Ottawa Wildlife

I wander the internet from time to time, checking out the travel sites of all those exotic destinations that I haven’t been able to visit.

I particularly like to read about the native flora and fauna; all of those species unusual and beautiful from far flung lands. Something like the slide show as you scroll down this page.

It occurred to me that our local wildlife, accustomed though we are to seeing it, may be just as exotic to folks from other lands as their animal life is to me.

So, to all you visitors from countries without our animals, birds and plants, here’s an introduction to Ottawa wildlife; the walking, crawling, and flying things that you might see in and around Ottawa, Ontario, Canada when you come for a visit.

Moose

Nope, I didn’t take this photo. My thanks to Carole Morris of Alaska for the use of it.

I have seen moose just outside of Ottawa on our local Highway 7; just never got a good picture of them.

The traditional forage area for these magnificent creatures extends through and to the southeast of Ottawa. They are well protected save for an annual hunting season, so there are lots around. Rumour has it that they are spreading farther south as things warm up in their traditional grounds.

It seems at least once a year or so that the animal rescue squad, police and fire-departments are called into someone’s suburban Ottawa backyard to extricate a moose from their swimming pool.

Brother Sam, living about 35 km southeast of Ottawa was sitting in his gazebo one afternoon a summer or two ago, and a bull moose, standing about 6′ at the shoulder wandered into his backyard, stood looking unconcerned for a moment, and then wandered off into the neighbour’s property.

Will you see a moose every time you come to Ottawa? Nope. They are pretty shy. But you do want to be extra careful driving the highways around Ottawa late evening and in the night. Moose are hard to see, being dark-furred animals, and they are so huge that the typical small car will drive right under them. Under them until the passenger compartment collides with the moose’s belly, with disastrous results, that is.

Whitetail Deer

Now this photo I did take last fall. I currently live outside of Ottawa, and these fellows were busy eating away at the cracked corn and seed I place outside in the winter (and summer) for the birds.

If you are in downtown Ottawa in the concrete and pavement area, of course, whitetails will be hard to find.

Get to the outskirts, Ottawa’s Greenbelt area for example, or any backyard in Ottawa that backs onto a larger woodlot, and whitetail deer will be there.

Watch wide open fields around Ottawa and along the less urbanized stretches of the Ottawa or Rideau Rivers particularly in the evening. You will see these graceful and shy creatures at the edges of the green.

To farmers and gardeners, whitetails are a real pest. Not omnivorous, the list of things they will eat seems to far outstretch the list of things they won’t. We used to have tulips and small dogwoods. Not any more! 🙂

In the evening, particularly as you are leaving Ottawa, watch out for whitetail deer adjacent to and crossing the highways. They appear as if by magic, and it’s a rare day in the Ottawa area where a deer / vehicle collision doesn’t take place.

Chipmunk

From early spring until late fall this little ground-dwelling member of the squirrel family provides pleasure and pain to Ottawa residents.

In the wild the chipmunk lives in the forest. In the urban environment, the black and white side-striped creature is everywhere, and particularly, at any sort of bird feeder as they stuff their cheeks round as ping-pong balls, taking and hoarding the food intended for our winged friends.

They dig elaborate burrows and their approximately 2″ (5 cm) diameter holes can be found in lawns, sides of the road, between tree roots, and of course, right smack dab in the middle of your prized flower garden.

The pleasure is derived from their cheery “chip, chip, chip” call as they scurry about sourcing food and that they are easily tamed if you care to spend a few minutes each day in your backyard with some sunflower seeds or peanuts handy. You’ll soon have them eating out your hand, literally.

The pain? They eat flowers and flower bulbs like crazy, and can quickly dig and destroy beds of flowers.

Raccoon

It doesn’t matter where you are in Ottawa, if you’ve got a bit of greenery, and open garbage can, a bit of food refuse cast carelessly aside, you’ll find this masked marauder.

The raccoon is ubiquitous.

It’s a nocturnal animal, so you rarely see one during the day, though the one in the photo was raiding one of our bird feeders early one morning, and when I went outside, rather than dropping to the ground and scurrying away, he bolted up the tree and posed for this photo.

Don’t let their cute ring tailed, and black masked-eyes fool you. If you corner one, or your dog or cat gets into a scrap with one, the raccoon’s formidable claws and teeth will ensure that it prevails. If the one in the photo hadn’t run up the tree, but rather had felt cornered and braced me, I’d have given way immediately.

They are omnivorous. If there’s food around, so too will be the raccoon, in every Ottawa backyard (and sometimes front yard too!).

Garter Snake

This little fellow is common throughout North America.

Sometimes not so little, getting up to about 1-1.5 meters (3-5 feet) in length, most encounters will be with much smaller snakes.

In the Ottawa area you’ll see garter snakes most early mornings and late afternoons in the summer. During spring and fall you’ll most often see them during mid-day on a sun-warmed rock or pathway, while trying to keep their cold blood warm. For normal winters the garter snakes around Ottawa, and much of Canada, are snuggled up in their dens to survive the frigid conditions above ground.

They are very useful critters to have around, munching on insects, frogs, and sometimes even rodents. They swim well and skim across small ponds and lakes, while sometimes stopping to catch a small fish or tadpole.

They secrete a smelly substance if you pick them up, and they will bite. Their bite isn’t poisonous, but it does sting a bit. That I can tell you for sure.

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About Pelee Island

Situated at the southernmost point of Canada, Pelee Island is 10,000 acres of idyllic vineyards, farms, beaches, parks and forestry. Over half of America’s 50 states are north of Pelee Island including Northern California.

Pelee Island is on the same latitude as the prestigious wine regions of the world (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and France). The island is home to approximately 150 permanent residents, many of whom are involved in service or agriculture.

