Canada Matters

The Closure of the Canadian Studies Office

2008-04-05T05:13:22Z

Canadian Studies office, 589 Main Street

Dear friends,

Recently, the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences informed me that she intends to withdraw all funding ($35,000, which covers our staff and office costs) from the Canadian Studies Center on Main Street. The Dean's plan right now is to shut the office down on June 30 and to move our administrator to another job in the College. This money will be reallocated to areas that the College deems to be of higher priority.

Founded in 1964, the University of Vermont's Canadian Studies Program is one of the oldest, most respected programs in North America. It's reputation and long, productive history was what lured me to UVM five years ago and has continued to attract new tenure-track faculty such as Professors Amani Whitfield, Shelly Rayback, and Pablo Bose, all of whom are doing fascinating, cutting-edge research on Canada.

Although the University administration is justifying their cuts to our office with the argument that we only have three majors and two minors in our program and very few connected faculty, this does not accurately reflect the student and faculty involvement in our program. As of 2007-08, we have 10 tenured and tenure-track faculty and three lecturers teaching courses on Canada, and our program today is the strongest it has been in years. In the past year alone, our associated faculty from the departments of History, Geography, Romance Languages, English, Political Science and Anthropology taught 22 courses with either full or partial Canadian content, reaching close to 600 students.

Last year, 65 of our students and 15 Canadian Politics students from Saint Michael's College travelled to Ottawa as part of our legendary, annual field trip to Canada's capital, a trip that has run every year since the mid 1950s. Our program also hosts many high-profile events across campus, such as the visit to campus in October by the Grand Chief of the Council of the Quebec Crees, who spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at the Livak Ballroom about the relationship between the Cree and the Governments of Canada and Quebec whose massive hydro projects have flooded traditional lands in order to provide electricity to Quebec and much of New England.

The closure of our offices will, we believe, effectively end our chances of continuing to receive the Program Enhancement grant we receive each year from the Canadian Embassy in Washington. This year's grant was close to $10,000 and it is what allows us to run the annual student trip to Ottawa, and the many events we put on at UVM. It will also end the travel and research support we frequently give to our associated faculty, which often doubles what their home departments are able to provide.

Needless to say this cut will have a profound impact on the shape of our students' education and on the research and teaching done by the individual faculty members associated with our program. This decision is something that will affect all of us in one way or another. Given our proximity to Canada and its importance in Vermont's history, economy and daily life, this will also most certainly be a major embarrassment to the University of Vermont. Canada does matter to our students and faculty, and it's important that it continue to have a strong place at our state's flagship university.

Over the last several weeks, I've kept things quiet about this decision as we tried to negotiate a compromise solution and demonstrate the need for the continued presence of the office and support staff that enables us to run all of these programs. These attempts appear to have been unsuccessful. Unfortunately, our attempts to persuade the administration are now turning to the media, a move that, as an untenured professor at UVM, I have chosen not to direct. Although I have recently spoken to a Burlington Free Press reporter who called for information as part of a story they are doing on our program, this statement on my blog will be my primary contribution to this effort. I will provide information about our program to those who ask, but I will leave the rhetoric to my fine, tenured colleagues and to all those in the UVM community who are upset about this decision.

Finally, I'd like to add that, although I disagree strongly with this decision and the arguments being made to justify it, I have great respect for the people currently leading the College of Arts and Sciences and the University of Vermont. I realize that Dean Miller and Provost Hughes are faced with difficult decisions every day and I believe them when they tell me that this was one of them. I remain hopeful, though, that a compromise can be reached that will see us keep our well-utilized space and support staff that are so crucial to the continued success of our program.

If you would like to offer your support, I encourage you to leave your comments below and/or contact the offices of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Provost, or the President.

Respectfully,

Paul Martin

UVM students in front of Canadian Parliament 2007

Champlain was here (second)

2008-03-13T17:13:49Z

(The first part of my new series on why Canadian Studies is an important part of the University of Vermont)

2009 marks the quadracentennial of the arrival of Samuel de Champlain in our area. A new exhibit at the Boston Public Library entitled "Champlain's America: New England and New France" will be traveling to Vermont next year as part of these celebrations. As this article from the Boston Globe points out, the legacy of the French exploration of this part of North America is often overlooked and overwritten by the dominant mythology of the Pilgrims' "founding" of New England.

Our own André Senécal is an expert in the life of Samuel de Champlain and will be one of our faculty in high demand throughout 2009.

