Speaking the land: exploring women's historical geographies in Northern Québec

This review article explores the significance of studying the historical geographies of Aboriginal women in Northern Québec and presents potential research avenues. The article's premise is that we cannot understand the historic and contemporary geographies of subsistence economies without more research about the roles that women played in them. Related to this issue is a broader reflection on how geographies of the past are reconstructed by historical geographers, both from an epistemological and methodological point of view. As a discipline, historical geography has been chiefly dedicated to the study of the encounter of migrant Europeans with new world lands and societies, with the result that Aboriginal and women's geographies have commanded less attention. This gap in knowledge should be addressed by emerging researchers. Taking an interdisciplinary approach and moving from the general to the particular, my inquiry evolves in three parts. First, I identify some key debates that are pertinent to a study of gender and Aboriginal women in a colonial context. Second, I review the existing ethnographic literature on Cree women in Eastern Canada and assess insights about their role in subsistence economies. Third, I outline specific avenues that help frame a research programme to study the historical geographies—by which I understand the places, placing, and place-making—of Aboriginal women in Northern Québec.     

Producing North and South: a political geography of hydro development in Québec

Since the 1970s, the tapping of James Bay's hydroelectric potential has been synonymous with the tapping of divergent national imaginaries for native and non-native people in Québec. Exploitation of natural resources in the region has activated different narratives of political identity for each community. I explore this evolving political context by examining how, for each group, water has emerged simultaneously as a physical entity possessing economic value and a social artefact supporting the consolidation of national boundaries. I do so by analysing three phases of changing relationships around resource management, namely: hydroelectric development on the La Grande river in the 1970s; the Cree opposition to Great Whale in the 1990s; and the recent agreement concerning a new relationship between the two parties. In each of these phases, nature has been both the symbolic and material tie that binds different national identities and materialises their boundaries. While these are not boundaries in the traditional geopolitical understanding of the term, the forging of an equitable framework of development in the region depends on the recognition of nature as a historical and political formation that answers to different sets of national preoccupations.     

Reshuffling Paperworkers: Technological Change and Experiences of Reorganization at a Québec Newsprint Mill

This article offers an historical-geographical account of how an aging newsprint mill located in Gatineau, in the Outaouais region of western Québec, with serious obstacles to cost-effective production, came to be chosen for a complete in situ technological reorganization project in the early 1990s. This apparent paradox is explained by locating the mill with respect to the production system and corporate strategy of its parent company, with respect to changing production and demand requirements, and with respect to its particular labour relations history. We focus on the process through which this drastic reorganization was implemented at the mill, showing how logistical considerations particular to this type of continuous-process industry, as well as procedures laid out in the labour contract, influenced the company's timetable and labour deployment strategies during this period. We show how the process of technological reorganization helped create the conditions for the subsequent implementation of functional flexibility. We also refer to the unpredictable contingencies that necessitated building flexibility into the timetable for downsizing the workforce by some 450 jobs. As well as considering the constraints faced by local management, we explore how the reorganization process was experienced by workers, especially those facing prolonged uncertainty as to their future at the mill. We examine the seeming paradox of the prevalence of overtime at the mill even as workers were being laid off. In conclusion, we critically discuss the appropriateness of concepts such as management strategy and numerical flexibility and point to the need for further concept development to facilitate analyses of labour deployment strategies adopted during periods of production reorganization.     

Fluctuations in land values in a rural municipality in southern Québec, Canada

The agro-forested region of the Haut-St-Laurent, in southwestern Québec, in Canada, has served as a laboratory for several years to a multi-disciplinary research team seeking to understand the interplay of stakeholders and processes influencing the rural space of southern Québec. Following directly in the footsteps of previous research, this study was undertaken to analyze the hitherto neglected but important aspect of fluctuations in land values with respect to geomorphology and land use, during the 1958–1997 period. A geo-referenced database was built within an object-oriented geographic information system (GIS) that includes data from the sale of parcels of land within the study area, land registry maps, land use maps, and a geomorphological map. These data were analyzed and sorted through queries addressed to the database. Finally, a statistical analysis was performed to analyze the relationship between sale price, geomorphology and indirectly land use, for the entire study period and for each of its decades. The results show that land value has increased at different times during the past, according to its geomorphological type and land use. These relationships are explained by the important transformation phases that have affected southern Québec during the second half of the twentieth century.     

