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

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.”

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

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.

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

November 15th, 2022
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.

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?

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

On March 22nd at 1pm(AST) we streamed the second installment of our Island Lecture Series: Trade in the Nicobar Islands with Shaina Sehgal Shaina Sehgal presents some of the findings from her Ph.D. research on the Nicobar Islands. The Nicobar Islands is a little-known archipelago in 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.

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

APRIL 27, 2021 – 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

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 some excerpts from their new books, and were joined in conversation by Richard Lemm, who brought some great questions and lots of laughs.

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

MARCH 30, 2021 – 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

For our March Island Lecture Series session, Prof. Mark Stoddart and Dr. Ásthildur Elva Bernharðsdóttir 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?

MAIS THESIS DEFENSE
Factors influencing change in the Prince Edward Island Lobster Fishery

MARCH 4, 2021 – 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Master of Arts in Island Studies student Ian McIsaac recently defended his thesis, “Factors influencing change in the Prince Edward Island Lobster Fishery” via Zoom. The session was recorded and is now available to stream on the Institute of Island Studies YouTube channel.

Music-Making and the Experience of Community Life on an Irish Island

JANUARY 19, 2021 – 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

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.

Writing the Island with JoDee Samuelson

OCTOBER 20, 2020 – 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Join us for an evening with JoDee Samuelson, author of The Cove Journal, as she reads 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 Press; Pivot Point) in a conversation about her inspiration for the book, her writing process, and the art of place-based writing.

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

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 – 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

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.