This dissertation argues that the Hudson’s Bay Company depot that was built at Norway House beginning in 1825 created economic opportunities that were sufficiently strong to draw Aboriginal people to the site in such numbers that, within a decade of its establishment, the post was the locus of a thriving community. This was in spite of the lack of any significant trade in furs, in spite of the absence of an existing Aboriginal community on which to expand and in spite of the very small number of Hudson’s Bay Company personnel assigned to the post on a permanent basis. Although economic factors were not the only reason for the development of Norway House as a community, these factors were almost certainly primus inter pares of the various influences in that development. This study also offers a new framework for the conception and construction of community based on documenting day-to-day activities that were themselves behavioural reflections of intentionality and choice. Interpretation of these behaviours is possible by combining a variety of approaches and methodologies, some qualitative and some quantitative. By closely counting and analyzing data in archival records that were collected by fur trade agents in the course of their normal duties, it is possible to measure the importance of various activities such as construction, fishing and hunting. With a clear understanding of what people were actually doing, it is possible to interpret their intentions in the absence of explicit documentary evidence.

The Upper Devonian-Lower Mississippian Bakken Formation has recently become a prolific producer of light gravity oil in southeastern Saskatchewan since the advent of horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracture technologies, which has resulted in an increase in geological studies within the area. However, the Bakken Formation of west-central Saskatchewan has been producing heavy oil since the 1950s, and has comparatively received much less attention than its southeastern counterpart. The Bakken Formation is the youngest member of the Three Forks Group and unconformably overlies the Big Valley Formation. In west-central Saskatchewan, the Bakken Formation can be conformably overlain by the Mississippian carbonates of the Madison Group or unconformably overlain by the Lower Cretaceous Mannville Group. A tripartite subdivision is applied to the Bakken Formation, with a mixed clastic/carbonate Middle Member deposited between Lower and Upper Black Shale Members. Based on detailed core description, eight facies have been defined for the Bakken Formation of west-central Saskatchewan: Facies 1 (Lower and Upper Black Shale members), Facies 2 (bioturbated siltstone/sandstone), Facies 3 (wave-rippled sandstone), Facies 4 (bioclastic grainstone), Facies 5 (interbedded mudstone, siltstone, and very fine-grained sandstone), Facies 6 (very fine- to fine-grained sandstone), Facies 7 (bioturbated siltstone/sandstone), and Facies 8 (massive and brecciated siltstone). Deposition of the Bakken Formation in west-central Saskatchewan occurred under either open-marine or marginal-marine conditions. Facies association 1 (open-marine interval), which is made up of F1 through F4, is characterized by the distal Cruziana Ichnofacies. It was deposited within a wave-dominated shallow-marine depositional environment. Facies association 2 (marginal-marine interval), which is comprised of F5 through F8, shows scarce biogenic structures, most likely as a result of brackish-water conditions. Geological mapping (structure surface and isopach) of the facies and facies associations has aided in illustrating their lateral distribution. However, mapping of the overlying Mississippian carbonates and sub-Mesozoic unconformity shows that post-Mississippian erosion was a controlling factor in the distribution and preservation of Bakken Formation deposits, which creates uncertainty when interpreting geological maps and stratigraphic cross-sections. Although post-Mississippian erosion causes problems when reconstructing the depositional history and stratigraphic architecture of the Bakken Formation, it illustrates the importance of not performing stratigraphic studies within a vacuum, only focusing on the formation of interest. Rather, underlying and overlying units must be studied to see whether or not the unit of interest’s deposition and distribution has been affected by pre- and post-depositional events.

This dissertation argues that the Hudson’s Bay Company depot that was built at Norway House beginning in 1825 created economic opportunities that were sufficiently strong to draw Aboriginal people to the site in such numbers that, within a decade of its establishment, the post was the locus of a thriving community. This was in spite of the lack of any significant trade in furs, in spite of the absence of an existing Aboriginal community on which to expand and in spite of the very small number of Hudson’s Bay Company personnel assigned to the post on a permanent basis. Although economic factors were not the only reason for the development of Norway House as a community, these factors were almost certainly primus inter pares of the various influences in that development. This study also offers a new framework for the conception and construction of community based on documenting day-to-day activities that were themselves behavioural reflections of intentionality and choice. Interpretation of these behaviours is possible by combining a variety of approaches and methodologies, some qualitative and some quantitative. By closely counting and analyzing data in archival records that were collected by fur trade agents in the course of their normal duties, it is possible to measure the importance of various activities such as construction, fishing and hunting. With a clear understanding of what people were actually doing, it is possible to interpret their intentions in the absence of explicit documentary evidence.

