Vanier Social Science Festival 2016: Vanier and the City
This year’s roster of guests for the annual Vanier College Social Science Festival boasts a wonderful array of Montreal activists, community leaders, artists and academics, all focusing on the theme of Vanier and The City. Under this broad and exciting theme, a variety of issues pertaining to Montreal, Montrealers and people living in urban environments will be explored, from social and cultural developments, to architectural changes and archeological discoveries, to historical movements, and to immigration and population changes, to name but a few. The festival will run from October 17 to 21 and all lecture presentations will take place in the Vanier Auditorium A-103.
“We hope that this speakers’ series will expose participants to the various topics concerning the diverse groups of people living in the city. It is our goal to provide participants with the opportunity to see their city through “new eyes,” and to connect their academic studies to real-life situations going on in their own backyard,” says festival organizer Kelly MacDonald from the History Department.
Highlights of the week include the following:
Nakuset, Director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal Oct. 17, 11:30
Executive Director of The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, Nakuset, will present on the resilience of Aboriginal peoples, living in and around Montreal. With a focus on pre contact and the inevitable change that occurred when European settlers arrived, she will discuss the various assimilation practices imposed on Native peoples, including residential schools and the “60's scoop,” which had crippling effects on Indigenous people. With this in mind, she will also look at the various mobilization efforts of the Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network, to curb the damage of this horrific legacy, and to help rebuild and strengthen Montreal’s urban Aboriginal community.
Mathieu Sossoyan – Montreal’s Forgotten Burial Grounds (Vanier Anthropology Teacher) Oct. 19, 9:30
The Anthropological discipline of Archeology is often associated with images of mummies, pyramids or Indiana Jones. However, archeology happens to be conducted in Montreal as well, and the province of Quebec has over 10 000 identified archeological sites. This presentation will explore some of the most notable sites found within the city of Montreal, including burial grounds dating back to prehistoric times.
Sterling Downey, Project Montreal Councilman and founder of the Under Pressure Festival and Fresh Paint Gallery, along with Melissa Prioetti, and artists Jimmy Baptiste. Oct. 19, 12:30
Will discuss street art in Montreal and the use of artist workshops in education and intervention for at risk youth. They will also discuss how art, and street art in particular, can help to bring together different groups living in a city. In other words, they will talk about how art can create a sense of community within urban spaces.
Isabelle Corriveau - Is heritage old school? (From Heritage Montreal) Oct. 20, 9:30
What is heritage? Ever wonder who and what defines it? In our fast-paced, ever-evolving city, is heritage just a nostalgic, old school notion? What makes a building, a space, or even an environment special? Exploring the different definitions and shapes of heritage through the architectural, historic, natural and cultural heritage of Greater Montreal - whether a house, factory, green space or even an avenue - this talk aims to show why heritage is everyone’s concern.
Mark Reynolds and Janella Snagg-Romeo (Vanier Student) – Urban Gardening at Vanier and Beyond Oct. 20, 12:30
Urban gardener, Mark Reynolds, and Vanier Garden Coordinator, Janella Snagg-Romeo, will discuss the benefits of nurturing our 'inner farmer' while living in an urban setting. They will look at the development of the urban farming movement in Montreal, with a focus on Vanier’s own urban gardening initiative and students’ experiences of successfully grow one’s own food.
All events are free of charge and open to the Vanier community and to the public. No registration is required for talks in the auditorium; however, registration is required for the workshops
Please consult the complete festival Schedule and Program at the following link: