This is the first of a six-part auto-biographical series about the Cape Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO) by Gerald Wright, who was from 1989 to 1992 a senior policy advisor to the federal minister responsible for DEVCO. [1] I’ve Been Down Under Ground Cabinet shuffles engender anticipation mixed with apprehension. In the aftermath of the 1989 shuffle, Tom Hockin, the federal minister for whom I had been working since March 1987, acquired new responsibilities. I scanned the list, my eye fastening on the Cape Breton Development Corporation (DEVCO). DEVCO had been established in 1967 b ..read more

By Ronald Rudin Over the past few years, I have been working on a book exploring the 1959 Escuminac Disaster, which saw the death of 35 men when a hurricane struck the salmon fishing fleet just outside Miramichi Bay, which empties into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in northeastern New Brunswick. In developing this project, in pulling together a research grant application, and in the early stages of writing, I became heavily dependent on (really addicted to) the amazing Brunswick News online archive, a searchable database that made it possible to dig into the content, sometimes stretching back over ..read more

What role does love play in art? What role does it play in the creative process? With Love, a modest exhibition of works by Mary Pratt and Alex Colville addresses precisely these questions.  The pairing of two canonical figures in modern Atlantic Canadian art history should, alone, draw attention to it, but in really important ways this exhibition is not what one might think. It does not, for example, take a celebratory approach to either Pratt’s or Colville’s work. That alone sets it off from the general tenor of commentary that has surrounded the canonization of Colville at the forefron ..read more

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By Daniel Samson I met Bill Parenteau thirty-seven years ago. He’d arrived from America, a seemingly unnatural blend of Rhode Island, NYC, and Maine. He seemed very American. Intellectually exotic and pugnacious, he told tales of then young hotshot historians, Greer and Judd, New York delis, the Red Sox, real punks and historical materialism. The short-form conventional wisdom on Bill is that he was smart and funny. The slightly longer version is that he was that and that he was a truly decent guy who never lost sight of his New England, working-class sensibilities, an ethic rooted in fairness ..read more

This eulogy was delivered by Bill’s sister, Kerry Pascetta. I am Bill’s sister. Because I am Bill’s sister, I am apologizing in advance to the historians in the room. This eulogy will not be delivered in chronological order, some dates will be omitted, and there may be profound inaccuracies. And I am grateful that I will not be graded today. Bill is the person our family could rely on to deliver a eulogy. Like everything, Bill did it well. Naturally, I am terrified to be up here. But I am reminded of Bill’s encouraging nature. I imagi ..read more

By Donald Wright It’s official: New Brunswick will not have a fall election. But for much of September and October, the premier played a cynical game of cat and mouse, first hinting that he might call an early election, then hinting he might not, before letting the clock run down. After all, no one wants to campaign into December and the holiday season. Because Blaine Higgs enjoys a clear majority, there was never a compelling reason to call an election. True, six caucus members – unhappy with the requirement that students under 16 must have parental consent before teachers can use their prefe ..read more

Dynamism and determination, wisdom and warmth: the late Elizabeth Mancke (1954-2023) exhibited each of these positive attributes as well as countless others, as anyone who had the good fortune of knowing her can readily attest. Her recent passing is a massive loss for the many communities to which she contributed, whether as an historian, an engaged citizen, or, as was frequently the case, both. Composed by scholars and friends of Elizabeth’s from across the United States and Canada, the following reflections offer a glimpse of the breadth and profundity of her influence, and of the brilliant ..read more

Murray Yeomans Editor’s Note: The following tribute was delivered at Elizabeth Mancke’s celebration of life on 14 October 2023. For those who do not know me, my name is Murray Yeomans, I am one of Elizabeth’s PhD students. I am one of her cohort of 15 current graduate students but am also part of much larger group who have had the good fortune of calling Dr. Mancke their academic supervisor. I feel the need to preface this by acknowledging that speaking on behalf of Elizabeth’s students feels impossible because each of us has a unique and important relationship to her. Dr. Mancke–Elizabeth–wor ..read more

The Canadian-American Center at the University of Maine invites proposals for the 2024 Atlantic Canada Studies Conference to be held at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine, USA on the weekend of May 10-12, 2024. The theme of the conference is “The New Acadiensis School.” Approximately half a century ago, the Acadiensis School, with a focus on themes like underdevelopment, started advocating for Atlantic Canada as a region of study on par with others in the country. Subsequent generations of scholars have continued this mission. But what does or should a “new” Acadiensis School look like t ..read more