Legal Histories of Empire

We have an update on Massey College and have now secured two other accommodation options.

Massey College – Updated

As indicated in our March 2 posting, Massey College offers dorm-style accommodation at a lower rate than Chestnut Residence, and much lower than traditional hotels in the downtown core. Massey College is a ten-minute walk from St Michael’s College, across the north edge of Queen’s Park, the grounds of the Ontario legislature.

Rooms include single beds and shared washrooms (not en suite). These rooms do not have air conditioning. The conference rate for a single room is $128.25 plus taxes.

They say: “Our summer residence features comfortable single and double rooms, daily breakfast, and access to common areas like the dining hall, common room, and laundry facilities—all designed to support your scholarly pursuits. With no more than two flights of stairs and excellent transit access (5 minutes to Museum and St. George subway stations), convenience meets affordability.”

The conference registration code is LHECONFERENCE2025, and it is valid for any booking with a stay between Friday, July 4, to Sunday, July 20. This is the registration link: https://www.masseycollege.ca/summer-residence-programme/.

Whitney Hall in University College

We are delighted to share that we can also offer an even more affordable accommodation option on the St. George campus at the University of Toronto. In addition to rooms at Chestnut House (en suite, air conditioning, breakfast included) and Massey College (shared facilities, air conditioning only in common spaces, breakfast included), LHE participants may also consider booking a room at Whitney Hall, one of the student residences belonging to the University of Toronto’s University College.

Whitney Hall is about 10 minutes’ walk from St. Michael’s College. Basic, single, dormitory-style rooms with shared, all-gender washrooms can be reserved for $50 CAD per night, taxes included. Participants should note that there is no air conditioning at Whitney Hall, and the weather in July tends to hover around 24 C (c. 75 F) during the daytime, frequently with high humidity. Whitney Hall is a lovely, historic building, however, and its rates are unbeatable for accommodation on campus or in the downtown core. For those who wish, there is a full catering option at Whitney Hall of $100 CAD per night, which includes three meals per day. Please note, however, that LHE will provide participants with snacks and some lunches, and Toronto has a terrific food scene.

Those wishing to book a room at Whitney Hall should e-mail the college directly at: uc.summerres@utoronto.ca. Quote our group booking code: UCWhitney25. 

When you e-mail the college, please identify yourself as part of the Legal Histories of Empire group, with Catherine Evans as the main University of Toronto conference contact. Payment will be due on your arrival in Toronto in July.

Please note that availability over the summer months will be limited, and LHE participants should book as soon as possible and no later than 1 June 2025. Dates covered by the conference booking code are 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 July 2025.

Information about Whitney Hall is here: https://www.uc.utoronto.ca/students-current-students-residence-room-types-and-amenities. Here is a virtual tour of University College’s residences at Whitney Hall: https://youtu.be/1SKELtRqFJo?si=70ygoB-gHwRqofso

Chelsea Hotel

For those who would prefer a more traditional hotel, we are pleased to be able to offer a special rate at the Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto. The hotel is an 18-minute walk from St. Michael’s College, just a few blocks north of Chestnut Residence. Standard rooms with a queen-sized bed or two double beds are available for $269 CAD per night + tax. Our special rate applies from 8 July to 13 July 2025. As with our other conference accommodation options, participants are urged to book soon to avoid disappointment.

Those wishing to book at the Chelsea should use the link below:

https://reservation.brilliantbylangham.com/?adult=2&arrive=2025-07-07&chain=10316&child=0&config=brilliant&currency=CAD&depart=2025-07-12&group=UNI070725&hotel=59052&level=hotel&locale=en-US&productcurrency=CAD&rooms=1&theme=brilliant

The draft program is out! It hopefully will remain much the same but, as with every conference, there may be some changes or even a version 2, before July. We are very excited by the range and quality of the 150+ papers and are looking forward to welcoming you to Toronto – in person or virtually!

Some general matters to note:

1. We have worked very hard to put together papers which are in conversation. If on one or two occasions this has not worked out it is likely because of accommodating time zones;
2. If there is a significant issue with your placing on the program please let us know. But – please note that it is a complex program given time zones so not every request can be accommodated;
3. Chairs! We always rely on participants to step up and chair panels for us. Our conference is very much built on community and this practice reflects that. Please let us know if you wish to chair and if you wish to chair a particular panel do indicate this. Its first in for chairing specific panels if more than one person is interested.
4. In the not too distant future we will also put up an abstract book. If you wish to make a minor change to your title or abstract let us know. Please minor changes only; if the topic is significantly different from that accepted it causes real difficulties in terms of programming;
5. Further information, including on times for presentations etc is on page 1 of the program;
6. Any later major changes to the program will of course first be discussed with anyone potentially affected.

Information about accommodation is now available and some has opened for bookings. If you are now at the stage of organising travel also please do register for the conference. While registration will be open for some time, its useful to start seeing numbers for catering and presentation space purposes.

See you in Toronto!

