Rob Wood grew up in a village on the edge of the Yorkshire Moors, where he eventually developed a preoccupation with rock climbing. After studying architecture for five years at the Architectural Association School in London, England, he made his way to Montreal and ended up in Calgary. During his time in Calgary, Rob became a pioneer of ice climbing and posted numerous first ascents in the Rockies during the early 1970’s. Eventually, life in corporate Alberta proved unfulfilling and Rob realized that he needed to find a place where he could reconnect with nature, which brought him to the remote reaches of Canada’s West Coast. Settling on Maurelle Island, he and his wife built an off-the-grid homestead and focussed on alternative communities and developing a small house-design practice specializing in organic and wholesome building techniques. At Home in Nature is a gentle and philosophical memoir that focuses on living a life deeply rooted in the natural world, where citizens are connected to the planet and individuals work together to help, enhance and make the world a better — and sustainable — place. (from Rocky Mountain Books website)
The aim of this thesis is to undertake a comprehensive dendroarchaeological-contextual investigation of 35 sites (44 log structures) in Jasper, Banff, and Kootenay National Parks. Through tree-ring analysis and investigations of relevant documents (i.e., archives and interviews), three main objectives are met: (1) an architectural inventory and tree-ring analysis of sampled structures in the three parks; (2) an exploration of remote construction activity in the three parks, in terms of functional, temporal, and spatial distributions, and tree species selection; and (3) a detailed dendroarchaeological-contextual investigation of three structure case studies. The results provide new insights into remote construction activity from the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth century in the three parks. It assists Parks Canada in their attempt to interpret the cultural heritage resources of this area and contributes to the international need to document and explore vernacular architecture. (from the University of Victoria library website)
Contents
Title Page
Abstract
Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Literature Review
3.0 Study Sites and Methods
4.0 Characteristics of living and structure chronologies in Jasper, Banff, and Kootenay National Parks
Construction Activity in Jasper, Banff, and Kootenay National Parks
6.0 Case Studies
7.0 Conclusions
8.0 References
Appendix A: Tree-ring dating results and site descriptions for 35 sites (44 structures) sampled in Jasper, Banff, and Kootenay Parks
Appendix B: Interview Transcriptions
Appendix C: Copyright Permissions