The Provincial Norths: Suggested Readings

 

From Ken Coates and William Morrison, The Forgotten North: A History of Canada’s Provincial Norths (Toronto: James Lorimer, 1992), 133-36.

 

[Please that this text has been scanned and may contain spelling errors.]

 

 Although there exists no previous general history of the Provincial Norths, there are a few books which include an extensive treatment of the region as part of a larger survey of the entire North. Chief among them are two volumes by Morris Zaslow, which are essential sources of material on the region: The Opening of the Canadian North, 1870-1914 (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1967) and The Northward Expansion of Canada, 1914-1967 (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1988). Also invaluable is Robert Bone's The Geography of the Canadian North (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1992). [The most useful bibliographical tool is the volume edited by Coates and Morrison, The Historiography of the Provincial Norths, which serves as an extensive guide to the literature on the individual provinces.]

 

The main difficulty with suggesting sources for the study of the history of the northern parts of the provinces is that the best academic histories of the provinces generally treat their norths in a perfunctory way or not at all. Those books which do deal with the subject, on the other hand, tend to be chronicles written by enthusiasts, which though often engrossing, are not always reliable and almost never analytical. This is by and large true of all the provinces covered in this book. Probably the best works on the early Provincial Norths are those that deal with the fur trade period, such as E. E. Rich's The Fur Trade and the Northwest to 1857 (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1967), and the other numerous works published by the Hudson's Bay Record Society, although these of course deal with only one period of the regions history. It goes without saying that any serious research into the topic must begin with the finding aids in the archives of the individual provinces.

 

Nevertheless, there is a wealth of material on the subject, and some valuable scholarly studies in the periodical literature. The student of British Columbia's Provincial North should consult Father Adrien Morice, Historrt of the Northern Interior of British Columbia, (formerly New Caledonia) (London: John Lane, 1906; reprinted 1978); Robin Fisher, Contact and Conflict: Indian­-European Relations in British Columbia, 1774-1890 (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1977); Jean Barman, The West Beyond the West: A History of British Columbia (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991); G. E. Bowes, ed., Peace River Chronicles (Vancouver: Prescott, 1963); K. S. Coates and W. R. Morrison, The Alaska Highway in World War II: The U.S. Army of Occupation in Canada's Northwest (Norman,' OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992); W. Duff, The Indian History of British Columbia, Vol. I (Victoria: B.C. Provincial Museum, 1965); K. R. Fladmark, "Early Fur-trade Forts of the Peace River Area of British Columbia," BC Studies 65 (1985), 48-65; H. and K. T. McCullum, Caledonia: 100 Years Ahead (Toronto: Anglican Book Centre, 1979); T. Thorner, ed., Sa Ts'e: Historical Perspectives on Northern British Columbia (Prince George: College of New Caledonia, 1989), R. Ridington, Trail to Heaven: Knowledge and Narrative in a Northern Native Community (Vancouver: Douglas and McIntyre, 1988).

 

For Alberta, see Rene Fumoleau, As Long as This Land Shall Last: A History of Treaties 8 and 11 (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1973), James G. MacGregor, A History of Alberta (Edmonton: Hurtig, 1972); E. E. Hoskin, ed., "I Remember" Peace River, Alberta and Adjacent Districts, 1914-1916, Part II (Peace River: The Woman's Institute of Peace River, 1976); R. E. English, "An Economic History of Northern Alberta," Ph.D. thesis, University of Toronto, n.d.; Dene Wodih Society, Wolverine Myths and Visions: Dene Traditions from Northern Alberta (Edmonton: University of Alberta, 1990); P. Driben, We Are Metis: The Ethnography of a Halfbreed Community in Northern Alberta (New York: AMS Press, 1985); Alberta, Northern Development Group, The Econ­omy of Northern Alberta: Bibliography (Edmonton, 1975); R. C. Daniel, "In­dian Rights and Hinterland Resources: The Case of Northern Alberta", MA thesis, University of Alberta, 1977; Co-West Associates, A Social and Economic Overview of Northern Alberta (Edmonton: Northern Alberta Development Council, 1981); Northern Development Branch, Summary of Social and Economic Circumstances, Northern Alberta (Edmonton: Business De­velopment and Tourism, 1977); E. Schneider, Ribbons of Steel: The Story of the Northern Alberta Railways (Calgary: Detselig Enterprises, 1989); J. J. Fitzgerald, Black Gold With Grit: The Alberta Oil Sands (Sidney, B.C.: Gray's Publishing, 1978); D. J. Comfort, The Abscana Fiasco: The Rise and Fall of a Brave Oil Sands Extraction Plant (Edmonton: Freisen Printers, 1980).

