{"id":{"repo_id":"sask","oai_identifier":"oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/18425"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/sask/oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/18425","repository":{"repo_id":"sask","name":"University of Saskatchewan","base_url":"https://harvest.usask.ca/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Energy Crisis and Opportunity: Energy Development and Debate in Saskatchewan, 1969–1982","abstract":"The 1970s energy crisis was a global phenomenon that opened a window of opportunity to debate the future of energy development. With the future of oil appearing uncertain, nations around the world faced questions about energy security and interest in a wide array of energy alternatives was piqued. This dissertation examines the unfolding of the energy crisis in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, an energy producing jurisdiction that stood to benefit from increasing energy prices and a wide range of available energy options, including fossil fuels, uranium, hydropower, and vibrant research into renewable energy and energy conservation technologies. The study focuses on social movements in the province, particularly socialist, Indigenous rights, and environmentalist organizers, and how they interpreted the energy crisis as an opportunity to advance visions for the future of the province in line with their values. The study tracks how these social movements engaged in debates about particular energy developments, such as a proposed dam on the Churchill River, a provincial uranium refinery, and an energy conservation demonstration home, and argues that those debates were fundamentally about agency with those movements demanding a say in decisions that were bound to shape the future of the province. Using a framework of polycrisis, this study highlights how social movements received and understood the energy crisis as a critical intersection of a variety of other crises including extractive colonialism, environmental degradation, and global imperialism. Because of this, they advocated for energy solutions that addressed these intersecting crises together. This dissertation shows that Saskatchewan social movements worked towards alternative futures that bolstered self-determination, including among Indigenous peoples, and that better supported healthier environments and communities.","abstract_html":"The 1970s energy crisis was a global phenomenon that opened a window of opportunity to debate the future of energy development. With the future of oil appearing uncertain, nations around the world faced questions about energy security and interest in a wide array of energy alternatives was piqued. This dissertation examines the unfolding of the energy crisis in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, an energy producing jurisdiction that stood to benefit from increasing energy prices and a wide range of available energy options, including fossil fuels, uranium, hydropower, and vibrant research into renewable energy and energy conservation technologies. The study focuses on social movements in the province, particularly socialist, Indigenous rights, and environmentalist organizers, and how they interpreted the energy crisis as an opportunity to advance visions for the future of the province in line with their values. The study tracks how these social movements engaged in debates about particular energy developments, such as a proposed dam on the Churchill River, a provincial uranium refinery, and an energy conservation demonstration home, and argues that those debates were fundamentally about agency with those movements demanding a say in decisions that were bound to shape the future of the province. Using a framework of polycrisis, this study highlights how social movements received and understood the energy crisis as a critical intersection of a variety of other crises including extractive colonialism, environmental degradation, and global imperialism. Because of this, they advocated for energy solutions that addressed these intersecting crises together. This dissertation shows that Saskatchewan social movements worked towards alternative futures that bolstered self-determination, including among Indigenous peoples, and that better supported healthier environments and communities.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Fisher, Justin"],"institution":"University of Saskatchewan","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Watson, Andrew"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Troupe, Cheryl","Labelle, Kathryn","Westman, Clinton","Labelle, Maurice","Loo, Tina"],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-05-25","date_published":"2026-05-25","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:01Z","subjects":["Energy crisis","Saskatchewan","polycrisis","social movements","environmentalistm","Indigenous rights","socialism","energy","history"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10388/18425","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Watson, Andrew"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Troupe, Cheryl","Labelle, Kathryn","Westman, Clinton","Labelle, Maurice","Loo, Tina"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Fisher, Justin"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-05-25T15:51:11Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2026-05-25T15:51:11Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-05-25"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Saskatchewan"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Energy crisis","Saskatchewan","polycrisis","social movements","environmentalistm","Indigenous rights","socialism","energy","history"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10388/18425"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The 1970s energy crisis was a global phenomenon that opened a window of opportunity to debate the future of energy development. With the future of oil appearing uncertain, nations around the world faced questions about energy security and interest in a wide array of energy alternatives was piqued. This dissertation examines the unfolding of the energy crisis in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, an energy producing jurisdiction that stood to benefit from increasing energy prices and a wide range of available energy options, including fossil fuels, uranium, hydropower, and vibrant research into renewable energy and energy conservation technologies. The study focuses on social movements in the province, particularly socialist, Indigenous rights, and environmentalist organizers, and how they interpreted the energy crisis as an opportunity to advance visions for the future of the province in line with their values. The study tracks how these social movements engaged in debates about particular energy developments, such as a proposed dam on the Churchill River, a provincial uranium refinery, and an energy conservation demonstration home, and argues that those debates were fundamentally about agency with those movements demanding a say in decisions that were bound to shape the future of the province. Using a framework of polycrisis, this study highlights how social movements received and understood the energy crisis as a critical intersection of a variety of other crises including extractive colonialism, environmental degradation, and global imperialism. Because of this, they advocated for energy solutions that addressed these intersecting crises together. This dissertation shows that Saskatchewan social movements worked towards alternative futures that bolstered self-determination, including among Indigenous peoples, and that better supported healthier environments and communities."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Energy Crisis and Opportunity: Energy Development and Debate in Saskatchewan, 1969–1982"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Watson, Andrew"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Troupe, Cheryl","Labelle, Kathryn","Westman, Clinton","Labelle, Maurice","Loo, Tina"],"dc:creator":["Fisher, Justin"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-05-25T15:51:11Z"],"dc:date.available":["2026-05-25T15:51:11Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-05-25"],"dc:description.abstract":["The 1970s energy crisis was a global phenomenon that opened a window of opportunity to debate the future of energy development. With the future of oil appearing uncertain, nations around the world faced questions about energy security and interest in a wide array of energy alternatives was piqued. This dissertation examines the unfolding of the energy crisis in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, an energy producing jurisdiction that stood to benefit from increasing energy prices and a wide range of available energy options, including fossil fuels, uranium, hydropower, and vibrant research into renewable energy and energy conservation technologies. The study focuses on social movements in the province, particularly socialist, Indigenous rights, and environmentalist organizers, and how they interpreted the energy crisis as an opportunity to advance visions for the future of the province in line with their values. The study tracks how these social movements engaged in debates about particular energy developments, such as a proposed dam on the Churchill River, a provincial uranium refinery, and an energy conservation demonstration home, and argues that those debates were fundamentally about agency with those movements demanding a say in decisions that were bound to shape the future of the province. Using a framework of polycrisis, this study highlights how social movements received and understood the energy crisis as a critical intersection of a variety of other crises including extractive colonialism, environmental degradation, and global imperialism. Because of this, they advocated for energy solutions that addressed these intersecting crises together. This dissertation shows that Saskatchewan social movements worked towards alternative futures that bolstered self-determination, including among Indigenous peoples, and that better supported healthier environments and communities."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10388/18425"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["Energy crisis","Saskatchewan","polycrisis","social movements","environmentalistm","Indigenous rights","socialism","energy","history"],"dc:title":["Energy Crisis and Opportunity: Energy Development and Debate in Saskatchewan, 1969–1982"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)"],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Saskatchewan"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:27:01Z"}