October 30, 2025
Shannon Stunden Bower
On October 30, 2025, the University of Manitoba’s Just Waters project, Institute for the Humanities and Department of History hosted Dr. Shannon Stunden Bower for a talk titled, “Refusing to Harness a River: A Study of Dryland Farmers Resisting Irrigation in mid-20th Century Saskatchewan.” This talk focused on dryland farmers from Saskatchewan’s Outlook-Broderick area in their efforts to resist the Saskatchewan government’s attempts to compel them to irrigate. Drylander resistance illuminates key features of this agricultural community in the mid-20th century: the importance of the ideals of rights and democracy; the significance of women’s roles, and the persistence and creativity of those who sought to protect their own ideas of how best to make good lives and good livings. Watch a video of the talk below.
