Naming Conventions

By 1986, with the introduction of new programs, it had expanded into a College of Geographic Sciences. This included Planning, Cartography, Remote Sensing, Computer Programming, and Marine Geomatics.

What was gained? What was lost?

Simply put, the NSCC became a network of locations administered from Halifax. What was lost? As a College of Geographic Sciences, the emphasis was on a holistic definition of the science of Geography. In Nova Scotia, this college had filled a vacuum. Geography did not exist as a discipline in most of the educational institutions, except belatedly at St Mary’s University. No Geography at Dalhousie, Acadia, St Francis Xavier, or Cape Breton University.

What is in a name?

Take for example the Centre for Rural Aging and Health (CORAH). Again, a node in a network. It appears to emphasize our rural location and the health of the population. How does this fit with a critical examination of the quality of health services in the Middleton area? Is the Centre designed to celebrate the positive contribution of an aging demographic in rural Nova Scotia? Does ’aging’ focus attention on ’ageism’?

What is the contribution of an eighty year old geologist, or a fifteen year old bird watcher, or a seventy year old geographer? Does ’age’ matter?

The way we use language is extremely important. For example, the Applied Geomatics Research Group. Applied refers to the ’application’ of science and technology. Geomatics is a field of science and technology — previously described as Survey Engineering. Research implies an investigation, that is an innovative exploration, into the issues of the day; for example, climate change, sustainable agriculture, relationships between rural and urban demography. The term ’group’ implies loose teams who collaborate, bringing their knowledge and skills to address these issues. It is not a Centre within a network. The type of research is influenced by the location of the group — the Bay of Fundy, Annapolis Valley, Southwest Nova Scotia — and the particular skillset of the group membership.

We need a better understanding of Geography; the term, and its importance to the relationship between the landscape and its inhabitants, both human and other species.