Description
Book SynopsisAlong the east shore of Ontario's Georgian Bay lie the Thirty Thousand Islands, a granite archipelago scarred by glaciers, where the white pines cling to the ancient rock, twisted and bent by the west wind -- a symbol of a region where human history has been shaped by the natural environment. Over the last four centuries, the Bay has been visited by some of the most famous figures in Canadian history, from Samuel de Champlain to the Group of Seven. This book traces the history of Canadians' reactions to and interactions with this distinctive and often intractable landscape.
Claire Campbell draws from recent work in cultural history, landscape studies in geography and art history, and environmental history to explore what happens when external agendas confront local realities -- a story central to the Canadian experience. Explorers, fishermen, artists, and park planners all were forced to respond to the unique contours of this inland sea; their encounters defined a regional ide
Trade Review
Campbell gives a well-reasoned and reflective yet unromanticized account of a place that has captivated many people for centuries (herself and myself included). Her prose is crisp and fluid, and the book is a true pleasure to read. -- Nik Luka * University of Toronto Quarterly, Vol. 75, No. 1, Winter 2006 *
Table of Contents
Foreword: Of Canoes and Pines and Rock-Bound Gardens / Graeme Wynn
Introduction: Writing a History of Place
1 “What word of this curious country”: Surveying the Historical Landscape
2 “A Region of Importance”: Industry and Land Use
3 “A Vivid Reminder of a Vanished Era”: Imagining Natives and History in a Terre Sauvage
4 Rocks and Reefs: The Culture of an Inland Sea
5 “Our Dear North Country”: Developing a Sense of Place
6 “Some Proper Rule”: Managing and Protecting Georgian Bay Conclusion: Listening to the Bay
Notes
Bibliography
Index
