Author Archives: Michael K. Barbour

About Michael K. Barbour

Michael K. Barbour is the Director of Faculty Development and a Professor of Instructional Design for the College of Education and Health Sciences at Touro University California. He has been involved with K-12 online learning in a variety of countries for well over a decade as a researcher, teacher, course designer and administrator. Michael's research focuses on the effective design, delivery and support of K-12 online learning, particularly for students located in rural jurisdictions.

Salute! October 2021

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A newsletter from the folks at Veterans Affairs Canada.

October 2021

Please share this e-mail with your friends and contacts.

Let us know what you think about the new Salute! by emailing us.

In this edition:

Programs and services

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is October 10. This day is a time to educate and raise awareness of mental health issues around the world. Did you know that in 2020, 71% of Veterans who received disability benefits for a mental health condition had PTSD?

Mental health is important for well-being and quality of life. There are a variety of resources to help Veterans, family members and caregivers take care of their mental health:

VAC Assistance Service is available 24/7 to Veterans, former RCMP members, their family members, or caregivers, including those who aren’t clients of VAC. Get support right now from a mental health professional by calling 1-800-268-7708 (TDD/TYY: 1-800-567-5803).
Operational stress injury clinics provide in-person and virtual assessment, treatment and support to address mental health issues related to service. Veterans, CAF and RCMP members can access the clinics through referral. Family members may also receive or participate in some of the services provided through the clinics.
Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) is a national peer support network that provides social support to CAF members, Veterans and their families who are living with the impacts of an Operational Stress Injury .
Pastoral outreach services are available to Veterans or their immediate family for spiritual support if they are dealing with end of life issues, or experiencing loss of a loved one.
The HOPE Program is another resource where bereaved families can obtain confidential peer support by connecting with families who have gone through a similar experience as their own.
The Veteran Family Program connects medically releasing and released Veterans and their families to community supports.

Veteran success story

Roger Chabot: Veteran artist

Retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces allowed Roger Chabot to pursue his lifelong passion full-time, while keeping him connected to his military family.

Read about how Roger’s CAF career inspires his art.

Veteran success story: Roger Chabot – Veterans Affairs Canada

Engagement with the Veteran community

Rehabilitation Program: Let’s Chat!

Are you a Veteran or family member with experience in our Rehabilitation Program? If so, we want to connect with you to hear how we can improve our rehabilitation services. Please reach out by 31 October 2021 to share your thoughts and perspectives.

We are looking for a broad group of Veterans and their families, including those who identify as Indigenous, a racialized group, LGBTQ2+ and persons with a disability, to ensure our rehabilitation service delivery is inclusive and equitable.

Over the next several months, you’ll be invited to virtual discussions in the official language of your choice. The goal is to understand how proposed changes to the Rehabilitation Program would affect program participants. Sessions will last 30 minutes to an hour.

In your email, please include any accessibility requirements you may have so that we can best support your participation.

Know a Veteran or family member who may want to chat? Tell them about these discussions too, so that everyone has the chance to participate.

Indigenous Veteran rocks Indigenous Day Live 2021

More than 500,000 people watched Chief Petty Officer (Retd) Debbie Eisan on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) on Indigenous Day Live this summer. It’s one success of the new partnership between APTN and Veterans Affairs Canada.

In her 60-second video, Chief Petty Officer, 2nd Class (Retd) Eisan spoke about her experience as an Indigenous Veteran. It highlights the many sacrifices Indigenous Veterans have made to Canada.

Indigenous Day Live is the nation’s largest event in recognition of National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21. Cultural and musical performances bring Canadians together in celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ unparalleled contributions to Canada.

Learn all about this year’s Indigenous Day Live.

The Faces of Freedom Podcast series will return

Stay tuned for a brand new edition of our Faces of Freedom Podcast series coming your way just in time for Veterans’ Week 2021.

If you haven’t had a chance yet, check out our previous series covering a wide variety of stories from generations of Canadians.

Commemoration

Deadline approaches for Commemorative Partnership Program Community War Memorial funding

Is your community looking to create or expand on an existing war memorial? Look no further than our Commemorative Partnership Program.

Don’t miss out! November 1 is the deadline for Commemorative Partnership Program applications for community war memorial projects.

The Commemorative Partnership Program can provide financial support for projects commemorating the achievements and sacrifices of those who served Canada. Your community can help create a lasting legacy to remember our Canadian heroes.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply, visit our website, or contact the Commemorative Partnership Program directly.

