October 30, 2023
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The Newfoundlander
The Newfoundlander: Chapter 1
While at a production of the hit Broadway musical Come From Away in 2019, reporter Justin Brake is confronted with an old story about his family’s history, a story that challenges his sense of identity. He decides to find out what was true in that story, and what was false.
Justin Brake
Reporter/Writer
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher
Tristan Capacchione
Audio Editor & Technical Producer
Bruce Thorson
Senior Producer
Karyn Pugliese
Editor-in-Chief

This is chapter 1 of a mini series. To listen to all episodes, become a supporter at https://canadaland.com/join

In 2001, 9/11 forced airplanes from all over the world to suddenly land in Newfoundland. As communities responded to the crisis and welcomed people into their homes, there was a chance encounter between a Rabbi from England and an elderly person from Gander, Newfoundland: Edward Brake, grandfather of reporter Justin Brake.

Edward told the Rabbi that he was a Holocaust survivor and had suppressed his Jewish identity his whole life. But now, he said, it was time to share his story before it was lost forever. 

How could the entire Brake family be unaware of this history? If the story is true, what does that mean for Justin? Justin sets off on a quest, speaking to family and digging through provincial archives in search of answers.

Host: Jesse Brown 

Credits: Justin Brake (Writer & Reporter), Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Annette Ejiofor (Managing Editor), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Further reading: 

Additional music by Audio Network

 

Sponsors: Elijah Craig, Athletic Greens, King’s University

 

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More from this series
In the final chapter of The Newfoundlander, Justin meets a distant Brake relative of the same age — someone who asked a lot of the same questions he did, but ended up in a very different place.
November 14, 2023
Starting in the early 2000s, the federal government allowed for the creation of a new First Nations band in Newfoundland, the Qalipu First Nation. Many people from across the province joined, including Justin Brake and his family. But, did they have a legitimate claim to Indigenous ancestry?
November 7, 2023
While at a production of the hit Broadway musical Come From Away in 2019, reporter Justin Brake is confronted with an old story about his family’s history, a story that challenges his sense of identity. He decides to find out what was true in that story, and what was false.
October 30, 2023
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The Newfoundlander