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.