Recordings

Recordings

Check out our recorded webinars and video footage from past events to listen to inspiring stories, learn from engaging discussions, and stay digitally connected and informed.
To view upcoming webinars and other virtual events, click here.


Island Lecture Series | The Biogeography of North Atlantic Islands, with David Cairns

Presented by the Institute of Island Studies at UPEI, this lecture recorded on March 26 island-hopped across the northern North Atlantic to see who lives there and how they got there. Biogeography is the three-way crossroads of history, biology, and geography. For most of these islands; the Shetlands, the Faeroes, Iceland, and many others; this history started when bare land emerged from under melting ice about 10,000 years ago, with creatures soon arriving by wing or wind. Humans came too, some by primitive boats that we know almost nothing about. But history can also have recent beginnings, such as the explosive birth of Surtsey Island, off Iceland, in 1963. This talk recounted the rich biological traditions of island biogeography, and showed that their insights apply equally well to people.


Island Lecture Series and Book Launch | The Bridge Effect with Laurie Brinklow, Andrew Jennings, and Janice Pettit

Recorded February 27th, 2024.
This combo event celebrated the launch of The Bridge Effect: Critical Reflections in the Age of Technological Solutionism co-edited by Laurie Brinklow and Andrew Jennings. The event featured a discussion of the effect of bridges—be they physical or digital—on island life and culture.

Brinklow will presented a humorous look at ferry crossings and how the various stages of the journey from the race to the dock to chatting with neighbours in the lineup can define island life. Jennings, beaming in from Shetland, Scotland, via a technological bridge discussed the long-lasting impacts of two small bridges on island populations in the Scottish archipelago. While PEI contributor, Janice Pettit shared her interviews with island residents on how the Confederation bridge has affected “the island way of life” twenty years later.


Island Lecture Series | Time Flies: An Aerial History of Coastal and Ribbon Development on Prince Edward Island with Dr. Josh MacFadyen

Recorded January 23rd, 2024. Based on his new book, Time Flies, Dr. MacFadyen will shows that development in the coastal zone and along rural roads is accelerating on Prince Edward Island, just as the province is experiencing sustainability challenges in both areas. The talk offers a unique combination of aerial photographs, historical maps, and more traditional sources, as it describes the province’s journey into modernity. Josh MacFadyen is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Geospatial Humanities in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Prince Edward Island. He teaches in the Applied Communication, Leadership & Culture Program, and he leads the GeoREACH lab at UPEI which supports Geospatial Research in Atlantic Canadian History.


“Authentic Prince Edward Island Tourism Experiences: What Locals Have to Say” with Dr. Susan Graham

November 21st, 2023 Authenticity in tourism is a hot topic. Can tourism experiences ever really be authentic and truly reflect the character, history, and people of a place? One underrepresented voice in the authentic tourism is that of locals. Using a research panel of 600 islanders, we asked Prince Edward Islanders if it was possible for visitors to experience the ‘real’ PEI, and if so, what kinds of experiences best reflected the place that locals call home. Over 400 respondents enthusiastically proclaimed that indeed it was possible for visitors to glimpse the ‘real’ Prince Edward Island and they identified myriad ways that could happen in areas such as culinary-, cultural-, historical-, and Anne of Green Gables-based experiences.


2022 Annual Report on Global Islands introduction from Laurie Brinklow Institute of Island Studies

The Annual Report on Global Islands 2022, published by Island Studies Press in partnership with the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province, was published in 2023 at an event hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province. The event featured a recorded introduction from Laurie Brinklow. For more information about the Annual Report on Global Islands series and to download a copy of any of the reports, visit https://projects.upei.ca/unescochair/publications/annual-report-on-global-islands/


Island Lecture Series: “Camping in the Backyard: Provincial Park Campgrounds and Island Tourism, 1945—2000” with Dr. Edward MacDonald
The historical literature on camping in the Western world has been preoccupied with the period between the mid-1800s and the Second World War. It maintains that well-heeled city dwellers camped in order to escape summers in North America’s dirty, polluted, high-stress cities and connect physically and emotionally with the wild Nature. But it was the postwar era and the gradual democratization of tourism that brought camping to the masses. And the experience on Prince Edward Island tells a different story about the motives behind, and the experience of, camping. Focusing particularly on the Island’s provincial parks, “Camping in the Backyard” will unpack the rise and fall (and rise again) of camping in terms of the Island’s tourism industry.


Sami Scholars Lecture
We kicked off the 2023 Fall season’s Island Lecture Series with two Sami scholars: Pigga Keskitalo and Laila Nutti.
Pigga Keskitalo presented “Sami Educational Viewpoints From the Past and Present.”  In this presentation, Pigga Keskitalo reviewed Sámi education history and current practices. Laila Nutti presented her PhD project about the pedagogical use of yoik with the title: “The Use of Yoik, Traditional Sami Singing, in Education.”

NOTE: due to technical restrictions, this footage only covers the first half of the presentation.


