Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

Beginning today, the Canadian Studies newsletter will be published every two weeks. We’ll return to a weekly newsletter in January 2021.

TOMORROW

Hildebrand Graduate Research Showcase

December 7 | 12:30 pm | Online | RSVP here

Learn about the research Canadian Studies funds through our Edward Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowships, as recipients present short overviews of their projects. Participating scholars are below; RSVP to canada@berkeley.edu.

Caylee Hong, Ph.D. can., Anthropology

“Orphaned Wells: The Impact of Corporate Bankruptcy on Energy Infrastructures and Municipal Futures”

Mass bankruptcies of energy companies have “orphaned” thousands of oil and gas wells across Canada and the United States in recent years. Without solvent owners to plug and decommission them, such wells pose serious environmental, financial, and health and safety concerns, especially in urban areas. Caylee examines the ways that cities and their residents grapple with these oil and gas wells in their midst. In this talk, Caylee will draw upon her comparative research from several diverse urban environments in British Columbia, Alberta, and California.

Sophie Major, Ph.D. can., Energy & Resources Group

“Engaging with Indigenous Political Thought From British Columbia”

Sophie’s research examines the marginalization of Indigenous people and Indigenous knowledge in political theory discourses and asks if and how political theorists ought to engage with Indigenous political thought. Incorporating original ethnographic work with First Nations peoples in British Columbia, Canada, Sophie’s dissertation introduces a number of case studies, illustrating the strengths of an ethnographic, historicist, genealogical, and interpretive approach to the study of Indigenous political theory.

New Hildebrand Fellow, Molly Harris, Studies Inequality and Commodification of Rental Housing in Vancouver

Canadian Studies is pleased to introduce Molly Harris as the latest recipient of an Edward Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowship. Molly is a master of city planning student, concentrating in housing, community, and economic development.

Molly’s research explores the role of financialized actors in the Metro Vancouver region’s multifamily rental housing sector. She assesses the scale and perceptions of financialization, or the growing ubiquity of financial logic in everyday life, in the development and operation of rental buildings, as well as the impacts of this process on residents. Molly’s work evaluates how financialized actors—such as private equity firms, asset managers, and real estate investment trusts—can transform rental housing from a home into an investment commodity, potentially creating new systems of extractive accumulation and consolidation. Her Hildebrand Fellowship will provide funding for data and interviews with real estate industry professionals, local policy makers, and tenant organizations.

Molly’s research builds on her interest in increasing access to housing through decommodification. Her current project expands on prior work investigating the disparate impacts of housing quality issues on subsidized and unsubsidized residents across the United States, mapping neighborhood change in Vancouver and Toronto, and evaluating post-wildfire disaster rebuild strategies and land use scenarios. Before coming to Berkeley, Molly worked as a consultant at HR&A Advisors, supporting clients on strategic planning, open space, economic development, and real estate advisory projects. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in urban geography from McGill University.

IN THE NEWS

Are Investors Fueling Canada’s Soaring Housing Costs?

While cities like Vancouver and Toronto are now infamous for their high cost of housing, soaring home prices are no longer confined to Canada’s major cities. Housing prices are up across all provinces, with real estate records registering a nearly 25% increase in June compared to the previous summer. The average home cost in Toronto reached $1,163,323 in November, a 2.5% increase from October.

Bank of Canada deputy governor Paul Beaudry attributed some of the growth to domestic investors looking for secure returns. High real estate prices have allowed many homeowning Canadians (and corporations) to take out loans to buy investment properties. In Ontario, 25% of new mortgages were taken out by individuals who already possessed at least one home, up from 16% ten years ago. And buyers are not longer merely interested in rental income. Expectations of continued price increases mean investors are sometimes willing to pay more on a mortgage than a rental property brings in, on the expectation they will be able to later sell the house for an even greater profit.

