The conference focuses on the complex ties between people and their environments. The presentations will address questions such as: How did society shape, transform, and organize its surrounding spaces and the "natural landscape"? And vice versa, what was the impact of environments on the processes of constructing identities and spaces - political, cultural, and social? In this regard, Canada is a striking example as its landscape is defined by thousands of "empty" miles of land and ice, language differences, regionalism, immigration and indigeous peoples, rich natural resources and exploitation, which are all challenging the nation's identity.

The multilayered interactions between society and space will be discussed from both a continental and transatlantic perspective. The conference is open to the public; no registration needed.