The main road stretches around the perimeter of the island and provides an excellent route to cycle or walk. If you plan to stay the night, there are a number of beautiful Bed and Breakfasts to accommodate; all serving Pelee Island Wines.

Pelee Island is home to the rarest natural habitat in the country. Over 10,000 unique species inhabit Pelee Island including the Honey Locust, Hop Tree, Prickly Pear Cactus and Sassafras.

While the island has developed it’s trademarked reputation with wine experts and enthusiasts, naturalist enthusiasts also enjoy the island’s unspoiled beauty and rustic simplicity. Birders may witness seasonal migrations of hundreds of species. From year to year, foxes and coyotes also call the island their home as do rare snakes such as the Blue Racer.

Along with its natural beauty, the island offers a host of activities, including fishing, hiking and biking. Visit the Vin Villa ruins; the invaluable remains of Canada’s first commercial winery. Stop at Lighthouse Point and Fish Point or drive along one of the amazing dykes that crisscross the island.

The nautical museum located on the west dock exhibits evidence of the hundreds of shipwrecks in Lake Erie’s shallow waters during storms and naval battles. There’s also an amazing exhibit on
Al Capone and his Rum Runners who used Pelee Island as a point of embarkation to Ohio during the years of Prohibition.

Pelee Island Winery reflects its unique heritage, both the naturalist and human histories of the island, with every label we produce.

Monday thru Friday, Pelee Island Winery offers group packages that include a walking tour of our facility and sampling of five wines from our list, as well as a barbeque lunch.

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About Life in Canada

Some Interesting Facts about Canada At 9,984,670 square kilometres (3,855,103 square miles), Canada is the second-largest country in the world. From east to west, it stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean; north to south, it extends from the United States to the Arctic Ocean. To drive from Halifax, on Canada’s east coast, to Vancouver, on the west coast, takes seven days. Here are some other statistics and details you might not be aware of. The Physical Geography Canada is made up of ten provinces and three territories within five geographic regions. The Atlantic Region — Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador Central Canada — Ontario and Quebec The Prairies — Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta The West Coast — British Columbia The North — the Yukon and Northwest Territories and Nunavut Ontario and Quebec have the most people, the northern territories the fewest. Review Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s map of Canada for more useful information about geography. The People Although it’s the second-largest country in the world, Canada is one of the least densely populated. According to Statistics Canada, the population in 2006 was about 32,623,500 people — an average 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometre. Most of Canada’s population — 80% — lives less than 250 kilometres from the U.S. border. The Cities Canada’s three largest cities are Toronto, Ontario (about 5.3 million people); Montreal, Quebec (3.6 million); and Vancouver, British Columbia (2.2 million). To find out more about a Canadian city, town or village, use Statistics Canada’s Community Profiles. You can choose a location and get up-to-date information on its population, land area, education, income and work, families and dwellings, and births and deaths. The Language Canada has two official languages: French and English. You must speak at least one of these in order to become a Canadian citizen. About 6.6 million Canadians cite French as their mother tongue. Most of them live in Quebec, but almost 1 million reside in other provinces. The Atlas de la francophonie provides a breakdown of the French-speaking population by province and territory. The Culture Part of what makes Canada unique is the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, which recognizes and values cultural diversity. Canada features a great range of ethnic and cultural communities. In general, people from more than 150 countries move to Canada every year. Many newcomers settle in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and other urban centres where ethnic neighbourhoods play a vital role in keeping these cities vibrant and growing. The Climate People who have never been to Canada often think that it’s always cold, all across the land. The truth, however, is quite different. Being a large country, Canada has a wide range of climates and temperatures. Most of the country has four distinct seasons (winter, spring, summer and fall). The table below shows the average daytime high temperatures (in Celsius) for the coldest and warmest months in 17 major cities: City and province/territory Coldest month: average high (C) Warmest month: average high (C) St. John’s, Newfoundland Feb: -1.4 July: 20.2 Charlottetown, PEI Jan: -3.4 July: 23.1 Halifax, Nova Scotia Feb: -1.5 July: 23.4 Fredericton, New Brunswick Jan: -4 July: 25.6 Montreal, Quebec Jan: -9 July: 21 Quebec City, Quebec Jan: -7.7 July: 24.9 Ottawa, Ontario Jan: -10 July: 21 Toronto, Ontario Jan: -1.3 July: 26.5 Winnipeg, Manitoba Jan: -13.2 July: 26.1 Regina, Saskatchewan Jan: -11 July: 26.1 Calgary, Alberta Jan: -9 July: 16 Edmonton, Alberta Jan: -8.2 July: 23.0 Vancouver, B.C. more ditail : www.hostebook.com Jan: 3 July

Canadian Rockies Weather

Canadian Rockies Weather

Weather in the Canadian Rockies may be much different than what you are used to. The weather in high altitude like Lake Louise, Jasper National Park, Banff National Park, Golden and Canmore is subject to change without notice. In general, this means you should be prepared for the worst, although most of the time, you’ll be getting the absolute best.

General Weather Overview

The Summer climate (July/August) brings low humidity, warm temperatures and extended daylight hours lasting until 11 p.m. at the height of the summer equinox.

The Autumn season (Sept/Oct) sees a diminishing of daylight hours and warm days with cooling evening winds. The first snows being to fall on the Canadian Rockies sometime in November (though it can and does snow whenever nature dictates – we have had major blizzards leave several feet of snow in mid-summer).

The snow is usually staying for the winter by November with the first of several winter storms coming in from the Pacific heralding the arrival of ski season. Sometime during the month of December/January the Rockies usually experience a brief two week cold snap with temperatures plummeting into the low -30 degree C/F range but the average temperature during the winter months is around -12º C (6º F).

