Voice of English-speaking Québec

POSTPONED: Arts & Crafts (Shannon) - Holiday Card Making
2024-11-13 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Toronto) | VEQ Community Space, 438 Blvd Jacques-Cartier, Suite 109, Shannon, Quebec, G3S 1N5, Canada
Come join us to make your original and artsy cards for the holiday season by using imprints, paper quill, paint, colour paper, scissors and more! As for all of our “Arts & Crafts” activities, they are free and materials are provided for.
Space are limited, please contact Dominique to register or for any questions.

AI Empowerment for SMBs: Automate, Personalize, and Grow
2024-11-13 23:00 - 2024-11-14 01:00 | Café La Maison Smith, 2330, chemin Ste-Foy, Suite 109, Québec City, Quebec, G1V 1S5, Canada
Join the FREE in-person AI Empowerment for SMBs: Automate, Personalize, and Grow workshop, organized with YES Employment + Entrepreneurship!
This dynamic workshop will be led by YES business coach and entrepreneur Farshad Rouhani, and will include a segment from special guest Philip Goyer on how AI has helped his business grow. As a bonus, there will be a networking session following the workshop, at 7:00 – 8:00 PM, as well as before the workshop, at 5:30 – 6:00 PM!
Why Attend?
💡 Actionable Insights: Learn practical strategies you can implement immediately.
🙌 Hands-On Experience: Interact with user-friendly AI tools tailored for SMBs.
🧠 Expert Guidance: Gain knowledge from industry professionals specializing in AI for businesses like yours.
🥂 Networking Opportunity: Connect and share insights with fellow entrepreneurs and industry experts – light snacks, coffee, and an alcohol beverage included!

TO REGISTER

Info Session: How to Apply to Federal Government Jobs
2024-11-14 23:00 - 2024-11-15 00:30 | Multipurpose room, 1270, chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec City, Quebec, Canada
Considering jobs or internships with the Canadian government?
Don’t miss our upcoming Info Session! Learn all you need to know about applying for jobs with the Government of Canada. Come meet HR Advisor Bibisha Mbimbi and ask your questions!
PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Registration closes on November 13.
To register: https://forms.office.com/r/PrmcHWehgk
How to apply to federal public service jobs
Speaker: Bibisha Mbimbi, a human resources advisor from the National Recruitment Directorate – Quebec Region, Services and Business Development Sector, Public Service Commission of Canada
Did you know that the Public Service Commission of Canada supports departments and agencies in hiring qualified individuals into and within the public service?
In this information session, you will learn more about GC Jobs and how to apply to postings, have tips and advice on how to answer pre-screening questions, select what to include in your resume and cover letter, and how to prepare for the interview process.
As an HR advisor, Bibisha will also explain second language requirements for working in the Canadian government, how candidates are evaluated and give further information about accommodation in the selection process.

Morrin In Verse: Reading Poetry Workshop
2024-11-17 22:00 - 2024-11-18 00:00
Join us for another instalment of our Reading Poetry workshops! We’ll answer two simple questions: What are poems made of, and what can they do?

This workshop aims to give you the tools and vocabulary with which to discuss, think about, and, above all, appreciate poetry.

You can attend the workshop in person or online. Please email library@morrin.org to learn more or to sign up!

Pixels & Pages: Book Club
2024-11-20 00:00 - 01:00
Interested in discussing literature with other book lovers?
Are you missing connecting over books in the Library? Join Pixels & Pages!

Selection for November: Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry
Old God’s Time is available on OverDrive in e-book format as part of the Morrin Centre’s digital collections HERE.
Please note that this event will be a hybrid. The book club will meet in the Library, but participants can also participate online via Zoom.
Please email library@morrin.org to learn more or to sign up!

Literary Feast 2024
2024-11-21 22:30 - 2024-11-22 02:00
Our 14th annual fundraising dinner will occur on Thursday, November 21, 2024

Please reserve your tickets today for our 14th annual fundraising dinner on Thursday, November 21, 2024. We are honoured to welcome an extraordinary guest on this occasion.
Our keynote speaker is PETER SIMONS.
Learn more about our fundraising dinner by visiting morrin.org/literaryfeast2024.

