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July/August 2004 issue	IN THIS ISSUE: Table of Contents Feature: Powwow trail The Inside Story Editor's Notebook Reverberations Explorer À la carte Mosaic Re:Sources

Growing up in London, Ont., Larry Bourne never witnessed overt poverty. Social disparity surely existed in his hometown, he says, but it wasn't obvious. It was in Chicago, where he completed a doctorate in urban geography in the 1960s, that he first encountered an impoverished, segregated and crime-ridden, inner-city neighbourhood. "The intensity of that urban experience is still with me, and many of the issues I saw there I am still working on," says the professor of geography and planning at the University of Toronto. "Inequalities in urban landscapes were really driven into me in Chicago."

More than 30 years later, Bourne is still grappling with the problem of urban poverty. He is now working on a study of low-income populations in dian cities. But his body of research spans the spectrum of critical urban questions, from economic and social inequalities to housing, sprawl, municipal governance and the changing demographic makeup of our cities.

Bourne's contributions to the field have been honoured with the 2004 Massey Medal for outstanding achievement in Canadian geography. Established by Governor General Vincent Massey in 1959, the award is administered by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

A prolific author and passionate teacher, Bourne is also "very concerned about the applied implications of the academic research into Canadian cities," says Peter Smith, a professor emeritus of geography at the University of Alberta who has known Bourne since his days as a graduate student in Edmonton in the early 1960s.

One of the main challenges Bourne believes is facing cities today is immigration, a major influence on economic growth, social services, schools and housing in large centres like Toronto and Vancouver.

"The social transformation in Toronto and in Vancouver is unprecedented in modern times anywhere," says Bourne. "I can't think of another city that has gone from being homogeneous culturally, ethnically and linguistically within half a century — and, for the most part, within the last two decades — to a place where the majority is now the 'minority.'"

Bourne's contributions to urban-policy debates extend beyond local and national issues. His expertise has been sought by such groups as The World Bank, the International Joint Commission and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

"What is often forgotten in the policy field is geography," says Bourne, adding that he is committed to "making policy-makers and politicians aware of the importance of geography, of location, of the environment" in urban planning.

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Many university graduates leave school unsure of what the future holds. But 10 students from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., chased their dreams this spring by travelling through British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands on the expedition of a lifetime.

With the help of a grant from The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), the group of outdoor-recreation students spent three weeks collecting information for lectures aimed at raising awareness of the environmental, social, cultural and historical issues facing the Haida First Nation.

The RCGS looks for such outreach programs when deciding to fund expeditions. "What they're doing after the trip is what's more important to us," says Louise Maffett, executive director of the RCGS. "Are they exploring a part of the country we don't know much about? And are they taking what they learn back to show the rest of the country?" The RCGS began funding expeditions in 1996 and has since assisted 35 groups.

This year, the RCGS will help three more groups, including four women who are paddling the Dubawnt River in Nunavut this summer and documenting the trip using film, art, music and photography. Graeme and Lynda Magor are taking their two young daughters to Devon Island, also in Nunavut, in July to see how children explore the Arctic. And Université de Sherbrooke graduate Mathieu Chagnon and two others spent June sailing the Côte-Nord region of the St. Lawrence River; a film of their travels will encourage youth to avoid the pressure to settle down.

"We want to do something different than go to university, get a job, buy a house and get a barbecue," says Chagnon. "We want to show young adults that there are other options."

He didn't let the age of his opponents distract him. "I just focused on the questions," says Yao, a grade-seven student at Peoples Christian Academy in Willowdale, Ont. "I had to do everything perfectly, because if I missed one, I would have come in second."

Thirty-five grade-7-to-10 students from across the country logged onto www.geochallenge.ca - the web home of the Challenge — to take part in the national finals, the online culmination of school and then provincial and territorial competitions.

Yao scored one point more than second-place finisher Daniel Siracusa of Burnaby, B.C., during a tiebreaker round, and his victory earned him a $3,000 HSBC Bank Canada scholarship.

He eased his tension by drinking lots of water. "I also rolled my chair around the room during the two-minute intermission between rounds," he says. "That made it easier to concentrate."

Teacher Andrew Hiebert coached Yao before the competition and couldn't be happier with the results. "I can't believe how well he did," says Hiebert. "He's an ordinary kid with an extraordinary ability."

— Chris Mason

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When Canadian Geographic ran its first photo contest 20 years ago, there was no such thing as a digital entry. Last year, 16 percent of the submissions were digital. But one thing has remained the same in our annual contest: it always elicits thousands of creative images that reflect the beauty and diversity of this country. Prizewinning shots have included Tyler Martin's cheerful Inuit students (top); Cliff Sandeson's luna moth (middle); and Clarence Nowlan's fiery clematis (right). For this year's contest details, visit the website.

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