Geography 162 Chapter 4: Canada's Human Face

calgary

- 5th largest and fastest growing city in canada - downtown dominated by skyscrapers, many of which are associated with the petroleum industry - beyond the skyscrapers it faces several challenges such as urban sprawl, homelessness, and inadequate revenue-sharing from provincial and federal govts

toronto

- 6.1 million people - most populous city in canada - economic engine for ontario - financial capital of canada - most culturally diverse city - major destination for immigrants

canada's aging population

- a country where seniors outnumber children is uncharted territory for canada - represents a serious demographic event with implications for the labour force and for working-age taxpayers who have to pay for public pensions and a variety of social costs such as more nursing homes and healthcare - 5 million seniors in 2011; 14% of the pop. - aging will accelerate from now until 2031 when all baby boomers reach 65 years old; over 20% of the pop. will fall into the senior citizen category

immigration and population increase in canada

- accounts for 2/3 of it - 7 million in 2014; 65% of pop. increase, 1/5 people are foreign-born - newcomers often have large families upon arrival and once in canada - the next generation tends to have fertility rates closer to the national average, showing adjustment to canadian culture norms - their destination follows the economic strength of canada's 6 geographic regions -- most settle in ontario - now double the annual figure for natural increase - foreign-born newcomers have always formed a significant part of canada's pop. - immigration could have a great impact on the makeup of canada's future pop.

canada as an urban country

- before WW1 most lived in a rural setting and farming was the principal activity - 82% live in urban areas - in 2015 over 25 million people were living in census metropolitan areas - large cities dominate the pop. landscape and the bulk of canada's pop. growth is in these cities 3 factors of increase: 1. arrival of immigrants has added to urban growth 2. the stream of rural canadians abandoning the countryside for urban places (such as indigenous people) 3. natural increase among urban pop.

vancouver

- canada's leading ocean port - most goods come and go to china and other asian countries - third-largest canadian city - 2.5 million people

shift of culture regions in canada

- changed remarkably over the last 50 years - 1968: "white" country due to newcomers from europe and the US, as well as the baby boom, record-breaking economic expansion, and trade agreements with the US -- was a bilingual country with a majority of english speakers, and most of the pop. could trace their ancestry to britain, france, or other european countries - shift of immigration flows from europe to asia came later - cityscapes, size and functions, and ethnic makeups of cities have undergone transformations - changed the 6 regions of canada (westward shift); all saw their population increase

muslims in canada

- come from various countries - rapidly forming a significant ethnic and religious group within canada - cultural trappings and ethnicities have been tarred by some (islamophobia) ex: stephen harper's federal snitch line that people could phone to report "barbaric cultural practices" ex: many people in europe and the US have voiced concern about the "threat" of floods of refugees and immigrants from war-torn muslim-majority countries, fearing that they will change society greatly and pose threats of terrorism - news coverage has created this atmosphere of fear and so has the recruitment of young canadians to join terrorists abroad - most people however have been able to separate individual acts from the rest of canada's muslim community and has embraced the policy of welcoming refugees

unifying factors among the indigenous people of canada

- deep spirituality and desire to maintain a harmonious relationship with mother earth; some of this was lost at points of european contact - resource development, at first uncaring about the impact on the land and waters, took its toll as well; they still have a relationship with the land, often taking place in the global industrial world -- they have gained more power over resource development and regulations governing industrial pollution have toughened - racism - harms of violence and substance abuse within communities and directed at community members by non-indigenous outsiders - single-parent issue

edmonton

- downtown is framed by the north saskatchewan river - experiencing rapid population growth, pushing residential areas further from the central city - 6th-largest city - 1.5 million people

population of indigenous peoples in canada

- epidemics sometimes quickly reduced the size of tribes in half - did not take place across all of BNA at once but in a series of regional depopulations associated with the arrival of british settlers - some diseases spread through indigenous trade networks before the arrival of settlers - lowest point was reached in 1911 when there was only 105,611 people - rebound begun in the 1930s, increasing nearly 15 times from 1931-2011, just short of 2 million in 2011 based on ancestry - now approximates around 6% of canada's pop. - distribution varies widely; 80% reside in western canada, ontario, and BC, with the highest pop. in western canada (41%) - increased at a higher rate than canada's pop.