Schedule

The event will start at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail in one of Canada’s most beautiful libraries, followed by dinner in the historic College Hall at 6:30 p.m.
Our annual silent auction will also take place during the evening.

Pricing

A limited number of tickets are available at $275 per person.
A special rate of $250 per person is available when purchasing 10 tickets or more.
This year, the mezzanine has a very limited number of tables for two available for $550 each.

Reservation

You may reserve your ticket(s) by calling Julie Colanero at 418 694-9147, extension 221, or by contacting her at info@morrin.org.

Michel Tremblay's "Les Belles-Sœurs" - Quebec Art Company
2024-11-22 00:30 - 02:30 | Holland Elementary School, 940 Av. Ernest-Gagnon, Québec City, Quebec, G1S 3R2, Canada
🎭 Experience the acclaimed classic of Quebec theatre in English!
Michel Tremblay’s “Les Belles-Sœurs”
Translated by John Van Burek and Bill Glassco
Directed by Mark Lepître
Join us for an unforgettable evening of laughter, drama, and the rich, complex lives of fifteen working-class women. Set in 1960s Montreal, this groundbreaking play explores the struggles, dreams, and rivalry that arise when one woman unexpectedly wins a million trading stamps.
📅 Performance Dates:

November 21, 22, 23 @ 19:30
November 24 @ 14:00

📍 Location: Holland Elementary School
940 Ernest-Gagnon, Québec, G1S 3G3
🎟️ Tickets: $25.00
Reserved seating – Don’t miss out!
Visit www.quebecartcompany.com for tickets and more details.
This critically acclaimed play perfectly combines humour and heartache, offering a unique glimpse into Quebec culture. Whether seeing it for the first time or revisiting an old favourite, this English version promises to be as powerful and entertaining.
🎭 Presented by Quebec Art Company
Supported by Ville de Québec
Grab your tickets now! Spaces are limited.

Out & About: Crackpot Café
2024-11-22 15:30 - 18:30 | Crackpot Café, 1005 Rte de l'Église, Québec City, Quebec, G1V 3V6, Canada
🎨 Creative Fun at Crackpot Café
Dates: Friday, November 22nd & 29th
Time: TBD
Price: $6 entry fee + cost of ceramic pieces (prices vary)
Unleash your creativity at Crackpot Café, where you can choose from over 700 ceramic models to paint! Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just looking for a fun activity, there’s something for everyone. Some of the available ceramic options include:

Mugs: $15
Bowls & Plates: $12 – $32
Teapots, Jars & Pitchers: $15 – $30
Flower Pots & Vases: $15 – $35
Piggy Banks & Boxes: $18 – $35
Decorative Animals & Figurines: $12 – $16

🎨 Prices may vary based on final confirmation from the store. If you have specific items you’d like to paint, let me know in advance so I can give the shop a heads-up!
It’s the perfect opportunity to relax, have fun, and create your own masterpiece! Don’t miss out on this hands-on experience.

Fall 2024 CWL Community Breakfast
2024-11-24 14:00 - 17:00
Join the CWL Shannon for their Community Breakfast on November 24!
Need a ride to the breakfast from Québec City?
We’ve got your back! Meet us at the Jeffery Hale Parking Lot, and enjoy a complimentary round trip to Shannon on our bus.
To sign up and receive all the details, please reach out to Ariel at:
📧 maria.hoyt@veq.ca
📞 (418) 683-2366 ext. 221

Michel Tremblay’s “Les Belles-Sœurs” – Quebec Art Company
2024-11-24 19:00 - 21:00 | Holland Elementary School, 940 Av. Ernest-Gagnon, Québec City, Quebec, G1S 3R2, Canada
Michel Tremblay’s “Les Belles-Sœurs”
Translated by John Van Burek and Bill Glassco
Directed by Mark Lepître
Join us for an unforgettable evening of laughter, drama, and the rich, complex lives of fifteen working-class women. Set in 1960s Montreal, this groundbreaking play explores the struggles, dreams, and rivalry that arise when one woman unexpectedly wins a million trading stamps.
Performance Dates:

November 21, 22, 23 @ 19:30
November 24 @ 14:00

Location: Holland Elementary School
940 Ernest-Gagnon, Québec, G1S 3G3
Tickets: $25.00
Reserved seating – Don’t miss out!
Visit www.quebecartcompany.com for tickets and more details.
This critically acclaimed play perfectly combines humour and heartache, offering a unique glimpse into Quebec culture. Whether seeing it for the first time or revisiting an old favourite, this English version promises to be as powerful and entertaining.
Presented by Quebec Art Company
Supported by Ville de Québec
Grab your tickets now! Spaces are limited.

