Category Archives: Canadian Studies Program UC Berkeley

Pope visits Canada for residential schools apology; Canadian films in San Jose

A newsletter from a fellow Canadian organization in the Bay Area.


Canadian Studies Announcements
In This Issue:
Program News
  • Happy New Brunswick Day!
Canadian News
  • Pope Francis visits Canada to apologize for residential schools
External Events
  • Nine Canadian Films at the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival
PROGRAM NEWS
Happy New Brunswick Day!
Today, people across Canada are enjoying a well-deserved holiday. The first Monday in August goes by several names across Canada; New Brunswick is one of many places to mark the day as a commemoration of its history, and the many cultures that have contributed to Canada’s only bilingual province.
New Brunswick was first inhabited by First Nations peoples like the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet. In 1604, the French colonized the region as “Acadia”, the first of their New France territories. These Acadians were largely deported after the British conquered the province, in turn replaced by Loyalists fleeing the American victory in their revolution. For a time, the region prospered, and in 1867 it was one of the four original provinces that confederated to form the core of modern Canada. Unfortunately, the province then entered a long decline in its traditional industries like shipbuilding, lumber, and fishing, and by the 20th century it was one of the poorest regions in Canada.
Fortunately, today the province is seeing a revival, as Canadians from all over are lured by the provinces’ scenic beauty and relatively cheap housing costs. It also remains a popular holiday destination for Canadians, who appreciate the rugged coastline of the Bay of Fundy and its many beaches and picturesque lighthouses and covered bridges. So to all our New Brunswicker friends, have a safe and fun weekend!
CANADIAN NEWS
Pope Francis Visits Canada to Apologize for Residential Schools
Pope Francis concluded a “penitential pilgrimage” of Canada on Friday,after making a landmark apology for the role of the Catholic Church in Canada’s Indian residential school system. Over the course of the six-day trip, the Pope met with government leaders and school survivors from across Canada as he travelled across Alberta, Quebec, and Nunavut.
The Indian residential school system was established by the Canadian government in the 19th century. The system lasted into the 1960s, when most residential schools were closed, although the last school did not close until 1997. The schools were meant to forcibly assimilate Native children into European Canadian society by removing them from their families, in what the Truth and Reconcilliation Comission calls a policy of “cultural genocide”. Attendance was compulsory for Indigenous chidren over the age of 7. While the schools were funded and overseen by the Canadian government, they were administered by Christian churches, 70% of them by Catholic religious orders.
Apart from the cultural destruction wrought by assimilation, students often endured terrible conditions in the schools. Official reports from the time and surivivor testimony shows that in many schools, children suffered from poor sanitation, overcrowding, and rampant disease. Abuse was also endemic to the system, with survivors recounting being beaten for speaking Native languages or engaging in traditional customs. Sexual abuse was also common. The Truth and Reconcilation Commission’s final report in 2015 listed a papal apology on Canadian territory as a key step in the Reconciliation process.
The Pope began his trip in Alberta, with a visit to the site of the Ermineskin Indian Residential School, south of Edmonton. In a public ceremony, he made a formal apology for the “evil” perpetuated by the schools before a gathering of Native elders and residential school survivors. Speaking in Spanish, he apologized for the way “Christians supported the colonizing mentality of the powers that oppressed the Indigenous peoples”. He described the assimiation process as “catastrophic” for Native communities, depriving them of the “values, language and culture that made up the authentic identity of your peoples.”
From Edmonton, the Pope travelled to Quebec. In Quebec City, he met with Prime Minister Trudeau and Governor General Mary Simon, the first every Indigenous person to hold that position. Following a sojourn to Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré, where he held meetings with Indigenous leaders from eastern Canada, the Pope concluded his tour in Iqaluit, Nunavut, with another private meeting with residential school survivors. He said the meeting filled him with renewed “indignation and shame” for the suffering they had experienced.
Reactions to the visit from the Indigenous community have varied. Almost all welcomed the Pope’s remarks, which many felt were long overdue recognition of the trauma they endured. However, many added that the Reconciliation process is far from over. Some leaders called for the Pope to formally repudiate the 15th-century Doctrine of Discovery that justified the colonization of the Americans. Still others are calling for additional financial compensation to support families impacted by the residential schools. While the Catholic Church paid surivors $54 million as part of a 2006 settlement, an associated fundraising campaign raised only $3.7 million of a $25 million goal. While the Canadian Government released the Church from further legal obligation, activists say the Church remains morally responsible to pay the entire amount promised.
Photos provided by the Offices of the Prime Minister and Governor General.
EXTERNAL EVENTS
Nine Canadian Films at the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival
August 16-29 | San Jose, CA | Purchase tickets here
Canada will be well represented at this year’s Cinequest Film Festival, taking place in select theaters in San Jose. Canadian submissions include CarmenLabour DayMontréal GirlsAshgroveWolvesThe FamilyTehrantoWe’re All in This Together, and Back Home Again.
Image: Natascha McElhone and Steven Love in Carmen (2022).
Canadian Studies Program
213 Moses Hall #2308
Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley, 213 Moses Hall #2308, Berkeley, CA 94720

Welcome to three new board members! Plus: The USMCA at 2

A newsletter from a fellow Canadian organization in the Bay Area.


