First university-level Canadian Literature and Canadian Drama courses in Canada

[Ric Knowles]

I think the first Graduate program specializing in Canadian theatre and based in the Canadian theatre archives was Guelph's MA, starting in Fall 1989. Its first graduates were Mary Pat Mombourquette and Jennifer Preston in, I believe, 1990. 

Cheers,

Ric

Professor of Theatre Studies
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
N1G 2W1

ph: 519-824-4120, x52931 (w)
FAX: 519-824-0560
email: rknowles at uoguelph.ca
http://www.uoguelph.ca/sets/sets-ric-knowles


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann" <saddlemy at UVIC.CA>
To: CANDRAMA at LISTSERV.UNB.CA
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2016 6:58:32 PM
Subject: Re: First university-level Canadian Literature and Canadian Drama courses in Canada

Hi moira,
     Carlyle King offered a course on Canadian and American literature at u of sask in the early 1950s when i was an undergrad, but I do not recall any drama being included. In 1972 I offered a half course in Canadian theatre when I was teaching at Vic college before the various English depts amalgamated.  I do not know when the first canadian literature course was offered. The following year I offered a graduate seminar at the Drama Centre.  Mavor Moore offered a course at York about the same time, because we collaborated on the first conference, Canadian Theatre before the 60s, and invited Gwen Pharis Ringwood and Gratien Gelinas to attend. That was the beginning. It was not much later that the Connaught grant was given us by the school of graduate studies to work on the first calendar, Richard Plant being oneof the students working with us. Heather McCallum joined the programme the following year., seconded from the Toronto public library, where she was building a fine collection. And about the same time, certainly in my first years as director of the drama centre, Francess Halpenny and I organized a gathering of potential members of the association at a Learned Societies meeting. We were astonished by how many filled the room, from Newfoundland to Victoria and in between.
That is the best of my memory, but there may be more details in the drama centre chapter of the second volume of the history of canadian theatre which Richard and  I edited.
My memory of how I taught the Ryga play is rather blurred, I am afraid, though i know It was included as soon as possible.
Best wishes, Ann

> On Feb 20, 2016, at 12:22 PM, Day, Moira <moira.day at USASK.CA> wrote:
> 
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I was wondering if someone could direct me to information on the following:
> 
> When the first Canadian Literature courses at the Graduate and Undergraduate level were taught at the University of Toronto.
> When the first Canadian Drama courses at the Graduate and Undergraduate level were taught at the University of Toronto.
> 
> If different from above, where and when the first Canadian Literature and Canadian Drama courses were taught in Canada. 
> 
> I'm not finding it hard to find material on when specific drama programs were initiated in Canada - but discovering when specific courses were introduced has been a bit more difficult where I've not been able to get into archives to go through old academic calendars.
> 
> Any help on this would be much appreciated!
> 
> Moira