Canada 150 / en Mexican-American chemist on why he left Harvard for 91³Ō¹Ļ /news/mexican-american-chemist-why-he-left-harvard-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Mexican-American chemist on why he left Harvard for 91³Ō¹Ļ</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-04-12-mexico-sargent-guzik.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xT3FYMsY 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-04-12-mexico-sargent-guzik.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=X2XncOF4 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-04-12-mexico-sargent-guzik.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=R5uMz6_z 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-04-12-mexico-sargent-guzik.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=xT3FYMsY" alt="AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik talks with Ted Sargent in Mexico City"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-04-12T13:46:47-04:00" title="Thursday, April 12, 2018 - 13:46" class="datetime">Thu, 04/12/2018 - 13:46</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Mexican-American chemist AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik (left) talks with Ted Sargent, 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s vice president international (right), at an event in Mexico City earlier this week (photo by Toni Hauri)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/marina-jimenez" hreflang="en">Marina Jimenez</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/computer-science" hreflang="en">Computer Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/international-partnerships" hreflang="en">International partnerships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/mexico" hreflang="en">Mexico</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik</strong>, a Mexican-American scholar in theoretical and computational chemistry, was <a href="/news/u-t-wins-third-prestigious-canada-150-chair">recently named a Canada 150 Research Chair</a> jointly appointed to the 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s departments of chemistry and computer science.</p> <p>At an event&nbsp;this week co-hosted by the Canadian Embassy in Mexico City,<strong>&nbsp;</strong><strong>Ted Sargent</strong>, 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s vice-president international, spoke with Aspuru-Guzik about his decision&nbsp;to move to 91³Ō¹Ļ after 12 years at Harvard University.</p> <hr> <p><strong>Ted Sargent: </strong>You are a great example of the kind of scholar we are so proud to have at 91³Ō¹Ļ. Tell me the story of how you decided to join us.</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n&nbsp;Aspuru-Guzik:</strong>&nbsp;The moment when I decided to leave the U.S., I looked around the globe ā€“ Europe, Australia, Canada ā€“ for where I wanted to go to. I already had a relationship with Canada through the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR).</p> <p>Within Canada, 91³Ō¹Ļ is a very special place in a very diverse city. I thought, this is where I want my kids to grow up. Fifty per cent of people in Toronto are foreign-born. And there are professors like you, a finalist for the Carbon XPrize. You are the kind of faculty who attracted me to 91³Ō¹Ļ.</p> <p><strong>Ted&nbsp;Sargent:</strong> What will life look like on the ground at 91³Ō¹Ļ?</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n&nbsp;Aspuru-Guzik</strong>: 91³Ō¹Ļ has given me a very interesting opportunity. The university is so diverse and dynamic. I will be in chemistry, and I will make compounds with my robots and maybe work together with your lab. We will get our arms around the chemical data from computers and robots using machine learning strategies arising from computer science. In other words, weā€™ll use robots to synthesize and test chemicals, and weā€™ll put machine learning in the loop to automate and accelerate the discovery process.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8037 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2018-04-22-mexico-guzik-2.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik speaks at an event in Mexico City this week (photo by Toni Hauri)</em></p> <p><strong>Ted Sargent:&nbsp;</strong>What will you do with the Vector Institute in Toronto?</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik:&nbsp;</strong>The Canadian government has made a statement about its commitment to AI by creating three institutes in Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto. Vector is a multi-disciplinary institute with academia and industry. It builds on the remarkable legacy of people like <strong>Geoffrey Hinton</strong>, <strong>Richard Zemel</strong>, <strong>David&nbsp;Duvenaud</strong> and so many others. Apart from them, the rest are all the next generation of truly outstanding scholars attracted to Vector and 91³Ō¹Ļ from around the globe. These people are working together with industry to use AI to transform the world. We want to use quantum computing for chemistry, machine learning and other applications in collaboration with Vector.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Ted Sargent:&nbsp;</strong>Youā€™re also an entrepreneur. Tell us about your startups.</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik:&nbsp;</strong>Yes, Iā€™m an entrepreneur. And recently, the World Economic Forum named Boston the fourth most entrepreneurial city and Toronto the sixth most entrepreneurial city. So I feel good about my decision to come to Toronto. I started two companies this year, one is called Zapata Computing, named for Emiliano Zapata, the Mexican revolutionary, because the company will revolutionize computing. The other is called Kebotix and the CEO is <strong>Jill Becker</strong>, a 91³Ō¹Ļ and Harvard graduate. Weā€™re committed to opening an office in Toronto for both companies. There is a lot of support from the Canadian government for startups.</p> <p><strong>Ted Sargent:</strong>&nbsp;How has your experience with the culture of inclusivity been in science?</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik:</strong>&nbsp;Canada has a remarkable diversity of gender roles. Itā€™s very impressive. During the ceremony in Ottawa when they announced my Canada Research Chair, I thought Iā€™d get a selfie with the prime minister, but he didnā€™t come. Instead, I got to meet Governor General <strong>Julie Payette</strong>. She is a 91³Ō¹Ļ grad, an astronaut&nbsp;and an engineer. Also Canadaā€™s Minister of Science [<strong>Kirsty Duncan</strong>] is a woman, and the chief science advisor to the prime minister [Mona Nemer] is a woman. Mexico needs to do a lot more work on that.</p> <p><strong>Ted Sargent:&nbsp;</strong>How does your family feel about the move?</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik:</strong>&nbsp;My mother, wife and children are all very excited.&nbsp;And, it is easier to get from Toronto to Mexico than to get from Boston to Mexico. There are multiple direct daily flights. Toronto and Mexico should have more links and more integration between our countries. We need to reach out and make a strategic connection.</p> <p><strong>Ted Sargent:&nbsp;</strong>Tell us more about your research goals.</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik:&nbsp;</strong>I am interested in generating and storing the energy of the world, storing electricity that we get during the day through inexpensive and renewable solar cells and batteries, and then making&nbsp;it available to be used at night. Through our collaborations with the Ministry of Energy&nbsp;in Mexico and the National Council of Science and Technology&nbsp;(CONACyT), Mexico will be a leader in this. Connected to this, I recently <a href="http://aspuru.chem.harvard.edu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Mission-Innovation-IC6-Report-Materials-Acceleration-Platform-Jan-2018.pdf">co-led an international workshop for the innovation challenge of Mission Innovation</a>, a collaboration of 22 countries and the EU that focuses on doubling the participating countriesā€™ clean energy research budget over five years.</p> <p><strong>Ted Sargent:</strong>&nbsp;So great to have you here. Thank you.</p> <h3><a href="/news/agreement-will-bring-more-phd-students-u-t-mexico">Read more about CONACyT initiatives at 91³Ō¹Ļ</a></h3> <p><em>This conversation has been edited and condensed</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 12 Apr 2018 17:46:47 +0000 ullahnor 133269 at 91³Ō¹Ļ wins third prestigious Canada 150 Chair /news/u-t-wins-third-prestigious-canada-150-chair <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">91³Ō¹Ļ wins third prestigious Canada 150 Chair</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-03-28-aspuru-resized.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=noEs6QBb 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2018-03-28-aspuru-resized.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=XUycC3ta 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2018-03-28-aspuru-resized.