Transcript Amazing Canada

AMAZING CANADA
By Jessie
The Cordillera
The Cordillera is Canada’s Western
most region, sitting to the east of the
pacific ocean, and north of the
American West Coast. It includes
British Columbia, the Yukon, and small
pieces of Alberta and Northwest
Territories. It’s extents are 69° 37’
47.7644” north, 141°0’ 34.2756” west,
49°1’11.4924” south, and
114°51’6.8664” east.
The cordillera is a rugged region, full
of parallel mountains, valleys,
trenches and plateaus. Pressure
from tectonic plates created the
regions many mountains, pushed
them up from volcanic rock, and
water and glacial erosion, that slowly
scraped away rock and deposited it
away, gave the landscape its rugged
look.
Diagram of how Fold Mountains
are created
Canadian Rocky Mountains; fold mountains
The region is home to many different types of
vegetation; its most well-known being
evergreen tree rich coniferous forests, but this
region has much more diversity than one would
expect! The region also has many open
woodlands; with trees and grass, parklands;
with long grass and cottonwood trees,
grasslands; a grassy place with no trees, and
tundras; that no trees and many shrubs and
mosses on the ground, sprinkled around in the
north. The region is full of many different trees,
grasses, and ecosystems, making the
Cordillera a very diverse place in terms of
topography.
Movement
Settlement patterns in the Cordillera are mostly smaller areas that are very densely populated, separated by
mountains. The many mountains of the Cordillera create a sort of wall around the settlements in the
Cordillera, make it difficult for people to spread out and expand, and forcing them all into spaces which are
less rugged. Human settlement patterns in the cordillera are also dictated by the climate. The further
north that you go, the colder it gets, and while there are mountains all throughout the Cordillera, people
are even less willing to create big settlements in places where it is extremely cold.
Resources
The cordillera has many resources that are relatively
easy for people to obtain and use; the easiest to
guess being forestry. The region’s many trees make
this a seemingly endless resource, which people are
quick to gather, and process, using paper and pulp
mills. This industry has 52.0 thousand people
employed and created $1068 million dollars in 2014.
However despite its positive economic impact, this
industry is not the best for the environment. In recent
years new efforts have begun to make the forestry
industry more sustainable, but that does not undo
the damage which has occurred in the past.
Clearcutting – cutting down all the trees in one area
of land – causes soil erosion, ruins ecosystems and
puts species are risk. Less trees also means that
there is less carbon and pollution that’s in the air
getting filtered and cleaned. To get to, retrieve and
transport the newly cut wood, roads have to be build,
which further destroys soil and the nature
environment. The forestry industry is as harmful as it
is valuable to the Cordillera, but the more we learn
about the risks the more we also try to prevent them.
Gordon River Clearcut in Port Renfrew, BC
Another valuable industry to the region is mining, since
the Cordillera holds many minerals deposits, such as coal,
gold, and copper. This industry has 51.3 thousand people
employed and created and made 4348.7 million dollars in
2013. While this industry is just about as valuable as the
materials they are looking for, the impacts of it results in
soil erosion, ground water loss, and other negative
effects, such as clear cutting of trees and taking away
animals habitats. To transport the goods, roads need to
be built which further harm the environment. The money
making never ends, under the harsh rule of capitalism,
and with the last major natural, resource from the region,
being fishing. Being close to the ocean, and having many
rivers, makes fishing an easy resource, which is equally
beneficial to the region, having about 1,700 employees as
of 2013 and making 102.3 million dollars in 2011. Over
fishing has been and still is a problem, as it can ruin
ecosystems and lead to species becoming endangered or
extinct.
Where to visit
A good place to visit in the Cordillera would be the Vancouver Aquarium, which is
located in Stanley Park, close to the Sea wall, as it is a fun and beautiful place to
visit for many reasons. While it is a manmade place, built for cultural reason, it also
shows many of the Cordillera’s values, specially about the environment. The
Vancouver Aquarium showcases many marine animals native to Canada and the
Cordillera region, and teaches about the environment where they naturally live, and
how one can help preserve and protect it. As well, otters. What other argument is
needed?
Aquarium Location:
49°18' 1.5372'' N
123°7' 51.0168'' W
Citations for the Cordillera
■
Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canada's Emerging Identity. Don Mills, ON: Pearson, 2009.
Print.
■
"Deforestation in British Columbia." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_British_Columbia>.
