Western Division, Canadian Association of Newsletter

Geographers Fall 2004

other

Dr. Hester Jiskoot, University of Lethbridge, records a measurem ent from the medial moraine of Shackleton Glacier with a large tributary icefall as her backdrop. The ridge in the background is a part of Mt Rhodes (3,063m). The total station may be the best traveled “member” of the department. Last summ er it went from the Fincastle bison kill-site near Taber to the Tel Beth Shemesh excavation in Israel, then jetted back to Canada and helicoptered to Shackleton Glacier.

(Photo taken by Dr. Hester Jiskoot, with a timer, on August 15, 2004)

elements you should be aware of: President’s Report to the Executive Total CAG membership has risen to almost WDCAG – June 2004 1000. Good news but…we feel that the profile Finally back at my desk here in The Hat – of our discipline still needs attention. To that so much to relate to you all. A grand tour of the end, a countrywide “publicity” is being sought. southwestern USA (my annual field course) in There will be efforts made to solidify media May was followed by the CAG meetings in links and elevate the profile of geography. Moncton. The executive has been busy this last Please, if any news stories are printed in your year. Many of you have probably visited the local papers, send them along to Valerie Shoffey revamped website – if not it is at in Montreal – email: [email protected] http://www.cag-acg.ca/ A search for a new editor of The Canadian Our executive meetings have raised Geographer will be an upcoming issue. 2

Lawrence Berg (Univ. of BC – Okanagan) will coming representative has only attended the step down next year. A search process will be second meeting. Hopefully this will give the announced along with “job description” and “newbies” the “heads up” on what the issues are “requirements” of the undertaking. Additionally, and how the executive conducts itself. the executive will examine the relationships The executive reviewed the CAG’s between the editor, the editorial board and the participation in a number of other CAG executive. It seems that the relationships “geographical” organizations (IGU, HSSFC, have never been entirely “codified”. That’s the NRC, CNC for example). Members have been ultimate goal. appointed to represent our interests in each of An executive representative for the the relevant organizations. Province of Quebec (but not full regional status) The CAG is trying to encourage student should be in place for next year’s AGM in participation at regional meetings through a London, Ontario (UWO). $1500 grant to each division directed towards I found out that the CAG does not have a student travel to local AGMs (Ontario, Prairie formal archivist – nor has there ever been and Atlantic are all held in the Fall). Each provision for one. We are the only division that division is free to disburse this money in any has one. The executive is hurriedly trying to manner they see fit. Over the fall, we should rectify the situation and hopes to consult with explore the manner in which we should spend the WDCAG’s present - Ken Favrholdt (UNBC this money – we will have the examples from and UCC) and past – Len Evenden (SFU) to back east, so for U. of Lethbridge meeting we help create such a position. In the interim please should have a system in place - any ideas? do not throw out anything that you think may be Please let us all know of them. relevant to the history of the CAG – yours may be the only copy in existence. I feel we all owe a debt to André Roy (U. de Montréal); as outgoing President of the CAG A number of CAG executive positions will the last couple of years he has really made a need to be filled next year. A search committee difference. Especially evident are his has been struck to try to make the process more contributions in increasing membership of an election – rather than the “appointment” (especially student), abetting Quebec’s re- process it has been in the past. Some of you can integration, and starting the regional travel expect to be contacted to see if you have any grants. He has injected a new enthusiasm and interest in running for: Vice-President (to flair to the Executive. assume Presidency in 2006), Secretary- Treasurer and two Councilor-at-Large positions. The U. de Moncton and Mount Allison Diane Draper’s (U of C) term comes to a close organizing committee should also be lauded. but Greg Halseth (UNBC) has another year to There were 376 registrants at the May meeting, serve. The committee will be making an effort 155 were students. They showed how a smaller to ensure equitability (gender, regional institution can really produce and excellent affiliation, position in the profession, sub- meeting. The Western Division was well disciplinary interests) among executive represented with participants from our far west members. (UVic and Kwantlen), far north (Northern Next AGM a new policy will be launched Lights), almost prairie (Medicine Hat) as well as that encourages a smoother transition of BC’s interior (UNBC, UCC, UBC-O), valleys regional representation. The incoming regional (UCFV) and our big cities (U of C, Mount president (in our case Neil Hanlon, UNBC) will Royal, U of A, Capilano College, UBC and be funded to attend the entire CAG week; she/he SFU) – sorry if I missed anyone. will attend the initial executive meeting as a So, this is just a look at what the CAG non-voting observer. The out-going executive did/tried to accomplish. It gives the representative also attends this meeting (as a WDCAG executive a little bit to do before voting member), but the latter will not attend the March. I hope that you all have good summer second executive meeting. In the past, the in- seasons, get back to me with any questions/ 3

