A slightly acidic space for commentary, mixed with sweet undertones of optimism, and occasionally garnished with a cherry of insight. Pample the Moose is the blog of Matthew Hayday, an associate professor in the History Department at the University of Guelph. The assorted musings here are his, and do not reflect the positions of the university.
Several weeks ago, a journalist from the Montreal Gazette called me up for a conversation about a feature she was writing about the increasingly polarized nature of Canadian politics. We talked for about an hour, and a fair bit of what I had to say appeared in this story which ran in today's paper. Check it out!
Labels: polarization, politics, Stephen Harper
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posted by Matt @ 4:09 pm
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Bilingual Today, United Tomorrow: Official Languages in Education and Canadian Federalism
Available from your local academic or independent bookstore or at Amazon.ca or Chapters/Indigo online
Mobilizations, Protests and Engagements: Canadian Perspectives on Social Movements
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2 Comments:
Earlier this week, an internet polling company asked for my mapped definition of my immediate local community. I tried my best to circle the neighbourhoods where I do most of my shopping and weekly/monthly recreation. It was a shape that had a radius of about 2-4 km from my home. The polling company asked about my ratings of political parties and cultural groups from 0-100 within my community and my federal riding.
I would wonder if I had to draw one or more circles around my "national" community, which parts of the world I would include and exclude. It would be nice to include all of Canada. However, realistically, I would probably only include places in the world where I have had direct and indirect contact in my life. My "national" community would likely include much of urban or semi-urban southern Canada from Victoria to Halifax. I would probably include rural Ontario, but not the rural parts of the otther provinces. I may include parts of Gatineau and downtown Montreal and west to the Ontario border. I might have nodes around Hollywood and Disney World. I would likely exclude northern Canada and most of Quebec. My nation would be three Venn diagram circles that are urban, English-speaking, and Ontario. I would have an inner nation of urban, English Ontario; I would also have an outer urban nation that included elements of urban, English-speaking, and Ontario.
If someone from Quebec were to draw a territoral map of his/her nation, it may look very different from mine. That person may draw a circle around Quebec. Perhaps that he/she may include Ottawa, Toronto, Boston, or Florida. Would that person include the francophone areas of Ontario and New Brunswick? Maybe not. Would he/she include Labrador?
How many people would circle all of Canada as a whole territory that consists of their nation? There might be less today than 20 or 30 years ago.
Very cool, Dr. Hayday
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