The Bank of Canada cautions that overinvestment in the housing sector may prompt a price correction. In September, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. warned that the housing market was now “highly vulnerable” due to overvaluations and accelerating price increases. While Beaudry insists Canadians shouldn’t worry about a 2008-style mortgage crisis, he warns any drop in prices would have severe knock-on effects for the rest of the Canadian economy. Most families’ wealth is tied up in their homes, which gives Canadians access to cheap credit. A decrease in value would likely cause a major cutback in household spending, with consequent effects on retail and unemployment. Beaudry nevertheless assured citizens that the Canadian financial system is fundamentally sound, and would not be seriously affected by a hypothetical price drop.

Image: House for sale in Burnaby, BC. Philippe Giabbanelli, Wikimedia Commons.

Support Canadian Studies with an End-of-Year Gift

Do you support the work we do? Give now to keep Canadian Studies going strong! As a donor-supported program, 90% of Canadian Studies’ funding comes from friends like you. Your gift of any size helps support our public lectures, graduate student fellows, and original research, and strengthens our community of Friends of Canada in the Bay Area.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Canadian Brass: Making Spirits Bright for 50 Years and Counting

December 11 | 8 pm | Zellerbach Hall | Buy tickets

For half a century, the lighthearted but seriously virtuosic Canadian Brass has been luring listeners of all ages to the rich, exciting, exuberant sound of brass music. The Grammy-winning quintet, with more than 100 recordings to its name, has charmed audiences from Moscow and Beijing to Boston and Tokyo, playing a dizzying range of repertoire including music of the Baroque, Dixieland, Broadway, and John Philip Sousa.

This very special holiday program features originals like “Bach’s Bells”; favorite songs such as “White Christmas,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “Christmas Time Is Here”; and familiar classical, choral, and popular music arranged to make brass instruments sing.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308

WEBSITE | EMAIL | DONATE

Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

UPCOMING EVENT

Hildebrand Graduate Research Showcase

December 7 | 12:30 pm | Online | RSVP here

Learn about the research Canadian Studies funds through our Edward Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowships, as recipients present short overviews of their projects. Participating scholars are below; RSVP to canada@berkeley.edu.

Caylee Hong, Ph.D. can., Anthropology

“Orphaned Wells: The Impact of Corporate Bankruptcy on Energy Infrastructures and Municipal Futures”

Mass bankruptcies of energy companies have “orphaned” thousands of oil and gas wells across Canada and the United States in recent years. Without solvent owners to plug and decommission them, such wells pose serious environmental, financial, and health and safety concerns, especially in urban areas. Caylee examines the ways that cities and their residents grapple with these oil and gas wells in their midst. In this talk, Caylee will draw upon her comparative research from several diverse urban environments in British Columbia, Alberta, and California.

Sophie Major, Ph.D. can., Energy & Resources Group

“Engaging with Indigenous Political Thought From British Columbia”

Sophie’s research examines the marginalization of Indigenous people and Indigenous knowledge in political theory discourses and asks if and how political theorists ought to engage with Indigenous political thought. Incorporating original ethnographic work with First Nations peoples in British Columbia, Canada, Sophie’s dissertation introduces a number of case studies, illustrating the strengths of an ethnographic, historicist, genealogical, and interpretive approach to the study of Indigenous political theory.

Happy Hanukkah from Canadian Studies!

Sunday marked the beginning of Hanukkah, the Jewish “festival of lights”. The eight-day-long celebration commemorates the recapture of Jerusalem by Maccabee rebels fighting against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE. Families celebrate by lighting one candle on a nine-branched candelabrum called a menorah every day of the celebration; they also exchange gifts, eat symbolic oil-fried foods, and play traditional games with a top called a dreidel.

Surprisingly, the popularity of Hanukkah among contemporary Jews is largely an American phenomenon. Originally a minor religious holiday, it gained increased prominence over the 20th century as an alternative to Christmas during the North American “holiday season” between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. With the world’s first- and fourth-largest Jewish populations residing in the US and Canada, many municipalities now erect large menorahs alongside their official Christmas trees. (Charlottetown, P.E.I. celebrated its first-ever official menorah lighting yesterday.)