ASM & Hannah O’Donnell Perform Song Cycle by Tasmania’s Don Kay and PEI’s Laurie Brinklow

Four poems from Dr. Laurie Brinklow’s PEI Book Award-winning poetry book, My island’s the house I sleep in at night (Island Studies Press/Walleah Press), have been set to music by Don Kay, one of Tasmania’s best-loved composers. The Atlantic String Machine (ASM), Prince Edward Island’s award-winning string quintet, with guest soloist Hannah O’Donnell, premiered the song cycle on May 13 at St. Paul’s Church in Charlottetown.


Island Lecture Series: The Ecosystem Restoration Project at Basin Head with Dr. Irene Novaczek

The April 2023 Island Lecture Series featured marine ecologist Dr. Irené Novaczek speaking about the Ecosystem Restoration Project at Basin Head, Prince Edward Island. Basin Head was designated as a “Marine Protected Area” under the Oceans Act in 2005, to conserve and protect a unique strain of Irish moss (Chondrus crispus) which is thought to exist only within the confines of Basin Head. The talk focuses on adaptive management of the Marine Protected Area to ensure that the unique giant form of Irish moss at Basin Head is able to survive in the coastal lagoon environment which is challenged by impacts of local agriculture, invasive European green crabs, and ongoing climate changes. A graduate of the Marine Studies Program at University of the South Pacific in Fiji, Dr. Irene Novaczek was the Director of the Institute of Island Studies from 2001 to 2013. She then went on to become senior research scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans from 2014 to 2019, where she led a research and ecosystem restoration program at Basin Head Marine Protected Area in Eastern PEI. Over the years, as an Adjunct Professor in the Master of Arts in Island Studies (MAIS) program, she has supervised several MAIS students. In addition to running her company, Oceana Seaplants, she is Mayor of Breadalbane, PEI.


Island Lecture Series| Towards Energy Sovereignty with Dr. Nick Mercer January 24 2023

Recorded January 24, 2023

Newfoundland and Labrador is a global leader in the development of renewable energy. However, the electricity-generation mix differs dramatically in remote and Indigenous communities throughout the province, which remain almost exclusively reliant on diesel fuel, resulting in numerous energy inequities. While sustainable energies are often promoted for these isolated villages, emerging research demonstrates detrimental socio-economic and livelihood implications which emerge when development is led by outsiders or corporate interests.

More info…


Island Lecture Series | Enshrined: Island Tourism and the Confederation Story with Dr. Ed MacDonald

Recorded November 15th, 2022 as part of our Island Lecture Series
Due to technical difficulties, the video was cut off at 40 minutes. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
For over a century, the three staple constants in Prince Edward Island tourism have been our pastoral landscape, Anne of Green Gables, and the Island’s claim as the “Birthplace of Confederation.” But becoming the “Cradle of Confederation” was not as easy as it sounds, and the story of how Island tourism promoters recognized the tourism potential of that claim, then gradually convinced Canadians that it was both true and important presents a fascinating case study of “site sacralization” and branding in Canada’s Garden Province.

More info…


Island Lecture Series | “What’s law got to do with it! Islands And Their Status In International Law” with Dr. Donald Rothwell

Our September 13 lecture featured Dr. Donald Rothwell exploring the international conversation on the legal status of islands, a notion increasingly contested in various parts of the world. Can international law resolve these issues or just make them more contentious? 

Watch Now


Island Lecture Series: Trade in the Nicobar Islands with Shaina Sehgal March 2022

the eastern Indian ocean. However, these islands were ports-of-call along the ancient sea route from West Asia to South-East Asia and reported by traders and sea-farers throughout history. In this talk, Sehgal sketches the trading world of the Nicobar Islands between the 18th and 19th centuries. Analysis of historical texts, maps and images from this period shows the connection between seasonal trade within the archipelago and trade with the Nicobar Islands. This study concludes that these islands were a site of sustained contact within the bustling Indian Ocean world until the early 20th century.


Island Lecture Series: Arts and Climate Adaptation – Ilse van Dijke

In the first installment of the 2022 Island Lecture series, Ilse van Dijk presents the findings of the research she conducted as an intern with Island Studies and the School of Climate Change and Adaptation at UPEI. The research was funded by the Climate Sense project. In her research project, Ilse aimed to identify possibilities for the integration of artistic processes into climate change adaptation policies on Prince Edward Island.
Click here for more details


Celebrating Poetry Month: Laurie Brinklow and Bren Simmers in conversation with Richard Lemm

For our April Island Lecture Series session, we celebrated Poetry Month and launched two new books of poetry from Laurie Brinklow and Bren Simmers. Laurie and Bren each read from their new books and were joined in conversation by Richard Lemm, who brought some great questions and lots of laughs.
Click here for more details


Learning from Financial Crisis: Towards Sustainable Island Futures for Iceland and Newfoundland & Labrador

For our March Island Lecture Series session, Prof. Mark Stoddart (Memorial University of Newfoundland) and Dr. Ásthildur Elva Bernharðsdóttir (Reykjavík Akademían; University of Iceland) discuss the financial crises of Iceland (2008–2009) and Newfoundland & Labrador (currently). What have these experiences had in common and what lessons can they teach us?
Click here for more details


