Journal of Rural and Community Development Journal of Rural and Community Development Natural Resource Exploration and Extraction in Northern Canada: Intersections with Community Cohesion and Social Welfare Natural Resource Exploration and Extraction in Northern Canada: Intersections with Communi... (original) (raw)
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Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2014
This paper examines the role that the search for and removal of non-renewable fossil fuels plays in northern, often Aboriginal, communities in Canada. Such settlements at the social, political, and geographic “periphery” or “frontier” of Canada are often characterized by transient populations and social welfare challenges. While the economic boom brought about by oil and gas development is undeniable, it is unevenly spread. Further, communities that would otherwise be facing sizable challenges now must address even greater and more urgent struggles. These rural and remote settlements have drawn strength from their social cohesion, but presently, the strain is heightened. Insiders may be at odds with outsiders; one generation may be divided against the generation before and after it. Environmental concerns and traditional culture may be displaced by competing interests. In this paper we provide an overview of the existing and proposed extraction of non- renewable natural resources in several parts of northern Canada and examine their economic impact, but also their social impact. In particular, we focus on their ramifications in terms of community cohesion in general and on Aboriginal communities more specifically.
Natural resource development in northern Canada
Journal of Rural Community Development, 2014
This paper examines the role that the search for and removal of non-renewable fossil fuels plays in northern, often Aboriginal, communities in Canada. Such settlements at the social, political, and geographic “periphery” or “frontier” of Canada are often characterized by transient populations and social welfare challenges. While the economic boom brought about by oil and gas development is undeniable, it is unevenly spread. Further, communities that would otherwise be facing sizable challenges now must address even greater and more urgent struggles. These rural and remote settlements have drawn strength from their social cohesion, but presently, the strain is heightened. Insiders may be at odds with outsiders; one generation may be divided against the generation before and after it. Environmental concerns and traditional culture may be displaced by competing interests. In this paper we provide an overview of the existing and proposed extraction of non- renewable natural resources in...
Avoiding the Resource Curse: Indigenous Communities and Canada's Oil Sands
— Concerns about a resource curse in Canada have been raised in response to rapid growth in the petroleum sector in northern Alberta. In previous research, there has been little consideration of how symptoms of the resource curse are experienced and managed at a regional scale and by Indigenous communities. An analysis of effects and responses is offered using a natural, financial, human and social capitals framework. Without consideration of how to manage the symptoms of the resource curse, oil and gas activity is likely to further disadvantage Indigenous populations already living on the margins of Canadian society.
Introduction: Critical perspectives on extractive industries in Northern Canada
The Extractive Industries and Society, 2016
This essay introduces a special section on extractive industries in northern Canada, with a special focus on mining. The papers in the special section reflect critically on the impact of mining on northern indigenous communities in Canada, and on the historical environmental changes associated with the industry. Drawing on historical and contemporary cases studies of community responses to mining at the production and remediation phase of development, the papers suggest collectively that historical conflicts over mining development can influence contemporary responses to large-scale projects. The introductory essay provides a brief historical summary of mining in northern Canada, and a critical analysis of major themes in the literature. The essay connects the regional and local case study papers in the special sections with much broader themes in the scholarly literature on mining in Northern Canada and elsewhere. 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in The Global Economy, 2009
Purpose -Beneath Canada's Northwest Territories lies a potential of 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Will a $16 billion gas-pipeline bring prosperity or gloom? Will this bring employment opportunities for local people or will more qualified people be brought in from southern communities? The purpose of this paper is to give an account of what Dene residents of the Sahtu Region have to say about oil and gas development. Design/methodology/approach -Starting in 2005, in-depth interviews with people across the Sahtu Region are conducted. Findings -Respondents recognise the short-term advantages of building a pipeline, but they are concerned about the long-term impact on the environment that currently ensures their livelihood.
This article provides a critical overview of consultation, impact assessment, and traditional land use research as these methods of extracting knowledge intersect in the oil sands region of northern Alberta. Based on our experience as anthropologists working in policy analysis, consultation, impact assessment, and community-engaged ethnographic research with impacted communities, we examine public participation and risk assessment procedures, including those conducted through documents and those conducted through personal or group interviews − primarily with Crees. Alberta's oil sands industry has expanded exponentially in recent decades; however, consultation, impact assessment, and accommodation of Cree, Dene, and Métis interests in the region have not kept up with best practices established during the same timeframe. We point to a number of examples where consultation and impact assessment processes have supported an overall political economic push to develop the oil sands as quickly as possible. We argue for improved participatory processes to inform more open political and scientific debate.
Resource Development in Canada’s North
Journal of Comparative Social Work, 2014
The growth of global economies, particularly in Asia, has resulted in an increased demand for natural resources. Canada is a large country rich in hydrocarbons and minerals, and the exploitation of these resources is a priority for Canadian provincial and federal governments. In their rush to reap the economic benefits of resource development, governments have concentrated on creating optimal conditions for the corporations that exploit and produce the resources in northern and remote regions of the country. The rapid promotion of development has meant that families and communities are usually given secondary consideration. The changes associated with resource development exert some serious negative effects on communities and families, and it is important for social workers to understand this reality in order to deliver service in an effective manner.This research used a case study method to examine three examples of the effects of resource development on families and communities in...