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=ENhmcBPr 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2018-03-28-aspuru-resized.jpg?h=3fcbca33&amp;itok=noEs6QBb" alt="Photo of AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik,"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>noreen.rasbach</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-03-29T00:00:00-04:00" title="Thursday, March 29, 2018 - 00:00" class="datetime">Thu, 03/29/2018 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">ā€œCanada has a very long history of supporting quantum information science and quantum computing, and Toronto is the centre of the kind of science I want to be a part of," said AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik (photo by Doug Levy)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/dan-haves" hreflang="en">Dan Haves</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/global-lens" hreflang="en">Global Lens</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/artificial-intelligence" hreflang="en">Artificial Intelligence</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-research-chairs" hreflang="en">Canada Research Chairs</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/chemistry" hreflang="en">Chemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cifar" hreflang="en">CIFAR</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/vector-institute" hreflang="en">Vector Institute</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik is an expert in quantum computing and chemistry</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>A leading researcher in theoretical and computational chemistry is joining the 91³Ō¹Ļ as one of the Canada 150 Research Chairs announced today by the federal government.</p> <p><strong>AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik</strong>, a tenured professor at Harvard University, will arrive at 91³Ō¹Ļ this summer. An expert in machine learning, quantum computing and chemistry, he is jointly appointed to the departments of chemistry and computer science as the Canada 150 Research Chair in Theoretical &amp; Quantum Chemistry.</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s an exciting time to come to this country,ā€ Aspuru-Guzik said. ā€œCanada has a very long history of supporting quantum information science and quantum computing, and Toronto is the centre of the kind of science I want to be a part of.</p> <p>ā€œCombined with the recent government support for artificial intelligence and increased federal support for basic research, Canada is a very attractive destination for scientists.ā€</p> <p>The Canada 150 Research Chair program is a $117-million investment by the federal government to enhance this countryā€™s reputation as a global centre for science, research and innovation, and to attract the worldā€™s leading scholars and researchers.</p> <p>Aspuru-Guzik is joining two other previously announced chairs at 91³Ō¹Ļ in this federal program: <strong>Donna Rose Addis</strong>, the Canada 150 Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Aging, and <strong>Miguel Ramalho-Santos</strong>, the Canada 150 Research Chair in Developmental Epigenetics.</p> <h3><a href="/news/two-canada-150-research-chairs-coming-u-t">Read more about the Canada 150 Research Chairs at 91³Ō¹Ļ</a></h3> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7934 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" src="/sites/default/files/2018-03-29-canada150-usethis.jpg" style="width: 472px; height: 413px; margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image"><em>At the announcement in Ottawa today were, from left: Vivek Goel, 91³Ō¹Ļ's vice-president of research and innovation; Minister of Science and Technology Kirsty Duncan;&nbsp;AlĆ”n Aspuru-Guzik, 91³Ō¹Ļ's new Canada 150 Research Chair; and Robert Batey, professor and chair of U ot T's department of chemistry.</em></p> <p>ā€œThe 91³Ō¹Ļ is excited to welcome AlĆ”n, who is globally renowned as a pioneer in the development of algorithms for quantum computers to simulate molecules and materials,ā€ said <strong>Vivek Goel</strong>, 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s vice-president of research and innovation.</p> <p>ā€œThis funding from the Government of Canada plays a crucial role in helping us attract amazing, cutting-edge international research talent to the 91³Ō¹Ļ.ā€</p> <p>Originally from Mexico City, Aspuru-Guzik earned his PhD and did his post-doctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley, before joining Harvard in 2006. He became a tenured professor of chemistry in 2013.</p> <p>Aspuru-Guzikā€™s long-term research goals are to disrupt chemistry by working on ideas stemming from computer science and robotics.</p> <h3><a href="http://matter.toronto.edu/">See his lab at 91³Ō¹Ļ</a></h3> <p><a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acscentsci.7b00550">He recently co-authored a perspective</a> that lays out his vision for the field. Aspuru-Guzik and his group will be continuing their pioneering research on quantum computing for chemistry, machine learning and other near-term applications of quantum computers.</p> <p>ā€œWhen you look at things like climate change, antibiotic resistant bacteria or water pollution, we do not have time in the 21<sup>st</sup> century to make incremental improvements in the field of chemistry,ā€ he said.</p> <p>ā€œSo one of the things that I want to see is ā€˜self-drivingā€™ chemical laboratories. With machine learning, we can use the data from one experiment to tell us what our next experiment should be. We can make scientific decisions much more quickly.ā€</p> <p>In addition to quantum computing and machine learning, Aspuru-Guzik is particularly interested in the generation and storage of energy. He is looking for ways to store energy with inexpensive and renewable solar cells and batteries that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.</p> <p>He recently co-led an <a href="http://mission-innovation.net/2018/01/26/press-release-materials-workshop-report/">international workshop</a> for the sixth innovation challenge of Mission Innovation, a collaboration of 22 countries and the European Union that focuses on doubling the participating countriesā€™ clean energy research budget over five years.</p> <p>ā€œWe are assembling an international coalition of researchers that will build together the chemical and materials laboratories of the future,ā€ Aspuru-Guzik said.</p> <p>ā€œWe intend to fundamentally accelerate the rate of materials discovery by putting together automated platforms with integrated synthesis, characterization and simulation capabilities.ā€</p> <p>Aspuru-Guzik said he believes he has found the perfect home in Toronto, where he will be collaborating with technology and science leaders. Already a senior fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), he will also be a faculty member of the Vector Institute.</p> <p>He comes to Toronto with additional support from a Google Focused Award that will allow him to continue developing near-term quantum algorithms.</p> <p>Hartmut Neven, Google's engineering director,&nbsp;congratulated Aspuru-Guzik&nbsp;and 91³Ō¹Ļ, saying, ā€œAlĆ”n has pioneered the field of quantum computing chemistry. Google's Quantum AI Lab is excited to strengthen our long-term collaboration with AlĆ”n by providing a Focused Award, which will fund graduate student research into quantum simulation, algorithms, and applications.ā€ Google pledged $1-million in funding over the next three years.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 29 Mar 2018 04:00:00 +0000 noreen.rasbach 132278 at Marking Canada's 150th anniversary, hundreds sworn in as new citizens at 91³Ō¹Ļ's Convocation Hall /news/marking-canada-s-150th-anniversary-hundreds-sworn-new-citizens-u-t-s-convocation-hall <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Marking Canada's 150th anniversary, hundreds sworn in as new citizens at 91³Ō¹Ļ's Convocation Hall</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-18-gertler-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=-pPVqicO 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-12-18-gertler-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=5JFSJPEx 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-12-18-gertler-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=bn7w8Oap 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-18-gertler-resized.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=-pPVqicO" alt="Photo of Gertler at ceremony"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-18T11:36:29-05:00" title="Monday, December 18, 2017 - 11:36" class="datetime">Mon, 12/18/2017 - 11:36</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">91³Ō¹Ļ President Meric Gertler greets a young, new Canadian at a citizenship ceremony in Convocation Hall on Saturday (all photos by Laura Pedersen)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/centre-drama" hreflang="en">Centre for Drama</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/cities" hreflang="en">Cities</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/citizenship" hreflang="en">Citizenship</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/global" hreflang="en">Global</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/meric-gertler" hreflang="en">Meric Gertler</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>In the 91³Ō¹Ļ hall where students take their first steps as graduates, about 500 people from around the world started a new chapter in their lives as Canadian&nbsp;citizens.</p> <p>People of all ages and backgrounds filled Convocation Hall on 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s downtown Toronto campus on Saturday to take the oath of citizenship and sing the national anthem.