On the Outside, Looking Out - Canada’s Rural Communities as Stewards of Landscape and the Land 

Wednesday, March 18^th, 4-5pm – Jeff Reichheld, University of Guelph 

The uniqueness of Canada’s rural communities is often overlooked, subsuming it under the perceived cultural hegemonies of their local urban centres. Or, Canada’s rural communities are assigned the quality of rural, labelling them as simple or even culturally backward. This common-sense oversimplification undercuts the significant social and these communities’ significant contributions to Canada’s identity, especially in terms of our relationship with the land. In response, Canada’s rural studies community argues that if you’ve met one rural community, you’ve met one rural community, pointing toward the striking diversity and social vibrancy found in rural Canada.  

This presentation explores Canadian rural cultures to discuss ways that the identities they produce shape Canada’s cultural mosaic and in turn reshape our ongoing relationship with the land. Because the vast majority of Canada’s landscape is rural or remote, we will examine connections between place and culture to understand how this placeness is shaped by Canada’s geography. While most Canadians have at best an arm’s length relationship with the land, we will then address how rural and remote Canadians and their communities, especially those involved in primary industries such as agriculture and forestry, are instead deeply shaped by and in turn shape the land’s future.