Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

Meet Canadian Studies: Advisory Board Chair David Stewart

Canadian Studies is pleased to introduce a new series of profiles highlighting our friends and supporters as they share what our program means to them. For our inaugural interview, we sat down with advisory board chair David Stewart to discuss why he supports Canadian Studies and how he envisions the program’s future.

David grew up in an Anglophone family in Québec and was educated at McGill University. He moved to the United States in 1995, and became involved with Canadian Studies after settling in the Bay Area in 2007. He joined the external board in 2016. As chair, David has taken energetic steps to revitalize the program’s community outreach and research support. David also chaired the Digital Moose Lounge, a social club for Bay Area Canadians, from 2014-2017. He currently works as a consultant on Canada-US ventures.

Highlights from our interview with David are below; read the full piece here.

On the importance of the Canadian Studies Program:

I value the community and fellowship, as well as the opportunity to be exposed to new ideas that challenge the way I think about things or see problems… I believe it’s an effective way to explore and understand cultural differences. Many Americans and Canadians assume that their cultures are quite similar, but of course there are important differences too. These differences can sometimes surprise students, which can offer moments of reflection and discovery.

On his vision for the program’s future:

Our recent work has helped me to realize how much supporting students and scholarship remains at the heart of our mission and our impact. We’ve heard feedback that our members and stakeholders really enjoy hearing how our program has impacted students and scholars, and where they go after their time at Berkeley. So we will be devoting more time and attention to this moving forward.

On his favorite moment being a Bay Area Canadian:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to San Francisco, and my wife and I were invited to the reception. I brought along some kitschy lapel pins that a Canadian friend of mine had designed, featuring fun expat slogans like “The Eh! Team”, and “Zed not Zee!” I hoped to present one to Trudeau as a gift. Trudeau entered the room to applause. He was wearing a pastel blue suit that matched my own… I presented him with one of the pins, with a smiling maple leaf and the slogan, “Eh to Zed!” Trudeau placed a hand on my shoulder and said, “Thank you for being a champion for Canada. You and your friends are the true diplomats here. Ton pays te remercie.” After pouring my heart into Canada for years, it was exactly what I needed to hear.

Hildebrand Fellow Jae Yeon Kim Publishes Study on Minority Coalition Building in US & Canada

Berkeley grad student and Hildebrand Fellowship recipient Jae Yeon Kim recently published a paper in Studies in American Political Development, the flagship journal in its field. Entitled “Racism is Not Enough: Minority Coalition Building in San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver”, the study was based on research supported by his Hildebrand award and compares the formation of ethnic housing coalitions in three West Coast Chinatowns during the 1960s and ’70s.

According to Kim’s research, while all three cities had a legacy of anti-Asian racism, each produced a distinct movement shaped by local history and development pressure. Arguing that these factors were more important to determining inter-group cohesion than the simple shared experience of racism, Kim proposes that coalitions were strategically constructed and expanded. He contrasts the ethnic groups included or excluded in each coalition’s composition: in contrast to the largely Asian groups in the United States, the housing coalition that developed in Vancouver included European immigrant groups. Kim examines the reasons behind these divergences, and their implications on the understanding of the formation of minority coalitions.

Read the full study here.

Call for Papers: Canada, Near and Far

Deadline: April 1, 2021

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), the Association will host its 26th biennial conference, October 21-24, 2021, in Washington, DC. The conference is open to all proposals with a significant Canadian focus. We welcome papers and panel proposals from graduate students,

professors, independent scholars, and practitioners on all diverse and critical

perspectives related to the theme, ‘Canada: Near and Far’. How is Canada perceived and portrayed from outside its borders, and by the international community? In recognition of ACSUS’s 50 years work, what role do non-governmental agencies around the world play in shaping Canada’s relationships with the world?

Submissions must be received by April 1, 2021. Read the full requirements for the paper and logistical information for the associated conference here. For more information, please contact Dr. Christina Keppie at christina.keppie@wwu.edu.

Canadian Films Streaming At International Ocean Film Festival

July 30 – August 9 | Online

Film festival season continues with two award-winning Canadian documentaries covering critical issues facing Canada’s oceans. The films will be available to rent online from July 30 through August 9 as part of the 17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival, sponsored in part by the Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco. Learn more about the festival and register for the virtual screenings here.

The Mill (2019)

52 minutes; English.

