Sensing Changes

SENSING CHANGES By Joy Parr (2010) This historical study examines how major Canadian infrastructure projects between 1953-2003 impacted local communities through their sensory experiences. Through six case studies, including the Arrow Lakes dam and Saint Lawrence Seaway project, Parr documents how these developments transformed both landscapes and residents' daily lives. The research centers on "embodied histories" - the physical and sensory ways people understand and interact with their environments. The book explores specific examples like the relocation of Iroquois village and the construction of a NATO base in New Brunswick, as well as the 2000 Walkerton E. coli crisis. The book connects environmental transformation, human bodies, and lived experience to reveal how massive changes to place affect identity and belonging. Through detailed accounts of individual and community experiences, it illuminates the profound relationship between physical surroundings and human perception.

Readers describe the book as a detailed examination of how Canadian communities adapted to technological and environmental changes in the post-WWII era. Readers value: - Original research approach incorporating sensory histories - Documentation of local community perspectives - Clear explanations of complex megaprojects - High quality photographs and illustrations Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style that can be difficult to follow - Limited scope focused only on a few case studies - Some readers found the theoretical framework sections overly complex Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (12 ratings) Amazon.ca: 5/5 (1 rating) Sample reader comments: "The focus on embodied knowledge and sensory experience brings new depth to these environmental histories" - Goodreads reviewer "Important contribution but the academic prose makes it less accessible to general readers" - Goodreads reviewer "Excellent primary source material but theoretical sections could be more concise" - Academic review in Environmental History journal

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🔍 The book pioneered the use of digital "megaprojects" archives to document sensory memories, including one of the first interactive websites combining oral histories with 3D modeling. 🌊 One case study focuses on the St. Lawrence Seaway construction (1954-1959), which submerged nine Ontario villages and forced 6,500 people to relocate. 👥 Parr spent over a decade collecting oral histories from affected community members, often walking with them through changed landscapes as they recalled their former environments. 🎓 Joy Parr is a distinguished Canadian historian who won the 2011 Canada Prize in the Social Sciences for this groundbreaking work in environmental history. 🧠 The research reveals that people's spatial memories can persist for decades after landscape changes, with many interview subjects able to precisely "walk" through their former communities in their minds.