The Geography of Manitoba: Its Land and Its People

J.H. Galloway is a professor of geography at the University of Toronto.

The Geography of Manitoba begins with a description of the region’s
physical geography, follows with a brief discussion of the process of
settlement, and continues with an examination of the different aspects
of the province’s economic and urban geography. The editors have
carefully organized a mass of economic and demographic data, and have
analyzed trends in agriculture, manufacturing, the growth of cities, and
resource use. There are 20 chapters, 39 brief case studies illustrating
themes raised in the chapters, and a final “Outlook.” The
discussions are well supported by many maps and diagrams and some
excellent photographs.

Although intended for university students, this resource should attract
a wider readership, including journalists, investors, and tourists—
indeed, anyone with a need to know about the changing scene in Manitoba
at the end of the 20th century. There is even a flavor of boosterism
about the book, perhaps reflecting the fact that it was published to
help celebrate the province’s 125th anniversary.

Unfortunately, these strengths are also the book’s weakness. It is a
bland production, a consequence no doubt of the decision to divide the
work up among 47 contributors and to enforce tight editorial control.
Artistry is missing. There is no personal interpretation here of the
character of Manitoba, no sense of the wonder that the geography of this
province—a province that many think of as flat and uninteresting—can
occasion. In an astonishing misallocation of space, the editors gave
Winnipeg only one brief chapter. The most successful regional texts
usually have a strong theme and lively prose, and are the work of one
writer, or, in the case of collaborative works, when each contributor is
allowed a personal style.