Browsing by Author "Blake, Raymond"

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Open Access
Alerting the nation to famine: The role of the media in exposing Canadians to the Ethiopian famine of 1984
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2023-08) Zimmer, Jonathon Richard Donald; Blake, Raymond; Charrier, Philip; Ganev, Robin
This thesis explores the coverage by English language media in Canada, specifically that of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the Globe and Mail, and Maclean’s, of the Ethiopian Famine of 1984, and how that coverage generated considerable interest among the Canadian public, including among members of the Canadian government. The CBC’s reporting of the famine in its evening news on 1 November 1984 galvanized many Canadians. Even newly elected Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, and his Secretary of State for External Affairs, Joe Clark, have admitted to being influenced by the reports of the famine on the CBC. Earlier reporting on the developing humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia, particularly by the Globe and Mail and Maclean’s, months, or even years before the CBC’s startling images, did not generate the same degree of interest or impact as the CBC did on that fall evening. Televised media generated interest in the crisis that print media simply could not match. However, this thesis shows that the Globe and Mail, a daily newspaper based in Toronto whose masthead describes itself as Canada’s national newspaper, and Maclean’s, which claims to be Canada’s Weekly Newsmagazine, both provided more detailed coverage of the crisis than television could. Maclean’s, moreover, understood the value of imagery in its coverage of the famine, and its increased space permitted it to engage in the transmission of differing perspectives on what was happening in Ethiopia. In the case of all three mediums, each moved on after several months of intense coverage of the famine, as new stories emerged. The public, it seems, similarly lost interest in the famine, suggesting that the media’s portrayal of the famine first alerted the nation to the Ethiopian crisis, became a key factor in mobilizing aid to Ethiopia and as the media’s interest waned, the public also lost interest in what was happening in the African nation.
Open Access
The Amending Formula, Meech Lake, and the Quebec Secession Reference: The Difficulties of Provincial Secession
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2011-11) Raymond, Jeffery Lee; Ward, Lee; Zhu, Yuchao; Blake, Raymond
The Quebec Secession Reference, rendered by the Supreme Court of Canada,affirmed the position held by the Government of Canada, which claimed that a referendum on sovereignty is not a sufficient legal instrument, in of itself, to effect the removal of a province from the current constitutional order. The Reference also maintains that a constitutional amendment is necessary in order for the province to legally secede. Moreover, it is the opinion of the Court that a referendum on sovereignty is the formal consultation of the people, by their government, with the purpose of determining the province‟s democratic intent to remove itself from the Canadian Federation. However, a successful referendum on sovereignty does not constitutionally empower a province to amend the Constitution independent of the relevant institutions as defined in the amending formula. In fact, the Court informs us that while a referendum on sovereignty is the expression of the democratic will of the people within that given province, it does not allow for the exclusion of the extra-provincial stakeholders within the Canadian federation. This thesis endeavours to understand, in detail and overall scope, the various legal options and limitations available to a province seeking to remove itself from the Canadian Federation. Central to this understanding is the assumption that provincial secession may only be achieved by way of a constitutional amendment, and that a unilateral declaration of independence is not within the jurisdictional power of any provincial legislature on its own. This thesis demonstrates the amending formula is the primary deterrent to any secessionist plan. Therefore, in order to have a comprehensive understanding of the constitutional impediments to secession, and to legitimate the position that the amending formula is the primary secession deterrent, this paper will attempt to delineate the relevant jurisdictional capacities of both the provincial and federal governments during a potential secession process. In order to determine why the question of secession was presented to the Supreme Court in the first place, it is necessary to provide a historical overview and a synoptic review of the Constitutional patriation process, the Meech Accord, the 1995 Quebec Referendum, and the Quebec Secession Reference. These events are critical to understanding why Quebec has demonstrated uneasiness with the idea of Canada as shared by the rest of the country. After presenting the historical overview, an examination of the legal difficulties associated with provincial secession will follow. In addition, the actions and statements of the political actors during the Reference will be examined in order to comprehend the motives of both secessionists and federalists. Finally, we will determine that political action has forced Canada to discuss and examine the legality of this issue. This paper will weigh the legal practicalities involving a referendum result that requires the governments of both Canada and the province of Quebec to negotiate terms regarding secession and whether a consensus would likely follow. Ultimately, the Canadian Constitution and its amending formula provides for the possibility of provincial secession, however, political consensus on the terms of secession would be extremely difficult to achieve. It is also possible the constitutional acceptance of Quebec as a distinct society would have avoided the threat of a secession process altogether.