Near a First Nations community in Nova Scotia, a paper mill had to stop in January the discharging of waste into noxious ponds that polluted both air and water for decades. The company proposed piping its effluent into the ocean, but met strong opposition from both the native community and fisherfolk. If the mill closes, others will also, putting over 10,000 jobs at risk. Resolving such conflicts is becoming a challenging worldwide problem.

Under Thin Ice (2019)

98 minutes; English.

Extreme divers Jill Heinerth and Mario Cyr explore above and below northern Canada’s ice sheet. It is a hunting ground for beluga whales and narwhals, for walruses and seals that depend on the ice to nurture their young, and for polar bears who live on the ice most of their lives. They all feed on a plethora of sea life, but as the ice melts more each year, their entire ecosystem has come under threat.

Canadian Studies Program

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Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

New Study Cites Research By Prof. Bloemraad, Shows Good Minority Representation in Canadian Government

A new study published by the Institute for Research on Public Policy cities research on immigrant political inclusion conducted by our program director, Irene Bloemraad, to evaluate visible minority representation in the Canadian government. The study, by McGill University professor Jerome Black and Andrew Griffith of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, reveals good integration of most immigrant-origin minorities, though it also highlights notable gaps for Black and Filipino Canadians.

Professor Black taught Professor Bloemraad during her undergraduate studies at McGill, and she credits him with sparking her interest in the immigrant inclusion research he cities in the new study. Pointing to Black’s lasting influence on her academic trajectory, Bloemraad says this long-term relationship shows the crucial “importance of mentorship to keep Canadian Studies alive and well over time.”

Call for Papers: The Québec-United States Relationship

Deadline: July 31

The Institute on Québec Studies at SUNY Plattsburgh, in partnership with the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States (ACSUS), Groupe d’études et de recherche sur l’international et le Québec (GERIQ), École nationale d’administration publique (ÉNAP), and Observatoire sur les États-Unis, Chaire Raoul-Dandurand, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), is convening a two day authors’ workshop on the Québec-United States relationship. The goal is to produce two scholarly volumes, one in French and one in English, to be published by leading university presses. The topic of discussion is:

The Québec-United States Relationship:

Political, Security, Economic, Cultural and Environmental Dynamics

Submissions must be received by July 31. Read the full requirements for the paper and logistical information for the associated conference here. For more information, please contact Dr. Christopher Kirkey at kirkeycj@plattsburgh.edu.

Canadian Films Available Online Through Seattle International Film Festival

Ongoing through July 23

Canadian Studies invites you to enjoy two independent Canadian films now available to rent online through July 23. The films are being screened by the Seattle International Film Festival in cooperation with the University of Washington’s Canadian Studies Center, and showcase the talent of award-winning contemporary Canadian filmmakers. Watch them online here.

And the Birds Rained Down (2019)

Louise Archambault (Québec)

127 min.; French with English subtitles.

Three elderly hermits live deep in the woods, cut off from the rest of the world. While wildfires threaten the region, their quiet life is about to be shaken by the arrival of two women in this gentle, elegiac study of intertwined lives.

One Day in the Life of Noah Piugattuk (2019)

Zacharias Kunuk (Inuit Nunangat)

111 min.; Inuktitut with English subtitles.

In 1961, Noah Piugattuck and his band of nomadic Inuit hunters are approached by a brutish white man known as “Boss” who pressures them to abandon their traditional way of life and move into settlement housing.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Moses Hall #2308 WEBSITE | EMAIL

Canadian Studies Announcements

In this issue:

Welcome to New Advisory Board Members:

Dr. Christopher Sands and Dr. Françoise Bonnell

Canadian Studies is excited to announce two new additions to our external advisory board, Dr. Christopher Sands and Dr. Françoise Bonnell. Both will officially begin their terms this Wednesday, July 1st.

Dr. Christopher Sands is the director of the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a senior research professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced international Studies (SAIS). From 1993 to 2007, Dr. Sands was a fellow and director of Canada projects at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and from 2007 until 2016 he was a senior fellow and director of the Initiative on North American Competitiveness at the Hudson Institute. Dr. Sands taught North American comparative politics at American University’s School of Public Affairs (2005-2012) and as the G. Robert Ross Distinguished Visiting Professor in the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University (2012-2017). Dr. Sands currently serves on the boards of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States, the Canada-US Law Institute, the Institute for Research on Public Policy, and the Macdonald Laurier Institute.

