Geography 162 Chapter 10: Atlantic Canada

annual precipitation in atlantic canada

- abundant, averaging around 100cm in the maritimes and 140cm in newfoundland, but this gradually diminishes further north in labrador - much precipitation comes from nor'easters - the maritimes and newfoundland especially have foggy weather; thick, cool fog forms in the chilled air above the labrador current when it mixes with warm, moisture-laden air from the gulf of mexico. with onshore winds these banks of fog move far inland, but the coastal communities experience the greatest number of foggy days - most precipitation falls in the winter

the atlantic ocean and atlantic canada's climate

- along the narrow coastal zone, it is strongly influenced by it - the summer temperatures of coastal settlements along the shores of newfoundland are markedly cooled by the cold water of the labrador current - in the spring and summer, fog and mis result when the warm waters of the north-east gulf stream mixed with the cold, southerly flowing labrador current

muskrat falls

- an environmental challenge in atlantic canada - hydro projects have involved the flooding of indigenous lands and the decaying of submerged vegetation that produces methylmercury, which works its way through the food chain and can lead to high levels of mercury in fish and other wildlife - this is well documented in scientific literature and etched into indigenous memories, but is lost to project leaders of the ongoing muskrat falls hydro development in labrador -- but the consumers of wildlife have not forgotten - the inuit and the innu have the courts on the side for this project even though they were not part of the conversation of the churchill falls project that took place prior to the establishment of legal rights to indigenous lands - the same issues arose in 2016; only protests by labrador indigenous peoples caught the premier's attention when they occupied the site and blocked access to the workers, demanding the clearing of all vegetation and the removal of soil before the first phase of flooding - an agreement was struck that this ^ would be monitored by an independent expert advisory committee made up of provincial, federal, municipal and indigenous groups - stripping the land clean greatly reduces the chances of vegetative material decomposing and producing methylmercury

sydney tar ponds

- an environmental challenge in atlantic canada - in 1998, ottawa and halifax began the cleanup project of the remnants of the iron and steel industry at sydney - $400 million (70% federal govt) - completed in 2012; the old industrial area now consists of a 39-hectare green area that features several sports fields, walking trails, art installations, a playground, and panels chronicling the plant's troubled history - the toxic wastes were buried 2m below the surface -- will it remain stable or will it seep into the environment? - long-term monitoring and maintenance were built into the project for this reason

loss of the northern codfish

- an environmental challenge in atlantic canada - the habitat of cod covers a large area - these huge stocks collapsed under the onslaught of the international industrial fishing industry, which employed a more advanced fishing tech and a strategy of processing the cod on factory ships - tragedy of the commons; public control by fisheries and oceans canada was unable to exert its power beyond canada's maritime border - cod stocks and inshore fishers who had fished cod for centuries lost their ways, and coastal communities were abandoned - the resource cycle in an unregulated environment likely caused this: what begins as a rich resource leads to overexploitation and the collapse of the resource

the mining industry in atlantic canada

- atlantic canada is endowed with world-class mineral deposits - the canadian shield in labrador has rich deposits of iron ore and nickel - in 2011, with high commodity prices, the value of mineral production reached $6.8 billion - by 2014, however, lower commodity prices saw this figure drop to $3.8 billion as prices on the two leading minerals, nickel and iron, fell by over 50% and many mines had to close

1992 moratorium on cod fishing in atlantic canada

- because cod stocks were failing - by then, the foreign fishing vessels had left because their chances of catching sufficient cod had diminished - 25 years later inshore fishers observed signs of a recovery but officials were not convinced and recommended a continuation of the "controlled catch" which involved quotas for only a few fishers that hardly amount to sustainable livelihoods for communities

the founding of halifax and the mi'kmaq

- between 1725 and 1779, the mi'kmaq signed a series of peace and friendship treaties with great britain, but events turned against them and the acadians with the founding of halifax in 1749 - the explusion of acadians in 1755 from nova scotia, and in 1758 from cape breton island and PEI eliminated the mi'kmaq's ally and deteriorated their relations with the british - british rangers were unleashed to harass the natives, destroy their villages and drive them far beyond the british settlements - after the british defeated the french, the 1763 treaty of paris ceded all french territories in NA to the british except for the islands of saint-pierre and miquelon near the southern coast of newfoundland - with its superb harbour for ships of the british navy, halifax became known as the "warden of the north"

new dawn agreement 2011

- between the innu nation and the newfoundland and labrador govt - compensation to the innu for the flooding of hunting grounds that occurred when the churchill falls hydroelectric project was built in the early 70s - established the parameters in regard to claim area and compensation for an eventual agreement with ottawa

atlantic canada at the beginning of the 18th century

- british possessions contained few people and were little more than names on a map - the french colony of acadia and their allies, the mi'kmaq, were the most numerous inhabitants of the maritimes, french and english settlers occupied cooastal settlements in newfoundland with the beothuk still occuping the interior

