Dr. Raynald Harvey Lemelin


Picture of Dr. Raynald Harvey Lemelin

Research Interests and Current Projects

I am an associate professor in the School of Outdoor Recreation Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University, who has considerable experience in working with Northern communities in Canada and therefore has personal and institutional contacts in the study area. I am also the Lakehead University representative on the Interim Management Board for the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area. My research interests include community well-being and resiliency, First Nations and Aboriginal communities, human and wildlife interactions, co-management of natural resources, protected area management, nature tourism, and recreation and leisure studies.  I am also interested in issues of environmental and social justice. I teach undergraduate and graduate courses. I am also the Lakehead University representative on the Interim Management Board for the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.

Tourism has been a research interest for quite some time now. Some of the research projects have examined aboriginal tourism, last-chance tourism, and the role of tourism in regional economic strategies – Red Rock First Nation at Lake Helen. I am also working with the community of Nain and Torngat Mountains National Park, and the Lutsel K’e First Nation, NWT.

The human dimensions of animal studies have included polar bear-human interactions in Ontario, Manitoba and Newfoundland/Labrador, the black bear spring hunt in Ontario, cougars and people in Ontario (yes there are cougars in Ontario). More recently, Dr. Lemelin has diversified his studies on human-animal dynamics by examining the human-dimensions of insects.

Community well-being and resiliency examines how a community copes with external and internal stressors. Most of these studies have been conducted in the Canadian North, some of the research collaborators include the Weenusk First Nation at Peawanuck, the Washeo First Nation at Fort Severn, the Moose Cree and Mocreebec First Nations in Northern Ontario.

Further information on the research can be found at:

Courses Taught

Refereed Publications

2010

  • Dawson, J., Stewart, E. J., Lemelin, R. H., & Scott, D. (2010) 'The carbon cost of polar bear viewing tourism in Churchill, Canada', Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 18(3), 319-336.
  • Hunt, L., Robson, M., Lemelin, R.H., McIntyre, N. (2010). Exploring the acceptability of spatial simulation models of outdoor recreation for use by participants of public participation processes. Leisure Sciences, 32(3), 222-239.
  • Maher, P & Lemelin, R. H. (2010). Northern Exposure: Opportunities and Challenges for Tourism Development in Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador, Canada. Polar Record. Published Online by Cambridge University Press 18 Mar 2010, doi:10.1017/S0032247409990581.
  • Lemelin, R. H., and Bennett, N. (2010). The Proposed Pimachiowin-Aki World Heritage Site in Northern Canada: A Collaborative Initiative. Leisure/Loisir, 34(2), 169-187.
  • Lemelin, R.H., Koster, R., Metansinine, K., Pelletier, H., & Wozniczka, I. (2010, in-press). Voyages to Kitchi Gami: The Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area and Regional Tourism Opportunities in Canada’s First National Marine Conservation Area, Tourism in Marine Environments, Special Issue on Tourism in the Great Lakes, 7(1-2).
  • Blangy, S., McGinley, R., & Lemelin, R. H. (2010 in-press). La recherche action participative et collaborative autochtone peut-elle améliorer l'engagement communautaire dans les projets touristiques? Téoros : Tourisme et autochtones, 29(1).
  • Lemelin, R.H., Matthews, D., Mattina, C., McIntyre, N., Johnston, M., & Koster, R. (2010 in-press). Climate Change, Well-Being and Resilience in the Weenusk First Nation at Peawanuck: The Moccasin Telegraph Goes Global. Special issue on "Human Health At The Ends of the Earth," Rural and Remote Health.
  • Bennet, N., Lemelin, R.H., & Ellis, S. (2010 in-press). Aboriginal and Local Perspectives on the Community Benefits of Conservation: A Case Study of a Proposed Canadian National Park and the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation. Geography Research Forum.
  • Lemelin, R.H., Dawson, J., Stewart, E.J., Maher, P., Luck, M. (2010 in-press). Last Chance Tourism: Boom, Doom, and Gloom. Current Issues in Tourism.
  • Robson, M., Rosenthal, J., Lemelin, R. H., Hunt, M. L., & McIntyre, N. (2010 in-press). Information Complexity as a Constraint to Public Involvement in Sustainable Forest Management. Society and Natural Resources.