From all of us at Canadian Studies, chag Hanukkah sameach!

Image: Hanukkah vector created by Freepik on www.freepik.com.

IN THE NEWS

Canadian Universities Attract Growing Numbers of Top UK Students

Great Britain is well-known as the home of some of the world’s greatest universities. However, a growing number of Brits are looking across the Atlantic for their education. The CBC reports that in 2019, the number of British international students at Canadian universities jumped 10%.

While the total population remains modest at around 2,500, government officials say the increase represents a much-desired breakthrough. Top-tier British schools such as Oxford and Cambridge have long been top choices for Canadian students, but until recently very little attention was paid the other direction. Canadian diplomats in London welcome the trend, which they say “evens out” a formerly unidirectional exchange of knowledge and increases the country’s international profile.

So, what’s behind this change in perception? Education specialists say that students are discovering Canadian universities offer several advantages. First, several of Canada’s universities are now considered globally competitive (with University of Toronto ranked #16 globally by US News). Many Canadian universities often offer more educational flexibility than those in Britain, allowing for greater creativity in combining courses and developing custom degree programs. And while US universities retain a global advantage, students are attracted by the significantly lower cost of education in Canada, where even top schools can cost up to 50% less than mid-level US competitors.

Image: McGill University’s Arts Building. Paul Lowry, Wikimedia Commons.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Canadian Brass: Making Spirits Bright for 50 Years and Counting

December 11 | 8 pm | Zellerbach Hall | Buy tickets

For half a century, the lighthearted but seriously virtuosic Canadian Brass has been luring listeners of all ages to the rich, exciting, exuberant sound of brass music. The Grammy-winning quintet, with more than 100 recordings to its name, has charmed audiences from Moscow and Beijing to Boston and Tokyo, playing a dizzying range of repertoire including music of the Baroque, Dixieland, Broadway, and John Philip Sousa.

This very special holiday program features originals like “Bach’s Bells”; favorite songs such as “White Christmas,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “Christmas Time Is Here”; and familiar classical, choral, and popular music arranged to make brass instruments sing.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308

WEBSITE | EMAIL | DONATE

Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

 Happy Thanksgiving to Our American Friends! 

Dear Friends,

This month, it’s our turn in the United States to celebrate Thanksgiving. Here in Berkeley, we’ll be taking a well-deserved break to spend time with our loved ones and reconnect. The pandemic continues to inject uncertainty into an otherwise joyful time, and prompts us to make challenging decisions. For many of us, this Thanksgiving will be our first family gathering in almost two years. Others will choose to continue celebrating a scaled-down, intimate holiday. Whatever your decision, we wish you and yours a happy and safe holiday.

November is also National Native American Heritage Month, commemorated federally since 1990. Traditional representations of the “First Thanksgiving” often fail to capture the complexity of our history, and flatten the cultural richness of America’s Native tribes. We encourage you to take a moment this holiday to reflect on the original inhabitants on this land, many of whom continue to live on both sides of the modern US-Canadian border. The National Museum of the American Indian offers tools to help families celebrate the holidays in a spirit of truth and understanding.

To all our friends in Berkeley, the Bay Area and across the United States and beyond – have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Irene Bloemraad

Program Director

UPCOMING EVENT

Hildebrand Graduate Research Showcase

December 7 | 12:30 pm | Online | RSVP here

Learn about the research Canadian Studies funds through our Edward Hildebrand Graduate Research Fellowships, as recipients present short overviews of their projects. Participating scholars are below; RSVP to canada@berkeley.edu.

Caylee Hong, Ph.D. can., Anthropology

“Orphaned Wells: The Impact of Corporate Bankruptcy on Energy Infrastructures and Municipal Futures”

Mass bankruptcies of energy companies have “orphaned” thousands of oil and gas wells across Canada and the United States in recent years. Without solvent owners to plug and decommission them, such wells pose serious environmental, financial, and health and safety concerns, especially in urban areas. Caylee examines the ways that cities and their residents grapple with these oil and gas wells in their midst. In this talk, Caylee will draw upon her comparative research from several diverse urban environments in British Columbia, Alberta, and California.

