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Home » (Re)Searching for Canadian Studies (CanSearch)

(Re)Searching for Canadian Studies (CanSearch)

Project Description

This project aims to assess how Canadian Studies is researched and taught outside of Canada, and to foster stronger connections between domestic and international networks in Canadian Studies. Since the federal government stopped funding Canadian Studies abroad in 2012, we are interested in exploring the evolution of the scholarship in international Canadian Studies. We conducted a survey of international Canadianists and a series of interviews with executives and former executives of local associations of Canadian Studies, research centres and units, operating around the world.

Funded by a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant (grant #890-2021-0076) for 2022-2026, this project is also focused on building partnership across various entities involved in the study of Canada. Within the academic community, they involve: the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and Glendon College at York University, the School for the Study of Canada at Trent University, the Centre for Canadian Studies at Mount Allison University, and the Université de Saint-Boniface. Non-academic partners are the Art Canada Institute and the International Council for Canadian Studies (ICCS).

Aside from the research component of the project, the CanSearch team has produced the following:

  • The 2024 International Canadian Studies Summit and Critical Canadian Studies Summer School (online). For more details, please view the program in English and French.
  • The 2024-2025 Webinar Series in Canadian Studies, held in partnership with the ICCS.
  • The 2025 Summer Institute on Decolonization, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (online). For details, please visit the Summer Institute webpage.
  • A special issue of Canada Watch in Spring 2025 on the state of international Canadian Studies and survey findings. Available free access here.
  • An academic article, based on survey and interview findings.
    • JM Montsion, D Formanowicz, CM Canillo, W Fisher, R Trikha, AH Kim, A Brassard, S Patel & A Dawson. In press 2025. International Canadian Studies: A Survey of Teaching, Research, and Needed Support. International Review of Canadian Studies 63(1).
  • A database of open-access pedagogical and research materials for international Canadianists. Available on the ICCS website here.
  • The Fall 2025 Studying in Canada information sheet series to inform international Canadianists and their associations of the state of the network on various topics. Freely available on the ICCS website here.
    • Team: Faezeh Esmaeili, Dominik Formanowicz, Jean Michel Montsion and Jeannie Young (content); Alex Felipe (design); Will Fisher (graphics)
  • The 2025-2026 What Is Happening in Canada? Webinar Series, held in partnership with the Centre for Indigenous and Critical Canadian Studies at Mount Allison University, the Canadian Studies Network, the Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada, the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies, and the School of Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies at Trent University, with the support of the ICCS.

In preparation:

  • A special issue of New Area Studies titled: (Up)Rooting the Study of Canada.
  • An art e-book and teaching guide on the theme of the environment, prepared by the Art Canada Institute. It will be freely available for the community of Canadianists in 2026.
  • The 2025 Summer Institute (online) for undergraduate and graduate students, hosted by the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies.
  • A Fall School for French-speaking doctoral students and undergraduate conference, to be held at the Université de Saint-Boniface in 2026. A related publication is also proposed for doctoral students.
  • Two additional articles for publication in peer-reviewed Canadian Studies journals.

Principal Investigator:

  • Jean Michel Montsion, York University

Co-applicants:

  • Andrea Beverley, Mount Allison University
  • Sarah Blacker, York University
  • Alexandre Brassard, Université de Saint-Boniface
  • Colin Coates York University
  • Eve Haque, York University
  • Heather Nicol, Trent University, and
  • Minelle Mahtani, University of British Columbia
  • Sharifa Patel, independent researcher

Collaborators:

  • Elisabeth Abergel, UQÀM
  • Yann Allard-Tremblay, McGill University
  • Andrew Dawson, York University
  • Geoffrey Ewen, York University
  • Ann H. Kim, York University
  • Marcel Martel, York University
  • Paul Morris, Université de Saint-Boniface
  • Sarah Parsons, York University
  • Carolyn Podruchny, York University
  • Étienne Rivard, Université de Saint-Boniface
  • Tameka Samuels-Jones, York University
  • Aparna Mishra Tarc, York University

Lead Project Manager:

  • Dominik Formanowicz, York University (2022-2025)
  • Faezeh Esmaeili (2025)

Doctoral and Graduate Research Assistants:

  • Christiane Marie Canillo, York University
  • William Fisher, York University
  • Hannah Laginski, Trent University
  • Sara McCleary, York University
  • Riya Trikha, York University

Undergraduate Research Assistants:

  • Bianca Anderson, Glendon College, York University
  • Andrea Barreto, Glendon College, York University
  • Wilson Bazambanza, Glendon College, York Univeristy
  • Natasha Hameed, Glendon College, York University.
  • Miriam Kathleen Hicks, Mount Allison University
  • Qurratulain Husnain, Glendon College, York University
  • Lauren Ashley Killam, Mount Allison University
  • Michelle Kumar, York University
  • Samuel Nieva, Glendon College, York University
  • Lucy Isabel Rae, Mount Allison University
  • Breanna Ross, Mount Allison University
  • Elif Tuyner, Glendon College, York University

Ce projet cherche à comprendre comment le Canada est représenté et enseigné dans les cercles académiques à l'extérieur du pays, depuis que le gouvernement fédéral a cessé de financer les études canadiennes à l’étranger en 2012. L’objectif à long terme est de favoriser la création de liens plus solides entre les réseaux d’études canadiennes au Canada et à l’international. Un sondage et des entretiens ont été effectués en 2023 auprès des spécialistes du Canada à l’étranger ainsi que leurs associations d’études canadiennes.

Subventionné par le CRSH via une bourse de développement partenarial (#890-2021-0076) pour une période de quatre ans (2022-2026), ce projet a également permis de consolider des collaborations plus étroites entre le Centre d’études canadiennes Robarts et le Collège universitaire Glendon à l’Université York; l’École pour l’étude du Canada à l’Université Trent, le Centre d’études canadiennes à l’Université Mount Allison, l’Université de Saint-Boniface, l’Institut d’art canadien ainsi que le Conseil international des études canadiennes (CIEC).

Plusieurs activités et ressources ont été créées grâce à ce projet, dont un sommet international, des écoles d’été, des présentations, des wébinaires et des sessions de formation, des publications et une banque de données. Plusieurs autres activités et ressources seront créées en 2025 et 2026. Pour plus de détails en français, veuillez écrire à casearch@yorku.ca.