Matter of Course

Quintessential Canadian Studies Class Covers a Lot of Ground

“The land is not merely the stage on which the human drama is enacted; it’s the leading player in the play,” says Dr. John Wadland, describing the essence of “Canada: the Land,” the iconic Trent course he created in 1972 and taught for 36 years.

Now in its 43rd year, “Canada: the Land” was Trent University’s first interdisciplinary course, cross-listed between the Departments of Canadian Studies, Environmental & Resource Studies, Geography, and
Indigenous Studies, and became the model for others that followed.

Prof. Wadland, who retired in 2008, attributes the course’s longevity to its relevance and complexity, which students found engaging. He points out that the course never got stale, evolving to address changing issues related to the land question, citing the James Bay Cree hydroelectric conflict in the 1970s as an example.

Professor Ryan Bowie, who currently teaches the course, explains the variety of perspectives through which he and his students examine the function and idea of the land.

“We look at the land through the widest interdisciplinary lens that we can take, through social science investigation, through scientific understanding, and through different world-views, particularly Indigenous and European,” he says. “In 1972, we were beginning to seriously reconsider our relationship with the land, and that has deepened since then as ecological crises become bigger and more difficult to wrestle with.”

Describing the classroom as a shared community experience, Prof. Wadland says students can expect a conversational environment featuring fascinating visitors, noting that celebrated author Margaret
Laurence was a regular attendee.

Prof. Bowie says the course is helpful for students wishing to build a broad foundation for future study and work. He should know: as a Trent undergrad, he took the course under Prof. Wadland. “My experience in the course set me on the direction of research that I’ve taken since then,” Prof. Bowie says.