2009

  • Lemelin, R. H. (2009). Goodwill Hunting? Dragon Hunters, Dragonflies & Leisure. Current Issues in Tourism,12(3), 235-253.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2009). Doubting Thomases and the Cougar: The Perceptions of Puma Management in Ontario. Sociologia Ruralis, 49 (1), 56-9.
  • Lemelin, R. H. & Maher, P. (2009). Nanuk of the Torngats: Human-Polar Bear Interactions in the Torngat Mountains National Park, Labrador, Canada. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 14(2), 152-55.
  • Koster, R & Lemelin, R. H. (2009). Appreciative Inquiry and Rural Tourism: A Case Study from Canada. Tourism Geographies, 11(2), 259-270.
  • Hunt, L., Lemelin, R. H., & Saunders, K. (2009). Managing forest road access on public lands: A conceptual model of conflict. Society and Natural Resources, 22(2), 128-142.

2008

  • Lemelin, R. H., Smale, B., & Fennell, D. (2008). Polar Bear Viewers As Deep Ecotourists: How Specialized Are They? Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16 (1), 42-62.

2007

  • Lemelin, R. H. (2007). Finding Beauty in the Dragon: The Role of Dragonflies in Recreation, Tourism, and Conservation. Journal of Ecotourism, 6(2), 139-145.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Wiersma, E. C. (2007). Perceptions of Polar Bear Tourists: A Qualitative Analysis. Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management, 12(1), 45-52.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Wiersma, E. C. (2007). Gazing Upon Nanuk, The Polar Bear: The Wildlife Tourist Gaze and Ocular Consumption in Churchill, Manitoba. Polar Geography, 30(1-2), 37-53.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Smale, B. J. A. (2007). Wildlife Viewer Archetypes: Are Polar Bear Viewers in Churchill, Manitoba Ecotourists? Tourism in Marine Environments, 4(2), 1-15.

2006

  • Lemelin, R. H., & Smale, B. J. A. (2006) Effects of Environmental Context on the Experience of Polar Bear Viewers in Churchill, Manitoba. Journal of Ecotourism, 5(3), 176-191.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2006) The Gawk, The Glance, and The Gaze: Occular Consumption and Polar Bear Tourism in Churchill, Manitoba Canada. Current Issues in Tourism, 9(6), 516-534.
  • Lemelin, R. H., McCarville, R., Smale, B.J. A. (2006) The Effects of Context on Reports of Fair Price for Wildlife Viewing Opportunities. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 24(3), 50-71.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2006) Running to Stand Still: The Story of a Victim, A Survivor, A Wounded Healer: A Narrative of Male Sexual Abuse from the Inside. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 11(4), 337-350.

Published Book Review

  • Lemelin, R. H. (2009). Widdowson & Howard. Disrobing the Aboriginal Industry: The Deception Behind Indigenous Cultural Preservation. Arctic. 62(3), 356-257.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2008). Lovelock, B. (Ed.). Tourism and the Consumption of Wildlife: Hunting, Shooting and Sport Fishing. Annals of Tourism Research 35(3), 842-843.

Invited Book Chapters

  • Lemelin, R. H. (2010). Understanding Mukadae Makwa (Black Bear): Black Bear-Human Interactions in Northwestern Ontario, (pp. 249-281). In T. Dunk (Ed.). Transitions in Marginal Zones in the Age of Globalization: Case Studies from the North and South. Thunder Bay, ON: Centre for Northern Studies Press. [peer-reviewed]
  • Lemelin, R.H. (2010). Observers in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, Churchill, Manitoba (p. 297-299). In L. Chow and K. McKay (Eds.), Hudson Bay Regional Research. Winnipeg, MB: Aboriginal Issues Press.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Johnston, M. (2008). Northern Protected Areas and Parks. In P. Dearden, & R. Rollins (Eds.), Parks and Protected Areas in Canada: Planning and Management, (3rd ed). (pp. 294-313). New York: Oxford University Press. [peer reviewed]
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2007). Local Dimensions of Polar Bear Tourism in Churchill, Manitoba. In J. Higham and M. Lück (Eds.). Marine Wildlife and Tourism Management. (pp. 91-108). Oxford: CABI Publishing.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Dyck, M. (2007). New Frontiers in Marine Wildlife Tourism II: An International Overview of Polar Bear Tourism. In J. Higham and M. Lück (Eds.). (pp. 361-379). Marine Wildlife and Tourism Management. Oxford: CABI Publishing.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2006). Polar Bear Tourism in Churchill, Manitoba. In J. Oakes, and R. Riewe (Eds.). Climate Change: Linking Traditional and Scientific Knowledge. (pp. 235-244) Winnipeg, MB: Aboriginal Issues Press. [peer reviewed]
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2005). Wildlife Tourism At The Edge of Chaos: Complex Interactions Between Humans and Polar Bears In Churchill, Manitoba. In F. Berkes, R. Huebert, H. Fast, M. Manseau, & A. Diduck. (Eds). Breaking Ice: Renewable Resource and Ocean Management in the Canadian North. (pp. 183-202) Calgary, AB: University of Calgary Press. [peer reviewed]

Invited Encyclopedia Contributions

  • Lemelin, R. H. & Johnson, M. (2008). Arctic. In M. Lück (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments. (pages 29-32). Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI.
  • Johnson, M., & Lemelin R. H. (2008). Arctic tourism. In M. Lück (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments. (pages 32-34). Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2008). Polar bears. In M. Lück (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments. (pages 371-72). Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2008). Dragonfly tourism. In M. Lück (Ed.). Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments. (page 145). Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI.