Morrin Mystery Mondays: Book Club
2024-11-25 18:30 - 20:00
Come join us for a cozy afternoon chat about books at 1:30 p.m. every last Monday of the month!

We have a new daytime book club at the Morrin Centre: Morrin Mystery Mondays! We’ll be reading mysteries and other cozies.
The selection for November is A Dreadful Splendour by B.R. Myers. The book is available on OverDrive as an e-book and audiobook.
This event will be held in person. Please email library@morrin.org to learn more or to sign up. We encourage new members to join anytime!
This project is in partnership with La Maison Anglaise.

Mastering Interview Questions Workshop (3rd edition)
2024-11-27 23:00 - 2024-11-28 01:00
Ace your next job interview! Join VEQ in partnership with the FORT program for this interactive, hands-on workshop. Led by experienced career counsellor Carole Hautcoeur.
Together, we’ll explore:

Ways to structure your answers
Questions employers shouldn’t ask
How to answer difficult questions

Pre-registration required.
To register: https://forms.office.com/r/8YXNQCj9qb
Light refreshments will be offered or bring your own snacks.
Limited space available. Register today!

International Lunch Fundraising - EQLC
2024-11-28 16:15 - 19:30 | Eastern Quebec Training Centre, 3005, rue William Stuart, Québec City, Quebec, G1W 1V4, Canada
Join us for a meaningful lunch where your contribution goes
beyond a meal—every ticket purchased helps support Québec
City Community Christmas Hamper Campaign.
Together, let’s make a difference in our community!

Arts & Crafts (Shannon) - Holiday Card Making
2024-11-28 21:00 - 22:30 | VEQ Community Space, 438 Blvd Jacques-Cartier, Suite 109, Shannon, Quebec, G3S 1N5, Canada
Come join us to make your original and artsy cards for the holiday season by using imprints, paper quill, paint, colour paper, scissors and more! As for all of our “Arts & Crafts” activities, they are free and materials are provided for. Tea, beverages and snacks provided!
Open to adults and secondary students (parents/families are welcome!)
Space are limited, please contact Dominique to register or for any questions.

Off-Imagination: Jessica Johns – Bad Cree
2024-11-28 23:30 - 2024-11-29 01:00
Meet author Jessica Johns and discover her new novel, Bad Cree!

Jessica Johns is a queer nehiyaw aunty with English-Irish ancestry and a member of Sucker Creek First Nation. Her debut novel, Bad Cree, was shortlisted for the Amazon First Novel Award, won the MacEwan Book of the Year award, and is on the 2024 CBC Canada Reads longlist.
Photo of Jessica Johns by Loretta Johns

English and French copies of the book Bad Cree will be on sale during this event.
The doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and the event will start at 6:30 p.m. Participants will be offered a complimentary glass of wine.

VEQ's Game Night, open to all
2024-11-29 23:30 - 2024-11-30 01:30 | Multipurpose Room, Jeffery Hale Pavilion, 1270, chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec City, Quebec, G1S 2M4, Canada
Don’t miss the next VEQ Game Night on Friday, November 29. Hosted at the Jeffery Hale Pavilion from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., you can join other members of the English-speaking community (newcomers or not) for a fun, social evening with light refreshments provided. Explore new board games or bring your own that you would like to share! Register below or contact info@veq.ca for more information:
Click here to register.

Knowing how many people we are expecting helps us plan ahead, in order to maximise our resources and create a better experience for you!

Although registration is NOT REQUIRED, it is strongly recommended, as it allows us to better plan for you!

