Seasons) (https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fmusopen.org%2Fmusic%2F14910-the-four-seasons-op-8%2F&sa=E&source=gmail)
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
Performed by: The Modena Chamber Orchestra
Source: Musopen.org (https://musopen.org)
License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)
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