 

Saskatchewan's historiography has naturally concentrated on its south­ern agricultural regions. But A. S. Morton, the province's first great historian, did devote a substantial portion of his massive A History of the Canadian West, 2nd ed. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1979) to the fur trade in the northern Prairie provinces. Also invaluable is E. E. Rich and A. M. Johnson, eds., Cumberland House Journals and Inland Journals, 1775-1782, First and Second Series (London: Hudson's Bay Record Society, 14 and 15, 1951 and 1952). See also D. Meyer, "The Prehistory of Northern Saskatchewan" in H. T. Epp and I. Dyck, Tracking Ancient Hunters: Prehistoric Archaeology in Saskatchewan (Regina: Saskatchewan Archaeological Society, 1983); R. Jarvenpa and H. J. Brombach, "The Microeconomics of Southern Chipewyan Fur Trade History," in S. Krech 111, ed., The Subarctic Fur Trade (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1984); J. S. H. Brown and R. Brightman, eds., "The Orders of the Dreamed:" George Nelson oil Cree and Northern Ojibwa Religion and Myth, 1823 (Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1988); H. M. S. Kemp, Northern Trader (London: Jarrolds, 1957); S. A. Keighley, Trader­Tripper-Trapper: The Life of a Bay Man (Winnipeg: Watson and Dwyer, 1989); W. F. Payton, An Historical Sketch of the Diocese of Saskatchewan of the Anglican Church of Canada (n.p., 1974); B. Benoit, "The Mission at Ile a la Crosse," in The Beaver, Winter 1980; G. Abrams, Prince Albert: The First Century, 1866­1966 (Saskatoon: Modern Press, 1966); J. B. Waldram, As Long as the Rivers Run: Hydroelectric Development and Native Communities in Western Canada (Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1988); M. Dobbin, The One-And-A­Half Men: The Story of lint Brady and Malcolm Morris, Metis Patriots of the Twentieth Century (Vancouver: New Star Books, 1981); J. Harding, Aboriginal Rights and Government Wrongs: Uranium Mining and NeoColonialism in Northern Saskatchewan (Regina: University of Regina, 1988).

 

The student looking for sources on the history of northern Manitoba should consult the following: Richard Ens, A Bibliography of Northern Manitoba (Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1991); D. J. Teillet, A Northern Manitoba Bibliography (Ottawa: Department of Regional Economic Expansion, 1979); W. L. Morton, Northern Manitoba (Winnipeg: Government of Manitoba, 1950); G. Dickson, Prehistoric Northern Manitoba (Winnipeg: Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, 1977); A. J. Ray, Indians in the Fur Trade (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1974); Howard Fleming, Canada's Arctic Outlet: A History of file Hudson's Bay Company (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1957); P. D. Elias, Metropolis and Hinterland in Northern Manitoba (Winnipeg: Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature, 1975); G. Malaher, The North 1 Love (Winnipeg: Hyperion Press, 1984); R. Robson, "Flin Flon: A Study of Company-Community Relations in a Single Enter­prise Community," Urban History, Vol. 12, February 1984; R. Robson, "Manitoba's Resource Towns: The Twentieth Century Frontier," LabourlLe Travailleur, Vol. 12 (Autumn, 1983).

 

Like the other provinces, Ontario lacks a comprehensive scholarly history of its northern region. A popular approach to the subject is M. Bray and E. Epp, eds., A Vast and Magnificent Land: An Illustrated History of Northern Ontario (Sudbury and Thunder Bay: Laurentian and Lakehead Universities, 1984), but the region's history must be gleaned from more local and special­ized works. Useful works are K. C. A. Dawson, Prehistory of Northern Ontario (Thunder Bay: Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, 1983); J. G. Kohl, Kitchi-Gaini: Life Among the Lake Superior Ojibway (St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1985); V. P. Lytwyn, The Fur Trade of file Little North: Indians, Pedlars, and Englishmen East of Lake Winnipeg, 1760-1821 (Winnipeg: Rupert's Land Research Centre, University of Winnipeg, 1986); M. Zaslow, "The Dilemmas of the Northern Missionary Diocese: The Case of the Anglican See of Moosonee," Lakehead University Review/Revue de l'Universite laurentienne 11, no. 2; D. Newell, Technology on the Frontier: Mining in Old Ontario (Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press, 1986); P. Smith, Harvest From the Rock: A History of Mining in Ontario (Toronto: Macmillan, 1986); E. Arthur, ed., The Thunder Bay District, 1821-1892 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1973); A. Tucker, Steam Into Wilderness (Toronto: Fitzhenry and Whiteside,1978); O. S. Nock, Algoma and Central Railway (London: Adam & Charles Black, 1975); H. V. Nelles, The Politics of Development: Forests, Mines and Hydro-Electric Power in Ontario, 1849-1941 (Toronto: Macmillan, 1974); R. S. Lambert and P. Pross, Renewing Nature's Wealth: A Centennial History of the Public Management of Lands, Forests, and Wildlife in Ontario, 1763-1967 (n.p.: Ontario Department of Land and Forests, 1967); 1. Radforth, Bushworkers and Bosses: Logging in Northern Ontario, 1900-1980 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1987); B. W. Hodgins and J. Benedickson, The Temagami Experience: Recreation, Resources, and Aboriginal Rights in the Northern Ontario Wilderness (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989); M. Zaslow, "Does Northern Ontario Possess a Regional Identity?" Lakehead University Re­view/Revue de l' l'Universite laurentienne 5, no. 4; G. Weller, "Hinterland Politics: The Case of Northern Ontario," Canadian Journal of Political Science, 10, no. 4.

