"Wild wedge" : the loss of wilderness in the Southern Lakes Region, Yukon Territory
Date
1992
Authors
Shelvey, Ernest Bruce Halhad
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The "Wild Wedge" is one of the few places left in the Southern Lakes region, Yukon Territory to remain as a wilderness in the minds of the resident population. Bordered by roads, it has experienced much attention in the last one hundred years from fur traders, big game hunters, miners, loggers and other forces of development. Although its appearance is one of a wilderness area, a closer look reveals the scars of visible and invisible forces of change which have transformed the area for more than a century. In this study, an attempt has been made to go behind the facade of our common conceptions about wilderness areas and expose the realities of the northern "wilderness".
The first chapter outlines the forces of change at work on the landscape of the Southern Lakes region. The second chapter examines the visible impact of development based industries. The third chapter completes the study by analyzing the invisible impact of resource extraction and activities which accompany development. In conclusion, the thesis explores the concept of "wilderness" in relationship to the Southern Lakes region and illustrates how the transformation of the environment over the last one hundred years of development has stripped the Southern Lakes region of its "wilderness". The "Wild Wedge" is significant because it represents a misconception about the environment, which not only Northerners, but Canadians in general, hold of northern and peripheral regions.
Description
Keywords
UN SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth