I live in Kamloops, Vancouver, Canada. I have known that Vancouver has experienced considerable change since I moved there with my parents. Previously, there was less focus on environmental conservation, although various efforts have been to this effect. Since the ice age that resulted from the falling glaciers, there has been a notable change in Canadian history. In Vancouver, the change can be evidenced by the many features that can be seen geographically. The features include trade routes, Aboriginal people, and the growth of major cities. The objects are critical in depicting people’s interaction with the Canadian environment, contributing greatly to Canada’s geography transformation. This paper will focus on the ecological history of this physical environment.

While sustainable development is crucial in Canadian society, it has little contribution to its history. A good example includes the Aboriginal people’s link to various elements such as landscapes, animals, and plants. However, their place in society was reduced to the reserves by Europeans. The European settlers perceived the environment as a platform for earning profits and conquering to survive.[1] Nevertheless, people started to revolt against Europeans in the 19^th century to ensure their country competes favorably globally. Canada had various developments that included exploiting resources, industries, and agriculture. Canada was driven by sustainable economic development throughout its history.[2] The 20^th century also presented Canada with a great challenge as most people became delinked from the environment, although they heavily depended on it to survive. As a result, the government sought measures to ensure survival amid that crisis.

There are historical concerns about whether sustained economic development is bountiful in Canada. Over the past, various people have challenged or encouraged land exploitation. “Canadian scientists, naturalists, and intellectuals ganged up in the 19^th century to oppose the continuous exploitation of natural resources.”[3] They believed that a solid conversation was needed to guide the exploitation of resources to benefit people. They believed that proper regulation was needed to regulate resource exploitation and preserve resources like watersheds, forests, and wildlife. Nevertheless, the legislation has never been passed, given the level of self-interest in government and private institutions. The country’s resources, such as national parks and museums, have been devastated because of land use. Passing laws that regulate the use and exploitation of natural resources and forests will help Canada manage its timber industry, land use, recreational facilities and monitor its environmental conservation methods.

Despite the continued deterioration of recreation sites in Canada, conservationists have made various efforts to protect the environment. One of the most prominent historical events occurred between the 1960 and 1970s when protests against environmental degradation and destruction.[4] In 1962, an American writer advanced by insisting that factories produced chemical pollutants harmful to the environment.[5] These efforts resulted in a Greenpeace movement that consisted of several environmental conservation activists. These organizations continued to mushroom and grow as time went by, encouraging people to conserve the environment by caring for it. Unfortunately, given the growing awareness of climate change, history points that the Canadian government has been a poor respondent to climatic and environmental issues.

These events have been orchestrated by the Canadian’s disconnection from the environment and nature. Canada is highly dependent on technology as its solution to most environmental issues. This has blinded the country to environmental issues facing them. For instance, the falling and collapse of the Newfoundland cod fishery in 1992 show how slow Canada is from learning from mistakes.[6] The country has not reformed its quick-fix methods in achieving sustainable development in decision making. Therefore, the 19^th-century message on the conversation is viewed with dismay by the Canadians as they are yet to understand what it means.[7] One of the most notable ways of limiting environmental degradation and improving sustainable development is limiting the human imprint on the environment. Adopting reusable sources of energy and recycling resources is an applicable mechanism in this century. Another way involves public education on the significance of conducting environmental conservation.

In conclusion, having highlighted this environmental history, one thing is clear – Canada’s current development relates to issues on development that have unraveled historically in the past decades. This means that Canada’s past has not focused on environmental awareness and conservation measures but on developing economically yet unsustainably. Therefore, the country needs proper policies to shift its development plan and model to a more environmental-friendly model for sustainable development. Despite that, there is a need for more robust strategies for sustainable environmental conservation in Canada. Currently, Canada lags in implementing environmental conservation laws that have put it on a global scale as one of the countries that are not doing so well in managing pollution.

[1] Munoz, Samuel E., David J. Mladenoff, Sissel Schroeder, and John W. Williams. “Defining the spatial patterns of historical land use associated with the indigenous societies of eastern North America.” Journal of Biogeography 41, no. 12 (2014): 2195-2210.

[2] Munoz, Mladenoff and Williams. 2205.

[3] Ibid., 2199

[4] Worster, Donald. “Transformations of the earth: toward an agroecological perspective in history.” The Journal of American History 76, no. 4 (1990): 1087-1106.

[5] KRECH III, S. H. E. P. A. R. D. “Reflections on conservation, sustainability, and environmentalism in indigenous North America.” American anthropologist 107, no. 1 (2005): 78-86.

[6] Worster., 1090.

[7] KRECH III., 79.