Thomas Blampied
Railways are a lifelong passion of mine. What began as a hobby has ultimately become an academic pursuit. Before beginning my doctoral work, I spent several years working in the model train industry. My interest in railways has also led me to publish four books on railways in Ontario and my railway photography has appeared in multiple publications around the world.
People Type:
Research Area:
My primary research interests lie in modern Canadian history, especially in relation to transportation, colonialism, and broader questions of infrastructure. I am very interested in the relationship between colonialism and infrastructure. I am also interested in modern American history, North American Jewish history, material culture studies, tourism history, and the history of technology.
Program:
My dissertation examines the impact of railway development on Indigenous communities in Northeastern Ontario. In particular, I look at the impact of the provincially-owned Ontario Northland Railway on the James Bay Lowlands, especially around Moosonee and Moose Factory. I examine how this relates to Crown-Indigenous relations, colonialism, race, tourism, and natural resource development.