Canadian Studies Announcements
In This Issue:
Program News
  • Canadian Studies welcomes three new External Advisory Board members
  • Anthropologist Sabrina Agarwal joins Faculty Advisory Committee
Local News
  • San Francisco marks Canada Day with official proclamation, flag-raising
External Events
  • USMCA at Two: What Comes Next?
PROGRAM NEWS
Canadian Studies Welcomes Three New External Advisory Board Members
The Canadian Studies Program is excited to announce three new additions to our External Advisory Board: David Jeu, Rhonda Rubinstein, and Jennifer Wong. Each of our new members are Canadians with strong connections to the San Francisco Bay Area, local non-profits, and the broader Canadian-American community. Their experience, skills, and enthusiasm will be a major asset to the program. All three began their terms on July 1, so please join us in giving them a warm welcome!
David Jeu retired from UC Berkeley in 2020, where he had held the position of Assistant Vice Chancellor, International Relations for ten years. During his time at Cal, he led a team responsible for international fundraising (averaging over $45M annually, with an historic high of $81.4 million in FY19) and alumni relations (a global alumni network and volunteer leadership in 41 countries).
Prior to joining Berkeley, David had served in a variety of fundraising and non-profit leadership positions in the Canadian higher education, healthcare and social services sectors (in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Western Canada) for over 20 years. He is currently a consulting partner with the international firm of Marts & Lundy, advising several startups and building a philanthropic advisory service with family offices in Asia and the Middle East. His board experience includes service on UC Berkeley’s University of California Foundation (Hong Kong) and Chancellor’s Asia Advisory Council, IWK Health Centre, and various professional membership associations. He currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with his family.
Rhonda Rubinstein is the Creative Director of the California Academy of Sciences, a museum and research center in San Francisco. She orchestrates how design, photography, typography and information converge in the public experience as exhibitions, environmental graphics, and print, digital and interactive communications. Resonant with the Academy’s mission, Rhonda co-founded BigPicture Natural World Photography, an acclaimed annual international photography competition focused on wildlife and conservation, currently in its 9th year. She curated the book WONDERS: Spectacular Moments in Nature Photography, showcasing the immense diversity and beauty of our world and is at work on another, due to be published in 2023.
Rhonda grew up in Montreal where Expo 67 and its legacy influenced her worldview on humanity, media, and the potential of cultural aspirations. In Halifax, she earned a bachelor’s of design in communication design from NSCAD University, then moved to New York City to work as a publication designer for numerous magazines. Rhonda taught at New York University School of Journalism and Parsons School of Design, and distinguished herself as the award-winning art director for Esquire at a time when magazines were significant social documents of the era. Recruited to San Francisco, she became art director of Mother Jones magazine, and a founding partner of Exbrook, a consultancy focused on helping progressive social impact organizations to use design thoughtfully and with purpose.
Jennifer Wong was raised in Ottawa. She earned her B.A. in finance and economics from Huron College at Western University in London, Ontario. She brings global business development, professional services and customer success experience with tech leaders including DocuSign, Dell and IBM. While leading a global team as DocuSign’s Director of Partner Services, Jennifer also served as SF co-chair for DocuSign IMPACT, and served on the global steering committee for DocuSign Women.
Jennifer has held a number of community leadership roles include SF Expat Canadian Meetup co-organizer, InterNations Consul, SFFD Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) member, and Dress for Success mentor. A champion for education and lifelong learning, she was a long time SF Advisory Board member for Junior Achievement. Jennifer learned to hike during the pandemic; she recently returned from summiting Mt Kilimanjaro, and will next be training for the Matterhorn.
Anthropologist Sabrina Agarwal Joins Faculty Advisory Committee
We are pleased to announce that anthropologist Sabrina Agarwal has agreed to join the Canadian Studies Faculty Advisory Committee, a board of scholars who assist program leadership in developing academic goals for the program. She fills the chair vacated by outgoing committee member Beth Piatote (Native American Studies); the program thanks Professor Piatote for her service.
Professor Agarwal is an expert in biological anthropology, with a focus on human bone. She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, where she also taught for one year before coming to Berkeley.
Professor Agarwal emphasizes inclusivity and respect in her teaching and research, particularly in the context of the fraught relationship between anthropology and many historically disenfranchised communities. In addition to her teaching, she chairs the UC Berkeley NAGPRA Advisory Committee, which facilitates the return of Native American ancestral remains and cultural goods to their tribes of origin. She received the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award in earlier this year.
The Canadian Studies Faculty Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the chair and director in the administration, planning, and strategic direction of the unit’s activities. The committee also advises on the selection of a new director when the chair is vacant. Other current members include UC Berkeley Chancellor Emeritus Robert Birgeneau, and former program director Nelson Graburn.
LOCAL NEWS
San Francisco Marks Canada Day With Official Proclamation, Flag-Raising
On July 1, the City of San Francisco marked Canada Day on with an official ceremony attended by representatives of the Canadian government and local Canadian community.
Mayor London Breed signed a proclamation declaring July 1 as “Canadian-American Friendship and Heritage Day”, which was presented to consul Marie Alnwick. The event was capped by a ceremonial raising of the Canadian flag at City Hall, and the building’s dome was illuminated red-and-white after dark.
The event celebrated the fraternal bonds felt between the people of California and Canada, sentiments were also expressed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his June visit to the state. State and local governments in California have developed increasingly close ties to Canadian counterparts in recent years, citing their shared values and political goals, as well as the strong economic ties between the two markets.
EXTERNAL EVENTS
USMCA at Two: What Comes Next?
July 20 | Online | RSVP here
On July 1, 2022, the United States, Mexico, and Canada reached the two-year anniversary mark of the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, or USMCA. The three countries marked the anniversary with a meeting in British Colombia of USMCA’s Free Trade Commission to review work underway and next steps in the context of a challenging set of circumstances. While trade has rebounded above 2019 levels, despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, there nevertheless remains much to do to realize USMCA’s potential to strengthen regional prosperity and competitiveness.
Join the Wilson Center’s Canada and Mexico Institutes for a discussion on what the priorities should be in the months ahead for implementing USMCA and how that work fits into the broader frame of strengthening North American prosperity and competitiveness. Following introductory remarks by US Representative Kevin Brady, Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne will lead a panel discussion with leaders in the business and trade community from the US, Canada and Mexico. Canada Institute director and Canadian Studies board member Christopher Sands will give closing remarks.
Canadian Studies Program
213 Moses Hall #2308
Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley, 213 Moses Hall #2308, Berkeley, CA 94720

