Monthly Archives: September 2024

[FINAL REMINDER] Battle of Britain Service 2024

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The Battle of Britain was formally held from July 10th to October 31st, 1940.  According to Veterans Affairs Canada:

Many Canadians served in the squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes which repulsed the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940. No. 1 Fighter Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), equipped with modern eight-gun fighters, became the first RCAF unit to engage enemy planes in battle when it met a formation of German bombers over southern England on August 26, 1940. It shot down three of them and damaged four others with the loss of one pilot and one plane. Its next meeting with the enemy was not as fortunate as it was attacked out of the sun by Messerschmitts and lost three planes. By mid-October the squadron had accounted for 31 enemy aircraft destroyed and probably 43 more destroyed or damaged. It lost 16 Hurricanes; thre pilots had been killed.

The Canadians flew with the Royal Air Force during that difficult period. No. 242 (Canadian) Squadron RAF, which had been formed in 1939 from some of the many Canadians who flew directly with the Royal Air Force, was now reinforced with Veterans from the French campaign and joined in the battle. On August 30, nine of its planes met a hundred enemy aircraft over Essex. Attacking from above, the squadron claimed 12 victories and escaped unscathed.

Canadians also shared in repulsing the Luftwaffe’s last major daylight attack. On September 27, 303 Squadron RAF and 1 Squadron RCAF attacked the first wave of enemy bombers. Seven, possibly eight enemy planes were destroyed, and another seven damaged. The Royal Canadian Air Force thus received its baptism of fire.

For several decades the Royal Canadian Air Force Association 900 Wing San Francisco (otherwise known as the “Golden Bear Wing”) hosted a Battle of Britain service at the Presidio Chapel in San Francisco.  In honour of the 100th anniversary of the RCAF, join Branch 25 (San Francisco) of the Royal Canadian Legion and Rana Sarkar (Consul General of Canada in San Francisco) for the 2024 Battle of Britain service.

Sunday, 15 September 2024 at 11am
Presidio Chapel – 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, CA 94129

If you are unable to attend the service in person, we will do our best to stream the service on the day of the event.  To register to watch the service online, please visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S3GLUF7JQDWESFbZfVa5hw

USS Pampanito: A genuine WW II relic on Fisherman’s Wharf

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An item from the Legion Magazine.
Front Lines
Front Lines

USS Pampanito sank six Japanese vessels—more than 27,000 tons of shipping—on six war patrols in 1944-45. It is now a museum boat tied alongside Pier 45 on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.[Stephen J. Thorne]

USS Pampanito: A genuine WW II relic on Fisherman’s Wharf

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

It is the rare wartime relic that can be claimed to have engaged in significant action 80 or more years ago, but tied alongside Pier 45 on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco there sits the real deal—a genuine fighting submarine of the Second World War’s U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Built in 1943 at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, USS Pampanito made six war patrols, sank six Japanese ships, damaged four others, and barely survived a sustained depth charge attack on its maiden voyage.

Named for the pompano fish, the 95-metre Balao-class diesel-electric submarine narrowly escaped a double torpedo strike, rescued 73 Allied prisoners of war, and earned six battle stars for WW II service.

READ MORE
Vintage Aircraft Playing Cards
News
Military Milestones

ATTENTION CANADIAN MILITARY FAMILIES : Did you or a family member receive VAC disability benefits between 2003 and 2023?

On 17 January 2024 the Federal Court approved a settlement in a class action involving alleged underpayment of certain disability pension benefits administered by Veterans Affairs Canada (“VAC”) payable to members or former members of the Canadian Armed Forces (“CAF”) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (“RCMP”) and their spouses, commonlaw partners, survivors, other related individuals, and estates (the “Settlement”).

If you received any of the disability-related benefits listed below at any time between 2003 and 2023, you may be entitled to compensation under the Settlement. As the executor, estate trustee, administrator, or family member of a deceased class member who collected VAC-administered disability benefits, you may also be able to claim on behalf of the estate.

READ MORE
Military Milestones
Military Milestones

Defeat of the British Army at Plattsburg by General Macomb. [Wikimedia]

The Battle of Plattsburg: An Anglo-Canadian Defeat in the War of 1812

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

There had been gains and losses, victories and defeats, but the War of 1812 had gone well enough for Anglo-Canadian forces by early September 1814.

This was especially the case on the eastern seaboard where, in one of the conflict’s earliest engagements, HMS Belvidera had evaded the pursuit of three American vessels. The British had then decisively rebuffed a U.S. invasion of Canada at the battles of Crysler’s Farm and Châteauguay in late 1813.

With Napolean subdued—albeit temporarily—in April 1814, Britain had turned its attention to North America by providing sufficient troops for offensives into the United States. Already, the King’s men had begun their invasion of eastern Maine, spearheaded by Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor John Sherbrooke.