air masses and atlantic canada's climate

- causes the weather of atlantic canada to be quite varied because of the frequent meeting of continental and marine air masses - continental air masses from the northwest bring warm weather in the summer and cold weather in the winter - the clash of cold arctic air with warmer, humid air from the south results in winter storms - in summer, occasional incursions of hot, humid air from the gulf of mexico occur, but the dominant weather is cool, cloudy and rainy - in the winter, influxes of moist atlantic air produce relatively mild snowy weather except in labrador, where it can become extremely cold for extended periods - the main air masses affecting the region originate in the interior of NA and from the gulf of mexico and the north atlantic ocean

atlantic canada today

- contains a natural beauty and captivating cultural roots that continue to foster a quality of life for atlantic canadians - newfoundland and labrador have fallen on hard times; it also occupies a different space, economy, and culture from the maritimes, but the muskrat falls hydroelectric project might bind them closer together - major projects have closed or slowed production across the region - small scale and lack of concentration of its resources - low levels of professional services and education result from the high taxes from low incomes - the prospect for strong economic growth remains elusive until oil and ore prices rebound to former levels - tourism is benefitting from the low canadian dollar while shellfish fishing and shipbuilding remain the key pillars - 3 opportunities exist

technical spearheads of atlantic canada

- employ advanced tech - shipbuilding and hydroelectric projects - rapid growth of ocean tech, fuelled in part by the strong growth of the offshore oil and gas industry; the giant oil and gas companies are providing the capital and 2 provinces receive substantial royalties - the federal govt's need for ships resulted in the huge federal govt contract to irving shipbuilding in halifax

acadians in the maritimes

- established a strong presence in the 17th century maritimes with settlements and forts - most lived in the annapolis valley, tilling the soil - others farmed on PEI - until the mid-1700s, the british made little effort to colonize their lands, leaving them - the mi'kmaq remained close to them, but as british power took hold they became strangers in their own land - by 1750, french-speaking acadians numbered over 12,000 - these french settlements were united by culture, language and a common economy -- became known as acadia - in the coming decade, the british deported them to various english colonies in NA and back to europe

port royal

- european settlement in atlantic canada was concentrated in the maritimes - in 1605, a handful of french settlers established the first permanent european settlement in NA north of florida, on the bay of fundy coast and near the mouth of the annapolis river of present-day nova scotia

seafood export industry in nova scotia

- expanding much more than in the other provinces - fresh lobster are exported to china in growing numbers, providing a boost to maritime fishers - chinese companies are also entering the nova scotia fish business - by 2013, nova scotia firms were exporting fresh lobster by air to china, whose demand is driven by restaurants, the rapidly growing chinese middle class, and atlantic canada's competitive price and high quality of lobster

atlantic canada's resource wealth

- for over a decade, atlantic canada put its stock in energy and mineral development - in 2016, this decision looks less promising, and petroleum and minerals could drop while fisheries improve - the sharp drop in prices for oil and iron brought to an end the boom conditions of earlier years while the rise in fish prices did the opposite - the global economy has its boom-and-bust cycle for prices so both those industries are expected to see boom times again - agriculture and forestry trail far behind in value in output and number of workers

halifax

- founded in 1749 - largest city in atlantic canada, the capital of nova scotia - pop. of nearly 418,000 in 2015 and large market - strategic location allows it to play a major role on the atlantic coast as a naval shipbuilding centre and international container port - deep, ice-free harbour ideally suited for large ships - distant from major markets in NA, relird on transferring goods between ships, trains, and trucks; its economic strength rests on its defence and port functions, its service function for smaller cities and towns in nova scotia, and its role as a provincial administrative centre - small manufacturing base and growing service sector, small but growing high-tech industry - 2013 shipbuilding contract is expected to stimulate its economy and result in a surge in pop. - magnificent harbour that attracted the british because the high hill overlooking the harbour offered the perfect location for a fortress to defend the new town and naval base (halifax citadel = now a national historic site)

smaller pop. growth in the smaller centres of atlantic canada

- from 2001-2011, the pattern of smaller growth in the centres with a pop. under 50,000 is confirmed by 10/11 of these cities having a pop. increase below 6% - the exception was labrador city, who jumped because it was undergoing an expansion of its iron mining operation - centres losing pop. were led by cape breton

the hibernia drilling site and platform

- has an annual output of about 30 million barrels based on an average price of $80/barrel, but the price of oil fluctuates widely - annual value of production is $2.4 billion - the project is located 315km east of st john's on the grand banks - to tap the estimated 615 million barrels of oil from the hibernia deposit, an offshore stationary platform was built by about 4000 workers - it can withstand the pounding storms of the north atlantic and crushing blows from huge icebergs as a massive concrete and steel construction that sits on the ocean floor, with 16 "teeth" in its exterior wall designed to absorb the impact of icebergs - 111m high, largest gravity base structure of its kind in the world - houses pumping equipment and living quarters for about 185 offshore workers, as well as a storage facility for the oil - since the platform, the province of newfoundland and labrador has joined the ranks of other oil-producing provinces and with a new agreement with ottawa in 2006, it received all of the oil revenues