Here's an interesting excerpt from the Globe article:

NEW ENGLANDERS GROW up imbibing certain creation myths, most of which relate to how unbelievably historic we are. It all started here, and entire businesses -- the vending of tricorne hats, for example -- depend on the tight control of information relating to the beginnings of America -- the Revolution, and the Salem witch trials before that, and at the dawn of time, the Pilgrims, hacking their way into the forest primeval. Everything trails in their wake; or so we like to believe.

But is it possible that New England trails in someone else's wake? As in, the dreaded French? These disorienting thoughts will become harder to push away in 2008, as Quebec celebrates the 400th anniversary of its founding by Samuel de Champlain -- the explorer who found not only New France, but much of New England as well. Indeed, if a few things had turned out differently, we might all be bundled up in scarves and hats bearing the fleur-de-lys insignia of the New France Patriots.

By 1620, when the Pilgrims arrived on the Mayflower, Champlain had accomplished nearly everything for which he is famous. He had crisscrossed the Atlantic dozens of times (29 times before his death in 1635), he had penetrated deeply into the hinterland, and he had glimpsed -- and named -- most of the harbors, rivers, and capes that we rediscover every weekend of the summer. It is startling to return to his maps, and see the familiar contours of Cape Cod, Cape Ann, and Boston Harbor, all included as part of an American region that was anything but "New England." Given his natural inclination to roam, there is every reason to believe that Champlain might have started French settlements hundreds of miles to the south if he had been given more support from the French crown. As it was, he did a great deal more than most Americans realize to delineate the coastlines of Maine and Massachusetts, along with huge swaths of Vermont and New York.
[. . .] One of the great myths of American history is that the earliest settlers of New England came here by accident, not knowing where they were, and built a new society, far from anyone else. Champlain's map gives the lie to that legend. We cannot know exactly what they knew, but it does not seem implausible that copies would have reached the Pilgrims in their sanctuary in Leiden, not too far from Paris. William Bradford, the great Pilgrim chronicler, nearly gives away the secret when he first describes Cape Cod, and admits that "ye French & Dutch to this day call it Malabarr."

CREE GRAND CHIEF TO SPEAK AT UVM ON OCTOBER 25th

2007-10-24T17:44:32Z

Talk by Grand Chief Matthew Mukash on "The Cree Nation's Evolving Relationship with Canada and Quebec" Date and time: Thursday October 25, 4:30 pm Livak Ballroom, Davis Center, University of Vermont Open to all members of the public

On October 25th at 4:30 pm, Grand Chief Matthew Mukash of the Grand Council of the Crees will speak about the history of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and the recent agreement between the Cree people and the Canadian government. Grand Chief Matthew Mukash is the elected leader of the the Grand Council of the Crees, the political body that represents the approximately 14,000 Cree of eastern James Bay and Southern Hudson Bay in Northern Quebec. In 1975, the Cree and the Canadian government signed the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, the first modern land claims settlement in Canada. Over the years that followed, the two parties disagreed about how this agreement would be implemented and the Cree demanding that the Canadian government live up to their promises. Taking their story around the world, the Cree brought attention to the challenges faced by their people and the environment due to the massive hydroelectricity projects that flooded traditional lands. In July of 2007, after several year of out-of-court negotiations, the Cree came to an agreement with Canada's federal government that they hope will pave the way for a new relationship between both parties. This event marks the second time a Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees has spoken at the University of Vermont. Grand Chief Mukash's predecessor Ted Moses spoke at UVM in 2002. Grand Chief Mukash's visit to the University of Vermont is sponsored by the University of Vermont's Canadian Studies Program, with support from the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC and the UVM Area and International Studies Program . For more information, contact Dr. Paul Martin, Director of the University of Vermont Canadian Studies Program at 656.8451 or Paul.Martin@uvm.edu

Ottawa itinerary

2007-10-04T21:06:48Z

We'll be adding a few more specific details to our Ottawa itinerary in the coming week or so, but here is a pretty complete look at what we'll be up to while we're there.

]]> THURSDAY:

Depart from south side of Waterman Building (College Street) at 7:00 AM sharp. Arrive at 6:45 in order to assure a prompt departure, because Parliament won't wait for us (and we can't wait for you). Students ought to be dressed for Parliament (i.e. "business attire" -jackets and ties for men) because there is no time/place to change once we are on the bus. We will plan on arriving at St. Michael's at 7:05 to pick up the St. Mike's group.

