News

  • MA student Lauren Berry wins Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Award

    Friday, May 02, 2025 | By

    The History Department is delighted to announce that History MA student Lauren Berry was one of ten graduate students from across six Brock Faculties and Colleges to receive the Jack M. Miller Excellence in Research Award.

    The awards were presented at the 20th annual Mapping New Knowledges (MNK) Research Conference, held at Brock on April 9, 2025.

    Lauren’s research focuses on the moral panic about stage actresses that swept Britain in the eighteenth century.

    Congratulations, Lauren, on this well-deserved honour!

    History MA student Lauren Berry (5th from right) accepts her Excellence in Research Award, April 2025 

    Read the full story: Recognizing grad student research with reach – The Brock News 

    Categories: News

  • Andrew McDonald contributes Sea Kings scholarship for stamp series

    Friday, April 11, 2025 | By

    Brock History professor Andrew McDonalds collaborates in creating a series of Isle of Man stamps commemorating the fascinating world of the medieval Sea Kings.

    Read the full story: The Age of the Sea Kings – Isle of Man Post Office

    Categories: News

  • Kimberly Monk highlights maritime heritage at local fair

    Friday, April 11, 2025 | By

    St. Catharines Standard, March 3, 2025—Fonthill was the epicentre of where geology and culture met in Niagara for the inaugural “You See ’Em Museum” event, held Sunday at Meridian Community Centre. 

    “From a family perspective, it’s to raise awareness of the cultural heritage we have in Niagara and to see things that are tangible,” said event organizer Darren Platakis, founder of Niagara Geo Park and co-leader of Niagara Geo Club.

    Platakis celebrated it as an “intersection of where geology and culture come together,” highlighting Niagara’s history.

    “Many vendors or participants, they’re showing archeological artifacts that have been found, the geo park is showing the geology of the area and for the visitors coming around … we’re putting that story together for them,” he said.

    “Niagara as an area is culturally significant, not just for the 200 years (since) the War of 1812, but for the 12,000 years previous to that, when we had the first Indigenous communities living here.”

    Platakis said events like this are important for many reasons as they tell the story of the region, both through evidence and shared oral histories.

    “They’re about the stories, everyone who lives in the geo park has a story of alocation they might have gone to,” he said. “Those stories and locations, over time, disappear and I’m hopeful events such as this bring those stories to the forefront.”

    Maritime history and Niagara’s connection to it were highlighted during Sunday’s event.

    The Point Abino Lighthouse Preservation Society, a volunteer group, offered its perspective of Niagara’s maritime history.

    Society president Alf Goodearle praised “You See ’Em Museum.” “This is a tremendous opportunity, tucked away in the corner of the Niagara region. The lighthouse gets limited exposure,” he said. “We’re using this event to sell our society on trying to recruit some new volunteers.”

    Goodearle said to preserve the region’s heritage, the organization relies on donations and volunteers.

    Kimberly Monk, adjunct professor at Brock University and director of the Shickluna Shipyard project, said connecting with the public on local maritime history is rewarding.

    “As archeologists, historians, members of the museum community, we are all very aware, clearly, of our past, but many others not in professional fields … may not be,” she said.

    “We want to connect the public with the importance and significance of our histories to engage on why this work is so important and why it deserves to be recognized.” The importance of Niagara’s history cannot be overestimated, Monk said. “We hope the municipalities and the region appreciate that, as we look toward celebrating the Welland Canal’s bicentennial and supporting, of course, historical and archeological programs and projects relating to that history.”

    Monk said a rare aspect of the project unearthing the St. Catharines shipbuilder’s story is talking about local maritime history. Many marine sites no longer exist or“ they are obscured from the public because they are submerged.”

    “The opportunity to share in our maritime past, a past that had everything to do with the settlement, with economic development of the Niagara region, is so crucial to appreciating those who came before us,” she said.