Luckily, throughout the winter months, Banff and areas west and south regularly receive a welcome weather phenomenon, known as Chinooks, which can produce spring-like temperatures in a matter of hours.

Spring begins sometime in March, but the snow stays until mid April when rain and warming temperatures melt winter away from the valleys – snow does not leave the mountain passes until mid-summer. May and June are the Rockies’ rainy periods, though we have awoke in May to foot of snow. While the average precipitation is relatively low during this time, snowmelt pushes the rivers to their crests.

The UV rating for Banff and surrounding area is usually high to extremely high throughout the year. Because of our altitude and the suns’ angle of incidence in our section of the world, people tend to burn much faster than usual — bring along sunscreen, a shade hat and a pair of sunglasses.

Elevations of prominent points and towns.

Location	Altitude (meters)	Altitude (feet)
Golden	785	2574
Rogers Pass	1,327	4,340
Kicking Horse Pass	1,650	5,340
Lake Louise (Village)	1,540	5,052
Lake Louise (Lake)	1,731	5,680
Banff	1,384	4,540
Bow Summit **	2,067	6.780
Jasper	1,061	3,478
Calgary	1,077	3,531

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Yukon

Yukon
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: none
Capital	Whitehorse
Largest city	Whitehorse
Largest metro	Whitehorse
Official languages	English, French
Demonym	Yukoner
Government
Commissioner	Geraldine Van Bibber
Premier	Dennis Fentie (Yukon Party)
Federal representation	in Canadian Parliament
House seats	1
Senate seats	1
Confederation	June 13, 1898 (9th)
Area	Ranked 9th
Total	482,443 km2 (186,272 sq mi)
Land	474,391 km2 (183,163 sq mi)
Water (%)	8,052 km2 (3,109 sq mi) (1.7%)
Population	Ranked 12th
Total (2009)	33,442 (est.)[1]
Density	0.065 /km2 (0.17 /sq mi)
GDP	Ranked 12th
Total (2006)	C$1.596 billion[2]
Per capita	C$51,154 (3rd)
Abbreviations
Postal	YT
ISO 3166-2	CA-YT
Time zone	UTC-8
Postal code prefix	Y
Flower	Fireweed
Tree	Subalpine Fir
Bird	Common Raven
Website	http://www.gov.yk.ca
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Yukon (pronounced /ˈjuːkɒn/), (or The Yukon), is the westernmost and smallest of Canada’s three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River, Yukon meaning “Great River” in Gwich’in.

The territory was created in 1898 as the Yukon Territory. The federal government’s most recent update of the Yukon Act in 2003 confirmed “Yukon”, rather than “Yukon Territory”, as the current usage standard.^[3]

At 5,959 metres (19,551 ft), Yukon’s Mount Logan, in Kluane National Park and Reserve, is the highest mountain in Canada and the second highest of North America (after Mount McKinley in the U.S. state of Alaska).

Geography and ecology

Main article: Geography of the Yukon

Map of the Yukon.

The sparsely populated Yukon abounds with snow-melt lakes and perennial snow-capped mountains. Although the climate is Arctic and subarctic and very dry, with long, cold winters, the long sunshine hours in short summer allow hardy crops and vegetables, along with a profusion of flowers and fruit to blossom.

The territory is the approximate shape of a right triangle, bordering the U.S. state of Alaska to the west for 1,210 km (752 miles) mostly along longitude 141° W, the Northwest Territories to the east and British Columbia to the south. Its northern coast is on the Beaufort Sea. Its ragged eastern boundary mostly follows the divide between the Yukon Basin and the Mackenzie River drainage basin to the east in the Mackenzie mountains. Its capital is Whitehorse.

Canada’s highest point, Mount Logan (5,959 m/19,551 ft), is found in the territory’s southwest. Mount Logan and a large part of the Yukon’s southwest are in Kluane National Park and Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other national parks include Ivvavik National Park and Vuntut National Park in the north.

Most of the territory is in the watershed of its namesake, the Yukon River. The southern Yukon is dotted with a large number of large, long and narrow glacier-fed alpine lakes, most of which flow into the Yukon River system. The larger lakes include Teslin Lake, Atlin Lake, Tagish Lake, Marsh Lake, Lake Laberge, Kusawa Lake and Kluane Lake. Bennett Lake on the Klondike Gold Rush trail is a lake flowing into Nares Lake, with the greater part of its area within the Yukon.

Other watersheds include the Mackenzie River and the Alsek–Tatshenshini, as well as a number of rivers flowing directly into the Beaufort Sea. The two main Yukon rivers flowing into the Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories are the Liard River in the southeast and the Peel River and its tributaries in the northeast.

Notable widespread tree species within the Yukon are the Black Spruce and White Spruce. Many trees are stunted because of the short growing season and severe climate.^[4]

The capital, Whitehorse, is also the largest city, with about two-thirds of the population; the second largest is Dawson City, (pop. 1,250) which was the capital until 1952.

History

Main article: History of the Yukon

Richardson Mountains in the background

Long before the arrival of Europeans, central and northern Yukon escaped glaciation as it was part of Beringia (Bering land bridge). The volcanic eruption of Mount Churchill near the Alaska border blanketed southern Yukon with a layer of ash which can still be seen along the Klondike Highway. Coastal and inland First Nations already had extensive trading networks and European incursions into the area only began early in the 19th century with the fur trade, followed by missionaries and the Western Union Telegraph Expedition.

By the end of the 19th century gold miners were trickling in on rumours of gold, driving a population increase justifying the setting up of a police force, just in time for the start of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897. The increased population coming with the gold rush led to the separation of the Yukon district from the Northwest Territories and the formation of the separate Yukon Territory in 1898.