Holiday Happy Hour
2024-12-04 22:00 - 2024-12-05 00:00 | Morrin Centre, 44 Chaussée des Écossais, Québec City, Quebec, G1R 4H3, Canada
Join us for a Holiday Happy Hour on Wednesday, December 4, from 5 PM to 7 PM at the beautiful Morrin Centre! This isn’t just any holiday gathering—it’s your chance to celebrate the season, raise a glass, and make a real impact in our community!

We’re raising money to support the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign, which helps feed families in need over the holidays. By bringing joy and warmth to those who need it most, we can make a difference! So, grab your friends, sip some holiday cheer, and let’s do it!
RSVP to secure your spot! Email us at info@veq.ca or call (418) 683-2366 ext. 221. Let’s spread the holiday spirit – we can’t wait to see you there! 🎄

Out & About: Lunch and Place Laurier
2024-12-06 16:00 - 19:30 | Place Laurier, 2700 Bd Laurier, Québec City, Quebec, G1V 2L8, Canada
🎉 Join Us for a Festive Outing at Place Laurier Mall! 🎉
On December 6th, get into the holiday spirit with a memorable trip to Place Laurier Mall! Enjoy a leisurely lunch followed by time to explore the shops, discover seasonal deals, and check off those holiday wish lists. Whether hunting for gifts or simply soaking in the mall’s festive atmosphere, this outing is a perfect way to kick off the holiday season with friends and community.
📅 Date: Wednesday, December 6th
🍽 Includes: Lunch & shopping time
🕒 Departure: 11:00 am | Return: 2:30 pm
Spaces are limited, so reserve your spot today! More details will come soon—stay tuned!

Le Labyrinthe | The Maze - Movie Screening
2024-12-11 23:00 - 2024-12-12 01:00 | Jeffery Hale Pavilion, 1270, chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec City, Quebec, G1S 2M4, Canada
In partnership with Carrefour d’action interculturelle (CAI), we invite you to a special screening of Le Labyrinthe | The Maze, a compelling documentary by Clarissa Rebouças that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of immigrants as they navigate the complexities of starting over in Quebec City.
This film follows the stories of eight immigrants, many of whom hold precarious or undocumented status. Through their personal journeys, they reveal the intricate challenges and small triumphs they encounter as they work to rebuild their lives in a foreign land. From cultural barriers to navigating bureaucracy, each story sheds light on the resilience, determination, and hope that keeps them going.
Le Labyrinthe | The Maze is more than a film; it’s a window into the often unseen struggles and courage that define the immigrant experience. Join us for this powerful screening, followed by a Q&A session where we’ll discuss the themes of the film and explore ways to support immigrant communities in Quebec City.
Don’t miss this inspiring and thought-provoking event!
Reserve your spot today to ensure seating. We look forward to welcoming you to this unique and impactful event!

Out and About: German Christmas Market
2024-12-12 16:00 - 18:30 | German Christmas Market, 2 Rue des Jardins, Québec City, Quebec, G1R 4S9, Canada
🎄✨ Experience the Magic of the Quebec City German Market! ✨🎄
Mark your calendar for December 12 and join us for a festive outing to Quebec City’s enchanting German Market! We’ll begin with a delightful lunch in the area, followed by time to explore the market’s charming stalls filled with unique local products, perfect for holiday shopping! Enjoy cozy treats like cheese fondue, churros, warming mulled wine, and more as you browse.
📅 Date: Thursday, December 12
🕒 Time: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Reserve your spot today for a memorable lunch, shopping, and holiday cheer day!
This will be our last outing before the Christmas holidays, so let’s make it memorable! This outing will be a combined adventure, uniting the East and West. It will be a perfect opportunity to make new friends and connections!

Out & About Event: A Christmas Pie Bake Off POSTPONED
2024-12-13 16:15 - 20:15 | Shannon Community Center, 75 Chemin de Gosford, Shannon, Quebec, G0A 4N0, Canada
Exciting Pie Contest Alert!
🎉 Think you can bake the ultimate pie? Prove it! 🎉
📅 Date: December 13th, 2024 POSTPONED
📍 Location: Valcartier Community Centre
💲 Entry Fee: Only $10
Theme: Savory & Sweet Pies

Each team bakes two pies (1 savoury & 1 sweet).
Teams of 4 will be randomly assigned.

