Once upon an Oldman : special interest politics and the Oldman River Dam / Jack Glenn.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Glenn, Jack, 1936-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dams--Political aspects--Alberta--Oldman River.

Dams.

Dams--Environmental aspects--Alberta--Oldman River.

Piegan Indians--Alberta--Oldman River Region--Government relations.

Piegan Indians.

Oldman River Dam (Alta.).

Oldman River Valley (Alta.)--History.

Oldman River Valley (Alta.).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 329 pages) : illustrations, maps, portraits

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Vancouver : UBC Press, c1999.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Once Upon an Oldman is an account of the controversy that surrounded the Alberta government's construction of a dam on the Oldman River to provide water for irrigation in the southern part of the province. Glenn argues that, despite claims to the contrary, the governments of Canada and Alberta are not dedicated to protecting the environment and will even circumvent the law to avoid accepting responsibility for safeguarding the environment and the interests of Native people. Glenn describes the geography and history of the Oldman River basin, the institutional arrangements behind the dam project, and the ongoing controversy as it has unfolded since 1976. He then takes a close look at the disparate groups involved in the controversy: the governments of Alberta and Canada and their agencies, the Southern Alberta Water Management Committee, the Friends of the Oldman River Society, and the Peigan Indian Band. Considering these in the context of issues raised by the project, he discusses water management and irrigation, environmental impacts, and implications for the culture and beliefs of the Peigan, including their claim to a share of the flow of the river. This book pulls together information from a wide range of sources: the media, correspondence of politicians and public servants, reports from government agencies, environmental groups, and the Peigan Indians, court decisions, and interviews. What emerges is a disturbing and fascinating tale of confrontation, pitting governments against environmentalists and Native people, that convincingly demonstrates that resorting to the courts is an ineffective way to protect both the environment and those who have lived here since before the arrival of Europeans.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Illustrations and Maps

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1 The Oldman River Basin

2 In the Beginning

3 The ECA Review

4 A Dam on the Oldman

5 Interlude

6 The Battle Joined

7 The EARPGO Challenge

8 Carry On Regardless

9 The Lonefighters

10 7 September 1990

11 In the Aftermath

12 The Federal Review

13 The Panel Reports

14 And Thereafter

15 The Iron Triangle and the Oldman River Dam

16 The Environment and Its Friends

17 Archaeology

18 Biological Diversity

19 EARPGO and the Courts

20 FOR and the Attorney General

21 The Peigan Indians

22 The Peigan and the Oldman River Dam: I

23 The Peigan and the Oldman River Dam: II

24 The Federal Watchdog: I

25 The Federal Watchdog: II

26 Iniquity and Betrayal

27 The Peigan, Politics, and the Courts

28 The Environment, Politics, and the Courts

29 Information and Disinformation

30 Does It Matter?

Notes

A Note on Sources

Bibliography

Index

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

W

Y.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [313]-321) and index.

ISBN:

9786613131348

9781283131346

128313134X

9780774852289

0774852283

9780585321189

0585321183

OCLC:

180704390