atlantic canada's population

- has increased at a rate well below the national average since confederation - 2015: 2.4 million people 6.6% of canada in 5.4% of canada's area - 5/6 in terms of pop. size, providing a measure of its importance within confederation - annual growth rate of less than 1% that is predicted to continue into the future - internal differences in pop. growth also persist: from 1996-2015 the region's pop. increased in the maritimes but decreased in newfoundland and labrador - economic growth is difficult so large pop. increases are not possible - regional pop. distribution falls into 6 clusters around the principle cities: halifax, st. john's, saint john, moncton, fredericton, charlottetown -- account for nearly 1.1 million people and comprise 46% of atlantic canada's pop.

the atlantic ocean and atlantic canada

- has shaped every aspect of it from the early days of the fishery to the golden age of wooden ships and through two world wars, to the economic dream of an atlantic gateway to europe - the undeniable connection to the sea has marked the region and its people - sharp interface between land and sea demonstrates why fishing was a way of life, but outports are a dying breed because of the closure of the cod fishery in 2003; they no longer have an economic base so many families abandoned tiny fishing communities, plus a lot of them have older pops.

atlantic canada within canada

- history and the geographic fact that this region lies far from the places of economic and political power in canada defines it and separates it from the other regions - older part of canada whose prime resources have been consumed already, so it is a slow-growing region - the region first exploited and then settled by europeans - fractured geography limits economic growth, leads to high unemployment levels, and encourages out-migration - the weak sister of canada's regions, but sparks of rejuvenation are emerging in its major cities and it has received a second chance with the discovery of offshore oil and gas deposits, a huge shipbuilding contract with ottawa, a trade agreement with the EU, and the possibility of hydropower from labrador reaching the maritimes - 4 provinces - smallest pop. and weakest economy except for the territorial north - newfoundland and labrador is a "have" province while the others are "have not"s and receive equalization payments - subpar economic performance relative to the rest of canada - 2015 lowest GDP in canada except for the territorial north - highest unemployment rate in 2015

atlantic climate zone in atlantic canada

- includes the maritimes and the island of newfoundland - for most of the year, this more southerly area is influence by warm, moist air masses that originate in tropical waters - in the winter months the arctic storm track dominates weather conditions - coastal areas can be affected by tropical storms in the late summer and fall

harvesting atlantic canada's natural wealth in the 19th century

- increased - exploited its natural resources: the cod off the newfoundland coast and the virgin forests in the maritimes - became heavily involved in transatlantic trade - the availability of timber and the region's favourable seaside location provided the ideal conditions for shipbuilding; by 1840, NS and NB entered the golden age of sail, becoming the leading ship-building centres in the british empire - after the american civil war, new england industrialized, leading to greater trade with the maritimes - britain's move to free trade in 1849 meant the loss of atlantic canada's protected markets for its primary products, resulting in even greater interest by maritime firms in the american market - just before confederation, the end of the reciprocity treaty cut off access to new england, their natural trading partner, resulting in the deterioration of their economic position

agriculture in atlantic canada

- limited by the physical geography - arable land constitutes less than 5% of the maritimes and is scarcer in newfoundland and labrador, making up less than 0.1% of its territory (just over 6000 ha) - significantly contributes to the economy - 2014 value was about $1.7 billion with NB, NS, and PEI providing 98% of this figure - specialty crops, especially potatoes and apples, account for much of the value - nearly 400,000 ha in cropland and pasture, with almost all of it concentrated in 3 areas - in all 3 areas, dairy cattle graze on pasture land

the oil fields in atlantic canada

- located 300m east of st john's in water ranging from 80-120m deep and extending another 2500-4000m below the seabed - generated construction booms by creating a high demand for workers and a variety of products and services - once operational, though, employment dropped sharply and the number of permanent workers required for the production is fairly small

the canadian shield in atlantic canada

- located in labrador - the most prominent feature is the uplifted and glaciated torngat mountains - this portion was subjected to a mountain building process called orogeny, in which the rocks were folded and faulted some 750 million years ago - more recently these mountains were covered with glaciers, and as they slowly moved down slope, they carved the mountain features and eventually reached the sea, where they created a fjorded coastline

the appalachian uplands in atlantic canada

- located in the maritimes and the island of newfoundland - represent the worn-down remnants of an ancient mountain chain - have been subjected to erosional forces for 500 million years - streams have cut deeply into the cape breton highlands, resulting in rugged, hilly terrain

equalization payments in atlantic canada

- long benefitted from them - the funds come from the federal govt out of its general tax revenues - only recently has newfoundland and labrador broken from the pattern of dependency as a consequence of its offshore oil royalties, but lower oil prices may force it back into the "have not" category - $3.7 billion in 2015-16 - unless some spectacular event takes place of the magnitude of the discovery of vast offshore oil deposits, the maritimes is destined to remain dependent

