CUPC History

The idea for the Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference was born in 1964 when C.S. Kalman, of the McGill Undergraduate Physics Society, met L. Rosen, of the University of Toronto Mathematics and Physics Undergraduate Society, whilst Kalman was working at UofT. The two undergraduate students presented the idea of a national conference for students to assemble. At this conference, students will be able to discuss ongoing projects being done at various institutions across the country.

In March, 1965, Rosen sent a letter to 20 universities announcing that “a number of student chapters of the Canadian Association of Physicists in Ontario and Quebec are considering an inter-provincial conference for undergraduate students”. Since it was late in the academic year, the first conference was not held until late 1965 in the new academic year. Because McGill University was able to fund external speakers, it was chosen to be the location of the first conference. The conference proved to be a success!

The CUPC is a completely student run conference. Since CUPC has no official governing body, the conference is planned and executed solely by undergraduate students at the host university. At the end of each conference, a vote is held to determine the location of the next conference and since its inception 50 years ago, the conference has not been in the same location for 2 consecutive years.

The 56th Annual Canadian Undergraduate Physics Conference (CUPC) was hosted online for the first time by Western University in London, ON, from November 5th -8th, 2020.  It returned to an in-person conference in 2022 at the University of Guelph.

A list of the conference locations since the inception of the CUPC in 1965 appears below.

  • 2023 University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Oct. 26-29, 2023
  • 2022 University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Oct. 27-30, 2022
  • 2021 Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Nov. 4-7, 2021  (virtual)
  • 2020 University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Nov. 6-8, 2020  (virtual)
  • 2019 McGill University, Montreal, QC, Nov. 7-10, 2019
  • 2018 University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Aug.15-18, 2018
  • 2017 Carleton University, Ottawa, ON
  • 2016 Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
  • 2015 Trent University, Peterborough, ON
  • 2014 Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
  • 2013 McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • 2012 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
  • 2011 University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
  • 2010 Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
  • 2009 University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
  • 2008 University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • 2007 Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
  • 2006 University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
  • 2005 University of Western Ontario, London, ON
  • 2004 University of Victoria, Victoria, BC
  • 2003 McGill University, Montreal, QC
  • 2002 Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
  • 2001 University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB
  • 2000 Université Laval, Quebec City, QC
  • 1999 University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
  • 1998 Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
  • 1997 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
  • 1996 University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
  • 1995 University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
  • 1994 McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • 1993 University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK
  • 1992 University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON
  • 1991 University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
  • 1990 Université Laval, Quebec City, QC
  • 1989 University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
  • 1988 Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
  • 1987 University of Calgary, Calgary, AB
  • 1986 McGill University, Montreal, QC
  • 1985 University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
  • 1984 University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB
  • 1983 University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • 1982 University of Victoria and Royal Roads Military College, Victoria, BC
  • 1981 Queen’s University and Royal Military College, Kingston, ON
  • 1980 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
  • 1979 University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
  • 1978 Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
  • 1977 University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • 1976 Carleton University, Ottawa, ON
  • 1975 Université Laval, Quebec City, QC
  • l1974 Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC
  • 1973 University of Western Ontario, London, ON
  • 1972 McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • 1971 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
  • 1970 University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
  • 1969 University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
  • 1968 University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB
  • 1967 McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
  • 1966 University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
  • 1965 McGill University (with University of Toronto), Montreal, QC
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