Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2026 - HIST 102W E700

Canada since Confederation (3)

Class Number: 6801

Delivery Method: Online

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 5 – Apr 10, 2026: Mon, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
    Surrey

  • Instructor:

    Nicholas May

  • Instructor:

    Nicholas May
    npmay@sfu.ca

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Canadian social, political, and economic history from 1867, examining Indigenous/colonial settler relations, immigration, regionalism, foreign policy, economic development, culture, and political movements. Students with credit for HIST 102 may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:

If it is now commonplace to understand nations as “imagined communities,” it should be equally clear that when it comes to Canada we are talking about a place that has been and continues to be differently imagined. Canada has been variously described as a young nation and one of the oldest democracies, as an enviable country that consistently ranks near the top of most indices of human development and a nation built on racism and genocide. 

This course offers a broad survey of Canadian history since the nation’s founding in 1867. We will examine major political, economic, social and cultural developments over the past century and a half. In the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, particular attention will be given to the changing relationship between Indigenous peoples, largely European settlers, and the state. Our historical approach will help us to see Canada’s evolution from Confederation to the present as anything but inevitable, but rather the result of an ongoing struggle between those living on the lands within its borders to determine what this nation was and their relationship to it. Along the way we’ll consider the place of the historian’s craft, with its disciplined but inevitably selective storytelling, in interpreting the past of something as multifaceted as a nation.

HIST 102 is a W course and so can be taken to help fulfill WQB requirements.

Grading

  • Tutorial Participation 15%
  • Very Short Assignments 10%
  • Primary Source Analysis 15%
  • Research Essay Outline 10%
  • Research Essay 20%
  • Final Exam 30%

NOTES:

Note that this section is a Livestream option offered at the Surrey Campus in conjunction with HIST 102W section E100 at the Burnaby Campus. The lectures will be broadcast live from Burnaby to Surrey via web conferencing. Students will be able to watch live during scheduled class meeting times. Lectures may NOT be pre-recorded, so attendance for the Surrey section would be the same as attending a regular in-person lecture.

Note on Grading - Course components and their weighting may be altered between now and the beginning of the Spring term.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Required readings will be made available on Canvas.


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

Learn more about studing History at SFU:

History areas of study


Why study History?

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.