annapolis valley

- low-lying area in nova scotia - at its western and eastern edges the land is at sea level, but it rises to about 35m in the centre - surrounded by a rugged, rocky upland that reaches heights of 200m and more - the fertile sandy soils originate from marine deposits that settled there about 13,000 years ago after glacial ice retreated; seawaters flooded the land, depositing marine sediments that consisted of minute sand and clay particles. isostatic rebound then caused the land to lift and slowly these lowlands emerged from the sea - in the 17th century it attracted early french settlers who built structures to protect parts of this farmland from the high tides of the bay of fundy and minas basin - today, its stone-free, well-drained soils and its gently rolling landforms provide the best agricultural lands in nova scotia; 105,000 ha and nearly 1/4 of atlantic canada's farmland - the site of fruit orchards and market gardens, but vineyards are starting to replace the apple orchards for which the valley is famous; local wineries are now common - its close proximity to halifa has encouraged vegetable gardening

atlantic canada's economic anchor: the fishing industry

- nature has given the region a vast continental shelf that provides an excellent physical environment for fish: the warm ocean currents from the gulf of mexico and the cold labrador current create ideal conditions for fish reproduction and growth -- it extends almost 400km offshore - each provinces relies on it - value reached $2.4 billion in 2014

fishing in newfoundland

- no longer rely on cod but on crab and shrimp - cod landings are a minuscule fraction of past catches - fewer fishing licences are allotted for crab compared to the old days when newfoundlanders focused on cod, so the fishery is concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, which has led to the demise of many coastal fishing villages

weather in atlantic canada

- no part of atlantic canada is more than 200km from the atlantic ocean or the gulf of st lawrence, so moderate, marine-type weather predominates - weather is generally unsettled - has a strongly continental aspect that is coupled with the cold labrador current to create a more arctic-like climate - storms are common, especially in the fall when hurricanes reach the maritimes - tropical storms usually lose their punch by the time they reach nova scotia, but sometimes this is not the case - summers are cool and wet, while winters are short and mild but often associated with heavy snow and rainfall - temperature differences between inland and coastal locations are striking: temperatures are warmer in the winter near the coast than at inland locations, while during the summer, coastal areas are usually several degrees cooler

weather in st. john's

- occupies are more southerly location than victoria, BC but it has a cooler climate because of its very cold offshore waters - ice-free port - a winter pack ice lies offshore, and in the spring, icebergs carved from the greenland ice sheet are common off the coast; tourist viewing of them is a popular attraction but they pose a threat to vessels and shipping when near the shore and harbour entrances - fog, overcast skies, frequent storms and rain - salty smell in the air all year - mild temperatures, heavy winter snowfalls from strong northwest winds - does not escape tropical storms

the petroleum industry in atlantic canada

- offshore oil production is found only in newfoundland and labrador - natural gas generates far less revenue, and production takes place offshore of nova scotia and is declining -- the hoped-for oil deposits off of nova scotia have failed to materialize and its limited gas production comes from two projects -- estimated value of $156 million in 2014, going mainly to new england markets via a series of pipelines - the oil and gas deposits were identified in the late 20th century, but the high cost and tech challenges delayed full-scale exploitation - the deposits consist of a light sweet crude and are situated in sedimentary basins near the grand banks

the muskrat falls and gull island hydroelectric projects

- on the lower churchill river - represent either the megaproject of the 21st century or a major white elephant - 2 power stations that would produce a lot of electricity, muskrat and gull island - the market is distant except for electricity that would go to newfoundland; the logical transmission line to them runs through québec -- while more costly and risky, a political decision was made to follow an all-atlantic canada route, with the attraction being unification of the electrical power system for atlantic canada and exports to new england, as well as the bypassing of québec for newfoundland and labrador - revenue will go 40% to newfoundland and labrador, 40% to other maritime provinces and the US, and 20% to nova scotia - 2 undersea cables involved - from nova scotia, the power will move through high-voltage transmission lines to new brunswick and then to new england - work began in 2012, estimate cost of $7.4 billion which 4 years later ballooned to $11.4 billion

1999 marshall decision

- opened the door for a share of the commercial fishery between the mi'kmaq and settlers by acknowledging the treaty right of mi'kmaq fishers to make a moderate livelihood from the commercial fishery - mi'kmaq fishers are active in lobster fishing in the maritimes and the crews are busy throughout the year - met by conflict between mi'kmawq and non-native communities, but facilitated further development of local co-operation in fishery management - in 2015, about 1700 indigenous workers and fishers were involved in the indigenous commercial fishery in atlantic canada

emera inc. and the muskrat falls and gull island projects

- part of the deal is that the undersea cable between newfoundland and nova scotia is to be provided by them, a publicly traded nova scotia energy transmission firm - $1.6 billion cost to the company - this link will be completed in 2017 while the muskrat falls project will be fully online by 2020 - emera is granted 20% of the power generation for the next 35 years at the cost of providing the link