Tourism

The Yukon Sign

Yukon’s tourism motto is “Larger than life”.^[10] The Yukon’s major appeal is its nearly pristine nature. Tourism relies heavily on this, and there are many organised outfitters and guides available to hunters and anglers and nature lovers of all sorts. Sports enthusiasts can paddle lakes and rivers with canoes and kayaks, ride or walk trails, ski or snowboard in an organized setting or access the backcountry by air or snowmobile, climb the highest peaks of North America or take a family hike up smaller mountains, or try ice climbing and dog sledding. Yukon also has a wide array of cultural and sporting events and infrastructures that attract artists, participants and tourists from all parts of the world (Yukon International Storytelling Festival, Frostbite Music Festival,^[11] Dawson Music Festival,^[12] Yukon Quest, Sourdough Rendezvous, the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre,^[13] Northern Lights Centre,^[14] Klondike Gold Rush memorials and activities, “Takhini Hot Springs”, and the Whitehorse fish ladder.^[15]

There are many opportunities to experience pre-colonial lifestyles by learning about Yukon’s First Nations.^[16] Wildlife and nature observation is exceptional and a wide variety of large mammals, birds, and fish are easily accessible, whether or not within Yukon’s many territorial^[17] parks (Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park,^[18] Tombstone Territorial Park,^[19] Fishing Branch Ni’iinlii’njik Park,^[20] Coal River Springs Territorial Park)^[21] and national parks (Kluane National Park and Reserve, Vuntut National Park, Ivvavik National Park) and reserves, or nearby Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park in British Columbia.

On the long, cold, and clear nights of winter, nature provides the ultimate natural spectacle in the form of aurora borealis.

Transportation

Before modern forms of transportation, the rivers and mountain passes were the main transportation routes for the coastal Tlingit people trading with the Athabascans of which the Chilkoot Pass and Dalton Trail, as well as the first Europeans.

From the Gold Rush until the 1950s, riverboats plied the Yukon River, mostly between Whitehorse and Dawson City, with some making their way further to Alaska and over to the Bering Sea, and other tributaries of Yukon River such as the Stewart River. Most of the riverboats were owned by the British-Yukon Navigation Company, an arm of the White Pass and Yukon Route, which also operated a narrow gauge railway between Skagway, Alaska, and Whitehorse. The railway ceased operation in the 1980s with the first closure of the Faro mine. It is now run during the summer months for the tourism season, with operations as far as Carcross.

Today, major land routes include the Alaska Highway, the Klondike Highway (between Skagway and Dawson City), the Haines Highway (between Haines, Alaska, and Haines Junction), and the Dempster Highway (linking Inuvik, Northwest Territories to the Klondike Highway), all paved except for the Dempster. Other highways with less traffic include the “Robert Campbell Highway” linking Carmacks (on the Klondike Highway) to Watson Lake (Alaska Highway) via Faro and Ross River, and the “Silver Trail” linking the old silver mining communities of Mayo, Elsa and Keno City to the Klondike Highway at the Stewart River bridge. Air travel is the only way to reach the far north community of Old Crow.

Whitehorse International Airport serves as the air transport infrastructure hub, with direct flights to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Fairbanks, and Frankfurt (summer months). Every Yukon community is served by an airport. The communities of Dawson City, Old Crow, and Inuvik, have regular passenger service through Air North. Air charter businesses exist primarily to serve the tourism and mining exploration industries.

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Vancouver

Vancouver
A high resolution panorama of Vancouver with the mountains behind, looking roughly north from the vicinity of Broadway and Oak Street. The bridge on the left of the image is the Granville Street Bridge.
Flag Coat of arms Logo
Motto: “By Sea, Land, and Air We Prosper”
Location of Vancouver within the Greater Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia, Canada Coordinates: 49°15′N 123°6′W / 49.25°N 123.1°W / 49.25; -123.1
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	Lower Mainland
Regional District	Metro Vancouver
Incorporated	1886
Government
– Mayor	Gregor Robertson (Vision Vancouver)
– City Council	List of Councilors[show] Suzanne Anton (NPA) David Cadman (COPE) George Chow (Vision) Heather Deal (Vision) Kerry Jang (Vision) Raymond Louie (Vision) Geoff Meggs (Vision) Andrea Reimer (Vision) Tim Stevenson (Vision) Ellen Woodsworth (COPE)
Area
– City	114.67 km2 (44.3 sq mi)
– Metro	2,878.52 km2 (1,111.4 sq mi)
Elevation	2 m (7 ft)
Population (2006 Census)[1]
– City	578,041(Ranked 8th)
– Density	5,335/km2 (13,817.6/sq mi)
– Metro	2,116,581 (Ranked 3rd)
– Demonym	Vancouverite
Time zone	PST (UTC−8)
– Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC−7)
Postal code span	V5K to V6Z
Area code(s)	604, 778
NTS Map	092G03
GNBC Code	JBRIK
Website	City of Vancouver

Vancouver (pronounced /vænˈkuːvər/) is a coastal city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is named for British Captain George Vancouver, who explored the area in the 1790s. The name Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch “van Coevorden,” denoting somebody from Coevorden, a city in the Netherlands.^[2]

The largest metropolitan area in Western Canada, Vancouver ranks third largest in the country and the city proper ranks eighth.^[3][4] According to the 2006 census Vancouver had a population of just over 578,000^[1] and its Census Metropolitan Area exceeded 2.1 million people.^[1] Its residents are ethnically and linguistically diverse; 52% do not speak English as their first language.^[5][6]

