Chapter 9: Canadian Provinces and Territories
Understanding the geography, history, and unique characteristics of Canada's provinces and territories is crucial for anyone seeking to become a Canadian citizen. This chapter will provide a comprehensive overview of each province and territory, covering their capitals, key features, and important historical events, making it easier to appreciate the diverse landscape of Canada.
Overview
Canada is composed of ten provinces and three territories, each with its own distinct geography, culture, and government. Provinces have more autonomy from the federal government, particularly in areas like education and health care, while territories have powers delegated by the federal government. Canada is the second-largest country in the world by area, covering 10 million square kilometers, and is bordered by three oceans: the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Arctic Ocean to the north. It shares a long and secure border with the United States to the south.
The National Capital
Ottawa, the capital of Canada, was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1857. It is located on the Ottawa River, which separates Ontario and Quebec. Ottawa is the fourth largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a population of over 1.4 million people. It is known for its federal government institutions, vibrant cultural scene, and historical significance.
Provinces and Territories
Canada has ten provinces and three territories. The ten provinces are Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. The three territories are Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon.
Five Regions of Canada
- The Atlantic Provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
- Central Canada: Ontario and Quebec.
- The Prairie Provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.
- The West Coast: British Columbia.
- The Northern Territories: Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.
The Atlantic Provinces
The Atlantic Provinces are known for their coastal scenery, natural resources, and rich maritime history. This region includes New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Atlantic Ocean brings cool winters and humid summers to the region.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Capital: St. John's
Key Features: Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost point in North America and has its own time zone. The province has a unique heritage linked to the sea, being the oldest colony of the British Empire and a strategic prize in Canada’s early history. It is known for its fisheries, coastal fishing villages, and distinct culture. The province also has a substantial off-shore oil and gas extraction industry, while Labrador has immense hydro-electric resources.
Prince Edward Island
Capital: Charlottetown
Key Features: The smallest province in Canada, Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.), is known for its red soil, beaches, and potato farms. P.E.I. is the birthplace of Confederation, the process that united the British colonies into Canada in 1867. The province is linked to mainland Canada by the Confederation Bridge, one of the longest continuous multi-span bridges in the world.
Nova Scotia
Capital: Halifax
Key Features: Nova Scotia is the most populous Atlantic Province. It has the world’s highest tides in the Bay of Fundy. Nova Scotia’s culture and economy are linked to the sea, with shipbuilding, fisheries, and shipping as main industries. Halifax is the capital, a major port, and a center for trade and defense in the Atlantic region. Nova Scotia’s culture is influenced by Celtic and Gaelic traditions. The province hosts over 700 annual festivals, including the military tattoo in Halifax.
New Brunswick
Capital: Fredericton
Key Features: New Brunswick is a province in the Appalachian Range founded by the United Empire Loyalists. It has the St. John River system, the second largest river system on the Atlantic coast of North America. Main industries are forestry, agriculture, fisheries, mining, food processing, and tourism. Saint John is the biggest city, port, and manufacturing center; Moncton is the main Acadian Francophone center; Fredericton is the historic capital. New Brunswick is the only province with official bilingualism, and French is the language of work and life for about one-third of the population. The province celebrates its Loyalist and French cultural heritage and history with street festivals and traditional music.
Central Canada
Central Canada consists of Ontario and Quebec, the two largest and most populous provinces in Canada. This region is the country’s industrial and manufacturing core, with more than 50% of Canadians living in urban and rural areas near the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Central Canada experiences warm humid summers and cold winters. Ontario and Quebec together account for over 75% of Canada’s total manufactured goods.
Ontario
Capital: Toronto
Key Features: Ontario has a diverse culture, rich natural resources, and a strategic location that contribute to a vital economy. Toronto is Canada’s largest city and financial center. Many people work in services or manufacturing, which export a lot of goods. The Niagara region is known for its vineyards, wines, and fruit crops. Ontario farmers produce dairy, beef, poultry, and vegetable and grain crops. Ontario was founded by United Empire Loyalists and has the most French-speakers outside Quebec, who preserve their language and culture. Ontario shares five Great Lakes with the U.S., including Lake Superior, the world’s largest freshwater lake.