How It Works:

We will provide essential ingredients—no worries there!
After forming teams, you’ll submit a list of ingredients you need.
But here’s the twist:

Each team’s main ingredients will be visible to all teams.
You can spice things up! Bring secret ingredients to keep your pie unique!
Need extra flair? Hide your spices or “special” touches from other teams.

Are You Ready to Be Crowned the Pie Champion? 🥧🏆
📧 Register now by emailing Maria.Hoyt@veq.ca
Contest rules will be shared upon registration.

Our Stories: Holiday Special Family Event
2024-12-14 16:30 - 18:00
Our Stories: Holiday Special Family Event

Join us for this get-together, where you can share tales, stories, legends, and poems that share the holiday season as a common theme. Instructions and materials for creating cards will also be available.
The Morrin Centre team will present this event. All participants will receive gingerbread biscuits and warm drinks.

Holiday Magic in Old Québec: An Evening at the German Christmas Market
2024-12-14 22:30 - 2024-12-15 01:00 | Old Québec, Rue Saint-Jean, Québec, Québec City, Quebec, G1R 3P1, Canada
Let’s immerse ourselves in the enchanting atmosphere of the Québec City German Christmas Market! Step into a magical Christmas village filled with twinkling lights, festive music, and the warmth of holiday cheer.
During this outing, we’ll explore the beautifully illuminated sites, enjoy captivating performances, discover unique gift ideas, and indulge in gourmet treats. This family-friendly event is the perfect way to experience the spirit of a traditional European Christmas market right in the heart of Old Québec.
🎄 Special Highlight: We will witness the famous Giant Puppet Parade winding its way through Old Québec! Let’s discover together the magic of Saint Nicholas and the Krampus strolling down Saint-Jean Street, accompanied by lively musicians and percussionists.
This is a free event—bring your friends, and family, or come solo and make new connections while we soak in the magic of the season!
👉 RSVP now to join us for this festive evening!

Teatime – Holiday Special
2024-12-15 22:00 - 23:00
Enjoy the holidays with a merry Tea Time at the Morrin Centre! Warm up from the frosty winter chill with tea, treats, and traditional Victorian pastimes. Book tickets today to gift yourself a unique experience!

Date: December 15, 2024
Time:
17:00 – 18:00

Event Category : Cultural Event

Teatime – December 15

Enjoy the holidays with a merry Tea Time at the Morrin Centre! Warm up from the frosty winter chill with tea, treats, and traditional Victorian pastimes. Book tickets today to gift yourself a memorable experience!

This hour-long immersive and interactive experience will introduce you to tea history and etiquette, teach you some traditional Victorian games and activities, and (of course) allow you to taste several teas and sweet and savoury snacks.

Tickets must be purchased at least 72 hours in advance. If the minimum number of registrations (8) is not reached by the Thursday prior to the event, the activity will be cancelled, and all tickets will be refunded. The maximum number of registrations is 20. Please note that Teatime tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

Morrin Mystery Mondays: Book Club
2024-12-16 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for a cozy afternoon chat about books at 1:30 p.m. every last Monday of the month.

Date: December 16, 2024

Time:
13:30 – 15:00

Event Category: Cultural Event

We have a new daytime book club at the Morrin Centre: Morrin Mystery Mondays! We’ll be reading mysteries and other cozies.
The selection for December is Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany. The book is available on OverDrive as an e-book and audiobook.
This event will be held in person. Please email library@morrin.org to learn more or to sign up. We encourage new members to join anytime!

This project is in partnership with La Maison Anglaise.

Pixels & Pages Book Club - Morrin Center
2024-12-17 00:00 - 01:30
Interested in discussing literature with other book lovers?
Missing connecting over books in the Library? Join Pixels & Pages!

📚 Date: December 17, 2024
⏰ Time: 19:00 – 20:30
📍 Location: Morrin Centre Library (hybrid option via Zoom available)
🎨 Event Category: Cultural Event

Selection for December: The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
The New York Trilogy is available on OverDrive in e-book format as part of the Morrin Centre’s digital collections HERE.
Please note that this event will be a hybrid. The book club will meet in the Library, but participants can also participate online via Zoom.
Please email library@morrin.org to learn more or to sign up!

