Edible Environments: In and Beyond Montreal, 11-19 July 2019

Anya Zilberstein Announcement
Location
Quebec, Canada
Subject Fields
Environmental History / Studies, History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, Local History, Native American History / Studies, Urban Design and Planning

July 11–19, 2019

Themes

local/global; food chains; urban environmental history; food history; agricultural history; agro-ecology; food politics; food justice; food industry; urban agriculture; indigenous food sovereignty; sustainability; mycology.

Description

The problem of provisioning densely populated cities like Montreal is hardly new. Yet the combined environmental pressures of intensifying global urbanization and climate change have transformed the scope and urgency of managing food supplies. Edible Environments will immerse students in a critical examination of multiple dimensions of the contested history, politics, ecology, and culture of Montreal’s food & water supply and culinary traditions. Students will, in turn, be invited to apply these perspectives to studying, in comparative perspective, the problem of feeding other cities. The main focus will be on thinking about how the city manages its food supply as a problem of environmental governance.  Through classroom sessions with lecturers, hands-on activities, and guided site visits to landmark food landscapes and food producers, they will study the history—and manifold contemporary manifestations—of how Montreal’s food supply came to be comprised of a complex network of regional and global provisioning chains, thereby connecting Montreal to near and distant natural resources.

List of outings / activities may include

  • Concordia Greenhouse and other Concordia Food Coalition facilities on campus
  • Jean Talon and Atwater farmers’ markets
  • LUFA Farms commercial urban rooftop greenhouse agriculture
  • Locating the ‘food deserts’ of Montreal
  • Post-industrial Lachine Canal granaries
  • Exploring the Mount Royal Park’s role as urban water tower
  • Edible fungi and wild plants identification tour
  • … and more TBD!

Financial Assistance

All non-Canadian students will be eligible for a tuition waiver.

Accommodations

All out-of-town students will be offered free housing at the Grey Nuns' residences.

Application:

Advanced undergraduate students intending to pursue graduate studies and MA/PhD students currently researching or interested in topics relevant to the themes of this summer school (e.g. environmental studies, food studies, and science studies) are invited to send a brief letter of intent describing how this summer school will enrich their past, current and/or prospective research (max. 500 words) as well as the name and email address of their thesis supervisor or another academic reference, and indicate whether they require financial assistance to attend.

Application Deadline is April 15. Decisions will be made by May 31 at the latest.

To apply, follow the Apply! link: https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/academics/summer/edible-environments-2019.html

Contact Information

https://www.concordia.ca/artsci/academics/summer/edible-environments-2019.html

 

Contact Email
vincent.martineau@concordia.ca