Open Access
Building Social Capital Through Sport, Culture and Recreation: An Experiment in Collaborative Governance in Saskatchewan Using The Proceeds of State-Directed Gambling
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2015-07) Gidluck, Lynn Eileen; Marchildon, Gregory; Blake, Raymond; Jurdi, Rozzet; Hoeber, Larena; Campbell, Colin S.; Theriault, Luc
When states make the decision to increase government revenue from gambling, they have to mediate between a range of options for operating, regulating and controlling an industry viewed by many people to produce more public harm than benefits. Very little research has been conducted that explores the interface between the generation of revenue from state-directed gambling and efforts that governments make to use this revenue source for a social purpose. This study addresses this gap by exploring the choices available to governments for how to use gambling revenue. Cross-national comparative research reveals that the Canadian province of Saskatchewan is the only jurisdiction in North America -- and one of only six places in the world -- where the government licenses a nonprofit agency to both operate a state lottery and work with civil society organizations to determine priorities for these public funds. Saskatchewan is unique in that it is the only jurisdiction where a sports’ federation has the monopoly license to operate lotteries. The operator of the lottery is also the central funding body for amateur sport, providing core funding and project grants for most aspects of the province’s amateur sport system. Grounded theory methodology under the interpretivist paradigm was used to analyze interview and focus group data of 123 participants with knowledge of the history and outcomes of Saskatchewan’s lottery-funded sport, culture and recreation system. Evidence from this policy case study suggests that if governments want to maximize the social benefits from gambling, valuable lessons can be drawn from the model developed in Saskatchewan. One of the most important findings from this research is the promise that collaborative governance arrangements like the lottery system in Saskatchewan have for empowering communities and creating social capital. This case study documented the type of mechanisms necessary to connect the voluntary sector with government to create a shared sense of purpose and develop programs that facilitate community empowerment. Governments can maximize their ability to address policy problems with public funds by leveraging additional resources and garnering community support by working in a collaborative fashion with private participants. Policy environments that encourage the formation and support of a large number of small, civil society organizations hold great promise for fulfilling public mandates. These findings have implications that extend beyond gambling policy. The case study described in these pages meets almost every measure of what constitutes “best practices” in the literature on collaborative governance arrangements. Themes that emerged from the grounded theory analysis, with insight from related fields such as organizational empowerment, social capital and management of common-pool resources, formed the basis for the development of an analytical framework. Practical advice is offered on how to design and implement collaborative governance arrangements that facilitate organizational empowerment and collective ownership by the partners in such relationships. Keywords: Lotteries; gambling; sport, culture, recreation; social capital; collaborative governance; organizational empowerment; agenda setting; institutional change; grounded theory; oral history; case study; public policy; Saskatchewan; wicked policy.
Open Access
Canadian Multiculturalism Its Political Origins Under Pierre Trudeau
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2022-04-08) Steffen, Dayle Flora; Blake, Raymond; Ganev, Robin; Charrier, Philip; Blachford, Dongyan
With social injustice and equality movements headlining the media, Canada’s reputation as a multicultural nation has come under considerable scrutiny. To understand why, it has become increasingly important for scholars to critically evaluate where the idea of multiculturalism in Canada came from, under what context it was introduced, and how it was received. Following an empirical approach, this thesis examines the introduction of multiculturalism as an official federal policy, as delivered to the Canadian Parliament by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau on October 8, 1971. By starting here, this thesis examines the early usage of the word “multiculturalism” in a political context, and the ideas of national unity that purported its usage. The work of the Royal Commission of Bilingualism and Biculturalism in the 1960’s is also closely examined as it provided a rationale for Trudeau’s policy initiative on culture and identity. Finally, this thesis considers the political and public reaction to the policy announcement, paying particular attention to what support was offered in Parliament and in the media as well as the resistance that it met. Ultimately, this thesis shows that while the Report of the Royal Commission did not advocate for a policy of multiculturalism, the information it provided was instrumental in Trudeau’s decision to introduce multiculturalism as official policy and make it a central theme in the Canadian mindset. Multiculturalism also reflected Trudeau’s hope for a just society where rights and freedoms were paramount for each citizen.
