Download The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Lowlands Region A Changed

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The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Lowlands Region
A Changed Landscape
1. What are some uses of the land in this region? (p. 31)
 Flat, fertile lowlands and plains with rolling hills
 Lowlands – an area lower and flatter than the land around it
 No mountains, but some free-standing mountains in Quebec.
 Some high rocky areas – Niagara Escarpment (cliff/steep rise that separates two areas of flat land)
 Iroquois grew crops in this region
 Used to be covered with forest, have since been cleared
 Moraine – ridge of sand, dirt and rocks carried and left behind by ancient glaciers
 Oak Ridges Moraine (north of Toronto) to be preserved because of its fresh water, home to plant
and animals; developers want to build houses
2. How does water shape ways of life?
The Great Lakes and the Mighty St. Lawrence River (p. 33)
 Great Lakes drain into the St. Lawrence to the Atlantic Ocean
 Large portions of industry and agriculture is here
 Important route for travel and shipping goods
 River/Lakes run 3700 km to the interior of Canada
 Many rivers called tributaries empty into the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Seaway (p. 34)
 A canal was dug in the St. Lawrence River by Montreal due to shallow water
 To get over the Niagara Falls, locks were made to get ships from the top to the bottom
 Cities developed around the seaway; busy ports; tourists enjoy the natural beauty
Penetanguishene: A Diverse Town (p. 35)
 Located on the eastern part of Lake Huron (Georgian Bay)
 Huron tribe were first inhabitants; first explored by the French (early 1600s)
 1760s British came to area (John Graves Simcoe) attracted by well protected harbour
 1840s families came to farm; 1900s forestry grew as industry
 Today, attracts many tourists
3. How does climate influence quality of life?
 Has milder winters (southernmost part of Canada, warm air from Gulf of Mexico)
 Summers can be long, hot, humid
 Great Lakes water moderates the temperatures (called lake effect)
 Longest frost free season in Canada
Living with the Climate (p. 37)
 Lots of precipitation, good for summer crops, thunderstorms are common
 Snowy winters, with ice storms, blizzards, thick fog
A Unique Ice Storm (p. 38)
 Jan 1998, freezing rain fell for a week; left a coat of ice 5 cm thick
 Toppled trees, power lines/poles
 Interrupted electricity to 1Million homes; homeless shelters were overrun
 Boiling water for drinking (water treatment plant not functioning)
 Lots of missed revenues due to low tourism rates, industries affected (ex. Maple syrup)
4. How do natural resources shape ways of life?
 Natural resources: rich soil, thick forests, plentiful water
Farming the Fertile Plains (p. 39)
 Most fertile agriculture region due to flat plains, fertile soil, long hot summers
 Huron/Iroquois grew beans, corn, squash; lived in homes called longhouses
 Did not need to move around as much as other tribes to follow food sources
Types of Farms (p. 40)
 European settlers brought grains, vegetables and fruits; kept pigs, cattle, oxen, horses
 Today more than half of the land is used for farming.
 About 37% of all agricultural production comes from this region
 Can find sweet corn, peaches and cherries in the fall
 Greenhouses produce cucumbers, tomoatoes
Providing Many Goods and Services (p. 42)
 Largest number of factories and industries
 Ontario – produces over 40% of Canada’s goods
 Quebec – produces 22% of Canada’s goods
 Easy to move goods to the markets using rivers/lakes
 Resources found in other regions are shipped to this area to be refined and used in other products
(ex. Airplane parts, textiles, vehicles, computers)
The Golden Horseshoe (p. 42)
 5 million people live in the 150 km wide area
 Located on western coast of Lake Ontario
 Many industries, businesses, and banks provide jobs for people in this region
 12 of 27 metropolitan areas are in this region (Metro areas are areas with 100 000+ people)
 93% of Ontario’s population lives here
 80% of Quebec’s population is in Montreal, Quebec City, and Trois-Rivieres
Why Does This Region Have the Largest Population in Canada? (p. 43)
 More than half of Canada’s population lives in this area
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2 largest cities are here: Toronto/Montreal
Good transportation systems/easy access to markets
Flat land for building
Rich soil and long growing season
Available materials for construction
Many factories
5. Why should we protect our environment?
Smog (p. 44)
 Caused by heat of the sun interacting with pollution in the air from automobiles/factories
 Can make the air difficult to breathe
Prevent Air Pollution (p. 45)
 Tonnes of fumes from vehicles harm the environment; gasoline is made from a non-renewable
resource
 Researchers are working to find alternate fuels
National Parks (p. 46)
 Established to protect some natural features
 Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park – rich feeding ground for whales, seals, fish; now protected
 Tourists come to see the rich marine life.
 Eco-tourism (people who travel to see/learn about the environment)
6. Symbols of the Region:
Landmarks (p. 32)
 Often symbols of identity
Niagara Falls (p. 32)
 Niagara River flows over the Niagara Escarpment
 Attracts visitors, tourism industry
 Important source of hydroelectricity (electricity produced from flowing water)
Mount Royal (p. 32)
 Largest of the Monteregian Hills
 In middle of Montreal
 Mount Royal Park open to visitors and residents
 Cross country skiing, hikers, cyclists,
Maple Syrup Industry (p. 41)
 Collect sap from maple trees to make into syrup
 First done by First Nations, taught to Europeans
 Today, Canada is the largest producer of maple syrup
 Quebec along makes 85% of the world’s maple syrup
 Important part of local celebrations (ex festivals)