In an age of unprecedented human impact on the planet, certain countries stand out for their privileged positions and the complexity of their relationships with nature. Today, Canada's environmental record is among the poorest when compared to other wealthy nations, a fact that suggests ambivalence, and the actions of competing interests, which are most often exposed in moments of disorder and disregard for the unexpected consequences of managing the country's seemingly endless bounty.

The 15 case studies presented here reframe Canada since 1945, and these surprising events are grounded in conversations about cultural myths and the legal environment, changing ideas of natural resources and environmental risk, indigenous engagement with environmentalism and development, and the impacts of the environmentalist movement.  

About the editors:  Curator and architect Mirko Zardini is the Director of the Canadian Centre for Architecture since 2005. His research engages the transformation of contemporary architecture and its relationship with the city and the environment by questioning the assumptions on which architects operate today.

Lev Bratishenko is a writer and curator. His previous book with the Canadian Centre for Architecture was The Other Architect (2015) with Giovanna Borasi. He curated 'Error 404: The object is not online' (2010).

With contributions by Taiaiake Alfred, Brian Brennan, Dean Bavington, David R. Boyd, David Cayley, Douglas Coupland, Elizabeth R. DeSombre, Caroline Desbiens, Emily Eaton, David Gray-Donald, Marianne Nicolson, Andrew Nikiforuk, Margo Pfeiff, Christopher Pollon, John Ralston Saul, Ed Struzik, David Suzuki, Martha Troian, Charles Wilkins, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, Chris Windeyer, and Graeme Wynn.

In an age of unprecedented human impact on the planet, certain countries stand out for their privileged positions and the complexity of their relationships with nature. Today, Canada's environmental record is among the poorest when compared to other wealthy nations, a fact that suggests ambivalence, and the actions of competing interests, which are most often exposed in moments of disorder and disregard for the unexpected consequences of managing the country's seemingly endless bounty.

The 15 case studies presented here reframe Canada since 1945, and these surprising events are grounded in conversations about cultural myths and the legal environment, changing ideas of natural resources and environmental risk, indigenous engagement with environmentalism and development, and the impacts of the environmentalist movement.  

About the editors:  Curator and architect Mirko Zardini is the Director of the Canadian Centre for Architecture since 2005. His research engages the transformation of contemporary architecture and its relationship with the city and the environment by questioning the assumptions on which architects operate today.

Lev Bratishenko is a writer and curator. His previous book with the Canadian Centre for Architecture was The Other Architect (2015) with Giovanna Borasi. He curated 'Error 404: The object is not online' (2010).

With contributions by Taiaiake Alfred, Brian Brennan, Dean Bavington, David R. Boyd, David Cayley, Douglas Coupland, Elizabeth R. DeSombre, Caroline Desbiens, Emily Eaton, David Gray-Donald, Marianne Nicolson, Andrew Nikiforuk, Margo Pfeiff, Christopher Pollon, John Ralston Saul, Ed Struzik, David Suzuki, Martha Troian, Charles Wilkins, Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, Chris Windeyer, and Graeme Wynn.