047 Creep of the Week: John A MacDonald

On this week’s Creep of the Week, we turn our attention to a figure often wrapped in myth, nostalgia, and carefully curated national memory. John A. Macdonald is remembered as Canada’s first Prime Minister — but beneath the statues and the schoolbook stories lies a far more unsettling legacy.

In this episode, we peel back the polished image to examine the darker foundations of the country he helped build. From the expansionist policies that fueled the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway to the creation and enforcement of the residential school system, Macdonald’s decisions continue to cast long shadows across the present. We explore the political power he wielded, the systems of control he put in place, and the deep, generational harm that followed.

Through verified historical records, parliamentary speeches, Truth and Reconciliation Commission findings, and contemporary scholarship, we navigate the contradictions of a nation-builder whose actions caused devastation for Indigenous communities. This isn’t a ghost story — but a reckoning with the ghosts his legacy created.

Plus, in this week’s Current Case, we examine a recent Canadian tragedy involving the discovery of human remains in landfills — a modern reflection of how certain lives are still marginalized, overlooked, and denied justice.

History isn’t just something that happened. It’s something we continue to live in.

✨ This episode also highlights the work of Niagara Reproductive Justice (NRJ)— Learn more or support their work by visiting their social media or emailing niagarareproductivejustice@gmail.com. 

Your next creepy obsession starts here. 

Follow Down the Crooked Path—your cohost for this haunting crossover—for eerie explorations that linger long after the episode ends:
📸 Instagram: @downthecrookedpath
▶️ YouTube: Down the Crooked Path

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Edited by Kyle McDonnell