The Stories That Make a Nation: New Series Celebrates Canada’s Patchwork Identity

^{Photo credit: Alice Best}

If you were living in Canada in the 2000s you will be familiar with the name George Stroumboulopoulos. Best known for hosting a number of popular shows for MuchMusic, CBC’s The Hour and Hockey Night in Canada, George is a household name across the country. Now, thanks to Canadian Media Fund (CMF), Made Nous and Wallop Film, he returns to screens with The Stories That Made Us, a three-part series exploring entertainment that resonates with the nation.

A collaboration between Wallop Film and Made Nous - CMF’s platform that celebrates the country’s best creativity - each episode spotlights the culturally significant content that makes Canadians feel seen and appreciated. Across the series, George will travel to different parts of the country, speaking to locals about beloved IPs like The Beachcombers, MuchMusic, Schitts Creek and Kim’s Convenience.

Catching up with Matt Lawrence Dix, producer and partner at Wallop Film, following the release of episode one, I hear what it took to pull off this cross-country endeavour. “Seven provinces, countless stories, and an exceptional crew, led by George – this project tested every aspect of our production capabilities,” he tells me, “We had to navigate ever-changing celebrity schedules, different languages, provincial regulations, weather conditions, and coordinate crews across multiple time zones, all while maintaining our high standards.”

To say the team pulled it off massively undersells the ambition of this storytelling feat.

Episode one alone is jam-packed with eye-opening conversations about Canada’s history, both in arts and entertainment, and the wider culture at large. The 20-minute run time sees George soak up the best of the West Coast as he travels around Gibsons, Robert’s Creek and Vancouver in BC, before heading to Alberta. While there, he meets with Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss nostalgic TV shows, before sitting down with legendary actress Tanto Cardinal about representation (and misrepresentation) in film and TV.

^{Photography by Alice Best}

With a cadence and on-screen presence akin to Anthony Bourdain, George is the perfect choice of host, commenting eloquently on the subject of cultural identity throughout.

“If you look at the breadth of Canadian stories, they don't fit in a box,” he notes, during his time in Vancouver. “We talk a lot about it being a mosaic as a country, and I think that's true, but what we don't talk enough about is how most of those pieces of glass on the piece of art, they're jagged edges. They don't always fit together when you look up close, but when you pull back, it's a pretty beautiful piece of art. This country is pretty incredible when we start to tell our stories and shine a light on amazing people.”

Which is exactly what The Stories That Made Us does, accurately capturing the country’s most noteworthy stories and the eclectic people who live and breathe these narratives. This ‘mosaic’ concept is woven throughout episode one – and no doubt the entire series – with the Prime Minister even touching on it during his interview with George.

Weighing in on the role of government in developing new films and shows, he says, “I think the government has a role to play and it's got to be a neutral role. What I'm encouraged by is we have so many storytellers in the country. It's important they have the resources and the avenues. We need to be able to tell stories in a way that helps the country move forward. This is such a remarkable place that links to everywhere, every corner of the world. You look at the languages spoken in this school, bringing the stories from their homelands and telling the stories in Canada in a way, honestly, I think you can only do in Canada because we're a mosaic and then that helps unite us.”

A love letter of sorts to the land that we call home, this series accurately captures the historical and cultural moments that have imprinted on the nation. “Our team set out to make something exceptional and we have to thank our crew and partners for taking a leap of faith and supporting a project with this level of ambition,” Matt says proudly. “There's nothing better than finally releasing a project that you've lived and breathed for months. Our team documented the real stuff: honest, heartfelt stories about what makes us who we are. I'm so excited to see these conversations catch on and spark more discussions across the country.”

The first episode of The Stories That Made Us is available on YouTube here. Episode two will be released in January 2026, episode three in February, and a feature length documentary is due to be released in June.