celtic immigrants to atlantic canada

- settlers came because of the scottish highland clearances and the irish famine - helped define the dominantly scottish character of cape breton and the irish character of saint john - their cultural impacts still resonate, and people of scottish descent are still the largest ethnic group in nova scotia (new scotland)

peggy's cove

- small rural community on the eastern shore of nova scotia - remains an active fishing village and tourist destination

causes of overexploitation of the northern codfish

- tech advantages that permit larger and larger catches until the resource is exhausted: as fishing tech advanced, catches of cod jumped up hugely per year ex: the use of bottom draggers by the canadian and foreign fishing fleets -- cost efficient, but scraping the seafloor for fish is environmentally disastrous because trawlers create enormous waste from "non-commercial" fish (the bycatch) by discarding them -- they also destroy fragile ocean-floor ecosystems, including reefs and breeding habitat -- local inshore fishers did not employ this tech but rather a simple hook-and-line system, gillnets, and traps, but even though they did not overfish they suffered the most as their communities and way of life disappeared - innacurate govt fish stock assessment as well as increasing oil prices also contributed

the decline in atlantic canada's forest industry

- the best days for it are long gone - contracting due to diminishing demand and low prices in the US., declining demand for newprint, rising electricity costs (which constitute a large portion of operating costs in pulp and paper), and the expiration of the canada-US lumber agreement in 2016 - linked to the collapse of the US housing market - all forest operations have suffered - pulp and paper mills have been hit hard, with numerous closing in recent years, but some mills that produce a quality product with newer tech continue to operate

atlantic canada's historical geography

- the first part of NA to be discovered by europeans; in 1497, john cabot reached the rocky shores (the exact location is disputed) - yet, newfoundland and labrador, the first stretch of NA's atlantic coastline explored by europeans, was one of the last areas to be settled and formally colonized - french colonies found root in the maritimes, where the land and climate were more favourable for agriculture, early in the 17th century - cabot's report of the abundance of groundfish in the waters off newfoundland lured european fishers (english, french and basque) to make the voyage across the atlantic to these rich fishing grounds, though some had possibly been fishing these waters at an earlier date - the newfoundland coast quickly became a popular area for european fishers and though landings on shore took place for drying the fish and establishing temporary habitation during the fishing season, permanent settlements were slow to take hold - this pattern of migratory fishing dominated the newfoundland fishery for 300 years until political circumstances changed in europe and NA - the french presence in the newfoundland fishery was particularly strong

PEI and agriculture

- the leading agricultural area in atlantic canada, with almost half of the arable land in the region (155,000 ha) - most of its arable land is devoted to potatoes, hay and pasture, with the principle cash crop being potatoes - leading potato province of canada, responsible for almost 1/3 of canadian production; since the 1980s most potato growers have had contracts with the island's major potato processing plants

voisey's bay and indigenous land settlements

- the mining development sparked a renewed interest in comprehensive land claim settlements - at the time the proposed development was taking form in 2003, neither indigenous group in labrador had reached such an agreement, so inco negotiated IBAs with the labrador inuit and innu, allowing the project to proceed before comprehensive land claim agreements were reached - the IBAs included employment opportunities provided that the indigenous workers had a basic command of english necessary for the workplace and at least a high school education -- relatively few qualified - by 2005, the labrador inuit and the federal govt signed the comprehensive land claim agreement that created the inuit govt of nunatsiavut - by 2016, the innu had not yet reached a similar agreement

confederation and atlantic canada

- the provinces joined canada at different times for different reasons - NS and NB entered at the time of confederation, PEI in 1873, and newfoundland rejected the proposal and did not join until 1949 - central canada was now the main market for maritime goods, so to offset the disadvantage of geography, the intercolonial was completed in 1876, linking the maritimes with central canada -- operated and subsidized by the federal govt, freight rates were kept low to promote trade, and ottawa paid the annual deficits -- even so, manufacturing in the maritimes declined, except for the production of steel rails as the CPR led to increasing railway construction and the need for steel in the early 20th century, accelerating economic growth - in 1919, the maritime economy suffered a deadly blow when federal subsidies for freight rates were eliminated; immediate access to the national market became more difficult, and, with the loss of sales, many firms had to lay off workers, while others were forced to shut down - even before this, the maritimes economy was unable to absorb its entire workforce, leading many to migrate to industrial areas -- from then on, out-migration was a fact of life in the maritimes

atlantic canada's industrial structure

- the region's economic future lies in its tertiary sector, especially high-tech industries, including those that focus on ocean tech and shipbuilding - 2016: primary sector 4.9%, secondary sector 15.6%, and tertiary sector 79.5% - has experienced the same trends with percentage decreases in the primary and secondary sectors and an increase in the tertiary sector, but the total number of workers has increased only slightly - high rate of unemployment at 10% compared to the national average of 6%