    The event, originally slated for Family Day weekend, had to be rescheduled due to inclement weather.

    Categories: News

  • Elizabeth Vlossak offers first-ever Taylor Swift history course

    Wednesday, March 26, 2025 | By

    CP24 News, March 21, 2025—A weeks-long history course about Taylor Swift filled up in just a matter of minutes, making a record for the Ontario university similar to how the musician herself breaks records for her stadium shows. 

    “It’s filled up in 19 minutes. It was a record,” Elizabeth Vlossack, historian-turned-Swiftie at Brock University, told CTV News Toronto. 

    The associate professor of history explained she started to recognize Swift as more than just a popstar a couple of years ago after listening to “folklore”—an album where Swift deviates from singing solely about her life to delving into the lives of others

    Read the full story: https://www.cp24.com/news/2025/03/21/whats-a-swift-history-an-ontario-professor-shares-what-students-will-learn-in-a-taylor-swift-history-course/ 

     

     

    Categories: News

  • Murray Wickett tells all about Spring 2025 sport history course

    Friday, February 28, 2025 | By

     

    Read the full story: Spring/Summer courses dive into sports industry – The Brock News 

    Register for our spring course offerings: Register for spring/summer classes – Admissions @ Brock 

    Categories: News

  • Tami Friedman considers challenge of Black history in small-town Niagara

    Monday, February 24, 2025 | By


    Read the full story: Finding the faces of Black History in Thorold is not easy.
    Read the full story: Finding the traces of Black history in Pelham is not easy

    Categories: News

  • Elizabeth Vlossak explains Taylor Swift’s relationship to history

    Monday, February 24, 2025 | By


    Read media release here: It’s a love story: History and Taylor Swift (Brock’s Version) – Communications, Media Relations and Public Affairs 

    Categories: News

  • History grad and Brock’s oldest alum passes at 100

    Thursday, February 20, 2025 | By

    The History Department extends heartfelt condolences to the family of the redoubtable Robin Guard, oldest- ever graduate, on February 15, 2025. Guard earned his Master of Arts degree in History in 2017 at the age of 93. We shall miss him.

    https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2017/06/standing-ovation-for-brocks-oldest-ever-graduate/

    Categories: News

  • History Students Honoured at Spring Convocation

    Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | By

    Convocation week did not disappoint! One of our undergraduate students, Miria Pelletier (BA History ’24 and BEd ’24) was honoured with the Spirit of Brock Medal for her work with the Brock University Historical Society and several public history projects, including the legacy of the Garden City Arena in St. Catharines as part of Brock’s Sport Oral History Archive. Bravo, Miria!

    A big round of congratulations goes out to our MA students, Cindy Allingham, Jingxiong (Bear) Lyu, and Alaric Mustoe. We are thrilled to see you complete this final step of your Master’s journey and wish you all the best in your future endeavours!

    Brock University Board of Trustees member Kevin Magee (BA ’14), left, presented Miria Pelletier (BA ’24, BEd ’24) with the Spirit of Brock medal Thursday, June 13 during the University’s 115th Convocation.

    Alaric Mustoe (MA ’24) receives his hood from Department Chair Olatunji Ojo.

    Bear Lyu (MA ’24) and Department Chair Olatunji Ojo at spring convocation.

    Cindy Allingham (MA ’24, far right) looks on her fellow graduand (Madelyn Huston, MA ’24, Classical Studies)

     

    Categories: News

  • Travel Study Course Featured by the Isle of Man BBC

    Tuesday, June 04, 2024 | By

    The students in MARS/HIST 3F51 are now back on Canadian soil! Photos are posted over on the MARS website.

    The group’s adventures have generated quite a buzz. They were recently highlighted in the Isle of Man BBC, and a podcast was produced by Manx Radio.

    Congratulations, Professors Andrew McDonald and  Renee-Claude Breitenstein on making this the trip of a lifetime for our students!

     

    Categories: News

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