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Canada’s National Core

Extends from Quebec in the east City Regional Landscapes of the to Windsor in the west. and More than 50% of Canada’s people Canada’s National Core live here.

Prof. Anthony Grande Includes 5 of Canada’s 10 ©AFG 2013 largest cities: WINDSOR (#1) (#2) (#4) Hamilton (#9) Plus, it includes prime agricultural land.

Quebec (#10) 2

National Core Canada’s National Core

Term used in political geography to refer to • Historically, a contested region with a cultural (1) the original area from which a country divide (English/French). subsequently grew and developed; and/or • Distinctive landscape and toponymy. (2) a region containing a country’ s greatest • A highly productive agricultural area. development, wealth, and densest • Contains Canada’s chief urban-industrial populations; and/or area. (3) the part of a country where people have • The St. Lawrence Seaway allows ocean- the clearest sense of national identity. going vessels access to the entire region. All three apply to Canada’s Core Region. 3 4

Physical Environment Core Area of of the Core Canada Moderate climate, long growing Called Canada’s “Main season Street” because it and contains over half of good soils Canada’ s population . allowed an agricultural base to develop. Ample precipitation Young, fertile glacial soils

5 6 Climate moderated by . Long frost-free period

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Main Street vis-à-vis Megalopolis Settlement in the Core

This area was settled early in the colonial period. French came from the east. (Cartier 1535; settlement 1608). French English came from the south. (Late 1700s after French & Indian War and again after the American Rev). English encouraged settlement to counter the existing French influence. (English Protestants vs. UPPER French Catholics). CANADA

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Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs A Sports Rivalry? French-speaking Canadians A Cultural Geography? French-speaking Canadians have resisted assimilation from the time of the English take-over.

French Language as a Mother Tongue All Canadians - 23% Quebec – 82% New Brunswick – 33% – 6% 9 Nova Scotia – 4% 10

Quebec Sovereignty Movement Quebec Sovereignty Movement

A political action aimed at • Negative impact on the economy of Quebec. the secession of Quebec Many companies (especially foreign-owned ones) and the creation of a new decided to relocate, because of the proposed French-speaking country. “French language-only” laws. If successful would divide • Further attempts at secession are currently unlikely due to devolution and realization of Canada into 3 pieces: potentially negative consequences. Quebec (the new nation), the Defeated twice. Rural areas tended to Maritime provinces (which would favor secession. Urban (Devolution: surrender of power to local authorities by a be isolated from western Canada), and areas (esp. Montreal) central government.) the rest of Canada. largely opposed it. 11 12

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Canadian Toponomy

“Quebec” comes from an Algonquin word/term The French cultural kébec, meaning “where the river narrows.” capital of Canada.

“Canada” comes from a Wendat (Huron-Iroquoian)  An acropolis site word kanata, meaninggg “village.” that commands the place where the St. In 1535 native people used kanata to direct the Lawrence estuary meets French explorer Jacques Cartier to a village near the much narrower river. the site of present-day Quebec City.  A chokepoint at Kanata became Canada, and got applied to the which water travel can entire region, and later to the entire country. be controlled.

Source: http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography-boundary/geographical-name/geoname-origins/5875 13 14

Quebec City with La Citadelle Battle of Quebec French and Indian War To Atlantic Ocean

La Citadelle overlooks the St. City of Lawrence River Quebec and controls river traffic that has to slow down to British troops make the curve. scale the heights at Quebec, Sept. 13,1759 See maps in 15 historical atlas. 16

French Long-lot System The Seigneurial System

Officially known as the  Large land grants (seigneuries) were awarded by the Seigneurial System. king to entrepreneurs (seigneurs), who sub-granted parcels (rotoures) to peasant colonist-farmers System of land division (habitants). involving long narrow  Each rotoure was150-200 yards wide and arranged lots used by the French perpendicular to the St. Lawrence River and during colonial times. extended about a mile inland.  After river frontage was occupied, roads This system guaranteed were extended inland to create a new access to property. rank (rang) of rotoures. No property owner could  This was repeated inland as needed. be isolated or dependent on his neighbor. 17 18

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Seigneurial System Seigneurial System Ile d’Orleans, Quebec Quebec

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Location of Montreal on the Site of Montreal St. Lawrence River • Located at the head of navigation of the St. Lawrence River. • Located at the junc- tion of a T-shaped QUEBEC CITY lowland area (where the Lowland meets the St. Lawrence River Valley). MONTREAL • Land routes radiate OTTAWA from the site.

