Event Description
The comfortable era of predictable trade and multilateral rules between Canada and USA appears to be over. As we approach the critical 2026 joint review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), Canada faces a structural “rupture” in its most vital economic relationship. From the 50% tariffs on steel to the persistent friction in BC’s forestry sector, the old playbook no longer applies.
Join a panel of leading experts from the Allard School of Law, Vancouver School of Economics, Faculty of Forestry and Political Science to move beyond the headlines and consider new geopolitical realities and their impact on Canada as a nation and the daily lives of individual Canadians. The panelists will address the following topics:
- Demystify the “Panic”: We will break down the technical and political shifts in Canada-US relations and the high-stakes review of CUSMA.
- Navigating the New Relationship as a Middle Power: We will explore how Canada can maintain its sovereignty and strategic position in a global landscape where traditional alliances and international treaties are rapidly fraying.
- Sectoral Case Study: BC forestry is a fascinating live litmus test to illustrate how broader international trade pressures are translating into real-world impacts for local workers and communities in BC.
After the Rupture is presented by UBC Connects at Robson Square in partnership with the Peter A. Allard School of Law, Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Stewardship, Faculty of Arts, and UBC Community Engagement.
Speakers
Dr. Harry Nelson is an associate professor in the Faculty of Forestry at UBC. He holds a PhD in forest economics from UBC and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. In 2025, Dr. Nelson joined the 9-member Provincial Forest Advisory Council, tasked with providing recommendations to government on advancing forest stewardship, while supporting communities and workers that rely on forests.
Dr. Nelson studies the forest sector’s structural transformation in response to shifting markets, growing recognition of non-market forest values, and the increasing complexity posed by climate change. He examines natural resource and environmental policy, with a focus on forestry and the development of policy options to enhance the long-term sustainability of Canadian forests and the communities and businesses that depend on them.
Long-standing areas of his research include investigating the changing role of Indigenous peoples in land and resource management in Canada and assessing how forest-sector firms, governments and others are adapting to climate change impacts in forestry.
Dr. Ljiljana Biuković is a professor in the Allard School of Law, where she teaches Contract Law, European Union Law, and International Trade Law. Her research interests are in the areas of international economic law and European Union integration. She acted as a co-investigator in the Major Collaborative Research Initiative research project on Coordinated Compliance of International Trade Law and Human Rights (2011-2018). Her work focused on the interaction between international trade rules and local human rights norms and practices in the context of performance of international trade agreements and cooperation among developing countries.
She also publishes regularly on topics of legal transplantation of international norms and standards by national governments, the impact of regionalism on multilateral trade negotiations, mega-regional trade and investment agreements, and the development of European Union.
Dr. Stewart Prest is a lecturer in the Department of Political Science at UBC, where he researches and teaches international relations, comparative politics, and Canadian politics. His work focuses on democratic institutions, civil conflict, state–society relations, and civic literacy, with particular attention to how institutions shape effective decision-making and why underdogs sometimes prevail.
Based in Vancouver, he is a frequent commentator on local, provincial, and federal issues in local, national, and international media, with a particular focus on provincial and municipal politics. His work has been published in Maclean’s, The Walrus, The Tyee, The Conversation, and the Vancouver Sun.
He holds a PhD in Political Science from UBC and previously completed a SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs; his dissertation examined largely non-violent contentious politics in Bolivia’s Chapare region.
His most recent articles on the topic of Canada-US relations include, “Trump’s America Comes for Alberta” published in the Tyee in January 2026, and “This is What American Fascism Looks Like,” published by the Walrus in February 2026.
Dr. Torsten Jaccard is an assistant professor at the Vancouver School of Economics, UBC. He previously held the title of the International Economics Postdoctoral Fellow at Dartmouth College. His research is primarily in international trade, with a focus on understanding demand for imported goods and the consumer benefits of globalization.
Originally from New Westminster, British Columbia, Dr. Jaccard received an undergraduate degree from UBC studying Chemical and Biological Engineering, then working at Navius Research, Inc., before attending the University of Toronto to complete a Masters and PhD in Economics (2022).
Moderator
Robin Gill is a distinguished Canadian broadcast journalist and communications specialist with nearly 30 years of experience reporting on the front lines of global events. Best known for her 14-year tenure as a national correspondent and weekend anchor for Global National, Robin has been a trusted voice for millions. A proud alumna of the University of British Columbia (BA ’93) and BCIT, her career is marked by a reputation for remaining calm in high-stakes environments and providing the essential context and careful detail that turn a broadcast into a meaningful story.
Leveraging her extensive background interviewing world leaders, business icons, and community advocates, Robin now leads Robin Gill Communications. Her firm provides expert media training, public speaking coaching, and crisis communication strategies for diverse sectors including real estate, finance, mining, and non-profits. Whether she is providing communications training and strategy, moderating high-profile panels or developing long-term thought leadership plans, Robin’s mission is to help organizations and individuals navigate the modern media landscape to tell their stories with clarity, impact, and authenticity.
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