Peter George

“Going in Between”: The Impact of European Technology on the Work Patterns of the West Main Cree of Northern Ontario

The West Main Cree of northern Ontario adapted readily but selectively to the European technologies and institutions made available by the fur trade. Yet some basic cultural and psychological differences regarding the accumulation of wealth, attitudes to work, and dependence on relief and government transfers complicated Indian-European relations. In a rational attempt to compromise among todays complex choices, the Cree have abandoned their traditional bush pursuits for village life and wage employment, with hunting and trapping reduced to part-time or recreational activities.

The Courts and the Development of Trade in Upper Canada, 1830–1860

The centrality of transportation improvements and financial institutions to the economic development of Upper Canada in the first half of the nineteenth century is well known. In this article, Professor George and Mr. Sworden argue that the evolving legal system and legal institutions also played an important role as part of the infrastructure contributing to increased economic efficiency. In support of their thesis, they draw on court decisions on contract and property law, primarily from the judicial career of Sir John Beverley Robinson, chief justice of the Court of Queens Bench for Upper Canada from 1829 to 1862.

The role of small-scale hydro development in northern Ontario

Interest in small-scale hydroelectric development was stimulated by the energy crisis of the 1970s. We examine factors influencing this choice in the electrification of remote native Indian communities in northern Ontario. These projects are a realistic, cost-effective solution to electricity supply problems in many remote communities and are more likely to be compatible with the economic and social goals of native peoples than large-scale projects.