Canadian-History

Drawing upon his 20+ years of experience as a War of 1812 reenactor, Tom Fournier will talk about his motivation for being a reenactor.  He will share his memories on the field, travelling the globe, meeting royalty, and even experiencing the paranormal.

Did you know that the Region of Waterloo is home to a Cold War nuclear shelter? Built in 1966 and designed by the same architectural firm responsible for the CN Tower, the bunker was constructed to ensure the continuity of government in the event of a catastrophic nuclear strike.

Join Dr. Sara Matthews for a discussion about how communities imagined nuclear survival and the role of Canadian Cold War propaganda. Together we will explore the visual communication of public safety and consider the question, “how is citizenship constructed in relation to threat?”

On March 26 at 7PM, Laurier Brantford's History program presents its biannual People Make History event, featuring a panel discussion on historical Canadian-American relations and contemporary links with Dr. Lara Campbell, Dr. Tim Cook, and Dr. Asa McKercher.

Register on Zoom.

Three graduate history students present their research on Pride themes. Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 1:00 pm. Register to be sent the Zoom link.

The Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940 was the greatest aerial battle in history. In this talk at Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada, Ted Barris uncovers the unknown stories of Canadian airmen, ground crew, as well as engineers, aeronautical designers, medical officers and civilians who answered the call and turned back the very real threat of Nazi invasion. Barris is an award-winning journalist, author, broadcaster and author of 22 best-selling non-fiction books.

Donald Trump wants Canada to be his 51st State. He isn’t the first American leader to think that way, and he won’t be the last. At the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada (LCSC), Norman Hillmer, a leading historian of the Canadian-American relationship, reflects on how Canada resisted the United States in the past, and he asks whether and how much present challenges are different from yesterday’s.

Henry Tsang, visual and media artist from Vancouver, talks about his 360˚ Riot Walk project and book, White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver.

The Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada invites you to a hybrid lecture with Tim Cook. In this presentation Cook will discuss his new book, The Good Allies, a masterful account of how Canadians and Americans made the transition from wary rivals to steadfast allies, and how Canada thrived in the shadow of the military and global superpower. 

The Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada invites you to a hybrid lecture by Dr. Matthew Wiseman. In this talk, Dr. Wiseman will discuss his recent book, Frontier Science: Northern Canada, Military Research, and the Cold War, 1945-1970, that investigates the most challenging issue of Canadian defence in the postwar Arctic: the human body.

Rural History Speaker Series for Fall 2024

• Thursday, 26 September, 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Rebecca Beausaert, University of Guelph. Book Launch. 'Tea Meetings, Concerts, and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention': Women's Leisure in Small-Town Ontario, 1870-1914. 
• Thursday, 17 October, 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Edward Dunsworth, McGill University. "Beyond the Labour Shortage Narrative: A New History of Canadian Farm Labour."
• Tuesday, 12 November, 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Ross Fair, Toronto Metropolitan University. "A Measure of Improvement in Upper Canada: The 1852 Agricultural Exhibition."