Gathering Space, John E. Robbins Library
January 2018
Ploughman’s Lunch with Rosanne Gasse
Please join the English and Creative Writing Club in celebrating Dr. Rosanne Gasse's recently published book: The Feral Piers: A Reader’s Experience of the British Library Cotton Caligula A XI Manuscript of Piers Plowman. Dr. Gasse will read from her book, and a Q & A session will follow. And, in honour of Piers Plowman (and puns), the Club will provide a free, traditional "Ploughman's Lunch" to all attendees. A reading, a pun, and a lunch? What more could anyone want?
Find out more »February 2018
Tai Chi demonstration
A Tai Chi demonstration organized at Brandon University as part of a class on Religions of China is open to all members of the curious public. "The contemporary practice of Tai Chi (Taiji) brings to life many early Chinese Daoist customs recorded in texts such as the Zhuangzi and Daodejing, which we cover in my Religions of China course at Brandon University," says Dr. Alison Marshall. "Taiji practice thereby provides a visceral experience of the workings of qi and other…
Find out more »March 2018
Celebration of new book and public discussion
Dr. Eftihia Mihelakis Brandon University's Dr. Eftihia Mihelakis will celebrate the publication of her new book with a public reception and conversation on Thursday evening, March 1. During the evening event, Dr. Mihelakis, an Assistant Professor in the Department of French and Languages and the Gender & Women's Studies Program at BU, will discuss her work in conversation with Dr. Claudia Bouliane, with a question and answer session to follow. A collegial wine and cheese will also be served to…
Find out more »International Women’s Day – Outstanding Female Students Reception
March 8th is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. Brandon University salutes its outstanding women students of 2018: Abby Ziprick Amanda Martin Eleni Galatsanou Tellidis Emily Hodge Ericka Serrano Jasmine Bajus Jen Greigson Jenna McDonald Jennifer Kennedy Katherine Charles Kelsey Demond Sherine Salmon Tara VanCauwenberghe Tori Wirch Whitney Hodgins Read more about these outstanding students at BrandonU.ca/Womens-Week. A reception to recognize the students will be held on Thursday,…
Find out more »Knowledge Keepers Panel
Knowledge Keepers Panel in the Gathering Space of the John E. Robbins Library. Part of Indigenous Awareness Week. For more information, please contact: Tina Cook-Martin, Indigenous Student Success Officer at CookmartinT@BrandonU.ca Chris Lagimodiere, Director, Indigenous Peoples’ Centre at LagimodiereC@BrandonU.ca
Find out more »May 2018
Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting Demonstration
Join the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee in celebrating Asian Heritage month by attending a demonstration by Becky Chinn. Becky will demonstrate simple Chinese calligraphy as well as bamboo and orchid brush painting, while discussing the history and technique of this art form. Becky Chinn was born and raised in San Francisco. As a child she learned Chinese calligraphy in Chinese school. In 2006 and 2007 she studied Chinese brush painting/calligraphy with BU visiting professor Xiren Qian from Nanjing for…
Find out more »June 2018
September 2018
Orange Shirt Day
Brandon University (BU) will observe Orange Shirt Day, in recognition of the harm done by Canada's residential school system, on Friday, Sept. 28. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to wear orange shirts to BU on Friday. A ceremony will be held in the Gathering Space of the John E. Robbins Library at 11 a.m., in the spirit of reconciliation and hope for generations of children to come. The event will include a prayer by Knowledge Keeper Barb Blind, remarks by Indigenous Peoples' Centre (IPC) Director Chris Lagimodiere, and greetings from BU Interim President Steve Robinson. Light refreshments will follow the event.
Find out more »October 2018
Author talk: David Robertson
David Robertson Celebrated Winnipeg graphic novelist and writer David Alexander Robertson will present in the Gathering Space at the John E. Robbins Library at BU on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 4, starting at 10:30 a.m. He will speak on Indigenous representation, mental health issues, and contemporary issues in First Nation communities as represented in his new Young Adult series. That presentation will be followed by lunch at the BU Indigenous Peoples’ Centre. This talk is a partnership between the…
Find out more »Parallel Prairies Book Launch
The Canadian Prairie teems with life—not all of it of this world. Get acquainted with baby dragons, killer insects, faery kings, infernal entities and more, as 19 authors let the Manitoban landscape inspire weird and wondrous tales. You thought the Prairies were flat, plain, and boring. You were wrong. As part of our Alumni Authors Book fair, we are pleased to welcome Darren Ridgley and Adam Petrash, co-editors of Parallel Prairies: Stories of Manitoba Speculative Fiction. Adam will be providing…
Find out more »December 2018
Access Awareness Week – Mayoral Proclamation
Join BUSU and Student Accessibility Services to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities through Access Awareness Week, December 3-5, 2018 at Brandon University. “Empowering persons with disability and ensuring inclusiveness and equality” is the 2018 theme. We have planned a number of events to highlight this years’ theme. Join us in welcoming Mayor Rick Chrest, who will be signing a Proclamation for International Day of Personal with Disabilities December 3, 2018 and Brandon University Access Awareness Week December 3-5,…
Find out more »Access Awareness Week – Student Panel: “What does inclusion mean to me?”