Open Access
Celebration Of Authorship Program 2016-2017
(University of Regina Library, 2017) Ackerman, Jennifer; Ackerman, Katrina; Anderson, Robert; Arnal, William; Aziz, Madina; Blake, Raymond; Blakley, Janelle; Coleman, Cory; Dai, Liming; DeSantis, Gloria; Diaz, Joshua; Doke Sawatzky, Katie; Engel, Brenna; Gane, David; Gidluck, Lynn; Gottselig, Jared; Grant, Trevor; Grimard, Celine; Jaffe, JoAnn; Johnson, Dale; Juschka, Darlene; Kikulwe, Daniel; Hillabold, Jean; Mah, Jeannie; Marroquin, Rebbeca; McDonald, Anne; Meehan SJ, John; Nzunguba, lbio; Pete, Shauneen; Pirbhai-Illich, Fatima; Powell, Marie; Russell, Gale; Shami, Jeanne; Solomon, Michaela; Stringer, Kyrsten; Taylor, Caitlin; Triggs, Valerie; Vetter, Mary
Open Access
Celebration Of Authorship Program 2018-2019
(University of Regina Library, 2019) Arbuthnott, Shane; Archibald-Barber, Jesse Rae; Blake, Raymond; Bradley, Cara; Coupal, Michelle; Demers, Jason; Dubois, Brenda; Freddolini, Francesco; Gacek, James; Granovsky-Larsen, Simon; Gregory, david; Greifenhagen, Franz Volker; Hansen, Phillip; Hanson, Cindy; Harrison, Yvonne; Hébert, Cristyne; Melançon, Jérôme; Hillabold, Jean; Irwin, Kathleen; Levit, Tatiana; Montgomery, H. Monty; Nolan, Kathleen; Petry, Roger; Reul, Barbara; Stojanova, Christina; Whyte, John
Open Access
“Citizenship and the Emergence of the Antigonish Movement in Maritime Canada”
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2015-07) Deschamps, Wanda K.; Blake, Raymond; Charrier, Philip; Leyton-Brown, Ken; Rasmussen, Ken
Canadians exited World War I with a new hope for their relationship with the state. After four years of government control and intervention in their lives, citizens demanded increased state involvement in their welfare, an expectation that became more pronounced during and following the Great Depression. Coupled with these increased demands on the state, there was a changed notion of citizenship that looked to increased protection by government of the basic social, political and legal rights of all citizens. Those new notions of citizenship and the role of the state helped to shape the Maritime co-operative movement that emerged most forcefully in the Antigonish Movement. The Antigonish Movement’s founders, Reverends James Tompkins and Moses Coady, were Catholic priests, educated at St. Francis Xavier University (STFX) but prior to becoming professors at STFX they each studied abroad. This thesis explores how state involvement in the lives of Canadian citizens after World War I, together with other developments in the early twentieth century, prompted people to rethink notions of citizenship and how the changing expectations of the state influenced the origins of the Antigonish Movement. Incensed by economic disparity, especially within the fishery sector, Tompkins and Coady were determined to empower people towards self-determinism. They chose STFX as the vehicle to channel their cause and adult education as their avenue. They brought education to the people via rural study groups instead of expecting people to come to the University. Even with its more robust role within citizens’ lives, the federal government realized it could not address all its citizens’ needs and it saw Coady as a bridge between government and the citizens of eastern Nova Scotia. As an agent of reform but not a unionist or a communist, he appealed to government within a capitalist system at a time when communism was beginning to gain strength. By examining this subject from a variety of sources, this thesis argues the origins of the Antigonish Movement were part of new emerging attitudes of Canadians towards citizenship and expectation of citizens towards the state of state-related institutions. In so doing, it moves the understanding of the Antigonish Movement away from a reliance on Catholic theology to new dimensions and considerations. The Antigonish Movement had its origins in changing notions of citizenship.