This project is in partnership with La Maison Anglaise.

Library Lectures: “A Scottish Nun at the Hôtel-Dieu in 1642” by Mairi Cowan - Morrin Center
2024-12-19 00:00 - 01:23
Library Lecture: “A Scottish Nun at the Hôtel-Dieu in 1642” with Mairi Cowan
📅 Date: December 18, 2024
⏰ Time: 19:00 – 20:30
📍 Location: Morrin Centre Library (hybrid option via Zoom)
🎨 Event Category: Cultural Event
Discover the fascinating story of Marie Hiroüin de la Conception, a Scottish gentlewoman-turned-nun at the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec in 1642. Historian Mairi Cowan will explore how a single marginal note reveals connections between seventeenth-century Quebec, the Scottish Reformation, and early modern spiritual geopolitics. Explore themes of identity, social status in exile, and the complexities of Tudor succession, offering insights into New France and the Scottish diaspora.
About the Speaker:
Mairi Cowan is an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto Mississauga, specializing in Scottish and New France history. Her latest works include The Possession of Barbe Hallay (2022) and Gender in Scotland 1200-1800 (2024).
This event is part of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec’s 200th-anniversary series.

Wednesday, December 18, 7 p.m.
A few lines in the margin of a manuscript can tell us a lot about the past. In this talk, the historian Mairi Cowan will show how a single marginal gloss can open new perspectives on how people in seventeenth-century Quebec thought about the wider world. Marie Hiroüin de la Conception, a nun at the Hôtel-Dieu hospital, was described as a “Scottish gentlewoman” in one of the community’s records. Further searching through the Hôtel-Dieu archives and documents from Scotland, France, and Italy provides clues about a family that had fled from Scotland to France during the Reformation.
Augustines at the Hôtel-Dieu in Quebec thought it was essential to emphasize Marie Hiroüin’s Scottishness and nobility, which raises questions that extend far beyond the small French settlement into what it meant to be “Scottish” so far from Scotland, how social status in exile could be relevant for a nursing order of nuns, and why people in New France described Mary Stewart – also known as Mary, Queen of Scots – as the Queen of England. Thinking through these questions helps us understand the Hôtel-Dieu in New France and the Scottish diaspora, the complexities of Tudor dynastic succession, and the far-reaching web of early modern spiritual geopolitics.

Presenter Biography
Mairi Cowan is an Associate Professor at the Department of Historical Studies, University of Toronto Mississauga. She has written about the tensions of international theology, national politics, and local tradition in twelfth-century Glasgow; experiences of childhood in the court of James IV, King of Scots; the connections between social discipline and the Catholic Reformation in Scotland; colonial efforts to “Frenchify” Indigenous people in seventeenth-century New France; and Jesuit missionaries’ beliefs about demons in Indigenous societies of North America.
Her most recent monograph, The Possession of Barbe Hallay: Diabolical Arts and Daily Life in Early Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2022), is a microhistory of bewitchment in New France. She is also co-editor of the recent collection Gender in Scotland 1200-1800: Place, Faith and Politics (Edinburgh University Press, 2024).

This event will be a hybrid.
This event is part of a talk series celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.

Library Lectures: Ann Shteir Women and Botany in 19th-Century Canada
2025-01-10 00:00 - 01:30
Library Lectures:
📅 Date: January 9, 2025
⏰ Time: 19:00 – 20:30
📍 Location: Morrin Centre Library (hybrid option via Zoom)
🎨 Event Category: Cultural Event
Celebrate the fascinating contributions of women to 19th-century Canadian botany in this illustrated talk by Ann Shteir. Explore the lives and work of figures like Lady Dalhousie, Anne Mary Perceval, Catharine Parr Traill, and others who documented Canada’s natural world through plant catalogues, art, and writing. Discover their legacy and the researchers who uncovered their stories, diving into archives, letters, and herbaria.
About the Speaker:
Ann Shteir, Professor Emerita at York University, is a leading scholar in gender and science history. Her acclaimed works include Cultivating Women, Cultivating Science and Flora’s Fieldworkers: Women and Botany in Nineteenth-Century Canada.
This event is part of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec’s 200th-anniversary series.
📩 Email library@morrin.org to learn more or register.