</p> <p>One of their first acts as citizens was to receive a warm welcome from a platform party that included 91³Ō¹Ļ President <strong>Meric Gertler</strong>, federal Science Minister and alumna <strong>Kirsty Duncan</strong>, Chair of 91³Ō¹Ļ's Governing Council <strong>Claire Kennedy</strong>, Chancellor <strong>Michael Wilson</strong>, Chancellor Emerita <strong>Vivienne Poy</strong> and University College Principal&nbsp;<strong>Donald Ainslie, </strong>who is also the&nbsp;chair of 91³Ō¹Ļ's sesquicentennial committee.</p> <p>President Gertler thanked those acquiring citizenship for coming&nbsp;to Canada&nbsp;ā€“ and for enriching the country with their ideas and traditions.</p> <p>ā€œThe news reminds us on a daily basis of how fortunate we are to live in Canada,ā€ he told the audience, ā€œbut on this day&nbsp;we are also reminded of how fortunate we are that Canada continues to attract wonderful people from around the world, people who want to help strengthen our institutions, enrich our multicultural fabric and defend our values as Canadians.ā€</p> <p><img alt="New citizens during oath" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7156 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Citizens.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <i>Hundreds swore allegiance to the Queen&nbsp;in the oath of citizenship</i></p> <p>Duncan, <a href="http://magazine.utoronto.ca/feature/bringing-science-back-kirsty-duncan-canada-minister-rejuvenate-discovery-innovation-margaret-webb/">who&nbsp;before taking office&nbsp;taught medical geography</a> at 91³Ō¹Ļ Scarborough and corporate responsibility at the Rotman School of Management, greeted the newest members of&nbsp; ā€œour Canadian family.ā€</p> <p>ā€œMost of us, our families come from elsewhere,ā€ she said, ā€œand they have built this country, and you will build this country. You are already building this country.ā€</p> <p>Those in attendance waved mini Canadian flags and wore Maple Leaf pins on their lapels. The 150<sup>th</sup> anniversary of Canadian Confederation made the already special occasion even more momentous.&nbsp;Saturday's citizenship ceremony was the culmination of a series of Canada 150 events at 91³Ō¹Ļ throughout the year.</p> <h3><a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/">Visit 91³Ō¹Ļ's Canada 150 website</a></h3> <p>Speakers at the ceremony took the opportunity to discuss the country's commitment to multiculturalism.&nbsp;Poy, the first Canadian senator of Asian descent, told the crowd that she and her husband chose to stay in Canada instead of moving to the U.S. because they thought Canada is a better place to raise a family.</p> <p>ā€œCanadians are defined by the way we behave, not by the colour of their skin,ā€ she said.&nbsp;</p> <p>Wilson, 91³Ō¹Ļ's current chancellor and former ambassador to the U.S., said travelling had given him a special perspective on Canada. The country is ā€œa source of hopeā€ and ā€œwelcomes people of all backgrounds and celebrates diversity as a real strength.ā€</p> <div> <p><em>91³Ō¹Ļ News</em> spoke to five new Canadians about why they chose this country and their ambitions.</p> <hr> <h3><strong>Nashwan Ashraf</strong></h3> <p><img alt="Nashwan" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7150 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Nashwan-Ashraf%2C-12.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><strong>Country of origin:</strong> Bangladesh</p> <p>ā€œI was excited because we've been waiting for the opportunity to become citizens for a long time. It was fun. I hope to grow up to be a great Canadian.ā€</p> <hr> <h3><strong>Julija Pesic, PhD candidate in 91³Ō¹Ļ's Centre for Drama, Theatre &amp; Performance Studies</strong></h3> <p><img alt="Julija" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7151 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Julija-Pesic.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><strong>Country of origin: </strong>Serbia</p> <p>ā€œThis moment was extremely emotional for me. The 91³Ō¹Ļ and this country opened the door for me. I came here and restarted my academic career. I found new friends. I found a very supportive environment.ā€</p> <hr> <h3><strong>Payal Khazanchi</strong></h3> <p><img alt="Payal" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7152 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Payal-Khazanchi.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><strong>Country of origin</strong>: India</p> <p>ā€œI've heard so many good things about Canada. We&nbsp;met people who are Canadians and they are very polite.ā€</p> <p>Why did she and her family come here?&nbsp;ā€œI personally wanted to see snow.ā€</p> <hr> <h3><strong>Paulo Bella</strong></h3> <p><img alt="Paulo" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7153 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Paulo-Bella.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><strong>Country of origin:</strong> Philippines</p> <p>ā€œCanada is one of the best places in the world. The people are nice, the culture is great&nbsp;ā€“&nbsp;plus it's a multicultural country. Who wouldn't want to be here?ā€</p> <hr> <h3><strong>Sylvia Barton</strong></h3> <p><img alt="Sylvia" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__7154 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Sylvia%20Barton.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><strong>Country of origin:</strong> Jamaica</p> <p>ā€œIt's the end of a long journey, and it's a great accomplishment for my family and me.ā€</p> <h3><a href="/news/almost-500-sworn-citizens-u-ts-convocation-hall-including-undergrad-and-professor">Read about last year's swearing-in at Convocation Hall</a></h3> <h3><a href="/news/citizenship-ceremony-u-t-scarborough-brings-more-few-surprises">Read about last summer's&nbsp;citizenship ceremony at 91³Ō¹Ļ Scarborough</a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 18 Dec 2017 16:36:29 +0000 geoff.vendeville 125125 at Two Canada 150 Research Chairs coming to 91³Ō¹Ļ /news/two-canada-150-research-chairs-coming-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Two Canada 150 Research Chairs coming to 91³Ō¹Ļ</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-13-Canada150ResearchChairs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=hOzCWluE 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-12-13-Canada150ResearchChairs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tU85GHpH 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-12-13-Canada150ResearchChairs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=_Vf6TFpj 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-12-13-Canada150ResearchChairs.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=hOzCWluE" alt="Donna Rose Addis and Miguel Ramalho-Santos"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-12-13T14:18:12-05:00" title="Wednesday, December 13, 2017 - 14:18" class="datetime">Wed, 12/13/2017 - 14:18</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Donna Rose Addis (left) and Miguel Ramalho-Santos (right) will be coming to 91³Ō¹Ļ as Canada 150 Research Chairs</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/breaking-research" hreflang="en">Breaking Research</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-research-chairs" hreflang="en">Canada Research Chairs</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/connaught-global-challenge" hreflang="en">Connaught Global Challenge</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-medicine" hreflang="en">Faculty of Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/research-innovation" hreflang="en">Research &amp; Innovation</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Two researchers ā€“ one a leading psychologist studying memory and another investigating the molecular mechanisms that control early embryonic development ā€“ will be joining the 91³Ō¹Ļ, bringing top international talent to the country as Canada 150 Research Chairs.</p> <p>Federal Science Minister <strong>Kirsty Duncan</strong> announced the first four Canada 150 Research Chairs in Ottawa on Wednesday.</p> <p>The one-time, $117-million program to help universities recruit top internationally based research talent to Canada was unveiled in the 2017 federal budget in celebration of Canadaā€™s 150th anniversary. The government hopes the chairs ā€“ more than 25 to be hired eventually -- will provide an opportunity to enhance the country's reputation as a global centre for science, research and innovation excellence.</p> <p>Psychology researcher <strong>Donna Rose Addis</strong>, who is of Samoan descent, has focused her work on memory, imagination, aging and depression. She earned her PhD at 91³Ō¹Ļ and did her post-doctoral research at Harvard before joining the University of Auckland. She returns to 91³Ō¹Ļ, in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science's department of psychology,&nbsp;and Baycrest Health Sciences as the Canada 150 Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory and Aging.</p> <p><strong>Miguel Ramalho-Santos</strong>, who is originally from Portugal, spent the last two decades in the U.S. studying molecular mechanisms in early embryonic development, looking at the interaction of the environment with genes. He will join 91³Ō¹Ļ's Faculty of Medicine and the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in the Sinai Health System as the Canada 150 Research Chair in Developmental Epigenetics.</p> <p>ā€œWe look forward to seeing what you do over the next seven years,ā€ Duncan said.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.canada150.