Call for Proposals: Canadian Heritage Rivers

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Canadian Heritage Rivers
A NiCHE Series

Proposals Accepted on a Ongoing Basis
Series Publication: Beginning Fall 2023


There are forty-one heritage rivers in Canada, recognized for their outstanding recreational, cultural, and natural heritage. This recognition of their rich and deep heritage incentives their preservation. Since it was founded in 1984, the Canadian Heritage Rivers System has worked to designate, build, and maintain a system of heritage rivers in each province and territory. 

What does it mean to be a heritage river in 2023? What does a designation mean/bring with it? How do these designations honour First Peoples? How are heritage rivers portrayed in Canadian media and public imageries? What is the future of heritage rivers?


NiCHE invites submissions for a blog series on Canadian Heritage Rivers. Final posts should be 800-1200 words. The series will focus on the historical and cultural place of heritage rivers in Canada, and blog posts are welcome in a variety of styles, including but not limited to, traditional academic writing, reflective pieces, interviews, narrative pieces, visual essays and more. The central goal of the series is to examine the evolution, role, and significance of the designation of a heritage river in environmental history.

Contributions should ideally focus on a specific river, but we also welcome a macro-overview as well as comparative pieces.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:

  • Histories of heritage designation
  • Comparisons of rivers across territories/ provinces
  • Indigenous participation/ leadership in and of the process
  • Impacts of heritage designations on river use and/or quality.
  • Ecological/Social/Economic/Recreational impacts of heritage rivers
  • Heritage rivers and urban history
  • Teaching about heritage designations  
  • Energy and/or Economic histories of heritage rivers.

Those interested should submit a proposal of 250 words by June 15, 2023. Accepted contributors will be notified by June 22, 2023. The publication will begin in July 2023 and will be ongoing based on contributions.

Send proposals of 250 words as well as a brief bio of 100-150 words via the submission form below. 
Feel free to reach out with any questions to Ramya Swayamprakash at swayampr [AT]gvsu(dot)edu
We look forward to your submissions!

NiCHE offers $100 CAD honoraria to contributors without adequate or consistent access to institutional support. Learn more about our honoraria policy here.

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Ramya is an Assistant Professor in Integrative, Religious, and Intercultural Studies at the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Grand Valley State University in Allendale MI. A transnational and interdisciplinary environmental scholar who focuses on rivers, dredging, and the place of nature in the Great Lakes, Ramya’s research has been published in academic and public-facing avenues. She takes tea and dredging (not necessarily in that order) seriously. Ramya has also published work on dams in South Asia. As a survivor of domestic abuse and as a single parent, Ramya’s scholarship is driven by a commitment to social/ecological justice and equity. Website: www.riverborders.com Twitter: @ramyasat

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