Salt Spring Island BC Article: “Waterfront Property Donated” https://gulfislandsdriftwood.com/waterfront-property-donated-for-park/ A recent Gulf Islands Driftwood article notes that Ruth Baldwin’s family donated approximately 1.5 acres of oceanfront land at 215 Morningside Road to establish a community park on Salt Spring Island. The Salt Spring Island Archives indicate that the property was formerly home to David and Clara Maxwell, whose family had both Cowichan Indigenous and European ancestry, and that the land was used as a residence, a small farm, a gathering place, and an access point to the ocean. This history connects to Binnema and Niemi’s discussion of the parks movement because…

The first article chosen is about the recent 25% discount offered by Parks Canada for all parks under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada, while also simultaneously offering free admission for all travellers. Parks Canada states various benefits of Parks Canada, citing increased physical and mental health associated with visiting nature, which also helps lower health care costs across Canada.  Parks Canada also views national parks as an excellent source of revenue both locally and nationally, as tourists actively contribute to the rising GDP.  While Canada also highlights national parks, helping curb carbon footprints, I am reminded of the course readings…

Parks  Article: UBC researchers find Indigenous lands can outperform protected areas on conservation https://news.ubc.ca/2026/05/indigenous-lands-outperform-protected-areas-on-conservation/ This article made me think about what we learned regarding the creation of national parks in North America. In Unit 3, we examined how parks such as Banff were often created by excluding Indigenous peoples because conservationists believed wilderness should be separate from human activity. The article challenges that idea by showing that Indigenous-managed lands can be just as effective, or even more effective, at protecting biodiversity than government-run protected areas. This connects to Cronon’s argument that wilderness is a cultural construct rather than a truly…

Exercise #3: Connecting Past and Present Post 1: Urbanization Article: https://thenarwhal.ca/climate-and-housing-event-questions/ This article discusses how British Columbia is trying to address the housing crisis while also responding to climate change. It challenged me to think differently about urbanization because building more homes is not simply about accommodating population growth. Environmental historians remind us that cities reshape landscapes, transportation systems, and ecosystems over time. The article explains that communities now have to consider climate resilience when planning housing developments, including preparing for wildfires, floods, and extreme heat. It made me realize that the choices made by planners and governments today will…

Conservation https://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/local-news/lilwat-forestry-ventures-to-lead-cultural-burn-near-mount-currie-this-fall-11229904 Luke Faulk’s article in Pique Newsmagazine discusses the Lil’wat Nation leading a cultural burn near Mount Currie as part of wildfire prevention and ecological restoration. This connected strongly to the Unit 3 readings on conservation because it challenged the assumption that protecting forests requires removing people from the landscape. Roach and Gillis explain that by the early twentieth century the Canadian government had formalised fire suppression and forest management through state agencies, reflecting a conservation model focused on control and regulation. In contrast, the Lil’wat cultural burn demonstrates how Indigenous peoples have long used fire as a management…