Are you enjoying this podcast series? If so, then please thank the creators, Keith Halliday and Pascale Halliday, by sending them a donation of gratitude: https://www.klondikegoldrush.org/support-the-show
Visit the Klondike Gold Rush website for photos, background info, and to learn more about the creators: https://www.klondikegoldrush.org/
Peek at Keith Halliday’s books, Moonshadows (a Yukon-noir climate thriller) and Aurore of the Yukon (children’s adventure stories set in the Klondike Gold Rush): https://www.keithhalliday.com/
***Q&A with the Creators***
What inspired you to create this podcast?
Pascale and I both love narrative history podcasts by people like Mike Duncan (History of Rome) and were inspired to do something about our home region’s big historical event, the Klondike Gold Rush. I have been telling family stories from the Gold Rush to Pascale since she was a little girl, and by 2019 she was studying history at university.
How did you create the podcast?
We created what we called a “podcast cave” in our basement with carefully hung beach towels and ceiling pads. We purchased a Yeti microphone to go with our Mac and Garageband. A local Yukon radio host gave us some tips on acoustics and recording.
It worked quite well, except for one episode where we wanted to interview First Nation elder Bill Webber. Since it was the pandemic and we were worried about his health, we did this one by phone (which has a few audio issues!)
How long did it take you to make the podcast?
We decided to do it just before the pandemic and started to research and write. Then the pandemic hit, so we kept working on it through our first episode in May 2020. 18 months later, in November of 2021, we wrapped the last episode. So it was about two years in the making.
What are some of your other productions?
We recorded an audiobook version of my first book Aurore of the Yukon, which is in schools in Canada and the US. Pascale’s sister Aline recorded the book, which is aimed at Grade 4 readers and listeners (plus listeners of all ages, since as someone who has read a lot of books to my children I know the importance of making it interesting to adults as well!). Currently, I’m recording the audiobook version of my new book Moonshadows. The book is available here: https://www.keithhalliday.com/
How would donations from listeners help you?
The donations would help us to cover the costs of podcast file hosting services, as well as, allow us to purchase a more sophisticated microphone set-up. As a result, that would then help us to create a follow-up podcast series about the Alaska-Canada boundary dispute of 1903. This new series would feature Teddy Roosevelt and a cast of other fascinating characters. Kind donations are accepted here: https://www.klondikegoldrush.org/support-the-show