Speaker Series: Why Canada Matters - Guest Speaker Dr. Loleen Berdahl

Loleen Berdahl, PhD is an award-winning university instructor, the Executive Director of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy (Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina), and Professor and former Head of Political Studies, University of Saskatchewan. Her research focuses on Canadian federalism, with particular emphasis on western Canada. Loleen is also the author of the Academia Made Easier newsletter, which provides easy tips for teaching, productivity, and work-life balance in academia. She lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with her husband, twin teenage daughters, and two cats. 

The Persistence of Western Alienation in Canada

Why, in the evolution of the Canadian federal state, does there seem to be so much regional conflict and so little unity? In this talk, Dr. Loleen Berdahl (Universities of Saskatchewan and Regina) considers the persistence of regional conflict in Canada by examining western alienation - that is, discontent emerging from one, some, or all of Canada’s four westernmost provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Dr. Berdahl’s argument is that Canada’s national unity challenges reflect reactions to the centering of one of Canada’s many possible narratives as the dominant national narrative, creating tension with other alternative perspectives. She further argues that the study of western alienation allows us to delve into the structural features of Canadian federalism that exacerbate rather than moderate endemic regional conflict in our vast and diverse country. 

Why, in the evolution of the Canadian federal state, does there seem to be so much regional conflict and so little unity? Dr. Berdahl’s argument is that Canada’s national unity challenges reflect reactions to the centering of one of Canada’s many possible narratives as the dominant national narrative, creating tension with other alternative perspectives. She further argues that the study of western alienation allows us to delve into the structural features of Canadian federalism that exacerbate rather than moderate endemic regional conflict in our vast and diverse country.