Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles

• R. Michael McGregor, Jack Lucas, Chris Erl, and Cameron Anderson. Forthcoming. “Understanding support for Municipal Political Parties: Evidence from Canada” Urban Affairs Review. Accepted, publication pending.

• Chris Erl, R. Michael McGregor, Jack Lucas, and Cameron Anderson. 2023. “Resentment and Admiration: Public Opinion Toward Teachers and Public Sector Employees in Ontario.” Canadian Journal of Education 46 (3): 597–627.

• Chris Erl, Benjamin Forest, and Mike Medeiros. 2022. “‘Reckless, Cavalier, Dismissive, Petty and Vengeful’?: The Impact of Municipal Constituency Change on Candidate Diversity.” Political Geography 99: 102788.

• Chris Erl. 2021. “The People and The Nation: The ‘Thick’ and the ‘Thin’ of Right‐Wing Populism in Canada.” Social Science Quarterly 102 (1): 107–24.

• Mike Medeiros, Benjamin Forest, and Chris Erl. 2019. “Where Women Stand: Parliamentary Candidate Selection in Canada.” Politics, Groups & Identities 7 (2): 389–400.

Peer-Reviewed Chapters

• Chris Erl. Forthcoming. “The School Board Archipelago: Participation in School Board Elections in Canada” Political Engagement in Canadian City Elections, R. Michael McGregor and Laura B. Stephenson, eds. Montreal: McGill-Queen’s University Press. Accepted, publication pending.

Policy Options

• Chris Erl, Jack Lucas, R. Michael McGregor. 2023. “Do Ontarians want political parties in municipal elections?” Policy Options

• Colin Scott, Mike Medeiros, Chris Erl. 2018. “Candidate recruitment in municipal elections,” Policy Options.

Select Editorials

• Chris Erl. 2023. “Anger cannot build society, it can only tear down” Hamilton Spectator, September 21, 2023

• Chris Erl. 2023. “Registry for advocates to host homeless people is more talking point than solution” Hamilton Spectator, May 30, 2023

• Chris Erl. 2021. “Hamilton’s local democracy is in trouble,” Hamilton Spectator, February 10, 2021

• Chris Erl. 2020. “Hamilton needs more wards, not fewer,” Hamilton Spectator, October 3, 2020

• Chris Erl. 2020. “Hamilton must be open to learning from the neighbours,” Hamilton Spectator, June 9, 2020

• Chris Erl. 2019. “Curbing Hamilton’s rising tide of hatred,” Hamilton Spectator, July 4, 2019

Teaching Experience

Instructor

McMaster University

• Political Science 4UP3: Urban Politics in the Post-Industrial Era: Hamilton & Detroit (Winter/Spring, 2022)

McGill University

• Geography 216: Cities in the Modern World (Winter/Spring, 2021 & 2020)

• Geography 316: Political Geography (Fall, 2018)

Teaching Assistant

McMaster University

• Labour Studies 1C03E: Voices of Work, Resistance, and Change (Fall, 2012)

McGill University

• Geography 217: Cities in the Modern World (Winter/Spring, 2017)

• Geography 315: Transportation Geography (Winter/Spring, 2018)

• Geography 316: Political Geography (Fall 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2021)

• Geography 420: Memory, Place, and Power (Winter/Spring, 2018 & 2020; Fall, 2021)

Select Guest Lectures and Talks

Toronto Metropolitan University

• Planning 535 - “Frats, Flops, and Faculty: The physical, social, and cultural impact of student housing on existing communities” (2015)

MCGILL UNIVERSITY

• Geography 316 - “Local Democracy and Municipal Government” (2017, 2019, 2020, 2021)

• Political Science 410 - “Municipal Political Parties and Non-partisanship in Canada” (2018, 2019)

Select Conference Participation

Canadian Political Science Association (CPSA)

• Chris Erl. 2023. “The Culture Wars: Yours to Discover? Understanding the role of the “culture wars” over education in the 2022 Ontario Provincial Election.” Paper presented at the CPSA AGM in May 2023

• Panel Participant – Candidates, Nominations, and Representation at the CPSA AGM in June 2019

Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship (CSDC)

