Download GEOG2570 Southern Ontario: Economic, Political and (English

GEOG2570
Southern Ontario: Economic, Political and (English) Cultural Core
Toronto and the World City Concept
„ Southern Ontario urban regions
53.257 Map Exercise #2
ONTARIO
„Find,and clearly label, the following places and physical features:
Lake Superior
James Bay
•Toronto
•Moosonee
•Kenora
•Ottawa
•Windsor
•Sudbury
•Thunder Bay
•Lake Ontario
•Lake Erie
•Timmins
•Hamilton
•Lake Huron
•Georgian Bay
•
•
Southern Ontario ~ Environment
„Mixed forest vegetation
„Glacial till soils
„Temperate continental climate modified by Great Lakes proximity
„Most favoured physical area in Canada
„93% Ontarians
„11 million, live here
Southern Ontario ~
Agriculture
The Niagara Fruit Belt
„65km long Ontario Plain between Hamilton & Niagara-on-the-Lake
„Lake Ontario to the north, Niagara Escarpment to the south
„Best grape and soft fruit lands in Canada
The Niagara Wine Industry
The Niagara Wine Industry
„Grapes 2nd most valuable fruit crop
„22% commercial fruit crop value
„Apples are #1, at 45% of value
„One of few growth areas in Ontario agriculture
„Agro-tourism
Southern Ontario
Economic Influence
„ 41% Canadian Gross Domestic Product
„Northern part ‘heartland’ of North America
„Historical growth due to agriculture, forests, minerals, hydroelectricity
„Modern economy dominated by manufacturing and services:
„Financial sector (23%), manufacturing (22%)
„Half of all Canadian information & communication technology activity
Secondary Manufacturing
„Restructuring / globalization
„Out-competed by developing economies
„Closures, layoffs, job loss
„Job growth in high-tech ‘new generation’ industries like pharmaceuticals and
environmental technologies
Tertiary & Quaternary Sectors
„Mark of modern, post-industrial economies
„73%+ of Ontario workforce
„75% economic activity by value
„Expanded, so diverse, developed ‘quaternary’ sector
„Tertiary: service functions such as sales, professional services
„Quaternary: decision-making / innovation functions
Ontario’s Political Influence
„38.5% Canadian population
„12.2 million in 2006
„Sends most reps to the
House of Commons – 106 seats of 308
„Political power to maintain position?
„Does Ottawa favour (southern) Ontario?
„Does Ontario carry its share of the ‘burden of Confederation’?
Ontario’s Cultural Influence
„TV, Film production and development
„20,000+ work force
„26% Canadian productions in Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
„$874.1 million expenditures in 2003
„55.3% of Canadian industry’s revenues generated by firms in Ontario, mostly in the
GTA
Ontario’s
Cultural Influence
Publishing
„243 book publishers (39%)
„71% total revenue from new and reprint titles
„62,000 titles annually
„US publishers – 164,000
„62% book publishing workforce (6,300)
„$1.7billion in revenues
The Golden
Horseshoe
„6 million + population
„Western end of Lake Ontario
„Toronto: urban anchor linked by highly developed auto and public transit systems
„Hamilton: industrial focus mainly on steel industry and spin-off manufacturing
„Oshawa: leader in auto manufacturing
Toronto
The World City Concept
„Thrift (1990s) identified three levels of ‘world cities’
„1) Truly International Centres
„2) Zonal Centres
„3) Regional Centres
The ‘World City’ Concept
Does it apply to the GTA?
„Cultural characteristics
„Political characteristics
„Economic characteristics
‘sometimes the myth creates the reality’
„High-speed transition from 98% white outpost to one of most diverse societies ever
„ethnic profile closely matches world population
„Rich urban, pluralistic Canada vs. poor, white rural Canada?
Ottawa Valley
„Major urban area where
both official languages are
commonly used
„Ottawa/Gatineau 1 million+
population
rd
„Greater Ottawa 3 largest urban centre in Ontario (800,000+)
„Nation’s capital
„national administrative centre with large civil service
Ottawa Valley
„‘Silicon Valley of the North’
„1990s saw rapid growth in
telecommunications,
computers, software and
computer services and electronics
„Losing control now to global venture-capital
„Corel (software)
„JDS Uniphase (fibre optics)
„Now an R&D centre serving multinationals based elsewhere?
Southwestern
Ontario
„Numerous smaller centres
„London provides
administrative,
commercial and cultural
services
„Insurance company HQ centre
„Auto parts manufacturing – Magna International
„“Technology Triangle”: Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo – research institutes and
universities
„Pressure on precious agricultural land