Join BUSU and Student Accessibility Services to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities through Access Awareness Week, December 3-5, 2018 at Brandon University. “Empowering persons with disability and ensuring inclusiveness and equality” is the 2018 theme. We have planned a number of events to highlight this years’ theme. Join us to hear a BU student panel to learn about their experiences with disability and inclusion. A reception welcoming the Canadian Federation of Students, Manitoba will be held in conjunction…
Find out more »Guest speaker: ‘The toxicity of penal agribusiness’
The Gender Frontier Speakers Series presents Dr. Kelly Struthers Montford, from the University of Toronto, who will speak at the BU campus about prison farms and prison farm labour. As well, Dr. Struthers Montford will be giving a guest lecture in Dr. Ariane Hanemaayer's fourth-year honours seminar in "Critical Sociology" to discuss the public applications of her research as Senior Advisor to the Independent Expert on Human Rights and Corrections regarding the implementation of an Ontario Human Rights Commission consent…
Find out more »March 2019
Outstanding Female Students Reception
On Thursday, March 7 we will recognize some of our outstanding female students as we prepare to celebrate International Women's Day and this year's theme, Balance for Better.
Find out more »April 2019
BU Alumnus Book Launch – Misfit by Andreas Souvaliotis
You are invited to the launch of Misfit: Autistic. Gay. Immigrant. Changemaker. by Brandon University alumnus Andreas Souvaliotis, as he stops in Brandon on his cross-country tour. Join us on campus in the John E. Robbins Library - Gathering Space, for a wine and cheese as Andreas speaks about his inspiring journey. Andreas Souvaliotis was raised at a time when being on the autism spectrum wasn't easily diagnosed or even discussed. Minds like his were simply considered odd. He also…
Find out more »September 2019
Centenary of the Winnipeg General Strike: The Role of Brandon
Errol Black Chair Lecture in Labour Issues Presents 1919-2019 Centenary of the Winnipeg General Strike: The role of Brandon Speakers: Tom Mitchell, James Naylor, Rhonda Hinther Q& A to follow. Free community event, light refreshments served.
Find out more »October 2019
Public presentation: Indigenous Peoples and Land Conflicts in the Brazilian Amazon
A visiting scholar at Brandon University will present a public talk about the ongoing fires in the Brazilian Amazon forest. Luiz Henrique Eloy is a Ph.D. candidate in Social Anthropology, National Museum, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and is a Brandon University 2019 ELAP Visiting Doctoral Student Luiz Henrique is a Terena Indigenous doctoral student and his topic of presentation will be “Indigenous Peoples and Land Conflicts in the Brazilian Amazon”. The presentation will address Brazil’s current burning…
Find out more »Indigenous Sharing Circle and Luncheon
Join us for the Indigenous Reunion Luncheon at 10:30 am, followed by a specialized Sharing Circle celebrating academic and personal accomplishments. Register here
Find out more »November 2019
BU beard expert will wag chin on growth of whisker culture
Christopher Schneider Brandon University resident beard expert will be giving a free public talk about the growth of online beard culture. It’s part of BU’s Movember, which is bringing attention to men’s health and wellness, as well as the related research being done at BU around men’s issues and masculinity. Dr. Christopher Schneider is a BU sociology professor who boasts an impressive beard of his own. What he found when he turned his sociological insights toward the beard-growing communities on…
Find out more »Larissa Lai: Reading and Q&A
Everyone is invited to hear from this exciting novelist.
