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One of the key developments shaping social and political debate in Canada in the 21^st听 century has been the country鈥檚 emergence as an energy superpower. The confluence of new technologies and price per barrel has made it profitable to excavate the oil sands, while a process known as 鈥榝racking鈥� has opened up access to new, large reservoirs of shale gas. Questions of safety surrounding how our oil is extracted and transported dominate national headlines. With oil and gas come money and power. The spheres and sites of political and economic authority and influence in Canada are undergoing a major shift. Will the end result transform our national identity?听

The UU直播 Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) is bringing together leading听figures to debate the role of oil and energy in shaping social, cultural and听political life in Canada at its annual conference,听鈥淧etrocultures 2014: Oil, Energy and Canada鈥檚 Future.听The two-day event will be held at the听UU直播 Faculty Club, 3450 McTavish听St.,听Montreal, on听February 6-7, 2014.

鈥淚 am truly excited for this year鈥檚 conference, and the subject couldn鈥檛 be timelier,鈥� says MISC Director Will Straw.听 鈥淲e鈥檝e assembled a fantastic group of speakers, with very different points of view, and I鈥檓 hoping for a spirited and informative debate.听 Here at the MISC, we are not afraid of controversy 鈥� so this year we certainly picked a fitting topic!鈥澨�

Speakers include听Northern Initiatives听Executive Director听Ken Chapman;听脡quiterre听co-founder听Steven Guilbault;听Sun News听provocateur听Ezra Levant;Canadiana cowboy country musician听Tim Hus; journalist听Martin Patriquin听from听惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚;听Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations spokesperson听Eriel Deranger; PowerUp听Canada鈥檚听Tzeporah Berman;听 filmmaker听David Dufresne听(Fort McMoney), scholarsRichard Janda,听Christopher Ragan, and听Imre Szeman, and more.

Topics of plenary and keynote sessions include:听

Is ours a petro-economy?听Can we afford our way of life?听

Who owns our oil?听Who is buying our oil? At what price? And how do First Nations treaty rights come into play?

How safe is our oil?听From Lac-M茅gantic to Fort McMurray, questions of oil safety are front and centre. Who can we trust to ensure the safety of our oil?

Knowledge, Expertise and Economy:听Given the decline of 鈥渢raditional鈥� media such as newspapers, what tools work best for engaging citizens around issues related to petroleum and resources?

鈥淭he Cultural Politics of Oil鈥�,听keynote address by Imre Szeman, Canada Research Chair in Cultural Studies, University of Alberta听

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Special events:

Cultural evening:听hosted by Martin Patriquin, journalist at听惭补肠濒别补苍鈥檚听magazine, featuring a performance from the play听Rig: An Oral History of the Ocean Ranger Disaster, by UU直播 theatre students; readings and photo exhibition, plus a rocking performance by Albertan country musician Tim Hus. 听

Film screening and discussion:听,听a 2013 web documentary and strategy video game about Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada and Athabasca oil sands development, directed by David Dufresne.

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For more details,听, and the full program, visit the conference听.

Since 1995, the MISC has hosted large-scale annual conferences which foster informed, non-partisan discussions on issues affecting Canadians, ranging from Quebec-Canada relations, Aboriginal issues, citizenship and health-care to Canadian media, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, food, and cultural policy.

Twitter: #petrocultures