2024 Riley Lecture in Canadian History: Winnipeg 150

Convocation Hall, University of Winnipeg

The 2024 Riley Lecture in Canadian History was a departure from the established pattern the event has taken. Instead of an academic lecture, a round table of several community leaders and experts in various aspects of Winnipeg society were assembled to hold a community round table. The event was moderated by Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, and featured:

• Elder Dr. Albert McLeod from the Welcoming Winnipeg Initiative

• Nadia Thompson from Black History Manitoba

• Alex Judge and Sabrina Janke, co-hosts of the One Great History podcast

• Shauna MacKinnon from the Department of Urban and Inner-City Studies at the University of Winnipeg

The conversation focused on how non-linear the history of Winnipeg is, highlighting the contested, complicated, and often messy and uncomfortable.

In a time when the City of Winnipeg, and the people who live here often celebrate an inferiority complex, seeing the advocacy work that these leaders undertake in pursuit of improving the day to day life of all who pass through the city was inspiring. After the event, I did a lot of reflection about the colonial nature of the self-deprecation that is so common to the City of Winnipeg.

Before the event, I had the opportunity to discuss my research with several of the panelists. Dr. Albert McLeod recounted a road trip that he had taken through the Canadian West. He discussed how even down to the types of plants that are grown and harvested in pursuit of profit represent an unnatural shift to monoculture, which I thought was an interesting observation.