beefs and some of you will be hearing from me and continues to pursue his research on farm- individually. level response to variation in agro-climatic Submitted by Ben Moffat. conditions. Dr. Robert Rogerson is the current Chair of the Department and continues his research on coulees in southern Alberta. Dr. Nobuyuki Takahashi, of Hokkai Gakuen University in Sapporo, is spending his year of research leave in the department. His interests are highland geomorphology and ecology although he plans to extend his research into areas glaciated by continental ice. Dr. Shawn Bubel worked on two large research projects this past year. One is in our own backyard at the Fincastle bison killsite. Twenty-six students worked on the SSHRC- funded DlOx5 excavation during the months of May and August, uncovering thousands of bison bones, along with numerous flakes and projectile points connected with the Sonota culture. Interestingly, over 90% of the lithic Dr. J. Lewis Robinson is presented with the Meritorious material is Knife River Flint, which comes from Service Award by Dr. Len Evenden. North Dakota.

University of Lethbridge In June and July eighteen students joined The Department of Geography at The Shawn in Israel, where they excavated at Tel University of Lethbridge continues to Beth Shemesh. This year's excavation focused consolidate its strong position at the university. on the transition from the Late Bronze age to the Our faculty contingent numbers 17, we now Iron Age (1300-1200 BC), to ascertain the boast a total of 21 fine graduate students, and ethnicity of the Israelites. (Were they Hebrew well over 120 undergraduates have chosen to slaves who escaped from Egypt or local become geography majors. All this in a province Canaanites who made a few cultural changes?) that does not teach geography at the secondary Preliminary evidence points to a local level! Dr. Walter Aufrecht is back in the adaptation. department after a year of leave. Walter is Dr. James Byrne has concluded a four-year delighted to report that Noah V. Honch who term as a National Theme Leader in Watershed earned a B.Sc. in archeology at the University of Resource Management and Member of the Lethbridge in 2001 with Great Distinction and Research Management Committee (RMC) of was awarded the Gold Medal in Science, has the Canadian Water Network (CWN/RCE), a subsequently been awarded a Master in federally funded Network of Centres of Theological Studies (Harvard Divinity School, Excellence. He has been a national leader since 2003), Master of Arts (Oxford, 2004, with the network was first conceived in 2001. Jim is Distinction) and has begun doctoral work at currently leading climate change projects on Oxford. downscaling future precipitation scenarios for Our faculty have a number of exciting western Canada; and assessing climate change research programs under way. Dr. Rene impacts on runoff and water supply in the Barendregt began a second term as Associate Okanagan Basin, B.C. Finally, the Water Under Dean of Arts and Science while continuing his Fire Television series, a seven part treatise on research on the paleomagnetism of Quaternary the state of Canada water resources, is sediments and volcanic units, especially in the scheduled for broadcast on five Canadian Yukon. Dr. Tom Johnston is President of the networks this winter. The series, produced by University of Lethbridge Faculty Association Byrne and Gallant Productions, Lethbridge, and 4

co-produced by Dr. Richard Mrazek (Associate Dr. Stefan Kienzle is working on the Dean of Research in Education at Lethbridge) impacts of climate change on water resources in was filmed on locations from coast to coast and southern Alberta. Alpine snow pack estimates, into the far north in 2003 and 2004. For more important for water resources planning, are information on Water Under Fire, see significantly improved by integrating digital http://waterunderfire.com. elevation models, shading effects of mountains, lapse rates and radiation budgets on a 100m by Dr. Craig Coburn has designed, developed 100m grid cell system. Stefan is also working and built a goniometer for use with Dr. Derek on a trend analysis of low water flows, and he Peddle’s spectroradiometer, The instrument will has developed a new evaluation method of be used to measure hemispherical canopy watershed recovery after a drought by carrying reflectance and to determine bi-directional out detailed analysis of the speed of reflectance distribution functions for a variety of hydrographic recession. vegetation canopy types. Craig has also begun the testing phase of an airborne digital remote Academic Assistants Suzan Lapp and sensing system that he is developing and Jacqueline Montain have taken responsibility building himself. His multispectral remote for a dditional lab courses including Geology sensing system uses extended infrared and and Glaciology. Highlights of the past academic visible video cameras and high performance year included the third offering of the highly image capture hardware to create multispectral successful ‘Education 4210: Curriculum images. The current configuration includes six Development Seminar – Geographic different image bands imaging the 400 to 1200 Information Science in Urban and Natural nm region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Environments’. First offered in 2002 with support from the Canadian Council on In the summer of 2004, Dr. Hester Jiskoot Geographic Education, summer 2004 saw this led an NSERC-funded field research program innovative course operating at near capacity on Shackleton Glacier on the Clemenceau with 20 undergraduate and graduate Education Icefield of the BC Rockies. In August, her students, who explored the use of geographic research team measured ice flow velocities and information system software and global strain rates of the glacier to quantify tributary- positioning receivers in K-12 classrooms. trunk interactions. She also measured surface Suzan Lapp attended the Canadian Water roughness of different flow units, in order to Network Workshop where she participated in a ground-truth ASTER satellite image data of detailed study of the Grand River Watershed, glaciers in this region. This is the first known exploring the impacts of population on this field research on any of the Clemenceau Icefield valuable resource, and bringing back many new glaciers. ideas that could be incorporated into our current Dr. Dan Johnson joined the University in course offerings. January 2004 as a Tier-I Canada Research Chair Jacqueline Montain attended the Southwest in Sustainable Grassland Ecosystems as a Alberta Teachers Association Convention in member of the Department of Geography and February, making a presentation along with Dr. affiliated with the Water Institute for Semi-arid Stefan Kienzle and Dr. Rick Mrazek Ecosystems (WISE). Dan began new projects (Education) to promote the integration of on grassland biogeography and ecology of the Geographic Information Science in K-12 food web relationships of insects, plants, teaching and to introduce practicing teachers to microbes, and birds, including species at risk our Education 4210 course. such as the Burrowing Owl, while also being an Dr. Matthew Letts is studying the impact of active participant in newly initiated research on microclimatic variation on photosynthesis water quality, watershed ecology and aquatic processes right here in the Lethbridge coulees. ecology. Dr. Johnson is also involved in the He set up weather stations in May of this year Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Water Research on south-facing and north-facing slopes, to (AICWR) within the Watersheds Theme. characterize microclimatic and pedoclimatic 5