natural increase in canada

- expected to drop below 0 by 2030 - projections are based on past vital statistics and therefore are not always accurate predictors of the future

missing and murdered indigenous women and girls

- federal inquiry into it established in 2016 - indigenous males were responsible for many of these crimes but must be placed within a colonial framework; simply blaming them for the violence plays into canadians' gender and racial biases and ignores the historic role the canadian govt and canadians have played in creating the dire situation for many indigenous families - expected to throw some light onto why this is happening, expose it to the general public, and offer some remedies

language in canada

- french and english represent the key cultural element leading to a successful integration into canadian society as crucial elements in unifying canadian society - english proficiency is most sought after by newcomers as employment without english is virtually impossible except in québec, where french is required - in 2011, the 2% who did not speak english or french spoke punjabi, chinese, or spanish -- likely just arrived in canada or were older parents of newcomers who entered as a family - the children of newcomers quickly become fluent in one or both by attending schools

racism in canada - past and present

- has made lives miserable for indigenous people and visible minorities - at the root was the belief that british culture was superior to other cultures in the world ex: chinese head tax, residential schools, the "continuous passage" legislation intended to keep south asians from coming to canada's shores, komagata maru, the internment of japanese canadians during WW2 - minorities and newcomers still experience it in canada ex: syrian refugees were pepper-sprayed by an assailant on a bike outside an event in vancouver held to welcome the newcomers, black lives matter

religion in canada

- key element of culture - 2011: two largest groups were christian (67%, 23 million) and those with no religious affiliation (24%, 7.9 million) - consistent with changing immigrant patterns, 4 religions grew in numbers from 2001: islam, hinduism, sikhism and buddhism -- no affiliation also grew at this time - canada is thought of as a christian country, and this certainly was true until the 21st century - institutions consolidate people of similar beliefs

montréal

- one of canada's oldest cities - located on the st lawrence river - transportation hub for international shipping - 4 million+ people - largest francophone urban pop. in NA - 4th-largest french-speaking city in the world - 2nd-largest city in canada

cultural adjustment and ethnic neighbourhoods

- open immigration policy begun in the 1960s, which drew people from a variety of world cultures, most of whom relocated to major cities - limited economic opportunities for many new arrivals, religious institutions, and the desire to live near members of the same ethnic group are factors - recent immigrants prefer to live in the same neighbourhoods for the affordability, comfort, and security - upward mobility and assimilation into canadian society will likely see the dispersal of ethnic groups throughout the residential areas of canadian cities

ottawa-gatineau

- ottawa: ontario side of the ottawa river - gatineau: québec side of the ottawa river - national capital - ontario's 2nd-largest city - 4th-largest city in canada

fort mcmurray

- resource town - hub of northern alberta's oil sands extraction and exploration - largest city in the tertiary zone - 78,000+ people

relocation of indigenous peoples in the 1950s

- resulted in the indigenous settlements that dot zone 4 - federal govt couldn't figure out how to begin providing basic services to indigenous people - drew hunters and their families to existing outposts, such as fur trading posts, and turned them into urban dwellers - attraction was that it would end the threat of starvation, allow access to medical services, and begin the process of "modernization" and "assimilation" into canadian society 2 fatal flaws: 1. high birth rate shot up, creating a population explosion and new challenges 2. few employment opportunities, leading to an erosion of traditional way of life, an unhealthy change in diet, and dependency on govt handouts

baby boomers

- took place after WW2 - late 1940s to early 1970s - birth rates increased sharply - bulge in the age structure of canadian society that continues to have both economic and social implications - consumers of goods and services; have had an impact on the economy as companies have geared their products to meet their strong demand - as they enter old age, the demand for healthcare services has risen; govts are concerned about the costs