Find out more »January 2020
Dr. Chris Haywood: “Sex Club Cultures”
Sex clubs, and their rapidly growing presence in the United Kingdom, will be discussed when a researcher from England give a public talk at the Brandon University (BU) library next week. More than 30,000 people across the UK now visit these clubs, known in the past as swingers or swap clubs, to engage in consensual sex. Despite this prevalence, very little is known about those who visit the sex clubs and what happens there. Chris Haywood Dr. Chris Haywood will…
Find out more »Senator Mary Jane McCallum public presentation: “How Senate Can Work With Community”
Brandon University is honoured to welcome Senator Mary Jane McCallum to give a public presentation next week. Dr. McCallum, a First Nations woman of Cree heritage who was appointed in 2017 to represent Manitoba in the Senate, is a dentist who devoted most of her career to providing dental and medical services to northern and Indigenous communities in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan. She will present in the John E. Robbins Library on “How Senate Can Work With Community” on Wednesday,…
Find out more »Public Reading: Eliza Robertson
Eliza Robertson Canadian author Eliza Robertson will stop at Brandon University next week for a public reading, followed by a question-and-answer session. Robertson is the author of the award-winning short story collection Wallflowers, acclaimed first novel Demi-Gods and newly released children’s book Spur: A Wolf’s Story. Wallflowers was shortlisted for the East Anglia Book Award, the Danuta Gleed Short Story Prize, and selected as a New York Times Editor's Choice. Demi-Gods was a Globe & Mail and National Post book…
Find out more »‘Walking Through Westman’ exhibition — Opening Reception
Key moments from history in Brandon and southwestern Manitoba are highlighted in an engaging new public history exhibition coming to Brandon University. Everyone is welcome to attend the free opening reception on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 4:30–6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. “Walking Through Westman: Uncovering Our Past” will be on display until the end of February in the main floor Gathering Space of the John E. Robbins Library at BU. Curated by public history students, the exhibition reveals…
Find out more »March 2020
Outstanding Female Students Reception
In recognition of International Women's Day, Brandon University will honour some of its outstanding female students. All are welcome. This year's honourees are: Cassidy Baumung Logan Biccum Jayna Butler Margaret De Jager Emma Gervin Taylor Goodon Brittany Gray Jamie Harrison Anna Hawkins Brooklynn Hole Abagail Hysop Jessica Kalyniuk Taylor Kostyshyn Caitlin Le April Li Sofiya Makar Grace Masse Jenna Michaluk Azaria Neuschwander Ashley Ozunko Candace Richard Jaimie Rose Lacey Roulette For more information about these inspirational students, please visit BrandonU.ca/womens-week.
Find out more »September 2022
Listening to the Fur Trade
Daniel Laxer will present Listening to the Fur Trade on Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., in the Gathering Space of the John E. Robbins Library. As fur traders were driven across northern North America by economic motivations, the landscape over which they plied their trade was punctuated by sound: shouting, singing, dancing, gunpowder, rattles, jingles, drums, fiddles, and - very occasionally - bagpipes. Fur trade interactions were, in a word, noisy. Daniel Laxer unearths traces of music, performance, and…
Find out more »Guest Speaker: Tony Stevenson
Residential school survivor Tony Stevenson will speak at Brandon University as part of Truth and Reconciliation Week. Tony Stevenson Organized by the Indigenous Peoples’ Centre (IPC), Stevenson’s talk will be held on Monday, Sept. 26, from 9 — 11:30 a.m., in the Gathering Space of the John E. Robbins Library, as well as on Zoom. Stevenson, who spent 10 years at the Qu'Appelle Indian Residential School, was later recruited to work with two law firms on residential school compensation. He…
Find out more »November 2022
January 2023
‘Shadow Life,’ by Michael Decter — Brandon book launch
Please join Brandon University and Michael Decter for the Brandon book launch of Shadow Life. Shadow Life. It's the debut novel from Decter, a former Chancellor of Brandon University. Shadow Life is described as a taut, searching story of guilt, family secrets, and new love, perfect for fans of John Updike’s Rabbit Angstrom series, Robertson Davies’ Deptford Trilogy and Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides. Shadow Life was recently named one of the best Canadian fiction books of 2022. The…
Find out more »March 2023
Public Lecture: Dr. Julia Amorim
The Department of Rural Development Lecture Series presents: Development an Health: The Privatization of Brazil's Health Care System and its Impact on Indigenous Peoples by Dr. Julia Amorim Research Professor, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp) Visiting Professor, St. John's College, University of Manitoba Sponsored by: Department of Rural Development, Rural Development Institute (RDI), Indigenous Peoples' Centre (IPC), Department of Francophone Studies and Languages, Department of Native Studies, Gender and Women's Studies
