Lecture 6: Ontario Flashcards
Why did Ontario become a “have not province”?
The 2008 global recession
What were the two options that Drummond and Burton proposed for Ontario in 2008 when it was at a “fork in the road”?
- Remain in auto manufacturing industry and experience slow growth
- Reinvent itself leading to economy driven by high technology
Since Drummond and Burleton’s 2008 report, did Ontario regain its footing? Did it follow dominance curve or wither curve?
Yes, it followed the regain dominance curve rather than the wither curve
What are the two environmental challenges that Ontario faces?
- Air pollution
- Water pollution
Where does most of Ontario’s air pollution come from? How can this stop?
Vehicle exhaust - when Canadians’ love affair with the automobile ends, which is difficult because of the vast physical geography and urban sprawl
How is Ontario doing in terms of electric car sales?
Far behind BC and Quebec, not likely to increase due to Ontario removing consumer subsidy
What is helping Ontario’s air pollution?
Switch from coal power, smog no longer a big issue (Toronto had none in 2014)
Where is polluted drinking water most common in Ontario?
Indigenous communities
Who funds drinking water in Indigenous communities?
80% federal gov, 20% band council (indigenous) - however band councils often do not have financial resources or expertise (they are responsible for building and maintaining it)
Why did the automobile industry fall in Ontario?
Developping countries taking over with lower wages - especially Mexico joining NAFTA
What is keeping the auto industry alive in Ontario?
Robotic technology and government support
When did automobile production jobs peak in Ontario?
1999 and 2000
How many automobile assembly plants are there in Southern Ontario?
8
How did Mexico joining NAFTA impact the autombobile industry? How does the new USCMA try to mitigate it?
Wages in Mexico are much lower. The USCMA now contains an agreement saying that Mexico auto manufacturers must pay US$16/h to their workers it only applies to 30% of manufacturing in 2023, then 40%
What are the consequences of rising housing prices? (3 consequences)
Demise of suburbia, reduced family sizes, homelessness
Where is the Welland Canal?
Connects Lake Erie and Lake Ontario
What is the point of the Welland Canal?
So ships can pass through and avoid Niagara falls
How was the original Welland canal built?
By hand
How many times was the Welland Canal reconstructed to accomodate bigger boats?
3 times, 4 canals
Where is Ontario’s economy evolving towards?
Knowledge based sector
Why will Ontario likely remain anchored as the centre of Canada’s economy (4 reasons)?
- large population (39%)
- median personal income above national median
- greatest cluster of cities, universities, and tech/research centres
- central location within NA with several high-volume border crossings into the USA
What 3 physiological regions are found in Ontario?
- Hudson Bay Lowlands
- Canadian Shield
- Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Lowlands
How much land mass and population does Northern Ontario occupy?
80% land mass, 6% population
How did the most variable topgraphy in Ontario, Niagara escarpment form?
Resistant rock remained while weaker rock eroded away
What air masses impact the temperature in Ontario in the summer and winter
Summer = hot and humid masses originating in Southeast US and Gulf of Mexico
Winter = cold air masses that originate from prairies and north
Where are snowbelts found?
Downwind of lakes (in winter it is often from northwest)
How is lake effect snow formed?
Cold air moving over relatively warm water
What lakes do London, Kitchener, and Windsor get lake effect snow from?
London and Kitchener from Lake Huron, Windor from Lake Michigan
What part of Ontario received a lot of lake effect clouds?
Southern Ontario → Toronto particularly
How does ice impact lake effect clouds and snow?
Ice formation on lakes diminish the effects
What causes thunderstorms and tornadoes in Southern Ontario?
When warm, moist air comes from Gulf of Mexico and interacts with cooler lake breezes
What does Ontario mean in Iroquois?
Beautiful lakes
How are the largest body of fresh water in the world (combination of great lakes) connected?
Through straits (referred to as rivers)
Who is responsible for management and care of Great Lakes?
Shared by US and Canada
What are the biggest and smallest lakes by volume?
Superior and Erie
What does the Welland Canal do?
Allows ships to bypass Niagara Falls
What connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean?
St. Lawrence Seaway
What is Eutrophication? (will be on exam)
The addition of phosphates into lakes from fertilizers and chemicals that run off from agricultural lands)
What are two invasive species are found in Great Lakes
Sea lamprey and goby
When did the provincial government close the last coal power plant in Ontario? What replaced them?
2014 → Natural gas, nuclear plants, and renewable enerygy
How many wind turbines in Ontario and how much of the electricity demand do they power?
2500 → 8%
Where are the best spots for wind turbines?
Flat landscapes that are relatively close to lake shorelines → too much wooded area north of Toronto
How was Detroit named?
French words de étroit → the straight
Who founded the first settlelment in
Ontario?
The French, petit coté (renamed Windsor)
When did British Loyalists come from US to Southern Ontario?
Lake 1700s