CANADA’S CORE REGION(Chapter 6)

Canada’s Population Distribution

(page 52)

Core

Physical Geography

• Vegetation– Mixed Broadleaf Deciduous

and Needleleaf Evergreen • Maple Significant

• Soils– Overwhelmingly Spodosols

• Biogeography– Historic haunt of the beaver

Introduction

• Relatively small size of Canada’s core, and lack of expansion

• Marked cultural division• Location as part of North America’s larger

core• Location far from center of the country• Importance of St. Lawrence River

– Lower Canada (Quebec)– Upper Canada (Ontario)– Production of staple products for export to

Europe

Aboriginal and European Aboriginal and European settlement patternssettlement patterns

• Dictated by fish, furs, and trade networks Dictated by fish, furs, and trade networks (Hurons, Iroquois, and later the French)(Hurons, Iroquois, and later the French)

• 1608: French settle in Quebec City on the St. 1608: French settle in Quebec City on the St. Lawrence (Champlain) – and found their ‘New Lawrence (Champlain) – and found their ‘New France’France’

• End of 1600s: French farms and small towns End of 1600s: French farms and small towns up and down the St. Lawrenceup and down the St. Lawrence

Britain steps inBritain steps in

• 1763 – New France 1763 – New France taken over by the taken over by the BritishBritish

• Loyalists from US (and Loyalists from US (and others from British others from British Isles) arriveIsles) arrive

• Quebec’s population Quebec’s population growth outpaces growth outpaces ‘Anglophone’ CN‘Anglophone’ CN

Canada’s National Core (page 113)

Canada’s Population Distribution

(page 52)

Core

Limits of Canada’s Core

Canadian Shield– Thin soils– Acidic soils– Poor drainage

Canadian Shield

Canada’sCore

Limits to Canada’s Core

• Climate– Length of growing season– Moderating effect of Great Lakes in core– Low temperatures, degree days (cumulative

number of degrees over 42° F/5.5° C)

• Strong trade ties to Europe

Environmental Limits to Canada’s Core

(page 115)

Cultural Divisions

• Core’s constituent provinces (southern parts)– Quebec– Ontario

• Similarities between the provinces– Located on access routes from Europe to Canadian interior– Urban commercial centers– Rural-to-urban migration– Restrictive environmental base– Ties to the United States

• Trade• Subsidiary ownership

Cultural Dualism: French

• Early farmer settlers in St. Lawrence valley• Quebec and Montreal as trading centers• Trappers and traders in Ohio–Mississippi–Great

Lakes • Strong cultural base at time of British conquest

(1763)• Status today:

– Language laws in Quebec– Federal bilingualism (both French and English as

official languages)– Threats of Quebec to secede

Cultural Dualism: British

• 1780s: Immigration of British Loyalists after American Revolution:– Maritime Provinces– Upper Canada (Ontario)

• Additional British, American settlers• Ontario: Anglo Canadian culture hearth

Today’s Quebec economiesToday’s Quebec economies• Primary production in Primary production in

some areas (farming, some areas (farming, fishing, mining, fishing, mining, logging) still important logging) still important ––

• But urban-industrial But urban-industrial development development dominates (largest dominates (largest cities = Montreal and cities = Montreal and Quebec City)Quebec City)

Quebec -- Ile d'Orleans dairy farm

Languages in Ontario and Quebec, 2001

(page 118)

Canadian Confederation

• British North America Act, 1867– Upper Canada as Ontario—Anglo Canadian hearth– Lower Canada as Quebec—French Canadian hearth– New Brunswick– Nova Scotia

• Federal system:– Provinces (or states) under central authority but retain

certain powers– Accommodates regional differences (English vs. French)– Today: 10 provinces, 3 territories– Capital (Ottawa) on boundary between French-speaking

Quebec and English-speaking Ontario

Ottawa

Overview - QuebecOverview - Quebec

• An ‘island’ set apart An ‘island’ set apart politically, culturally, politically, culturally, and economicallyand economically

• Dominance of French Dominance of French language and Catholic language and Catholic religion for centuriesreligion for centuries

• Unique landscapes Unique landscapes

A political/cultural region?A political/cultural region?

• Quebec is the only region defined by its Quebec is the only region defined by its political status and cultural boundariespolitical status and cultural boundaries

• French Canadians also live in other parts of French Canadians also live in other parts of Canada (esp. New Brunswick and in St. Canada (esp. New Brunswick and in St. Boniface – Winnipeg, Man.)Boniface – Winnipeg, Man.)

