Big Joe

"The best man in Ottawa was Mufferaw Joe," according to the famous song by legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Stompin' Tom Connors. "Big Joe Mufferaw" is often regarding as Canada's answer to Paul Bunyan: a family-friendly lumberjack whose monumental feats of strength literally changed the Ontario landscape. But the lovable, larger-than-life character is based on a real person: Joseph Montferrand, a French-Canadian folk hero whose exploits made him a living legend in 1800s Montreal and Ottawa. In this episode we'll look at the man, the myth, and the legend, and explore how one man went on to inspire a series of children's books, a hit Canadian folk song, and a CFL mascot. See the entire show notes and more at FiresideCanada.ca Fireside Canada is a podcast about Canadian legends, lies and lore. Focused on both the storytelling and the historical aspects of folklore, each episode includes a creative retelling or story inspired by the folklore as well as an exploration and analysis of its history and cultural significance: the story behind the story. You can learn more at FiresideCanada.ca . David Williams is the host, writer and researcher behind the show. You can find him on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) .

You can listen to Big Joe online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Big Joe is an episode from Fireside Canada by David Williams / Frequency Podcast Network.

This episode is 01:05:25 long.

This episode was published on Jan 19, 2023.

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