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Don’t miss our student social tomorrow! 🥳

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A newsletter from one of our fellow Canadian organizations in the Bay Area.

Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Event Tomorrow

  • Back-to-School Student Social

News from Berkeley

  • Québécoise Cal employee releases debut EP

Academic Opportunities

  • Rita Ross Undergraduate Prize
  • Doctoral Visiting Fellowship in Immigration, IRI (Concordia University)

Upcoming Events

  • “National Identity and Immigration in Contemporary Quebec: Comparing Majority and Minority Perspectives”
  • 7th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner

External Events

  • 2nd Annual Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run
  • National Legion Week / Battle of Britain Service
  • Ex Machina / Robert Lepage & Cirque FLIP Fabrique SLAM!

EVENT TOMORROW

Back-to-School Student Social

Tues., Sept. 10 | 12:00-1:30 pm | Class of 1925 Courtyard

The Canadian Studies Program invites you to kick off the fall semester with a back-to-school meet-and-greet for students! Learn more about our program and meet fellow Canadian students while enjoying a complimentary lunch on us. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend.

NEWS FROM BERKELEY

Québécoise Cal Employee Releases Debut EP

Rachaël Longuépée, a Québécoise staff member at Berkeley’s Institute of European Studies, revealed her musical talents to the world last week with the release of her début studio recording, Polyhedrona.

Longuépée, who records under the name “Longsword” (a direct translation of her surname), was born in Quebec City. She has worked at Berkeley for close to a year, managing the France Berkeley Fund, the Center of Excellence for French and Francophone Studies, the British and Austrian Studies Programs, and other programs within IES.

Longuépée has been passionate about music since she was young, and Polyhedrona was a labor of love. The EP highlights her vocals throughout three tracks in both French and English. Longuépée composed the songs herself. She then worked with a group of ten musicians (mostly physics PhD students at UC Berkeley) to arrange, record, and mix the tracks over the course of a year. Her music shows varied influences, ranging from jazz, orchestral, and pop/rock music. The songs on the EP reflect a delicate tension between deep longings for the past, and bright hope for the future.

“The hours of intentional focus and dedicated work were made worth it upon hearing that people felt something when listening to the songs on Polyhedrona”, says Longuépée. “That is why I release music: to share my own experiences and connect with every listener through beautifully human emotions.”

Listen to Polyhedrona on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES
Rita Ross Undergraduate Prize

Deadline: May 9, 2025

Undergraduates, take note! If you do any coursework related to Canada this year, you may be eligible for Canadian Studies’ Rita Ross Prize.

The Ross Prize is an annual award recognizing the best undergraduate research paper or original project on a Canadian topic produced for a UC Berkeley class or independent study program.

The competition is open to any UC Berkeley undergraduate student in good academic standing, in any college or discipline. The Prize is awarded at the end of the Spring semester and includes a certificate and a cash prize.

Doctoral Visiting Fellowship in Immigration, IRI (Concordia University)

Deadline: September 15, 2024

The Immigration Research Initiative (IRI) located in the Department of Political Science at Concordia University (Montreal) announces its Doctoral Visiting Fellowship competition. IRI is seeking applications for three 3-month doctoral fellowships for 2025 in the field of immigration.

Priority will be given to projects focusing on Quebec and/or other multinational states, but proposed projects may also focus on other case studies, including, but not limited to, countries, nations, or regions characterized by significant immigration.

The successful candidates will work in collaboration with Antoine Bilodeau and/or Mireille Paquet. The award is worth $8,000 CAD to cover travel and living expenses while at Concordia University and is paid in two installments during the research stay in Montreal. Candidates must be present at Concordia University for a period of 3 months and must complete their stay before December 20, 2025.

To learn more and apply, click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

National Identity and Immigration in Contemporary Quebec: Comparing Majority and Minority Perspectives

Tues., Sept. 24 | 12:30 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall | RSVP

Immigration and ethnocultural diversity have been at the center of debates in Quebec society since the early 2000s. These include: how governments should respond to demands from minority groups for religious accommodation; what are optimal inflows of immigrants to the province; and what degree of integration is expected from newcomers. What relationship do majority-group Quebecers expect to have with immigrants? And what relationship do immigrants and ethnocultural minorities expect to have with Quebec?

This talk attempts to provide some empirical evidence for, and reflections on, answers to these questions. It draws from multiple recently-published studies and the speaker’s in-progress research. The first part of the talk sheds light on how Quebecers define their national identity and the resultant ramifications for immigration and ethnocultural diversity. The second part of the talk presents evidence indicating an “identity deficit” observable among immigrants and ethnocultural minorities in relation to Quebec, and attempts to explain what may cause this weaker identification with Quebec.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Antoine Bilodeau is a professor of political science at Concordia University in Montreal. His research focuses on immigrant integration and the dynamics of openness to immigration and ethnocultural diversity in Quebec and other multinational states. He has led several large-scale survey projects investigating public opinion across Canada around identity, views towards federalism, and attitudes towards immigrants and diversity. Dr. Bilodeau is the recipient of Concordia’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Award for Research (2023), as well as the 2016-17 Concordia University Research Award. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto.