Quebec
Capital: Quebec City
Key Features: In Quebec, most people live near the St. Lawrence River. Quebec is mainly French-speaking, with more than three-quarters of the population speaking French as their first language. The province has many industries based on the resources of the Canadian Shield, such as forestry, energy, and mining. Quebec is the main producer of pulp and paper and hydro-electricity in Canada. Montreal is the second largest city in Canada and the second largest French-speaking city in the world after Paris. Montreal is famous for its cultural diversity.
The Prairie Provinces
The Prairie Provinces include Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. This region is known for its fertile farmland and abundant energy resources. The climate is mostly dry, with hot summers and cold winters.
Manitoba
Capital: Winnipeg
Key Features: Agriculture, mining, and hydro-electric power are the main economic activities in Manitoba. Winnipeg is the biggest city in Manitoba and has a famous street intersection called Portage and Main. Winnipeg also has a large French Quarter, St. Boniface, where 45,000 people speak French. Manitoba also has the highest percentage of Aboriginal people in any province, at over 15%, and a large Ukrainian community, with 14% of the population.
Saskatchewan
Capital: Regina
Key Features: Saskatchewan grows the most grains and oilseeds in Canada, as it has 40% of the country’s arable land. It also has a rich natural resource base, with the world’s best uranium and potash deposits, as well as oil and natural gas production. Regina is home to the training academy of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The largest city, Saskatoon, is the center of the mining industry and an important center for education, research, and technology.
Alberta
Capital: Edmonton
Key Features: Alberta is the most populous Prairie province and the top producer of oil and gas in Canada. The oil sands in the north are a major energy source, and Alberta is also known for agriculture, especially for the large cattle ranches that make Canada one of the world’s big beef producers. Alberta has five national parks, such as Banff National Park, which was established in 1885 and is the oldest one. Alberta and the world-famous Lake Louise in the Rocky Mountains were both named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, who was Queen Victoria’s fourth daughter.
The West Coast
British Columbia, located on the Pacific coast, is known for its stunning natural beauty, including the majestic mountains and the Pacific coastline. The Port of Vancouver is the largest and busiest port in Canada, trading goods worth billions of dollars around the world. The B.C. coast enjoys a mild climate due to the warm air streams from the Pacific Ocean.
British Columbia
Capital: Victoria
Key Features: British Columbia is the province on the Pacific coast. The Port of Vancouver connects us to the Asia-Pacific. B.C. has the biggest park system in Canada, with about 600 provincial parks. The capital, Victoria, is a place for tourists and the navy’s Pacific fleet. Forestry products, such as lumber, newsprint, and pulp and paper, make up half of what B.C. produces. B.C. also has mining, fishing, and the fruit orchards and wine industry of the Okanagan Valley. The province has many Asian communities, and Chinese and Punjabi are the most common languages after English in the cities.
The Northern Territories
The Northern Territories of Canada, including Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon, cover one-third of the country’s land area. They have rich mineral resources, such as gold, lead, copper, diamond, and zinc, and developing oil and gas industries. The North is also called the “Land of the Midnight Sun” due to the long daylight hours in summer. The climate is long and cold in winter and short and cool in summer. Inuit art from the North is popular and sold worldwide.
Northwest Territories
Capital: Yellowknife
Key Features: The capital of Northwest Territories is Yellowknife, which has 20,000 people and is known as the “diamond capital of North America.” The Northwest Territories were formed in 1870 from two areas called Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory. More than half of the people are Aboriginal, including Dene, Inuit, and Métis. The Mackenzie River is the second-longest river system in North America, after the Mississippi. It is 4,200 kilometers long and covers an area of 1.8 million square kilometers.
Yukon
Capital: Whitehorse
Key Features: The Yukon was the site of the Gold Rush in the 1890s, when thousands of miners came looking for gold. Robert W. Service wrote poems about this time. Mining is still an important part of the economy. The White Pass and Yukon Railway goes from Skagway in Alaska to Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon. It is a tourist attraction that crosses high passes and bridges. The Yukon has the coldest temperature ever recorded in Canada (-63°C).
Nunavut
Capital: Iqaluit
Key Features: Nunavut, meaning “our land” in Inuktitut, was created in 1999 from part of the Northwest Territories. The capital is Iqaluit, formerly Frobisher Bay after an English explorer who came to the Arctic in 1576. Most of the people are Inuit, and Inuktitut is the main language.