Papers in Refereed Conference Proceedings

  • Lemelin, R. H., and Beaulieu, M. (in-press). The Lore of the Lake: Legends and Myths from Kitchi Gami (Lake Superior). Conference proceedings from the. 4th International Lake Tourism Conference - "Making Lake Conservation Work for Communities – AND – Lakes," Thunder Bay/Red Rock, Ontario, June 21-24, 2009.
  • Bennett, N., Lemelin, R. H., Ellis, S., & Enzoe, G. (in-press) Building local capacity for indigenous tourism development related to conservation on the east arm of Great Slave Lake. Conference proceedings from the. 4th International Lake Tourism Conference - "Making Lake Conservation Work for Communities – AND – Lakes," Thunder Bay/Red Rock, Ontario, June 21-24, 2009.
  • Johnston, M. E., & Lemelin, R. H. (in-press) Wetland protection and lakeside recreational development: Conflict in a rural municipality in Northern Ontario, Canada. Conference proceedings from the. 4th International Lake Tourism Conference - "Making Lake Conservation Work for Communities – AND – Lakes," Thunder Bay/Red Rock, Ontario, June 21-24, 2009.
  • Dawson, J., Lemelin, H., and Stewart E. J. (2009). Last Chance Tourism: risks and opportunities of an emerging market. Travel and Tourism Research Association's (TTRA) Canada 2009 conference. Guelph, Ontario (pp. 1-17).
  • R. H. Lemelin, Norm McIntyre, Rhonda Koster, and Margaret Johnston (2007). Climate disruption and the changing dynamics of polar bear – Human interactions in Northern Ontario: a case study of polar bear management in Polar Bear Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. (pp. 24-31). Tourism and Global Change in Polar Regions: An International Conference, An International Conference, November 29 - December 1, 2007.Oulu, Finland.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Smale, B.J.A. (2005, May). Wildlife Viewer Archetypes: Are They All Ecotourists? Proceedings from the 11th Canadian Congress on Leisure Research. The Two Solitudes: Isolation or Impact? Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, B.C.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Wiersma, C. E. (2005, May). Interviewing the Polar Bear Viewer. Proceedings from the 11th Canadian Congress on Leisure Research. The Two Solitudes: Isolation or Impact? Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, B.C.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2004, September). What Social Scientists Can Tell Us About The Human Dimensions of Wildlife Management. Presentation at the 11th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society, Calgary, Alberta.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2004, February). The Integration of Human Dimensions with the Environmental Context: A Study of Polar Bear Observers In The Cape Churchill Wildlife Management Area/Wapusk National Park, Churchill Manitoba. Proceedings from the Fifteenth International Conference on Bear Research and Management. San Diego, California.

Edited Journal Issue

  • Lemelin, R.H., & Blangy, S. (Co-Editors) (2009). Introduction to the special issue on aboriginal ecotourism. Journal of Ecotourism, 8(2), 77-81.

Non-Refereed Publications

Commentaries

  • Clark, D.A., Clark, S.,Dowsley, M., Foote, L., Jung, T.S., & Lemelin, R.H. (2010). It's Not Just About Bears: A Problem-Solving Workshop on Aboriginal Peoples, Polar Bears, and Human Dignity, Arctic, 63(1): 124127.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2008). Impacts of the cancellation of the spring bear hunt in Ontario, Canada. Human-Wildlife Conflicts, 2(2): 5-7.
  • Lemelin, R.H., Peerla, D., & Walmark, B. (2008). Voices from the Margins: The Muskekowuck Athinuwick/Cree People of Northern Ontario and the Management of Wapusk/Polar Bear. Arctic 61(1), 101-103.
  • Fidler, A., Lemelin, R.H., Peerla, D., & Walmark, B. (2008). "Hearing the voices of all parties" WWF Arctic Bulletin, No. 1.08, 15-16.