■
"The Cordillera by Haley." Regional Writing. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
■
"The British Columbia Economic Accounts." BC GDP by Industry Chained Dollars 1997 - 2014.
Stats. Statistics Canada. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca/StatisticsBySubject/Economy/EconomicAccounts.aspx>.
■
"British Columbia's Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector 2012 Edition." - BC Stats British Columbia's
Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
■
2013 British Columbia Financial and Economic Review. Victoria B.C.?: Ministry of Finance, 2013.
Web.
■
"Employment by Major Industry Group, Seasonally Adjusted, by Province (monthly) (British
Columbia)." Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
■
Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canada's Emerging Identity. Don Mills, ON: Pearson, 2009. Print.
The Interior Plains
The Interior Plains sit in the middle of
Canada and stretch over most of the
prairies, and the Northwest Territories.
It’s extents are 70° 30'
23.6700'' north, 49° 1' 11.4924'‘
south, 120° 28' 33.8664‘ west, and
97° 8' 28.0068'‘ east.
Topography and
Vegetation
The interior plains are mostly flat, and made up of
sedimentary rock, formed by rivers depositing minerals
thousands of years ago, that fused together due to pressure.
Oil can only be formed and found in sedimentary rock. The
Interior Plains are made up of mostly grasslands, with short
grass and very few trees, and parklands, that has longer grass
and trees scattered around.
“The hillsides around Drumheller, Alberta, with layers of
sedimentary rock creating bands of colour”
Diagram of how Sedimentary
rock is formed
Native grasslands in southern
Saskatchewan
Place
Grasslands National Park is the only mixedgrass conservation site in all of Canada and a
great place to visit. As a guest you are able to
see the natural ecosystem, which include
many types of wild flowers and grasses, see
bison roaming and grazing, and see what the
land could have looked like before settlers
turned over the land. The park sits in
Mankato, Saskatchewan, above the state of
Montana, relatively close to the Canadian –
U.S border. Grasslands National Park’s
ecosystem is completely undisturbed, and
shows what the entirety of the Plains could
look like without human temperament. This
presents a unique opportunity to see and
experience a true Canadian landscape.
Location: 49° 7' 17.4900'' N
107° 26' 12.0336'' W
Settlement
Since the Interior Plains are mostly flat, it is one of the few regions of Canada
where the population is free, and able, to spread out as much as it wants.
Due to the landscape is there nothing preventing people from putting as
much distance between each other as they want. The only factor which
affects settlement patterns in the Plains is the climate. The further north one
goes, the colder it gets, making it unpleasant and more difficult to live it,
which makes people unwilling to move there.
The Interior Plains of Canada are mostly made up of
sedimentary rock, which is where a majority of natural
energy resources are found. One of the main industries
is energy which comes in the form of oils and natural
gases. The energy industry in the interior plains has
employed 155.8 thousand people, and has made over
92 billion dollars. However, the downside to this is the
negative affects this has on the landscape around
mining and quarry sights. Not only do roads have to be
built to transport any goods that are found, but open
Open pit mining in Canada’s oil
pit mining means a loss of ground water, soil erosion
sands
and destruction of the environment. As well, new
study’s say that the Alberta oil sand may have more
environmental risks, such as the release of gases
which add to air pollution.
Citations for the Interior Plains
■
Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canada's Emerging Identity. Don Mills, ON: Pearson, 2009. Print.
■
"Grasslands National Park: Introductions." Parks Canada. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
<http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/sk/grasslands/natcul/natcul1.aspx>.
■
Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasslands_National_Park>.
■
"Employment by Major Industry Group, Seasonally Adjusted, by Province (monthly) (British Columbia)."
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
■
"Environmental Health Risks of Alberta Oil Sands Likely Underestimated: Study." The Globe and Mail.
Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
■
“Highlights of Alberta Economy.” Alberta Government. Web. 11 Feb. 2016.
<https://www.albertacanada.com/files/albertacanada/SP-EH_highlightsABEconomyPresentation.pdf>.
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield is Canada’s largest
region, and wraps around Hudson’s Bay, and
covers most of Quebec, Ontario, Nunavut, and
some sections of Manitoba and Labrador. It’s
extents are 69° 55' 15.1428‘ north, 103° 51'
53.0856'‘ west, 44° 34' 15.2544‘ south, and
55° 39' 24.2568'‘ east.