Bring the spirit of Remembrance Day into your classroom

We have new learning resources for students of all ages, just in time for Veterans’ Week.

Our popular classroom materials are now available in both print and digital formats. Best of all, they’re free.

The deadline for ordering print editions to make sure they reach you by Remembrance Day is October 27.

We have a limited number in stock, so submit your order today. Because when they’re gone, they’re gone!

Learn more here.

Do you know other Veterans, family members or others who would benefit from the information in this newsletter? Feel free to share it with them.

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Remembrance Day Virtual Race – Michael Barbour: Fundraising Page

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My Story…

Samuel Barbour served as a Gunner (GNR) in “A” Battery of the 59th (Newfoundland) Heavy Regiment of Britain’s Royal Artillery during World War II. Along with his regiment, he fought through Belgium and into Holland, before the “Fighting 59th” were the only Allied heavy artillery that crossed the Rhine River into Germany when they were selected to take part in the Battle of the Rhine and the attack on Bremen. Following the war, my grandfather returned to a more quiet life in Newfoundland as a fishing boat captain.

During the annual Remembrance Day services at the local school one year, an English teacher spoke about my grandfather. “Every year on this most special day he dons the blue beret and navy jacket adorned with medals – the recognition of his service, courage and bravery. He and his beloved wife make the journey down the hill to our school. When they arrive, faces wreathed in smiles, they bring a card with a beautiful and thoughtful message of thanks and a gift for our students.”

I joined the Royal Canadian Legion to honour my grandfather and to proudly stand next to him in our Legion uniforms at remembrance events. This is the second year I have participated in this race to remember him.

Donate to help Michael raise money for Remembrance Day Races’s fundraising campaign.

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃 Plus: Nobel Prize; Making middle-class multiculturalism

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

Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

Happy Thanksgiving from Canadian Studies!
Book talk tomorrow: Making Middle Class Multiculturalism
In the news: Faculty affiliate David Card wins Nobel Prize in economics
Pres. Biden recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which started in Berkeley
Photos: Our 4th Annual Canadian Family Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to Canadians Near and Far!

Dear Friends,

On behalf of all of us at Canadian Studies, I would like to wish a joyful (Canadian) Thanksgiving to you and your families. Here in Berkeley, we have a lot to be grateful for. With the pandemic winding down in California, we’re slowly returning to life as normal. We were even able to celebrate Thanksgiving in-person this weekend with members of the Bay Area’s Canadian Community for the first time in two years – see the pictures below! The day takes on particular poignancy as it also falls on Indigenous Peoples’ Day here in the US, a tradition that started in the city of Berkeley.

As we give thanks, we are most grateful for all of your support through these difficult times. We’ve really seen the value of a strong community over the last two years. I’m so proud to say that we have built such a community around Canadian Studies, because it’s your interest and encouragement that keeps us moving forward. We couldn’t do it without you.

With best wishes for a happy and delicious holiday,

Irene Bloemraad

Program Director

TOMORROW

Book Talk: Making Middle-Class Multiculturalism: Immigration Bureaucrats and Policymaking in Postwar Canada

October 12 | 12:30 pm PT | Online | RSVP here

In the 1950s and 1960s, immigration bureaucrats played an important yet unacknowledged role in transforming Canada’s immigration policy. Their perceptions and judgements about the admissibility of individuals influenced the creation of formal admissions criteria for skilled workers and family immigrants that continue to shape immigration to Canada. Bureaucrats emphasized not just economic utility, but also middle-class traits and values such as wealth accumulation, educational attainment, entrepreneurial spirit, resourcefulness and a strong work ethic. By making “middle-class multiculturalism” a basis of nation-building in Canada, they created a much-admired approach to managing racial diversity that has nevertheless generated significant social inequalities. Migration expert Jennifer Elrick will discuss insights from her forthcoming book examining the topic.

Jennifer Elrick is an assistant professor of sociology at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Her research interests lie in the area of state classifications (in censuses and immigration policy) and their relationship to social stratification along the lines of race, gender, and social class. Her work is multi-national in scope, focusing on Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

This event is cosponsored by the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, the Center for Race and Gender, and the Institute of International Studies.