Logging sawmills established in 1867 in the area known as Gastown became the nucleus around which the townsite grew, and Vancouver was incorporated as a city in 1886. By 1887, the transcontinental railway was extended to the city to take advantage of its large natural seaport, which soon became a vital link in a trade route between the Orient, Eastern Canada, and London.^[7][8] The Port Metro Vancouver is now the busiest and largest in Canada, as well as the fourth largest port (by tonnage) in North America.^[9] While forestry remains its largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an urban centre surrounded by nature, making tourism its second largest industry.^[10] It also is the third largest film production centre in North America after Los Angeles and New York City, earning it the nickname Hollywood North.^[11][12]

Vancouver has ranked highly in worldwide “livable city” rankings for more than a decade according to business magazine assessments.^[13][14] It has hosted many international conferences and events, including the 1976 United Nations Conference on Human Settlements and the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication. The 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics are being held in Vancouver and nearby Whistler, a resort community 125 km (78 miles) north of the city starting February 12, 2010.^[15]

History

Main article: History of Vancouver

See also: Timeline of Vancouver history

Indigenous peoples and European exploration

Archaeological records indicate the presence of Aboriginal people in the Vancouver area from 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.^[16][17] The city is located in the traditional territories of Skwxwú7mesh, Xwméthkwyiem, and Tseil-waututh peoples of the Coast Salish group.^[18] They had villages in various parts of present-day Vancouver, such as Stanley Park, False Creek, Kitsilano, Point Grey and near the mouth of the Fraser River.^[17]

A portrait of the first Vancouver City Council meeting after the 1886 fire. The tent shown was on the east side of the 100 block Carrall.^[19]

The first European to explore the coastline of present-day Point Grey and parts of Burrard Inlet was José María Narváez of Spain, in 1791, although Samuel Bawlf contends that Francis Drake may have visited the area in 1579.^[20] George Vancouver explored the inner harbour of Burrard Inlet in 1792 and gave various places British names.^[21]

The explorer and North West Company trader Simon Fraser and his crew were the first known Europeans to set foot on the site of the present-day city. In 1808, they travelled from the east down the Fraser River, perhaps as far as Point Grey, near the University of British Columbia.^[22]

Early growth

The Fraser Gold Rush of 1858 brought over 25,000 men, mainly from California, up the Fraser River, via New Westminster (founded Feb 14 1859) on the Fraser River which was the access to the BC interior, bypassing what would become Vancouver.^[23][24][25] Vancouver is among British Columbia’s youngest cities;^[26] the first European settlement in what is now Vancouver was not until 1862 at McLeery’s Farm on the Fraser River, just east of the ancient village of Musqueam in what is now Marpole. A sawmill established at Moodyville (now the City of North Vancouver) in 1863, began the city’s long relationship with logging. It was quickly followed by mills owned by Captain Edward Stamp on the south shore of the inlet. Stamp, who had begun lumbering in the Port Alberni area, first attempted to run a mill at Brockton Point, but difficult currents and reefs forced the relocation of the operation to a point near the foot of Gore Street. This mill, known as the Hastings Mill, became the nucleus around which Vancouver formed. The mill’s central role in the city waned after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 1880s. It nevertheless remained important to the local economy until it closed in the 1920s.^[27]

The settlement which came to be called Gastown grew up quickly around the original makeshift tavern established by “Gassy” Jack Deighton in 1867 on the edge of the Hastings Mill property.^[26][28] In 1870, the colonial government surveyed the settlement and laid out a townsite, renamed “Granville” in honour of the then-British Secretary of State for the Colonies, Lord Granville. This site, with its natural harbour, was eventually selected as the terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway to the disappointment of Port Moody, New Westminster and Victoria, all of which had vied to be the railhead. A railway was among the inducements for British Columbia to join the Confederation in 1871, but the Pacific Scandal and arguments over the use of Chinese labour delayed construction until the 1880s.^[29]

Panorama of Vancouver, 1898.

Incorporation

The City of Vancouver was incorporated on 6 April 1886, the same year that the first transcontinental train arrived. CPR president William Van Horne arrived in Port Moody to establish the CPR terminus recommended by Henry John Cambie, and gave the city its name in honour of George Vancouver.^[26] The Great Vancouver Fire on 13 June 1886, razed the entire city. The Vancouver Fire Department was established that year and the city quickly rebuilt.^[27] Vancouver’s population grew from a settlement of 1,000 people in 1881 to over 20,000 by the turn of the century and 100,000 by 1911.^[30]

Vancouver merchants outfitted prospectors bound for the Klondike Gold Rush in 1898.^[23] One of those merchants, Charles Woodward, had opened the first Woodward’s store at what is now Georgia and Main Streets in 1892 and, along with Spencer’s and the Hudson’s Bay department stores, formed the core of the city’s retail sector for decades.^[31]

The economy of early Vancouver was dominated by large companies such as the CPR, which provided capital for the rapid development of the new city. While some manufacturing did develop, natural resources became the basis for Vancouver’s economy. The resource sector was initially based on logging and later on exports moving through the seaport, where commercial traffic constituted the largest economic sector in Vancouver by the 1930s.^[32]

20th century

The dominance of the economy by big business was accompanied by an often militant labour movement. The first major sympathy strike was in 1903 when railway employees struck against the CPR for union recognition. Labour leader Frank Rogers was killed by CPR police while picketing at the docks, becoming the movement’s first martyr in British Columbia.^[33] The rise of industrial tensions throughout the province led to Canada’s first general strike in 1918, at the Cumberland coal mines on Vancouver Island.^[34] Following a lull in the 1920s, the strike wave peaked in 1935 when unemployed men flooded the city to protest conditions in the relief camps run by the military in remote areas throughout the province.^[35][36] After two tense months of daily and disruptive protesting, the relief camp strikers decided to take their grievances to the federal government and embarked on the On-to-Ottawa Trek,^[36] but their protest was put down by force. The workers were arrested near Mission and interned in work camps for the duration of the Depression.^[37]