atlantic canada's core

- the region's pop. has grown at a very low rate over time, much of which has taken place in its major cities - this trend shows no sign of changing - people are leaving rural atlantic canada at the same time - over the last 20 years st john's and newfoundland and labrador recorded the greatest change in concentration for 2 reasons - at that same time, halifax saw its percentage of the province increase - within new brunswick, moncton and saint john shifted positions but they too saw their percentage of the province increase, with moncton now the largest city -- together they comprise 36.3% of the province's pop. - a fractured geography applies to the region's urban geography - least urbanized region of canada besides the territorial north, with just over half of its pop. living in urban centres - this indicates how much more urban growth or rural decline in canada's regions is likely - has none of canada's largest cities (halifax = 12th)

shipbuilding at halifax

- under the national shipbuilding procurement strategy, irving's halifax shipyard is building the royal canadian navy's future fleet, beginning with arctic offshore patrol vessels - irving shipbuilding has received a $25 billion federal contract to build 21 combat ships for the canadian navy over 30 years - to undertake this massive project, the company built the halifax shipyard facility, the largest shipyard in north america, to construct and accommodate the future fleet - the federal contract is triggering a series of complementary economic activities designed to create a world-class shipbuilding industry in halifax - irving has already issued 200+ contracts to canadian companies worth $1 billion+ and the maintenance contract at the shipyard will extend over 30-50 years - this massive defence spending is expensive and slow-moving

private timberlands in atlantic canada

- unlike the rest of canada, where forest land is usually crown land, the proportion of private timberlands to crown lands in the maritimes is extremely high - private timberlands make up 92% of the commerical forest in PEI, 70% in nova scotia and 50% in new brunswick, but only 2% in newfoundland and labrador - the rate of logging on private lands is very high, sometimes exceeding the annual allowable cut estimated by the province, often taking place on farms where timber sales are an important source of income

nickel mining in atlantic canada

- voisey's bay nickel deposit discovered in 1993, lies along the coast of labrador - in 1996 inco acquired the rights to the property and then sold it nearly a decade later to vale, a giant brazilian-owned mining company - at its ovoid site, mining operations are employing an open-pit system, while the more expensive underground mining will take place at 2 other deposits - since the ovoid deposit lies close to the surface and is only a short distance from open water, this mine is one of the lowest-cost nickel mines in the world - consists of 32 million tonnes of relatively rich ore bodies - a concentrator reduces the ore into 3 parts: nickel, copper, and waste ore - the copper is sent to europe while the nickel goes to long harbour in newfoundland for final refining

problems with the muskrat falls and gull island projects

1. a lack of nalcor experience and that of its principle italian contractor on such a large project in a cold environment 2. a project too large for the energy needs of the province's demand and falling energy prices 3. a gross underestimate of the cost to begin with 4. local protests in 2016 costed hundreds of millions of dollars and delayed the partial flooding of the reservoir and muskrat falls, a necessity to protect the infrastructure before winter

two steps of newfoundland joining confederation

1. a rejection 2. 80 years later, an acceptance from a referendum

4 reasons for atlantic canada's poor economic performance

1. a small and dispersed pop. limits prospects for internal economic growth 2. distance from national and global markets stifles its manufacturing base 3. fractured geography and 4 distinct political jurisdictions discourage an integrated economy 4. the natural resource base is restricted and some resources, such as cod, coal, and timber, were exploited in the past and have lost their importance

4 areas of economic impact on PEI from the confederation bridge

1. increased tourism 2. a real estate boom 3. expanded potato production and potato-based processed foods 4. greater export of time-sensitive and high-priced seafood - these economic gains help to account for the province's increased pop.

3 specific markets for PEI's potatoes

1. seed, sold to commercial potato growers and home gardeners to produce next year's crop 2. table potatoes, to retail and food service sectors 3. processing, manufactured into french fries, potato chips, and other processed potato products

2 events that caused newfoundland and labrador's out-migration over the last 20 years

1. the collapse of the inshore fishery, which resulted in the demise of small coastal communities and the relocation of those residents to larger cities 2. the economic oil boom that drew workers to fort mcmurray

3 opportunities that exist for atlantic canada today

1. the discovery and exploitation of offshore oil and gas deposits - began the process of rejuvenating newfoundland and labrador's economy because they are located 200-300km east of newfoundland beneath the seafloor of the grand banks so the province gets the economic stimulus and royalties - similar prospects in nova scotia failed and only minor deposits of natural gas have been exploited there 2. a huge nickel deposit at voisey's bay, labrador, and the hydrometallurgy processing of nickel concentrate into nickel at the long harbour facility near st john - started production in 2014, representing a value-added component rarely associated with resource development in this region 3. canada's largest oil refinery, an ocean location, and the proposed energy east pipeline