Sophie Major, Ph.D. can., Energy & Resources Group

“Indigenous Political Theory of First Nations People in British Columbia”

Sophie’s research examines the marginalization of Indigenous people and Indigenous knowledge in political theory discourses and asks if and how political theorists ought to engage with Indigenous political thought. Incorporating original ethnographic work with First Nations peoples in British Columbia, Canada, Sophie’s dissertation introduces a number of case studies, illustrating the strengths of an ethnographic, historicist, genealogical, and interpretive approach to the study of Indigenous political theory.

IN THE NEWS

PM Trudeau Meets With President Biden to Advance US-Canadian Partnership

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a two-day trip to Washington, DC last week, where he met with US president Biden and other leaders of the American government. Trudeau’s visit was part of the North American Leaders’ Summit, which also included Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The meetings, which the PM’s office described as “productive“, focused on strengthening diplomatic ties among all three countries and advancing other regional priorities. Key points discussed included increasing global vaccine distribution; fighting climate change; and enacting a proposal to protect up to one-third of North America’s lands and seas within the next ten years.

In a private meeting with president Biden after the summit, both leaders hailed the special closeness of the US-Canada relationship as they discussed a blueprint for a stronger bilateral partnership. They expressed common interests in supporting North American workers and industries, as well as in reducing emissions and growing clean energy opportunities. Trudeau also met with US congressional leadership, where he expressed appreciation for America’s support for Canada in recent diplomatic incidents and again stressed the importance of closer economic cooperation.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Canadian Brass: Making Spirits Bright for 50 Years and Counting

December 11 | 8 pm | Zellerbach Hall | Buy tickets

For half a century, the lighthearted but seriously virtuosic Canadian Brass has been luring listeners of all ages to the rich, exciting, exuberant sound of brass music. The Grammy-winning quintet, with more than 100 recordings to its name, has charmed audiences from Moscow and Beijing to Boston and Tokyo, playing a dizzying range of repertoire including music of the Baroque, Dixieland, Broadway, and John Philip Sousa.

This very special holiday program features originals like “Bach’s Bells”; favorite songs such as “White Christmas,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “Christmas Time Is Here”; and familiar classical, choral, and popular music arranged to make brass instruments sing.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308

WEBSITE | EMAIL | DONATE

Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

NEXT WEEK

Studying Religious Symbols and Bias in Court Proceedings

November 9 | 12:30 pm | 223 Moses Hall | RSVP here

Canadian Studies Sproul Fellow Nicholas A. R. Fraser will discuss research that examines bias against religious minorities within Canadian judicial procedures. Using original experimental data gathered in collaboration with Colton Fehr (Simon Fraser University), Dr. Fraser will use the example of courtroom oaths as a window into how Canadian cultural expectations can subtly affect an immigrant’s experience of “integration.”

Nicholas A. R. Fraser is a John R. Sproul Research Fellow with the Canadian Studies Program. He is a political scientist specializing in the impact of organizational culture on policy application. He holds M.A.s from the University of British Columbia and Waseda University (Japan), and received his Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, where he was previously an associate at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

This event will be held in-person at UC Berkeley; however, a live webcast will be available for those who would prefer to attend virtually. Please RSVP for more details.

This event is cosponsored by the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative, the Center for Race and Gender, and the Center for the Study of Law and Society.

Last Chance to Get Your Official Remembrance Poppy!

Every year, from the last Friday of October to November 11, tens of millions of Canadians wear a poppy as a visual pledge to honour Canada’s veterans. In partnership with Royal Canadian Legion US Branch #25, the Canadian Studies Program is honoured to serve as an official distributor of red poppies. Interested persons may pick up their poppies at our office in 213 Moses Hall on the UC Berkeley campus, weekdays between 9am-5pm. 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.

