Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Program News

• New Hildebrand Fellow Sophie Helpard studies social benefits of sports funding

News from Canada

• Canada is holding elections on April 28; here’s how to get involved

Upcoming Events

• Generating Sustainable Indigenous AI

• Save the date for two special election events!

Other Events

• SF Bay Area Canadian Community Town Hall

• Canadian Heritage Hockey Night: Leafs vs. Sharks

• Canadian Movie Night: Une langue universelle

PROGRAM NEWS

New Hildebrand Fellow Sophie Helpard Studies Social Benefits of Sports Funding

The Canadian Studies Program is pleased to announce Sophie Helpard as a recipient of our Edward E. Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowship for Spring 2025.

Sophie is a Master of Public Affairs student at the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley. Her research studies the positive societal impacts derived from investment in sport and recreation programs in Canada. Her Hildebrand Fellowship will support her capstone project, a policy benefit-cost analysis on the impacts of increasing federal funding to Canada’s national sports organizations. Specifically, she will seek to quantify the social impact of these expenditures, and whether increased funding leads to general improvements across a variety of health and wellbeing measures. Her fellowship will fund travel to Canada to conduct fact-finding interviews with sport organizations and other stakeholders.

Sophie received her honours specialization in political science from Huron University College and Western University, where she worked as the Director of Government Relations before pursuing her master’s degree.

NEWS FROM CANADA

Canada is holding elections April 28; here’s how to get involved

On Sunday, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney announced that snap elections will be held next month, on April 28. The announcement kicks off a five-week campaign, at the end of which the Canadian public will decide whether Carney’s Liberal Party – or his Conservative opponents led by Pierre Poilievre – is best equipped to lead the country during a period of multiplying international and domestic crises.

The question of how to handle US president Trump and his tariffs – not to mention threats of outright annexation – has overshadowed all other issues in Canadian politics and made the race unexpectedly competitive. Until just two months ago, the governing Liberal Party seemed headed for a historic defeat, with the Conservatives holding a 25-point lead in polling. That lead has now evaporated, as many voters question whether Poilievre is too friendly to Trump to effectively oppose him. The two parties are now running neck-and-neck, with the Liberals currently holding a slight polling lead.

But while Trump may dominate the daily news, the next Canadian PM will also have to deal with a host of domestic problems ranging from a housing and affordability crisis; increased discontent over immigration; wildfires and climate change; and a softening economy that is heavily dependent on the United States. The Conservatives hope to tie Carney to unpopular outgoing PM Justin Trudeau, and argue that the Liberal’s handling of these issues is to blame for Canada’s stagnant – if not declining – quality of life.

Canadian Studies will be hosting two special events for this election – a watch party and a roundtable panel analyzing outcomes. Read below to find out more!

Do you want to make your voice heard in this election? If you are a Canadian citizen resident abroad, you may be eligible to vote by mail! You must be over 18 years of age and have lived in Canada at some point in your life.

To receive a ballot from Elections Canada, Canadians abroad must apply in advance to be added to the International Register of Electors. Click here to register. If you have previously been added to the Register, you will automatically receive a ballot at the mailing address on file with Elections Canada.

For more information, visit www.elections.ca or contact the Consulate General of Canada – Consular Services at sfran@international.gc.ca or (415) 834-3180.

Vector image of Canadians with flags by Freepik.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Generating Sustainable Indigenous AI

Friday, April 11 | 4:00 pm | UC Berkeley | RSVP

Michael Running Wolf and Caroline Running Wolf, co-founders of First Languages AI Reality (FLAIR) will discuss their work to revitalize endangered Indigenous languages through artificial intelligence (AI) and immersive technology. The project is housed at Mila, Canada’s foremost AI research institute. FLAIR partners with multiple Indigenous communities across the Americas to drive the next chapter in Indigenous language reclamation. In addition, the project envisions a future where Indigenous people attain technological sovereignty while addressing data ownership issues and systemic barriers to Indigenous AI. Their work researching an automatic speech recognition system for highly polysynthetic languages has been recognized with multiple awards, including the 2024-25 The Tech for Global Good award and the Patrick J. McGovern AI for Humanity Prize.