4 trends suggesting a more positive future for atlantic canada

1. the shellfish fishery is profitable 2. a large federal shipbuilding contract represents a long-term investment 3. the recently improved trade agreement with the EU bodes well for a surge in trans-atlantic canadianer traffic 4. the global price cycle, now at a bottom point, will no doubt return to higher prices for oil and minerals produced in atlantic canada

the saint john river valley

120,000 ha of arable land in new brunswick, making up 1/3 of atlantic canada's farmland

referendums of newfoundland joining confederation

FIRST: 1948, newfoundlanders faced 3 choices: continuance of the commission of govt for 5 years, joining canada, and a return to responsible govt - independent newfoundland won SECOND: commission of govt was dropped and voters face two choices, with 52.3% voting for joining canada

differences between fishing in newfoundland/labrador and the maritime provinces

FISHING GROUNDS: newfoundlanders traditionally have fished in the waters of the grand banks, in the inshore fishery around newfoundland, and along the shore of labrador; maritimers ply more southern waters along georges bank and smaller banks just off shore of PEI and nova scotia -- fishing for the highly valued lobster takes place in shallow waters with the most productive area found near yarmouth nova scotia NATURE AND VALUE OF THE CATCH: shellfish, lead by lobster, crab, and shrimp, made up 88% of the total value - lobster is the most valued species, accounting for 40% of the catch by value - newfoundlanders focus on queen crab and shrimp

3 main agricultural areas of atlantic canada

PEI, the saint john river valley in new brunswick, and the annapolis valley in nova scotia

subarctic and arctic climate zone in atlantic canada

SUBARCTIC: exists over the interior of labrador, with much warmer summer temperatures than its forested coastal areas - boreal forest ARCTIC: tundra vegetation as the summers are too cool for tree growth - north of 55 degrees labrador - an arctic storm track funnels extremely cold and stormy weather along the labrador coast - the labrador current affects this area

hydrometallurgy

a process that produces nickel, copper, and cobalt directly from ore, thus avoiding the smelting process and eliminating environmentally unfriendly sulphur dioxide and dust emissions

gulf stream

a warm ocean current paralleling the NA coast that flows from the gulf of mexico towards newfoundland - northeast-flowing

the big commute

air travel by newfoundland trades workers to and from the alberta oil sands, on a cycle such as 20/14 days in alberta, a 16-hour flight, then and 8/6 days back at home - the attraction was steady, high-paying jobs that started above $100,000 a year, not including overtime - oil sands companies paid for their air travel from st john's to fort mcmurray, and once there they were fed and housed at company expense - it is believed that they have brought hundreds of millions of dollars for newfoundland and labrador, a hidden economic boost that has kept some communities viable but at the same time dependent on the fortunes of the industry - hidden costs to families, social structure, and individual lives and values also occurred - the end began with the economic downturn in the oil industry in 2014 - two years later, the numbers of commuters had greatly dwindled, and those still working had often taken pay cuts or were paying their own airfare on commercial flights to reach their work - many newfoundlanders who had relocated to fort mcmurray also lost their homes in the 2016 wildfire

nalcor energy

an energy crown corporation created by the newfoundland and labrador govt in 2007

banks

areas where the continental shelf is raised and the water is relatively shallow - at least a dozen on atlantic canada's contienental shelf

3 climatic zones in atlantic canada

atlantic, subarctic, arctic - because of its great north-south extent

beothuk

before the arrival of fishing boats from europe, they hunted and fished on the island of newfoundland and probably spoke an algonquian language - relations with settlers and fishers often resulted in conflicts, which confined them to the inland - with access to coastal resources cut off and under attack by settlers, they struggled to survive in the resource-poor in the interior - in 1829, the last of them died

labrador current

cold ocean current flowing south in the north atlantic from greenland and labrador - brings icebergs from greenland to the labrador and newfoundland coastlines and its cold waters contribute to the formation of land-fast ice along the coastlines, as far south as the grand bank - by july, labrador waters are ice-free

1985 ocean ranger accident

during the exploratory phase of newfoundland offshore development, a huge mobile drilling rig went down in a violent storm - 84 workers died with no survivors

groundfish

fish that live on or near the bottom of the sea ex: cod, grey sole, flounder, redfish, turbot, halibut

the american revolution and atlantic canada

following victory by the american colonies, approximately 40,000 loyalists made their way to nova scotia and new brunswick where they occupied the fertile lands of the recently departed acadians and the prime hunting lands and fishing areas of the mi'kmaq

scottish highland clearances

forced displacements of poor tenant farmers in the scottish highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries - migration ensued - most who came to canada, perhaps 100,000, settled in nova scotia - part of a process of change of estate land use from small farm leases to large-scale sheep herding

1713 treaty of utrecht

france surrendered acadia to the british, however, many french-speaking settlers remained in this newly won british territory, which was renamed nova scotia