extremes. Preliminary results show that Silver SSHRC-funded Multidisciplinary A b ori gi nal Sagebrush and Skunkbush Sumac are capable of Program study of employment structure and extremely high rates of photosynthesis and diversity of First Nations communities on the transpiration when soil moisture availability is prairies. He continues to work on the social high. Rather than conserving moisture to ecology of neighbourhood privatization in cities, survive in an arid environment, they and was an invited speaker at the International photosynthesize rapidly early in the season. Research Network on Gated Communities Matt also traveled to Cundinamarca, Colombia conference in New Orleans. Ivan is currently this summer, where he established a high working with colleagues in Health Sciences on a altitude weather station in tropandean ‘paramo’ study of the health implications of "community and studied photosynthesis processes in a resiliency" in rural communities. He also hemiparasitic mistletoe and its host plant. On continues to work on the link between the route to Cundinamarca, where he is experiential structure of community, well-being, collaborating with Corporación Regional de and civility in both urban and rural Cundinamarca and the International Center for communities. He was the recipient of a Tropical Agriculture, Matt presented a paper on University of Lethbridge Book Award for light limitation as a control on cloud forest Monitoring Cities: International Perspectives, a productivity in the north-west Andes of South valuable collection that is available for purchase America at the Miami conference of the through the department. Association for Tropical Biology and Dr. Wei Xu visited China again this past Conservation. summer. In Shanghai, he presented “Dynamics Dr. Ian MacLachlan is back from a year at of Shanghai’s spatial restructuring in an era of globalization” at the International Conference the Centre of Canadian Studies at the University st of Edinburgh. Ian visited departments of on Urban Changes in the 21 Century, held at geography through the length of the British Isles East China Normal University. Dr. Xu also and advanced his research in the areas of visited the Changbaishan Biosphere Reserve in humane slaughter and the nineteenth century Jilin Province, where he attended a workshop on origins of the meat processing industry, possibly China’s Capacity for Carbon Sequestration, the most closely regulated of any manufacturing organized by a University of Toronto CIDA sector. Ian is now working on contemporary project team. As an invited specialist, Dr. Xu issues related to the beef commodity chain in presented a paper on “Impact of agricultural to the wake of the BSE crisis of 2003. forest land conversion: the case of Changbaishan, China.” Dr. Derek Peddle has been appointed the Finally, all members of the department are PARC-WISE Research Professor in Climate looking forward to hosting our colleagues at the Change, a 3 year appointment through the Water upcoming annual WDCAG meeting to be held Institute for Semi Arid Ecosystems (WISE, at the University of Lethbridge in March 11-12, based at the University of Lethbridge: 2005. http://www.waterinstitute-wise.ca for which he Submitted by Ian MacLachlan. is also Scientific Director), and the Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC, based in Regina). He has also been appointed University of Alberta at Camrose the University of Lethbridge Theme Leader of Major changes occurred this past summer at Watersheds in the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for our institution. On July 1, Augustana University Water Research College officially merged with the University of (http://www.albertaingenuity.ca), a 5 year $11M Alberta. We are now called the Augustana initiative involving the Universities of Faculty, as part of the University of Alberta's Lethbridge, Calgary and Alberta. Derek Camrose campus. We will continue to offer an continues to serve on the Board of Governors expanded selection of liberal arts and sciences and Senate of the University. undergraduate degree programs. In the long Dr. Ivan Townshend has completed a term, site plans have been developed to envision 6 a campus that can accommodate 2000 students. whi ch is a nonprofit organization working with In the short term, this may involve construction individuals, organizations and communities to of a new library and performing arts centre. I create a national network of information and don't know what this merger means for future communication concerning rural and remote institutional contributions to this newsletter. health issues, promote policies and programs Administratively, Geography is now part of designed to achieve and sustain good health and the Department of Science, along with biology, health care in rural and remote areas, and chemistry, mathematics, physics, and computing empower people to identify solutions to rural science. Augustana will continue to offer a and remote health concerns. minor in geography and contribute to the Neil also gave a presentation at the BC existing BSc in Environmental Science. A new Aging Research Network (BCARN) BA in Environmental Studies is in the approval Consultation Meeting in Prince George on process. We look forward to making new links population aging research that he is currently between our Camrose campus and the undertaking in northern BC. The BCARN is one Edmonton campus. Faculty member, Glen of eight research networks being supported by Hvenegaard, and Physical Education colleague, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Morten Asfeldt, co-edited a special issue of Research. Pathways: Ontario Journal of Outdoor In September, Catherine Nolin was elected Education on technology developing to the Board of Directors for the Prince George relationships with nature. Glen also had a paper Imm igrant and Multicultural Services Society on Bird Festivals published in Recent Advances (IMSS) for a 2-year term. and Research Updates. Glen is part of the Battle Catherine was also invited to present her River Watershed Stakeholder Advisory Group, ongoing research on immigration and settlement with a mandate to make recommendations to the in BC's northern communities at the 3rd Annual government on water allocations in the basin. Steelhead Seminar in Smithers, BC, which is Submitted by Glen Hvenegaard. organized by UNBC's Political Science [email protected] (or program. This year's seminar brought together [email protected]) or visit our website: academics, regional mayors, municipal and www.augustana.ca/departments/geography. regional government representatives as well as immigration service providers and community University of Northern B.C. organization representatives. At the end of October, Catherine traveled to Faculty News: Guelph, Ontario with graduate students Jacqui Gail Fondahl is on sabbatical for the fall Stephens, Jenn Reade, and Sandi Paradis for the term at Edinburgh University’s Institute of Congress of the Canadian Association of Latin Geography, working on a monograph on American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS) to indigenous land rights in post-Soviet Russia. present three papers in two linked sessions Kevin Hall is on sabbatical from July 1st, entitled: "Guatemala: Scenarios of War and 2004 until June 30th, 2005 undertaking research Peace, I and II." on the weathering of San cave art in southern Deb Straussfogel is Acting Chair of the Africa. Geography and RRT programs during Gail Governor General Adrienne Clarkson Fondahl's sabbatical in Scotland, July to visited UNBC's Prince George campus on December 2004. Wednesday, October 6th. Her Excellency, along Roger Wheate presented and chaired a with Geography's Greg Halseth, Mayor Colin session at the International Cartographic Kinsley, and Paul Michel (Director of UNBC's Association workshop on high mountain First Nations Centre) participated in the panel cartography in Vall de Núria, Catalunya discussion moderated by Anthropology (Catalonia, Spain), 29 September to 2 October professor Jim MacDonald. 2004. Neil Hanlon is the new President of The Canadian Rural and Remote Health Association 7