mercury poisoning of the grassy narrows band

- upstream pulp mill in dryden, ontario polluted the english-wabigoon river system - first identified in the late 1960s - 90% of residents suffered brain damage, lack of coordination and sensory impairment, including those born long after the dumping of the mercury - caused by: company and govt failure to clean up the pollution, unsafe storage of toxic waste, indemnity provided by govt to the successive owners of the mill and timber operations, court rulings and govt-business settlements that worked against the welfare of the first nations

two remarkable developments of immigration in canada

1. canadian society absorbs some of the cultural imports and multiculturalism fosters a social expression of cultural contributions of newcomers 2. recent immigrants have shown a capacity not only to integrate into canadian society, but also to reshape it - the cohesiveness of canadian society depends on such integration and on an acceptance by all canadians of cultural adaptation within the society to other cultures and religions

canada's 4 population zones

1. core zone; densely populated - st lawrence lowlands, 21.6 million people, 3/4 of canada's major cities 2. secondary core zone; moderately populated - narrow band across southern canada; its northern boundary corresponds with the polar edge of arable land; second most-favoured zone, southerly portions of the appalachian uplands, the canadian shield, the interior plains, and the cordillera, 14 million people, some areas growing quickly while others are growing slowly, resulting in a slow and uneven population increase, remaining major cities are here, pop. density of 15 people per square kilometre 3. tertiary zone; sparsely populated - 1% of all canadians, boreal forest, stretches across mid-canada, only 1 major city (fort mcmurray), other large cities include whitehorse and yellowknife (10,000-30,000 people) who are administrative centres and regional service centres 4. empty zone; isolated settlements - fewer than 100,000 people, most reside in resource towns, indigenous settlements, or regional centres; lies in the arctic and northern edge of the boreal forest, challenging cold climate limits settlement; labrador city iron-mining town is the largest centre, followed by iqaluit, indigenous people form the majority

two key elements of changes in canada's immigration regulations

1. immigration began to replace natural growth as the principal factor causing canada's population growth 2. immigrants from outside of europe and the US were more easily admitted than before

driving factors of canada's aging population

1. increase in life expectancy 2. decline in the fertility rate 3. the movement of the baby boom generation into retirement and old age

5 phases of demographic transition theory

1. late pre-industrial - high death and birth rates, little or no natural increase 2. early industrial - falling death rates, extremely high rates of natural increase 3. late industrial - falling birth rates, high but declining rates of natural increase 4. early post-industrial - low birth and death rates, little or no natural increase, stable population -- canada is currently here 5. late post-industrial - birth rate at or below zero, declining population

attraction of cities

1. most business and employment opportunities are found in cities 2. canadians prefer to live in an urban setting where amenities are readily available 2. major urban centres are at the cutting edge of technological innovation and capital accumulation; manufacturing no longer determines a city's prosperity, rather, the creativity of its business and university communities does

three drivers of canada's population

1. natural increase - most of canada's population growth until 1986 2. immigration - now accounts for most of canada's annual population increase; greatest number came between 1905-1911 3. population gained from territorial expansion

3 reasons for encouraging immigration to canada

1. newcomers keep canada's population increasing, which is believed necessary for economic growth 2. newcomers add valuable members to canada's workforce and invest capital in canadian enterprises 3. canada takes in a limited number of refugees who are fleeing oppressive sociopolitical conditions in their homelands

implications of an older canada

1. pop. structure will change; smaller proportion of children (under 15), smaller proportion in the workforce, and a much larger percentage over 64 2. canadians are living longer, adding economic costs in the form of drug and health costs, creating a larger tax burden on those in the productive age group and rising costs to the federal treasure to pay for old age security and CPP; health costs already make up the major component (40%) of provincial and territorial budgets 3. the burden to pay for the growing number of seniors falls on a smaller and smaller group 4. many couples are having children at older ages, so they are responsible for young children and elderly parents at the same time; known as the "sandwich generation"

