Canada-US relations experts 🇨🇦🇺🇸

We know what is happening with our neighbour to the south is top of mind for everyone right now, and will be for quite some time. We have quite a few experts eager to chat about this topic. Read on to learn more. 

Canada-US relations in the Trump 2.0 era

From tariffs to comments about Canada becoming the 51st state, US President Donald Trump is keeping Canadian politicians busy developing strategies to maintain relations with the unpredictable leader of our neighbouring country. VIU experts are happy to share their thoughts:

Dr. Michael MacKenzie, Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership

Dr. MacKenzie has spent the past 20 years studying and writing about democracy. He can talk about the state of democracy in Canada and the US, how Trump’s threats against Canada are changing the political landscape in Canada (recent increase in the polls for the Liberals, unifying Canadians), threats to Canadian sovereignty and the history of free trade between the countries.

Dr. Mark Williams, Political Studies and Global Studies Professor

Dr. Williams, in conjunction with Honorary Research Associate Anna Toderas, is writing a book on this subject – Canada and the Shattering of World Order.
 
Summary: The rules-based international order has been the North Star for Canadian foreign policy for 80 years, providing a fixed point in the geopolitical heavens to navigate the country through the challenges of the post-World War II era. It was a world order that was far from perfect. To paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill speaking about democracy, the rules-based international order could be considered the worst type of international system, besides all the other types of international systems that were implemented in the past. There were two crowning achievements of this world order that made it unprecedented: the dramatic economic growth that occurred across multiple regions of the globe; and the novel idea that countries cannot be conquered or annexed.
 
World order is in danger of being shattered by the “crisis of the 2020s.” Russia’s war of conquest against Ukraine, China’s threats to force unification with Taiwan and the irreconcilable conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, are together threatening to bring back Old World rules of conquest and spheres of influence. The greatest threat to Canada’s prosperity and its security is the American abandonment of the rules-based international order under President Trump and an ensuing disorder that will once again cause the world to suffer the tragedies of great power politics. 

Dr. Aggie Weighill, Director, VIU’s World Leisure Centre of Excellence

Along with heading up the World Leisure Centre of Excellence, Dr. Weighill is Tourism Nanaimo's Board Chair and on the Board of Directors for the BC Recreation and Parks Association. She’s keeping a close eye on potential impacts to the provincial and national tourism industry. 

Dr. Cameron Gordon, Psychology Professor

Some potential topics Dr. Gordon can speak on include managing anger, fear and feelings of helplessness. He has been urging people to prioritize stabilizing their emotions to help them think clearly about identifying opportunities for meaningful activism (and defining this broadly) as a way of empowering themselves in useful directions, which is a helpful coping technique for feelings of helplessness.

Dr. Tim Stokes, Earth Sciences Professor

Tim Stokes is a VIU Earth Sciences Professor and teaches a range of geology courses including environment geology, engineering geology and mineral resources. As an active geoscientist he has consulted and researched projects related to geohazards, karst landscapes and mineral exploration. Tim has good understanding of what critical minerals are, what they are used in, their relevance in today’s world markets and why the United States might be interested in Canada’s abundance of these resources.

Dr. Evan Hoffman, Management Professor and conflict resolution expert

Dr. Hoffman’s research primarily focuses on conflict resolution in a wide variety of contexts from the workplace to community, national and international levels. He can speak about the Canada-US trade war from a conflict resolution perspective – how to de-escalate and bring about a lasting resolution.

Dr. Bryn Skibo, English Professor

Dr. Skibo is American and went to school in DC, studying international relations. After internships at the French Embassy and a defense think tank, her first professional role was staff assistant to a Republican congressman. She worked for the media department at the World Trade Organization in Geneva for three years before returning to graduate studies, specializing in American literature. She can share reflections on immigrating to Canada and cultural adaptation, the appearance of America from abroad (she lived in Switzerland for 12 years after DC and before Canada) and the nature of Washington, DC pre-Trump.

Marina John, Registered Veterinary Technologist and Instructor, Animal Care Aide program

Marina John can speak to the impact of tariffs on veterinary diets, which are primarily manufactured in the US.

Black History Month experts

Dr. Sonnet L’Abbé, a VIU Creative Writing Professor, is an award-winning author whose poetic practice has recently turned to songcraft and voice. Their chapbook, Anima Canadensis, won the 2017 bp Nichol Chapbook Award, and their most recent book of poems, Sonnet’s Shakespeare, was nominated for multiple awards and named a Quill and Quire Book of The Year for 2019. In their work, they write about Black identity, mixed-race Blackness, Blackness and gender, Blackness in the workplace, Blackness and dating interracially, Blackness in literature and poetics, and Black feminisms. Sonnet has written scholarship on Afro-Canadian and Caribbean Canadian literatures and arts. One of their concerns is the relationship and responsibility Black identities have to white settler identities and Indigenous identities on Turtle Island / in the colonial project of Canada. Sonnet is organizing the following upcoming events at VIU: 

• Book Club: The Message, by Ta-Nahisi Coates - February 25
• Musical Performance - “My Black History Is Poetry, Is Jazz”  - February 26

Dr. Paul db Watkins, a VIU English Professor, has published numerous works on multiculturalism, hip-hop, Canadian poetry, jazz, DJ culture and improvisation. new book Soundin’ Canaan: Black Canadian Poetry, Music, and Citizenship examines the contributions of key Black Canadian poets. includes an accompanying soundtrack, which Watkins says invites the readers to “immerse themselves in the interplay between text and sound.” Learn more about the book.
 
English Professor Dr. Melissa Stephens’s doctoral expertise is in post-colonial and globalization studies with a focus on Black Caribbean and American literature. Areas of expertise:

• Black Caribbean and African American literatures focusing themes of resistance, liberation, antiracism and critiques of neoliberal capitalism
• Black feminisms, intersectionality, and social justice movements

Looking for an expert for another story? Connect with VIU Experts.

VIU news

Tarah Dowling's art installation, We Are the Change You Want to See, highlights the foster care experience and the impact of the Tuition Waiver program. The fourth-year VIU Visual Art student used cyanotype photography to capture the participants and a sound recording of their personal stories.
 
“The installation aims to shine a light on individuals who have faced significant challenges in their childhoods and have emerged stronger, positively impacting society through their pursuit of education,” says Tarah. “By reframing the narrative surrounding foster children, we hope to dismantle the stigma often associated with these experiences and instead celebrate the remarkable stories of strength, determination and resilience that showcase what is truly possible.”
 
Read Tarah’s story.

Happening at VIU

Global Citizens Forum

A two-day exploration of global perspectives and cultural diversity takes place at VIU February 25 and 26. From Taiko drumming and an afro dance workshop to spiritual cleansing and a cultural geography discussion, view the full schedule. 

The Global Citizens Forum builds on VIU's commitment to fostering dialogue, collaboration and understanding among students, employees and the wider community. This year's theme "Sharing Perspectives" emphasizes the power of storytelling, dialogue, and collaboration in fostering a more inclusive and understanding world.