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/news_room-salle_de_presse/news_releases-communiques_de_presse/2017/a-brain-gain-for-Canada-dec2017-eng.aspx">Read the Canada 150 Research Chairs announcement</a></h3> <p>The two 91³Ō¹Ļ affiliated researchers will each receive $350,000 per year for the next seven years.</p> <p>ā€œDonna and Miguel will be pursuing important scholarly advances ā€“ their work will have impact around the world,ā€ said&nbsp;<strong>Vivek Goel</strong>, 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s vice-president of research and innovation. ā€œTheir appointments show the value of government funding in helping 91³Ō¹Ļ to attract some of the top scholars in the world, at a time when Canada is looking increasingly appealing to researchers.ā€</p> <h3><a href="http://gicr.utoronto.ca/support-the-report/">Interested in publicly funded research in Canada? Learn more at UofTā€™s #supportthereport advocacy campaign</a></h3> <p>Addis explores neuroimaging, behavioural and neuropsychological methods to investigate how the brain remembers past experiences. Sheā€™ll be using advance brain imaging technology available at Baycrest to better understand how our sense of memory, imagination and identity changes as we age and how that differs across cultures.</p> <p>The recipient of New Zealandā€™s prestigious Prime Ministerā€™s Emerging Scientist Prize, Addis has been a role model for Indigenous scientists in her country. At the announcement on Wednesday, she began by acknowledging her Samoan heritage.</p> <p>ā€œMy people are voyagers, wayfinders and discoverers, and I carry these traditions with me into my science,ā€ she told the audience. ā€œIā€™m grateful and humbled for this opportunity to take my research in new and exciting directions, here in Canada. Thus far my research has revealed the brain networks that we use to remember our past experiences also allow us to imagine the future. In Canada, I will have access to advance brain imaging methods not available yet in New Zealand to discover the specific stages of the imagination process and how things are disrupted by memory loss, aging and depression.ā€</p> <h3><a href="http://www.baycrest.org/research-news/defying-the-odds-leading-new-zealand-memory-researcher-joins-baycrest-health-sciences-as-canada-150-research-chair">Read more about Donna Rose Addis</a></h3> <p>Ramalho-Santos, whose wife is Canadian, comes from the University of California San Francisco where he has been investigating the environment and genome interaction at the molecular and cellular basis during the critical prenatal period, which he has found can later determine which individuals are prone to cardiovascular disease, obesity or neurological diseases as they age.</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s a tremendous honour and also great responsibility that I look forward to taking on,ā€ he said. ā€œWe used to think that all the information to generate in an organism including in a human being is encoded in the genome. It turns out that environmental factors provide critical inputs at those periods in development when the baby is forming that are absolutely essential for health and for disease.</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s truly exciting to bring this work to Toronto. Itā€™s a world-class research community in stem cell biology, developmental biology and systems biology, many fields that are of interest to me. So I look forward to belonging to that community, and I look forward to contributing to training the next generation of scientists in developmental epigenetics.ā€</p> <p>The announcement this week comes on the heels of 91³Ō¹Ļ also receiving two of 11 new positions for the Canada Excellence Research Chairs. Announced on Dec. 8, the excellence research chairs were the third such announcement since 2008.</p> <p>91³Ō¹Ļ will be getting two chairs ā€“ one in the Gravity of Fundamental Astrophysics Research and another in Cardiac Regeneration -- each offering up to $10 million over the next seven years. 91³Ō¹Ļ now has to recruit and identify researchers for the second phase of the award, which also has a matching requirement.</p> <h3><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/newly-unveiled-research-chairs-take-aim-at-diversity-gap-in-canadian-science/article37312603/">Read more about the Canada 150 Research Chairs in the <em>Globe and Mail</em></a></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 13 Dec 2017 19:18:12 +0000 ullahnor 124709 at 91³Ō¹Ļ's Nick Mount captures the boom of Canadian literature in his new book /news/u-t-s-nick-mount-captures-boom-canadian-literature-his-new-book <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">91³Ō¹Ļ's Nick Mount captures the boom of Canadian literature in his new book</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-10-24-mount-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=AwA0F-5b 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-10-24-mount-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=ehMOcfbA 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-10-24-mount-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=3_vzc8HI 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-10-24-mount-resized.jpg?h=58088d8b&amp;itok=AwA0F-5b" alt="Photo of Nick Mount"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>rasbachn</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-10-24T15:38:39-04:00" title="Tuesday, October 24, 2017 - 15:38" class="datetime">Tue, 10/24/2017 - 15:38</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Nick Mount: "At the time of the [CanLit] boom, Canadian nationalism was at an all-time high, trying to figure out ways that we were not American" (photo by N. Maxwell Lander)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/jessica-lewis" hreflang="en">Jessica Lewis</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/books" hreflang="en">Books</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/english" hreflang="en">English</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>There was nothing, and then there was something.</p> <p>Thatā€™s how <strong>Nick Mount </strong>describes the start of Canadian literature, but itā€™s also an apt way to explain his new book, <em>Arrival: The Story of CanLit</em>, on the countryā€™s literary boom that began in the 1960s.</p> <p>ā€œOf course, there were Canadian books published before then,ā€ says the associate professor of English in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science and former fiction editor of <em>The Walrus</em>. ā€œBut there was no critical mass. No sense of literature. They were just books. Thatā€™s what happened in the ā€™60s and ā€™70s ā€“ by 1974, nobody could look around and say there wasnā€™t Canadian literature, partly because Margaret Atwood had just written <em>Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature</em>.ā€</p> <p>While Atwoodā€™s book was literary criticism, Mountā€™s is more like a puzzle with all the pieces put together.</p> <p>ā€œI wrote this book because it didnā€™t exist. We have many excellent biographies of the writers who emerged during what came to be called the CanLit boom. We also have some good histories of the publishing side of the story in both English and French Canada, and a great many books about the time itself. What we donā€™t have is a book that puts all those stories together,ā€ Mount writes in <em>Arrival</em>.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6510 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" src="/sites/default/files/2017-10-24-mount-cover-resized.jpg" style="width: 302px; height: 453px; margin: 10px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image">Mountā€™s publisher, House of Anansi, agreed. Clearly, Mount was onto something: <em>Arrival</em> made the Canadian bestseller lists for non-fiction in early September during its first week of publication, right around the time that some of the countryā€™s biggest literary awards ā€“ the Governor Generalā€™s Literary Awards, the Giller Prize, and the Writersā€™ Trust Awards ā€“ announced their shortlists for the year.</p> <p><em>Arrival</em> is a Canadian history: the story of how political, cultural and economic events in the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century sparked a literary boom in this country. Mount provides a clearer understanding of how our literary awards, grants and funding came to be, and how Canadaā€™s small presses have grown and bolstered Canadian publishing. He begins each chapter with short biographies of crucial Canadian writers such as Atwood, Dennis Lee, Gwendolyn MacEwen, Alice Munro, Al Purdy and Mordecai Richler. Mount even included mini-reviews throughout the book. ā€œI read all the books so you donā€™t have to,ā€ he says.</p> <p><em>Arrival</em> took Mount 12 years to research and write, while teaching full-time. It isnā€™t the academic text you might expect from a professor. It is meant to be accessible to a wide audience ā€“ including those who think of the term ā€œCanLitā€ as a genre of quiet books that take place in rural Canada.</p> <p>ā€œCanLit is like any term,ā€ says Mount. ā€œItā€™s useful among professionals, but it doesnā€™t mean anything.ā€</p> <p>ā€œThe notion that all Canadian literature is about dysfunctional, alcoholic mothers in the prairies with the wind blowing through their hairā€¦ itā€™s just not true. Thereā€™s a huge range of writers. CanLit was a thing almost self-consciously constructed by readers, marketers and government types. At the time of the boom, Canadian nationalism was at an all-time high, trying to figure out ways that we were not American.