The large-scale development of resources that has been taking place in the Canadian Northwest since World War II has attracted much public interest, and aroused a new sense of responsibility for the future of this largely unknown and neglected fifth of the country. The Royal Society of Canada, at its 1958 meeting in Edmonton, devoted considerable attention to the Northwest, and the present volume includes seven papers which were presented in the course of the meetings. Experts in engineering, geography, minerals and fuels, biology, fisheries and conservation, and history prepared their papers independently, but it is significant that all have a realistic approach, and emphasize the difficulties that stand in the way of the development of the Northwest. They also agree that it is impossible to lay down definite limitations to future development because present-day scientific knowledge of the possible resources of the area is so limited -- much more research and planning by both public authorities and private enterprises is necessary if future development is to be carried on wisely and economically. This collection of papers is illuminating and unauthoritative, sobering in their realism and at the same time inspiring in the vision they give of a possible future.

Subjects and contributors are: Preface (F.H. Underhill); Introduction (Abbé Antoine d'Eschambault); "An Engineering Assessment" (R.F. Legget); "Assessment by a Geographer" (W.C. Wonders); "Minerals and Fuels" (A.H. Lang and R.J.W. Douglas); "Biological Potentialities" (D.S. Rawson); "The Resources Future" (D.B. Turner); "A Prelude to Self-Government; the Northwest Territories 1905-1939" (M. Zaslow).

Royal Society of Canada "Studia Varia" Series, No. 3

Frank Hawkins Underhill (1889–1971) was a Canadian journalist, essayist, historian, social critic and political thinker.

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