Book examines water, a precious resource, and its future impacts

Water affects our lives in so many ways, as it does the environment, animals and plants, industries and communities.

The new title from the University of Calgary Press, Water Rites: Reimagining Water in the West, examines the diverse issues related to water in Alberta. Topics include access to clean drinking water, competing demands of the resource development industry and Indigenous communities as well as the effect of climate change on the water supply.

The book is a compilation of essays that document the many ways in which water flows through our lives. Community organizations detail the challenges facing watersheds and the actions being taken to mitigate these problems. With a special focus on environmental and Indigenous issues, Water Rites explores water’s deep ties to human life.

The University of Calgary Press is holding a public book launch on Wednesday, Sept. 26 at the Calgary Public Library’s Central Library. 

“Books such as Water Rites underline the vital role the arts and humanities can play in enriching our perspective on issues crucial to our everyday life,” explains Brian Scrivener, director of the University of Calgary Press.

The book’s editor is Dr. Jim Ellis, PhD, UCalgary English professor and director of the Calgary Institute for the Humanities (CIH).

“The CIH is delighted to work with the University of Calgary Press on this volume, which brings together the talks from our institute’s annual community seminar with the work of Calgary artists and activists,” says Ellis. 

Essays are complemented by full-colour portfolios of work by contemporary painters, photographers, and installation artists who explore our relation to water. Reproductions of historical paintings, engravings and film stills demonstrate how water has shaped our country’s cultural imaginary from its beginnings, proving that water is a vital resource for our lives and our imaginations.

Contributors include:

• Dr. Warren Cariou, PhD, professor, Department of English, University of Manitoba
• Dr. Michelle Daigle, PhD, assistant professor, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia
• Flora Giesbrecht, co-ordinator, Elbow River Watershed Partnership
• Helen Knott, Indigenous land rights activist and poet-writer
• Dr. Jodi Hilty, PhD, president and chief scientists, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
• David K. Laidlaw, research fellow, Canadian Institute of Resources Law
• Ciara McKeown, public art commissioner curator, director, producer, and project manager
• Josée Méthot, planning manager, Red Deer River Watershed Alliance
• Adrian Parr, director, University of Cincinnati Taft Research Centre
• Amy Spark, co-founder of Refugina Retreats
• Leslie Sweder, artist
• Dr. Charles Tepperman, PhD, associate professor, Department of Communication, Media, and Film, University of Calgary
• Nancy Tousley, senior art critic and independent curator

As an open access publisher, the University of Calgary Press is one of only a handful of university presses in Canada to make its titles available for free online in addition to hard-copy format. The press was established in 1981 and is overseen by Libraries and Cultural Resources. 

Book launch: Water Rites: Reimagining Water in the West

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

7 to 8:30 p.m.

John Dutton Theatre

Central Library, Calgary Public Library  

616 Macleod Trail, S.E.

Speakers include book editor Jim Ellis, Calgary artist Leslie Sweder and Hilary Young, senior program manager, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.