The Canadian Shield is a rocky region, with bare, hard
rock, and wetlands. Mostly made up of metamorphic
rock, this region’s face was created largely by glacial
erosion, which smoothed it down, leaving kettle lakes
and a rough surface in its wake. Despite the bland
description of the land, the Canadian Shield is home to
many types of vegetation, such as pine, spruce, and
cedar trees from coniferous and mixed forests, and
shrubs, grasses and mosses from tundra’s up north.
Marsh habitat Presqu'ile Park, Ontario, Canada.
Topography and
Vegetation
Diagram of glacial erosion and
deposition
Movement
Despite being one of the biggest regions in
Canada, the Canadian Shield is not densely
populated. This is due to what makes up most
of the shield: hard, metamorphic rock. This rock,
which was created over time due to heat and
pressure, is what makes up much of the Shield,
and makes it hard to build pretty much anything.
One would need to blast the rock out to build
foundations, roads, wells, anything that needs
support from the bottom to hold it up. Many
settlements in the Shield are resource towns,
which pop up all around it, purely to extract one
thing, usually a mineral, but don’t become huge
cities.These settlements remain functional and
populated until the resource runs out, then
those whole lived their usually move, as there is
nothing to boost or keep the economy stable.
Since the Canadian Shield extends north,
another factor which limits population is the
cold, and the tundra’s that are present.
Resources
The Canadian Shield has many minerals, such
as copper, gold, diamond, lead, and nickel, in it,
and mining is a huge industry, though the
employment numbers are not too high; only
42.3 thousand, the GDP that the industry
brings in is much more impressive, at around
8,634 million. Getting to these precious
minerals and metals, however is difficult, and
usually requires open mining to take place,
destroying the natural landscape, and ruining
ecosystems. Open pit mining takes away large
amounts of soil and rock, and leads to soil
erosion, and ground water loss.
Noranda Copper Mines
Canada ranks fourth in the world in copper mining.
This operation is located at Murdochville, Québec
Kidd Creek mine,
Timmins, Ontario.
Place
Canada’s capital city resides in the Canadian shield,
and where better to visit that the place where all of
Canada’s important decisions are made. The
parliament buildings are located in downtown Ottawa,
by the Ottawa river, and are a very impressive sight.
Gathering over 3 million visitors annually, Parliament
Hill is a strong cultural symbol, which represents
Canada’s connection with Europe, as well as our
independence as a country. (Also since the roof is
made out of copper, it’s going to turn green as it
oxidized, which is pretty funky.)
Location of Parliament Hill:
45° 25' 24.9384'' N75°
42' 3.3444'' W
The East Block (left) and West Block
(beyond), with its Mackenzie Tower,
frame the south facade and Peace Tower
of the Centre Block
Citations for the Canadian Shield
■ Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canada's Emerging Identity. Don Mills, ON:
Pearson, 2009. Print.
■ "Employment by Major Industry Group, Seasonally Adjusted, by Province (monthly)
(Ontario)." Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
■ "Ontario Gross Domestic Product." Ontario Gross Domestic Product. Web. 17 Feb.
2016.
■ "Resource Towns." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
■ "Parliament Hill." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
The St. Lawrence Lowlands
The St. Lawrence Lowlands are in fact a
very tiny region in Canada, squished
between the Canadian Shield, the
Appalachians and the U.S border. Around it
are the great lakes, Huron, Erie and Ontario,
and it includes lower parts of Quebec and
Ontario. The regions extents are 46° 50'
8.7756'‘ north, 81° 42' 19.1592'' west,
43° 38' 2.7132'' south, and 76° 11'
24.6696'' east.
Topography and
Vegetation
The Lowlands are, as the name implies, low,
and was created by sheets of ice melting and
reforming over it during the ice age. This
process pushed soil from the Canadian
Shield and deposited it in the Lowlands and
receding lakes left bluffs throughout the
Lowlands. The soil in the Lowlands is very
fertile and the region is mainly mixed forests
and filled with cedar, hemlock, maple, and
birch trees and many more.
Diagram of how coastal erosion and
bluffs are formed
Mixed forest in the St. Lawrence Lowlands
Movement
The St. Lawrence Lowlands has the highest
population density in all of Canada and it is not a
mystery as to why. The region is fertile, the
landscape forgiving and easier to deal with than
most of Canada, and since the whole region is
very southern, the climate of the whole region is
very similar. With no physical or climate based
barriers, the St. Lawrence Lowlands seem like the
great place to live, and about half of the
Canadian population seem to agree with that.