Open Access
Defending Canada: Canadian Military Preparedness, 1867- 1902
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2015-09) Potvin, Sebastien Joseph Andre; Blake, Raymond; Leyton-Brown, Ken; Germani, Ian; Farney, James
There has been an impression created by scholars that Canadian politico-military actions were taken to benefit Great Britain and fulfill the needs of the Empire. This thesis contends that decisions surrounding military preparedness, defense spending and the militia made by the Canadian government were designed primarily to protect and foster Canadian state interests that slowly evolved over the three decades before the Boer War in 1899: in the first phase, continued military solidarity with the British was demonstrated, especially during the Red River Rebellion (1869-1870); in the second phase, new threats and armed deployments showed an obstinate desire for autonomy at the expense of military Imperial-Canadian cooperation, demonstrated by the purely Canadian operation in the Northwest (1885) and of outright refusal to engage in overseas endeavours (Nile Expedition 1884-85); the last phase saw an amalgamation of the previous phenomena of imperial solidarity and colonial autonomy – that is to say, Canada attempted to decide for itself which military ventures in which it would engage, but Canadian leaders operated in a political world and they had to satisfy, at times, certain segments of the Canadian population that continued to have strong ties to the Empire. This transition from reliance, to obstinacy, and finally to reluctant cooperation, demonstrates that Canada attempted to become more autonomous as the decades passed, a stage that was later reached during the First World War. In brief, then, Canada attempted to act in its own interests, rather than in those of Great Britain in the last third of the 19th century.
Open Access
Efforts to Reduce Infant and Maternal Mortality in Saskatchewan During the Settlement Period
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2012-06) Steele, Tracy Leigh; Pitsula, James; Charrier, Philip; Brennan, J. William; Blake, Raymond; Daschuk, James
This thesis examines how the problem of infant and maternal mortality was addressed in early twentieth century Saskatchewan. During the settlement process, the government had given little thought to the needs of women and childbirth, in particular, access to medical care to ensure for safe childbirth. As a result, the infant and maternal mortality rates were alarmingly high in Saskatchewan during this period. Women‟s organizations, the medical profession and the provincial government all tried to address the maternity needs of prairie women to varying degrees and with limited results. Several historical developments occurring at the same time affected the type of response taken. These included the professionalization of both medicine and nursing, the medicalization of childbirth, and medical dominance in the field of public health. This thesis argues that the educational approach taken by the Saskatchewan government was not adequate or practical to deal with the maternity needs of homestead women. Farm women and members of women‟s organizations knew that the only practical solution to the lack of health care services in rural areas was a system of trained midwives. However, the provincial government never considered this option as way of mitigating the high infant and maternal mortality rates in rural areas. The primary research on which this thesis is based includes personal letters, emails and telephone interviews from people who responded to a letter I submitted to several small town newspapers requesting information on childbirth experiences during the settlement period. The McNaughton Papers housed at the Saskatchewan Archives Board also provided a wealth of information on Violet McNaughton and her campaign for more midwives, doctors, nurses and hospitals in the rural areas of the province. Finally, annual reports from the Saskatchewan Bureau of Public Health and articles from the Canadian Medical Association Journal provided much insight into the medical community‟s views on certain issues of the day.