</p> <p>ā€œTo me, CanLit refers to a particular thing that came to existence in the ā€™60s and faded out in the ā€™70s, faded out because it succeeded. It arrived. Now itā€™s just Canadian literature, and CanLit is just a term on Twitter. Canadian literature itself is simply an abstract concept. Itā€™s the sum of its parts.ā€</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Tue, 24 Oct 2017 19:38:39 +0000 rasbachn 119926 at 91³Ō¹Ļ students to embark on Canada 150 expedition /news/u-t-students-embark-canada-150-expedition <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">91³Ō¹Ļ students to embark on Canada 150 expedition</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/20180913%20-%20Grace%20King%20in%20archway%20%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fuNhJyFe 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/20180913%20-%20Grace%20King%20in%20archway%20%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=G6KiEM1M 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/20180913%20-%20Grace%20King%20in%20archway%20%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DFhtSXFs 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/20180913%20-%20Grace%20King%20in%20archway%20%28lead%29.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=fuNhJyFe" alt="Grace King"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-09-18T00:00:00-04:00" title="Monday, September 18, 2017 - 00:00" class="datetime">Mon, 09/18/2017 - 00:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Grace King, an environmental studies and anthropology student, is set to explore the west coast on the Canada C3 expedition, a trip commemorating the 150th anniversary of Confederation (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Geoffrey Vendeville </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Undergraduate student and PhD candidate set to explore the west coast and Canadian identity</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Grace King</strong>, a proud Newfoundlander, has spent most of her life on the eastern edge of the country. In a few weeks, she will see Canadaā€™s west coast for the first time ā€“ and explore what it means to be Canadian ā€“ aboard a 50-foot icebreaker.&nbsp;</p> <div>The 91³Ō¹Ļ undergraduate was picked to be a youth representative on a leg of the <a href="https://canadac3.ca/en/expedition/">Canada C3 expedition</a>, a 150-day, 23,000-kilometre journey. The trip, which began in Toronto and ends in Victoria on Oct. 28, marks the 150th anniversary of Confederation.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Each leg brings together a cross-section of Canadian society, including Indigenous elders, historians and scientists. Kingā€™s shipmates are an oceanographer, museum curators, a chef, a musician and <strong>Candice Lys</strong>, a PhD candidate at the 91³Ō¹Ļ.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The diversity on board should be a recipe for stimulating ā€“ maybe even unsettling ā€“ conversations about Canadaā€™s history and its future, King says.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>ā€œYou bring 20-something Canadians from different regions with different narratives together on a ship ā€¦ and suddenly the opportunity arises for discussion of every uncomfortable and important part of Canadaā€™s history,ā€ she says.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As youth ambassador, she plans to raise issues that she says are particularly important to younger Canadians, namely climate change and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.</div> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jr6EYa4VCZE" width="560"></iframe><br> <em>An introduction to St. John's, N.L, by Grace King, a student in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science who is joining the Canada C3 expedition.</em></p> <div>The 91³Ō¹Ļ students link up with the ship after it finishes circling Alaska. They will be on the second-to-last leg of the expedition, leaving Bella Bella, B.C. and arriving in Campbell River, with a number of stops along the way. They will visit Koeye Camp, a Heiltsuk First Nation youth camp connecting young people with elders, and the Hakai Institute, a scientific centre that focuses on remote locations on the B.C. coast.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Lys, who is working toward a PhD in public health science, is a co-founder of an arts-based sexual health education program that empowers young women in northern Canada. <a href="https://arcticfoxy.com/about-us/">FOXY</a>, which stands for Fostering Open eXpression among Youth, uses photography, music and traditional arts to help young people express themselves and ask questions in a supportive environment. In 2012, the organization <a href="/news/students-win-arctic-inspiration-prize-sex-ed-program-northwest-territories">won a $1-million Arctic Inspiration Prize</a>, enabling it to expand from the Northwest Territories to Yukon and Nunavut. They recently founded a parallel program for men called <a href="https://arcticfoxy.com/smash/">SMASH </a>(Strength, Masculinities and Sexual Health).</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Lys, who grew up in a MĆ©tis family in Fort Smith, N.W.T., says the 150th anniversary of Confederation has been a ā€œconfusingā€ event to commemorate.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>ā€œCanada 150 has been a difficult thing to celebrate when weā€™re having a lot of struggles with our Indigenous folks in Canada,ā€ she says. ā€œIā€™m looking forward to the opportunity to reflect on all of these things on the ship.ā€&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>She added that sheā€™s looking forward to travelling through the Haida Gwaii archipelago and learning about local Indigenous cultures.</div> <div><img alt="Candice Lys" class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__6038 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/Candice-Lys-%28embed%29.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>Candice Lys, a PhD student in public health science at 91³Ō¹Ļ, is linking up with the Canada C3 expedition. She is the founder of arts-based sexual health education programs FOXY and SMASH (photo courtesy of Candice Lys)</em></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h3><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yellowknife-s-foxy-takes-1m-arctic-inspiration-prize-1.2869394">Read more about FOXY in CBC News North&nbsp;</a></h3> <div>Geoff Green, executive director of the Students on Ice Foundation, which organized the trip, says each person on board brings a different perspective to the table.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>ā€œTheyā€™re the eyes, the ears and the voices for Canada, and they share the journey with the rest of the country,ā€ he says.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Each day on the ship has been an adventure, he added, from a Tragically Hip concert (minus Gord Downie) on the back deck to a visit by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Charlottetown.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Green says he hopes the trips spur discussion on truth and reconciliation with Canada's Indigenous peoples, and that C3 passengers come away from the expedition with a better understanding of the country and the need to be an international leader on ocean conservation and climate change.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>ā€œI hope they are motivated and inspired for the future, to be the best they can be, and help make Canada a better country,ā€ he says.</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 18 Sep 2017 04:00:00 +0000 geoff.vendeville 115723 at Mark Canada Day with 91³Ō¹Ļ /news/mark-canada-day-u-t <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Mark Canada Day with 91³Ō¹Ļ</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-06-30-LEAD-CANADA150.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=GHisNHrq 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-06-30-LEAD-CANADA150.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=47osA7fE 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-06-30-LEAD-CANADA150.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=jfP_GYuv 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-06-30-LEAD-CANADA150.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=GHisNHrq" alt="University College decked out with Canadian flags"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>krisha</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-06-30T13:00:24-04:00" title="Friday, June 30, 2017 - 13:00" class="datetime">Fri, 06/30/2017 - 13:00</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Canadian flags flank the entrance of University College at 91³Ō¹Ļ (photo by Lisa Lightbourn) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/krisha-ravikantharaja" hreflang="en">Krisha Ravikantharaja</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Krisha Ravikantharaja</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/trc" hreflang="en">TRC</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Across the country, young and old will be marking Canada Day in different ways this year ā€“ by&nbsp;celebrating its many successes, drawing attention to its painful shortcomings&nbsp;and, most importantly, reflecting on what it truly means to be Canadian.</p> <p>In the&nbsp;week leading up to Canada's 150th birthday celebrations, protests at the nation's capital have been reminders that while there is much to celebrate, there is considerable work that still needs to be done.