Paysages identitaires et ruralité de proximité: regards croisés à Petit-Saguenay (Québec)

Au Québec, plusieurs groupes d'acteurs travaillent à structure? un pmjet d'avenir pour le monde rural. La question identitaire traverse leurs réflexions. Le rapport au territoire est conçu comme un trait spécifique de l'identité rurale contemporaine. Par ailleurs, le paysage offre un cadre de référence pertinent à l'analyse de cette identité façonnée par les acteurs. Cela suppose que, d'un point de vue théorique, le paysage soit envisagé selon une approche construc‐tiviste, qui va au‐delà des formes visibles pour englober aussi les références aux pratiques territori‐ales et les intentions des acteurs sociaux, de même que des dimensions immatérielles, telles les représentations et l'affectivité. En d'autres mots, le paysage est id défini comme un construit social. En confrontant ce cadre de référence à une enquête réalisée dans un village d'une région du Québec, nous avons constaté que les acteurs locaux lisent le paysage à partir de critères endogènes, c'est‐à‐dire propres à leur vécu territorial. Pour ces acteurs, le paysage agit à la fois comme agent de médiation et de communication de même qu'il participe à la construction de l'être‐ensemble. In Quebec, there are a number of groups actively engaged in structuring future plans for the rural milieu. The question of identity runs throughout their reflections, and the relationship between actors and territory is seen as a specific trait of contemporary rural identity. Furthermore, the concept of landscape provides a pertinent frame of reference for the analysis of this identity. From a theoretical point of view, this presupposes that landscape be envisaged according to a constructivist approach which would go beyond the visible forms to include territorial practices and intentions of the social actors as well as the immaterial dimensions such as the perceptions. In other words, landscape is seen as a social construction. This frame of reference was used to analyse observations gathered in a village situated in an outlying region of Quebec, and it was noticed that the local actors perceive the landscape according to endogenous criteria, i.e.: criteria specific to their real‐life territorial experience. For these actors, the landscape is both an agent of mediation and communication and a participant in the construction of a whole, a way of being or living together (“l'etre‐ensemble”).     

Observations on weathering forms at the Caniapiscau Reservoir, North‐Central Québec, Canada

Weathering forms were encountered during field work in a formerly glaciated shield area in Canada that lies within the Labrador‐Ungava sector of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet. The granite and gneissic granite in the study area display features of surface weathering, such as weathering pits, and of deep weathering, such as an exposed weathering front with associated gravelly saprolite and core stones. Most observations were made along the shoreline of the Caniapiscau reservoir, where wave abrasion since the construction of a hydropower dam has lead to recent exposure of bedrock over extensive areas. The saprolite remnants emphasise the importance of weathering processes in shaping of bedrock relief in the area and together with the other weathering forms indicate restricted glacial erosion. The weathering forms are discussed in the context of glacial erosion and preservation mechanisms.     

Differences in cancer incidence between men and women in the province of Québec, Canada, 1984–1993

This research concerns variation in incidence rates of cancer for males and females aged 35 to 69 in Québec for the period 1984 to 1993. In analysing the data, the Island of Montréal (health region 06) was distinguished from the rest of the province of Québec (excluding Nunavik and the James Bay regions). Relative rate index and the ratio of standardised incidence rates of cancer for males and females showed similar tendencies in all regions studied, with the risk of non–sex‐specific cancer higher in men than in women (excess ranged from 5 or 20 to 240 percent according to the study region). However, this higher risk was not consistent across lifespan and cancer site in the Montréal area. We suggest some general points that could explain the differences in cancer incidence between males and females.     

