Chapter Three – Canada’s
People
Canada is one of the world’s largest countries
(second to Russia)
but its population is relatively small.
Many geographical factors have influenced where Canadians chose to live
in the past and today.
Canada’s Human
Landscape
Population
Distribution – Population distribution describes where people have chosen
to live in a particular country. Some
may want to live near an ocean, others in an agricultural area, or in a
forested area. Some geographers refer to
a Canada’s
population distribution as an archipelago effect (group of islands). These islands of population are spread over a
distance of 7200 km from east to west (see figure 3.2 on page 41).
Population Density - Population
density is a tool used by geographers to analyze how closely people live
together in a particular area.
Population density is defined as the average number if people occupying
an area. It is calculated by dividing the
number of people living in an area by the size of that area. Canada’s population density, based
on a population of 31 million is approximately 3.1 people per square kilometer.
(see figure 3.3 on page 42)
Site and Situation – When
studying the location and growth of towns and cities, geographers divide
factors that determine the location of human settlement into two categories:
1. Site factors are the features of the physical
landscape, such as fertile soil, abundant trees, plentiful fish or the presence
of minerals.
2. Situation factor involve a site’s
relationship to other places. The
relationship may be economic or political. (See figure 3.4 0n page 43)
Settlement Patterns
Most of Canada’s population patterns are a
result of the interaction of history and culture with the physical
landscape. When contact was established
between Europeans and First Nations, the Atlantic
Provinces had long established settlement patterns (Fredericton, Woodstock and Saint John). Long term contact with Europeans almost
always led to relocation of First Nations. Many First Nations were displaced
from the favorable lands and thus were forced onto lands set aside by the
government for their use (reserves).
The Europeans who settled in
Atlantic Canada formed in fertile areas such as Prince
Edward Island or the Annapolis
Valley region of Nova Scotia.
Because there were relatively few areas suited to farming, many settlers
turned to the sea to make a living a pattern of coastal fishing communities
developed, ranging from small out ports to major fishing towns. Settlers in New France (Quebec) wanted to be close to rivers, which
provided the major means of transport.
The seigneurial system of landholding used in France led to a settlement pattern
of long narrow lots facing rivers. In Ontario, the British
settlers used the familiar township system of settlement. This settlement pattern consisted of square
blocks 100 acres each. On the Prairies, the
land was also divided on a grid like Ontario,
only each lot was 640 acres. This helped
the Prairies develop as a significant agricultural area. Canada’s
north had no significant settlement until the discovery of gold in 1858 (Fraser River)
and 1896 (Klondike). In British
Columbia, most European settlers followed the
development of the resources of the area, coastal forests and fertile plains
Describing Aboriginal Peoples
Aboriginal Peoples – The
Constitution Act, 1892, recognized the First Nations, Inuit and Métis as Canada’s
Aboriginal peoples. This term should
only be used when referring to all three groups.
Inuit – The Inuit are the
Aboriginal people of Arctic Canada. They
live primarily in Nunavut, Northwest
Territories and northern parts of Labrador and Quebec.
The word Inuit means “the people” in the Inuit language.
Métis – Métis are the people of
First Nations and European ancestry, or of Inuit and European ancestry.
First Nations- Whenever possible,
it is proper to use the specific name of people to whom you are referring
(Innu, Micmac etc). The term First
Nations should be used when referring to more than one group. The term Indian may have come from
Christopher Columbus’s mistaken belief that he was in India on his way to China. Status Indians are people who are included on
the government’s Indian Register, and thus are entitled to certain rights and
benefits. Non – status Indians consider
themselves as members of the First Nation but are not recognized by the
government.
Growth and Decline of Settlements
Growth
Canada was primarily an
agricultural country at the time of Confederation in 1867. The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Lowlands region
was the largest agricultural area in Canada in the mid 1800’s because of
the fertile soil and the favourable climate.
The geography of Atlantic Canada did not promote an agricultural
economy. Thus Atlantic Canada developed
fishing, lumbering and shipbuilding industries.
This promoted the growth of port cities, such as St.
John’s, Halifax and Saint John as well as any
smaller coastal settlements.
The settlement patterns of the west
coast were similar to that of central and eastern Canada. The rugged coast and mountains promoted
fishing and lumbering as major industries.
Farming was limited to small pockets of fertile land in valleys and
river deltas. Vancouver,
situated on a large delta, became the major port on the west coast and grew to
be Canada’s
third largest city. Most of Canada’s large cities (Montreal,
Toronto, and Hamilton)
developed in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence
Lowlands region because of site and situation factors. Early settlements began to provide services
to the farmers in the area, such as markets where farmers could sell their
products. The transportation available
in this area, canals, roads and railways, encouraged greater agricultural
growth. As the farmers grew more prosperous,
the towns grew into cities that were able to supply the consumer with goods and
manufactured products.
Classifying Communities
The growth or decline of communities
over the years has led to a system of classification. Each Canadian province is experiencing
change, some at a slow rate and others more quickly. One of the ways that communities are
classified is on the basis of what services they provide. Villages
provide services limited to a few variety stores, a gas station, a postal outlet
and perhaps an elementary school.
Villagers will travel to the nearest town to go to high school, to the hospital, department stores,
shopping centers etc. The services
supplied by cities include
universities, specialized medial treatment, financial institutions, government
offices and specialty stores and services.
