Canada is at an inflection point. Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, Canada has faced a series of compounding domestic problems, from housing affordability to immigration reform. Meanwhile, the 2024 United States election upended Canada's relationship with its southern neighbor, which had previously been marked by stability and cooperation. Meanwhile, the newly-elected government of Mark Carney has charted a course away from Trudeau-era policy and recalibrating the Liberal platform with promises of urgently-needed reform. What possible outcomes can we expect from this confluence of changes, and what does the future hold for Canada in an era of international realignments?
Panel: Thawing Ice, Rising Tensions: Canada’s Arctic Security Challenge
March 30, 2026 | 1:00 - 2:30 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall | RSVP
Speakers: Alexander Dalziel, Macdonald-Laurier Institute; Dr. Christian Leuprecht, Royal Military College of Canada
In recent years, climate change has opened up once-inaccessible arctic regions, leading to a new era of great-power competition. Countries like China, Russia, and the United States are scrambling to claim new shipping routes and untapped natural resources that were once buried under ice. How can Canada, which controls 1/4 of the global Arctic, secure its vast northern regions in the face of increasing pressures from not just longtime rivals, but also traditional allies like the United States? Can it pivot a defense strategy historically reliant on the US to new key allies like the European Union? And how can it most effectively bolster and protect Canadian sovereignty in an era of geopolitical confrontation?
Panel: Navigating the Tensions in Canada’s Climate & Energy Policy
February 5, 2026 | 2:00 - 3:30 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speakers: Alison Redford, 14th Premier of Alberta; Dr. Peter Bevan-Baker, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island; Michele Cadario, Rubicon Strategy
Canada has an international reputation as an outspoken proponent of ambitious climate change action. At the same time, Canada has the third-largest oil reserves in the world, and the petroleum industry represents a critical sector of the Canadian economy, especially in Alberta. Federal policymakers walk a difficult line between economic growth, energy security, and environmental stewardship, and disagreements over hydrocarbon policy have been a frequent source of inter-provincial tension. This panel will explore how the politics of this issue have evolved over time, and how Canada can navigate difficult policy tradeoffs at a time of global and domestic uncertainty.
Panel: Canada at a Crossroads: Evaluating the Carney Government’s First Nine Months
December 2, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speakers: Andrew Bevan, Catalyze4; Parm Kahlon, The Core Firm; Jordan Paquet, Bluesky Strategy Group
When Mark Carney won the 2025 Canadian Federal election, he assumed leadership of a nation facing multiple structural problems and widespread discontent. Canadians united against threats from the United States, but major debates remained over issues such as housing costs, immigration, and Canada’s stagnant economy. During the campaign, Carney distanced the Liberal Party from its Trudeau-era platform and promised to be a steady hand to deliver urgently-needed reform. Nine months on, how well is the Carney government delivering on those promises? Join our panel representing Canada’s major political parties as they debate Carney’s performance in tackling the country’s most pressing challenges.
Panel: Understanding Post-Trudeau Canadian Politics and Policies
November 4, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speakers: Professor Evert Lindquist, University of Victoria; Professor Alasdair Roberts, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Since 2024, Canadian politics has entered into a new era of uncertainty. The result of the US presidential election raised diplomatic and economic tensions between Canada and the United States to a level unprecedented in modern times. Domestically, the election of Mark Carney as the Canadian prime minister marked a new era of Canadian politics after Justin Trudeau’s 10-year premiership. What do we need to know to better understand Canadian politics and public policy in this age of changes and challenges? In this event, two experts will share their thoughts on the major issues at stake in Canadian politics and public policy today.
The 51st State? Canadian Resistance to American Annexationism since 1775
October 14, 2025 | 12:30 - 2 pm | 223 Philosophy Hall
Speakers: Professor Gregory Wigmore, Santa Clara University
Since their founding era, Americans have periodically tried to convince their northern neighbors to join them in a continental union, sometimes by force. This talk will offer a sweeping survey of the prospect—or threat—of the American annexation of Canada (and its colonial antecedents) over the past 250 years. It will highlight major turning points in the cross-border relationship and the responses of government officials, the press, and Canadians more broadly. Extending the focus through the 2025 Canadian federal election, it will examine how generations of politicians and opinion-makers have harnessed opposition to annexation for political purposes.