Graduate Student News: University College of the Cariboo Joanna Kafarowski (Ph.D candidate, Geography at the University College of the NRES- Geography) secured formal support of Cariboo (UCC) has gone through quite a the Nunavik Nutrition and Health Committee metamorphosis since November 2003. We have and Pauktuutit Inuit Women's Association -- the seen two of our senior instructors retire; we two partners for her doctoral research -- and is have survived our second departmental review currently negotiating with potential fieldwork with, shall I say, flying colours; we have broken communities in Nunavik. Joanna presented a off from our colleagues in Sociology and paper on "Indigenous research methodologies in Anthropology to form our own, independent a Canadian context" at the Northern Feminist Department of Geography; we have hired four University in Steigen, Norway earlier this new Geographers, two of which are on-going summer and will be presenting another paper faculty; we have added six new upper level entitled "Valuing local knowledge in the courses; and we have elected our first Canadian North: How the involvement of local Departmental Chair, Ross Nelson. What peoples results in relevant resource management else? Oh yes, UCC has received university decisions" in Penang, Malaysia in November. status, will join forces with Open Learning Recent Publications: University, and will be renamed Thompson • Hall, K. 2004. Weathering in cold Rivers University (TRU) in April 2005. All in a environments with special emphasis on polar day's work! regions. Polar Geography, 28, 1-3. • Arocena, J.M. and Hall, K. 2004. Dark and Certainly, the event in Geography that light lichen coloration and basalt weathering in precipitated most of the chain reaction I just a cold environment: Preliminary results from described was the retirement last August of Jim Northern Canada. Polar Geography, 28, 32-42. and Mary Miller. Jim and Mary are now • Andre, M-F, Hall, K. and Comte, V. 2004. residing in Burnaby and are still busy with their Optical rock properties and weathering stamp business. You can visit them online at processes in polar environments (with special http://www.canadacovers.ca. The loss of two reference to Antarctica). Polar Geography, 28, excellent colleagues, instructors, and mentors 43-62. who together shared over 35 years experience • Johannes Koch, Brian Menounos, John J. teaching physical geography in our department, Clague, and Gerald D. Osborn, 2004. forced us to rethink the structure of our program Environmental change in Garibaldi Provincial as we plan for a small cities research and Park, Southern Coast Mountains, British teaching focus. Through careful planning, a lot Columbia, Geoscience Canada, 31 (3), 127-135. of lobbying, and also extremely good timing, we • Nolin, Catherine (2004) A cup of social not only secured the replacement of Jim and justice. UNBC Update Magazine, (Fall), 6. Mary's positions, but we also negotiated the www.unbc.ca/update hiring of one additional continuing faculty • McConnachie, J.L. and E.L. Petticrew, position in Human Geography as well as a 2004. Hydrological and biological event based second Physical Geography Lab Instructor variability in the finegrained sediment structure position. Let me introduce you to our new of a small undisturbed catchment, In Sediment Geography colleagues. Transfer throughout the Fluvial System. V. Dr. Darryl Carlyle-Moses is a hydrologist Golosov, V. Belyaev and D. Walling (Eds). and biogeographer and came to us from the International Association Hydrological Sciences University of Toronto. His research interests 288: 459-465. focus on hydrological processes at the soil - See our website: http://www.unbc.ca/geography plant - atmosphere interface, particularly the Submitted by Debra Straussfogel measurement and modelling of the quantitative importance and spatial and temporal variability of canopy water fluxes (you can always email him directly for the translation!). Most of his recent research has been conducted in a 8 headwater catchment of the Sierra Madre will be on the web in short order. Also Oriental mountain range, in north eastern appearing soon will be the Small Cities Book Mexico. Darryl is currently developing 3 new from New Star Books. It contains research and upper level courses: The Urban Biophysical reflections by participants in UCC Cultural of Environment; Global Hydrology; and Fluvial Small Cities CURA project. From BC's (perhaps Geomorphology. In addition to teaching these Canada's) newest Department of Geography. new courses, Darryl is joining forces with Brian Submitted by Gilles Viaud. Goehring in delivering the department's introductory Physical Geography courses. University of Victoria Maija Heimo is in the final stages of her Another Fulbright Scholarship! PhD program at UBC. Her research interests UVic Geography Graduate Kirstin span a wide range of topics in cultural Campbell (BSc '98) has been awarded a geography. Maija's current research focuses on Fulbright Scholarship. Campbell, a visiting the political ecology of water conservation in Can ada-U.S. Fulbright scholar at Northern Mexico City. Like Darryl, Maija will be Arizona University, will learn about "Lurch," a introducing new upper level courses this year: a forest management model that evaluates a first one on the Geographies of Gender, and a forest's response to predefined management second entitled Political Ecology. She is also actions. assigned to teach our third year cultural Campbell finds this program compelling geography course as well as some of our lower because of what she calls its "long term level offerings. planning, including First Nations' knowledge Crystal Huscroft comes to us from and goals for their land." In the long term, Whitehorse where she was working for the Campbell wants study how climate change will Yukon Geological Survey. Crystal has a affect the Cheslatta Carrier Nation land, which Master's in Earth Sciences from SFU and is is just south of Burns Lake in British Columbia. teaching labs in our upper and lower levels Campbell is pursuing her doctorate in Physical Geography courses. Her main research forestry at UBC. She shares the award with is on the study of landslide hazards and climate Uvic graduate Lyana Patrick and is among 60 change in Canada's northern regions. Canadian and American students and scholars Finally, Nick Cradock-Henry was hired to participating in the Canada-U.S Fulbright teach lower level Physical Geography labs and Program's bilateral academic exchange in the to assist with first year Human Geography 2004/05 academic year. courses. Nick has a Master's from Wilfred Professor Jamie Cassels, UVic's vice Laurier and a GIS diploma from Sir Sandford president academic and provost, says, "the Fleming. He was most recently employed by the success of these two women not only reflects Silva Forest Foundation where he helped author the outstanding quality of students and programs a recent study of the Ecosystem-Based Plan of at the University of Victoria but it also the North-Central Saskatchewan Land Use celebrates the university's commitment to Planning Area. strengthening its unique relationships with First Anyone wanting to know more about Nations communities, and to making a major UCC's new Geographers or consult the report of contribution to environmental research." our latest Geography Program Review, please UVic Geography Co-op Alumnus, Ian Scott check the UCC Department of Geography (BSc '99), was a recipient of last year's Fulbright website at the following address: Scholarship. www.cariboo.bc.ca/ae/ses/geog/index.html Award and Publication for Harry Foster You may also be interested to know that Harry Foster was presented with the UCC/TRU will be co-hosting a Small Cities Orthomolecular Doctor of the Year Award in Conference in early May (2005). The May , 2004 by the International Society for conference is a follow-up to last year's Orthomolecular Medicine. I am the only successful Small City Forum. Announcements Geographer who has ever been given this award. 9