two key features marking canada's population geography

1. the concentration of canadians near the US border 2. the shift of the centre of population gravity to the west

factors affecting canadian cities

1. urban sprawl forces them to rely heavily on infrastructure in outlying areas while their downtowns lose their attraction 2. competition from malls and big box stores in the suburbs has hurt downtown retail areas 3. city govts. have to find solutions to both urban congestion and the urban sprawl by making downtowns more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, turning inner-city residential areas into a denser form of residential housing, and adding more "urban parks" 4. the limited fiscal power in canada's federal system as they must rely on provincial and federal govts. for funding

multiculturalism in canada

1988 multiculturalism act - to encourage greater human understanding and stronger bonds among canadians of different cultural backgrounds and ethnic origins - the cornerstone of canada's social policy towards newcomers - recognition by policy-makers and the public that we are a country of immigrants - distinctively canadian approach to social equality in nation-building - federal govt sees it as encouraging respect for cultural diversity charles taylor: a way for the canadian govt and society to recognize the worth of newcomers' distinctive cultural traditions without compromising canada's basic political principles

canada's population

36 million people (2016) - may reach 40 million by 2025 - continues to grow due to the arrival of large numbers of immigrants, most of who come from the philippines, india, china, iran and pakistan (50% in 2015) - over 200,000 immigrants have arrived each year for the past 25 years, creating a more international society - most newcomers settle in large cities where economic opportunities are perceived to be the highest - ontario and québec are the most populous - most population increase has taken place in ontario, BC, and western canada ontario = largest increase BC and western canada = greatest rates

population pyramid

a model used in pop. geography to show the age and sex distribution of a particular pop.

black lives matter

a social movement by the black community against police violence towards black people (particularly in the US)

pluralistic society

a society where small groups within the larger society are permitted to maintain their unique cultural identities - in canada, the accommodation of newcomers remains near the top of the national political agenda

ethnic origin

a statistics canada definition that refers to the ethnic or cultural origins of the respondent's ancestors - ancestor = someone from whom a person is descended and is usually more distant than a grandparent - more than 200 in canada in 2011

threat of the suburban nature of cities

accommodate our automobile-oriented society 1. the costs of providing urban services to new suburbs are taxing city budgets for new roads, schools, fire halls and trucks, parks, transit services and water/sewer systems 2. the viability of central business districts is threatened by the loss of business to suburban stores where parking spaces are readily available

dynamic nature of culture

all cultures evolve over time - canadian culture evolves at a very rapid rate due to the inflow of peoples from around the world - the ways of newcomers, such as their dress, languages, customs, and religions, represent both a challenge to existing culture and an opportunity for it to be enriched - rejuvenation of culture in canada is fairly peaceful

census metropolitan areas

an urban area with a population of at least 100,000, with at least 50,000 people residing in the core, together with adjacent smaller urban centres and even rural areas that have a high degree of economic and social integration with the larger urban area - economic and cultural anchors of the hinterlands - 6 in canada: toronto, montréal, vancouver, calgary, edmonton, ottawa-gatineau - no city in the territorial north qualitifies as one - barometer for urban pop. increases in the 6 geographic regions

resource town

an urban place where a single economic activity focused on resource extraction (logging, mining, oil drilling, etc) dominates the local economy - a single-industry town - also a company town built near an isolate mine site to house the mine workers and their families

population density in canada

as the second-largest country in the world, it is one of the lowest as few people inhabit vast northern lands of the arctic and subarctic climates - 3.7 people per square kilometre - the territorial north and western canada both fell below the national average in 2016

québec and immigration

can be a double-edged sword - immigrants add to the population, but some bring unfamiliar ways that, to québecois, threaten the existing way of life ex: hérouxville's "code of standards" that contained islamophobic rules - the view in québec irejects multiculturalism for "interculturalism", the necessary accommodation of many ethnic minorities to the french-canadian majority, and the accommodation of that majority to the minorities in order to maintain relations

