Celebrating Canada 150
Photo: Ryerson welcomed new Canadians at a citizenship ceremony on April 12, one of many events to celebrate Canada 150 on campus. Photo by Christopher Manson.
Ryerson University is marking Canada's 150th birthday with events, activities and stories that speak to the Canadian experience in all its diversity drawing from 10,000 years of traditions in Canada.
An opportunity for both celebration and reflection, Ryerson's Canada 150 will feature lectures, exhibits, performances and discussions with some of Canada's brightest minds. As an active contributor to Toronto’s downtown, Ryerson will also reach beyond its scope, inviting the community to participate.
"An anniversary as significant as 150 years deserves a special celebration, particularly when it is for a country recognized around the world for its diversity, inclusiveness and commitment to equality and justice," said Mohamed Lachemi, president of Ryerson University. "Ryerson is proud to present a wide range of activities and events that illuminate the past and look enthusiastically to a future filled with promise for our Canada."
Canada 150 at Ryerson is guided by several themes that also speak to the priorities and values in the school's academic plan: culture; civic engagement; equity, diversity and inclusion; student initiatives; and innovation. The events will showcase everything that has defined Ryerson's identity, from technology and science to cultural and social initiatives.
One of the highest profile events is Congress 2017, Canada's largest annual academic gathering, bringing together over 9,000 academics, researcher, policy-makers, and practitioners from the humanities and social sciences. Themed "The Next 150," the event will provide ample opportunity for participants to exchange ideas for the future of Canada. As host, Ryerson will emphasize interdisciplinary learning and Indigenous issues.
Ryerson-hosted events at Congress will include Ryersonia (external link) , a dance/music/spoken-word performance (May 29); discussions with distinguished Ryersonians Kamal al-Solaylee (external link) and Peter Bregg (external link) ; panels and discussions with guests including Cornel West (external link) , Desmond Cole (external link) , Olivia Chow (external link) , and John Ralston Saul (external link) , and many more. Congress runs May 27 to June 2.
Beyond Congress, The Ryerson Faculty of Science will launch North America's first Soapbox Science event to promote women in science on May 13. The Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre will open Contested Lands: Canadiana at 150, on May 28, an exhibition that features rare books, photographs, postcards, letters, and other historical objects while considering themes of contestation involving First Nations peoples, the Great War and Canadian women. Annual events like Maximum Exposure (May 1-19) and the Ryerson University Film Festival (external link) (May 5-6) will also provide a platform for the next generation of Canadian innovators.
For a complete list of events, visit the Canada 150 website. We welcome members of the Ryerson and Toronto community to contact us with story ideas or events.
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This is one in a series of stories about Canada 150 at Ryerson. As our nation marks the 150th anniversary of confederacy, Ryerson University is curating events, activities and stories that speak to the Canadian experience from vantage points as diverse as our people.
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