Other social movements, such as the first-wave feminist, moral reform, and temperance movements were also influential in Vancouver’s development. Mary Ellen Smith, a Vancouver suffragist and prohibitionist, became the first woman elected to a provincial legislature in Canada in 1918.^[38] Alcohol prohibition began in the First World War and lasted until 1921, when the provincial government established control over alcohol sales, a practice still in place today.^[39] Canada’s first drug law came about following an inquiry conducted by the federal Minister of Labour and future Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King. King was sent to investigate damages claims resulting from a riot when the Asiatic Exclusion League led a rampage through Chinatown and Japantown. Two of the claimants were opium manufacturers, and after further investigation, King found that white women were reportedly frequenting opium dens as well as Chinese men. A federal law banning the manufacture, sale, and importation of opium for non-medicinal purposes was soon passed based on these revelations.^[40]

Amalgamation with Point Grey and South Vancouver gave the city its final contours not long before it became the third largest metropolis in the country. As of 1 January 1929, the population of the enlarged Vancouver was 228,193 and it filled the entire peninsula between the Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River.^[41]

Geography

Further information: Bodies of water in Vancouver and Lower Mainland Ecoregion

Officially designated neighbourhoods of Vancouver (local and urban usage varies)

Located on the Burrard Peninsula, Vancouver lies between Burrard Inlet to the north and the Fraser River to the south. The Strait of Georgia, to the west, is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by Vancouver Island. The city has an area of 114 km² (44 sq mi), including both flat and hilly ground, and is in the Pacific Time Zone (UTC−8) and the Pacific Maritime Ecozone.^[42] Until the city’s naming in 1885, “Vancouver” referred to Vancouver Island, and it remains a common misconception that the city is located on the island. The island and the city are both named after Royal Navy Captain George Vancouver, though the city of Vancouver, Washington, on the north bank of the Columbia River opposite Portland, Oregon, is only indirectly named for Captain Vancouver; that city’s name was adapted from Fort Vancouver, which had been the headquarters of the Columbia District of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the largest settlement in the Pacific Northwest until the Oregon Treaty of 1846.

Stanley Park with the downtown buildings in the background

Vancouver has one of the largest urban parks in North America, Stanley Park, which covers 404.9 hectares (1001 acres).^[43] The North Shore Mountains dominate the cityscape, and on a clear day scenic vistas include the snow-capped volcano Mount Baker in the state of Washington to the southeast, Vancouver Island across the Strait of Georgia to the west and southwest, and the Bowen Island to the northwest.^[44]

Ecology

Windmill palms are an indicator of the city’s temperate climate in comparison to the rest of Canada. These are shown near English Bay.

The vegetation in the Vancouver area was originally temperate rain forest, consisting of conifers with scattered pockets of maple and alder, and large areas of swampland (even in upland areas, due to poor drainage).^[45] The conifers were a typical coastal British Columbia mix of Douglas-fir, Western red cedar and Western Hemlock.^[46] The area is thought to have the largest trees of these species on the British Columbia Coast. Only in Seattle’s Elliott Bay did the size of trees rival those of Burrard Inlet and English Bay. The largest trees in Vancouver’s old-growth forest were in the Gastown area, where the first logging occurred, and on the southern slopes of False Creek and English Bay, especially around Jericho Beach. The forest in Stanley Park was logged between the 1860s and 1880s, and evidence of old-fashioned logging techniques such as springboard notches can still be seen there.^[47]

Many plants and trees growing throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland were imported from other parts of the continent and from points across the Pacific. Various species of palm trees grow in the city, as do large numbers of other exotic trees such as the monkey puzzle tree, the Japanese Maple, and various flowering exotics, such as magnolias, azaleas, and rhododendrons. Some rhododendrons have grown to immense sizes, as have other species imported from harsher climates in Eastern Canada or Europe. The native Douglas Maple can also attain a tremendous size. Many of the city’s streets are lined with flowering varieties of Japanese cherry trees donated from the 1930s onward by the government of Japan. These flower for several weeks in early spring each year. Other streets are lined with flowering chestnut, horse chestnut and other decorative shade trees.^[48]

Climate

Main article: Climate of Vancouver

Vancouver’s climate is temperate by Canadian standards and is usually classified as Oceanic or Marine west coast (Köppen climate classification Cfb). The summer months are typically dry, often resulting in moderate drought conditions, usually in July and August. In contrast, the rest of the year is rainy, especially between October and March.

Annual precipitation as measured at Vancouver Airport in Richmond averages 1,199 millimetres (47.2 in), though this varies dramatically throughout the metro area due to the topography and is considerably higher in the downtown area. In winter, a majority of days (again at Vancouver Airport) receive measurable precipitation. Summer months are drier and sunnier with moderate temperatures, tempered by sea breezes. The daily maximum averages 22 °C (72 °F) in July and August, with highs occasionally reaching 30 °C (86 °F).^[49] The highest temperature ever recorded was 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) on 30 July 2009.^[50][51] On average, snow falls on eleven days per year, with three days receiving 6 centimetres (2.4 in) or more. Average yearly snowfall is 48.2 centimetres (19.0 in) but typically does not remain on the ground for long.^[52] Winters in Greater Vancouver are the fourth mildest of Canadian cities after nearby Victoria, Nanaimo and Duncan, all on Vancouver Island.^[53] Vancouver has daily minimum temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) for an average of 46 days per year and below −10 °C (14.0 °F) on two days per year. On average, 4.5 days a year have temperatures staying below freezing.