Entre intégration économique et cohésion sociale: les coopératives forestières et le développement régional au Québec

Cet article porte sur la relation entre la mondialisation, l'innovation économique et la cohésion sociale au sein des coopératives forestières du Québec dans une perspective de développement régional. Depuis une quinzaine d'années, certaines coopératives forestières au Québec tentent d'innover dans leurs façons de gérer et de produire. Pour innover, ces coopératives s'inscrivent dans un processus de gouvernance avec l'ensemble des acteurs de l'industrie forestière dont l'État, la grande entreprise forestière et les communautés forestières. Cette nouvelle gouvernance semble non seulement permettre aux coopératives forestières d'innover, mais aussi de dynamiser leur capacitéà assurer la cohésion sociale au sein de leurs communautés d'appartenance. La gouvernance forestière apparaît donc comme une stratégie de développement régional pertinente pour les régions qui, comme les régions forestières, sont situées en périphérie et souvent économiquement dévitalisées.     

Empiètements et stratégies géo-légales: le cas de la coupe en mosaïque en bordure des parcs nationaux du Québec

Depuis les années 1980, la province du Québec a créé de nombreux parcs, devenus parcs nationaux en 2002, afin d'assurer la conservation et la protection des territoires représentatifs de ses régions naturelles. Certains d'entre eux sont contigus à des portions de forêts publiques où se déroulent des activités industrielles d'exploitation forestière. Or, depuis 2003, les industriels sont tenus d'intégrer la coupe en mosaïque à leurs activités. Ce type de coupe requiert la préservation de forêts résiduelles (non-coupées) d'une superficie au moins équivalente à celle des aires de coupe. En 2004, les industriels se voient autorisés à situer ces forêts résiduelles à l'intérieur des frontières des parcs nationaux. Reposant sur l'approche interdisciplinaire de la géographie du droit, notre étude entend développer le concept d'empiètement, mais aussi les stratégies géo-légales qui sous-tendent ce dernier, au continuum du public-et-du-privé. Pour ce faire, nous avons recours à une méthodologie conciliant les méthodes juridiques et qualitatives afin d'étudier trois parcs nationaux où il y a localisation de forêts résiduelles à l'intérieur des limites de ces parcs. Notre étude entend démontrer que ces forêts résiduelles, situées à l'intérieur des parcs nationaux, constituent des empiètements résultant de stratégies géo-légales mises en œuvre par le ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune et les compagnies forestières.     

La dynamique spatiale des marchés locaux de l'emploi au sein du champ métropolitain de Québec, 1981–2001

Spatial Dynamics of Local Labour Markets in the Québec City Metropolitan Field, 1981–2001
This research analyzes the spatial dynamics (from 1981 to 2001) of local labour markets at an infra-regional scale, namely the Québec metropolitan field, with particular emphasis on interactions between the metropolitan region and its hinterland. It seeks to better understand the factors underlying this evolution. Centrographic analyses were performed to characterize the evolution of the spatial configuration of local labour markets (displacement of gravity centre, shape change, evolution of dispersion indices and of workforce preferential distribution axes). Between 1981 and 2001, almost all employment poles experienced an increase in the mean-distance tied to their recruitment area, that being particularly true for peri-metropolitan poles which employ an increasing part of their workforce inside the metropolitan labour basin, where a more qualified and diversified labour force is available; thus, giving rise to significant reverse commuting. In addition to the influence of distance to metropolitan area, a multiple regression model shows that factors such as manufacturing specialization and employment growth within job centres also play a crucial role in the spatial dynamics of local labour markets in the Québec City metropolitan field.     