Brief lunch at the Rideau Centre in Ottawa before walking over to Parliament.

Arrive at Parliament at 1:00 to get through security and line up for Question Period.

Attend Question Period from 2:00-3:00

Meet with Members of Parliament from 3:15-4:15 in the Commonwealth Room (room 238F).

4:30-5:00: Check in at the Lord Elgin Hotel

5:30: Group meeting in Pearson room at Lord Elgin

Dinner on your own

FRIDAY:

Breakfast on your own.

9:00-3:30: Tour at the National Gallery of Canada and visit the Canadian Museum of Civilization. (Grp1: NG10am, CMC1pm; Grp2: CMC9am, NG 1pm)

Lunch on your own at National Gallery or Museum of Civilization.

4:30-6:30: Walk over to National Arts Centre for reception in the Fountain Room – DRESS CODE: “business attire."

7:00: bus leaves for hockey game, Ottawa 67s vs. Peterborough Petes at Ottawa Civic Centre.

Saturday:

Check out of Lord Elgin by 9 AM.

9:30: Bus leaves for tour of Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General.

Take bus from Rideau Hall to Parliament for guided tour.

Lunch on your own in Ottawa

Depart for Burlington

PARTICIPANTS SHOULD NOTE:

Crossing the border: A passport or birth certificate and photo ID (driver's license) is now required as proof of citizenship to cross the US-Canadian border.

Dress Code: Dress is "business attire" for Thursday’s Parliament visit and Friday’s reception, and "neat and clean" for Friday museum visits and for Saturday morning. In general, pack for chilly weather.

Money: Catering at Arts Centre reception is "on us". $75 - 100US should cover other meals. We suggest that students exchange at least some of this at a local Burlington bank before October 18.

Ground Rules: Attendance and participation at all scheduled activities is required. "Downtime" is your own. Be aware that your conduct and actions represent UVM, St. Mike's, Vermont, and the USA.

Sunshine and Shadows: An Afternoon with Stephen Leacock

2007-09-19T20:19:11Z

SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS: AN AFTERNOON WITH STEPHEN LEACOCK

Performed by James B. DouglasTUESDAY, SEPT. 25th, 4:00 PMMann Auditorium, Trinity Campus, University of Vermont

"the most vivid recreation of Stephen Leacock we have seen... hilariously funny... captures the essence of Leacock's razor sharp wit"

The renowned Canadian actor James B. Douglas will be coming to the University of Vermont to perform an abbreviated version of his one-man play based on the life and work of the Canadian writer Stephen Leacock (1869-1944). Douglas has performed Sunshine and Shadows to rave reviews in Canada earlier this fall and takes the production to England in October. In his play we see the many sides of Stephen Leacock, who remains one of Canada's best-known writers and humorists. Following the one-hour performance, Mr. Douglas will be answering questions about his play and his own thoughts on Leacock and his work.

During Stephen Leacock's lifetime, works like Literary Lapses (1910), Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town (1912), and Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich (1914) were international bestsellers and remain in print to this day. A famed and much-loved professor of Political Economy at McGill University, Leacock wrote over 50 books, including many collections of humorous stories, biographies of Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, treatises on Canadian history and politics, and several textbooks on economics. Since 1947, The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor (which also includes a $10 000 prize) has been awarded annually to the best Canadian literary work of humor.

A veteran of stage, screen and television, James B. Douglas has played over 150 major roles in Britain, Canada and the United States. Highlights include Bitos in POOR BITOS (Center Theater Group, Los Angeles), Sir Toby Belch in TWELFTH NIGHT (Old Globe Theater, San Diego), Paris in TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (Stratford Festival), Polo in A HATFUL OF RAIN (Princes Theatre, London) and especially the role of Pvt. Bamforth in THE LONG AND THE SHORT AND THE TALL (Montreal, Toronto and New York). He has also played roles in many television series and movies, including THE PSI-FACTOR, SOUL FOOD, ROAD TO AVONLEA (opposite Faye Dunaway), THE ASSOCIATES, DOC, THE HAIR CUT, CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE, MILLION DOLLAR BABIES, A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF CANADA and M.A.S.H. He has received Juno and Dora nominations and starred in the Oscar nominated film AFTER THE AXE. James is also a director/producer and dramaturge. He is the former Artistic Director of The Gryphon Theatre where he premiered WAR BRIDES - THE MUSICAL and directed his own adaptation of W.O. Mitchell's JAKE AND THE KID.