• Only about 1/4Only about 1/4thth of the total population of of the total population of Canada are ‘Francophones’Canada are ‘Francophones’

Figure 7-3

L’hiver (Winter)

Rural Landscapes: French

• Rang survey system:– Grants of seigneuries (blocks of land)– Farmstead on river bank– Roture (lot) extending back, measured in arpents (192

feet)– Advantages:

• Access to main transport line (river)• Inclusion of land of all types (swamp to upland)

• French out-migration– United States (northern New England)– Cities– Edges of Canadian Shield

Figure 7-7

Agriculture in French Canada• Hay and Dairying

–Milk, Butter, and Cheese

• Truck Gardening

• Poultry

• Hogs

• Tobacco

• Apple Orchards

• Sugar Beets

• Maple Sugar and Honey

Figure 7-8

Forest Industries• Key Locations

– Eastern Townships– Gaspe Peninsula

– Appalachian Uplands– Northern New Brunswick• Manufacturing Activities

– Sawmill– Pulp Mill

– Wood-processing Plants

The French rang system is still visible in the rural landscape in Quebec. (page 121)

Figure 7-6

Urban French Canada:The Montreal-Quebec City Axis

• Quebec City– Political Center and Tourism

• Trois Rivieres– Pulp and Paper plus Other

Industries• Montreal

– Now #2 for All of Canada• Eastern Townships

– Variety of Industries

Rural Landscapes: British

• Square or rectangular survey system• Individual homesteads• Land use:

– Wheat (early 1800s)– Mixed farming (raising grain to feed livestock)– Dairying– Specialty crops

• Tobacco (middle Lake Erie shore)• Fruit (Niagara Peninsula)

Cities and Industries: Quebec

• Montreal– Site advantages in colonial period

• Defensible island at junction of Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers

• Rapids in St. Lawrence (break-in-bulk point)• Northern end of Hudson–Lake Champlain lowland

– 19th century situation• On railroad from Portland, Maine, to Toronto• Links to New York via Hudson–Lake Champlain lowland• French workers, British financiers

• Quebec City: Less bicultural

MontrealMontreal

• One of Canada’s largest and most One of Canada’s largest and most cosmopolitan citiescosmopolitan cities

• Began on an island in the riverBegan on an island in the river• Today’s urban landscapes?Today’s urban landscapes?• Problems: businesses moving out, imposing Problems: businesses moving out, imposing

French language on non-Francophone French language on non-Francophone enterprises, etc.enterprises, etc.

• Solutions? Underground city, huge portSolutions? Underground city, huge port

Montreal

About Quebec CityAbout Quebec City

• Earliest French placeEarliest French place• Heart of French Heart of French

Canadian identity and Canadian identity and cultureculture

• Landscapes: cliffs, river Landscapes: cliffs, river terraces, and historic terraces, and historic buildingsbuildings

• Cobbled streets, walls, Cobbled streets, walls, forts, and the Citadel forts, and the Citadel (‘Upper Town’)(‘Upper Town’)

• ‘‘Lower Town’ – Lower Town’ – commercial commercial development, river development, river connectionsconnections

Quebec City, original wall around the city View of Quebec City, 1759.

Cities and Industries: Toronto, Ontario

• Location– On Lake Ontario– Good harbor– Head of Toronto Passage (lowland route to Georgian Bay

in Lake Huron)– Early capital of Upper Canada– Construction of roads, later railroads– Large, productive hinterland

• Relations with United States– Early growth along Atlantic seaboard: Montreal’s

advantage– Growth along Great Lakes: Toronto’s advantage

Toronto

Southern Ontario Urban Pattern

• “Golden Horseshoe”– Toronto and hinterland– Oshawa (east of Toronto)–Hamilton (western end of Lake

Ontario)–Niagara Falls– Hamilton’s iron and steel industry

• Iron from Lake Superior, through Welland Canal, now from Labrador

• Coal from Appalachia, by rail to Buffalo– St. Catharines: Hydropower from Niagara Falls

• Southwestern Ontario– Near United States– Local mineral resources

• Cities in between: Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Brantford, London

The Core and the Rest of Canada

• Changes in advantages and disadvantages of cities’ locations

• Roles of core– Culture hearth– Political focus– Center of economic structure

• Space economy: Links to other regions– Transportation via Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system,

reinforced by road, rail, and air– U.S. investment in Canada

Quebec

Canada = Canada = both both Anglophones and Anglophones and FrancophonesFrancophones

Figure 7-2

Today’s ‘U.S. and Canada’ Today’s ‘U.S. and Canada’ in the 1820sin the 1820s

Figure 7-4