Clyde River History Lectures: Callum Beck, January 31, 1:30 p.m.
Join us for our first lecture this Saturday afternoon and enjoy historical education/discussion and refreshments. The lecture series takes place at the Riverview Community Centre (old schoolhouse) located at 718 Clyde River Road in Clyde River. Make sure to take some time after the lecture to visit our museum room of over 200 artifacts and historical photos.
Saturday, January 31st, 2026 – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. –
Dr. Callum Beck – The Belfast Riot of 1847
On March 1, 1847, Prince Edward Island experienced the second-worst election riot in Canadian history. About 200 Scottish Protestants and 300 Irish Catholics got into a brawl, resulting in at least three men dead and up to 100 others injured. This event set the stage for the hardening of the sectarian conflict between Protestants and Catholics on Prince Edward Island for the next 125 years. The Belfast Riot of 1847 examines the social and political conditions that led to the riot, introduces us to the major players on both sides, provides a detailed account of its unfolding, and takes a nuanced look at who was to blame.
Callum Beck was born and raised in Charlottetown, PEI. He completed a BA in Philosophy at UPEI, a Master of Arts in Religion at Emmanuel School of Religion in Tennessee, and a PhD at Open University in the UK. Professionally he has served as a pastor and sessional faculty at UPEI. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lorraine Beck, and they have three children and six grandchildren.
If you have any questions about this lecture series, please email vivian@eastlink.ca