Department of History, Saint Mary’s University

John Reid and M. Brook Taylor’s Open Letter to Minister David Ritcey and Premier Tim Houston re. Drastic Cuts to Nova Scotia Museum System Minister David RitceyDepartment of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage1741 Brunswick St., 3rd FloorHalifax, NS B3J 2R5Email: MIN_CCTH@novascotia.ca Premier Tim HoustonOffice of the Prem…

Professor Emeritus John Reid of @smuarts.bsky.social and Professor Emeritus M. Brook Taylor of @msvuhalifax.bsky.social have published their open letter to re. Drastic Cuts to Nova Scotia Museum System on @acadiensis.bsky.social acadiensis.wordpress.com/2026/03/03/j...

An event poster with a photo of Dr. Comeau. Lecture description: Baie Sainte-Marie Acadian French: An “older French”? Thursday, March 12 | 5:30-6:30 pm Loyola 174, Saint Mary's University All are welcome to attend this Arts With Impact public lecture, presented by the Linguistics program. Guest speaker Dr. Philip Comeau is Full Professor and Vice-doyen des études universitaires, Université Sainte-Anne in Pointe-de-l’Église, Nova Scotia. A common perception of Acadian French is that it is an “older dialect of French” or “French as it was spoken in the 17th century.” In his talk, Dr. Comeau questions this general perception, focusing on French varieties spoken in southwest Nova Scotia, particularly in the regions of Baie Sainte-Marie and Par-en-Bas. He will present findings from a project using data spanning four centuries. Even though many of the conservative or older features of French have persisted, one of the conclusions is that Baie Sainte-Marie Acadian French is clearly no exception to the rule that living languages are constantly changing. https://loom.ly/_AhKHfM

Baie Sainte-Marie Acadian French: An “older French”?
Thursday, March 12 | 5:30-6:30 pm | Loyola 174

Dr. Philip Comeau of Université Sainte-Anne will deliver this public lecture, using findings from data spanning 400 years. All are welcome! Learn more: loom.ly/_AhKHfM #SMULinguistics #ArtsWithImpact

An event poster with black text on a white background on the left, and white text on a maroon and red background on the right. Text: History, Truth-Telling, Reconciliation, and Artistic Practice: A Conversation with Catherine Martin Tuesday, February 24 4-5:30 pm in Loyola 171 Presented by the Faculty of Arts; all are welcome to attend.

History, Truth-Telling, Reconciliation and Artistic Practice: A Conversation with Catherine Martin, award-winning Mi'kmaw filmmaker. Join us Tuesday, Feb. 24 for a discussion on exploring history through film and theatre, and the role of the arts in practices of reconciliation. 4–5:30 pm in LA 171.

National Trust for Canada scholarships! See the Herb Stovel Scholarship, which provides 2 types of bursaries. Link: nationaltrustcanada.ca/herb-stovel-...

Shooting occurred soon after Canada began a buy-back program for assault rifles At least eight people have been killed and dozens have been injured after a shooting at a school and home in northeast British Colombia, Canada. Follow for live updates

In the aftermath of the terrible news out of #TumblerRidge, British Columbia, @cnn.com is among media outlets that have been providing live updates all day today. Dr. @rblakebrown.bsky.social of @historysmu.bsky.social was interviewed for this piece. www.cnn.com/world/live-n... #SMUHistory

Love History? Interested in graduate studies? Consider applying to Master of Arts program @historysmu.bsky.social
in Halifax. Scholarships available! Deadline extended until March 15th! For more info see: smu.ca/academics/m-...

A poster to promote the 2026 call for papers for the annual Arts Student Conference. An illustration shows a pen on paper.

📣 Deadline March 6: Call for papers by undergraduate and graduate Arts students at SMU! Present your research at the annual Faculty of Arts Student Conference on March 27. Submit a 500-word abstract detailing your topic to Dr. Nicole Neatby of @historysmu.bsky.social. Learn more: loom.ly/7sBnm9g

A poster to promote the next "Let's go to the SMUvies" event. The image is an illustration of a Broadway theatre marquee.