Sponsored by the James and Mary Brigham Buckham Scholarship Fund, the Dept. of English, and the UVM Canadian Studies Program
For more info on the location of the Mann Auditorium, read the full entry below: ]]> Mann Auditorium is in Mann Hall on UVM's Trinity Campus.

Here's a map of the location (Mann Hall is the building with the yellow dot), followed by pictures of Mann Hall and the Mann Auditorium.

James B. Douglas performance on Sept 25th

2007-09-13T20:07:16Z

The Canadian actor James B. Douglas will be performing an abbreviated version of his one-man play, Sunshine and Shadows, Tuesday, September 25th at Mann Auditorium. Sunshine and Shadows is a one-man show on the life of Stephen Leacock. (Stephen Leacock)

Amani Whitfield interviewed about the black experience in Canada

2007-06-07T18:14:44Z

Dr. Harvey Amani Whitfield, Assistant Professor in History, was the featured guest on yesterday's episode of Vermont Edition, a weekly current affairs show on Vermont Public Radio. Professor Whitfield was interviewed about the history of blacks in Canada, a subject about which he has written extensively. To listen to this excellent interview, you can access an mp3 of the broadcast here. Professor Whitfield is the author of Blacks on the Border: The Black Refugees in British North American, 1815-1860, published in 2006 by the University Press of New England.

Canadian Studies program featured in upcoming Vermont Public TV documentary

2007-06-06T17:08:35Z

Earlier this year, a crew from Vermont Public Television came to film Paul Martin's English 182 class. Afterwards, they spoke with Paul and one of our Canadian Studies majors, Laura Pedro. They were filming a segment for part of a larger documentary on the connections today between Vermont and the province of Quebec. The documentary is set to air on June 14 at 7:30 PM on VPT. Here's the press release from VPT: PRESS RELEASE For release 6/6/07 Contact: Ann Curran at (802) 655-8059, acurran@vpt.org or Jeff Vande Griek at (802) 655-8062, jeffv@vpt.org Vermont-Quebec Relations on June 14 VPT Program Vermont Public Television looks at life on both sides of the border between Vermont and Quebec in “Good Fences, Good Neighbors,” a new documentary followed by a live discussion Thursday, June 14, at 7:30 p.m. Stories and interviews about everyday life, trade and tourism highlight the documentary, and the challenges in all these areas since Sept. 11, 2001 are a common theme. Even viewers familiar with the issues may find some of the information surprising. (continue reading for more details) The documentary begins in the border towns of Derby Line, Vt., and Stanstead, Que. The girls hockey team from Vermont’s North Country Union High School has its home ice in Stanstead. The Haskell Free Library and manufacturer Tivoly Inc. literally straddle the border. Fire departments from both sides of the border frequently help each other out. Trade in hard goods is an engine of the relationship between Vermont and Quebec, and IBM of Essex, Vt., is Vermont’s largest exporter, sending more than a billion dollars’ worth of chips north to a sister factory in Bromont, Que. In Bristol, Vt., a visit to the A. Johnson Company illustrates the state’s second-largest export, wood products. An official with the customs broker A.N. Deringer describes how the company keeps goods moving across the borders amid tight security. The program looks at resources for Americans who want to do business in Canada. Energy is one of Quebec’s largest exports to Vermont. A third of the state’s electricity and all its natural gas come from across the border. The head of Vermont’s Public Service Department talks about the recent sale of Vermont’s Green Mountain Power to the Canadian company that also owns Vermont Gas. A segment from a forum of New England governors and eastern Canadian premiers held recently in Quebec City illustrates the importance of cooperation on energy and environmental issues. Tourism is another major focus of the documentary. Quebecers travel to Vermont to ski at Jay Peak, shop in Burlington and fly out of Burlington International Airport. Vermonters head north for vacations. The program looks at the impact on tourism of the U.S. government’s efforts to require passports for Canadians crossing into the U.S. U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy has worked to postpone implementation. France Dionne, the Quebec government’s delegate to New England, notes that it would be a challenge for teenagers in border towns to carry passports with them as they travel back and forth for hockey games. Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Brian Dubie, who has been working to improve relations with Canada, notes the importance of building relationships for cross-border security and disaster preparedness. At the University of Vermont, Paul Martin, head of the Canadian Studies Program, notes that when his students study Canada, they also learn a lot about their own country. For the follow-up discussion, host Stewart Ledbetter will welcome France Dionne, as well as Michael Quinn, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development, and Tim Shea, vice president of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce, as studio panelists. A group of local Vermont and Quebec residents will be linked via satellite to the discussion from The Goodrich Memorial Library in Newport, Vt. Viewers will be invited to call in or email with their comments during the show. There will also be a live web chat. The producer of “Good Fences, Good Neighbors” is Catherine Hughes. Executive producer of the program is Joe Merone. Production funding is provided by USDA Rural Development. # # # Vermont ETV Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Canadians more likely to read books than attend movies, new report from Statistics Canada reveals