Happy Canada Day from Berkeley! 🇨🇦

An item from one of our fellow Canadian organizations in the Bay Area.


Happy Canada Day!
Dear Michael,
On behalf of our team at Canadian Studies, I wish you and your family a wonderful Canada Day. Today, Canadians show our pride in our nation’s accomplishments, reflect on its history, and honor the values for which it stands in the modern world.
This year, I invite you to take this day to reflect on what defines Canada as a modern nation. Today’s Canada is a strong voice for democracy, human rights, and the acceptance of human diversity; it’s a country that defines itself through peacefulness and inclusivity. In a world that has in many ways seen substantial regression into authoritarianism and injustice in recent years, we believe that this example is more important than ever. As a program, we are proud to support research and scholarship that uplifts these values.
This year’s Canada Day celebrations are almost back to normal. Locally, there will be a flag-raising at San Francisco City Hall while our friends at the Digital Moose Lounge are hosting a (sold out!) Saturday picnic. For those in Canada, Canadian Heritage has compiled a list of celebrations happening across the country. And for those who can’t make it, the festivities in Ottawa will be streamed live online. Whether you’re attending a festival or just barbecuing with the family in the backyard, we wish you a joyous celebration.
In friendship,
Irene Bloemraad
Director and Thomas G. Barnes Chair
Canadian Studies Program
Canadian Studies Program
213 Moses Hall #2308 WEBSITE | EMAIL
Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley, 213 Moses Hall #2308, Berkeley, CA 94720

Bonne Saint-Jean à nos amis du Québec! ⚜️

An item from one of our fellow Canadian organizations in the Bay Area.


Bonne Saint-Jean à tous!
Bonne Fête nationale à tous nos amis québécois et québécoises de la part du Programme d’études canadiennes de l’université de Californie Berkeley!
Celebrated on June 24, the Fête nationale, or La Saint-Jean, is the national holiday of Québec. The festival dates to 1834, when Québec patriotes, inspired by Irish-Canadian St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, chose the Feast of St. John the Baptist as a day to celebrate the unique culture and heritage of the people of Québec. The tradition continues 188 years later, inviting Quebeckers of all backgrounds to celebrate their love of their home province.
This term, Canadian Studies is sponsoring several graduate students doing exciting research in Québec, including Joshua Zimmt, who is studying fossils on Anticosti Island, and Jennifer Kaplan, investigating the development of gender-neutral French in Montréal. We also recently added Professor William Burton, an expert in French and Québécois literature, as a faculty affiliate.
Click here for information about this year’s festivities (in French). Bonne Fête à tous!
Canadian Studies Program
213 Moses Hall #2308 WEBSITE | EMAIL
Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley, 213 Moses Hall #2308, Berkeley, CA 94720

New faculty affiliate; a Canada-California climate partnership; Canada Day picnic

A newsletter from a fellow Canadian organization in the Bay Area.