Open Access
National identity and Canadian hockey: Narratives on the 1972 Canada-Russia series
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2023-03) Switzer, Joshua Lee; Blake, Raymond; Keshen, Jeff; Rowe-McCulloch, Maris; Greenham, Craig
National identity in Canada is rooted in ice hockey. Research on the cultural, social and political significance of hockey have codified Canada’s identity, especially on the international stage. The 1972 Canada-Russia Series, also known as the Summit Series, is not only a national memory – it has helped forge the Canadian identity. By this token, a sense of belonging became central to Canadians while their shared experience of the Series showed how it affected the national consciousness. As expressions of nationalism, Canada’s identity was created, challenged and defended during the Series. In this context, my thesis attempts to illuminate how Canadian hockey revealed integral elements of the Canadian identity – on the ice, off the ice, in the newspapers and in the streets. From a Canadian perspective, primary source newspapers which covered the Series drive the narrative of this thesis. Eight themes on national identity and hockey uncover the stages, or progression, of Canada’s identity during the course of twenty-seven days in September 1972.
Open Access
Pain Communication in Couples with Chronic Pain
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2016-10) Gagnon, Michelle Marie; Hadjistavropoulos, Thomas; Blake, Raymond; Hadjistavropoulos, Heather; Mishra, Sandeep; Hampton, Mary; Tripp, Dean
Having a partner with chronic pain (CP) can lead to relationship strain. In couples, poor verbal or non-verbal communication about pain is associated with increased disability (Cano, Johansen, & Geisser, 2004), mental health issues (Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001), and negative emotions in partners (Miaskowski, Zimmer, Barret, Dibble, & Wallhagen, 1997). There is limited research directly examining pain communication in couples as pain is occurring. Existing CP research in couples has mostly been based on retrospection and self-report, and such research has tended to not include both partners. This investigation was designed to extend our understanding of pain communication in couples. Specifically, the goals for this study were to determine: (1) if couples with a partner with CP and couples without a partner with CP differ in terms of how well they agree on the pain intensity experienced by a partner; (2) if partners with CP encode pain differently than individuals without CP; (3) if partners of individuals with CP decode expressions of pain differently than partners of individuals without CP; (4) if non-verbal and self-reported pain responses are influenced by relationship variables and pain cognition in couples with and without a partner with CP; and (5) if the communication of pain in couples where one partner is experiencing pain is consistent with the processes described in the biopsychosocial models of pain communication. Couples where one partner reported current CP (n = 66) and couples without CP (n = 65) completed questionnaires measuring facets of their relationship and experiences with pain. Next, one partner underwent a pain task while the other partner observed. In couples with a CP partner, the person with CP completed the task. In couples without a CP partner, the pain task was sometimes completed by the male partner and sometimes by the female partner based on the gender of the last person with CP to complete the task (i.e., in order to ensure matching with the CP group). Ratings of pain intensity (partner completing the task) and perceived pain intensity (observing partner) were recorded at multiple intervals and facial expressions were video-recorded throughout the pain task. Agreement between partners on pain intensity ratings did not differ in couples with and without CP. Pain was encoded and decoded similarly by individuals with and without CP. Women completing the task provided higher pain intensity ratings and had more pain-related facial activity than men. Despite higher pain intensity ratings in women during the task, pain intensity ratings in observers who were men and observers who were women did not differ. Relationship variables and pain cognitions interacted with the presence of CP to affect pain-related facial expression, but not pain intensity ratings, during the task. Individuals with CP showed a stronger positive relationship between catastrophizing and pain-related facial activity compared to individuals without CP. In observing partners, lower scores on relationship variables (i.e., satisfaction and perceived support) were associated with reduced facial activity for partners of individuals with CP and increased facial activity partners of individuals without CP. The results highlight the importance of considering social and contextual influences in pain responses. When examined alone, pain responses do not differ in couples with and without a partner with CP. When considering the moderating influence of relationship and pain cognition variables, differences in pain-related facial expressions based on the presence of CP emerge. Additionally, the results indicate that pain-related facial expressions are more strongly affected by social and contextual variables than selfreport, consistent with pre-existing psychosocial formulations of pain communication.