the niqab debate in canada

canadian society rejects the idea that female public employees can cover their face with it but also accepts that an individual can choose to dress in one in public - much cultural space exists between these two views - canadian society needs time to adjust to unfamiliar customs and dress - some regard it as a serious matter affecting core canadian values, such as the equality of canadian men and women, arguing that it is a form of the oppression of muslim women and daughters by their husbands and fathers -- form of religious extremism - others see it simply as religious garment worn freely by a relatively small number of women

causes of depopulation of indigenous peoples at contact

caused by loss and overexploitation of hunting grounds, food shortages, increased warfare, the spread of new diseases from europe, and the intentional slaughter of indigenous people by european newcomers

single-parent indigenous families issue

common feature around the world -- similar to black families in the US, they often do not include a father - outcomes for children can be difficult and can lead to repeating this pattern of family formation and breakdown - some have abandoned their partners and children while others are trying to make family life and parenting work - canadian and indigenous leaders have ignored it; not recognized it or offered solutions - may be an effect of residential schools, as well as the cycle of poverty, limited education, and unemployment and underemployment

acculturation

cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or borrowing traits from another culture

four core values of canadian culture

defined by canada's history and geography 1. government is based on british parliamentary institutions and the rule of law 2. two official languages ensure a place for french as well as english - also means that other languages have no standing in the political and public affairs of canadian society (except in nunavut where inuktitut is an official language) 3. indigenous peoples have special rights 4. tradition and law are encapsulated in the canadian constitution ex: charter of rights and freedoms

distinctness of indigenous reserves

each one has a distinct history that has shaped its residents' current cultural identity - economies, capacities, and challenges

population distribution in canada

extremely unevenly spread across the country - a lot of people live near the US border for two key factors: 1. canadian agricultural lands are found near the US border 2. trade with the US dictates that canada's industrial economy is closely linked with, and close to, that pf the US - BC and western canada are growing more rapidly than the national average - atlantic canada and québec are the slowest-growing regions of the country - most people live in the areas not defined as "north"

difficulties with integration of newcomers

finding adequate shelter, finding well-paying jobs, learning a new language = readily overcome ongoing events in other parts of the world and isolated incidents within canada = make it more difficult

post-contact

high rate of natural increase and low mortality accoun for remarkable pop. rebound, though birth rate has begun to decline - pop. explosion

early contact

indigenous peoples came into contact with europeans who brought new diseases - heavy pop. decline and loss - loss of hunting lands

ethnicity changing over time

it can be argued that time erases ethnicity attachment and strengthens identification with the nation-state - becomes complicated, especially when offspring are a combination of the parents' ethnicity - as a result, the selection of "canadian" as ethnic origin makes sense to many born in canada - place plays a critical role in the development of a regional/national identity and therefore this selection is attributed to the geographic notion of place overriding the concept of ethnicity - 2nd generations' commitment to their parents' homeland fades - normal process, especially if the newcomers are welcomed - children and grandchildren are more likely to find a place in mainstream canada -- upward mobility is associated with education

variations between population density in countries

land varies greatly in its capacity to support human settlement - depends on two factors: 1. the sustainability of land for agriculture 2. the degree of industrialization - in canada, the territorial north falls short on both accounts, while ontario scores well on both and is therefore home to almost 40% of canada's population