Technical and Consulting Reports

  • Kakekaspan, M., Miles, T., Lemelin, H., Dowsley, M., Beaulieu, M., Taylor, M., Siebel, F., & Walmark, M. (2010). Giving Voice to Bear: Cree Observations and Documentation of Wabusk in Ontario: Research Report. Centre for Northern Studies/KORI.
  • McIntyre, N., Lavallee, M., Koster, R., & Lemelin, H. (2010). Community Workshop: Ideas into Action. Report from the 4th International Lake Tourism Conference. Making Conservation Work for Communities-AND-Lakes (June 24-25, 2009). Community for Tourism & Community Development Research.
  • Lemelin, R.H. & Baikie, G. (2010). Developing Site Inventories of Tourism Destinations in Torngat Mountains National Park. 2009 Annual Report of Research and Monitoring in Torngat Mountains National Park, National Parks Canada.
  • Bennett, N., & Lemelin, R.H. (2009). Maximizing Lutstel K'e Community Benefit from the Proposed National Park. Report prepared for the Parks Working Group of the Lustel K'e Dene First Nation.
  • Metansinine, K., Koster, R., & Lemelin, R.H. (2009). Developing Experiential Tourism In the Lake Helen Region: A Foundational Document. Report prepared for Parks Canada.
  • Metansinine, K., Lemelin, R.H., & Koster, R. (2009). Experiential Tourism in Aboriginal Communities Assessment Handbook. Report prepared for Parks Canada.
  • Maher, P., & Lemelin, R. L. (2008). Testing Visitor Experience and Examining the Possibility of a 2009 Student Field Program. Report prepared for Parks Canada.
  • Lemelin, R.H., & Koster, R.L. (2007). An Examination of the Potential for Aboriginal Tourism in Northwestern Ontario: Phase I. Prepared under contract for Parks Canada.
  • Rosenthal, J., Robson, M., Lemelin, R. H., Hunt, M. L., McIntyre, N. & Moore, J. (2007). Summer 2006 Progress Report on Contextual Interviews for the "Evaluating the effectiveness of communication processes for public involvement in forest management planning." Prepared for the Living Legacy Research Project.
  • Koster, R. L., Lemelin, R. H. & Davars, C. (2005). Aboriginal Values, Protected Areas and Tourism: The Possibilities for Rural Canada. Prepared under contract for Parks Canada.
  • Lemelin, R.H., & Smale, B.J.A. (2004). The Human Dimension of Churchill’s Polar Bear Industry. Final report provided to the Department of Conservation, Manitoba & Parks Canada. 9 pp.

Presentations to Scholarly Groups (Invited)

  • Lemelin, R. H. (February, 2010). From apathy to empathy: how to make people care about biodiversity. Foundations of biodiversity: saving the world's non-vertebrates symposium to be held at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), London, England, February 25-26, 2010.
  • Lemelin, R.H., & K.R. Koster (October, 2009). The Forgotten Industry in the Forgotten North: Tourism Developments in Northern Ontario. Northern Ontario: Economic Development Policy Conference, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ontario, October 29-30, 2009.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2009, June). Protected Areas in and Around Lake Superior and the Role Indigenous Peoples. 4th International Lake Tourism Conference - "Making Lake Conservation Work for Communities – AND – Lakes," Thunder Bay/Red Rock, Ontario, June 21-24, 2009.
  • Lemelin, R. H., & Bennett, N. (2009, January). The Relationship of the Social Economy to Community Development and Park Creation: A Case Study in Lutsel K'e, Northwest Territories. Northern Research Institute, Yukon College.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2008, March). Aboriginal Tourism. Through Our Eyes: Elder Conference. Lakehead, University, Thunder Bay, ON.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2005, February). School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, Research
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2006, March). Understanding Mukadae Makwa (Black Bear) Human Interactions in Northwestern Ontario: A Black and White Approach. Old Economy Regions in the New Economy: A North/South Dialogue on Social, Cultural and Economic Issues. Thunder Bay, ON.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2005, February). School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism, Research Seminar Series, Public Lecture, Lakehead University. Whose Watching Who? Churchill's Polar Bear Viewing Industry.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2004, November). Wildlife Tourism: The Churchill Polar Bear Experience. Eco- North/Éco-Nord 2004, Thunder Bay, ON.
  • Lemelin, R. H. (2004, February). The Integration of Human Dimensions with the Environmental Context: A Study of Polar Bear Observers in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area/Wapusk National Park, Churchill, Manitoba. Fifteenth International Conference on Bear Research and Management, International Bear Association, San Diego, CA, USA.

Awards

Awards Received
Description Year(s)
Co-recipient (with Dr. Koster) of the Aboriginal Partnership Research Award – Lakehead University 2009
Merit – Lakehead University 2010
Nominated for contribution to research award – Lakehead University 2010
Contribution to Teaching Award – Lakehead University 2009
Merit – Lakehead University 2007