This dissertation argues that the Hudson’s Bay Company depot that was built at Norway House beginning in 1825 created economic opportunities that were sufficiently strong to draw Aboriginal people to the site in such numbers that, within a decade of its establishment, the post was the locus of a thriving community. This was in spite of the lack of any significant trade in furs, in spite of the absence of an existing Aboriginal community on which to expand and in spite of the very small number of Hudson’s Bay Company personnel assigned to the post on a permanent basis. Although economic factors were not the only reason for the development of Norway House as a community, these factors were almost certainly primus inter pares of the various influences in that development. This study also offers a new framework for the conception and construction of community based on documenting day-to-day activities that were themselves behavioural reflections of intentionality and choice. Interpretation of these behaviours is possible by combining a variety of approaches and methodologies, some qualitative and some quantitative. By closely counting and analyzing data in archival records that were collected by fur trade agents in the course of their normal duties, it is possible to measure the importance of various activities such as construction, fishing and hunting. With a clear understanding of what people were actually doing, it is possible to interpret their intentions in the absence of explicit documentary evidence.

No description available.

The atmospheric drivers of winter and summer surface climate in western Canada are evaluated using a synoptic climatological approach. Winter snow accumulation provides the largest contribution to annual streamflow of the north-flowing Mackenzie and east-flowing Saskatchewan Rivers, while summer water availability is primarily a product of basin-wide precipitation and evapotranspiration. A catalogue of dominant synoptic types is produced for winter (Nov-Apr) and summer (May-Oct) using the method of Self-Organizing Maps. Water availability, quantified through high-resolution gridded temperature and precipitation data, associated with these synoptic types is then determined. The frequency of dominant types during positive/negative phases of the Southern Oscillation Index, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and Arctic Oscillation reveal the atmospheric processes through which these teleconnections influence surface climate. Results from the winter analysis are more coherent than summer, with strong relationships found between synoptic types, teleconnections, and surface climate. Although not as strong, links between summer synoptic types and water availability also exist. Additionally, time-series analysis of synoptic type frequencies indicates a trend toward circulation patterns that produce warmer, drier winters as well as an earlier onset and extension of the summer season. This study increases our understanding of the atmospheric processes controlling the distribution of water resources in western Canada. / Graduate / 0388 / 0725 / 0368 / bwnewton@uvic.ca

On January 31, 1911, the Homemakers' Clubs of Saskatchewan became an official organisation under the direction of the University of Saskatchewan. Established to provide isolated rural women with companionship, access to education, and the opportunity to carry out community service, Homemakers' Clubs appealed to thousands of farm women because they provided the means by which they could improve themselves, their farm homes, and their communities. Its appeal also lay in the fact that the organisation remained non-political and non-sectarian, focusing instead on women's primary responsibilities to their homes and their families. To that end, Homemakers' Clubs embraced a domestic ideology that institionalised notions of gender and celebrated women's roles in the home. Given that the nature of farm women's work was not restricted to the household, however, Homemakers' Clubs allowed rural women to redefine an urban domesticity to include their farming responsibilities. Moreover, in a setting where gender lines were often blurred and the division of labour was not always strictly defined, membership in an organisation that reinforced gender roles, promoted family and community life, and embraced a traditional mandate provided farm women with a level of respectability and femininity that was often lost in a farming setting. Finally, the domestic ideology under which the Homemakers' Clubs operated allowed its members to find recognition and validation in their work, and, in their goals to elevate home life, to legitimise their work, and to adjust domestic ideology to include their farming responsibilities, the organisation became a space in which its members discussed, debated, explored, and, in some cases, challenged common perceptions of women; they subtly challenged the status quo and demanded validation and recognition for their work in and contributions to their farms and communities. As such, an organisation that may outwardly appear to be a traditional women's organisation devoted strictly to the exchange of recipes and household advice, was, in actuality, quietly political and provided farm women with a sense of identity that enabled them to contribute fundamentally to their rural homes, families, and communities.

On January 31, 1911, the Homemakers' Clubs of Saskatchewan became an official organisation under the direction of the University of Saskatchewan. Established to provide isolated rural women with companionship, access to education, and the opportunity to carry out community service, Homemakers' Clubs appealed to thousands of farm women because they provided the means by which they could improve themselves, their farm homes, and their communities. Its appeal also lay in the fact that the organisation remained non-political and non-sectarian, focusing instead on women's primary responsibilities to their homes and their families. To that end, Homemakers' Clubs embraced a domestic ideology that institionalised notions of gender and celebrated women's roles in the home. Given that the nature of farm women's work was not restricted to the household, however, Homemakers' Clubs allowed rural women to redefine an urban domesticity to include their farming responsibilities. Moreover, in a setting where gender lines were often blurred and the division of labour was not always strictly defined, membership in an organisation that reinforced gender roles, promoted family and community life, and embraced a traditional mandate provided farm women with a level of respectability and femininity that was often lost in a farming setting. Finally, the domestic ideology under which the Homemakers' Clubs operated allowed its members to find recognition and validation in their work, and, in their goals to elevate home life, to legitimise their work, and to adjust domestic ideology to include their farming responsibilities, the organisation became a space in which its members discussed, debated, explored, and, in some cases, challenged common perceptions of women; they subtly challenged the status quo and demanded validation and recognition for their work in and contributions to their farms and communities. As such, an organisation that may outwardly appear to be a traditional women's organisation devoted strictly to the exchange of recipes and household advice, was, in actuality, quietly political and provided farm women with a sense of identity that enabled them to contribute fundamentally to their rural homes, families, and communities.

