Haeden Stewart

HAEDEN STEWART, then a graduate student at the University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois, received funding in July 2016 to aid in research on ‘The Shadow of Industry: Toxic Legacies of Mill Creek Ravine,’ supervised by Dr. Shannon Dawdy. The dissertation investigates the history of Mill Creek Ravine, one of the first industrial areas in the province of Alberta. Tracking the remains of industrial activity from the early twentieth century until the present day this research studies how industrialization in Western Canada created new landscapes, new communities, and new modes of daily life. Two seasons of archaeological fieldwork have identified the remains of an early meat-packing plant (Vogel’s Meats) as well as the remains of two shanties from the working class community of Ross Acreage. The archaeological investigation of Ross Acreage and Vogel’s Meats have provided insight into 1) the development of manufacturing and new consumable goods throughout Edmonton and Central Alberta and the integration of the local economy within a regional and global economic system 2) the forgotten histories of working class communities and the exploitation and violence that is endemic to industrialization 3) the long term effects of early industrial activity on local populations and environments.