Canadian Studies Announcements
In This Issue:
Program News
  • Canadian Studies welcomes immigration historian Hidetaka Hirota as newest faculty affiliate
US-Canada News
  • PM Trudeau and California Governor Newsom Sign Bilateral Agreement to Fight Climate Change
External Events
  • Canadian Consulate at SF Pride
  • DML Throwback Canada Day Picnic
PROGRAM NEWS
Canadian Studies welcomes immigration historian Hidetaka Hirota as newest faculty affiliate
Canadian Studies is pleased to announce that Hidetaka Hirota, an associate professor in the Department of History, has joined our program as our newest faculty affiliate.
Professor Hirota is a historian of the United States, specializing in immigration history. His first book, Expelling the Poor, examines the origins of US immigration policy, based on a study of the deportation of impoverished Irish immigrants from the United States to Canada and Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. His current project is titled The American Dilemma, and traces the history of U.S. policy for restricting the immigration of foreign contract workers from Canada, Asia, Mexico, and Europe between the 1880s and 1920s.
Professor Hirota is new to UC Berkeley, having joined the faculty earlier this spring. He received his bachelor’s degree in foreign studies at Sophia University in Tokyo, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Boston Collge. In the fall, he will teach a seminar on the history of American immigration law and policy.
US-CANADA NEWS
PM Trudeau and California Governor Newsom Sign Bilateral Agreement to Fight Climate Change
Earlier this month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with California governor Gavin Newsom at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, an international forum designed to promote cooperation among the nations of the Western Hemisphere. The meeting, which focused on climate change, culminated with the signing a new climate partnership between Canada and California that outlines shared policy objectives. The resulting plan was hailed by both leaders as a “bold” step towards advancing climate solutions and strengthening the natural ties between Canada and California.
The meeting was a natural point of connection for Trudeau and Newsom, both of whom have placed climate change at the centre of their political agendas. Both Canada and California are seen as global leaders in the fight against climate change, and Newsom stressed that partnership would endure independent of changes in US national politics.
During the meeting, the two leaders emphasized Canada and California’s many shared values, including diversity and inclusivity. The two leaders also noted the importance of including Indigenous peoples in environmental discussions, recognizing their “essential” role in land stewardship at a time where both Canada and California are attempting to address painful historical legacies with their Indigenous populations.
The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) which resulted from the meeting included several actionable goals, including reducing pollution, eliminating plastic waste, promoting zero-emission vehicles, and protecting the environment. Wildfires, which have increased in frequency and ferocity along the Pacific Coast in recent years, were another area of shared concern. The full text of the Memorandum can be viewed here.
Photo: Office of the Governor of California.
EXTERNAL EVENTS
Canadian Consulate at the SF Pride Parade
Sunday, June 26 | San Francisco, CA
Consul General of Canada Rana Sarkar cordially invites you to join Canadians marching in the 2022 San Francisco Pride Parade for the first time in three years! The theme of this year’s parade is “Love Will Keep Us Together.” All are welcome to join us on Sunday, June 26th with their families and friends to celebrate diversity and to support the LGBTQ2+ members of our communities here in San Francisco, at home in Canada, and abroad.
DML Throwback Canada Day Picnic
Saturday, July 2 | 11:30 am | Woodside, CA | Buy tickets
The Digital Moose Lounge invites you to join your fellow Northern California Canadians for a throwback Canada Day picnic. This event will bring together a diverse community, from the Consulate of Canada in SF, government, tech, culture, sports and entertainment. Meet new SF Bay Canadians and reconnect with old friends while celebrating Canada Day at the family-friendly picnic!
Enjoy a tasty Flamin Dog BBQ plate, cold Canadian beers, wine tasting with Kascadia Wine Merchants, snacks and Kona Ice snow cones!
Activities will include crafts, trivia, street hockey, beanbag toss, water balloons, tug o’ war, a donut-eating contest and more surprises! Prizes will include 2 Air Canada tickets to anywhere in Canada for one lucky raffle winner. Author Jocelyn Watkinson will also read from her children’s book The Three Canadian Pigs: A Hockey Story.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children, and can be purchased here.
Canadian Studies Program
213 Moses Hall #2308
Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley, 213 Moses Hall #2308, Berkeley, CA 94720