About the Speakers

Michael Running Wolf (Northern Cheyenne and Lakota) was raised in a rural prairie village in Montana with intermittent water and electricity. Naturally, he has a Master of Science in computer science, was an engineer at Amazon’s Alexa, and former faculty at Northeastern University. Michael is an AI ethicist who envisions an Indigenous future where Indigenous communities, alongside reclaiming their languages, attain technological sovereignty while addressing data ownership and systemic barriers to Indigenous AI. He co-founded and is Board President of IndigiGenius, a nonprofit in the USA dedicated to increasing the representation of Indigenous people in computer science. Among other awards, Michael has received an MIT Solve Fellowship, the Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, and the Centri Tech Social Justice Innovation Award. He is currently pursuing his PhD at McGill University.

Caroline Running Wolf, née Old Coyote (Crow) is a language activist and XR producer dedicated to supporting Indigenous languages and data sovereignty. Caroline serves on multiple advisory boards where she champions the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges. As co-author of the Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper and in speaking engagements, Caroline is an advocate for Indigenous data sovereignty, data justice, and AI ethics. She co-founded and serves as treasurer of IndigiGenius. Her PhD research at the University of British Columbia partners with Kwakwaka’wakw communities and explores applications of immersive technologies (AR/VR/XR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance Indigenous language and culture reclamation.

Canadian Studies is marking the upcoming election with two events that you won’t want to miss!

First, on April 28, join fellow Canadians (and fans of Canadian politics) for an election night watch party on the Berkeley campus. We’ll provide food, plus commentary from guest experts as the results come in!

We’ll also be hosting an election roundtable featuring representatives from all of Canada’s major political parties. We’ll discuss the issues that are motivating voters, and what the election results could mean for the future of US-Canada relations.

More information is forthcoming, so stay tuned!

OTHER EVENTS

SF Bay Area Canadian Community Town Hall

Tues., March 25 | 10:00 am | Online | RSVP

Join the Consulate of Canada in San Francisco for a Canadian Community town hall where the Consulate team will provide an update on the current state of Canada-U.S. relations and facilitate an informal discussion on community engagement opportunities to support Canadian interests in California.

Please Note: If you are interested in attending, please register for the waitlist. Additional tickets will be released as spots become available.

This event will be held under Chatham House Rule.

Canadian Heritage Hockey Night: Leafs vs. Sharks

Thurs., March 27 | 5:00 pm | San José, CA | Buy tickets

The Digital Moose Lounge invites you to the ultimate hockey night as the Leafs face the Sharks in a spirited rematch! Enjoy a VIP experience in the Terrace Suites featuring catering by Augie’s Montreal smoked meats and poutine, as well special fan experiences and post-game pictures with the Sharks’ Canadian players.

This event is co-sponsored by the Canadian Consulate and is sure to sell out, so buy your tickets early!

Canadian Movie Night: Une langue universelle

Thurs., March 27 | 6:00 pm | San Francisco, CA | RSVP

As part of the Francophonie month, the Alliance Française de San Francisco welcomes you for a very special screening: the Canadian movie Universal Language by Matthew Rankin! In this surreal comedy set in an alternate Persian-speaking version of Winnipeg, the lives of multiple characters interweave with each other in surprising and mysterious ways. Grade-schoolers Negin and Nazgol find a sum of money frozen in ice and try to claim it. Meanwhile, Massoud leads a group of increasingly befuddled tourists through the city’s monuments and historic sites. And Matthew returns home to visit his mother after quitting his meaningless job with the government of an independent Québec. The film was Canada’s official entry at the Oscars and was named to TIFF’s Top Ten films for 2024.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

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