Moosonee, Ontario: a model of cold war change

Abstract

Considerable research has been conducted on the Canadian north over the past few decades. This research has focused on resource development (mining and forestry), on small resource towns, and on mega-projects such as the James Bay Hydro Project. To date, little work has been produced on the relationship between military activity in the north and the landscapes, communities and people affected by such activity. This study examines the impact of the Cold War on the community of Moosonee, Ontario. By the mid-1950s Moosonee had become a shipping centre for northerly radar base developments. Further growth occurred as a result of the construction and operation of a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) radar base adjacent to Moosonee from 1961 to 1975. Moosonee adapted to two types of development: population growth generated by military construction and activity, and redevelopment initiated by the closure of the RCAF base. Community adaptation to growth included major changes to local infrastructure and the evolution of local government. Once the radar base closed, the town’s residents seized the opportunity to use the housing and infrastructure on the RCAF base to fill local needs. Furthermore, local people worked with neighbouring communities to ensure that the RCAF base was transformed into a regional high school. The initial purpose of this study was twofold: to understand the impact of military development by examining how Moosonee changed from 1955 to 1975, and to report back to the residents of Moosonee on research results. Near the conclusion of the interviews and data collection stage it became clear that the broader purpose of this study was to join the conversation on community development models and to develop a model which fit the Moosonee experience. The thesis concludes with an explanation of the stages of development in Moosonee as compared to theoretical development stages, the impacts of the Cold War, and the way that impacts varied depending on the social status of individuals. It also demonstrates how Moosonee’s residents transformed community planning from provincially driven to local citizen-driven planning.