New Book Available:
Canada's Changing North, Revised edition
By William C. Wonders
For more information see:
http://www.mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=1658
An overview of the physical and cultural nature of the Canadian North
and the great changes that have occurred in recent decades.
When Canada's Changing North was first published in 1971, it quickly
became a popular and reliable overview of the geography and culture of
the Canadian North. In the three decades since it first appeared, great
changes have occurred in this huge region that makes up two thirds of
Canada's total area. This revised and expanded edition provides a new
generation with a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the
Canadian North and outlines how this region has become increasingly
integrated into both the Canadian national fabric and the world.
Among the many recent developments explored in Canada's Changing North
is the legal recognition of aboriginal rights by the Canadian state,
which has led directly to significant increases in their political and
economic power. It also examines how economic development, which has
long focused on non-renewable natural resources, particularly minerals,
has grown to an enormous scale. Development of arctic oil and gas, which
hinges on world supplies and national and international politics, has
meant major changes across the North. Some of the new national parks in
the Canadian North are already under threat from mineral development.
Northern tourism has made it possible for a wide variety of affluent
visitors to visit hitherto remote areas, affecting the ecology. The
final selection, on northern challenges, discusses critical issues such
as the impact of climatic change, the social needs (e.g. housing,
education) of a rapidly increasing aboriginal population, environmental
protection of unique regions, and defence of Arctic sovereignty. Of the
sixty-two readings in this edition, forty-one are new.
William C. Wonders is University Professor and professor emeritus of
geography, University of Alberta.