Caractéristiques Physico-Chimiques De L'Eau Potable et la Mortalité Ischémique Du Cœeur: Application Aux Municipalités Des Cantons De L'est (Québec)

L'auteur montre que contrairement aux études dans ce domaine la dureté totale de l'eau potable ne semble pas influencer la mortalité ischémique du cœeur. Cette relation est examinée selon que la localisation géographique des municipalités des Cantons de l'Est ob-servées se trouve sur un gîte calcaire, selon l'origine de I'approvisionnement en eau potable. Les résultats montrent que les composantes physico-chimiques telles que le calcium et le magnésium peuvent dans des cas précis étre déterminants. L'emploi de données socio-économiques (l'âge du logement, le revenu, par exemple) apparaît plus probant.
Contrary to the results of other studies, the total hardness of drinking water does not seem to influence the death rate from ischaemic heart trouble in the Eastern Townships. This conclusion is based on an analysis of mortality rates in relation to the origin of domestic water supplies and location on sources of calcium. Although the results show that the physico-chemical components, such as calcium or magnesium, can be determined in certain cases, socio-economic variables, such as housing age or income, seem more significant.     

Méthodologie de zonage aquicole régional à l'aide de la télédétection dans un SIRS: application dans la baie des Chaleurs, Québec

Les études sur les activités aquicoles utilisant des informations géographiques et des données de télédétection sont parmi les plus difficiles à manipuler dans le domaine de la géomatique. Même si, de prime abord, les paramètres semblent faciles à utiliser, cette utilisation est plus complexe si on les considère comme un simple ensemble de données. De façon habituelle, l'identification et la délimitation de sites propices pour des activités aquicoles sont basées sur de multiples critères, comprenant des paramètres comme l'accessibilité au site et la profondeur d'eau. Lorsqu'on a clairement identifié un site propice pour des activités aquicoles, on peut en identifier d'autres avec des critères de base semblables ou équivalents. Cette méthode, basée sur l'identification du particulier vers le général, semble bien fonctionner dans les milieux d'eau douce, dans les baies et dans les fjords. Cependant, en milieu marin, la complexité et la variabilité des paramètres ne peuvent être évaluées sans tenir compte d'une vue générale synoptique et quantitative de tout l'environnement régional. La méthode proposée, basée sur l'identification du général vers le particulier et fondée sur des informations géographiques et des données de télédétection, peut être utilisée à différentes échelles. En effet, une zone propice pour des activités aquicoles peut être identifiée et délimitée à une échelle moyenne (1 à 100 km) en utilisant certains paramètres primaires essentiels et, par la suite, on peut raffiner à grande échelle (moins de 1 km) en utilisant d'autres paramètres secondaires un peu moins importants. La méthode proposée a été appliquée sur le littoral de la côte nord de la baie des Chaleurs, au Québec. Plusieurs zones propices aux activités aquicoles ont été identifiées et délimitées. La carte issue des traitements est le résultat de l'utilisation d'indices de potentiel aquicole à partir de la fusion des différents paramètres, qui ont d'abord été standardisés. Le résultat d'une telle fusion de données géoréférencées est valable si on le compare aux résultats publiés avec la méthode précédente dans laquelle chaque paramètre est additionné sur une carte de base (i.e. bathymétrie) à un moment donné et sans standardisation. La sensibilité de l'analyse et la validité des résultats sont confirmées par des données in situ prises dans la région d'étude, par exemple pour l'élevage de la moule. The area of aquaculture activities using geographic information and space technologies is one of the most difficult to organize within the field of Geomatics. The parameters may appear to be simple; however there is more complexity than a simple set of data. Currently, the suitable aquaculture site selection is based on a few criteria that encompass parameters, such as site location proximity and water depth. Once the site is clearly identified as suitable to support aquaculture activity, then similar sites were identified based on the same or equivalent criteria. This bottom‐up method seems to work in inland waters, bays and fjords, marine waters. However it precludes an environment that inherits such variable parameter complexity, one that could be evaluated without taken into account the whole synoptic and quantitative overview of regional environment. The proposed top‐down method based on geographic information and remote sensing techniques can be used at different scales. In fact, an area suitable to support an aquaculture activity could be selected at a mesoscale level (1 to 100 km) using identified main or primary parameters. Then, refinement is undertaken at a large scale (less than 1 km) using other parameters that are less important or secondary. The proposed method was applied to the coastal north shore of baie des Chaleurs in Québec, Canada. Several areas suitable to support aquaculture activities were identified. The product map is a result of merging or fusing different parameters that are previously standardized using an aquaculture evaluation index. Such gridded data fusion is valid compared to the previous methods seen in the literature where each parameter is added to a base map (i.e. bathymetry) at a time without standardizing the units. The sensitivity analysis and the validity of the results itself are in accordance with in situ testing undertaken in that area for mussel nests.     

