Past Events

ICSC Events 2011-12

Green College Thematic Series: Transforming Canada: Histories of Environmental Change

Reflecting the harsh climate, often thin soils and generally forbidding character of the vast northern territory that is Canada, it has often been said that the history of this country is inescapably environmental. This lecture series engages the great drama of human interaction with this challenging realm, reflecting on the transformation of the northern half of the continent through time as a foundation for sensible engagement with the environmental challenges facing Canadian society in the twenty-first century.

Each lecture will encourage reflection on the links between its title subject and one or more of three themes central to the series: Human activities and Canadian Nature; Nature’s Influence on the nature of Canada; and Ideas and Nature in Canada and reflect upon how the subject of the lecture has affected/ changed “the nature of Canada”.

Graeme Wynn, the Brenda and David McLean Chair in Canadian Studies at UBC, has co-organized the series with Colin Coates, the Robarts Chair in Canadian Studies at York University. The series is hosted and supported by Green College, UBC, with additional financial support from NiCHE (Network in Canadian History and Environment); Brenda and David McLean Chair in Canadian Studies (UBC); Canadian Studies Program (UBC); Dean  of Arts (UBC); Departments of History and Geography (UBC). Click schedule to see what’s next!

Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Robson Reading Series:

In partnership with the I.K. Barber Learning Centre, the International Canadian Studies Centre is pleased to announce the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Robson Reading Series 2011-12:

  • Timothy Taylor (September 29, 2011, 2.00pm to 3.00pm) at the Chilcotin Board Room (Rm 256) of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
  • Michael V. Smith (November 10, 2011, 2.00pm to 3.00pm) at the Lillooet Room (Rm 301) at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
  • Kevin McNeilly (January 26, 2012, 2.00pm to 3.00pm) at the Lillooet Room (Rm 301) of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
  • Lee Maracle (March 29, 2011, 2.00pm to 3.00pm) at the Lillooet Room (Rm 301) of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
  • C.E. Gatchalian (May 10, 2012, 2.00pm to 3.00pm) at the Lillooet Room (Rm 301) of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre

ICSC Events 2010-11

In 2010-11, ICSC supported:

In early 2011, McLean Chair John O’Brian presented the Brenda and David McLean lectures, “The Bomb in the Wilderness: Nuclear Photography, the Atomic Age, and Canada” at the Liu Institute for Global Issues: “On Photographing a Dirty Bomb” (January 25), “Vox Crapulous” (February 1), and “Picturing Nuclear Risk” (February 8 ).  Videos of these lectures, introduced and edited by Laura Moss, are now available on Youtube.  Just click through the highlighted titles above.

In conjunction with the McLean lectures, UBC International Canadian Studies Centre and the Belkin Gallery co-hosted the “Cold War Confidential Symposium” (February 4, 2011) at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery with public lectures by Daniel Grausam (Washington University) — “Nuclear Times”, Finis Dunaway (Trent University) — “Dr. Spock is Worried: Visual Culture, the Bomb, and the Struggle for Ecological Citizenship in Cold War America”, as well as Martha Langford (Concordia University) and John Langford (University of Victoria) — “A Cold War Tourist and His Camera”

The Centre hosted Prof. Aarti Nanavati of M. S. University of Baroda, India, as a Shastri-Indo Canadian Fellow (May–June 2011)

The Centre also sponsored several symposia and speaker series, including:

“Colonialism, Marginalization, and Gendered Violence” Symposium, March 5, 2011
Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Robson Reading Series with Evelyn Lau, Ray Hsu, and Katherine Govier and The Play Chthonics Reading Series 2010-2011  with readings over the year by Lee Maracle and Wayde Compton, Annharte and Joanne Arnott, Chris Hutchinson and Jay MillArCole, Philip Kevin Paul and Jeramy Dodds, Phinder Dulai and Daniel Heath Justice, Fabiola Nabil Naguib, Peter Cole and Pat O’Riley.

ICSC Events 2009-10

In 2009-10, ICSC supported:

  • Cultures of Sustainability; Sustainability of Cultures: An Asia-Pacific Workshop Series (supported by ICSC, among others), August 10-11, 2009;
  • Canadian Literature 50th Anniversary Gala Workshop, October 1-2, 2009, Liu Centre.

Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Robson Reading Series:

In partnership with the I.K. Barber Learning Centre, the International Canadian Studies Centre is pleased to announce the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre Robson Reading Series 2009-10:

  • Rita Wong: Forage (September 24, 2009, 1pm – 2pm)
  • Patti Gully: Sisters of Heaven (October 22, 2009, 2pm – 3pm)
  • Jean Barman: British Columbia: Spirit of the People (November 26, 2009, 2pm – 3pm)
  • Will Ferguson: How To Be A Canadian (January 14, 2010, 2pm – 3pm)
  • Richard Wagamese: One Native Life (TBD)
  • Guy Maddin: My Winnipeg (TBD)

Play Chthonics 2009-2010 Reading Series

UBC Canadian Studies is a keen supporter of the Play Chthonics 2009-2010 Reading Series:

  • AF Moritz and Jordan Scott (September 25, 2009)
  • derek beaulieu and Sylvia Legris (November 20, 2009)
  • Angela Rawlings and Roo Borson (December 2, 2009)
  • Greg Scofield and Christine LeClerc (January 20, 2010)
  • Steve Collis and Rachel Zolf (March 17, 2010)
  • Jeff Derksen and Adam Dickinson (April 7, 2010)

 

ICSC Events 2008-09

In 2008-9, ICSC supported:

  • “shrink-wrapped,” an art exhibition of responses to war in art by UBC graduate students in curatorial studies, Adel Abidin, Abbas Akhavan, A.S. Dhillon, Josephine Meckseper, Martha Rosler, Gail Wight and Retort. December 6, 2008 – January 24, 2009;
  • Play Cthonics an on-going series of poetry readings by Canadian poets ranging from Dionne Brand to Karen Solie to Christian Bök;
  • Queerly Canadian: Changing Narrative. This conference was held at UBC in June 2009.
  • The Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles
  • The Vienna-Vancouver: Transatlantic Conversations Colloquium(October 2008)
  • The Pacific Northwest Consortium Colloquium (July 2008)

Academic talks by:

  • Laura Brandon (Canadian War Museum Curator) on “Double Exposure: Canada, War, Art, and Photography,”
  • Jeanne Pfaelzer (University of Delaware) and Patricia Roy (University of Victoria) on “The Forgotten War Again Chinese North Americans,”
  • Eve Hepburn (Edinburgh University) on “Territory and Politics: Region, Regionalism, and Party Politics in Canada and Europe”;