Canada's Rural Majority : Households, Environments, and Economies, 1870-1940

__Canada’s Rural Majority__ is an engaging and accessible history of the distinctive experience of Canada's rural population, including not only farmers, but also hunters, gardeners, fishers, miners, loggers, and cannery workers who lived and worked in rural Canada.

Before the Second World War, Canada was a rural country. Unlike most industrializing countries, Canada’s rural population grew throughout the century after 1871 – even if it declined as a proportion of the total population. Rural Canadians also differed in their lives from rural populations elsewhere. In a country dominated by a harsh northern climate, a short growing season, isolated households and communities, and poor land, they typically relied on three ever-shifting pillars of support: the sale of cash crops, subsistence from the local environment, and wage work off the farm.

Canada’s Rural Majority is an engaging and accessible history of this distinctive experience, including not only Canada’s farmers, but also the hunters, gardeners, fishers, miners, loggers, and cannery workers who lived and worked in rural Canada. Focusing on the household, the environment, and the community, Canada’s Rural Majority is a compelling classroom resource and an invaluable overview of this understudied aspect of Canadian history.

"Before the Second World War, Canada was a rural country. Unlike most industrializing countries, Canada's rural population grew throughout the century after 1871--even if it declined as a proportion of the total population. Rural Canadians also differed in their lives from rural populations elsewhere. In a country dominated by a harsh northern climate, a short growing season, long distances, and poor land, they typically relied on three ever-shifting pillars of support: the sale of cash crops, subsistence from the local environment, and wage work off the farm. Canada's Rural Majority is an engaging and accessible history of this distinctive experience, including not only Canada's farmers, but also the hunters, gardeners, fishers, miners, loggers, and cannery workers who lived and worked in rural Canada. Focusing on the household, the environment, and the community, Canada's Rural Majority is a compelling classroom resource and an invaluable overview of this understudied aspect of Canadian history."-- Provided by publisher Contents CANADA’S RURAL MAJORITY: HOUSEHOLDS, ENVIRONMENTS, AND ECONOMIES, 1870–1940 1. Introduction: Rediscovering Canada’s Rural Majority, 1870–1940 2. The Canadian Shield 3. The St. Lawrence Valley and Southern Great Lakes Region 4. The Canadian Central Plain 5. The Mountains 6. The Coast 7. Conclusion Notes References and Further Reading Index