Celebrating the 100th anniversary of L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle
In 1922, L.M. Montgomery and her family vacationed in the Muskoka Lakes region. The Blue Castle is Montgomery’s only novel set entirely outside of Prince Edward Island, inspired by the beauty of the Muskoka Lakes region. To celebrate, we’re hosting a one-day symposium and exhibit launch on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, in partnership with the L.M. Montgomery Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island. Attend in-person or online to hear presentations about the novel’s literary legacies and learn more about the Muskoka region that captured Montgomery’s imagination from a variety of Montgomery scholars.
Schedule of events
9 to 10:30 a.m. - Welcome and Session 1: The Blue Castle’s Productive Disruptions
Moderator:
- Heidi Lawrence, Brigham Young University
Panelists:
- Rita Bode, Trent University, “Family Life Interrupted”
- Laura Robinson, Acadia University, “’mosque and palace and minaret’: Decentering Whiteness in The Blue Castle”
- Melanie Fishbane, Western University, “Finding Her Happy Hour: Queering Happily Ever After in The Blue Castle”
11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. - Session 2: Time, Place, and Things of The Blue Castle
Moderator:
- Heidi Lawrence, Brigham Young University
Panelists:
- Allison McBain Hudson, Dublin City University, “Object as Agents of Change in The Blue Castle”
- Tara K. Parmiter, New York University, “’The Son of Purple Pills’: The Nature of Family Shame in The Blue Castle”
- Andrea McKenzie, York University, “A Jazz Age Fairy Tale”
1:30 to 2:20 p.m. – Session 3: 100 Years of The Blue Castle: The Exhibit and a Conversation with the Curators
Panelists & exhibit curators:
- Ashley Shifflett McBrayne, McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph
- Emily Woster, The College of St. Scholastica
2:30 to 2:45 p.m.
- Special guests, Jack and Linda Hutton from Bala’s Museum with Memories of Lucy Maud Montgomery
2:45 to 3:30 p.m.
- Time to take the exhibit in. Explore at your own leisure.
Questions?
Contact us. We’re here to help.
License
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