Department of History

Dr. Sara Spike

sarah spike
Department of History

Email: sspike@dal.ca
Research Topics:
  • Canadian Histories
  • Atlantic Canadian Communities and Culture
  • Coastal and Ocean Studies
  • Visual Cultures
  • Environmental History
  • Community-engaged Research and Local Histories

Education

  • BA (Ottawa)
  • MA (Concordia)
  • PhD (Carleton)

Office Hours

  • By appointmentÌę

Bio

Dr. Sara Spike is a cultural historian of rural communities and coastal environments in Atlantic Canada. Her current research considers the role of fog in the everyday life of Atlantic Canadian communities from the early colonial period to the present. Her book "Modern Eyes: Cultural Histories of Vision in Rural Nova Scotia, 1880-1910," is being revised for publication. As a complement to her scholarly research, Sara has worked closely with museums, archives, and community groups in Nova Scotia to research, interpret, and present local stories. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Network in Canadian History and Environment (NiCHE).

Recent Publications

  • “‘a salubrious, saline exhalation’: Fog and Health in Colonial Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.” NiCHE, August 27, 2020. https://niche-canada.org/2020/08/27/a-salubrious-saline-exhalation-fog-and-health-in-colonial-newfoundland-and-nova-scotia/.ÌęEditor of the NiCHE series on Canadian Coastal Histories.
  • “Mayflowers and Sleeping Johnnies: Nature-Study, Local Knowledge, and A. H. MacKay’s Phenological Research in Rural Nova Scotia, 1892-1925.” Scientia Canadensis 42, no. 1 (2020): 29-53.ÌęWinner of the Jarrel Prize for best article in Scientia Canadiensis, 2020-2021ÌęÌę

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