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Champlain - St. Lawrence Seminar in Early American Studies
McGill University and the State University of New York, Plattsburgh invite interested scholars to attend a regional seminar on early American history and culture.
The Champlain-St. Lawrence seminar is very much a joint venture, with two coordinators at two universities, located just an hour from each other but in two different nations.
We balance presentations by established scholars with work by promising junior historians, to recruit presenters and participants from both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border, and to encourage participation by historically-minded scholars from any discipline.
The seminar meets at least four times per year, alternating between McGill University and SUNY Plattsburgh.
At each meeting, the group spends about two hours discussing a precirculated paper of article length. The seminar is underwritten in the U.S. by the Centre for the Study of Canada
at SUNY Plattsburgh, and North American Studies
at McGill University.
Upcoming Events
The semester of the Champlain-St. Lawrence Seminar in Early American History and Culture is about to get underway. The session will run from 3-5 pm, and the papers are pre-circulated about a week before each session.
Monday, February 18
Alexandre Dube (McGill University), "Trading the Common Goods in French Louisiana," McGill University, Montreal, Room 230, Ferrier building, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Monday, April 14
James Carson (Queen's University), "Antiquity and the Writing of Early American History," SUNY Plattsburgh, Center for the Study of Canada, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Please let us know in advance if you plan to attend a seminar, and whether you would like to join us for dinner afterwards. To confirm your participation, make dinner reservations, or to obtain additional directions, contact either Dr. Jim Rice (518-564-5221, or ricejd@plattsburgh.edu) or Dr. Catherine Desbarats (514-398-4861, or catherine.desbarats@mcgill.ca ).
Directions to The Center for the Study of Canada at SUNY Plattsburgh
- If you are coming from Montreal, take Rte 15 South until you reach the border. If you are coming from the south or from the Vermont ferry, get on the Adirondack Northway headed towards Plattsburgh.
- Continue on Adirondack Northway (I-87) to exit 37
- Turn right at the traffic light and proceed east on Route 3, staying in the left lane. (The road forks at one point, and you'll want to take the left-hand fork).
- After approximately 2 kilometers/1.2 miles you will see a large campus building on your right. Go straight through the next traffic light (at Beekman Street), then take the very next right (onto Wells Street), and another quick right (Court Street), at which point you'll see that same large campus building looming ahead of you. Take the first available parking spot; the Center for the Study of Canada is at 133 Court Street (on the left side of the street facing the campus).
- If you get turned around, call the Center at (518) 564-2086.
Directions to Ferrier Building, McGill University
- Take highway 15 onto Champlain Bridge.
- Take exit for "Centre-ville/downtown" right after Bridge (avoid "Ile des Soeurs" turnoff, however).
- Bonaventure highway turns into University Street.
- Stay on University Street until Sherbrooke Street.
- Left (West) on Sherbrooke St.
- From Sherbrooke, turn North onto McTavish Street, then right onto Dr. Penfield
- Entrance to the Ferrier Building is at 840 Docteur Penfield
- For a street map, see http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&tab=wl , and for a campus map see http://www.mcgill.ca/maps/
Directions to the Valcour Conference Center
From the North: 
- Interstate Rt. 87 to Exit 36
- Left onto Route 22
- Approximately 1 mile and just past small bridge, turn left onto South Junction Road
- South Junction Road to Route 9
- Right onto Route 9
- Valcour is approximately 1-1/2 miles on left
From the South:
- Interstate Rt. 87 to Exit 35
- Right onto Bear Swamp Road
- Bear Swamp Road to Route 9
- Left onto Route 9
- Valcour is approximately 2 miles on the right
For more information contact:
Dr. Catherine Desbarats
Department of History
Stephen Leacock Building
855 Sherbrooke St. West
Montreal, QC H3A 2T7
E-mail: catherine.desbarats@McGill.ca
OR
Dr. Jim Rice
Department of History
SUNY Plattsburgh
101 Broad St.
Plattsburgh, New York 12901
E-mail: ricejd@plattsburgh.edu