Aqueduct

by Adele Perry

1919 is often recalled as the year of the Winnipeg General Strike, but it was also the year that water from Shoal Lake first flowed in Winnipeg taps. For the Anishinaabe community of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, construction of the aqueduct led to a chain of difficult circumstances that culminated in their isolation on a man-made island where, for almost two decades, they have lacked access to clean drinking water.
In Aqueduct: Colonialism, Resources, and the Histories We Remember, Adele Perry analyses the development of Winnipeg s municipal water supply as an example of the history of settler colonialism. What were the cultural, social, political, and legal mechanisms that allowed the rapidly growing city of Winnipeg to obtain its water supply by dispossessing an Indigenous people of their land, and ultimately depriving them of the very commodity clean drinking water that the city secured for itself? Incorporating archival images that document the expensive and ambitious construction process and celebrate the aqueduct as a marvel of engineering and a beacon of publicly-minded social policy, Perry questions whose histories are recalled and whose are elided or actively erased, while at the same time addressing these issues within the larger context of Canadian colonialism."

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Indigenous, Canada

103 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Asher Klassen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those short, punchy, incisive academic texts that I so appreciate, like the Oxford Short Introductions series: focused on presenting a clear summary of a single topic or issue. Perry appraises the conception and construction of the Winnipeg Aqueduct in the context of Canada's history as one of the British Empire's experiments in settler colonialism, deftly painting a deeply uncomfortable picture of Canadian imperialism that resonates in this time of righteous people crying out, "But, this isn't who we are!" when, in point of fact, it is. We live on the land that our predecessors took from the indigenous people, and by-and-large we celebrate a national identity which defines itself over and against those very people. Perry touches on maybe the finest example of this: the fountains in Winnipeg's water-as-a-symbol-of-healing-themed Canadian Museum of Human Rights, which pump water supplied from Shoal Lake by the aqueduct, which cut the people of Shoal Lake 40 off from their ancestral waters when it was built in 1919, and which has left them to live under a boil water advisory since 1997. Yes, still.

[Caitie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A serious reckoning with the past tends to point us toward the systemic, embedded character of social divisions and inequities, showing us how they are built into the fabric of our pasts and our presents.”

Wow this book was so informative. It reveals how all-encompassing colonialism is, how it continues to live within the present, and the Indigenous erasure that has occurred and continues to occur today. Especially if you live in Winnipeg, read this

[Kate Meagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this when I was in Winnipeg, but unfortunately I put it down and didn’t pick it up again until two days ago. It’s a quick and engaging read and I learnt a lot. Definitely recommend to anyone looking to learn more about Winnipeg’s colonial history and its impact on Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

a clear example of how fucked up colonialism is in Canada

[Sky]

This is a required reading for anyone who resides in Winnipeg

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aqueduct is a perfect example of how one can fit a lot of information into a small package. Its relatively short length is exactly what makes it accessible to a broad audience. Perry artfully traces the history of Winnipeg's aqueduct, demonstrating how this project and resulting effects are a clear example of settler colonialism and violence. Extra points for footnoted pages!

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was inspired to read this book after having a conversation with a friend while on Shoal lake. (Pioneer camp) I thought the book, while brief, was informative in re-telling the history that lead up to the building of the aqueduct, the loopholes that were used in order to 'appropriate' land (37,000+ acres) from the people of Shoal lake and how the need for clean water in urban Wpg as well as the racial attitudes at the time played into decisions. Unsettling piece of our history. It matters a lot how we choose to remember our history - which makes a book like this so important. I found the writing at the beginning to be unclear and choppy but later on, it seemed to flow better.

[Sarah_novak · Rating 5 out of 5]

there's a huge need for more truth in the truth and reconciliation process and this is a great little slice of the truth. in Aquaduct, Perry clearly and vividly takes the reader through the tools of dispossession that led to clean water on one end of the adequate and contaminated water and isolation at the other end. my only complaint is that it's so short. but the footnotes give suggestions for more. finally the profits are going to Shoal Lake 40, so also a small example of what reconciliation looks like as well.

[Pascale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in advance of the Winter term for the Women and Gender Studies course called Nature, Culture, Gender - quick read but with a heavy subject matter. Sparse, informative, well-written and extremely informative to this Winnipeg girl. Good choice on the part of the prof! Look forward to discussing this in class, and feel kind of like getting activist-y about this what with all the monument to the Aqueduct's construction so near the Museum of Human Rights... hmmmm

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enlightening discussion about the Winnipeg aqueduct that brings fresh water from Shoal Lake 40, and has imposed severe consequences to the community there. An important read for all Winnipegers, if not all Canadians.

[Nico Kemble · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really powerful and informative. I learned so much about my people and the construction of the aqueduct which I had very little knowledge of. The year 1919 is often recognized as the year of the Winnipeg general strike but after reading and learning, it is also the year shoal lake water first flowed into Winnipeg tap water. It’s a short read but you will learn a lot if you don’t know much about the aqueduct.

[George Kettler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short and concise history of how Winnipeg got its water supply. Perry uses this one piece infrastructure as microcosm of the relations between settlers, indigenous people and the natural resources of Canada. The writing
was a bit choppy and hard to follow, but the concise nature of the book made it easy to finish in a day.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a newcomer to Winnipeg, I wasn't aware of this history. This short and engaging book clearly links what at first seems rather mundane (where is my drinking water coming from) to larger and still relevant issues (e.g. colonialism and water security).

[Olivia Druxerman]

k like I get why this is part of my colonialism class but this is just a mess. the main topics are well executed but there was so much else that was underdeveloped that I was more interested in. anywho, important in colonial-Canadian history but like, do a google search instead

[Amber Froese · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very informative, easy read. I read it for a university class, but it is a book I am keeping in my personal library and will loan out to friends or recommend!

[Curtis Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bite-sized, and full of information.

[Jackie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

There needs to be more 100-page non-fiction books