2007-03-29T17:07:26Z

From today's Globe and Mail: Canadians are more likely to read a book than attend a movie, and they're visiting art galleries and historic sites more. At least that's what appears to have been the case two years ago, according to an analysis released yesterday of a "social survey" of 10,000 Canadians completed by Statistics Canada in 2005. The analysis by Hill Strategies Research Inc. of Hamilton found that, in 2005, 17.4 million Canadians 15 years of age and older -- or 66.6 per cent of that total population group -- read at least one book in the course of 12 months. In fact, about four in 10 Canadians read at least one book a month in 2005. By contrast, in that same period, 15.9 million Canadians (61 per cent) went out to see at least one movie in a theatre or at the drive-in. Wow, this impresses me, although I would still like to see more Canadians reading. And, of course, we really don't know what they are reading. Nevertheless, the fact that we have 40% of Canadians reading at least a book a month is a good start. I think the question now is "What can we do to increase those numbers and encourage more people to read Canadian books?" Does anyone out there know what the similar stats are for the USA?

Canada's image worldwide

2007-03-08T20:11:44Z

Canada has most positive image worldwide: Survey March 05, 2007 Associated press LONDON – Israel, Iran and the United States were the countries with the most negative image in a globe-spanning survey of attitudes toward 12 major nations. Canada and Japan came out best in the poll, released Tuesday. The survey for the British Broadcasting Corp.'s World Service asked more than 28,000 people to rate 12 countries – Britain, Canada, China, France, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, North Korea, Russia, the United States and Venezuela – as having a positive or negative influence on the world. Israel was viewed negatively by 56 per cent of respondents and positively by 17 per cent; for Iran, the figures were 54 per cent and 18 per cent. The United States had the third-highest negative ranking, with 51 per cent citing it as a bad influence and 30 per cent as a good one. Next was North Korea, which was viewed negatively by 48 per cent and positively by 19 per cent. Canada had the most positive rating in the survey, with 54 per cent viewing it positively and 14 per cent negatively. It was followed by Japan and France.

Canadian Studies makes the news in Canada

2007-01-31T17:01:02Z

Back in October, we had one of our most successful Canadian Studies Ottawa trips ever. Students from UVM have been visiting Ottawa on our annual field trip for over 50 years now. We visit Parliament, The National Gallery, the Museum of Civilisation and we also usually attend an Ottawa 67s hockey game.

This year, the CBC caught wind of our trip and had us in twice to chat on CBC Newsworld (Canada's main 24-hour news network) about our experiences in Ottawa and the Canadian Studies program back at UVM.

Here are clips of both interviews:

Download the interview with Amanda Hower and me from the morning of October 20, 2006.

Download the interview with Calla Bischoff and me from the morning of October 21, 2006.

We all had a great experience at the CBC studios in Ottawa and it was exciting to be able to tell Canadians from coast to coast to coast about the UVM Canadian Studies program on live national television.

Eden Robinson visits UVM October 3-5

2006-09-29T17:32:44Z

We're thrilled to announce here that we'll be welcoming Eden Robinson to the University of Vermont from October 3-5. She'll be visiting Paul Martin's Canadian literature classes and giving a public reading on the afternoon of October 4th. Please join us on October 4th if you can to hear one of Canada's most exciting young writers. Public reading by novelist Eden Robinson Date and time: Wednesday October 4, 4:30 pm University of Vermont, 315 Commons, Living/Learning Center Open to all members of the public

Robinson's first collection of stories, Traplines, won the Winifred Holtby Prize for the best first work of fiction by a Commonwealth writer and was a New York Times Editor’s Choice and Notable Book of the Year. Her first novel, Monkey Beach, won the B.C. Book Prize for Fiction, was a finalist for the 2000 Giller Prize and the Governor General's Award and was longlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her latest work of fiction, the Canadian best-seller Blood Sports (2006), has been described as “A gripping page-turner of a tale that should have Quentin Tarantino knocking down her door.”