Get ready for SMUsicals: #SMUvies Goes to #Broadway! Thursday, Feb. 12, 6-9 pm in SH 324 at SMU. Our panel will discuss Hamilton, WICKED, Sweeney Todd and KPOP Demon Hunters.🍕 Free pizza, cake and book prizes. 🍰📚 Online option too: loom.ly/LGW86A0 @historysmu.bsky.social #SMUPhilosophy #SMUReligion

Down Below Ground: Research, Memory, and Place at Springhill Mine Coal shaped Atlantic Canada’s economy and identity; Springhill’s disasters and mine tour reveal dangers, memory, and value of place-based research.

And see: "Down Below Ground: Research, Memory, and Place at Springhill Mine." niche-canada.org/2026/02/03/d...

Finding Black Lung in the Archives Coal mining’s overlooked slow disaster, black lung, devastated workers, remained dismissed, archivally absent, and resurfaces through community memory and activism.

Recent BA graduate Kaley MacMullin and Dr. Heather Green of @historysmu.bsky.social have co-authored 2 posts on the Network in Canadian History & Environment’s The Otter. For the first see: "Finding Black Lung in he Archives." niche-canada.org/2026/01/02/f...

Join us online next week for 'Nova Scotia and the Imperial Strategies of Highland Scots', the annual S-CAP Lecture presented by @karlykehoe.bsky.social.

📅 Tuesday 10 February, 2026
🕰️ 1pm (EST) / 6pm (UK)
💻 Zoom

FREE Tickets: bit.ly/S-CAPLecture...

All are welcome!

@smuarts.bsky.social

🇮🇪🇨🇦 The De Chastelain Scholarship Programme will make 50+ awards to Irish & Canadian scholars, from early-career researchers to senior professors.

🗓 Deadline: 11 May 2026 🔗 Apply / learn more: 

www.icuf.ie/scholarships...

Join Dr. @karlykehoe.bsky.social of @historysmu.bsky.social virtually on Feb. 10 (2 pm AST) as she delivers the 2026 Scotland-Canada Academic Partnership Annual Lecture, hosted by @uguelphscottish.bsky.social. Learn more and register here: bit.ly/S-CAPLecture... #NovaScotia #Scotland #artswithimpact

Curious about the links between Scottish Highlands and the Maritimes? They’re more complicated than you might think. Please join us.

A digital graphic to help promote summer 2026 research opportunities for undergraduate students at SMU. A photo on the right shows an Anthropology professor, technician and student conducting field research at The Old Burying Ground in Halifax. White text on the left, against a maroon background: Gain research skills and experience alongside a SMU professor this summer. Apply today!

📣 Undergraduate students: Gain research skills and PAID experience this summer, working alongside your SMU professors! Learn more about the opportunities available in the Faculty of Arts, and apply by February 20: www.smu.ca/research/stu... #StudentResearch #research #fieldwork #artswithimpact

Closing the knowledge gap: identifying research priorities for firearm-related injury and mortality in Canada, HPCDP: Vol 46(1), January 2026 Our objective was to identify knowledge gaps and research priorities to inform a national research agenda to prevent firearm-related injury and death.

New article: "Closing the Knowledge Gap: Identifying Research Priorities for Firearm-Related Injury and Mortality in Canada" in the latest issue of the Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada. www.canada.ca/en/public-he...

Congrats @smuhalifax.bsky.social student Elora Copeland for publishing "The Earl of Dalhousie & the Context of John Elliott Woolford's Famous Paintings" in Release Peace: The Magazine! This article began as an essay in HIST2341 Atlantic Canada to Confederation. Link: releasepeace.org/the-earl-of-...

Visit @nichecanada.bsky.social for this new article co-authored by Dr. Heather Green of @historysmu.bsky.social and Kaley MacMullin BA’25, #SMUSociology graduate and Dr. Green's research assistant on the Mining Danger Project. #SMUHistory #envhist #mininghistory #cdnhist #research #artswithimpact

On Dec. 18 in #Italy, Dr. @rblakebrown.bsky.social of @historysmu.bsky.social presented at a @euguns.bsky.social / #GlobArms conference on New Perspectives on the History of Firearms. His topic was "Charles Stark and Firearms Retailing in late 19th-Century Canada". #SMUHistory

The Nazi Plunder of Church Bells Changed the Sound of Europe

Dr. Kirrily Freeman of @historysmu.bsky.social quoted in NY Times article "The Nazi Plunder of Church Bells Changed the Sound of Europe." #ArtsWithImpact www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/a...