• Chris Erl, R. Michael McGregor, Jack Lucas, and Cameron Anderson. 2023. “Resentment and Admiration: Public Opinion Toward Teachers and Public Sector Employees in Ontario.” Paper presented at the CSDC/C-DEM Forum on Democratic Citizenship in May 2023

• Chris Erl. 2017. “There’s a Party at City Hall: Political Party Organization and Candidate Diversity in Canadian Municipal Elections” Paper presented at the CSDC Graduate Student Conference

Canadian Association of Geographers (CAG)

• Chris Erl. 2019. “There’s a Party at City Hall: Political Party Organization and Candidate Diversity in Canadian Municipal Elections” Paper presented at the CAG AGM in March 2017

• Panel Participant - “Lost Histories and Municipal Politics: Reflections at the 150th Anniversary of Confederation” at the Canada@150 Roundtable, Historical Geography Working Group at the CAG AGM in March 2017

American Association of Geographers (AAG)

• Chris Erl. 2019. “There’s a Party at City Hall: Political Party Organization and Candidate Diversity in Canadian Municipal Elections” Paper presented at the AAG AGM in 2019

Research Positions

Research Assistant Positions

MCGILL UNIVERSITY

• Special Research Assistant (Sociology), Prof. Shelley Clark (2019)

• Faculty Research Assistant (Geography), Prof. Benjamin Forest (2016-2018)

Toronto Metropolitan University

• Faculty Research Assistant (Planning), Prof. Matthias Sweet (2015)

MCMaster UNIVERSITY

• Special Project Researcher (Canadian Automotive Policy Partnership), Dean Charlotte Yates, Prof. Wayne Lewchuk, Prof. Brendan Sweeney (2013-2014)

Research Papers

Completed Research Papers

“There’s a Party at City Hall: Municipal Political Organization and Pathways to Power”, - Ph.D. dissertation, supervised by Dr. Benjamin Forest (June, 2022)

“‘Hiding in the bushes’: The Social and Political Dynamics in Near-Campus Communities and the Case of Student Housing in Hamilton, Ontario," - Graduate Final Research Project, supervised by Dr. Jackie Begley (April, 2016)

 “‘You Know What We Stand For’: The Divisions, Personalities, and Experiments of Organized Labour in Hamilton’s Municipal Elections, 1933 – 1985,” - Graduate Final Research Project, supervised by Dr. Don Wells (August, 2013)

“Mothers and Writers and Reds: Women in Hamilton Municipal Politics from 1931 to 1963,” - Undergraduate Final Research Project, supervised by Dr. John Weaver (April, 2012)

Grants, Awards, Scholarships

Grants

Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

• Post Doctoral Fellowship (2022-2024) – $90,000

• Doctoral Award (2018-2021) – $80,000

Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship (CSDC)

• Student Research Grant (2020) – $1,000

Awards

• Jack Layton Essay Prize for a Better Canada (2020) – $3,500

• McGill Graduate Engagement Fund Dissertation Writing Award (2020) – $4000

• McGill Graduate Excellence Award (2016) – $7,000

• Ryerson University Class of 2011 Studio Award (2016) – $500

• Ryerson Graduate Fellowship (2016) – $2,000

• Ryerson University Entrance Scholarship (2014) – $4,000

• McMaster University Graduate Entrance Scholarship (2012) – $3,000

Professional Associations

• Member of the Canadian Association of Geographers

• Member of the American Association of Geographers

• Member of the American Political Science Association

• Student member of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Citizenship

Extracurricular Activities

Member, Strathcona Community Council (2020 - 2023)

Co-President, McGill University Geography Graduate Society (2018 – 2020)

Guest pundit, Cable 14 Hamilton’s City Matters (2016 – 2017)

Member of the Hamilton LGBTQ+ Citizen’s Advisory Committee (2012 – 2016)

Member of Hamilton Participatory Budgeting Organizing Committee (2013, 2015)

Chair, Hamilton Pride (2014)

Candidate, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board of Trustees (2013, 2014)

Faculty Representative, McMaster Student Union (2011 – 2012)

Member of the McMaster Silhouette Editorial Board (2010 – 2011)

Community Columnist, Hamilton Mountain News (2007 – 2010)