Open Access
Pierre Trudeau's Just Society: Bold Aspirations Meet Realities of Governing
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2018-09) Chestney, Jason Michael; Blake, Raymond; Belisle, Donica; Leyton-Brown, Kenneth; Rasmussen, Ken
This thesis considers Pierre Trudeau’s first term as prime minister from 1968 to 1972 to determine his success in delivering on his key promise of a Just Society made during the 1968 electoral campaign. Trudeau had promised that his government would remove all social and economic barriers to allow the full participation of all citizens to enjoy all of the democratic, social, and economic benefits Canada had to offer. It investigates why, in the span of less than four years, the central message embodied in Trudeau’s 1968 electoral platform largely disappeared from his government’s agenda. This thesis contends that the Just Society fell victim to a variety of factors, notably the realities of governing which require a bureaucratic and pragmatic approach rather than an idealistic one, opposition from significant segments of the Canadian public, and the difficulty inherent in the political system of implementing idealistic reforms within a four-year election cycle. As prime minister, Trudeau found that his lofty and laudable ‒ and inherently ambitious and idealistic ‒ plans to remake Canada became a casualty to a pragmatic policy-making process that required him to deal with the realities of governing a large, diversified, and often divided, country that Canada was. The Just Society’s disappearance from the Liberal Government’s agenda and rhetoric also parallels the drop in the popular enthusiasm for Trudeau himself, or the “Trudeaumania” euphoria, that had marked Trudeau’s entry into prime ministerial politics. The notions of a Just Society and Trudeau were closely connected, it is argued here, and the Canadian public had high expectations in 1968, largely because of his ambitious promise of the Just Society. Many voters were disappointed when he failed to deliver on his promise. Through exploring the failure around his promise of a Just Society, this thesis offers a new interpretation of Trudeau, the challenges around the ambitious promises he made about a Just Society, and the realities of governing a modern, diverse and regionalized democracy. By 1972 the idea of a Just Society had largely disappeared from Trudeau’s, and the Liberal party’s, political discourse.
Open Access
Psychological Warfare in Vietnam: A Critical Evaluation of the U.S. Chieu Hoi Program, 1963-1971
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2021-12) Xuereb, Matthew; Charrier, Philiip; Blake, Raymond; Leyton-Brown, Kenneth; rheault, Sylvain
During the Vietnam War, the United States launched a psychological warfare campaign that was unprecedented in size and scope for US military forces. Numerous programs were launched by the US in conjunction with the South Vietnamese government, with the goal of weakening North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) forces, by either lowering soldier morale, or inducing defections. The most prominent psychological program launched was the Chiêu Hồi program, which helped foster the defection of over 194,000 North Vietnamese forces. Despite this notable reduction of forces over the life of the program, from 1963 to 1971, it has been debated whether or not this program could be deemed a success. This thesis looks at government documentation periodically tracking defections as well as cost to the program, studies and interviews collected by the RAND Corporation during the Vietnam war, and other key primary and secondary sources recounting the morale of soldiers on both sides, to argue that despite the limitations of the Chiêu Hồi program and the challenges it faced, it was a notable success overall.
Open Access
Purchasing Fear: Analyzing Cold War Ideologies in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2015-07) Antonishyn, Bailey Dawn; Anderson, Mark; Blake, Raymond; Charrier, Philip; Stojanova, Christina
During the Cold War Americans were inundated with talk of atomic weapons, attacks, communist spies, and alleged “contamination.” It is a commonplace that films offered an escape from this repetitive flood of fear and indoctrination. However, upon examination, Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963) appears to have intensified Cold War fears and anxieties, rather than pacifying them. This thesis focuses on depictions of Cold War imagery represented in The Birds. The film’s imagery will be dissected and examined through semiotic analysis, in an attempt to expose the film’s Cold War imagery that threatened Americans and American ideals. While Hitchcock sought favorable reviews and a generous paycheck, his motion picture, like other directors’ films of the period, aided and abetted Cold War anxiety and fear outside of the cinema, thereby endorsing Cold War trepidation as a norm amongst Americans in the 1960s. This thesis will review the Cold War period leading up to the film’s debut, it will examine the film’s scholarly literature and reviews, and it will analyze the Cold War imagery found in The Birds and its potential meaning. The aim of this thesis is to explore the pervasive theme of Cold War fear and anxiety in The Birds and to suggest that Cold War imagery possibly intensified audiences’ previously established Cold War fears.
