Our daily lives are interwoven with geography. Each of us lives in a unique place and in constant interaction with our surroundings. Geographic knowledge and skills are essential for us to understand the activities and patterns of our lives and the lives of others.
Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education
Why Geography Is Important (2007)
In defining geography, Charles Gritzner notes that “All geographic inquiry should begin with the question, ‘Where?’” He argues that, in considering “major Earth-bound events, features, and conditions”, geographers also investigate why they are where they are, or happen where they happen. And, because these events, features, and conditions “can and often do have some impact on our lives”, geographers consider why they are important to us. Gritzner has condensed these ideas into a short but meaningful phrase: “What is where, why there, and why care?” Our courses provide students with opportunities to explore these three aspects of geography as they investigate geographic issues in Canada. In these courses, students will examine issues relating to interactions between physical processes and people living in Canada; changing populations in this country; economic and environmental sustainability; and interconnections between Canada and the global community.