CMAs in atlantic canada

halifax, st john's, moncton, saint john (highest-lowest) - separated from each other by great distances - halifax = economic capital of the maritimes - st john's = economic capital of newfoundland and labrador, focused on offshore oil, the fishing industry, and govt services, and is a centre for arctic marine research and resupply - moncton = fastest growing city, "gateway" to nova scotia and PEI, large francophone pop. so also a "gateway" to the acadian french area of new brunswick - saint john = energy hub - 38% of atlantic canada's pop. - the pop. growth of these 4 cities from 2001-15 outpaced the overall growth of atlantic canada: 17% to 4%

the 3 oil projects off canada's east coast

hibernia, terra nova, white rose - receive the brent price for their oil unlike those in alberta - have added a new dimension to newfoundland and labrador's economy

orogeny

mountain building; a geologic process that takes place as a result of plate tectonics, resulting in distinctive structural change to the earth's crust where mountains are formed

leading sectors of atlantic canada's resource economy

petroleum, minerals, fishing, agriculture and forestry

2 parts of atlantic canada

the maritimes (PEI, nova scotia, and new brunswick) and newfoundland and labrador (separated from the mainland by cabot strait, the island of newfoundland stands alone in the atlantic ocean while the labrador peninsula is near québec)

light sweet crude oil

the most highly valued crude oil, which because of its low level of sulphur has a pleasant smell, and, more importantly, requires little processing to become gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel

problems with megaprojects in atlantic canada

while they may boost regional development, they... 1. are capital-intensive undertakings 2. in resource hinterlands, they lose much of their spinoff effects to industrial areas, so economic benefits related to the manufacture of the essential parts for building a megaproject go outside the hinterland, as does the processing of the resource once the project is up and running - interventions by the govt of newfoundland and labrador to address this problem have had mixed results

torngat mountains

- a national park reserve since 2005 - stretch along the fjorded coast of northern labrador - the mountains were recently subject to alpine glaciation, resulting in extremely sharp features such as cirques and arêtes - straddle the québec/labrador boundary - lie beyond the treeline because of high elevation and latitude

the confederation bridge

- connects PEI with new brunswick - an integral part of the trans-canada highway system - 12.9km - the longest bridge over ice-covered waters in the world - opened in 1997

indigenous right to timberlands in atlantic canada

- has projected another player into the forest industry - in 2005, the supreme court of canada ruled that the mi'kmaq of nova scotia and new brunswick have the right to participate in commercial logging activities but that they must have permits from their respective provinces, who purchased timberlands and then allocated the permits to mi'kmaq loggers

potato farming in new brunswick and nova scotia

- major cash crop - almost all potato farmers in NB and NS seed their potatoes under contract to mccain foods, a multinational food-processing corporation based in NB - this company has benefitted from NAFTA after the removal of tariffs on its food products for export to the US

the forest industry in atlantic canada

- most important renewable resource beyond the sea - the rugged appalachian uplands encompass 22.9 million ha of forest - both logging and pulp and paper processing are concentrated in new brunswick - logging is both an important employer and income generator for woodlot owners

georges bank

- part of the atlantic continental shelf - large shallow-water area extending over nearly 40,000 km squared; depth usually ranges from 50-80m, but in some areas it is 10m or less - one of the most biologically productive regions in the world's oceans because of the tidal mixing that occurs in its shallow waters -- this brings to the surface a continuous supply of regenerated nutrients from the ocean sediments that support vast quantities of plankton -- large stocks of marine life, including cod, flounder, haddock, lobster, and scallops feed on this plankton HISTORY: in the 19th century, both canadian and american fishing vessels plied the waters for fish - after WW2, canada claimed the northern half, but the US claimed the entire area - in 1984 the world court established the boundary: the US received 2/3 and canada obtained the rights to the northeast corner, which is particulary rich in shellfish

atlantic canada's sense of place

- rich and enduring - grew out of the region's history, its original british and french settlements, and its close ties to the north atlantic

how war between england and france in the 18th century affected atlantic canada

- was almost continuous over the first half - the french forged an alliance with the mi'kmaq and the maliseet, drawing them into conflict with the english and their iroquois allies

2 events that shaped newfoundland after the defeat of the french

1760 1. french access was limited to what was called the french shore along the west coast of the island, and the permanent french settlement was restricted to the islands of saint-pierre and miquelon - these french fishing rights did not end until 1904 - today, descendants of early french settlers reside in several communities along newfoundland's southwest coast 2. the emergence of a strong resident fishery marked the foundation of a newfoundland society; english protestant and irish catholic families settled along the newfoundland coast, and by the 1750s over 7000 permanent residents, mostly english, lived in hundreds of small fishing communities

nor'easters

strong winds off the north atlantic from the northeast that bring stormy weather

2 physiographic regions in atlantic canada

the appalachian uplands and the canadian shield

2 largest banks by atlantic canada

the grand banks off newfoundland's east coast and the georges bank off the south coast of nova scotia grand = most famous fishing ground georges = widest variety of fish stocks

irish famine

the great famine in ireland that took place between 1845-1852 when the principal crop and source of food, the potato, was devastated by blight, causing widespread crop failures - many irish immigrated to atlantic canada, especially to saint john