7th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner

Sun., Oct. 6 | 5:00 pm | Alumni House | Buy tickets

Canadian Studies is proud to partner with the Digital Moose Lounge for our seventh annual Canadian Thanksgiving! Join your fellow Bay Area Canadians for this annual fall tradition. Share a delicious turkey dinner as you connect with friends old and new.

General admission tickets can be purchased from the Digital Moose Lounge at the link above. A limited number of student tickets may be available. Write to canada@berkeley.edu for more information.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

2nd Annual Silicon Valley Terry Fox Run

Sun., Sept. 15 | 9:30 am | Palo Alto, CA | Register

Help raise money for cancer research while honoring a Canadian national hero. The Terry Fox Run is an annual international event commemorating cancer activist Terry Fox’s cross-Canada Marathon of Hope. Participants will celebrate his determination and inspiring legacy with a 5K run/walk event at Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto. Be sure to look out for our friends from the Digital Moose Lounge, who will be running as a team!

Funds from the event will be donated to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), a world-leading institution in groundbreaking cancer research and treatment. Donations are welcome from those who cannot participate in the run.

National Legion Week / Battle of Britain Service

September 15-21 | San Francisco, CA | More information

The second annual National Legion Week is from September 15th-21st. As this is the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the local San Francisco Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion will begin the week by hosting a Battle of Britain service on Sunday, 15 September at 11:00 am in the Presidio Chapel in San Francisco. For more information about this service and the branch’s activities throughout National Legion Week, visit the branch’s website.

Ex Machina / Robert Lepage & Cirque FLIP Fabrique SLAM!

October 4-6 | Zellerbach Hall | Buy tickets

In this new adrenaline-infused collaboration, Québécois troupe Cirque FLIP Fabrique partners with renowned opera and theater director Robert Lepage to bring the breathtaking spectacle and daring physicality of pro wrestling to the stage. SLAM! explores and celebrates wrestling cultures from around the world through the circus arts, with captivating lighting and sets, exuberant choreography, and compelling plot twists and turns. Get your ringside seat now for this one-of-a-kind production, hosted by Cal Performances!

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

WEBSITE | EMAIL | DONATE
Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley 213 Philosophy Hall #2308 | Berkeley, CA 94720 US

[REMINDER] Battle of Britain Service 2024

Leave a reply

The Battle of Britain was formally held from July 10th to October 31st, 1940.  According to Veterans Affairs Canada:

Many Canadians served in the squadrons of Spitfires and Hurricanes which repulsed the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1940. No. 1 Fighter Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), equipped with modern eight-gun fighters, became the first RCAF unit to engage enemy planes in battle when it met a formation of German bombers over southern England on August 26, 1940. It shot down three of them and damaged four others with the loss of one pilot and one plane. Its next meeting with the enemy was not as fortunate as it was attacked out of the sun by Messerschmitts and lost three planes. By mid-October the squadron had accounted for 31 enemy aircraft destroyed and probably 43 more destroyed or damaged. It lost 16 Hurricanes; thre pilots had been killed.

The Canadians flew with the Royal Air Force during that difficult period. No. 242 (Canadian) Squadron RAF, which had been formed in 1939 from some of the many Canadians who flew directly with the Royal Air Force, was now reinforced with Veterans from the French campaign and joined in the battle. On August 30, nine of its planes met a hundred enemy aircraft over Essex. Attacking from above, the squadron claimed 12 victories and escaped unscathed.

Canadians also shared in repulsing the Luftwaffe’s last major daylight attack. On September 27, 303 Squadron RAF and 1 Squadron RCAF attacked the first wave of enemy bombers. Seven, possibly eight enemy planes were destroyed, and another seven damaged. The Royal Canadian Air Force thus received its baptism of fire.

For several decades the Royal Canadian Air Force Association 900 Wing San Francisco (otherwise known as the “Golden Bear Wing”) hosted a Battle of Britain service at the Presidio Chapel in San Francisco.  In honour of the 100th anniversary of the RCAF, join Branch 25 (San Francisco) of the Royal Canadian Legion and Rana Sarkar (Consul General of Canada in San Francisco) for the 2024 Battle of Britain service.

Sunday, 15 September 2024 at 11am
Presidio Chapel – 130 Fisher Loop, San Francisco, CA 94129

If you are unable to attend the service in person, we will do our best to stream the service on the day of the event.  To register to watch the service online, please visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S3GLUF7JQDWESFbZfVa5hw