Western Canada Flashcards
What kind of climate does Western Canada have?
Continental climate, which includes:
- Low annual precipitation
- Extreme temperature fluctuation
- Dry air masses
- Far enough away from the oceans, combined with a massive mountain range which blocks a lot of moisture from reaching the region
What is Evapotranspiration, and why is it important?
Evapotranspiration is the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil + other surfaces, and transpiration from plants.
It’s a crucial way for scientists to measure drought, which is extremely important for an agricultural region
What was this region known as before confederation?
It belonged to the HBC, and was part of “Rupert’s Land”
Settlers of the region were known as the “Red River Colony”, who had to live amongst First Nations
When did agriculture start developing in the region?
1870-1914
Who was the leader of the Métis, and founder of Manitoba? What did he do?
Louis Riel
He led resistance movements against the Canadian government to preserve their rights, culture, and homeland, which were greatly under pressure from settler influence.
He was eventually defeated and captured in a battle, found guilty of treason, and hanged. This was after several resistances that he led against the government.
How did the agriculture industry change throughout time?
- A shift from hands-on labour to machinery
- Farmers began needing more land to make a profit by the 1920s. From only needing a quarter-section for profit, to needing a half-section for profit.
- The loss and upscaling of the iconic “grain elevator”. Economies of scale pushed out these elevators and replaced them with massive ones that had substantially larger capacities.
- The railroad has always remained important for Western Canada.
What percentage of farms closed down between 1971 and 2006 in Alberta?
21%
What percentage of farms closed in Saskatchewan between 1971 and 2006?
42%
What percentage of farms closed in Manitoba between 1971 and 2006
45% (highest of any province)
What percentage of farms closed in Western Canada between 1971-2006?
35%
Where does Western Canada rank in GDP contribution as a region?
2nd
Where does Western Rank in population size as a region?
3rd
Which province is Western Canada set to overtake in population in near future?
Québec
Which three countries/international regions does Western Canada mainly trade with?
USA
Pacific Rim
European Union
What was Western Canada’s population in 2016?
6.7 Million (18% of the country)
How many Indigenous people lived in Western Canada in 2016?
Just over 500,000
What causes a water deficit?
When evapotranspiration is greater than the annual average precipitation
What percentage of Canada’s GDP does Western Canada produce?
24.8%
What percentage of Canada’s land does Western Canada make up?
20%
What are the four physiographic regions of Western Canada?
Interior Plains
Canadian Shield
Hudson Bay Lowlands
Cordillera
What are the four leading mineral resources?
Oil
Gas
Coal
Potash
What’s the most vulnerable area in the region for drought?
Palliser’s Triangle/ Dry Belt
What three environmental challenges does bitumen extraction create?
Emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere
Scarred industrial landscapes from open-pit mining
Seperating oil from bitumen uses a ton of water (from the Athabasaca River), plus heat. Toxic waste is created and drained into huge tailing ponds
How much toxic water is produced each day by Alberta’s oil sands industry?
1.8 billion litres
What are the agricultural regions of Western Canada?
Dry Belt
Fertile Belt
Agricultural Fringe
Who acquired land form the HBC in 1810 to accommodate Scottish settlers?
Lord Selkirk; near Fort Garry
Who inhabited Western Canada during the 19th century?
Métis and Plains people
Who was the leader of the Métis, which mounted the Red River Rebellion of 1869?
Louis Riel
What four important “nation-forming” goals were accomplished goals with the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway?
- A coast to coast transportation link for Canada
- The securing of the Red River Valley
- Opportunity for people to settle in the Canadian Prairies
- Ability to ship grain-products to the world’s major grain market in Great Britain and Europe.
What are the three major oil sands areas of Western Canada?
Cold Lake, Athabasca Oil Sands, and Peace River
What is the name of the reserves where gas-related waste is pumped into?
Tailing Ponds
What are the trends in primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors in Western Canada from 2005-2016?
Small decrease in Primary (People being replaced by machines)
Extremely tiny decrease of Secondary sector of workers
Slight increase in tertiary sector of workers
What kind of soil makes up Western Canada’s rich agricultural land base?
Chernozemic
Describe the 1st phase of Agricultural Transition for Western Canada
Liberalization of international trade market with USA. Loosened trading barriers with the US and other countries creates more of a global demand for the industry
The disappearance of The Crow Benefit in 1995, which was a subsidy for shipping rates. Ensured that the rail costs for grains were very low, and allowed Western Canada to thrive despite the long distances of transport
The end of the NAFTA agreement, which has now been replaced with the CUSMA agreement. Our future relationship with the US is hard to predict
Describe the 2nd phase of Agricultural Transition for Western Canada
Triggered by higher prices for grain, canola, and meat. Influenced by the growth of China’s growing middle class.
Increased global demand for biofuel crops and more specialized grains. Think of vans that run on Canola Oil/Vegetable Oil. People turning away from carbon emissions
How big could the industrialized area of Western Canada’s oil sands become?
As big as England!
