Chapter 8 - Western Canada

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Chapter 8 - Western Canada
City of Saskatoon South Saskatchewan River

• Physiographic Regions
• Historical Determinants of Western Regionalism
• Population and Economy (Rural restructuring)
• Centralist/Decentralist Western Alienation
• NEP 1980
• Kyoto
• Quebec

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Physiographic Regions

• A more densely-populated
• agricultural/industrial core
• on Interior Plains
• Northern Forested
• hinterland on Canadian Shield

Chinese Centre - Calgary
Riding Mountain, Manitoba
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• Western Provinces Physiographic Regions composed
  of
• Northern Boreal Forest underlain with Podzolic
  Soils
• Interior Plains with 2 Natural Vegetation Zones
• - Parkland transition zone with black
  Chernozemic soils
• - Grassland with dark brown, brown
  Chernozemic soils
• - from Brandon to Saskatoon to Edmonton
• - Tall Grassland the Fertile Belt
• - closer to US border, higher
  evaporation,
• Short Grassland- the Dry Belt

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Precipitation is an obvious determinant of
regional characteristics
Note the dry Pallisers Triangle in South
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Prairie Water Shortages

• Pallisers Triangle had no net flow even in the
  mid 20th century all its water comes from the
  Rockies but Albertas pop. industry increasing
  7x Canadas 6 /an.
• Athabaska Saskatchewan Glaciers both receded
  1.5km (1933-1993)
• Bow Glacier receded 50
• Saskatchewan River flow at 20 of 1910 flow
• Since 1998, continuous drought in S. Prairies
  (lake levels down 1-1.5m below norm incr.
  salinity)
• Expansion of croplands in AB 6x (ie. Forests lt6x)
  farmers wells going dry phosphorus input incr
  2x to compensate for crops
• Cattle ranchers in AB avg. 3000ha tremendous
  manure spreading, Lethbridge cattle capital is
  driest place. Total P release 500,000 tonnes/an
  (Chambers et al 2001)
• Tar Sands production 1M barrels /day and goals is
  3M barrels/day. It takes 6 barrels H20 per barrel
  oil produced
• Wetlands sponge over Tar Sands being removed
  daily
• Lake Winnipeg (size of Lake Erie, but drainage
  basin 12x larger

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The mixing of Air Masses also determines regional
characteristics
Many factors impact on the Primary Sector
Agriculture
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Drainage determines agricultural potential
Drainage flows northward and eastward from the
Foothills toward Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico
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Prairie agriculture has developed crops adapted
for short season, high yields
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Historical Overview

• Prior to 1869, the inhabitants of the Interior
  Plains were primarily Indians and Métis.
• Pop. of Red River Colony 12,000 (1867)
• Rebellion of 1869 Ottawa negotiated guaranteed
  ownership of land, recognition of French,
  permission for RC schools
• BY 1870s buffalo practically extinct Indians
  forced to sign numbered treaties to acquire
  reservations, cash gratuities, annual payments in
  perpetuity, promise of education and agricultural
  assistance.
• Before the arrival of CPR (1885) all freight to
  Manitoba had to go by ferry through Fargo, ND
  even to Toronto
• The Iron Civilizer brought 1) settlers 2)
  transportation
• Farmers settled no more than 15km from railway
• In 1910 Marquis Wheat strain developed with short
  maturation period
• Until WWI, wheat prices low, machinery expensive
  farmers developed United Grain Growers co-ops
  and the Wheat Pool
• Alberta and Saskatchewan join Canada 1905 but did
  not have control over own resources as ON, QC,
  NB, NS did (beginning of western alienation

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Conversion of Class1 2 lands to urban and
to continuous cropping as opposed to
fallow farming (I.e. strip farming leaving
alternate strips In grass led to dependency on
fertilizer for high yield crops.
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Present agricultural practices have reduced or
ceased fallow farming methods that retained and
augmented natural soil fertility This has
increased the necessity of Fertlizer use
(quantity and types)
To this, has been added the development of, and
dependency on oil and its challenges for
agriculture ie. Less human resources, greater
dependency on technology, call to urban areas,
increased transportation costs and dependency
on trucks
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A Prairie winter in the foothills - notice the
lack of snow in February
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The growth of Prairie irrigation from necessity
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Prairie farmers open to change that benefits
them. The Depression 1920-30s saw wheat prices
drop, drought, locusts, topsoil blown in the
wind. Feds repeal Crow and fixed wheat prices
lost trust in Ottawa/eastern Canada. Adopting
GMOs, fallow farming and pulse that rejuvenate
soil nutrients.
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Alberta lumber now supplies BC after shortfall
caused by overharvesting
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The northern part of Alberta, Saskatchewan and
Manitoba have considerable forests (both Boreal
coniferous and Mixed hardwood) and
these Provinces are substantial suppliers of
lumber and forestry products. They seek
value added from forestry practice by
manufacturing products made from wood themselves
instead of exporting so that others make the
products which must then be bought back at
higher costs
Although settlement came initially through
agriculture, the economy of the Interior Plains
has greatly diversified. Logging accounts for 13
of Canadas total timber harvest.
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Millar-Western A Unique Approach to Resource
Management

