Justin Fisher PhD Candidate
Supervisor: Dr. Andrew WatsonMy dissertation examines energy developments in Saskatchewan during the energy crises of the 1970s and early 1980s, paying special attention to rhetoric and research surrounding non-fossil fuel energies such as hydropower, nuclear power, renewable energy, and energy conservation. I’m particularly interested in how this period presented “energy opportunities” for the province given the wide range of energy resources available there, and the ways that the government and different sectors of society envisioned the future of energy—and the province—in a period of perceived crisis. Moreover, the dissertation considers these debates and developments through the lens of health, highlighting a growing awareness of the intersections between the health of environments, communities, and human bodies. As part of this work, I examine the centrality of energy issues to the rise and resurgence of social movements in the province, including environmentalism and Indigenous rights.
Research Area(s)
- Environmental & Energy history
- Canadian & Prairie history
- Indigenous history
Publications:
“A Family Affair: Alternative energy research in 1970s Saskatchewan.” Folklore Magazine, Spring 2024.
“Man and Resources: 50 years later: A retrospective on early Canadian environmentalism.” Network in Canadian History and Environment, September 2022.Carlson, H., J. Fisher and R. Malena Chan (2018).
"Bridging the Gap: Building bridges between urban environmentalists and coal-producing communities in Saskatchewan." Saskatoon: Climate Justice Saskatoon.
Conference Presentations (Select):
“‘Low-energy’ and ‘high-energy’ dreams, and the rippling effects of migrating ideas and technologies in Western Canada”. Western Canadian History Conference, 2024.
“‘The trap of a crisis mentality’: Social movement responses to the Energy Crisis”. Everything Everywhere All At Once: The 1970s Oil Crises and the Transformation of the Postwar World, 2024
“Energy crisis and opportunity: energy resources and public debate in Saskatchewan”. Canadian Historical Association, 2023.
“‘Just common sense?’ Energy conservation in Saskatchewan as a response to the energy crisis”. American Society for Environmental History, 2023.
“‘The best spot in Canada’: Saskatchewan and alternative energy technologies in the 1970s”. Canadian Science & Technology History Association, 2022.
“‘How many Elliot Lakes do you need’? The energy crisis and Saskatchewan Uranium Expansion”. MOMS History of Medicine Conference, 2022.
"Bridging the gap between urban environmentalists and coal-producing communities in Saskatchewan." Just Transitions Summit, SaskForward, Campus Regina Public, Regina, SK, October 27-28, 2018. With Hayley Carlson and Rachel Malena-Chan.
Courses taught:
History 258: The Canadian Prairies since 1905, Winter 2023.