Factors influencing change in the Prince Edward Island Lobster Fishery

In this video, Master of Arts in Island Studies student Ian McIsaac defends his thesis, “Factors influencing change in the Prince Edward Island Lobster Fishery” via Zoom.
Click here for more details


Music-making and the experience of community life on an Irish island

For our Island Lecture Series January session, Irish ethnomusicologist Dr. Rory McCabe joined us live from Clare Island, Ireland, to discuss music-making as a fundamental part of island community life and an important measure of island vitality. Following his presentation, Rory was joined in conversation by Dr. Laurie Brinklow (Institute of Island Studies, UPEI) to discuss the intersection of music-making and island studies and how this can help us to understand islandness, followed by a lively Q&A session with questions from the audience.
Click here for more details


Writing the Island 

October’s Island Lecture Series event featured JoDee Samuelson, author of The Cove Journal, reading from her collection of essays about life on the South Shore of Prince Edward Island. JoDee will also be joined by Bren Simmers (Island Studies PressPivot Point) in a conversation about her inspiration for the book, her writing process, and the art of place-based writing. We had a wonderfully engaged audience who submitted some excellent questions for JoDee and Bren to discuss. Click here for more details


Islands and COVID-19 Recovery Plans: Promoting Resilience and Sustainability

In this virtual panel, Dr. Jim Randall (UNESCO Chair in Island Studies and Sustainability) and Dr. Francesco Sindico (Strathclyde Centre for Environmental Law and Governance) were joined by representatives from islands around the world to share lessons on how islands are demonstrating resilience as they respond to COVID-19 and discuss the challenges and opportunities that communities are navigating around the world and right here on Prince Edward Island. Click here for more details



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Recent Posts

Master of Arts in Island Studies Program Information Session

You are invited to an information session focusing on UPEI’s Master of Arts in Island Studies program. In addition to the traditional thesis-based option, you are now able to take one of three course-based streams specializing in Island Tourism, Sustainable Island Communities, and International Relations & Island Public Policy. Join MAIS Program Coordinator Dr. Laurie Brinklow online for a brief presentation and to answer any questions you may have. Joining the call will be some current students to provide their perspectives on the program.

An information session will take place on Zoom on Tuesday, March 19, at 10 a.m. AST.

Register here: https://apply.upei.ca/cx/Events/EventDetails?eventId=39a54bb0-f3db-ee11-8109-0050568e6563

Everyone is welcome!

  1. Press Release: Island Lecture Series | The Biogeography of North Atlantic Islands, with David Cairns Comments Off on Press Release: Island Lecture Series | The Biogeography of North Atlantic Islands, with David Cairns
  2. Island Lecture Series: The Biogeography of North Atlantic Islands, with David Cairns Comments Off on Island Lecture Series: The Biogeography of North Atlantic Islands, with David Cairns
  3. Island Lecture Series and Book Launch | The Bridge Effect with Laurie Brinklow, Andrew Jennings, and Janice Petit Comments Off on Island Lecture Series and Book Launch | The Bridge Effect with Laurie Brinklow, Andrew Jennings, and Janice Petit
  4. Press Release | Island Lecture Series and Book Launch Comments Off on Press Release | Island Lecture Series and Book Launch
  5. JANUARY 23RD, Island Lecture Series | Time Flies: An Aerial History of Coastal and Ribbon Development on Prince Edward Island with Dr. Josh MacFadyen Comments Off on JANUARY 23RD, Island Lecture Series | Time Flies: An Aerial History of Coastal and Ribbon Development on Prince Edward Island with Dr. Josh MacFadyen
  6. Island Lecture Series | “Authentic Prince Edward Island Tourism Experiences: What Locals Have to Say” with Dr. Susan Graham Comments Off on Island Lecture Series | “Authentic Prince Edward Island Tourism Experiences: What Locals Have to Say” with Dr. Susan Graham
  7. Island Lecture Series Double Feature: “Sami Educational Viewpoints From the Past and Present” and “The Use of Yoik, Traditional Sami Singing, in Education” Comments Off on Island Lecture Series Double Feature: “Sami Educational Viewpoints From the Past and Present” and “The Use of Yoik, Traditional Sami Singing, in Education”
  8. Seminar/Webinar: The Bridge Effect: A Case Study of Prince Edward Island, Canada, with Some Implications for Gozo [May 24th] Comments Off on Seminar/Webinar: The Bridge Effect: A Case Study of Prince Edward Island, Canada, with Some Implications for Gozo [May 24th]
  9. PEI-Tasmania collaboration world premiere: Atlantic String Machine, with guest Hannah O’Donnell, performs song cycle by Tasmania’s Don Kay and PEI’s Laurie Brinklow Comments Off on PEI-Tasmania collaboration world premiere: Atlantic String Machine, with guest Hannah O’Donnell, performs song cycle by Tasmania’s Don Kay and PEI’s Laurie Brinklow