Down but Not Out: British Academics Resolutely Determined to Explore Canada

The story of Canadian studies in the United Kingdom begins with the intrepid pioneers who studied Canada prior to the formation of the British Association for Canadian Studies (BACS) in 1975. BACS represented the beginning of a process of institutionalization in Canadian studies, including the creation of chairs and centers, an annual conference and other accoutrements of a specialized field in area studies. Support from the Canadian government arrived with the establishment in 1977 of the post of Academic Relations Officer at the Canadian High Commission, followed by the launching of the Canadian Studies grant program that aided in the launching of the British Journal of Canadian Studies in December 1986. This chapter will examine the phases of growth and more recently of retrenchment in Canadian studies over the past 40 years. It concludes with an assessment of likely future developments.