It usually goes to a physician. Foster's new recent of 175 green maps that have now been book, What Really Causes Alzheimer's Disease, printed world-wide. Our cartographer Ken is going to the printers,Trafford Publishing and Josephson, as well as our new Dean of Social will also be posted to the Internet at: Sciences, have been enthusiastic supporters and http://www.hdfoster.com contributers to this Green Map, which we also Peter Keller New Dean of Social Sciences hope to bring to the internet before long. Dr. Peter Keller is now Dean of of the More information on Common Ground's Faculty of Social Sciences, bringing an exciting Green Map Project: new perspective to the Faculty. His message: http://www3.telus.net/cground/greenmaps.html http://www.socialsciences.uvic.ca/message.html T New Geomatics Lab About To Open Our Geomatics lab, after so much planning University College of the Fraser Valley and renovation of the space, is about to be Although growth in the Geography launched officially on December 1. The lab's Department at UCFV has been on-going since opening signals a new focus on Geomatics, with “university-college” status was conferred in the combined BSc Geography-Computer 1992, the pace of growth has shifted up several Science leading the way notches in the past two years. Currently, there are 103 major, 34 extended minor and 40 minor students enrolled in the programme. As well, faculty numbers have grown substantially, now numbering eleven, with a brand new, hot-off- the-press position in human geography approved this week, subject to funding. Expect a job ad to appear soon on the CAG listserve. Our two most recent faculty additions are Michelle Rhodes (Ph.D., 2002, Simon Fraser University) and Olav Lian (Ph.D., 1997, University of Western Ontario). Michelle fills our position in suburban ecology and comes to us from University of Montana-Western. In 2002 she co-authored the book, The Unknown World of the Mobile Home with John Fraser Hart and John T. Morgan. Her expertise in cross-border political economy is a welcome addition to the Department’s Fraser Borderland initiative. In the photo are our new team of Geomatics teaching Olav Lian will arrive in January 2005, from staff, including, standing at left, senior lab instructor John Royal Holloway College, University of London, Fowler, MSc; senior lab instructor Carrie Steckler, MSc; England. He has specialization in the study of and senior instructor, Dr. Ian O'Connell. More on the Quaternary environments, specifically Geomatics Program: http://www.geog.uvic.ca/geomatics/ sedimentology, stratigraphy and geomorphology. His main field research areas UVic Geography Department Create First have been British Columbia and North Island, Community Green Map of Victoria. New Zealand, but he also has studied the The map features treasured community and Quaternary in Russia, England, the United natural places in Victoria and the Capital States, and Manitoba and Ontario in Canada. Region and represents a multi-year His work in luminescence dating of mineral collaboration between our Geography sediments has resulted in an extensive research Department and Common Ground. As part of and publication record. Olav, who is also an the worldwide Green Map system, its the most Adjunct Professor of Earth Sciences at Simon 10