[hide]Weather data for Vancouver International Airport, Richmond, BC
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	15.3 (60)	18.4 (65)	19.4 (67)	25 (77)	30.4 (87)	30.6 (87)	34.4 (94)	33.3 (92)	29.3 (85)	23.7 (75)	18.4 (65)	14.9 (59)	34.4 (94)
Average high °C (°F)	6.1 (43)	8 (46)	10.1 (50)	13.1 (56)	16.5 (62)	19.2 (67)	21.7 (71)	21.9 (71)	18.7 (66)	13.5 (56)	9 (48)	6.2 (43)	13.7 (57)
Daily mean °C (°F)	3.3 (38)	4.8 (41)	6.6 (44)	9.2 (49)	12.5 (55)	15.2 (59)	17.5 (64)	17.6 (64)	14.6 (58)	10.1 (50)	6 (43)	3.5 (38)	10.1 (50)
Average low °C (°F)	0.5 (33)	1.5 (35)	3.1 (38)	5.3 (42)	8.4 (47)	11.2 (52)	13.2 (56)	13.4 (56)	10.5 (51)	6.6 (44)	3.1 (38)	0.8 (33)	6.5 (44)
Record low °C (°F)	-17.8 (-0)	-16.1 (3)	-9.4 (15)	-3.3 (26)	0.6 (33)	3.9 (39)	6.7 (44)	6.1 (43)	0 (32)	-5.9 (21)	-14.3 (6)	-17.8 (-0)	-17.8 (-0)
Precipitation mm (inches)	153.6 (6.05)	123.1 (4.85)	114.3 (4.5)	84 (3.31)	67.9 (2.67)	54.8 (2.16)	39.6 (1.56)	39.1 (1.54)	53.5 (2.11)	112.6 (4.43)	181 (7.13)	175.7 (6.92)	1,199 (47.2)
Sunshine hours	60.4	84.6	134.1	182.4	230.7	229.1	294.5	267.9	199.1	124.8	64.3	56.1	1,928
Source: Environment Canada[52] May 2009

Cityscape

A view of English Bay from the Burrard Bridge

Urban planning

Main article: Vancouverism

At 5,335 people per km² (13,817.6 people per mi²) in 2006, Vancouver has a high population density relative to most other North American cities. Urban planning in Vancouver is characterized by high-rise residential and mixed-use development in urban centres, as an alternative to sprawl.^[54] This has been credited^{[by whom?]} in contributing to the city’s high rankings in livability.

This approach originated in the late 1950s, when city planners began to encourage the building of high-rise residential towers in Vancouver’s West End,^[55] subject to strict requirements for setbacks and open space to protect sight lines and preserve green space. The success of these dense but livable neighbourhoods led to the redevelopment of urban industrial sites, such as North False Creek and Coal Harbour, beginning in the mid-1980s. The result is a compact urban core that has gained international recognition for its “high amenity and ‘livable’ development.”^[56] More recently, the city has been debating “ecodensity”—ways in which “density, design, and land use can contribute to environmental sustainability, affordability, and livability.”^[57]

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Toronto

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This article is about the Canadian city. For other uses, see Toronto (disambiguation).

City of Toronto
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): T.O., T-Dot, Hogtown, The Queen City, The Big Smoke, Toronto the Good, The City Within a Park
Motto: Diversity Our Strength
Location of Toronto and its census metropolitan area in the province of Ontario
Coordinates: 43°42′59.72″N 79°20′26.47″W / 43.7165889°N 79.3406861°W / 43.7165889; -79.3406861Coordinates: 43°42′59.72″N 79°20′26.47″W / 43.7165889°N 79.3406861°W / 43.7165889; -79.3406861
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Districts	East York, Etobicoke, North York, Old Toronto, Scarborough, York
Established	August 27, 1793
Incorporated	March 6, 1834
Amalgamated	January 1, 1998 from Metropolitan Toronto
Government
– Mayor	David Miller
– Council	Toronto City Council
– MPs	List of MPs Carolyn Bennett John Cannis Olivia Chow Ken Dryden Kirsty Duncan Martha Hall Findlay Michael Ignatieff Jim Karygiannis Gerard Kennedy Jack Layton John McKay Dan McTeague Maria Minna Rob Oliphant Bob Rae Yasmin Ratansi Judy Sgro Mario Silva Michelle Simson Alan Tonks Joe Volpe Borys Wrzesnewskyj
– MPPs	List of MPPs Laura Albanese Bas Balkissoon Lorenzo Berardinetti Margarett Best Laurel Broten Donna Cansfield David Caplan Mike Colle Cheri DiNovo Brad Duguid Eric Hoskins Monte Kwinter Rosario Marchese Gerry Phillips Michael Prue Shafiq Qaadri Tony Ruprecht Mario Sergio Peter Tabuns Kathleen Wynne David Zimmer
Area [1][2]
– City	630 km2 (243.2 sq mi)
– Urban	1,749 km2 (675.3 sq mi)
– Metro	7,125 km2 (2,751 sq mi)
Elevation	76 m (249 ft)
Population (2006)[1][2]
– City	2,503,281 (1st)
– Density	3,972/km2 (10,287.4/sq mi)
– Urban	UA: 4,753,120 (1st)
– Metro	CMA: 5,113,149 (1st)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code span	M
Area code(s)	(416) and (647)
NTS Map	030M11
GNBC Code	FEUZB
Website	toronto.ca

Toronto (pronounced /təˈrɒntoʊ/, colloquially /ˈtrɒnoʊ/ or /təˈrɒnoʊ/) is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in Southern Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe, which is home to 8.1 million residents and has approximately 25% of Canada’s population.^[3][4][5] The census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 5,113,149,^[1] and the Greater Toronto Area had a population of 5,555,912 in the 2006 Census.^[4]

As Canada’s economic capital, Toronto is considered a global city^[6] and is one of the top financial centres in the world.^[7][8] Toronto’s leading economic sectors include finance, business services, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, media, arts, film, television production, publishing, software production, medical research, education, tourism and sports industries.^[9][10] The Toronto Stock Exchange, the world’s seventh largest, is headquartered in the city, along with most of Canada’s corporations.