Over a decade ago, it was discovered that the earth’s natural seismic wavefields, propagating as seismic noise, can be processed using correlation methods to produce surface waves, similar to those generated by earthquakes. This discovery represents a paradigm shift in seismology and has led to several tomographic studies of earth structures, at different scales and resolutions, in previously difficult-to-study areas around the world. This PhD dissertation presents research results on multi-scale and multi-purpose applications of ambient seismic noise wavefields under three topics: (1) Imaging of sedimentary basins and sub-basin structures in eastern and western Canada using ambient seismic noise, (2) Combining measurements from ambient seismic noise with earthquake datasets for imaging crustal and mantle structures, and (3) Temporal variation in cultural seismic noise and noise correlation functions (NCFs) during the COVID-19 lockdown in Canada. The first topic involved imaging the sedimentary basins in eastern and western Canada using shear wave velocities derived from ambient noise group velocities. The results show that the basins are characterized by varying depths, with maximums along the studied cross-sections in excess of 10 km, in eastern and western Canada. Characteristics of accreted terranes in eastern and western Canada are also revealed in the results. A seismically distinct basement is imaged in eastern Canada and is interpreted to be a vestige of the western African crust trapped beneath eastern Canada at the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. In western Canada, the 3D variation of the Moho and sedimentary basin depths is imaged. The thickest sediments in eastern Canada are found beneath the Queen Charlotte, Williston and the Alberta Deep basins, while the Moho is the deepest beneath the Williston basin and parts of Alberta basin and northern British Columbia. For the second topic, I worked on improving the seismological methodology to construct broadband (period from 2 to 220 s) dispersion curves by combining the dispersion measurements derived from ambient seismic noise with those from earthquakes. The broadband dispersion curves allow for imaging earth structures spanning the shallow crust to the upper mantle. For the third topic, I used ambient seismic data from the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to study the temporal variation of seismic power spectra and the potential impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on ambient NCFs in four cities in eastern and western Canada. The results show mean seismic power drops of 24% and 17% during the lockdown in eastern Canada, near Montreal and Ottawa respectively and reductions of 27% and 17% near Victoria and Sidney respectively. NCF signal quality within the secondary microseism band reached maximum before the lockdown, minimum during lockdown and at intermediate levels during the gradual reopening phase for the western Canada station pair. / Graduate

Wind power presently plays a minor role in Western Canada as compared to hydroelectric power in British Columbia and coal and natural gas thermal power generation in Alberta. However, ongoing reductions in the cost of wind power generation facilities and the increasing costs of conventional power generation, particularly if the cost to the environment is included, suggest that assessment of the present and future wind field in Western Canada is of some importance. To assess present wind power, raw hourly wind speeds and homogenized monthly mean wind speeds from 30 stations in Western Canada were analyzed over the period 1971-2000 (past). The hourly data were adjusted using the homogenized monthly means to attempt to compensate for differences in anemometer height from the standard height of 10m and changes in observing equipment at stations. A regional reanalysis product, the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR), and simulations conducted with the Canadian Regional Climate Model (CRCM) driven with global reanalysis boundary forcing, were compared to the adjusted station wind-speed time-series and probability distributions. The NARR had a better temporal correlation with the observations, than the CRCM. We posit this is due to the NARR assimilating regional observations, whereas the CRCM did not. The NARR was generally worse than the CRCM in reproducing the observed speed distribution, possibly due to the crude representation of the regional topography in NARR. While the CRCM was run at both standard (45 km) and fine (15 km) resolution, the fine grid spacing does not always provide better results: the character of the surrounding topography appears to be an important factor for determining the level of agreement. Multiple simulations of the CRCM at the 45 km resolution were also driven by two global climate models (GCMs) over the periods 1971-2000 (using only historic emissions) and 2031-2060 (using the A2 emissions scenario). In light of the CRCM biases relative to the observations, these simulations were calibrated using quantile-quantile matching to the adjusted station observations to obtain ensembles of 9 and 25 projected wind speed distributions for the 2031-2060 period (future) at the station locations. Both bias correction and change factor techniques were used for calibration. At most station locations modest increases in mean wind speed were found for most of the projected distributions, but with a large variance. Estimates of wind power density for the projected speed distributions were made using a relationship between wind speed and power from a CRCM simulation for both time periods using the 15km grid. As would be expected from the wind speed results and the proportionality of wind power to the cube of wind speed, wind power at the station locations is more likely than not to increase in the 2031-2060 period from the 1971-2000 period. Relative changes in mean wind speeds at station locations were found to be insensitive to the station observations and choice of calibration technique, suggesting that we estimate relative change at all 45km grid points using all pairs of past/future mean wind speeds from the CRCM simulations. Overall, our results suggest that wind energy resources in Western Canada are reasonably likely to increase at least modestly in the future. / Graduate / 0725 / 0608 / jtdaines@uvic.ca