The Remembrance Poppy Celebrates its 100th Anniversary

Throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, and other Commonwealth countries, it’s common see people wearing red artificial poppies in their lapels around Remembrance Day on November 11. In official ceremonies, war memorials are decorated with wreaths and garlands of the flowers, sometimes numbering in the thousands. But what is the origin of this tradition, and how did it become popular across so many countries?

The symbolism of the poppy dates back to World War I. In 1915, a Canadian army medic named John McCrae wrote and published the poem “In Flanders Fields”. McCrae was inspired to write it after presiding over the funeral of a fellow soldier, and its famous opening line (“In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses, row on row”) created some of the conflict’s most enduring imagery. While McCrae died not long after its publication, the poem’s popularity and impact only grew following his death.

In 1918, an American humanitarian, Moina Michael, became the first to propose using the poppy as a symbol of remembrance after reading McCrae’s poem. However, its widespread adoption was thanks to the efforts of a Frenchwoman, Anna Guérin. Madame Guérin sold silk poppies to raise funds for French veterans and widows and orphans of war, and campaigned for other Allied nations to follow suite. Canada adopted the poppy in 1921 after a visit by Guérin, becoming the first Commonwealth nation to do so (Britain followed shortly afterwards). 100 years later, the poppy remains an enduing symbol of the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers, and the service given by Canada’s veterans to the country both in times of war and peace.

Deadline Extended: ACSUS Biennial Call for Papers

New deadline: December 1, 2021

In celebration of the its 50th anniversary, the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS) will host its 26th biennial conference, March 24-27, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The conference is open to all proposals with a significant focus on Canada or Canadian-American relations, but encourages proposals that address this year’s theme: ‘Canada: Near and Far’. How is Canada perceived and portrayed from outside its borders, and by the international community? How is Canada understood by its expatriates? What is ACSUS’s role in these larger questions?

Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by December 15th, 2021 and early registration will be available until January 1, 2022. Individuals who submitted a proposal prior to the previous deadline will receive notification of acceptance by November 15.

Learn more and apply here.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

American Indian Film Festival, Season 46

November 5-13 | Online | Buy tickets

Several films by Indigenous Canadians will be screened at this year’s American Indian Film Festival. The films include: Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy; Evan’s Drum; Nalujuk Night; Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again; and The Lake Winnipeg Project. Films are available to stream on-demand online beginning November 5. The AIFF is a project of the San Francisco-based American Indian Film Institute, which seeks to foster understanding and appreciation of the cultures and issues of contemporary Native people and develop audiences for voices historically excluded from mainstream cinema.

Remembrance Day Ceremony

November 11 | 10:00 am | Petaluma, CA

Join US Branch 25 of the Royal Canadian Legion (representing the San Francisco Bay Area) for their annual Remembrance Day Service from Liberty Cemetery in Petaluma, California. The annual service will be streamed live from the cemetery through Zoom webinar and can be watched by registering here.

Stanford Live Presents: William Prince

November 11 | 7:00 pm | Stanford University | Buy tickets

Enjoy an evening with Manitoba-based Indigenous Canadian folk and country musician William Prince in a special Stanford Live performance cosponsored by the Digital Moose Lounge. A singer-songwriter of magnitude, Prince has earned critical accolades for his synthesis of country and gospel music with acoustic guitar and messages about the human condition.

Please note that all attendees must wear a mask and bring proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of attendance.

Canada and the United States: Exploring the Nuclear Option

November 12 | 12:30 pm | Online | RSVP

Join the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute for a panel discussion on nuclear energy and how the governments of Canada and the United States can work together to reach their climate change goals. The United States and Canada, both parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are faced with the challenge of meeting climate change commitments while sustaining jobs in the energy sector. Nuclear energy, responsible for approximately 52% of carbon-free energy in the United States and 15% of all energy in Canada, will be critical for clean energy security in both states.

This event will be hosted in partnership with Ontario Power Generation and the Council of the Great Lakes Region. The discussion will be moderated by Canada Institute director and Canadian Studies board member Dr. Christopher Sands.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308

WEBSITE | EMAIL | DONATE