Fraser University, will complement existing in Seattle and CBC in Vancouver. Finally, the strengths in physical geography at UCFV. pitter patter of little feet could soon prove deafening in the halls of the Department with no

A hall-mark of UCFV Geography is field fewer than three recent bundles of joy. In the study, both local and international. Field summer, a baby girl was born to Kathy Peet and schools are held in Hawaii and Mexico in husband Keith, and a baby boy was born to alternating years. This past summer, David Stewart Brown and wife Katerina. A second Gibson led 16 students to Mexico and is addition to Tanya and Sandy Vanderburgh’s preparing a new trip to Spain for spring 2005. family, a boy, arrived just today, October 29th. Cherie Enns and Sandy Vanderburgh are well into the planning of their next field excursion to Hawaii, also in the spring. Closer to home, a field excursion to Mount St Helens on October 1 turned into the trip of a lifetime for three van loads of students and their Instructors, Claire Beaney, Steve Marsh and Sandy Vanderburgh. Shortly after we arrived at the first stop, the Johnston look-out, the volcano obliged by venting. The group was besieged by American media types who had been camping out in anticipation of some volcanic action due to earthquakes in the previous week. Interviews with faculty and students ran on FOX and KIRO 11

Douglas College and Cole Harris. It is fitting that this Due to the fact that two faculty members are recognition of Derek’s scholarship arrived at away on maternity leave, the Department of about the same time as the appearance in print Geography hired Jason Miller and Parthi of his latest book The Colonial Present, Krishnan as sessional instructors in the fall 2004 published by Blackwell. In fact as I write these semester. The department is continuing to notes, Derek is located somewhere in the review its program in light of the changes Middle East, conducting yet more field research occurring in the BC post-secondary system. on matters colonial. To Derek, wherever you are Submitted by Earl Noah. congratulations on your stellar achievement. We also have a major undergraduate Capilano College accolade to report this past year. One of our Brett McGillivray's book on the Geography graduating BA students, Amber Zirnhelt, won of B.C. is soon to appear in its second edition. the prestigious Sherwood Lett Memorial It should be out before next summer. His book Scholarship, one of the ‘premier’ undergraduate on the Geography of Canada is currently being awards at UBC. It recognizes truly all-round reviewed at Oxford University Press so we performance, not only in terms of academic should expect to see that book soon as well. excellence but also community service and This coming spring term, starting in January sporting achievement (Amber is an 2005, we will be offering our second year accomplished mountain biker who has Weather and Climate course for the first time in performed in national competitions). Amber over twenty years. has also won the Margaret Lawrence Submitted by Sheila Ross. Scholarship in Arts, a Canadian Millennium Foundation Award, a Geography Alumni University of British Columbia Scholarship, a Walter D. Firth Scholarship, a Canadian Merit Scholarship, and an Outstanding Achievements Undergraduate Scholar Program award! This is There are three signal events to report at a truly amazing set of achievements. Amber UBC Geography over the past few months. graduated with high honours this spring, and has First was the announcement in late July 2004 since commenced graduate studies at the that Professor Emeritus Cole Harris had been University of Edinburgh. appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is Canada's highest honour for lifetime Moving On – A time of Change achievement, and we are very honoured to have We have an impending retirement in our yet another OC in the history of the Department department - Dr. Kenneth Denike, who retires in (Professor Emeritus J. Ross Mackay having December 2004. Ken has been a member of the been previously elected to that august office). Geography faculty for well over 30 years and The citation noted Cole’s many achievements in has taught courses over a broad spectrum of both the research and teaching of historical topics, including urban and economic geography geography, and that “…through his and quantitative methods. Ken’s Geography understanding of the evolution and special 375 has been one of the few regularly taught character of our nation, he has illuminated the courses at UBC dealing with multivariate past so that we can better understand how to methods in the social sciences. Who, pray who, move toward the future”. Our heartiest will now assume responsibility for instructing congratulations to Cole on his magnificent on such arcane topics as: b = [X’X]-1.