Working Bibliography on the History of the Environmental Movement in Canada

To view an updated version of the working bibliography click on "Bibliography" on the top left of this website, or by going here. Do let me know if there are any books, chapters, dissertations, or articles that I should include.

The Environmental Movement in Quebec (part two)

In an earlier post I provided a link to Jane Barr's 1995 MA thesis, "The Origins and Emergence of Quebec's Environmental Movement: 1970-1985." For those wishing to learn more about the movement in la belle province I would recommend the work of Jean-Guy Vaillancourt. A sociologist by training, Vaillancourt has published on a wide variety of subjects, including environmentalism. Luckily for us, much of his work is now available for free online. To access this open source scholarship, click here. Don't forget to bring out your Larousse, because the work featured on this website is in French.

Population Control and the Environment

I have a post on the Active History website on the topic of "Population Control and the Environment." You can read it by going here.

Advertising the Environmental Movement: Vickers and Benson’s Branding of Pollution Probe

This summer I'll be participating in the Eco-images: Altering Environmental Discussions and Political Landscapes workshop hosted by the Rachel Carson Center in Munich, Germany. Below is a copy of my abstract. If you have anything to share, do feel free to let me know. While the advertisements produced by Vickers and Benson did wonders for establishing Pollution Probe's reputation, there was the occasional misstep. The image depicted above, the Probe Superhero, was rejected by the group because it was at odds with the idea that we are all responsible for resolving our environmental problems. As I've been told, a banner bearing this image was subsequently presented to Marshall McLuhan, who posted it in his office.

Abstract: "Advertising the Environmental Movement:  Vickers and Benson’s Branding of Pollution Probe"

In 1969 Vickers and Benson, Canada’s leading advertising agency, struck up a unique relationship with Pollution Probe, an upstart environmental activist group based out of the University of Toronto. Having read of the anti-pollution group’s early exploits, Vickers and Benson’s creative director was inspired to provide his agency’s services pro bono to help spread Pollution Probe’s message. Over the next two years a steady stream of full-page advertisements were placed in the Toronto Telegram, which in turn provided space at no cost. This advertising campaign would have a significant effect on the development of Pollution Probe. The slickly produced advertisements presented the appearance of a highly professional group that operated at ease with government officials and industry leaders. In reality, at this point Pollution Probe was operating on a minute budget, relying upon the work of volunteers and makeshift office space provided by the university.

This paper examines the Vickers and Benson advertising campaign. It highlights how the campaign influenced the public’s perception of Pollution Probe, a group that would become, in the early 1970s, Canada’s most renowned and reputable environmental activist organization. While the public visibility afforded by the campaign was important, this paper also argues that the advertisements presented Pollution Probe as a highly knowledgeable, authoritative organization that was well equipped to address Canada’s environmental woes. These advertisements also provide a precious window into the environmental movement’s past. As such, this paper will also consider the significance of the issues addressed in the campaign, as well as the manner of their visual depiction.

Protect Strathgartney Provincial Park

One of my favorite spots on Prince Edward Island is Strathgartney Provincial Park. Home to a wonderful nature trail and a rare stand of beechwood trees, it is one of the province's most beautiful areas. Now it appears that Premier Robert Ghiz intends to redirect the Trans-Canada Highway through the park. Why would he do that? No reason has been given publicly, but it appears to be motivated purely by a desire to tap into federal infrastructure funding in order to provide some local short-term jobs. 

Please consider signing this online petition. If you're on Prince Edward Island, there are plans to hold a rally at Province House this Tuesday (October 25th) at 12:15 PM.

For more information, please read this article.

Spread the word and show your concern!

The Keystone XL Pipeline Protests

Recent protests in Washington have raised the profile of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, which would ship oil from Alberta to the United States. In the past couple weeks over 1200 protesters have been arrested in the American capital in an effort to create awareness of this potentially devastating project. Rachel Mendleson, a business writer at the Huffington Post, wonders why the issue has gained considerable traction among environmentalists in the United States but not in Canada. In her article, which you can find here, she spoke to Naomi Klein, myself, and some industry representatives.

John Fraser and Conservative Environmentalism

In June 1984 John Fraser delivered an address at the annual convention of the Indiana Division of the Izaak Walton League of America. (The IWL, founded in 1924, is one of the oldest environmental groups in the United States.) A former federal Minister of the Environment – he held this post during the brief Joe Clark government – Fraser’s address focused on the transnational threat posed by acid rain. I was particularly interested in what he had to say about the relationship between conservatism and environmentalism. As Fraser noted:

If it is a conservative instinct in America to defend the Constitution - because within it are found the great laws that maintain and secure the community, how conservative it then is to defend the environment - because without that life itself is at risk. I say these things because sometimes here in the United States there seems to be a misunderstanding of what conservatism really is: too often those who would destroy the environment are labeled conservative - and sometimes those destroyers attach to themselves a conservative label. The real conservatives are those whose instinct is conservation. You are all the custodians of a tradition of American conservation and it is in both your great national parties.