Making Muskoka

Tourism, Rural Identity, and Sustainability, 1870–1920

By Andrew Watson
Categories: Environmental & Nature Studies, Environmental History, Geography, Historical Geography, History, Canadian History, Regional & Cultural Studies, Canadian Studies
Series: Nature | History | Society
Publisher: UBC Press
Hardcover : 9780774867832, 280 pages, October 2022
Ebook (PDF) : 9780774867856, 280 pages, October 2022
Ebook (EPUB) : 9780774867863, 280 pages, October 2022
Paperback : 9780774867849, 280 pages, May 2023
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Table of contents

Introduction

1 Rural Identity and Resettlement of the Canadian Shield, 1860–80

2 Indigenous Identity, Settler Colonialism, and Tourism, 1850–1920

3 Rural Identity and Tourism, 1870–1900

4 The Promise of Wood-Resource Harvesting, 1870–1920

5 Fossil Fuels, Consumer Culture, and the Tourism Economy, 1900–20

Conclusion

Appendix; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Description

Muskoka. Now a premier destination for nature tourists and wealthy cottagers, the region underwent a profound transition at the turn of the twentieth century. Making Muskoka uncovers the connections between lived experience and identity in rural communities shaped by tourism at a time when sustainable opportunities for a sedentary life were few on the Canadian Shield. This rocky section of Ontario was transformed from an Indigenous homeland to a settler community and a part-time playground for tourists and cottagers. But what were the consequences for those who lived there year-round?

Awards

  • Short-listed, Saskatchewan Book Awards 2023