Chapter 2 The lnterior Plains YUKON NORTHWEST NUNAVUT TERRITORIES Hi, I’m Sasha. My family has a large wheat farm in BRITISH ALBERTA Gull Lake, Saskatchewan. That’s in the COLUMBIA MANITOBA Interior Plains. This region of Canada is SASKATCHEWAN often called the “Big Sky Country.” It has that nickname because there are lots of flat, open areas with low hills, so the sky seems to go on forever. Big Question My family earns money from an oil company because we How can we use natural have an oil pump at the back of our property. resources to meet our needs and wants while protecting We’re so lucky. God has given this region so many gifts the environment? to use, like fertile soil for farming and oil for drilling. Learning Goals Sometimes, I wonder if we are using these gifts in a way • identify the characteristics that shows we care for the environment. of the Interior Plains and the human activities that take An oil pump sits in a wheat field place there in Gull Lake, Saskatchewan. In • formulate questions the background is a grain elevator • evaluate the effects that where grain is stored before it is drilling for oil has on the transported to other places. environment Our Faith In a speech about the environment, Pope Francis called for ... respect and protection of the entire creation which God has entrusted to humans. 26 Many Gifts Unit 1 NEL What Are the Physical Features and Climate of the Region? Did You Know? Millions of years ago, Physical Features dinosaurs roamed the The physical features of this region include plains, rolling Interior Plains. Thousands prairie grasslands, foothills, large lakes, long rivers, and of dinosaur fossils have wetlands. Plains are flat, or low, gently rolling lands. been found in Drumheller Valley in Alberta. This Foothills are rolling hills that rest at the base of a area is also known as mountain system. Wetlands are swampy areas of land Dinosaur Valley. that are partially flooded all year. Physical Features of the Interior Plains ARCTIC Legend OCEAN lowlands and plains hills and plateaus foothills grasslands coniferous forests tundra wetlands YUKON province/territory capital city/town province/territory boundary NORTHWEST TERRITORIES international boundary Yellowknife Hoodoos, like the ones in this NUNAVUT photo, are a unique physical feature that can be found throughout Drumheller Valley. Over a very long time, the forces of wind and water shaped these rock formations. In the Cree and ALBERTA BRITISH R Niitsitapi traditions, hoodoos are E SASKATCHEWAN COLUMBIA IV R giants who come alive at night CA Fort McMurray AS MANITOBA and throw rocks at any intruders. AB ATH N Edmonton W E Gull Lake S DRUMHELLER VALLEY Regina Winnipeg 0 360 km NEL Chapter 2 The Interior Plains 27 Climate Think back to how the climate in the Cordillera is affected by the Pacific Ocean. In the Interior Plains, there are no Catholic massive bodies of water to affect the climate. Connection In the Bible, winds can The climate of the Interior Plains is affected by dry westerly symbolize, or mean, winds that have dropped most of their moisture while many things, including crossing the Cordillera. In winter in southern Alberta, change, violence, sometimes westerly winds are strong enough to push warm destruction, warmth, or speed. air over the Rocky Mountains. These warm winds are called chinooks. Chinooks bring warm, dry air to the region. In the northern part of the region, north winds bring cold air south from the Arctic. There are no mountains to block the cold air. This makes winters in this part of the region very cold. Climate Zones of the Interior Plains °C Cape Parry mm °C Hay River mm 30 120 30 120 20 100 20 100 Legend Cape Parry 10 80 10 80 dry and very cold year-round 0 60 0 60 cold winter; hot –10 40 N summer; drier –10 40 West in the north Arctic –20 20 –20 20 W E cold winter; very Zone hot summer; very –30 0 –30 0 dry in the south Jan Apr July Oct Jan Apr July Oct S city/town Hay River °C Medicine Hat mm international Legend Northern boundary 30 120 average daily Interior 20 100 temperature Zone 10 80 average monthly precipitation 0 60 Prairie Medicine Zone –10 40 Hat 0 400 km –20 20 –30 0 Jan Apr July Oct Explore and Apply 1 Compare the climate zones of the Interior Plains with those of the Cordillera. 