Writes The National Post, “Eden Robinson writes with the violent beauty of a seasoned knifefighter…She writes with a cool economy, a parsed precision; no wasted words, no wasted motion. In her hands, language is a weapon that can leave you bleeding, unsure of just how you were cut.”

Eden Robinson's visit to the University of Vermont is co-sponsored by the University of Vermont's Department of English, Canadian Studies Program, Global Village Residential Learning Community, and The James and Mary Brigham Buckham Fund.

Itinerary for Ottawa Field Trip: October 19-21, 2006

2006-09-12T21:05:39Z

Thursday: • Depart from south side of Waterman Building (College Street) at 7:00 AM sharp. Arrive at 6:45 in order to assure a prompt departure, because Parliament won't wait for us (and we can't wait for you). Students ought to be dressed for Parliament (i.e. "business attire" -jackets and ties for men) because there is no time/place to change once we are on the bus. We will plan on arriving at St. Michael's at 7:05 to pick up the St. Mike's group. • Parliament tours are at 12:30 and 12:45. We will have time to stop for a very brief lunch at the Rideau Centre in Ottawa before walking over to Parliament. • Attend Question Period from 2:00-3:00 • Meet with MPs from 3:15-4:15 in Center Block of Parliament room 112 N. • Dinner "on us" at 6:30 at Tosca. Friday: • Breakfast on your own. • 10:30: Canadian art tour at the National Gallery of Canada. We will walk over at around 10AM, others who wish to take the bus over at that time may do so. • Lunch on your own. • 1:00-3:30: Visit the Canadian Museum of Civilization. Bus leaves National Gallery at 12:45 PM. • Dinner on your own. • 6:45: bus leaves for hockey game, Ottawa 67s vs. Kingston Frontenacs at Ottawa Civic Centre. Saturday: • Breakfast on your own. • Morning free for shopping, site seeing, touring, etc. • Departure 1:00 PM from Lord Elgin Hotel. Arrive in Burlington around 5:00 PM. PARTICIPANTS SHOULD NOTE: Crossing the border: A passport or birth certificate and photo ID (driver's license) is now required as proof of citizenship to cross the US-Canadian border. Dress Code: Dress is "business attire" Thursday, and "neat and clean" Friday. In general, pack for chilly weather. Money: Dinner Thursday is "on us". $75 - 100US should cover other meals. We suggest that students exchange at least some of this at a local Burlington bank before October 21. Ground Rules: Attendance and participation at all scheduled activities is required. "Downtime" is your own. Be aware that your conduct and actions represent UVM, St. Mike's, Vermont, and the USA.

Announcing... The TransCanada Lounge and the new Canadian Studies website

2006-09-01T00:39:46Z

It's been a very busy summer here at Canadian Studies. Not only have we thoroughly renovated the Canadian Studies website (still under construction for another week or so) and launched our new blog, we've also transformed one of the rooms in our office to create a new student lounge and meeting space. Not only is the TransCanada Lounge a comfortable space for quiet studying or group meetings, we also have a coffee maker, water cooler, satellite radio playing CBC Radio or Radio-Canada, and cable tv for watching CBC, CTV, or one of the many Canadian films we have in our library. This space is open to faculty, Canadian Studies majors and minors, and any students currently in any of our Canadian Studies courses. Canadian students, staff, and faculty are also always welcome. This space will be open weekdays from 9 to 3. None of this would have been possible without the hard work of Tom McGrath and Zenda Farrell who both helped transform this from a good idea into a great reality. The new website and our upcoming series of podcasts (more on that in the next month or so) is the work of our inspired intern, Will Webb. Come by the lounge and see it for yourself! We look forward to seeing you there soon.

Paul Martin takes over as new Director of Canadian Studies

2006-08-31T20:29:29Z

On July 1, 2006, Paul Martin became the new Director of the Canadian Studies Program at the University of Vermont. Replacing André Senécal, who served as Director for nine years, Martin becomes only the fourth Director in the program's 42 year history. An Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Martin hails from Edmonton, Alberta and moved to Vermont in the fall of 2003. He teaches courses on Canadian literature, postcolonial literature, and literary theory. For the past two years, he has also offered a freshman TAP seminar on Canadian culture.