GEO2010 W6

The centre of Canada's economy will likely always remain anchored in what province?

Why?

Ontario

- Large size of the population
- Median personal income is above the national median
- Greatest cluster of cities, universities, and technological/research centres
- Central location within NA with several high-volume border crossings to the US

What are the 3 physiographic regions in Ontario?

Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Lowlands

Canadian Shield

Hudson Bay Lowlands

The _____ _________ contains the most variable topography in Southern Ontario.

How was it formed?

Niagara Escarpment


Formed as more resistant rock remained while weaker rock weathered and eroded away.

During summers in Ontario, hot and humid air masses originate from where?

Southeast US or the Gulf of Mexico

During the winters in Ontario, cold air masses originate from where?

Prairie Provinces or the Arctic

Lake effect snow is caused by what?

Caused by cold air moving over relatively warm water

Snowbelts / heavy snow falls are found in what direction of the lakes?

Why?

Snow falls downwind of the lakes because in the winter, the wind is often from the northwest.

What cities in southern ontario frequently receive lake effect snow?

What does this cause?

London and Kitchener lake effect snow from Lake Huron


Windsor from Lake Michigan

these cause high annual snowfalls

Both lake effect clouds and lake effect snow diminish if this happens:

When does this occur?

When the lakes freeze = doesn't usually happen until February

How do severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in southern ontario occur?

A wind from the southwest brings warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico

The warm air may interact with cooler lake breezes = a thunderstorm is made

What is the origin of Ontario's name?

An Iroquois word meaning "beautiful water"

It is named after Lake Ontario

T or F: the 5 Great Lakes make up the largest body of fresh water in the world.

True

Management and care of the Great Lakes is shared by what countries?

Canada and US

What are the major ports in the Great Lakes system?

Chicago, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Milwaukee, Hamilton, Toledo, Windsor, Thunder Bay

By volume, what is the largest and smallest of the Great Lakes?

Largest = Lake Superior

smallest = Lake Erie

What waterway allows ships to bypass Niagara falls?

Welland Canal

What waterway connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean?

St. Lawrence Seaway

Why are the great lakes important to Ontario's economy?

Tourism, recreation, fishing, transportation along the St. Lawrence Seaway

What are 3 environmental challenges in Ontario?

1. health of the great lakes - water pollution/eutrophication

2. toxic contamination - occasional beach closures along great lakes shorelines due to high bacteria counts

3. exotic species - due to lack of natural predators

Define eutrophication

The addition of phosphates into lakes from fertilizers and chemicals that run off from agricultural areas

What are examples of exotic species found in Ontario's environment?

Sea lamprey, goby

T or F: the ON government recently closed all the coal power plants in the province.

True

What replaced coal power plants in ON?

Natural gas, nuclear plants, and renewable energy methods

What are the best locations for wind turbines?

Flat landscapes that are relatively close to lake shorelines.

What was the first settlement in Ontario called? Where was it located?

Who founded it?

The french founded Petite Cote across the river from Detroit. It is now renamed Windsor

What does detroit mean?

The strait

In 1794, the capital of Upper Canada (ON) was named ______.

In 1834, it was named ______.

1794 = York

1834 = Toronto

What happened in the war of 1812?

Tension between Britain and the US resulted in several battles in Upper Canada.

What was the purpose of the war of 1812?

The US wanted to annex southern parts of upper canada

During the war of 1812, who led the British forces?

How about the indigenous forces?

British = Major General Isaac Brock

Indigenous = Chief Tecumseh

They worked together in battle to hold back the US forces

How did Major Brock and Chief Tecumseh die?

Brock died during the battle of Queenston heights along the Niagara River

Tecumseh died during the Battle of the Thames near Moraviantown

T or F: Ontario is the most diverse province in Canada both in terms of physical geography and human geography

True

What are the 5 regions of Ontario?

Northern, Eastern, Central, Golden Horseshoe, Southwestern

What is the economy driven by in Northern ON?

Forestry and mining

In northern ON, the population density is _______.

Very low

What are the largest cities in Northern Ontario?

Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie

Northern ON experiences a _______ _____________ from the rest of the province.

Cultural disconnection

What is Eastern ON's economy driven by?

Jobs in the federal gov.

What are the largest cities in Eastern Ontario?

Ottawa, Kingston, Cornwall

What adds to the scenery in Eastern ON?

lakes, rivers, hills, waterfalls

In Eastern ON, there is a relatively high _____________ population, especially along _____________.

High francophone population, especially along the border of Quebec.

What is Central ON's economy driven by?

Seasonal tourism and recreation

What are the largest cities in Central ON?

Barrie, Peterborough, Orillia

A large portion of central ontario is nicknamed:

cottage country

The Golden Horseshoe's economy is driven by:

jobs in finance, insurance, HC, education

What are the largest CMAs in the golden horseshoe?

Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catherines

What region of ON attracts more immigrants than any other part of Canada?

Golden Horseshoe = has a dense and diverse population

What region of ON is almost entirely urbanized?

Golden Horseshoe

The southwestern ON region's economy is driven by what?

Manufacturing and agriculture

What are the largest CMAs in southwestern ON?

Kitchener, London, Windsor

How does southwestern ON have much in common with the US Midwest?

1. several auto assembly plants, and their associated feeder factories provide thousands of jobs

2. the southernmost portion is culturally influenced by the proximity to Detroit.

Why has the demand for lumber been decreasing?

Technology
- websites replace newspapers and magazines
- billing, accounting, and banking transactions are all using less paper

What is the main export of Northern ON?

Softwood Lumber

T or F: a small portion of the land in Northern ON is crown land.


What is crown land?

False - most of the land is crown land


Crown land is owned by the provincial government.

What is an example of a contract that the provincial government signs with logging companies?

Annual Allowable Cut (AAC)

What is a challenge in the forest industry?

Maintaining a balance between cutting and the regrowth of forest

Who is responsible for replanting trees as part of their contracts?

Logging companies

What mining resources are found in northern ON / canadian shield?

Gold, Nickel, Silver, Copper

Why do mining communities have a short lifespan?

Because minerals are a non-renewable resource that depletes over time

What province / territory has the largest metallic mineral production?

Ontario

What are demographic characteristics of Northern ON?

The population is growing at a much slower rate than the national average:


- aging population
- net emigration, especially of younger people
- very few immigrants
- a small but increasing Indigenous population

Most of the population of Northern ON are located along what 2 corridors?

1. Northern branch of the Trans-Canada Highway and the Canadian National Railroad line

2. Southern branch of the Trans-canada highway and the canadian pacific railroad line

Why does Southern ON have over half of the highest quality agricultural land in Canada?

- temperatures moderated by the Great Lakes

- Consistent precipitation

- Fertile Soil

________ is dominant in Southwestern ON wheras _______ farms are more common in Eastern ON.

Cropland = southwestern

Livestock farms = Eastern

What is the most common crop and is grown throughout Southwestern Ontario ?

Corn

Where is Tobacco grown in Ontario? Why?

Grown on a sand plain north of Lake Erie (in southern ON) in the area around Tillsonburg.

Because the soil is not suitable for growing many other crops.

What other fruits are grown in Southern ON?

Tomatoes, grapes, peaches, cherries, plums

Where is the Niagara Fruit Belt located?

found between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie where a microclimate exists

What are 2 advantages of the Niagara fruit belt?

1. Moderated climate from the 2 large lakes

2. Nearby niagara escarpment protects the area from harsh winds

How does Lake Ontario and Lake Erie moderate the climate at the Niagara Fruit Belt?

(a longer frost-free season in autumn and cooler temperatures in spring help to prevent early budding)

What are 3 reasons for the development of manufacturing in Southern ON?

1. geographic advantage (proximity to the US)

2. trade restriction (national policy)

3. Size of the domestic market (large work force)

The ______ industry has been a major, well-paying employer in Southern ON for over 100 years.

Auto

Where were the first auto plants in NA built? Where did it expand to?