Library Lecture: “Women and Botany in 19th-Century Canada” by Ann Shteir

Thursday, January 9, 7 p.m.

Celebrating Historical Research and Historical Researchers: Women and Botany in 19th-Century Canada. An Illustrated Talk

Papers in the Transactions of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec from the 1820s and 1830s are historical documents by individuals in early 19th-century Canada who were searching for knowledge about nature in a “new land” and who also wanted to “excite in the rising generation a taste for scientific knowledge and pursuits.” Two women were among the researchers: Christian Ramsay (Countess Dalhousie), who contributed a “Catalogue of Canadian Plants collected in 1827,” and Harriet Sheppard (“Mrs. Sheppard”), who wrote about shells and Canadian songbirds in Quebec and had a keen interest in plants.

This talk celebrates women who pursued knowledge of nature, especially knowledge about plants, in 19th-century Canada. It features Lady Dalhousie and Anne Mary Perceval in Quebec, Catharine Parr Traill and Alice Hollingworth in Ontario, and Mary Brenton in Newfoundland. Who were they? How did they come to know about plants? What were their contributions? What did their work mean to them? How do we find them? And where do we find material by them and about them?
This talk also celebrates researchers in Flora’s Fieldworkers whose curiosity led them to letters and biography, artwork and craftwork, into archives, herbaria, and institutional records, and also into scrapbooks, logbooks, textbooks, and teaching tools to seek answers to those questions about women and knowledge.

Presenter Biography

Ann Shteir is a Professor Emerita in the School of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at York University. She received an Honorary Law degree from York University in 2016 for her work in developing York’s pioneering graduate program in Gender, Feminist, and Women’s Studies.
Shteir is also the author of Cultivating Women, Cultivating Science: Flora’s Daughters and Botany in England, 1760 to 1860 (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996), which was awarded the Joan Kelly Memorial Prize for Women’s History. She turned her attention next to women and botany in Canada. She collaborated with botanist Jacques Cayouette on an article published in Scientia Canadensis (2019) about four women who collected plants in early 19th-century Quebec and Newfoundland. She also organized a workshop at York University that brought together botanists, historians of science, art historians, literary scholars, garden historians, and others who, like her, wanted to know more about women, plants, and botanical work in Canada across the 1800s. The edited book Flora’s Fieldworkers: Women and Botany in Nineteenth-Century Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2022) was a happy result.

This event will be a hybrid.
This event is part of a talk series celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.

Out and About: Lunch and Ikea
2025-01-10 16:00 - 19:30 | Ikea, 3400 Av. Blaise-Pascal, Québec City, Quebec, G1X 0E4, Canada
🛍️✨ Kick Off the New Year with a Fun Outing to IKEA! ✨🛍️
Join us on January 10th or 24th for delicious bites and shopping at IKEA! Enjoy a cozy lunch in the IKEA cafeteria, famous for its tasty treats, and explore the showroom and marketplace for fresh inspiration and finds to kickstart 2024 in style.
📅 Dates: East Group – Friday, January 10 & West Group – Friday, January 24
🕒 Time: 11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Bring your shopping list and appetite, and let’s make it a fun day at IKEA! Reserve your spot today!

Out & About: Bad Art Museum
2025-01-17 16:00 - 19:30 | EXMURO, 27 Rue Notre-Dame, Québec City, Quebec, G1K 4E9, Canada
🎨🖌️ Discover the “Bad Art” Exhibit at EXMURO! 🖌️🎨
Join us in January for a fun, unconventional outing to the “Bad Art” exhibit at EXMURO! Step into a world of quirky, offbeat pieces that redefine creativity and inspire a fresh perspective on art. Perfect for anyone looking to enjoy art with a playful twist!
📅 East Group: Wednesday, January 17
📅 West Group: Wednesday, January 31
🕒 Time: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Get ready to laugh, reflect, and enjoy this one-of-a-kind art experience! Reserve your spot now!
