Power from the North

Territory, Identity, and the Culture of Hydroelectricity in Quebec

Häftad, Engelska, 2014

509 kr

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In the 1970s, Hydro-Québec declared in a publicity campaign "We Are Hydro-Québécois." The slogan symbolized the extent to which hydroelectric development in the North had come to both reflect and fuel French Canada's aspirations. The slogan helped Quebecers relate to the province's northern territory and to accept the exploitation of its resources.In Power from the North, Caroline Desbiens explores how this culture of hydroelectricity helped shape the landscape during the first phase of the James Bay hydroelectric project. Policy makers and citizens did not, she argues, view those who built the dams as mere workers – they saw them as pioneers in a previously uninhabited land now inscribed with the codes of culture and spectacle. This insightful work shows that if Quebec hopes to engage in truly sustainable resource development, all actors must bring an awareness of their cultural histories and visions of nature, North, and nation to the negotiating table.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2014-01-01
Mått152 x 229 x 20 mm
Vikt460 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
SerieNature | History | Society
Antal sidor312
FörlagUniversity of British Columbia Press
ISBN9780774824170
UtmärkelserShort-listed for Canada Prize in the Social Sciences, Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences 2015 (Canada)

Tillhör följande kategorier

Foreword: Ideas of North / Graeme WynnIntroduction: Looking NorthPart 1: Power and the North1 The Nexus of Hydroelectricity in Quebec2 Discovering a New World: James Bay as Eeyou IstcheePart 2: Writing the Land3 Who Shall Convert the Wilderness into a Flourishing Country?4 From the Roman de la Terre to the Roman des RessourcesPart 3: Rewriting the Land5 Pioneers6 Workers7 SpectatorsConclusion: Ongoing Stories and Powers from the NorthNotesSelected BibliographyIndex

Caroline Desbiens explores the nexus of hydroelectricity, Québécois identity, and the cultural narratives that are used by southern Québécois to justify resource development in the northern regions of the province. The result is a wonderfully personal and critical reflection on the culture of hydroelectricity in Québec and "the importance of reading economic development through a cultural lens." [It] is an excellent new contribution to the Nature History Society series from UBC Press. It connects beautifully with the other books in the series and will compliment work on the ways in which people conceptualize and transform the north through material, and particularly discursive, formations.- Morgan Moffitt, Department of Anthropology, University of Alberta (Journal of Polar Record)