Prairie Politics and Society: Regionalism in Decline by Roger Gibbins (review)

REVIEWS 237 animperfect one,ofthehistoriography ofFrench-Canadian entrepreneurship andthecontemporary growthofbusiness school education inQuebec, theMB,• phenomenon. Nevertheless, theeditorof theseries Histoire •conomique etsociale duCanada francaisshouldnotethat he hasa faithful readership builton the strength ofdeephistorical inquiry.A bookwhichaddssolittletohistory, such astheoneunderreview,wouldbestbepublished elsewhere. r•o•AI•r• c. }'ATERSO• University ofBritish Columbia PrairiePolitics and Society: Regionalism in Decline. }tocEaGIBBINS. Toronto, Butterworth,•98o.Pp.•8. $•.95. Professor Gibbins apparently arrivedinCalgaryin •973onlytodiscover thatit wasnolongertheexclusive domainof thecattleman andthepoliticized grain farmer. Gibbins'traditionalimagesof the prairie westwere no longer adequate. Upondiscovering this,hewaspromptedtowriteabookwhichwould explainhowtheprairiewest haschanged andevolved intheperiodsince•95o. Thecentralthesis of Gibbins' workisthateconomically andsocially thewest isbecomingmore and more like other partsof Canada;that is to say,it is becoming moreurbanandmoreindustrialized. This,in turn, hasalteredthe political aspirations of prairiepeople,erodingsomeof theregionally distinctivefeaturesof theold graineconomy. Oneof themainattractions of thebookisthatit provides in adetailedand factualmannerthestatistical evidence of demographic, economic, social, and political changes thathavetakenplaceon theprairiesin thelastthirtyyears. Mostofthiswork,however, isnotbased onnewororiginalresearch inprimary sources. Instead,Professor Gibbins provides uswithareasoned andthoughtfultreatise based onareadingof theavailable secondary literaturetowhichhe hasaddeddetailedstatistical material, oftenin theformof graphs or tables. The book suffers from two rather serious weaknesses.First, the author's conception andviewofCanadaseems undulynarrowandrestricted. Thereare almostno referencesto Quebecand only a few to the Maritimes.Western Canada,wearetold,isbecoming moreliketherestof Canada,buttheevidence presented reallyonlyshows thatitisbecoming morelikeOntario.Anyworkon Canadian regionalism whichpays aslittleattention toQuebec andsogenerally equates Ontariointerests andaspirations withthose of thenationmustremain somewhat suspect. A second problemrelates tothealmost complete silence ontheimpact ofthe newstaple resources of thewest-oilandpotash-andhowthese haveaffected western regionalism. Gibbins failseventodoff hishatin thedirection ofJohn Richards, LarryPratt,andtheotheroilpatchscribblers. It iscertainly truethat thewesthasbecome moreurbanandhasdeveloped astronger industrialand manufacturing base.But the basisof the prairie economystillremainsthe 238 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW exploitation andexportof staple resources, andrecentevents haveshown very clearlythat the politicsof the new stapleresources may,in fact,fosteran intensification ratherthana declineof prairieregionalism. The book providesa good discussion of prairie politicsand society.It demonstrates thatprairieregionalism isundergoing asubstantial transformation . But the evidencepresentedin supportof the contentionthat prairie regionalism isin declineisnotentirelyconvincing. T.D.•CE•R University ofSaskatchewan Ordinary Heroes: theJournalof a French Settler in Alberta.MARCEL DURIEUX. Translatedby MauriceLegrisand Roger Motut. Edmonton,Universityof Alberta,•98o.Pp.xviii,• •5. $7.5ø. The 'ordinaryheroes'of thisjournal arethemembers of theCharlesDurieux familywhohomesteaded nearStettler,Alberta,in •9o6.Marcel,theyoungest of thethreesons, wroteaboutthefamily'sexperiences in seeking opportunity inCanada. He vividlydescribes thediscomforts andsmallpleasures oftravelby ship,wherechampagne curedhissea-sickness, andthemonotonous CPR ride westward. Finally,afterloadingandunloadingawagonninetimes,theweary Marcel arrived at his new home. In •9•o deathtook MadameDurieux and Charlesfrom the familycircle andthe GreatWar in •9•4 sentall threesonsbackto Europeto defendthe homeland.The war endedthejournal and the firstchapterin the Durieux family's homesteading experience inAlberta.Onlyoneson,Henri,returnedto Albertain •9•8 to continueto homestead. Marcel's journal stressed theimportance of theRomanCatholic churchasa focalpointin thelifeof mostFrench-speaking families in Canada. Theshared experience of theitinerantpriests cemented bondsbetween French-speaking Catholicsettlersof the Westand the larger French-speaking communityin Canada.Besides spiritualcomfort,thechurchplayedan essential social role. Whilerecovering from a backinjury,Henri obtainedneededemployment at theCollegein StBoniface. Like many from Francewho cameto Alberta, the Durieux family was middle class.Charles Durieux had enough savingsto escapethe severe hardships experienced byanearbyFinnishcouple.Althoughnotasprivileged as the Counts at Trochu, the Durieux never suffered as did some other French-speaking settlers northof Edmontonandat StPauldesM•tis. Like Europeans who settled in Alberta, the Durieux left their new homelandat the outbreakof the FirstWorld War. Albertasufferedgreatly from the lossof thesesettlers,particularlythe French-speaking community. Before•9•4 French-speaking peopleplayedan activeandsometimes dominantrolein manyaspects of Alberta's life.With theeconomic collapse andthe ...