</p> <p>In&nbsp;an <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2017/06/30/facing-the-truth-makes-for-a-worthy-celebration.html">Op-Ed in the&nbsp;<em>Toronto Star</em></a>,&nbsp;91³Ō¹Ļ's&nbsp;<strong>Charles Pascal</strong>, a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE),&nbsp;and&nbsp;<strong>Suzanne Stewart</strong>, an associate professor&nbsp;at&nbsp;the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, argue that there would be&nbsp;more to celebrate if the nation connected its 150th birthday bash with a more promising future and the Truth and Reconciliation Commissionā€™s Calls to Action.</p> <p>Throughout the year, 91³Ō¹Ļ has been exploring these themes for <a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/">Canada 150</a> ā€“ from artist&nbsp;Kent Monkman's take on Confederation with the<em> Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience </em>exhibit to<em>&nbsp;</em>symposiums and conferences exploring the&nbsp;<a href="/news/students-debate-ethical-and-political-consequences-canada-150-u-t-event">ethics of celebrating Canada 150</a>,&nbsp;<a href="/news/scholars-and-writers-u-t-conference-dissect-canlit-s-relationship-land-indigenous-and">CanLit's relationship with Indigenous communities</a>,&nbsp;the <a href="/news/canada-150-u-t-symposium-examines-canadian-opera-company-s-revival-louis-riel">controversial Louis Riel opera</a>,&nbsp;<a href="/news/reconciling-how-universities-can-address-canada-s-colonial-legacy">the&nbsp;sesquicentennial's relationship to the TRC</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="/news/artists-and-scholars-come-together-re-tell-history-canada-150">a public event in Ottawa</a>&nbsp;featuring author and U&nbsp;of T&nbsp;alumnus&nbsp;<strong>Margaret Atwood</strong>&nbsp;and poet and 91³Ō¹Ļ Professor&nbsp;<strong>George Elliott Clarke</strong>&nbsp;talking about the role of religion. Many of these events, along with research projects&nbsp;and cultural initiatives were supported by 91³Ō¹Ļ's Canada 150 Fund.</p> <p>For Saturday, there's a wide&nbsp;range of activities planned by&nbsp;the 91³Ō¹Ļ community to mark the day&nbsp;ā€“ ranging from a carillon concert to an aerial drone light show.</p> <p>Here are a few of the things to check out:</p> <h3>For the musically inclined</h3> <p>Listen to&nbsp;the bells at&nbsp;<a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/event/canada-day-carillon-recital-soldiers-tower-featuring-world-premiere-composition-competition-winner/">the Carillion Recital at Hart House's Soldier's Tower</a>, which features alumnus <a href="/news/uoftgrad17-ringing-bells-convocation"><strong>Roy Lee</strong></a>.&nbsp;Youā€™ll have the chance to hear the world debut of the youth category winning entry for the House of Commonsā€™&nbsp;<em>Chime In, Canada!</em>&nbsp;sesquicentennial composition competition.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Scott Allan Orr</strong>, a 91³Ō¹Ļ alumnus,&nbsp;was the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ourcommons.ca/About/HistoryArtsArchitecture/carillon/carillon-composition-competition-e.htm">winner</a> in the open category of the competition. His composition will <a href="https://www.hilltimes.com/2017/06/07/canada-150-carillon-piece-get-premiere-canada-day-peace-tower-bells/109642">premiere</a> at the Peace Tower in Ottawa&nbsp;on Canada Day.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__5187 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2017-06-28-soldiers-tower-bells-embed.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Makeda Marc-Ali)</em></p> <h3>For the stargazers</h3> <p>If astronomy is more your thing, make your way to 91³Ō¹Ļ Scarborough for <a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/event/guided-solar-walk-observatory-tour/">the Guided Solar Walk and Observatory</a> that models what the night sky would have looked like at the time of Confederation.</p> <h3>For the visual artists</h3> <p>If you find yourself in Calgary, visit the Glenbow Museum to check out Monkmanā€™s&nbsp;exhibit.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Art Museum at the 91³Ō¹Ļ partnered with Monkman for the&nbsp;large-scale show, which debuted at 91³Ō¹Ļ in January and is now travelling around the country.&nbsp;</p> <h3><a href="/news/shame-and-prejudice-u-t-art-museum-hosts-artist-kent-monkman-s-exhibit-canada-150">Read more about the exhibit here</a></h3> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SxQ4c7mIuOM" width="750"></iframe></p> <p>In partnership with the National Initiative for the Care of the Elderly, the 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s Institute for Life Course and Aging is showcasing the <a href="https://wisdominitiative.wordpress.com/"><em>Wisdom Photo Project</em></a>, a series of 50 photos of seniors from across Canada that explores the ideas of aging positively and combatting ageism at&nbsp;the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.</p> <h3>For the history buffs</h3> <p>Get a quick history lesson at Queenā€™s Park with <a href="/news/pop-exhibit-u-t-explores-how-canada-was-shaped-negotiation">the <em>Canada by Treaty</em> exhibit</a>. Co-curated by <strong>Heidi Bohaker</strong>, an associate professor&nbsp;of history,&nbsp;<strong>Laurie Bertram</strong>, an assistant professor of history, and <strong>James Bird</strong>, an undergraduate student, the exhibit combines maps, paintings&nbsp;and photos to illustrate how Canada was formed through legal agreements with Indigenous peoples.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__5193 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2017-06-28-canada-by-treaty-embed.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>(Photo by&nbsp;Diana Tyszko)</em></p> <p>Want more history? The <a href="/news/canada-150-u-t-s-fisher-library-exhibit-tracks-canada-s-struggles-become-welcoming-place"><em>Struggle and Story: Canada in Print </em>exhibit</a> at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book&nbsp;Library presents the tumultuous journey Canada has taken in its attempt to become a more peaceful and inclusive nation through a collection of historical documents.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__5195 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/2017-06-28-loius-riel-embed.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"></p> <p><em>An illustration of Louis Riel in the magazine,&nbsp;Canadian Pictorial&nbsp;&amp; Illustrated War News, is among the documents in the </em>Struggle and Story: Canada in Print&nbsp;<em>exhibit (photo by Romi Levine).&nbsp;</em></p> <p>The 91³Ō¹Ļ Libraries has also&nbsp;created <a href="https://onesearch.library.utoronto.ca/u-t-showcase-150?platform=hootsuite"><em>91³Ō¹Ļ Showcase, 150</em></a>, an interactive online timeline which highlights some of the unique holdings at the campus archives and special collections from the past century and a half.</p> <h3>For the poetsā€¦and for everyone else</h3> <p>If you find you have a few minutes to sit quietly and reflect, read Parliamentary Poet Laureate <strong>George Elliot Clarke</strong>ā€™s&nbsp;<a href="https://lop.parl.ca/About/Parliament/Poet/English_poems/Clarke/Freedom-e.pdf"><em>Anthem for</em> Liberty<em>ā€™s Champions</em></a>.&nbsp;In the poem, the 91³Ō¹Ļ professor of English highlights the ā€œ[u]nsung championsā€ who have made the sesquicentennial possible.</p> <p><a href="http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/article/meet-stone-carvers-working-rejuvenate-canadas-parliament-buildings"><em>Canadian Geographic</em></a> also invited Clarke to pen a piece of prose about the stonework at the parliament buildings in Ottawa to run alongside a series of photos by Toronto photographer Peter Andrew Lusztyk.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qG76sRJVIBg" width="750"></iframe></p> <h3>For the fireworks futurists</h3> <p>As an alternative to the Canada Day&nbsp;fireworks displays, watch&nbsp;one of&nbsp;<a href="http://arrowonics.com/">Arrowonics</a>' choreographed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KwXSZaPsM4"><font color="#0066cc">drone ballets</font></a>&nbsp;light up the night sky.</p> <p>Arrowonics is&nbsp;a company spawned from the lab of Professor <strong>Hugh Liu&nbsp;</strong>at the Insititute for Aerospace Studies at 91³Ō¹Ļ. The company CEO&nbsp;is <strong>Everett Findlay</strong>, one of Liuā€™s former graduate students.</p> <p>Catch one of&nbsp;Arrowonics' drone aerial night shows at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.utias.utoronto.ca/research/aircraft-flight-systems-and-control/">Ontario Place</a> in Toronto&nbsp;or at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.southlondoncanadaday.com/">White Oaks Park</a>&nbsp;in&nbsp;London, Ont.,&nbsp;this weekend.</p> <h1><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1KwXSZaPsM4" width="750"></iframe><br> <br> <a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/">Learn more about 91³Ō¹Ļ and Canada 150</a><br> <br> &nbsp;</h1> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 30 Jun 2017 17:00:24 +0000 krisha 108800 at Scholars and writers at 91³Ō¹Ļ conference dissect CanLit's relationship to land, Indigenous and racialized communities /news/scholars-and-writers-u-t-conference-dissect-canlit-s-relationship-land-indigenous-and <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Scholars and writers at 91³Ō¹Ļ conference dissect CanLit's relationship to land, Indigenous and racialized communities</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-05-29-LEAD-JORDAN-ABEL.