Accommodation in Downtown Toronto

Accommodation in downtown Toronto can be expensive, particularly over the summer months. To help with this, we have partnered with two residences and one hotel at the University of Toronto that offer rental accommodation during university holidays. Please note that this information will be updated as soon as we have access to booking links and codes for Massey College and the Kimpton St. George.

Chestnut Residence

Chestnut is located about 25 minutes’ walking distance from the University of St. Michael’s College (or 15 minutes by public transit, and 8 minutes by car). The residence offers en suite rooms with either a single double bed or two double beds. We have access to special rates for both room types: $170.00 CAD + tax (single occupancy; $20 for one extra adult per day); $192.00 + tax (double occupancy; $10 for each of two possible children per day). 

Those wishing to book can click on the link here, and should enter the special booking code: LHE2025.

[To make assurances doubly sure, here is the longform link: https://hotels.cloudbeds.com/en/reservation/Qv9tew#checkin=2025-07-06&checkout=2025-07-12]

Room rates at Chestnut include breakfast at the residence’s cafeteria each morning, between 7:30am and 10:30am.

Our special rate applies for rooms booked for dates between 7 July and 13 July, inclusive. If you’re planning to enjoy downtown Toronto during your visit, the residence is close to the city’s commercial centre and is well-served by subway, streetcar, and bus lines.

Please note that the deadline for booking Chestnut Residence at our group rate is 23 May 2025. After that, Chestnut cannot guarantee either room availability or their room rates. Note that Chestnut allows free cancellation up to 48 hours before your scheduled arrival.

Massey College

Massey College offers dorm-style accommodation at a lower rate than Chestnut Residence, and much lower than traditional hotels in the downtown core. Rooms include single beds and shared washrooms (not en suite). We will be sharing booking links and information for Massey College as soon as we are able – the summer rental portal does not open until after student residents’ have provided formal notice of their summer plans. We anticipate having this information as well as a confirmation of July 2025 rates by the end of March 2025.

For planning purposes, please note that last year’s standard room rate at Massey College was $120.00 CAD + tax. Due to significant inflation over the past year, rates will be higher for 2025, but not likely by a huge amount. 

Kimpton St. George

The Kimpton is a traditional hotel located about 15 minutes’ walk from the University of St. Michael’s College. In July, rooms at the Kimpton usually go for approximately $300 CAD + tax. As part of the Kimpton Global Business Program, Kimpton Saint George in Toronto offers corporate rates and other perks for business travelers. Corporate Hotel Rates for Business Travel – Kimpton Saint George

As previously posted, we are so delighted to have Professor Mitra Sharafi, the Evjue-Bascom Professor, University of Wisconsin Law School, as our keynote. Mitra has shared a title and abstract with us.

Studying Secrets in the Legal History of Empire

This keynote reflects on the secrets we encounter, keep, and share as legal historians of empire. In some cases, we are studying something inherently secretive–like abortion (when criminalized) or the planting of false evidence–in which case we must think creatively about where to find primary sources and how to handle them when we do. In other cases, like the study of family history through contact with descendants, we may stumble on secrets we were not seeking, which demands a careful weighing of the interests and obligations involved. I will explore how colonial and imperial contexts, with their high mobility and conflicting value systems, fostered the creation, protection, and exposure of secrets. I will also consider methodological strategies and ethical questions that arise from the study of different kinds of secrets, including personal, family, and community secrets in colonial contexts.”

Please let us know if you would like to be considered for travel funding to support your in-person participation in the July 2025 LHE meeting in Toronto, Canada. Our funds are limited, and we will therefore prioritize applications by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and those whose primary appointment is at an institution in the Global South. Unfortunately, we will likely be unable to cover all travel costs for any individual. Successful applicants will work with the University of Toronto to arrange their travel and/or reimbursements. Please complete this form by the deadline: 28 February 2025.

Travel Fund Request Form

By now everyone should have received a response to their abstract submission. However, we have become aware that a couple have slipped through the net! Hopefully we have found them, but if you have not heard from us yet about your abstract submission please do email us at the conference email address and we will get onto it right away!

Registration is open! The link will take you to the registration website for the conference. Registration will be open well into next year and in fact if you are intending to stay on campus in the university accommodation we suggest waiting until January to register as we will be able then to provide accommodation codes.

However, if you will need a visa we suggest you register immediately. We are unable to provide the letter needed for a visa until you have registered. We know quite a number of you in this situation have already contacted us. If you have not we suggest registering now and letting us know that you need a visa letter.

We will post again when the accommodation is open.

We are looking forward to seeing you all in July in Toronto!

August 31 was not a great deadline for our Northern Hemisphere colleagues who are just starting the academic year. So we are extending to 13 September, hopefully allowing for the insanity of the first few weeks of teaching to settle.

We are absolutely delighted to announce that Professor Mitra Sharafi has agreed to be our keynote for Toronto. Mitra is the Evjue-Bascom Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the President-elect of the American Society for Legal History. We are honoured to have her agree to be our keynote. We will update with further details, including topic, soon.

Not long now. Please get your abstracts in! Looking forward to seeing you all in Toronto.