Resources
The soil of the Lowlands is extremely fertile, which makes
agriculture and farming much easier than in other regions in
Canada. Primary agriculture employs 79.4 thousand people,
and creates 4,163 million dollars in GDP. Despite seeming
much less bad than other natural resources, farming actually
has a big effect on the land, and sometimes it’s negative. Not
only are the indigenous plants usually pulled out and killed,
but introduction of foreign plants and bugs can destroy and
change ecosystems forever. Pesticides result in the death of
bugs which are sometimes essential for other plants and
animals, and it takes away homes for many animals that used
to live in the area. As well, over time, soil loses it nutritionals,
and artificial fertilizers are needed, and it can take years for
soil to return to its natural state. Mining is also a big industry in
both Quebec and Ontario, and it stretches into the Lowlands
too. Mining employs 42.3 thousand people, and creates about
8.6 million dollars.
Area of the St. Lawrence
Lowlands
Farm in the Lowlands
Place to Visit
The Niagara Falls are a famous landmark,
not only in Canada but the world. The three
falls go along the U.S – Canadian border,
between Ontario and New York, and have
the highest flow rate of any water fall in the
world. These falls connect two great lakes
together, and were formed by a receding
glacier and water erosion. While the Falls
are a naturally formed landmark, it also
holds value economically, not only in
tourism, but in hydroelectric power.
Location of the Niagara Falls:
43.0799°N
79.0747°W
Citations for the St. Lawrence Lowlands
■ Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canada's Emerging Identity. Don Mills, ON:
Pearson, 2009. Print.
■ "Employment by Major Industry Group, Seasonally Adjusted, by Province (monthly)
(Ontario)." Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
■ "Ontario Gross Domestic Product." Ontario Gross Domestic Product. Web. 18 Feb.
2016.
■ "Niagara Falls." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 20 Feb. 2016.
The Appalachians
The Appalachian’s are the most
eastern region in Canada, going along
the south east side of the Canadian
shield, and out into some islands in
the Atlantic Ocean. The region’s
extents are 51° 31' 8.3928'‘ north to
43° 25' 58.7172” south, and 72° 16'
5.0376'' west to 52° 58' 33.8664'‘
east.
Topography and
Vegetation
The Appalachian Region is very bumpy, which
small mountains, rolling hills, highlands and
valleys and fjords along the coast. Coastal fjords
are formed by glaciers carving up the land and
These all come from an old mountain range
which were eroded down to leave the current
landscape. Sedimentary rock was pushed up to
form the rolling hills, which, again, were
smoothed down due to erosion. An old volcanic
range left also left ingenious and metamorphic
rock throughout the region. Most of this region is
filled with mixed forests, with a few coniferous
forests throughout, and in Newfoundland, open
woodland, with scattered trees and shrubs.
Illustration of how a fjord is
created
Prince Edward Island, Canada.
Movement
The Appalachian’s is quite a small region, so
wherever people do settle, there is not a lot of
space. While it is very hill-y it is easier to
spread out despite the hills than in a region
with many mountains, the limited space
creates the many issues that the most
region’s in Canada shares. And, since it is a
southern region, climate plays little to no
effect on where people settle, so the only
limiting factor for the Appalachian’s is the
physical size of the region, as oppose to
anything inside it.
Resources
The landscape of the Appalachians is more forgiving than other place
in Canada, and while it is not as fertile as the Lowlands, agriculture is
still a good natural industry, which employs about 3 thousand people
as of January 2016, a drop from the 3.2 thousand of December,
however it could be due to weather and climate changes. Agriculture
created about 299.7 million dollars in GDP, a 3.7% drop from 2013.
Farming pushing native plants out of where they live and can
introduce invasive species of bugs, animals and plants into their
habitats. As well, as one plants is grown in one spot for a long period
of time, the soil loses the nutrients that it has, which is why farmers
use crop rotation, and it can lead to soil erosion, and the decline of
bugs and animals which used to live, feed, or breed in the area where
a farm occupies. Fishing is also a big industry in the Appalachians as
most of the region is close to the ocean. Fishing and aquaculture
creates about 9,500 jobs, and accounts for over 350 million dollars
annually. Like with any other resource, over using it can lead to bad
things, and fishing is no different. Over fishing can lead to many
problems, such as creating missing gaps in food chains, and putting
entire fish species at risk.
