Electric Rivers: The Story of the James Bay Project

Richard G. Kuhn is an assistant professor of geography at the University
of Guelph.

The consequences of energy development and use have implications for all
sectors of society. Gone are the days of a naive belief that energy
decisions could be made in the absence of more far-ranging social,
economic, and environmental concerns. The hydro-electric development
projects undertaken and proposed by Hydro-Québec best illustrate this
situation. McCutcheon has used this focus to provide a book about how
and why the James Bay project is being built, how it works, the
consequences its building will have for people and for the environment,
and the struggle to stop it. The first section focuses on the natural
and human history of the area. The remaining two sections deal with what
are termed James Bay I (the initial construction on the LaGrand and
Eastman Rivers) and James Bay II (proposed developments on the Great
Whale River and the Nottaway-Broadback-Rupert rivers).

As stated on the back cover, McCutcheon has attempted to “provide a
complete and fair-minded account of one of the most controversial
environmental issues of our time.” In this he has succeeded. Some
readers, however, may find that he is not critical enough given the
topic at hand and the extreme difficulty of not taking a clear stand one
way or the other. A volume of this type is needed: it cuts through the
rhetoric so frequently found in the debate. The book will appeal to all
readers interested in the evolution of energy and environmental issues
in Canada.