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6DdTiyCD 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-05-29-LEAD-JORDAN-ABEL.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=PXY_xGDw 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-05-29-LEAD-JORDAN-ABEL.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=DgBjsYfQ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-05-29-LEAD-JORDAN-ABEL.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=6DdTiyCD" alt="Griffin poetry prize nominee Jordan Abel"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>hjames</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-06-01T12:26:18-04:00" title="Thursday, June 1, 2017 - 12:26" class="datetime">Thu, 06/01/2017 - 12:26</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Jordan Abel's book, "Injun" is nominated for the 2017 Griffin Poetry Prize. Abel says his poetry is deeply invested in Indigenous issues and uses tools and methodologies of conceptual writing (photo by Hannah James)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/hannah-james" hreflang="en">Hannah James</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Hannah James</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/literature" hreflang="en">Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/truth-and-reconciliation" hreflang="en">Truth and Reconciliation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When some of&nbsp;the top creative and scholarly minds gathered at 91³Ō¹Ļ last week for a conference exploring the relationship between Canadian literature and the land, Indigenous communities and racialized groups, participants decided to rise above the raging debate on cultural appropriation.</p> <p>In his keynote speech at the&nbsp;<a href="http://smarokamboureli.ca/transcanada-institute-archive/conferences/transcanada2017/"><font color="#0066cc">Mikinaakominis (Turtle Island) TransCanadas: Literature, Justice, Relation conference</font></a>, MĆ©tis scholar, writer and filmmaker Warren Cariou set the tone.</p> <p>ā€œA week ago, I thought maybe I should rewrite my presentation to more directly address these problematic assertions and assaults on the value of Indigenous stories,ā€&nbsp;he said. ā€œBut I stepped back,&nbsp;took a deep breath, and I thought about what it would mean to abandon my intended address and talk about something else. I thought maybe it's better to avoid the temptation of getting caught up in that colonial-reflex syndrome.ā€</p> <p>Cariou, an associate professor at the University of Manitoba and Canada Research Chair in Narrative, Community and Indigenous Cultures, said he opted to ā€œcentre his resistence in his own Indigenous values and practicesā€ rather than frame his speech as a response to colonial thinking.</p> <p>The 2017 event, hosted at 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s Hart House in collaboration with the University of Calgary, was the biggest TransCanadas event to date, bringing in storytellers, poets, novelists, creative non-fiction writers, critics and interdisciplinary practitioners from Brazil, Taiwan, Poland, Italy, Jamaica and France.</p> <p>91³Ō¹Ļ English Professor&nbsp;<strong>Smaro Kamboureli</strong>, a poet, writer&nbsp;and Avie Bennett Chair in Canadian Literature, has been organizing the TransCanadas conferences since 2005. She said her original intention was to create a series of events across Canada to create a community of scholars, writers and Canadianists who could come together to engage in intensive, critical dialogue about Canadian literature and pedagogies.&nbsp;</p> <p>This year's conference was&nbsp;against the backdrop of <a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/">Canada 150</a>. Speakers included&nbsp;Nisgaā€™a writer Jordan Abel,&nbsp;91³Ō¹Ļ poet and author <strong>Lee Maracle</strong>,&nbsp;Canadaā€™s parliamentary poet laureate and 91³Ō¹Ļ English professor&nbsp;<strong>George Elliott Clarke</strong>, director of 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s Women and Gender Studies Institute&nbsp;<strong>Rinaldo Walcott</strong>,&nbsp;University Professor <strong>Ato Quayson</strong> from the department of English and director of the&nbsp;Centre for Diaspora&nbsp;and Transnational Studies,&nbsp;Japanese-Canadian poet&nbsp;Roy Miki,&nbsp;and artist and novelist SKY&nbsp;Lee.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4784 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" src="/sites/default/files/2017-05-30-Kamboureli.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 680px; height: 453px;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p><em>Smaro Kamboureli and graduate students, Evangeline Holtz from 91³Ō¹Ļ and&nbsp;Joanne Leow from the University of&nbsp;Saskatchewan&nbsp;(photo by Hannah James)</em></p> <p>Abel,&nbsp;whose book&nbsp;<em>Injun</em>&nbsp;is nominated for this yearsā€™ Griffin Poetry Prize,&nbsp;said he was pleased to see a conference that addresses race and Indigeneity in meaningful ways.&nbsp;</p> <p>ā€œA lot of the issues coming up in the papers are related to cultural appropriation in some ways like&nbsp;the problematic construction of our current society that in a certain way fosters the kind of ignorance that leads towards the appropriation prize happening,ā€&nbsp;he said.</p> <p>Abel&nbsp;says his&nbsp;Griffin-nominated&nbsp;work is poetry that's deeply invested in&nbsp;Indigenous issues&nbsp;using tools and methodologies of conceptual writing.&nbsp;He looked up western novels available from the Gutenberg Project's digital archive and searched for the word <em>injun</em>,&nbsp;a pejorative word for ā€œIndian.ā€ He then cut up and rearranged 500&nbsp;sentences he&nbsp;found that contained the word and made one long poem.</p> <p>Abel ā€“ who is also a PhD student at Simon Fraser University presented two papers alongside Maracle, who Kamboureli describes as one of the most important Indigenous writers of our time and <strong>Eileen Antone</strong>, a 91³Ō¹Ļ Elder and professor emeritus.&nbsp;</p> <p>Sessions included topics like Performing Critical Race Thought,&nbsp;Indigeneity &amp; Black and Asian Diasporas in the Canadian City: Critical Artistic and Pedagogical Approaches&nbsp;and&nbsp;Storytelling and/as Activism and&nbsp;Podcasting, Pedagogy and Canadian Literature.</p> <p>Kamboureli has previously held TransCanadas conferences in Vancouver, B.C., Guelph, Sackville, N.B., and has published a volume of essays and submissions from presenters&nbsp;after&nbsp;each conference.</p> <p>ā€œThe conference has had a big impact on the field from institutional formations from literary publishers to university structures and how they shape and affect influence the study, teaching and writing of Canadian literature,ā€&nbsp;said Kamboureli.<em> </em></p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4790 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" src="/sites/default/files/2017-05-30-BOOKS.jpg" style="margin: 20px; width: 680px; height: 453px;" typeof="foaf:Image"><br> <em>91³Ō¹Ļ Bookstore&nbsp;brought a gorgeous display of books by featured conference authors including Lee Maracle, George Elliott Clarke and&nbsp;Smaro&nbsp;Kamboureli&nbsp;(photo by Hannah James)</em></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 01 Jun 2017 16:26:18 +0000 hjames 107959 at Exploring CanLit's relationship to the land, Indigenous resurgence, racialized groups /news/exploring-canlit-s-relationship-land-indigenous-resurgence-racialized-groups <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Exploring CanLit's relationship to the land, Indigenous resurgence, racialized groups</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-05-23-LEAD-TRANSCANADAS-CONF.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=R186HeGL 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-05-23-LEAD-TRANSCANADAS-CONF.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gEVfQqhx 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-05-23-LEAD-TRANSCANADAS-CONF.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=tpITNLxI 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-05-23-LEAD-TRANSCANADAS-CONF.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=R186HeGL" alt> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>hjames</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-05-24T11:35:52-04:00" title="Wednesday, May 24, 2017 - 11:35" class="datetime">Wed, 05/24/2017 - 11:35</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Writers and scholars will discuss Canadian literature, identity and land this week at 91³Ō¹Ļ (photo by Victor via Flickr)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/hannah-james" hreflang="en">Hannah James</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Hannah James</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/truth-and-reconciliation" hreflang="en">Truth and Reconciliation</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/literature" hreflang="en">Literature</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>When conference organizers put together a lineup of storytellers, poets and novelists to explore&nbsp;the relationship of Canadian literature to the land, Indigenous resurgence and racialized groups, it was initially billed as a <a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/">Canada&nbsp;150 event</a>.</p> <p>But with the distinguished academics and writers speaking at the 91³Ō¹Ļ conference over the next few days, it's only a matter of time before the discussion turns toward the heated debate over ā€œcultural appropriation,ā€ organizers say.