history of niagara’s economic development in a changing world
Final Reports
Report #2 Changing the Narrative: Unlocking the Economic Assets of Niagara in a Changing World
Please visit our special-project website, hosted by Brock Library Archives & Special Collections, where you will find historical papers and vignettes, videos, and the background working papers to our final reports. A more detailed introduction of our project goals can be found here: Mapping the Economic History and Assets of Niagara in a Changing World: A Wilson Foundation-funded project
The Niagara Community Observatory and Brock University are excited to have partnered with the Wilson Foundation to tell the story of Niagara’s economic development from pre-1900 to the present day.
Over two years, our interdisciplinary team focused on five key economic sectors: agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, marine transportation, and hydro-electric power generation, plus the emerging sector of information & communications technology. The information and knowledge gathered was presented through digital media, archives and special collections’ exhibitions and symposiums for researchers and the academic community.
The project has also provided experiential learning and research opportunities for Brock’s student body.
NCO Director, Dr. Charles Conteh, led the two-year project along with a research team gathered from the university’s Faculties of Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, and Goodman School of Business, as well as Library Archives and Special Collections.
The Brock News coverage of our project’s Fall Symposium, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
The Brock News project announcement from Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.
Advisory Committee
- Mishka Balsom, CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce
- Farzana Crocco, Director, BrockLINC
- Diana Huson, Chair, Regional Council Economic Development Committee
- David Hutchison, Faculty of Education, Brock University
- Ian Potter, President & CEO, Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
- David Sharron, Head of Archives and Special Collections, Brock University
- George Spezza, Director, Economic Development, Niagara Region
Brock Faculty Research Team
- Charles Conteh (Public Policy)
- Jeff Boggs (Geography)
- Kimberly Monk (History)
- Elizabeth Vlossak (History)
- Felice Martinello (Economics, Emeritus)
Research Fellow: Nathan Olmstead
Project Coordinator/Editor: Carol Phillips
contact us
Charles Conteh, PhD
NCO Director
[email protected]
Nathan Olmstead, PhD
Research Fellow
Carol Phillips, PhD
NCO Research Coordinator
Wilson Project Coordinator & Editor
[email protected]