[Y] and award! all its mathematical ramifications? Perhaps less Our second major accolade this year was well known by most people at UBC is Ken’s the election of Professor Derek Gregory as long-standing service to the Vancouver Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. This is community. For many years Ken served on the the sixth such election in the history of the Vancouver School Board, and was Chair of the department, the other Fellows being Ross Board for several years during the 1990s, Mackay, Tim Oke, David Ley, Mike Church, presiding over a budget larger than most of us 12 can imagine. This was a period of dramatic the Spring WDCAG Newsletter, and Derek change in the schools, consequent upon the Gregory’s latest book, reported above, this has arrival of a large body of immigrants to the been a very impressive year indeed for us with Vancouver region. Ken’s other major regard to published scholastic work. community focus has been transportation Academic Employment News studies, and most recently he has contributed Johanna Waters, PhD, 2004, is now a materially to the development of the present U- Lecturer at the University of Liverpool; Alex Pass system, designed to enhance commuter use Vasudevan is now Lecturer at University of of transit to UBC. The system has been a Nottingham; Jamie Winders, MA UBC 2000, resounding success, in no small measure due to Ph.D Kentucky, is now Assistant Professor at Ken’s efforts. Ken is also the recipient this year Syracuse University; and Brett Eaton, Ph.D. of an award for best geographic education paper 200 4, is now Assistant Professor at UBC. from the National Council for Geographic Undergraduate and Graduate Programs Education for his co-authored paper on Medical We continue to make progress with the Mapping. review of our BA curriculum, a large task We are pleased to report that Dr. Elvin commenced last year, with Prof. Dan Hiebert Wyly, who was hired into our faculty in July heading our Curriculum Review Task Force. 2002, was promoted to Associate Professor with The upshot of this is a planned revision of first- Tenure this past spring. Elvin had previously year Human Geography courses (Geog 121, resigned from a tenured position at Rutgers 122 ), the introduction of a second-year Urban University to take up his appointment with us. Geography course (Geog 250) to be taught by Sabbatical Leaves Dr. Elvin Wyly, and the introduction of a second-year GIS course, Geography 270, to be Trevor Barnes and David Edgington are taught by Sally Hermansen. The latter course both on leave this year, causing quite a gap in will finally bring our second-year offerings our economic geography courses, which we more in line with ‘the rest of the world’. We were very fortunate to be able to cover with a expect that all of these changes will be approved series of exceptional sessional appointments. in the next round of curricular submissions in But it is quite beyond me why professors of spring 2005, so that they should appear in the cognate abilities always seem to go on leave in electronic version of the 2005-2006 UBC the same year! Next year we will have Ian Calendar. McKendry and Dan Moore on leave, and this Our undergraduate enrolments are slightly past year it was Profs. Church, McClung and increased over last year, having topped out at Oke. It’s all intended to drive a Head quite just over 5,000 3-credit equivalents for the first insane. time ever. In previous years, our total Research News and Highlights enrolments in early September had been 4,700 – Significant papers published by our faculty 4,800. An all-time record intake of 28 graduate and graduate students span a huge range of students was admitted this September (10 MA, 5 topics and journals, ranging from geophysical MSc, 13 Ph.D), selected from a field of about studies, to urban geography, to cross-cultural 140 applicants. We presently have 97 graduate studies. Not counting book chapters, students in our program, distributed as 23 MA, encyclopedia entries, book reviews, and other 15 MSc. and 59 Ph.D. research papers, over 85 refereed papers by Recently Completed Theses members of our department have appeared in MA theses: print in top-flight refereed journals in the past Harker, Christopher, November 2004. few months alone. Also appearing in print was Witnessing Untitled. the sole authored book by Geraldine Pratt, Kirby, Elia, November 2004. CarnyLand Working Feminism (Edinburgh University (an ethnography): a Study of Contemporary Press/Temple University Press). When one Carnivals and Carnival Workers (carnies) in includes the three other books by Karen Bakker, British Columbia. Matt Evenden, and Jim Glassman, reported in 13

