About CPRC

Mandate
Aims
Affiliations
History
Links

The Canadian Plains Research Center (CPRC) was established in 1973 as an interdisciplinary regional research centre. Its mandate is to initiate, undertake, encourage, support, and publish scholarly research on all aspects of prairie life, including its history, resources, land, and people.

To foster an understanding and appreciation of the Canadian Plains region.
To develop a community of people studying the region.
To study and help solve problems of the region, its people and its resources.
To provide services to prairie institutions and researchers.
To publish scholarly work which examines life in the prairie region of Canada.

CPRC is affiliated with numerous research institutes, universities and organizations:

Brandon University, Brandon, Manitoba
Center for Great Plains Studies, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas
Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska
Canadian Council on Ecological Areas, Ottawa, Canada
Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC), Regina SK
Saskatchewan Institute for Public Policy, University of Regina
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta
University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba
University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba

CPRC memberships include:

Association of Canadian Studies
Association of Canadian Publishers
Association of Canadian University Presses
Saskatchewan Publishers Group

After wide discussion of the concept of a regional studies resource centre by interested groups in the three prairie provinces, the prairie universities agreed to the establishment of such a centre as part of the Regina Campus of the University of Saskatchewan. Thus the Canadian Plains Area Studies Programme was developed and included both undergraduate and graduate training in Canadian Plains Studies. Later in 1970, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research approved a constitution for a separate research resource centre to complement the teaching program. The original name, Canadian Plains Area Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus, was changed to Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina, in 1973.

CPRC Executive Directors:

Dr. W. Don Stewart, July 1973–December 1976
Dr. M. Evelyn Jonescu, January 1977–December 1985
Dr. James N. McCrorie, January 1986–June 1995
Dr. David A. Gauthier, July 1995–March 2006
Dr. Polo Diaz, April 2006-present

Prairie Forum

The first issue of the Center’s scholarly journal—Prairie Forum—appeared in 1976. Prairie Forum [link: to www.cprcpress.com/prairieforum is a refereed multidisciplinary semi-annual publication which serves as an outlet for research relating to the Canadian prairie region and which is important in facilitating closer communication between prairie researchers.

Editors of Prairie Forum:
Alec Paul
Raymond Huel (acting)
Fritz Pannekoek
Alvin Finkel
Patrick Douaud
Howard Leeson

Publishing

CPRC published its first two books in 1973: Region of the Mind: Interpreting the Western Canadian Plains, edited by Richard Allen, and The Expanding Relation: Sociology in Prairie Universities by B.Y. Card. From 1973 to 1990, between 1 and 5 books were published each year. After 1990, book publishing activity increased to between 4 and 10 books each year. In 1997, CPRC published its first trade book: People Places: Saskatchewan and Its Names by Bill Barry. In 2005, CPRC published The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan, the single largest educational publishing project in Saskatchewan's history. Between 1999 and 2008, CPRC books won 18 awards. In its 36-year history, CPRC has published 190 books, with over 120 of them still in print. See current books in print at the CPRC Press website [link: www.cprcpress.com].

Research Fellows

CPRC’s Research Fellows [link: www.cprc.uregina.ca/researchfellows] Program was established in 1983 to provide support to visiting scholars conducting studies on the Canadian prairie region. From 1983 through 2009, 58 scholars have received support for their research through the program.

Graduate Studies

CPRC was the first research institute within the University of Regina to offer an accredited degree program. The Canadian Plains Studies Program [link: www.cprc.uregina.ca/gradstudies] facilitates interdisciplinary studies of master and doctoral students on topics relevant to the Canadian Plains. Twenty-six students have completed their M.A. degrees and 11 students have completed their Ph.D. degrees through CPRC.

Research Projects

CPRC has been involved with dozens of research projects [link: www.cprc.uregina.ca/researchprojects] over the past several decades with a wide variety of partners, always with the aim of furthering CPRC’s mandate to facilitate transdisciplinary research and address issues relevant to the Canadian Plains.

Conferences/Lectures

As part of its original and continuing education and community outreach mandate, CPRC has, since 1974, organized, facilitated or partnered with other organizations in delivering over 100 conferences [link: www.cprc.uregina.ca/conferences], symposia, workshops, lectures, meetings and seminars. Prominent among these has been the Woodrow Lloyd Lecture [link: www.cprc.uregina.ca/woodrowlloyd], administered jointly with the Faculty of Arts, University of Regina, in honour of the first Saskatchewan-born premier.

Connections to other Prairie WWW sites

AG Infonet: Prairie Agriculture
Alberta Prairie Conservation Forum
Canadian Agriculture Policy Framework
Canadian Biodiversity Information Network

Canadian Cattlemen's Association
Canadian Council on Ecological Areas
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Saskatchewan
Canadian Policy Research Networks

Canadian Rural Information Service
Canadian Wildlife Service
Climate Change Saskatchewan
Ducks Unlimited

Ecoregions of Saskatchewan
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Germans from Russia Heritage Collection, NDSU Libraries, Fargo, ND
Great Plains of North America

Grasslands National Park
Humanities Research Institute, University of Regina
Institute for Regional Studies, NDSU Libraries, Fargo, ND
Linking Climate Adapation Network

NHBS BookNet
National Atlas of Canada
National Institute for Global Environmental Change (NIGEC)
Nature Conservancy of Canada - Saskatchewan

Native Plant Society of Saskatchewan
Nature Saskatchewan
North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC)
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative (PARC)
Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Saskatchewan Culture, Youth and Recreation

Saskatchewan Environment
Saskatchewan Forage Council
Saskatchewan Industry and Resources
Saskatchewan Institute for Public Policy (SIPP)

Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit
Sask Power
Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan Partnership
Saskatchewan Research Council

Saskatchewan Stockgrowers Association
Saskatchewan Watershed Authority
Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation
Society for Range Management

Sustainable Communities Indicator Program
Sustainability - Canadian Communities
U.S. Great Plains - Population and Environment
U.S. - Western Futures
Wildlife Habitat Canada - Agriculture Framework