PEI farm
Deep sea tuna fishing on PEI.
Place
Gros Morne national park is full of great
things to do as see. As a heritage site, the
park is full of history about the land and
how it was formed (plate tectonic). As well,
there are many other activities that the
park offers such as kayaking, hiking,
backpacking, and many museums about
the park. It is located on the West Coast
of Newfoundland, north east of Bonne
Bay.
Park is located 49° 39' 7.2540'' N
57° 45' 20.7288'' W
Interior of park
Citations for Appalachians
■ Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canada's Emerging Identity. Don Mills, ON:
Pearson, 2009. Print.
■
"Employment by Major Industry Group, Seasonally Adjusted, by Province (monthly)
(Prince Edward Island)." Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. Web. 21 Feb.
2016.
■ "The Physical Regions of Canada: The Appalachians." Horizons. 18. Web. 17 Feb.
2016.
■ "Gros Morne National Park." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
■ "Top Destinations: Gros Morne National Park." Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
â€
“Official Tourism Website. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
The Arctic
The Arctic Region is Canada’s northern
most region, as it sits above the Canadian
Shield, Cordillera, and Plains, and
stretches outwards into the Arctic Ocean.
It’s boundaries are a little confusing, but
it’s extents are 82° 59' 29.2236'‘ north,
67° 39' 18.7560‘ south, 133° 17'
10.0788'‘ west and 133° 17' 10.0788'‘
east.
Topography and
Vegetation
The Arctic region of Canada is diverse with
Lowlands, fold mountains and plains.
Mountains were formed due to pressure from
the Canadian Shield pushing up ranges of fold
mountains. Mostly tundra, this region’s
vegetation is very limited, mostly mosses and
shrubs close to the ground, as there is not
enough moisture, and too strong of winds, to
support larger plants.
Formation of fold mountains
A typical tundra landscape in Nunavut.
Movement
There are not many big
settlements in the Arctic as both
the climate and the topography
make it undesirable and difficult to
live in. Since it is very northern, it is
cold very often, and well into the
negatives during its coldest
mouths. The landscape also
doesn’t help, as it’s difficult to
grow food in many areas, and due
to mountains. However, melting ice
have revealed resources which
exist in the arctic; such as natural
gases, and since there is
sedimentary rock, possibly oil, and
has made them more assessable,
which could mean that in the
future, much like with the
Canadian shield, there may be
more resource based towns which
exist in the Artic, and a greater
population of people who live
there.
Resources
While the Arctic is full of resources, due to the
climate it is quite hard to reach them, however, for
the natural resources which we are able to reach
create quite a bit of cold hard cash. Quarrying and
mining – typically for diamonds and other metals,
but possible energy resources are expected to be
there too - created a GDP of about 439.2 million
in 2014, which grew from the 310.4 million which
was the GDP in 2010. However, despite these high
numbers, mining only accounts for about 2.4% of
employment. Mining and quarrying have a negative
affect on the land as, not only do roads have to be
built, but it causes soil erosion and ground water
loss, and it can take a very long time to the
environment to return to its natural state
afterwards.
Jericho Diamond Mine pit Nunavut Canada
Place
Baffin Island would an interesting visiting
place, since it is the largest island in
Canada, yet still quite small to the rest of it.
Baffin Island is part of Nunavut, above
Hudson’s Bay. The islands wildlife is quite
interesting and it features many iconic and
stereotypical Canadian animals, such as
caribou, arctic hares, foxes and polar bears.
The northern lights can be viewed from the
island and one is able to dogsled (what else
would you want in life besides 12 dogs….).
Baffin Island is probably the most Canadian
place in all of Canada, (Canada, dare I say
it, pre colonization), so it would definitely be
a very interesting trip.
Location of Baffin Island: 69°N 72°W
Polar bear on Baffin Island
Citations for the Arctic
■ Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canada's Emerging Identity. Don Mills, ON:
Pearson, 2009. Print.
■ "Mining the Land: The Resource Industry in Nunavut." TheIndependentca. Web. 20
Feb. 2016.
■ "Baffin Island, Nunavut, Iqaluit, Canada, Jobs, Maps, Photos, Weather." BAFFIN
ISLAND.CA. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
■ "Baffin Island." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
THE END
See ya later space cowboy