5 cities larger than the capital city of their province

moncton, NB montréal saskatoon calgary vancouver

centenarians

over 100 years old - around 6000 in canada super centenarians : over 110

ethnic group

people who have shared awareness of a common identity and who identify themselves with a particular culture that is distinct from that of other groups - common identity, shared values, cultural/linguistic/religious bonds and symbols - ethnicity is a measure of diversity of those in canadian culture

two major elements of human geography

population and culture

4 demographic phases of indigenous people

pre-contact, early contact, late contact, post-contact

pre-contact

preceding european contact - 200,000-500,000 people

population zones

provide a more exact geographic picture of canada's population distribution - vary in size from very large (60% of canada's pop.) to very small (less than 1% of canada's pop. and less than 100,000 people) - vary in population density (80 people per square kilometre to 0.01) - 2 more densely populated zones known as the national population core contain 99% of canada's pop. - beyond the core lies a population hinterland consisting of 2 sparsely populated areas

french/english language imbalance

result of the faster rate of increase of the english-speaking pop. - largely due to the number of new canadians arriving each year who adopt english over french - newcomers learn english in all regions but québec - this duality is a political concept embedded in the historical relationship of the two cultures, and its stability depends on a relatively constant number of canadians speaking each language

late contact

rising fertility rates couples with high mortality rates resulted in a stable pop.

indigenous settlements

small indigenous centres, often found on reserves or in remote, northern locations

recent immigrants

statistics canada term that refers to landed immigrants who arrived in canada within five years prior to a given census - high fertility rates - youthful populations

population density

the total number of people in a geographic area divided by the land area; population per unit of land area

physiological density

the amount of arable land per person - by eliminating non-productive agricultural land, canada's physiological density is similar to that of the US

population distribution

the dispersal of a population within a geographic area

demographic transition theory

the historical shift of birth and death rates from high to low levels in a population; the decline in mortality precedes the decline in fertility, resulting in a rapid population growth during the transition period - general framework for all countries that pass from a pre-industrial economy to an industrial one - 5 phases that each have a distinct set of vital rates that coincide with the phases in the process of industrialization and urbanization

replacement fertility

the level of fertility at which women have enough daughters to replace themselves - if women have an average of 2.1 births (minimum level) in their lifetime, then each woman on average would have given birth to a daughter and a son - canada's rate of natural increase has fallen below its replacement level

crude birth rate

the number of births per 1000 people in a given year - in 2014 canada's was 10.9

crude death rate

the number of deaths per 1000 people in a given year - in 2014 canada's was 7.3

mortality rate

the number of deaths per 1000 people in a given year - much higher in males than females, resulting in a population with more females

fertility rates

the number of live births per 1000 women aged 15-44 in a given year - high among indigenous peoples in canada

population growth

the rate at which a population is increasing or decreasing in a given period due to natural increase and net migration

sex ratio

the ratio of males to females in a given population; usually expressed as the number of males for every 100 females

age dependency ratio

the ratio of the economically dependent sector of the population to the productive sector, arbitrarily defined as the ratio of the elderly (65+) to the population of the working age (15-64) - canada's is increasing, making the burden to support the very young and the very old fall on fewer and fewer workers - remained steady for the past few years at about 60 persons to 100

culture

the sum of attitudes, habits, knowledge, and values shared by members of a society and passed on to their children - in canada, originally a product of british, french, american, and indigenous beliefs and traditions but now includes cultures from around the world - reflected in canada's geographic regions - a link to the past and also a provider of the institutional organizations that preserve each group's ethnicity

rate of natural increase

the surplus or deficit of births over deaths in a population per 1000 people in a given time period

population increase

the total population increase resulting from the interaction of births, deaths, and migration in a population in a given period of time - sum of natural increase and net migration - territorial north had the 2nd-highest rate over the last 15 years

ethnocentricity

the viewpoint that one's ethnic group is central and superior, providing a standard against which all other groups are judged - opposite of multiculturalism - aims to defend and keep the ethnic group united while multiculturalism attempts to broaden the ethnic group perspectives and interactions with those outside its circle

syrian refugees in canada

the welcoming of them at the beginning of 2015 was an example of canada's evolution from a hard to a soft country

true

true or false: some european traders and missionaries learned indigenous languages, but many more indigenous people learned french or english out of necessity

regional service centre

urban places where economic functions and provided to residents living within the surrounding area