Lake Champlain 21 22

Lachine Rapids on the St. Lawrence R. Montreal (between the Island of Montreal and south shore)

Canada’s most important eastern port city. The world’s 2nd largest French-speaking city.

Rapids blocked inland movement of ships (head of navigation) until the St. Lawrence Seaway was built. 23 24

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St. Lawrence Seaway St. Lawrence Seaway

It extends from Montreal to (includes the A system of locks, canals and channels that Canal and the channels that weave through permit ocean-going ships to travel from the the Thousand Islands between NYS and Ontario). Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. Navigational facilities allow ocean-going ships to reach the western tip of Lake Superior over 2400 mi. The system was jointly built from the Atl anti c. by the United States and Canada between 1950-56.

It is jointly administered and maintained.

An example of international cooperation between two countries along a common border. 25 26

Great Lakes/Seaway Profile Thousand Islands Region with location of locks between Canada and the United States

Extends from Cornwall, Ont. and Massena, NY to Kingston, Ont. and Cape Vincent, NY.

Consists of over 1000 rocky outcrops that geologically link the to the Adirondack Mts.

To be classified an island, there must be a tree or bush on it. Otherwise it is a shoal.

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Thousand Islands Section Eisenhower Locks St Lawrence Seaway St. Lawrence Seaway Massena, NY

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Niagara Escarpment Niagara Escarpment Bisects the Core Region,

The Niagara Escarpment is a cuesta (exposed edge of resistant rock formation). Extends from western NYS through southern Ontario and into Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois. It is responsible for many waterfalls, the most famous of which is Niagara Falls. 31 32

Niagara Falls (a beautiful impediment to shipping) Niagara Falls

Niagara Escarpment

Horseshoe Falls, Canadian side of Niagara Falls 33 34

The Welland Canal

The Welland Canal was built to counter America’s building of the Erie Canal.

It links Niagara Falls with Lake Erie. Allows ships to get around Niagara Falls by raising and lower- ing them over the Niagara Escarpment. 35 36

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Canada’s National Core Ontario Peninsula Agriculture

• Good soils; flat land • Relatively mild climate • Relatively long growing season • Proximity to large cities and many people. • Well-educated and fully mechanized farmers. 37 38

Ottawa National Core Interior Boundary

• Canada’s capital and 4th largest city • Site selected in1857 – Only town of size on the border between East and Canada West French (now Quebec and Ontario) OTTAWA – A geographical compro- mise between English and French speaking areas – Relatively immune to possible American attack (a lesson from the )

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Ottawa: Parliament building in winter Toronto: LANDSAT Image

Originally noted for its small protected harbor and portage to .

HARBOR Canada’s largest city and 5th largest in North America. Has a better hinterland than Montreal.

41 Has excellent links to the US Midwest region. 42

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Toronto Hamilton

Located in the center of the “” which extends from Toronto to the . A sandbar provides it with a natural protected harbor. It is a center for heavy industry, About 25% of all producing c.60% Canadians live in the of Canada’s steel. Toronto metro area.

It is a world financial center as well as a diversified The Niagara Escarpment is to its south. manufacturing city. More than 100 waterfalls have been identified within its boundaries, so Hamilton is known 43 as the "City of Waterfalls." 44

Windsor Windsor and Vicinity

Canada’s southernmost city at western end of the Core. Located on the . Strategic site in colonial times. Now a major border crossing. Focus of Canada’s automotive, food processing and wine making industries.

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