Welcome
I am a Professor of History at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada. My research explores the cultural history of capitalism, revealing how economic enterprise shapes our lives and lands.
Currently I am researching the history of Canadian sugar. Two books are arising out of this work. The first is about Rogers Sugar’s plantations in colonial Fiji and demonstrates how indenture, violence, and the quest for profit came together in Rogers’ sugarcane fields (forthcoming 2025). The second is about the rise of sugar in the Canadian diet.
Retail and consumer histories are other areas of focus. My approach views trade and consumption as powerful economic and cultural forces that have transformed life in northern North America.
My first book, Retail Nation: Department Stores and the Making of Modern Canada (2011) won two awards, including the international Pierre Savard Award for Best Book in Canadian Studies. My second, Purchasing Power: Women and the Rise of Canadian Consumer Culture (2020), was shortlisted for the City of Regina Book Award. I have also contributed award winning articles on topics ranging from the uncredited work of faculty wives to the gendered history of shopping.
My PhD is in Canadian Studies and is from Trent University; this program was administered jointly by Trent University and Carleton University. My PhD dissertation was awarded the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal. I hold a Master’s of Arts in History from Queen’s University and a Bachelor’s of Arts in History from Brandon University.