IN THE NEWS

Faculty Affiliate David Card Wins Nobel Prize in Economics

Canadian Studies is proud to announce that David Card, a UC Berkeley economist and Canadian Studies faculty affiliate, was awarded half of the 2021 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. The award recognizes his pioneering research in the field of labour economics, which has been hailed as “revolutionary”. We hope you will join us in congratulating Professor Card for this monumental achievement.

Born in Canada, Professor Card has taught at Berkeley for over twenty years. His research focuses on inequality and growth; his best-known work includes studies that challenged prevailing orthodoxies on the negative impacts of a higher minimum wage on employment figures, and of immigration on the wages of native-born workers.

Hear Professor Card’s reaction to the news and his thoughts on the policy implications of his research in a post-announcement interview with the Nobel Committee’s Adam Smith.

President Biden Recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Which Started in Berkeley

Today, Americans honor the Native people of our country, their diverse cultures, and their numerous contributions to our history and society. It is also a time to reflect on the historical and present treatment of Indigenous peoples in the United States, and celebrate their resilience as vibrant, modern communities.

This year’s celebration bears special significance, as it is the first time the holiday has been formally recognized by the federal government. Berkeley was the first US city to officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 1992. The decision grew out of debates over the commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas and traditional Columbus Day celebrations, which many felt did not accurately account for the impact of European colonization on Native American communities. As a result, Berkeley opted to replace Columbus Day with a celebration of Native American cultures and peoples.

Since then, an increasing number of cities and states have opted to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day alongside or in lieu of Columbus Day. And last Friday, President Biden signed a proclamation recognizing the holiday nationally for the first time ever. The document also affirmed a commitment by the President to honor tribal sovereignty and past treaties on the part of the government. Learn more about what some Native Americans have to say about the significance of the move via NPR.

Image: Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration in Berkeley, 2012. Credit: Quinn Dombrowski on Wikimedia Commons.

Photos: Celebrating Our 4th Annual Canadian Family Thanksgiving

Last Saturday, Canadian Studies welcomed friends from across the Bay back to Berkeley for a special Thanksgiving celebration, our first since 2019! Our 4th Annual Canadian Family Thanksgiving, hosted jointly with the Digital Moose Lounge, was a roaring success. Canadians and friends of Canada alike had fun connecting in-person over a turkey dinner; guests enjoyed music, trivia, and a raffle with Canadian prizes, including woolen tuques, a Team Canada Olympic jacket, and two Air Canada tickets! But most appreciated was a renewed community connection as guests mingled, chatted, and shared Canadian Stories. We can’t wait to see you again next year!

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308

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Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley, 213 Moses Hall #2308, Berkeley, CA 94720

Webinar: 150 Years Before Touro – The Navy’s Hospitals On Mare Island, 1856 To 1957

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An up-coming webinar, which includes some local military history, that may be of interest to our membership.

WEBINAR: 150 YEARS BEFORE TOURO – THE NAVY’S HOSPITALS ON MARE ISLAND, 1856 TO 1957

Being the story of the hallowed ground upon which you walk every day

Nov 4, 2021 12:00 PM Pacific Time

Link to join: https://zoom.us/j/94264305868?pwd=QkkzUjU3TDNSaldvTVh3cGNVdDhRUT09 (registration not required)

Thomas L Snyder, MD

Tom Snyder is a retired urologist and naval officer. In retirement, he has combined
his naval and medical interests to work on a history of the first Navy’s first west coast hospital, on Mare Island. He’s the founding executive director of the Society for the History of Navy Medicine, which sponsors academic panels, offers graduate student travel and research grants, and awards a biennial Harold D Langley Book Prize for Excellence in the History of Maritime Medicine. Tom is a Companion in the Naval Order of the United States, America’s oldest naval history organization. At Albany Medical College, Tom founded and coordinates the Albany Base Hospital No 33 Society, an alumni military affinity group. At home in Vallejo, he frequently lectures to local groups on the history of maritime and military medicine and writes a blog, Of Ships and Surgeons – Notes on Maritime Medicine, Past and Present. He has published several articles on maritime medical history.

Flyer: tuc-historic-webinar.pdf

Poppy Campaign: 4th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving

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Earlier today the branch unofficially began its annual 2021 Poppy Campaign, as it participated in the 4th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving that was co-hosted Digital Moose Lounge and the Canadian Studies Program at the University of California at Berkeley. Below are some pictures from the event that we located online.