History Minds @your library Three evenings of engaging history lectures will be presented by the current generation of professional academics as they share new and innovative ideas circulating in the field of social history, concluding with an exchange of comments and questions. The second Thursday of the month March May 2011. Event Date(s): March 10, 2011 April 14, 2011 May 12, 2011 Event Time(s): 7:30-8:30 pm Location: Central Library - Classroom 3 301 Burnhamthorpe Road West, Mississauga, Ontario L5B 3Y3 Canada Cost: Free More Information: Thursday March 10, 2011 With Professor Colin M. Coates, Canada Research Chair inCanadian Cultural Landscapes/Director of Landscapes Project with NiCHE Network in CanadianHistory & Environment . Glendon College, York University A Brief History of Canadian Utopias: Is there a Canadian utopian tradition? ABSTRACT: "Since the arrival of European settlers, various ethnic, religious and politicalgroups have attempted to establish self-consciously utopian communities in different parts ofthe country. This talk examines some examples of these utopian communities as well as some ofthe literary expressions of utopian literature related to Canada. It assesses the range andcoherence of utopian thought in Canada from the 17th century to the late 20th century. Thursday, April 14, 2011 With Dr. Jim Clifford, York University From a Pastoral Wetland to an Industrial Wasteland, and Back Again? An environmental historyof the Lower Lea River Valley, the site of the 2010 London Olympics ABSTRACT: The Lower Lea Valley, currently undergoing a massive redevelopment project inperpetration for the next Summer Olympics, underwent a number of equally remarkabletransformations as London's heavy industry migrated to the cities eastern periphery in thesecond half of the nineteenth century. In this talk, Jim Clifford will explore some of thefindings of his recently defended PhD dissertation on the environmental problems created byhalf a century of urban-industrial development and discuss some of the challenges this posedfor redevelopment. Thursday, May 12, 2011 With Karlee Sapoznik, Co-Founder of the Alliance AgainstModern Slavery, PhD Candidate at York University Understanding Slavery Past and Present ABSTRACT: Interest in contemporary slavery and human trafficking have increased dramaticallyover the last two decades. Ms. Karlee Sapoznik has expertise in slavery in all of its forms.Her research integrates the study of historical and contemporary slavery. Although slavery isnow illegal around the world it is still widely practiced. Experts place the number of livingmodern slaves at 27 million, twice as many as the number of Africans enslaved during the fourcenturies of the transatlantic slave trade. As Sapoznik argues, if we can better understandboth the successes and the failures of past abolitionist movements, we may better understandthis paradox. We might hope to change it..
Event Details. Location:
301 Burnhamthorpe Road West @t canada research chair, colin m coates, jim clifford