Open Access
The purpose of empire: Popular perceptions of imperialism during and after the Crimean War
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2022-09) Thomson, Matthew Lewis James; Ganev, Robin; Blake, Raymond; Rowe-McCulloch, Maris; Frank, Christopher
The following thesis is an exploration of early Victorian Britain and its relationship to the Crimean War of 1854. Beginning with the social and economic malaise of the 1840s, including a succession of military losses or costly colonial campaigns across the Imperial frontier in Afghanistan or Northern India, British society became increasingly concerned with its image as a military superpower amongst other European nations. This anxiety doubled after the birth of the Second French Empire following the 1849 Revolution, and the continued expansion of Russian territory and influence across central Asia under the reign of Tsar Nicholas I. Following a minor dispute over religious jurisdiction in the Holy Land and territories of the Ottoman Empire between the French-backed Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches, in 1852 Britain pledged its full support of the French government against the authority of Imperial Russia in the Levant. After a year of heated diplomatic exchanges, Russian forces invaded Ottoman territory in late 1853, and the following year France and Britain jointly declared war on the Russian Empire. The initial stages of the Crimean War were a succession of disasters for the British Army, whose antiquated officer corps and inadequate logistics were on full display for both the public and the wider world to see. While the British public initially welcomed the outbreak of war against the Russian Empire, the cost of war and the conduct of the British command staff under Lord Raglan soured public opinion towards the conflict and served as the birth of three major socio-cultural trends in modern British history. They are as follows: the glorification of the common British soldier, the de-glorification of British military leadership, and a comprehensive wave of informal military and foreign policy reform later implemented in the 1870s which allowed for the general success of British colonialism in the latter 19th century. This thesis also explores the Crimean War as social phenomena through examining the dialogue between public perceptions of the war and the realities of the British frontlines, using primary sources such as contemporary newspaper articles as well as journals and letters belonging to British military staff, civilian observers, or war correspondents. This dialogue, made possible by improvements in transportation and communication technologies such as the telegraph and the introduction of wartime photography, was central to the change of cultural attitudes towards the British military. As well, the central role played by tropical diseases, mainly cholera, in the war’s considerable death toll also brought about changes in British medical science and the social status of women in British culture. Thus, while the Crimean War resulted in few practical gains for the British Empire, it proved to be the disaster which allowed for the expansion of British territory across the globe and military successes from the plains of Punjab, to the Canadian Prairies and the jungles of New Zealand.
Open Access
Rationing desire: Canadian sugar rationing in Second World War advertising
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2022-11) Adams, Brandi Marie; Belisle, Donica; Rowe-McCulloch, Maris; Blake, Raymond; Elvins, Sarah
Through a study of advertisements in the English Canadian press between 1939 and 1947, this thesis explores Canada’s Second World War sugar ration program. Canadian Second World War coupon rationing began with sugar, and Canadian advertisers referenced sugar rations regularly to sell a variety of consumer goods. This thesis argues that advertisers approached the subject of sugar rationing through eight advertising strategies throughout the Second World War and in the immediate postwar years. By portraying sugar and sugar rations in creative ways, advertisers were able to maintain relevancy and even increase sales in some circumstances.
Open Access
The Righteous, The Brave, and The Restless: The Experiences of Neil "Piffles" Taylor, his Fellow Canadian Pilots, and Prisoners-of-War in the First World War
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2018-01) Hodgson, Stephen Paul; Germani, Ian; Leyton-Brown, Ken; Blake, Raymond; Leeson, David M.