This level of service requires a large population base. The higher the level of service and the more
specialized the service, the larger the population must be to support it. Corridors often spread out from major
cities. Corridors include a variety of services, shopping centers,
warehousing and housing developments.
These usually develop along highways.
Corridors have expanded to the point that they connect with cities,
creating one long area of urban development (for example the Halifax Regional
Municipality was once
divided into corridors which grew to meet the city).
Decline
According to the
1881 census, approximately three out of four Canadians lived in rural settlements. Rural areas are often agricultural and are
located outside of towns and cities.
During the 1800’s, most Canadians made their living in a primary
industry such as agriculture, forestry, fishing or mining. During the next several decades, Canada underwent
an industrial revolution. Market towns and cities, particularly in
southern Ontario and southern Quebec, became
industrial as well as service centers.
Railway, coal and steel development aided this growing change. The changing economic conditions brought more
and more people to urban areas,
where the new jobs existed. In Canada, urban
areas are defined as towns or cities with a population of 1000 or more. It is also defined as an area with a
population density of a least 400 people per square kilometer. Rural to urban drift is the term used to
track the movement of people into the urban areas. Rural to urban drift happens within provinces
and also from region to region. In 1939,
during the outbreak of World War Two, slightly over half of Canada’s population lived in urban
areas. Sine that time, the rate of
urbanization has increased. The changing
economy has created a vastly different landscape in many communities. People are forced to abandon their farms in
order to seek work in the urban centers.
In some areas, fishing and mining communities have disappeared, or have
become what are known as ghost towns. As
the population of such an area declines, so do the services offered. Many small communities have to fight to
maintain services such as postal outlets, schools and medical services.
Assignment – Research
Megacities or Farmers
Helping Farmers
Please read the article on
Megacities on page 49 of Canadian
Identity. Once you have discovered
what some of the problems these urban centers struggle with, chose one megacity
to concentrate on and research the particulars of that region. Value:
/25 (five points per factor
discussed on page 49) The second option
for this assignment is for you to research the Farmers Helping Farmers
organization and prepare an information sharing report for the class (see page
50 of Canadian Identity).
Canada: A Regional
Perspective
In order to investigate and
understand the geographical influences of Canada, geographers have identified
regions of our country. This is a useful
way to discuss the role played by natural and human resources on the prosperity
across Canada. There are many variations on the
characteristics of regions, however geographers agree on the following four
categories:
1. Location
– Communities within a region
share a geographic location, such as Atlantic
Provinces.
2. Physical
and cultural characteristics –Regions have clearly defined physical and
cultural characteristics, such as the geography of
The
Prairies is different from that of the Canadian Shield.
3. Political
perspective – Geographic and political boundaries are not the same. For example, Atlantic Canada shares
similar
Geographical factors with New England
states, yet they have vastly different political procedures.
4. Hierarchy
– Regions contain smaller regions within them. These regions can be divided for study
purposes. An easy example to
Follow for hierarchy would be how the Department of Tourism divides New Brunswick ( coastal, Acadian, Mirimichi etc.).
Introduction to Canada’s
Regions
Geographers have developed different
ways to categorize regions in Canada. Canada can also be divided along
political lines. There are five accepted
regions that help categorize Canada. They are:
Atlantic Canada,
Central Canada, The Prairies, British
Columbia, and The North. Please see figure 3.12 on page 52 of Canadian
Identity.
This chart explains clearly, the physical and political aspects of
each region.
The Core and the Periphery
Interaction among the five regions is
a key factor in investigating the growth and prosperity of Canada. The concept of core and periphery is a tool
that geographers use to understand the relationship the relationship between
regions. Each regions of Canada is
influenced by the relationship it has with other regions. The core is the nucleus of a geographic
region. This core contains the regions
most developed area, greatest wealth and highest population density. The periphery is all the areas outside the
core. It is also sometimes referred to
as the hinterland.
Over half of Canada’s population is concentrated in southern Ontario and southern Quebec.
The clustering of cities in this area is important because most
manufacturing take place in the cities of the core. The periphery supplies raw materials to the
core, and provides a market for its manufactured products and services. These two areas have a spiral growth pattern. As more businesses are attracted to the core,
more people settle there, this in turn attracts even more people. Over time, the Windsor
– Quebec City corridor became the center of Canada’s
financial services and the hub of its transportation systems. This area has a large population and thus
sends more Members to Parliament in Ottawa. This gives it more political power to
influence key decisions.
Regional Identities
Physical and
cultural differences have influenced the development of regional identities
that have much in common but are also unique.
Canadians identify themselves at different times with their country,
their region, their province or their community. Cultural and historical legacies influence
these identities. Many regional
identities are associated with local industries. The timber trade of the 1800’s in northern New Brunswick, Quebec and
Ontario
promoted images of the logger or lumberjack.
When we think lumberjack, we think of the plaid jacket and a toque.
Modern lumber industries use this image as part of their product
representation. The same holds true for
the fishermen of Atlantic Canada, the miners of the west and the cowboys of the
Prairies. Most Canadians embrace these
regional identities and are pleased to honour the history at local festivals
and for tourist attractions. Regional
stereotypes have evolved from negative references to something people can be
proud of and use to attract tourists (Loyalist City,
Calgary Stampede, Highland games).