Witness to History: Conversation with Leading Scholars

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The first day of the 2020 Canada’s History Forum featured a conversation with leading scholars who discussed some of the challenges and opportunities facing our society during this time. The panelists dove into the different facets of what it means to be “witness to history” and shared their perspectives on the changing world around us.

Learn more about our panelists and watch their virtual presentations here.

This panel discussion was part of the 2020 Canada's History Forum on November 26, 2020.

Fabienne Colas (Master of Ceremonies) is a filmmaker, actress, philanthropist, business owner, and activist.

Dr. Laura Madokoro is a historian and Associate Professor in the Department of History at Carleton University. She is currently researching the history of sanctuary in North America.

Dr. Adele Perry is a settler historian who has taught at the University of Manitoba since 2000. Her research addresses histories of gender, race, and colonization in Western Canada in the nineteenth and twentieth-centuries.

Simon Telles is a graduate of the Faculty of Law of the University of Montreal. He has devoted the beginning of his career to defending the rights of the student community and the accessibility of higher education by holding various positions in student unions in Quebec as in Canada. As president of Force Jeunesse, Mr. Telles continues his commitment to defend the rights and interests of young Canadians.

Dr. Cheryl Thompson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Creative Industries, Faculty of Communication & Design at Ryerson University. Dr. Thompson's current SSHRC-Insight Development Grant funded research explores how Toronto’s newspapers editorialized about theatres where blackface minstrelsy was performed between the 1870s and 1930s.