Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

Canadian Studies News

• Get your poppy for Remembrance Week 2025!

Academic Opportunities

• UC Berkeley Study Abroad Fair

• Canadian survey data opportunity

Upcoming Events

• Panel: Understanding Post-Trudeau Canadian Politics and Policies

External Events

• San Francisco Leonard Cohen Festival

• Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day Service

• Montreal Steppers at SF Dance Film Festival

• Simon Fraser University’s 60th Anniversary Alumni Reception in Silicon Valley

CANADIAN STUDIES NEWS

Get Your Poppy for Remembrance Week 2025!

Every year, from the last Friday of October to November 11, millions of Canadians wear a bright red poppy in honour of Canada’s veterans. It’s a tradition observed throughout the Commonwealth, from Britain to New Zealand, and one that originated in Canadian! The poppy became an international symbol of WWI thanks to Canadian physician John McCrae, whose 1915 war poem “In Flanders’ Fields” became emblematic of the conflict. In 1921, Canada was the first country to adopt the poppy as its official symbol of remembrance, followed soon after by the rest of the Commonwealth. Over a century later, it remains an enduring symbol of the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers, and a pledge to veterans in recognition of their service.

In partnership with Royal Canadian Legion US Branch #25, the Canadian Studies Program is proud to serve as an official distributor of remembrance poppies. Interested persons may pick up their poppies at our office in 213 Philosophy Hall on the UC Berkeley campus, weekdays between 9am-4pm. While the poppy is free, the Legion gratefully accepts donations towards their Poppy Fund, which directly supports Canadian veterans and their families. Learn more about the Poppy Campaign here. You can also create a digital poppy honouring a loved one by visiting MyPoppy.ca.

ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITIES

UC Berkeley Study Abroad Fair

Tues., Nov. 4 | 12:00 – 4:00 pm | MLK Student Union Building | RSVP

Learn how you can study abroad in Canada at UC Berkeley’s signature study abroad event for undergraduates. Join for fun activities, giveaways, and opportunities to interact with Berkeley Study Abroad advisers, campus resources, and former study abroad participants! Options include an academic year program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and a summer internship program in Toronto. Plus, if you RSVP for the Fair by you will be entered for a chance to win a $100 Cal Student Store gift card. A winner will be selected at random and emailed at the end of the week.

Empirical Intelligence, a startup survey firm in Canada, is offering academic researchers the opportunity to include questions in nationwide surveys of Canadians for a fraction of the cost of running a survey. Researchers will get a full cleaned dataset with responses to their question(s) as well as demographic and other background variables. Surveys are run by Dr. Eric Guntermann, a survey professional with over 15 years of experience who is a former UC Berkeley postdoc and Canadian Studies Sproul Fellow. The next survey will be around the time of the federal budget on November 4th, but there will be more to come. Email eg@empiricalintelligence.ca if you are interested.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Panel: Understanding Post-Trudeau Canadian Politics and Policies

Tues., Nov. 4 | 12:30 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall | RSVP

Since 2024, Canadian politics has entered a new era of uncertainty. The result of the US presidential election raised diplomatic and economic tensions between Canada and the United States to a level unprecedented in modern times. Domestically, the election of Mark Carney as the Canadian prime minister initiated a new era of Canadian politics after Justin Trudeau’s 10-year premiership. What do we need to know to better understand Canadian politics and public policy in this age of changes and challenges? In this event, two experts will share their thoughts on the major issues at stake in Canada today.

About the Panelists

Dr. Evert Lindquist is a professor of public administration at the University of Victoria and editor of Canadian Public Administration, the journal of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. His research interests include the evolving role of federal agencies, public sector reform, and how governments address complex policy challenges.

Professor Lindquist is a recipient of the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Silver Medal Award for Excellence in Public Administration. He holds a BA from Carleton University; an MA from Western University; and a PhD from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

Dr. Alasdair Roberts is a professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he was the inaugural director of the university’s School of Public Policy. He has received numerous awards for his writing on problems of governance.

Professor Roberts is the first non-US citizen elected as a Fellow of the US National Academy of Public Administration. In 2022, he received the Riggs Award for Lifetime Achievement in International and Comparative Public Administration from the American Political Science Association (APSA). He received his BA from Queen’s University; his JD from the University of Toronto; and his MPP and PhD in public policy from Harvard.

This event is cosponsored by the Institute of Governmental Studies.

This event will have a remote attendance option via Zoom. Please select the “virtual attendance” in the RSVP form to receive the link.

If you require an accommodation to participate fully in this event, please let us know with as much advance notice as possible by emailing canada@berkeley.edu.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

San Francisco Leonard Cohen Festival

Nov. 3-8 | San Francisco | Buy tickets

The San Francisco Leonard Cohen Festival returns next month! Hosted by San Francisco’s Conspiracy of Beards, a choir of men that sing the songs of Leonard Cohen, the festival is a multi-artist, multi-event celebration of the poetry, literature, and music of the late Canadian singer, songwriter, author, and poet.

Learn more about the festival and its origins in this 2024 piece from PBS Newshour.

Royal Canadian Legion Remembrance Day Service

Sat., Nov. 8 | 11:00 am | Petaluma | RSVP (Zoom only)

Join the Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion, representing the San Francisco Bay Area, for their annual Remembrance Day Service. The service will take place at the Royal Canadian Legion plot in Liberty Cemetery on 170 Liberty Road in Petaluma. Guests are welcome at the cemetery. If you are unable to attend in person, the service will also be livestreamed via Zoom. To receive the link, please register above.

Montreal Steppers at the SF Dance Film Festival

Sat., Nov. 8 | 6:00 pm | San Francisco | Buy tickets

The 2025 San Francisco Dance Film Festival will take place from October 24 to November 9 at theaters across San Francisco. The festival will include a screening of the short documentary The Steppers Visit South Africa, which follows the Montreal Steppers as they reconnect with the ancestral roots of street dance in its native country. The screening will be followed by a performance from the Montreal Steppers, who will join the festival from Canada.

Simon Fraser University’s 60th Anniversary Alumni Reception in Silicon Valley

Sat., Nov. 15 | 5:00 pm | Mountain View | Buy tickets

In celebration of SFU’s 60th anniversary, you are invited for a special evening at the Computer History Museum! Enjoy complimentary access to the exhibit, mingle with fellow alumni, and expand your professional network, all while savouring delicious food and beverages. Spaces are limited, so register by November 11 to reserve your spot. Guests are welcome!

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

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