Northwestern Ontario is a little-known region that has been central to Canada's prosperity. For many Canadians, the majestic landscape north of Lake Superior conjures up images of tourism, bears, and canoes. For others, it conjures up the phrase "hewers of wood and drawers of water." For almost everyone but its inhabitants, it represents a mythical notion of Canada that never truly existed in the past and certainly does not exist today.

In North of Superior, Michel Beaulieu and Chris Southcott explore the region's colourful history from the period before European contact through to the present. Along the way, they tell the stories of the native peoples who first lived there; the traders and adventurers who shaped the region through the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company; the politicians and workers who pushed through the CPR; the lumberjacks and miners who profited during the region's golden age; and the vibrant and diverse communities who make their home there today.

Northwestern Ontario has always symbolized wealth and adventure for Canadians. This fascinating popular history will interest anyone who wants to know more about a region that occupies an iconic place in Canada's past.

MICHEL S. BEAULIEU is Assistant Professor and Northern Ontario specialist in the Department of History at Lakehead University.

Michael S. Beaulieu's profile page

Chris Southcott has been involved in community-based research in the circumpolar north for over 26 years. He has published over 100 scientific reports, books, chapters, and articles dealing with social and economic change in Northern Canada and the rest of the circumpolar world.

Chris Southcott's profile page

"Save for odd references to places like Red Lake or Attawapiskat, for many of us the northwestern part of Ontario is an area of which we are barely aware...With this concise yet comprehensive volume, two Lakehead University professors attempt to fill the void in our understanding.

Like many a Lorimer published book, the work is neatly designed and fully illustrated."

Ontario History Bulletin

"This fascinating popular history will appeal to anyone who wants to know more about a region that occupies a mythic place in Canada's past."

Canada's History Magazine (formerly The Beaver)