Originally from Detroit, he earned his B.A. in political science from Macalester College, and an M.A. in international economics and a Ph.D. in international relations from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Françoise Barnes Bonnell is the director of the United States Army Women’s Museum, and an expert in the history of women’s contributions to the U.S. military. Since 2006, she has overseen the daily operations of the facility and research center, and directed the museum’s programming and education. She is a peer reviewer for the American Alliance of Museums accreditation program, and a committee member for the American Association of State and Local History. Dr. Bonnell has been an adjunct faculty member for various universities and colleges since 1994, including the University of Guam and Central Texas College. She teaches U.S. history and courses in the history of military logistics. She retired from the U.S. Army in 2006 as a lieutenant colonel, having served for 22 years on active duty and in the Army Reserve.

Dr. Bonnell’s father, Professor Thomas Garden Barnes, was a founder of the Canadian Studies Program at Berkeley, and Dr. Bonnell has been a longtime and highly committed supporter of his legacy. Dr. Bonnell was raised in Berkeley, but for over forty years has spent summers at the Barnes family’s ancestral home in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has done extensive genealogical research and continues to uncover the roots and intricate relationships that have tied her American and Canadian families together since the 1700s. She holds a B.A. in history and political science from Scripps College, The Claremont Colleges; an M.A. in history from SUNY, Stony Brook; and a Ph.D. in education from Northcentral University.

Wednesday is Canada Day! Here’s What’s Going on in the Bay

Canada Day is right around the corner, and Canadian Studies Program is pleased to highlight some celebrations for Bay Area Canadians! Show your community spirit by sharing your celebration with us on Twitter with the hashtag #CanadaDayInTheBay.

Canada Week at the Digital Moose Lounge

Ongoing until July 1

The Digital Moose Lounge, a social networking club for Canadians living in the San Francisco Bay Area, is celebrating Canada Week with a wide variety of online activities. The festivities are in full swing, so stop by their events page for a curated list of celebrations ongoing through Wednesday.

Oh Canada! Online Activities from Canadian Heritage

June 29-July 1

Canadian Heritage brings a raft of fun, family-oriented online activities for your Canada Day celebration. Events include a multi-day exploration of Canada’s people and culture with renowned Canadian personalities; virtual concerts featuring Canadian musicians; live feeds from celebrations around the world; and printable themed activity packs, including crafts, puzzles, and more! See the full list of activities at the Canada Day 2020 website.

Artist Hour with Stanford Live: iskwē and William Prince

June 30, 5:00 p.m. PT

Celebrate Canada’s indigenous heritage by joining two First Nations musicians, alternative artist iskwē and Juno award-winning singer-songwriter William Prince, for a conversation and song exchange highlighting Indigenous Canadian music. Learn more and RSVP here.

Commemoration Day Sunrise Service

July 1, 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. PT

The Royal Canadian Legion – US Branch #25 of the San Francisco Bay Area will be hosting a solemn service recognizing the contributions of Newfoundland and Labrador to Canada’s armed forces. The date commemorates Battle of Beaumont-Hamel in 1916, where over 700 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment were killed on the first day of the Somme Offensive during WWI. The service will be webcasted at 6:00 and 10:00 a.m., and will last approximately 45 minutes.

For more information, please visit the Royal Canadian Legion’s website.

Virtual Canada Day Celebration

July 1

Celebrate the 153rd anniversary of Confederation with Canadians and friends around the world! Tune in on July 1 to celebrate Canada’s rich history and culture in a virtual Canada Day celebration hosted by Connect2Canada. Post your celebration to social media with the tag #CanadaDayUSA, and be sure to tag @Connect2Canada.

Learn more at Connect2Canada, or at the Canada Day Across America Facebook page.

Special Issue of American Review of Canadian Studies: Canadian American Relations in the Age of Trump

The latest issue of the American Review of Canadian Studies (Spring 2020), a publication of the Association for Canadian Studies in the United States, is now available online for subscribers. This special issue focuses on diplomacy, trade, and politics between the United States and Canada under the Trump presidency. This is an excellent resource for current affairs and the state of the modern US-Canada relationship. UC Berkeley affiliates can access the publication for free through the campus’ library VPN.

Canadian Studies Program

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