 

Quebec has a substantial literature in both official languages, much of it recently on the James Bay project. A good introduction to the subject may be found in D. Francis and T. Morantz, Partners in Fur: A History of the Fur Trade in Eastern James Bay, 1600-1870 (Kingston and Montreal: McGill­-Queen's University Press, 1983); E. S. Rogers, The Quest for Food and Furs: The Mistassini Cree, 1953-,54 (Ottawa: National Museum of Man, 1973); F. G. Speck, Naskapi: The Savage Hunters of the Labrador Peninsula (Ottawa: National Museum of Man, 1973); A. P. Low, Report on Explorations in James' Bay and Country) East of Hudson Bay, Drained by the Great Whale and Clearwater River (Montreal: W. F. Brown, 1888); Quebec, Colonisation, Mines, et Pecheries: Ex­traits de rapports sur le district d'Ungava recemment annexe a la province de Quebec et constituent le Nouveau Quebec (Quebec: E. E. T. R. Moore, 1929); ed., Future Directions for Research in Nouveau Quebec (Montreal: Centre for Northern Studies and Research, McGill University, 1984); "La colonisation du Nouveau Quebec," Societe de Geographie de Quebec, Bulletin 20, 4-5 (juil.-dec. 1926); M. Brochu, Le Defi du Nouveau-Quebec: la question equimaude,la situation economique presence necessaire de Quebec (Montreal: Editions du Jour, 1962); N. Roidand, Les Inuit du Nouveau-Quebec et la Convention de la Baie James  (Quebec: Association Inuksiutiit Katimajiit et Centre d'Etudes Nordiques, Universite Laval, 1978); R. MacGregor, Chief The Fearless Vision of Billy) Dia­mond (Markham, Ont.: Viking, 1989); Vincent, and G. Bowers, eds., Baie James et Nord Quebecois: Dix Ans Apres (Montreal: Recherches Amerindiennes au Quebec,1988); I. E. LaRusic, Negotiating a Way of Life: Initial Cree Experience with the Administrative Structure Arising from the James Bay Agreement (Ottawa: Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, 1979).

 

Perhaps because Labrador is geographically separate from the rest of Newfoundland, there are several books that deal specifically with it as a distinct region. But most general histories of the province - the first two volumes of J. R. Smallwood's The Book of Newfoundland (St. John's: Newfoundland Book Publishers, 1937), for instance, include little material on Labrador. Useful sources are A. Cooke and F. Caron, Bibliography of the Quebec-Labrador Peninsula (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1968); R. Budgell, A Survey of Labrador Material in Newfoundland and Labrador Archives (Goose Bay: Labrador Institute of Northern Studies, 1985); W. G. Gosling's Labrador (London: A. Rivers, 1910); J. Tuck, Newfoundland and Labrador Prehistory (Ottawa: National Museum of Man,1976); G. Cartwright, Transactions and Events, During a Residence of Seventeen Years on the Coast of Labrador (Newark [U.K.]: Allin and Ridge, 3 vols., 1792); H.Y. Hind, Explorations in the Interior of the Labrador Peninsula (London: Longman, Roberts & Green, 1863); G. Henriksen, Hunters in the Barrens (St. John's: Institute of Social and Economic Research, Memorial University, 1973); P. Armitage, The Innu (The Naskapi-Montagnais) (New York: Chelsea House, 1991); M. Wadden, Nitassinan (Vancouver: Douglas and McIntvre, 1991); H. A. Innis, The Cod Fisheries: The History of an International Eeouomy (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1978); Periodical Accounts (Moravian Mission Board, 1790-1970­); F. W. Peacock, Reflections From a Snowhouse (St. John's: Jesperson Press, 1986); N. Smith, Fifty-Tzoo Years at the Labrador Fishery (London: A. H. Stockwell, 1936); R. Geren and B. McCullogh, Cain's Legacy: The Building of the Iron Ore Company of Canada (Sept-Iles: Iron Ore Company of Canada, 1990); P. Smith, Brinco: The Story of Churchill Falls (Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1975); M. B. Loder, Daughter of Labrador (St. Johns: H. Cuff, 1989); R. Rompkey, Grenfell of Labrador (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1991).