IN PERSON AT UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, DESMARAIS HALL, ROOM 1130
FREE LECTURE VIA ZOOM
Young people bring fresh ideas, creativity, and a strong sense of innovation to the preservation of the National Capital’s cultural legacy, ensuring it remains relevant and dynamic for future generations. Interdisciplinary perspectives, whether from History, Public History, Architecture, and other areas of research, can foster a robust connection between Ottawa’s past and its evolving identity. They help bridge the gap between traditional practices and modern values, promote sustainability and inclusivity, and ensure that conservation efforts reflect the diversity of the city’s population.
We are pleased to feature an Emerging Scholars Connect event bringing together students from both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University to highlight new perspectives on heritage and how young people are chronicling history and advocating for policies and practices that balance historical conservation with contemporary needs, interests and values, in many ways.
SPEAKERS:
Caleb Stevenson is an undergraduate history student at the University of Ottawa with a bachelor's degree in political science. He is particularly interested in late 19th to mid 20th century history, as well as in shifting perceptions of gender and sexuality over time. He is also passionate about the history of Ottawa and enjoys the opportunity to educate the public while working as a tour guide.
Ben Merritt is a graduate student currently pursuing his Master of Architecture at Carleton University. He has worked at TRACE architectures since 2023 and has been involved with various projects within the office. Evolving from his work experience and education, Ben has developed an interest in the processes related to architectural heritage and conservation. Ben’s general interest in the subject is to better understand the technical challenges related to heritage buildings, and how best to address them.
Lilly Zegerius was born in raised in Guelph Ontario and is 21 years old. She is in her third year of study at Carleton University in Architecture Conservation and Sustainability. Her studies focus on adaptive reuse, restoration, and rehabilitation of heritage properties in the context of architecture. She is currently employed by the NCC, where the exposure to the professional side of architecture complements her lessons in studio.
Sophie Soulières is a fourth-year history and political science major at the University of Ottawa. In the past year, she has spent a semester studying at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands and has worked as a Student Guide at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France. Sophie is interested in political thought, intellectual history, and uses of history broadly. She is planning on pursuing a Master's degree in library and information science.
Moderator: Patryk Polec has a PhD in Canadian history from the University of Ottawa where he worked as an Assistant Professor. He is the author of two academic books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and other contributions related to Canadian military and policing history, armed conflicts, Canadian immigration history, and human rights studies. He currently works at the federal Department of Canadian Heritage, where he is responsible for developing and vetting historical content for high-profile public exhibits, monuments, publications, and commemorative projects of national significance.
Presentations and discussions will be in both English and French.
Refreshments will be served after the presentations, with time to mingle! Thank you to TRACE architectures for generously contributing.