Inaugural Peter Russell Discussion
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November 10, 2022 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Thursday, November 10th, University of Toronto Faculty Club
Lunch (optional) 12:00, Fairley Room
Discussion 2:00-4:00 P.M., Wedgewood Room
Reception to follow, Fairley Room
Free and open to the public
Register before November 7th
What Is the Monarchy’s Role in 21st-Century Canada?
Discussion moderated by Professor Rob Vipond, Department of Political Science
Invited discussants from 2:00-3:00:
A viewpoint from Dr. Paul Benoit, “The monarchy in Canada is in a parlous state”
A viewpoint from Dr. Carolyn Harris,“Queen Elizabeth II’s royal tours of Canada and the future of royal tours”
Audience dialogue from 3:10-4:00
Reception 4:00-5:00
Dr. Paul Benoit obtained a graduate Diploma in Public Administration, an MA in Canadian studies from Carleton University, and his PhD in Religious Studies from McMaster University. His dissertation, under the supervision of George Grant, was on Church-State relations in Quebec in the period immediately after Confederation.
After serving as a university lecturer in Canadian politics, Benoit worked as a federal civil servant in the departments of Fisheries and Oceans, Finance, and International Trade. During his time in government, he served as Legislative Assistant, Press Secretary, and Policy Advisor to senior ministers of the Crown. He has also served as Clerk of the Senate Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee. More recently, he has worked in the private sector as a consultant specializing in government relations and the development of public policy. As Vice Chairman of the Canadian Royal Heritage Trust, Dr. Benoit was an intervenor in the recent constitutional court case over royal succession (Bill C-53). His most recent publication is an article on that case entitled “Supreme Opportunity Lost”, which appeared in Vol. 10 No. 2 (Fall/Winter 2020) of the Dorchester Review.
Dr. Carolyn Harris is an instructor in history at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies. She received her PhD in European history from Queen’s University at Kingston in 2012. Her writing concerning the history of monarchy in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada has appeared in numerous publications including the Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen, Smithsonian Magazine, Reader’s Digest, the Canadian Encyclopedia and the BBC History Magazine, and she frequently provides royal and historical commentary for the media including the BBC, CBC News and the CTV News Channel. She is the author of three books, Magna Carta and Its Gifts to Canada (Dundurn Press, 2015), Queenship and Revolution in Early Modern Europe: Henrietta Maria and Marie Antoinette (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015) and Raising Royalty: 1000 Years of Royal Parenting (Dundurn Press, 2017). She is the co-editor of English Consorts: Power, Influence, Dynasty, a four volume history of English royal consorts published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2022, and the proofreading editor of The Royal Studies Journal in 2021-2022. Website: royalhistorian.com Twitter @royalhistorian
Sponsored by Senior College and open to the public. The deadline to register is Monday, November 7th, at noon.
Reserve now at https://forms.office.com/r/R9yPuP2zby