Find out more »Public Presentation: Brandon Indian Residential School
Lashawnda Hildebrandt, Education and Administrative Coordinator, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, Brandon Indian Residential School Missing Children Investigation, will present on the history of the Brandon Indian Residential School. Ms. Hildebrant will be joined by two Residential School Survivors from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. One of whom is a former student of the Brandon Indian Residential School. Katherine Nichols, project manager, and Brent Perrin, community/field surveyor, will also be presenting on the Cemeteries Project and the Missing the Children Investigation. They…
Find out more »September 2023
Professor Melissa Adler: “My Queer Manitoba, in Books”
Brandon University will welcome a speaker to defend the presence of queer and trans content in schools and public libraries. Professor Melissa Adler, from the University of Western Ontario, will be at BU Thursday evening. Her talk, entitled “My Queer Manitoba, in Books” will be held in the Gathering Space of the John E. Robbins Library at BU, starting at 7 p.m. All are invited to listen, learn, and demonstrate their support for welcoming people of all sexual orientations and gender…
Find out more »October 2023
Dr. Robert Mizzi: “Queer Flourishing: Why 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion in School Libraries Matters”
A second speaker is coming to Brandon University to talk about the importance of including queer content in school libraries. Dr. Robert Mizzi is the Canada Research Chair in Queer, Community and Diversity Education and Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba, as well as a member of the International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame and the Royal Society of Canada. Dr. Mizzi’s talk, “Queer Flourishing: Why 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion in School Libraries Matters,”…
Find out more »November 2023
Poetry reading: ‘Queers Like Me’
UPDATE: This event has been moved to the Gathering Space in the John E. Robbins Library. Poet Michael V. Smith will host a public poetry reading from his volume "Queers Like Me" on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 3:30 p.m. Confessional and immersive, Smith’s latest collection is a broad tapestry that explores growing up queer and working class, then growing into an urban queer life. In these poems, we are immersed in the world of a young Smith as he shares…
Find out more »April 2024
Women Working in the Criminal Justice System Symposium
Join us as we interview some women who work in the criminal justice. Don't miss the opportunity to learn about their careers and the chance to ask them questions!
Find out more »May 2024
June 2024
Gerry Friesen Book Launch
Join the Centre for Critical Studies of Rural Mental Health for coffee and conversation with Gerry Friesen. This event is a launch for Friesen's new book, The Recovering Farmer.
Find out more »Pride Week: Pride in Politics with MLAs Logan Oxenham and Lisa Naylor
Thank you to the Brandon and District Labour Council for organizing Pride in Politics for Brandon Pride Week 2024! This panel will take place in the Gathering Area in the John E. Robbins Library located on the Brandon University campus. The goal of this event is to reach out to the 2SLGBTQI+ community and affirm that there is a place in politics. During the last year, right here in Brandon and Manitoba, the 2SLGBTQI+ community has been at the center…
Find out more »September 2024
Class of ’74 Reunion
Join the class of ’74 for a casual mixer to celebrate their 50th anniversary! There is no charge for this event and cash bar will be available.
Find out more »Fall Equinox Feast
Come celebrate the new season at the Fall Equinox Feast, hosted by Library, Archives and IT Services, in partnership with Indigenous Peoples’ Centre. Friday Sept 20, 12:00-1:00 pm Library Gathering Space This is a potluck feast. Food will be provided, bring a small dish to share if you are able. Come enjoy delicious food and the company of others. Ensure to bring a blanket to sit on, feast bundle (bowl, plate, napkin, cutlery). Knowledge Keeper Barb Blind will lead us…
Find out more »October 2024
United States Election Panel
Experts from Brandon University and Assiniboine College have put together a panel to discuss November's United States presidential election, and why it matters to you.
Find out more »November 2024
Book Launch — Uncut: A Cultural Analysis of the Foreskin
University of Regina Press and Brandon University are hosting a book launch for Jonathan A. Allan's forthcoming Uncut: A Cultural Analysis of the Foreskin at the Gathering Space of the John E. Robbins library on Thursday November 21st at 6pm. We will be treated to a short reading from the book and a discussion of how Dr. Allan's research in the archives lead him to explore texts as diverse as parenting manuals, dating columns in newspapers, ephemera from fetishists, medical…
Find out more »