Owen, Taylor, November 2004. Measuring Waters, Johanna, November 2004. Human Security: a New View of Cambodian Geographies of Cultural Capital: International Vulnerability. Education, Circular Migration and Family Storey, Andrew, November 2004. Pork Strategies between Canada and Hong Kong. Wars and Greek Fire: Regulating Multicultural Submitted by Mike Bovis Vancouver. MSc. theses: Thanks to everyone who contributed Clark, Karin, November 2004. to this issue of the WDCAG Phenological, Growth and Reproductive Newsletter. Responses to Climatic Variability and

Experimental Warming in Eight Arctic Plant Species. The deadline for the next (Spring) Ellis, Erica, May 2004. Hydraulic Issue is March 31 2005. Geometry of Secondary Channels of Lower Fraser River, British Columbia, from Acoustic This will be shortly after the next Doppler Velocimetry. Annual Meeting at the University of Grimsdottir, Harpa, November 2004. Lethbridge – see the poster below. Avalanche Risk Management in Backcountry Skiing Operations. Weisinger, Peter, May 2004. Snow Send your next contribution to: Avalanche Risk and Precision Support using GIS for Avalanches Penetrating Forest Cut Ineke J. Dijks Blocks. WDCAG Newsletter Editor Whyte, Dion, May 2004. Hydrologic Email: [email protected] Response during Snowmelt in Three Steep Headwater Catchments: Ringrose Slope, Slocan Valley, British Columbia. PhD theses: Eaton, Brett, November 2004. Governing Conditions: Rational Regime Models and AG-2 Experimental Observations. WDC 005 Keeling, Arn, November 2004. The The University of Lethbridge Effluent Society: Water Pollution and Lethbridge, Alberta. Environmental Politics in British Columbia, March 11&12th, 2005. 1889-1980. Rempel, Laura, November 2004. Physical “A different kind of and Ecological Organization in a Large, conference, Pilgrim”. Gravel-Bed River and Response to Disturbance. Rivard, Etienne, November 2004. Prairie No Sack’O Sh!t. and Quebec Metis Territoriality: Interstices No Bl**dy Banquet. Territoriales and the Cartography of In- Between Identity. Cowboy Poetry. Schiefer, Erik, November 2004. Contemporary Sedimentation Patterns within Wagon Train. Green Lake, Southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia. Bunk House. Sharma, Tara, May 2004. Land-use http://www.uleth.ca/fas/geo/ Modeling for Exploring Alternative Agricultural Futures: Linking Choices and Consequences.