CALL FOR PAPERS
Annual Two Days of Canada Conference
Brock University | March 26 and 27, 2026
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Two Days of Canadian Sovereignty
Deadline to submit – January 16, 2026
https://brocku.ca/humanities/canadian-studies/two-days-of-canada-conference/
The Centre for Canadian Studies at Brock University, in collaboration with the Departments of History, Political Science, Popular Culture, and Film, invites submissions for Two Days of Canadian Sovereignty, to be held on March 26 and 27, 2026.
This transdisciplinary conference, part of the Centre’s annual Two Days of Canada conference series, will bring together students, scholars, and researchers from diverse fields to deliver presentations, take part in workshops and roundtables, and attend events in an inclusive and collaborative atmosphere. This year’s conference addresses the issue of Sovereignty in Canada and of Canadian Sovereignty.
It has been decades since Canada, Canadian identity, and Canadian sovereignty have been such hot topics among Canadians. These issues have dominated our news cycle and been front and centre in our political discussions, they are visible at the grocery stores and other retail outlets, they have severely impacted our labour market, they have completely altered our border regions, and they are affecting how we travel and where we spend our time and money. While there will surely be a great deal of interest in this topic in relation to current events, as well as the future of Canada, sovereignty has always been a thorny and fascinating issue in this country, one worthy of our sustained attention. Canada is a pluralist society, and, accordingly, the issue of sovereignty has taken on a variety of forms, including Indigenous, French, British, and Canadian variations, among others.
We’re confident that “sovereignty” will be a boon to innovative and timely research on a pressing topic that is of great significance to Canada and Canadian Studies.
The topics we’re suggesting for this conference have been designed to be as broad and inviting as possible, in order to inspire wide-ranging and highly interdisciplinary work. We’re certainly open to other suggested topics as well. Our only restriction is that proposals should have a Canadian or Indigenous focus to them. Again, the following list of topics is not exhaustive, it is only meant to provide a sense of the kinds of research that might be carried out on the topic of sovereignty.
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The issue of sovereignty in Canadian history
• Sovereignty in Canada today
• Sovereignty in the era of “borderless” digital media
• Canadian media and the issue of sovereignty
• Indigenous sovereignty within Canada as well as in a transnational context
• Métis sovereignty and the legacy of Louis Riel
• Canadian sovereignty in relation to issues of sovereignty and self-determination abroad
• Sovereignty and the “Quebec Question”: then and now
• Sovereignty movements in Canada’s regions
• Arctic sovereignty and Canada
• Environmental sovereignty
• Sports, sports metaphors, and Canadian sovereignty
• Sovereignty, industry and labour
• Sovereignty and the environment in an age of global warming
• Sovereignty and the arts
• Sovereignty in theory and practice
• Sovereignty and business in the era of “Liberation Day” tariffs
• Sovereignty and healthcare in Canada
• Canada’s national cinemas and the issue of sovereignty
The program committee invites submissions for both individual presentations and for full panels of 3-4 presentations. We are also open to creative submissions that move beyond these two formats.
Those submitting proposals for individual presentations should send an abstract of no more than 300 words, along with a brief CV or biography. Panel proposals should include a brief outline of the panel topic (maximum 300 words) and of individual presenters’ proposals (maximum 200 words each), along with brief CVs or biographies for the panelists. Panels should also ideally identify a chair or moderator. The committee also welcomes suggestions for round table discussions, given the richness and contentiousness of the topic at hand.
In addition to faculty members and graduate students, we are also interested in proposals from community members and groups outside of the academic sphere.
The deadline for submission is January 16, 2026. Successful applicants will be informed of the program committee’s decision by February 6, 2026.
Please send any inquiries or session proposals to