First built in Detroit and Windsor, then expanded throughout the lower Great Lakes area on both sides of the border

The wages received by autoworkers help drive what?

Driven the retail and service sectors of Ontario's economy

What are the 5 parts of the auto industry?

1. suppliers of materials

2. parts production in small factories

3. vehicle assembly in massive plants

4. service firms (advertisers, designers, sales)

5. corporate (decision makers, administration)

Explain the Just-in-time Principle.

Why is this principle used by the auto industry?

A system where auto parts are delivered at the exact time required by the vehicle assembly pants

Used by the auto industry to take advantage of savings in inventory and warehousing

What is the Auto Pact?

What were the 3 benefits of the Auto Pact?

The pact was developed by Canada and the US to combine both countries' auto industries to form one large NA auto industry.


Benefits:
1. guaranteed that Canadian plants would not close

2. allowed canadian plants to specialize in certain vehicle models

3. reduced the price of vehicles

What are 2 implications of the Auto pact?

- both countries would eliminate the 15% tariff on automobiles and parts

- Canada was guaranteed a minimum level of automobile production

the _____ ______ was a precursor to NAFTA

auto pact

Ontario passed this US state to become the biggest producer of automobiles in NA.

Michigan

The recession of 2008-09 resulted in a drop of vehicle production. How did production increase since then?

There was an increased demand for new vehicles to replace an aging fleet

T or F: there are 7 assembly plants in Canada. 4 of them are in southern ontario

False. all 7 are in southern ON

Where are automobile assembly plants located?

along major transportation links where access to markets in Canada and the US are readily available and driving distances are short

what 5 car companies operate assembly plants in southern ON?

GM, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Honda

Who is a part of the big 3?

These companies dominate in the sale of what?

General Motors, Ford, Chrysler
- dominate in the sale of pick-up trucks, minivans, and SUVs

Why did Japanese-based auto companies like Toyota and Honda choose to build large plants in Ontario rather than US?

- ON has a highly skilled automotive workforce

- Publicly funded health care is available = auto companies do not need to pay for medical insurance for their employees

What caused the 2008-09 recession?

What did this mean for families and car companies?

Caused by the mortgage crisis in the US.

- a million families lost their homes to foreclosure
- finances of GM and chrysler collapsed = companies couldn't pay their workers

=

- exports of automobiles from ON to the US fell dramatically
- ripple effect spread in manufacturing/service sectors = thousands of layoffs in ON

What was the government's response to the auto crisis?

What governments were involved?

What was the result?

Canadian PM Stephen Harper, US president George Bush, and ON premier Dalton McGuinty kept GM and Chrysler afloat by
providing the companies with billions of dollars in loans.

- saved both companies from bankruptcy
- preserved thousands of auto sector jobs in NA

Did GM and Chrysler repay their loans from the Auto Crisis?

Yes

Why are most Canadian products exported to the US?

Because production in forestry, mining, and auto industries is greater than what the Canadian market can absorb.

What cities are included in the "Technology Triangle of Canada"?

Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge

What 2 large US cities border ON and have close relationships with the province economically and culturally?

Detroit, Michigan

Buffalo, NY

What are 5 geographic impacts of urbanization?

1. farms are subdivided into smaller units = less production

2. there is a reluctance to plant new trees

3. greater demand for services (infrastructure, schools, garbage collection, HC)

4. speculation

5. there is a lack of confidence in farming (it is not considered a good long-term investment)

What does speculation mean?

holding land in anticipation of future development may lead to high land prices

The areas of ON within 100km of Toronto have higher growth rates than anywhere else in the province.

What is this influenced by?

Public transit connections

Where does the Golden Horseshoe's name come from?

From the horseshoe-like shape of the land around the western end of Lake Ontario

What is the most densely populated area in Canada?

the Golden Horseshoe

What is the most populous city in Canada?

What is a major driving force of its population growth?

Toronto

Immigration = major driving force of population growth

Toronto is the financial capital of Canada and is home to:

main offices of national banks and investment firms

what is the second largest city in ON?

Where is it located?

Ottawa
- found on the Ottawa River across from Gatineau, QC