</p> <p>ā€œItā€™s a very important issue for many of us who were around in the '90s, and it feels like weā€™re revisiting those days and realizing that thereā€™s still a lot of work to be done and not just for people to understand what appropriation means,ā€ says conference organizer,&nbsp;<strong>Smaro Kamboureli</strong>, a poet, professor and Avie Bennett Chair in Canadian Literature in the department of English at 91³Ō¹Ļ.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__4718 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" src="/sites/default/files/smaro-embed.jpg" style="margin: 10px; width: 250px; height: 250px; float: left;" typeof="foaf:Image"></p> <p>ā€œWhen we were planning the conference, this was not an&nbsp;issue as such, but Iā€™m pretty sure the issue will come up because a lot of people who were part of the conversations over the past two weeks are going to be at the conference. Itā€™s in the mind of everyone&nbsp;who is in the&nbsp;field of Indigenous and Canadian literature&nbsp;so Iā€™m sure weā€™ll be talking about it.ā€&nbsp;</p> <p>The conference, named&nbsp;<a href="http://smarokamboureli.ca/transcanada-institute-archive/conferences/transcanada2017/">Mikinaakominis TransCanadas: Literature, Justice, Relation conference</a>, starts today&nbsp;at 91³Ō¹Ļ, running until May 27. Co-organized by 91³Ō¹Ļ and the University of Calgary, it brings together writers ā€“ storytellers, poets, novelists, creative non-fiction writers, critics and interdisciplinary practitioners ā€“ to talk about Canadian literature's relationship to the land, Indigenous peoples, and Black, Muslim,&nbsp;Asian and other racialized groups.&nbsp;</p> <p>Speakers include: Nisgaā€™a writer Jordan Abel, who is one of the nominees for the 2017 Griffin Poetry Prize; 91³Ō¹Ļ's <strong>Lee Maracle</strong>, a poet and author,&nbsp;who Kamboureli describes as one of the most important Indigenous authors in the country; Canadaā€™s parliamentary poet laureate and 91³Ō¹Ļ English professor&nbsp;<strong>George Elliott Clarke</strong>; writer and director of 91³Ō¹Ļā€™s Women and Gender Studies Institute,&nbsp;<strong>Rinaldo Walcott</strong>;&nbsp;Ghanaian&nbsp;academic and literary critic <strong>Ato Quayson</strong>, who is a <a href="http://www.provost.utoronto.ca/awards/uprofessors.htm">University Professor</a> in the department of English and director of the&nbsp;Centre for Diaspora&nbsp;and Transnational Studies; Japanese-Canadian poet&nbsp;Roy Miki, who was a leader in the Japanese redress movement; and artist and novelist SKY&nbsp;Lee who will be reading from a the newly-released edition of her award-winning book, <em>Disappearing Moon CafĆ©.</em></p> <p>Kamboureli&nbsp;(above) launched the TransCanadas conferences in 2005. It is an initiative to bring together writers and interdisciplinary practitioners to create a sense of community and a dialogue between Canadianists, she says.</p> <p>In a way, it would be&nbsp;fitting if discussion over appropriating other people's cultures comes up at the conference. Kamboureli had hoped that this year's attendees and speakers would focus on&nbsp;developing decolonizing practices in the public sphere and humanities.</p> <p>ā€œWhat does it mean to celebrate Canada 150 when we live in a settler culture?ā€ says Kamboureli.&nbsp;ā€œIn all honesty, I canā€™t go out there and celebrate Canada 150 without being mindful of the irony of that celebration and what it means for the Indigenous peoples of this land.ā€</p> <h3><a href="/news/find-a-story?query&amp;field_topic_tid=All&amp;field_tag_tid_1=humanities&amp;date_filter%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=&amp;date_filter%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=">Read more humanities stories</a></h3> <h3><a href="http://news.artsci.utoronto.ca/all-news/top-11-reasons-study-humanities/">See the top 11 reasons to study the humanities</a></h3> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 24 May 2017 15:35:52 +0000 hjames 107790 at Artists and scholars come together to re-tell history for Canada 150 /news/artists-and-scholars-come-together-re-tell-history-canada-150 <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">Artists and scholars come together to re-tell history for Canada 150</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Restorying%20Canada_may%2012-U%20of%20T%20News.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gd4WPZLI 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/Restorying%20Canada_may%2012-U%20of%20T%20News.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=RAt0Cu4- 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/Restorying%20Canada_may%2012-U%20of%20T%20News.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=B05Zyk7J 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/Restorying%20Canada_may%2012-U%20of%20T%20News.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=gd4WPZLI" alt="atwood, clarke"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-05-12T13:16:43-04:00" title="Friday, May 12, 2017 - 13:16" class="datetime">Fri, 05/12/2017 - 13:16</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Author Margaret Atwood and poet George Elliott Clarke are featured in public conversations at the National Gallery and University of Ottawa</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/sean-bettam" hreflang="en">Sean Bettam</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Sean Bettam</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/margaret-atwood" hreflang="en">Margaret Atwood</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/canada-150" hreflang="en">Canada 150</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/george-elliott-clarke" hreflang="en">George Elliott Clarke</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/history" hreflang="en">History</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/humanities" hreflang="en">Humanities</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Celebrated author and 91³Ō¹Ļ alumnus <strong>Margaret Atwood</strong> and 91³Ō¹Ļ professor and poet <strong>George Elliott Clarke</strong> will join other renowned artists and scholars to challenge and re-narrate the history of Canada in its sesquicentennial year.</p> <p>In two separate public events in Ottawa, Atwood and Clarke, together with artist Kent Monkman, cellist Cris Derksen, and environmentalist Leah Kostamo will take the stage to present their work for <a href="http://bit.ly/2q6wQnG">Restorying Canada: Religion and Public Memory</a>. The three-day conference will also bring in scholars from across Canada and beyond to examine how religion has been remembered and forgotten in Canada's history.</p> <p>Two public events anchor the conference:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/decolonizing-the-canon-an-evening-of-poetry-performance-and-painting-restorying-canada-tickets-33631252983">Decolonizing the Canon</a> on Thursday&nbsp;May 18 at the National Gallery of Canada features Clarke ā€“&nbsp;Canadaā€™s poet Laureate and the E.J. Pratt Professor of Canadian Literature in 91³Ō¹Ļ's department of English&nbsp;ā€“&nbsp;Juno Award-nominated Cree-Mennonite cellist Derksen, and internationally renowned visual artist Monkman. Each artist will work within his or her&nbsp;genre to challenge what it means and feels to remember the countryā€™s history, and re-narrate and resist the colonial story of Canada.</li> <li><a href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-future-of-religion-in-canada-utopia-or-dystopia-restorying-canada-tickets-33631424496">The Future of Religion in Canada: Utopia or Dystopia? </a>on Friday&nbsp;May 19&nbsp;at the University of Ottawa features&nbsp;a conversation between Atwood and Christian environmental activist&nbsp;Kostamo. It explores the rich, complex portrayal of religion as a powerful, yet ambiguous force with the potential to both renew and shatter, bringing liberation and oppression, hope and fear. While Atwoodā€™s writing across five decades ā€“&nbsp;including the now televised <em>The Handmaidā€™s Tale</em> ā€“&nbsp;explores the past, present and dys/utopian future of religion in Canada, Kostamo provides a counter example of religious commitments to environmental restoration through the&nbsp;lens of Christianity.</li> </ul> <p>ā€œThe public events offer a curated provocation to the conference proceedings,ā€ said Professor <strong>Pamela Klassen</strong> of 91³Ō¹Ļ's department for the study of religion, who co-organized the conference with Emma Anderson at the University of Ottawa&nbsp;and Hillary Kaell at Concordia University for&nbsp;<a href="http://canada150.utoronto.ca/">Canada 150</a>. ā€œWeā€™re in a time when Margaret Atwoodā€™s novel <em>The Handmaidā€™s Tale</em> is being revitalized on screen, while its warnings about threats to womenā€™s freedom are coming true in legislatures and houses&nbsp;of congress around the world.</p> <p>ā€œMy hope is that audiences will gain a deeper understanding of how religion has shaped the ways we imagine and inhabit the nation of Canada, at a moment when reconciliation, decolonization, nation-to-nation relations with Indigenous nations, and the spectre of new kinds of religious prejudice are all in play,ā€ said Klassen.</p> <p>Tickets for Decolonizing the Canon and The Future of Religion in Canada: Utopia or Dystopia? are $18 for adults and $12 for students, plus taxes, for each event.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Fri, 12 May 2017 17:16:43 +0000 ullahnor 107509 at