The local organizing committee of the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Acadian Entomological Society is excited to invite you to join us in beautiful Antigonish, Nova Scotia this June! This page includes the following topics:
- Conference Dates and Location
- Registration and Abstract Submission
- Accommodations and Parking
- Plenary Speaker
- Preliminary Schedule
- Information for Presenters
Conference Dates and Location
Conference Dates
- Social mixer the evening of Thursday 18 June 2026
- Contributed talks and posters Friday 19 June 2026
- Nature walk/hike the morning of Saturday 20 June 2026
- Charles V. Keating Centre at St. Francis Xavier University, 1100 Convocation Blvd, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, B2G 2W5
Registration and Abstract Submission
The registration and abstract submission form will open in April 2026
Abstract Submission Deadline
- Abstracts must be submitted by 5 pm (Atlantic Time) on Friday 29 May 2026
- No late abstracts will be accepted
- The maximum length for abstracts is 150 words
- Presenters: Friday 29 May 2026
- Non-presenters: up to and including Friday 19 June 2026, but registration by Friday 29 May 2026 is appreciated (to ensure accurate estimates for catering)
- Student members: $40
- Student non-members: $50
- Professional members: $90
- Professional non-members: $110
Registration includes attendance at all conference events. Light snacks will be provided at the social mixer on Thursday 18 June 2026, and refreshments will be provided during the main conference day (lunch and at least two coffee/snack breaks). A group dinner on Friday 19 June 2026 will be organized at a local restaurant, but food and beverage costs are not guaranteed to be included in the registration fees (fundraising is in the works!). Transportation to the nature walk/hike on Saturday 20 June 2026 will be via personal vehicles, and the conference organizers will facilitate carpooling.
Accommodations and Parking
On Campus Accommodations
St. Francis Xavier Summer Hotel is pleased to provide AES Conference Attendees with a discount on room rates for any bookings placed on or before Friday 29 May 2026. A limited number of rooms have been set aside, so these room bookings are first-come-first-served.
The rooms are in Governor’s Hall (student residence), which is conveniently a 2 minute walk from the Charles V. Keating Centre. Each booking includes a 2-bedroom suite with 1 double bed in each bedroom, and can accommodate up to 4 people (2 per bedroom) at $149 per night (+HST). Additional information about amenities is available via the link below. Note that the link will automatically propose a stay from 18 – 20 June 2026, but the dates can be changed (e.g., if just staying one night) at the top of the page.
St. Francis Xavier Summer Hotel booking link: https://hotel.stfx.ca/acadian.bnb
Off Campus Accommodations
Antigonish has several hotels that are within a 20-minute walk of the Charles V. Keating Centre, including:
- Maritime Inn Antigonish
- Antigonish Victoria Inn
- Claymore Inn and Suites
- Homeward Inns of Canada
- Microtel Inn & Suites
Accommodations that are further away but still within easy driving distance include:
- Antigonish Evergreen Inn
- Oasis Motel & Campground
- Coastal Inn Antigonish
Conference attendees are welcome to explore other accommodation options, such as camping, VRBO, AirBnB, etc.
Parking
St. Francis Xavier University has ample parking near the Charles V. Keating Centre, and it’s free in the summer months! A campus parking map is available here. P9, P10, and P11 are all close to the Charles V. Keating Centre.
Plenary Speaker
We are pleased to welcome Dr. David McCorquodale as our plenary speaker for this year’s annual meeting. Dr. McCorquodale is a professor emeritus of Cape Breton University and an engaging speaker! Along with many other accomplishments, he was Co-Chair of COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) Arthropods for 4 years and was on the committees that assessed insects in Nova Scotia and Canada. His plenary talk will focus on Species at risk: insects in Atlantic Canada.
Preliminary Schedule
All times are subject to change based on venue availability and the number of contributed talks and posters.
Thursday 18 June 2026
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm: Social mixer (at Candid Brewing)
Friday 19 June 2026
8:30 am – 9:00 am: Registration and coffee/tea
9:00 am – 9:45 am: Opening remarks and plenary talk (Dr. David McCorquodale)
9:45 am – 11:00 am: Contributed talks (regular 12-minute format)
11:00 am – 11:15 am: Coffee/tea and snacks
11:15 am – 12:30 pm: Contributed talks (regular 12-minute format)
12:30 pm – 1:00 pm: Lunch
1:00 pm – 1:15 pm: Contributed talks (short 3-minute format)
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm: Contributed posters
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm: Contributed talks (regular 12-minute format)
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm: Coffee/tea and snacks
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm: Contributed talks (regular 12-minute format)
4:30 pm – 4:45 pm: Closing remarks
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Annual business meeting and prizes
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm: Dinner (at the Justamere Café and Bakery)
Saturday 20 June 2026
9:00 – 11:30 am: Nature hike/walk (off campus)
Information for Presenters
Contributed Talks (Regular and Short)
Format: PowerPoint or PDF presentations are both acceptable. The presentation must be able to run on the presentation laptop, which runs Windows 11 and does not have internet access. Presenters will not be able to present from their personal device(s). Presentation files should be named with the following format: LastName_AES.pptx.
Preparation: Talks must be uploaded to the presentation laptop during the break prior to their session, or earlier (if desired).
Duration: 12-minute (regular) and 3-minute (short) talk options are available. For a 12-minute talk, the presenter is allocated 15 minutes, leaving 2-3 minutes for questions after the talk. For a 3-minute talk, the amount of time allocated for questions will be determined based on the number of talks.
Individuals interested in giving a talk will be asked whether they would prefer a 12-minute or 3-minute talk or have no preference, and will be informed of their talk duration at least 2 weeks prior to the conference.
The conference organizers reserve the right to limit the number of presentations. Those who are at an early stage in their project (e.g., project proposal, preliminary results) are encouraged to choose a poster or 3-minute talk option rather than a 12-minute talk option.
Contributed Posters
Size: Posters should be no more than 36 inches tall and 48 inches wide. Fasteners to attach posters to poster boards will be provided at the conference.
Preparation: Poster presenters may put their posters up any time prior to the poster session on 19 June 2026.
There is no limit to the number of poster presenters.
Awards
President’s Prize for Best Student Presentation: All students completing a regular 12-minute talk are eligible for the “Best Presentation” award, as judged by at least three volunteer AES members. To be considered for the award, presenters must indicate on their registration/abstract submission form that they are interested in being judged for this award.
People’s Choice Award for Best Short Presentation: All presenters giving a 3-minute talk are eligible for the “People’s Choice” award, as determined by anonymous vote by conference attendees. Short presentation presenters will automatically be considered for this award.
President’s Prize for Best Student Poster: All student poster presenters are eligible for the “Best Poster” award, as judged by at least three volunteer AES members. To be considered for the award, presenters must indicate on their registration/abstract submission form that they are interested in being judged for this award.
The Acadian Entomological Society is a registered scientific society whose objectives are to bring about a close association of entomologists and those interested in entomology in the four Atlantic Provinces and the neighbouring New England States, and to cooperate with and to support the Entomological Society of Canada. Founded in 1915, the Society caters to professional entomologists, amateurs, and educators. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in entomology. The Society meets annually, typically in July, and publishes proceedings from these meetings. You can now join the AES online here.
Manuscript Submissions
Members and non-members are invited to submit their manuscripts to the Journal of the Acadian Entomological Society, an electronic refereed scientific journal produced by the Society. Occasional papers, containing information of special interest or taxonomic value that do not fit the terms of reference for publication in the Journal may also be published intermittently.
Rhagoletis pomonella, the apple maggot,
appears on the AES
shield and is the only familiar insect indigenous to the region.