HIST 2250 course poster, with a photo of soccer players in Brazil. Text: Arts for Everyone presents ... Soccer: A History of Brazil Winter 2026 | HIST 2250 Mondays + Wednesdays 2:30-3:45 pm with Dr. Rosana Barbosa Course description: Join Dr. Rosana Barbosa to trace the historical forces behind the evolution of soccer in Brazil—from an elite sport to a national passion with unifying powers. Explore such topics as the transition to a slave-free society, immigration, the development of a national identity, urbanization, the military dictatorship, as well as gender divisions and the role of the media and economics behind the popularity of the sport. For access to the course materials, register for free at https://smucc.brightspace.com/course/20/soccer-a-history-of-brazil For the full lineup of #A4E courses in Winter 2026, visit https://www.smu.ca/arts/outreach/arts-for-everyone.html

⚽ Soccer: A History of Brazil | Free for the public, this @historysmu.bsky.social course starts Jan. 7 via #ArtsForEveryone! 🌎🥅 Join Dr. Rosana Barbosa to trace the historical forces behind soccer's evolution in Brazil, from an elite sport to a national passion with unifying powers. loom.ly/9fHFmTQ

Yesterday's lecture by @rblakebrown.bsky.social was a blast! And, since we're in the middle of the Christmas season, there were even references to Santa 🎅

IPHH Info Session Public Humanities and Heritage program Thursday, Nov. 27, 2:30-3:30 pm McNally North 519 at @smuhalifax https://www.smu.ca/iphh The event poster includes an image of handwriting on a historic document.

Thinking about a career in museums, archives or heritage sites? The Public Humanities and Heritage program at Saint Mary's University might be right for you! Join us for an IPHH Info Session on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2:30-3:30 pm in MN 519. www.smu.ca/iphh #heritage #humanities #artswithimpact

An event poster with a black-and-white cartoon illustration showing a man laughing while reading a book titled, 'Jokes About the Budworm'. In the background is a cartoon budworm smiling near a sign that says 'Nova Scotia's Forest Resources' near a clearcut.

Join us on Friday for the @historysmu.bsky.social Seminar Series, 1-2 pm in MN 219. Dr. Mark Kuhlberg of @laurentianu.bsky.social will present "Killing Bugs for Business and Beauty: Canada's Aerial War Against Forest Pests, 1913-1930". All are welcome, 1-2 pm in MN 219. #SMUHistory #artswithimpact

Scientific freedom and the responsible conduct of scientists - International Science Council In this blog series, members of the ISC’s Committee for Freedom and Responsibility in Science share their reflections on the questions surrounding trust in science, particularly in the context of poli...

How can academics push back against dis- and misinformation? One way is to use academic freedom responsibly: present evidence clearly, and resist the urge to offer personal opinions that muddy the facts. Now more than ever we need to build public trust in research. council.science/blog/scienti...

If you are looking for a flexible Winter 2026 course at SMU, please note that two History courses have just been switched to ‘Hybrid’ format (so students will be able to attend class in person or online):
• HIST 2827: The History of Vietnam
• HIST 2840: Japan before 1800

Today at noon!

Thinking about a career in museums, archives, or heritage sites? The Public Humanities & Heritage program might be right for you!

We welcome you to join us for an info session on November 27, 2:30 pm, in MN 519.

For more info contact: iphh@smu.ca or Kirrily.freeman@smu.ca.

Still looking for a Winter 2026 class at SMU? Consider HIST 3470.2 British Black Atlantic. In this class, students examine topics such as Britain's involvement in the African slave trade, the Black Loyalists, and the Black community in the UK.

On Nov 28 at 3pm Halifax time, Dr. Rosana Barbosa of @smuarts.bsky.social will be taking part in a webinar on the topic of "Immigration, politics and trade: the influence of the United States in Brazil–Canada relations." Register here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...