Aires de marché et choix des destinations de consommation pour les achats réalisés au cours de la semaine – Le cas de la région de Québec

Since the early 1990s, big box stores have profoundly modified the retail structure of Canadian cities. This entails multiple consequences, beyond the mere competition between establishments, for the evolving relationships between diversity of retail forms, consumer behaviour and urban planning. These relationships are explored in the Québec Metropolitan Community, using detailed databases, including establishment directories, mobility surveys and a virtual road network, integrated into a regional GIS. Trade areas of commercial streets, shopping centers and big box stores are delineated and analyzed. Consumers' attributes, such as age, gender, type of household, mode of transport, which putatively influence the probability of patronizing one type of retail cluster compared to another type, are modelled using logistic regression. The influence of the relative location of cluster types on their capacity to attract consumers is also modelled in order to gain some understanding of the competition among and between types. The analysis suggests that, by and large, the growing number of big box stores has more negative consequences for shopping centres than they have for commercial streets. The study also clearly reveals the growing importance of shopping trips in the mobility profile of households and provides a knowledge base useful for urban planning.     

Transnational political participation of Algerians in France. Extra-territorial civil society versus transnational governmentality

Since independence, the Algerian state has had mechanisms in place to control its emigrant population but the recent conflict resulted in, and was in part caused by, the crumbling of many of these institutions of control. Throughout the conflict, migrants based in France have been able to exert considerable influence on the Algerian government, while the Algerian government has sought to discredit or control their activities. This article examines an episode of political protest against the Algerian regime by Algerian migrants in France that resulted in a series of high profile court cases in France between 2001 and 2004. The protests originated in allegations of human rights abuses by the Algerian army that were detailed in a series of books, principally Qui a tué a Bentalha? [Yous, N. with the collaboration of Mellah, S. (2000). Qui a tué à Bentalha? Algérie: chronique d'un massacre annoncé. Paris: La Découverte.] and La sale guerre [Souaïdia, H. (2001). La sale guerre. Paris: La Découverte.]. The article draws on a series of interviews with politically active and non-politically active migrants in France and the UK, including the authors of both books and leading figures on both sides of the debate, in order to establish the nature of the relationship between political activism by migrants in France and civil society in Algeria. The literature on civil society is used to highlight the relationship between French-based associations and the Algerian government. The article concludes that French-based activists must be judged on the extent to which they engage with the Algerian government and contribute to the growth of developing civil society within Algeria.     

Sub‐state nationalism and the welfare state: Québec and Canadian federalism

ABSTRACT. This article examines the relationship between sub‐state nationalism and the welfare state through the case of Québec in Canada. It argues that social policy presents mobilisation and identity‐building potential for sub‐state nationalism, and that nationalist movements affect the structure of welfare states. Nationalism and the welfare state revolve around the notion of solidarity. Because they often involve transfers of money between citizens, social programmes raise the issue of the specific community whose members should exhibit social and economic solidarity. From this perspective, nationalist movements are likely to seek the congruence between the ‘national community’ (as conceptualised by their leaders) and the ‘social community’ (the community where redistributive mechanisms should operate). Moreover, the political discourse of social policy lends itself well to national identity‐building because it is typically underpinned by collective values and principles. Finally, pressures stemming from sub‐state nationalism tend to reshape the policy agenda at both the state and the sub‐state level while favouring the asymmetrical decentralisation of the welfare state.