• By end 1980s most Aspen forests AB, SK, MB land
  long-term leased to 5 pulp paper companies
  (incl. Japanese firms)
• Local AB firm est. lease with SK Norsask to build
  pulp mill with internal process releasing no
  toxics to rivers/lakes.
• Norsask (owned by Meadow Lake Tribal Council
  employees of local sawmill) guarantee to supply
  logs

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The Prairie Provinces have developed a mix of
economic activities so essential for long- term
survival
Alberta coal exports highest in Canada (4th
in world) Saskatchewan exports Potash (worlds
largest) and Uranium Manitoba mines and
exports zinc/copper from Flin Flon and nickel
from Thompson
SK and MB have achieved economies of scale
by restructuring, mass production hog raising
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Canadas Constitution assigns provincial
responsibility for resources management
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Western Canada has 70 of oil reserves at 30B
(1996)
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National Energy Program

• 1980s
• Trudeau attempted to achieve
• energy security
• greater Cdn ownership of oil
• gr. wealth from oil revenues

Diefenbaker created dual market for
oil Western market of western oil from Vancouver
to Toronto Eastern Market from Ottawa to Halifax
(oil from Mid East Venezuela) (purpose was
to expand market for western oil in the
National interest)
But, it cost 10-15 more than foreign oil refined
Montreal
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• After 1970s embargos, Ottawa saw NEP (1980-84) as
  less dependency on foreign oil Ottawa would
  have greater share of oil profits
• Alberta saw larger, expanded domestic market
• AB/SK/BC objected seeing this as means of keeping
  oil cheaper for East/Central Canada
• Quebec saw its foreign-based market drop
  considerably
• Western alienation also spawned by its need for
  Social programs were introduced by west for
  benefit of all
• Social programs are sole provincial
  responsibility, but Ottawa provides the funding
  Employment Insurance, Pension Plan (CPP) as well
  as Transfer Payments (Equalization Payments) and
  Block Cash Transfers for health and
  post-secondary education that allows ALL
  provinces to provide similar public social
  services
• Healthcare, shorter work week obtained through
  efforts of Social
• Credit, a Party governing AB debt-free
  income-tax free 1935-1971 encouraging local
  ownership hospitals, schools, utilities

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Perhaps the solution is blowing in the wind
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Sources of Western Alienation

• 1920s social reforms needed leading to formation
  of Progressive Party to become Progressive
  Conservatives
• 1930s economic collapse drought led to
  formation of the Co-Operative Comonwealth
  Federation (CCF) in Calgary under J.S.Woodsworth.
  During WWII, divided between western pacifists
  and pro-war. In 1945, T.C. Douglas leads to 28
  federal CCF MPs (14.5 of national vote)

During Cold War, changed image by merging with
CLC (Cdn Labour Congress) under David Lewis to
become NDP.
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British Engineer, Major C.H. Douglas, taught
that economic hardships resulted from an
inefficient capitalist economy which failed to
provide people with sufficient purchasing power
to enjoy the fruits of a well-developed
production. The distribution of money, or
social credit, would allow people to purchase
the goods and services produced by capitalist
enterprise. The party grew under Albertas
Aberhart (56 of 63 Prov. Seats and 17 Fed. Seats
in 1935) and later Ernest C. Manning who won 9
successive prov. elections until 1971. From
1952-1975, BC elected Socred Governments under
W.A.C. W.R. Bennett And Bill Vanderzalm in 1986.
In Quebec, the party led by Réal Caouette
formed the Creditistes until 1980. It ran in
Alberta until 1993.
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• In 1985, westerners created the Reform Party to
  promote federal and centralist reforms, such as
  an elected and equal senate to give the west more
  influence in Ottawa.
• In 2000, reform became the Alliance Party to
  entice unity with the PCs gaining 66 of 88
  western federal seats and form the official
  Opposition.
• Alberta alone paid 145B more than it received
  from Ottawa (1961-88), yet QC received 50 of
  Fed. Transfer Payments and Western Canada 15
• Constitution accords QC 75 MPs irregardless of
  relative population.
• Railway, National Policy, NEP, Kyoto all
  contribute to feelings of under-valuing West in
  Canada

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Prairie unemployment is lowest in the nation
Winnipeg has declined in economic importance, but
Calgary-Edmonton is rising
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Western Economic Growth

• Saskatchewan has diversified into the high
  technology sector and is expanding since the
  1990s and is advertising for people with such
  skills to come to an area with high salaries and
  low housing costs.
• Saskatchewan has been offering very low house
  prices for decades to encourage retirees to
  settle there.

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Tourism potential unlimited
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Banff, Kananaskis Stoney First Nation
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Canmore example of developing retirement resort
regions
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Alberta - worlds largest dinosaur discovery
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Tar Sands largest oil reserve known
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Manitoba becomes Polar Bear Capital
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Four Canadian cities among top 10 cities in world
- 2005
West Edmonton Mall Wave Pool
Westerners are proud of their accomplishments in
a challenging environment Oil has been a great
source of revenue for diversification from
agricultural roots.