Canadian-American Center

About the 2024 Atlantic Canada Studies Conference

The Canadian-American Center at the University of Maine will be hosting the 2024 Atlantic Canada Studies Conference at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine, USA on May 9-11, 2024.

The theme of the conference is “The New Acadiensis School.” Approximately half a century ago, the Acadiensis School, with a focus on themes like underdevelopment, started advocating for Atlantic Canada as a region of study on par with others in the country. Subsequent generations of scholars have continued this mission. But what does or should a “new” Acadiensis School look like today? How can the voices and perspectives of the historically marginalized be incorporated, or continue to be incorporated, in new research about Atlantic Canada? What about the inclusion of spaces outside of Atlantic Canada but within the region, such as eastern Québec or eastern Maine? How can a relatively contained geographic region be integrated into larger national, international, or transnational processes without being lost amongst them? While many of these questions are not new, it is worthwhile to revisit the scope of Atlantic Canada and the goals for its study.

We look forward to hosting you on the picturesque campus of the University of Maine. Please us this website to register for the conference, to find information about local accommodations, and to get to know the Orono area a bit better. You can expect website updates periodically.

Planning your trip

We have reserved several blocks of hotel rooms in Orono for the conference at the following locations (Please note that all monetary values are in US Dollars):

1. The Black Bear Inn
   •  Rooms at $109/night. You need to call and reserve rooms using “ACSC 2024” as the block name. The hotel is a 5-minute drive from campus.
2. Hotel Ursa 
   • On campus, and has rooms for $129/night. You can book directly through the hotel website at this link. You will have until April 18th to book your stay in this block. Any rooms not picked up by this date will be released back into public sale channels. Any room requests after this date will be upon room and rate availability only. 
   • Please note re – Hotel Ursa: The system defaults to the first night of stay only. Click on the “check-in date” on the top and a drop-down calendar will appear. Click the check-in date and then the check-out date – both on that calendar – and the date range will adjust above accordingly. Do not try to change the check-out date on the top. This will allow individuals to hold for all three nights. Then click search and it will apply to your specific group showing “Atlantic,” allowing you to move forward with all details to reserve the room with the accurate length of stay. You will provide your contact details and credit card and be provided with a confirmation number for your records. 
3. UMaine Dormitories
   • All dorm rooms available are double occupancy. A double used as a double without linens (you would bring your own sleeping bag, pillows, etc.) is $31/night per person. For $41/night/person, linens are included. A double room used by a single person without linens is $57 per night. With linens, a single occupancy double room is $67/night. If you are interested in this option, please email Emma Schroeder (emma.schroeder@maine.edu) as soon as possible for more information.
4. Other Lodging Accommodation Options
   • You can also find a number of hotels in Bangor, about a 10-20-minute drive from campus, depending on where in Bangor you stay.

Parking Information

In terms of parking for the conference, attendees will park in the CCA or Belgrade parking lots. You will need to download and display a parking pass to avoid being ticketed. 

Please download the parking pass and campus map from the conference resources section on the right side of this page.