The experiences of Canadian airmen who served in the British flying services during the First World War have received a very focused treatment from historians. The wartime letters and diary of Saskatchewan veteran Neil Taylor, who served in the Royal Flying Corps, allow for a more complete appreciation of the nature of those experiences. Taylor’s writings, considered in relation to a variety of other primary and secondary sources, illuminate the experiences of Canadian and British Empire pilots and servicemen in the key areas of: motivation and training, active service, and life as a prisoner-of-war. Taylor's correspondence illustrates that pilots' motivations for choosing the flying services were complex, ranging from peer pressure and religious idealism to a desire to avoid the dangers of service in the trenches. In the area of active service, Taylor's letters highlight the limitations of past historiography concerning the pilot experience. The fighter pilot experience of being in the air has overshadowed the facts that the majority of pilots were responsible for reconnaissance and artillery spotting, and they spent more of their time on the ground than they did flying missions. Finally, these letters further exemplify that the Canadian and British Empire pilot experience of being a prisoner-ofwar has remained muted in the historiography due to the shame associated with being captured and incarcerated by the enemy. Keywords: Aviation; First World War; Great War; Military History; Royal Flying Corps; Royal Air Force; Canadian History; Saskatchewan History; Pilots; Royal Canadian Air Force, Prisoner-of-War, POW.
Open Access
The Role of The Saskatchewan Herald in the Construction and Extent of the “Siege of Battleford
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2015-05) Clake, Megan Lee-Ann; Leyton-Brown, Kenneth; Anderson, Mark C.; Blake, Raymond; Robertson, Carmen
This thesis examines the role played by The Saskatchewan Herald in the construction of the circumstances that led to the 1885 Siege of Battleford. Generally discussed only as a peripheral event of the North-West Rebellion, the Siege of Battleford involved approximately five hundred men, women and children who congregated within the walls of a small North-West Mounted Police fort. Terrified of the intentions of their First Nations neighbours, the ‘siege’ lasted for more than a month and ended only with the arrival of Colonel William Dillon Otter’s column of the North-West Field Force. The self-protective action taken by the citizens of the Battleford area is unique within Aboriginal conflicts of nineteenth-century North America, and is especially notable in terms of the duration of the voluntary occupation of Fort Battleford. As recent scholarship has established that the citizens of Battleford greatly exaggerated the danger of Poundmaker’s Cree and other local First Nations bands, this paper explores the circumstances surrounding the decision to occupy Fort Battleford. The pages of the local newspaper, The Saskatchewan Herald, provide valuable insight into the community of Battleford in the 1880s. By examining the Herald alongside other primary sources and theoretical works, this thesis is able to explore the significant role played by the Herald in creating the conditions that led to the Siege of Battleford. Special attention is given to the analysis of the portrayal of First Nations individuals in the print media of Battleford and beyond.
Open Access
The Roman Villas of Wales
(Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina, 2015-01) Rowe, Jennifer Erin; Leyton-Brown, Kenneth B.; Ganev, Robin; Blake, Raymond; Oriet, Christopher
Roman villas are a primary component of the landscape of the Roman Empire. Despite their varying architectural features and appearances, these elite rural settlements are an important element in examining the extent and effect of Romanization within the provinces of the Roman Empire, and are a primary factor in considering the way in which Roman villas developed in the western frontier region of Roman Britain; an area known today as the country of Wales. This thesis will examine the establishment, development and evolution of Roman villas in Wales. Particular attention will be placed on the elements which led to the establishment of villas in this western frontier region of Roman Britain, including geography, climate, physical environment, the economy and the Roman military, while investigating how these domestic spaces came to be one of the most recognizable forms of Romanization within the region. This thesis will incorporate research from several academic disciplines, including history, archaeology, classical studies and art history, in order to illustrate the way in which Roman villas in Wales contribute to our understanding of the way identity, wealth and power came to be expressed in one particular region of the Roman world.
Open Access
SIPP Policy Dialogue Number 1 May 2000
(Saskatchewan Institute of Public Policy, 2000-05) Curran, Kathryn; Blake, Raymond; Allan, John; McIntosh, Tom; Hart, Frank; Segal, Hugh
Director’s Notes 2 Public Policy and Public Enterprise 3 Slaying the Deficit Dragon 4 Small Scale Economic Development 5 New Publication 6 Final Words from Hugh Segal