2 Imagine you are a TV weather reporter. Choose a city and month from the climate graphs above. Create a weather report for one day. 28 Many Gifts Unit 1 NEL Who Are the People of the Region? First Nations peoples and Inuvialuit were the first people to live in this region. Today, Alberta, Manitoba, Faith in and Saskatchewan have some of the largest First Nations Action populations in Canada. First Nations peoples in these Catholic schools in provinces include Nêhiyawak, Niitsitapi, Dakota, Hamilton–Wentworth participate in Newcomer and Lakota. Orientation Week, or NOW. Around 500 years ago, Europeans came to this region. This project matches newcomers with peer They came for many reasons, including farming and trading leaders. The project helps goods for furs with First Nations peoples. Some European newcomers feel at home in men married First Nations women. Their children are called their new schools. Métis. More than 96 000 Métis live in Alberta. This makes Alberta home to the largest number of Métis in Canada. Today, people from all over the world and other parts of Canada come to live in this region. In recent years, many immigrants from the Philippines and China have been making this region their home. Immigrants are people who leave their home countries to live permanently in other countries. Many immigrants are drawn by the jobs in the mining and oil industries. Many people in the Interior Plains work in tourism. For example, every July, tourism workers organize the Canadian Badlands Passion Play in Drumheller, Alberta. The play re-enacts the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The outdoor stage was chosen because of how similar the land looks to the hills of Judea, the land that Jesus walked. Explore and Apply 1 List some of the benefits of living in this region. Next, list some of the challenges. Create a poster to attract people to this region. Be sure 2 to include the reasons they should consider moving. NEL Chapter 2 The Interior Plains 29 How Do People Use the Gifts from God? The Interior Plains is rich in natural resources, such as oil, Thinking about minerals, and fertile soil. These resources have helped Cause and this region develop mining, farming, and other primary Consequence industries. A primary industry is a business, trade, or In 1947, a huge oil field operation that makes use of natural resources. was found in Leduc, Alberta. This was the start of the modern oil Mining industry in the province. Drilling for oil and natural gas and mining potash are What impact do you think important primary industries in the Interior Plains. Potash this discovery has had is a mineral used in fertilizers to help crops grow. on the people and the environment in Alberta? In order to drill for oil, companies need to get permission from the Canadian government. Before making a decision, the government uses environmental reports to determine how a drilling project will affect the land, water, plants, and animals. One way companies reach the oil in the ground is with oil pumps. Open-pit mining is another method. First, miners use machines to dig a huge hole in the ground. Then, they dig out the oil-soaked earth. The oil must be separated from the earth, which is a complicated process that uses a lot of hot water. Some of the water can be cleaned and reused, but some of it is full of toxic waste. In recent years, better methods have been developed to reach the oil and improve the impact of mining on the environment. For example, oil companies can reuse water in the separation process. This is a potash mine in Saskatchewan. Building mines destroys natural areas and habitats. When mines are no longer operating, mining companies must, by law, return the sites to their natural state. 30 Many Gifts Unit 1 NEL Farming and Ranching Farming is an important primary industry in the Interior Plains. Crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and corn are Catholic Connection grown here. These grains are all used to make different In the past, Communion types of flour. Processing wheat into flour is a secondary wafers were made by a industry. Secondary industries process natural baker chosen by each local resources to manufacture, or make, products. church. Only that person was allowed to touch the Some people in this region raise cattle for meat. Raising wheat used for the hosts. A animals, such as cattle, is called ranching. Alberta special oven was also used. produces nearly half of all Canadian beef. Producing beef Today, large companies creates many types of jobs in the Interior Plains, from carefully produce Communion wafers in ranching and meat processing to cooking and serving in bulk for most churches in restaurants. Restaurants and grocery stores are examples Canada. A group of nuns, of tertiary industries. Tertiary industries provide services, the Sisters Adorers of the including transportation and banking. Precious Blood, also make Communion wafers. People are always researching ways to improve farming and produce new and stronger varieties of crops. These are quaternary industries. Quaternary industries are information based and include education and research.