Geography

What is Geography?

Geography is about the real world. YOUR world - not the virtual one, but the one which you see, touch, smell, hear; the one that we move through and experience every day. Knowing that world, both our small part of it, and the wider world that, increasingly, touches our lives, enriches us. As we gain an understanding of how things are interconnected in space - why and how the world works, we become more sensitive to place (and people) and our vision of the world becomes enriched, and our understanding deepened.

Have you ever wondered what it is that makes Montreal unique as a city in both appearance and ambiance? You might ask why people are moving to the off-island suburbs; or why your local CLSC is where it is; or what the effect of the new Metro line under the river to Laval with have; or why certain neighbourhoods such as the area along the Lachine Canal are becoming desirable places to live. Culture, economy and site all play a part but planning is based on spatial decision making - the thing that geographers do best.

Perhaps you interested in other cultures or countries? Possibly you are keen to travel with open eyes and an open mind and want to understand what you see. You might ask "What effects are all of these hotels and marinas having on the coastal environment?" Or "What has happened to prices in the local market now that there are all of these visitors?" Or you might wonder what has happened to traditional ceremonies now that they have been turned into entertainment for tourists. Or whether there will be any elephants left in the wild for our children to see Geographers are concerned about the survival of cultures as well as environments, and interpret the relationship between a society and its environment.

Do you have concerns about our environment? Have they really ensured that the potentially toxic sediments in the Lachine Canal will not be stirred up? Was the infamous ice storm of January 1998 related to El Niño, or to global warming? What are the issues surrounding the proposed new gas burning power station at Sirois ? And are new highways the real solution when congestion and pollution problems are the result? All of these are good geographical questions!

A knowledge of Geography ensures that we remain in touch with the concrete issues that affect our every day life - and the future of our world. All of us here in the discipline are involved in the community, contributing our skills and knowledge to a better life here in Montreal and the wider global community. Come on board.

Through out your travels within this web site you can always navigate with the bar following this text. You will find it at the head of every page you visit. And if you click on the "Geography" graphic you will return to this home page. Go ahead! Explore!

Geography is the study of our home planet - the Earth. In today's society issues such as environment, population,, development, urbanization, inequality and cultural survival are increasingly important. These major concerns of our times are influenced by geographical conditions and spatial decision-making. Analyzing spatial patterns at global, regional and local levels, geography examines the processes at work in the world and the interplay between human societies and the environment.

The questions "Where?" and "Why?" are central to geography and modern geographers are not content simply to describe the patterns on the landscape and the map, but focus on the analysis of the forces and the decisions which create such spatial patterns. Geography is a social science concerned with how people are distributed, how they live and how they interact with their environments - physical, economic and social. Very broadly based, it links the humanities with the sciences by integrating human culture and perception with the realities of the earth sciences.

One of the attractions of studying Geography is "being out there" in the real world. Traveling with one's eyes open to new sights and experiences, doing the fieldwork, observing, recording, mapping - experiencing the world at first hand is what we are about.

In practical terms geography helps in planning and decision making by critically evaluating spatial choices. It fosters a curiosity about the world and increases international understanding and the appreciation of other cultural groups. At Vanier, geography courses are an important part of several Majors programmes including:

Social Science Majors

  • International Studies
  • Law and Society
  • Child Studies
  • Sports and Leisure

College Majors

  • Women's Studies
  • Quebec/Canada Studies
  • Jewish Studies