Toronto’s population is cosmopolitan and international,^[11] reflecting its role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada.^[12] Toronto is one of the world’s most diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, as about 49% of the population were born outside of Canada.^[11][12][13] Because of the city’s low crime rates, clean environment, high standard of living, and friendly attitude to diversity, Toronto is consistently rated as one of the world’s most livable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit^[14] and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.^[15] In addition, Toronto was ranked as the most expensive Canadian city in which to live in 2006^[update].^[16] Residents of Toronto are called Torontonians.

History

Main articles: History of Toronto, Name of Toronto, and Amalgamation of Toronto

When Europeans first arrived at the site of present-day Toronto, the vicinity was inhabited by the Huron tribes, who by then had displaced the Iroquois tribes that had occupied the region for centuries before c. 1500. The name Toronto is likely derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto, meaning “place where trees stand in the water”.^[17] It refers to the northern end of what is now Lake Simcoe, where the Huron had planted tree saplings to corral fish. A portage route from Lake Ontario to Lake Huron running through this point, the Toronto Carrying-Place Trail, led to widespread use of the name.

French traders founded Fort Rouillé on the current Exhibition grounds in 1750, but abandoned it in 1759.^[18] During the American Revolutionary War, the region saw an influx of British settlers as United Empire Loyalists fled for the unsettled lands north of Lake Ontario. In 1787, the British negotiated the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of New Credit, thereby securing more than a quarter million acres (1000 km²) of land in the Toronto area.^[19]

In 1793 Governor John Graves Simcoe established the town of York on the existing settlement, naming it after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. Simcoe chose the town to replace Newark as the capital of Upper Canada,^[20] believing the new site would be less vulnerable to attack by the Americans.^[21] Fort York was constructed at the entrance of the town’s natural harbour, sheltered by a long sand-bar peninsula. The town’s settlement formed at the eastern end of the harbour behind the peninsula, near the present-day intersection of Parliament Street and Front Street (in the Corktown-St. Lawrence area).

Map of Toronto, 1894

In 1813 as part of the War of 1812, the Battle of York ended in the town’s capture and plunder by American forces.^[22] The surrender of the town was negotiated by John Strachan. American soldiers destroyed much of Fort York and set fire to the parliament buildings during their five-day occupation. The sacking of York was a primary motivation for the Burning of Washington by British troops later in the war. York was incorporated as the City of Toronto on March 6, 1834, reverting to its original native name. The population of only 9,000 included escaped African American slaves fleeing Black Codes in some states.^[23] Slavery was banned outright in Upper Canada in 1834. Reformist politician William Lyon Mackenzie became the first Mayor of Toronto and led the unsuccessful Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837 against the British colonial government. The city grew rapidly through the remainder of the 19th century, as a major destination for immigrants to Canada. The first significant population influx occurred with the Great Irish Famine brought a large number of Irish to the city, some of them transient and most of them Catholic. By 1851, the Irish-born population had become the largest single ethnic group in the city. Smaller numbers of Protestant Irish immigrants were welcomed by the existing Scottish and English population, giving the Orange Order significant and long lasting influence over Toronto society.

Part of the series on

History of Toronto

History

Town of York (1793–1834) City of Toronto (1834–1954) Metropolitan Toronto (1954–1998) ‘Megacity’ Toronto (1998–present)

Events

Toronto Purchase 1787 Battle of York 1813 Battle of Montgomery’s Tavern 1837 Great Fire of Toronto 1904 Hurricane Hazel (effects) 1954 Amalgamation 1967 1998

Other

Etymology of ‘Toronto’ History of Neighbourhoods Oldest buildings and structures

Timeline of Toronto history

Toronto portal · v • d • e

Toronto was twice for brief periods the capital of the united Province of Canada first from 1849–1852, following unrest in Montreal, and later 1856-1858 after which Quebec became capital until 1866 (one year before Confederation); since then, the capital of Canada has remained Ottawa.^[24] As it had been for Upper Canada from 1793, Toronto became the capital of the province of Ontario after its official creation in 1867, the seat of government located at the Ontario Legislature located at Queen’s Park. Because of its provincial capital status, the city was also the location of Government House, the residence of the vice-regal representative of the Crown.

In the 19th century an extensive sewage system was built, and streets became illuminated with gas lighting as a regular service. Long-distance railway lines were constructed, including a route completed in 1854 linking Toronto with the Upper Great Lakes. The Grand Trunk Railway and the Northern Railway of Canada joined in the building of the first Union Station in downtown. The advent of the railway dramatically increased the numbers of immigrants arriving, commerce and industry, as had the Lake Ontario steamers and schooners entering port before which enabled Toronto to become a major gateway linking the world to the interior of the North American continent.

The Great Toronto Fire of 1904.

Toronto became the largest alcohol distillation (in particular spirits) centre in North America, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery operations became the world’s largest whiskey factory by the 1860s. A preserved section of this once dominant local industry remains in the Distillery District, the harbour allowed for sure access of grain and sugar imports used in processing. Expanding port and rail facilities brought in Northern Timber for export and imported Pennsylvania coal, industry dominated the waterfront for the next 100 years.

Horse-drawn streetcars gave way to electric streetcars in 1891, when the city granted the operation of the transit franchise to the Toronto Railway Company. The public transit system passed into public ownership in 1921 as the Toronto Transportation Commission, later renamed the Toronto Transit Commission. The system now has the third-highest ridership of any city public transportation system in North America.^[25]

The Great Toronto Fire of 1904 destroyed a large section of downtown Toronto, but the city was quickly rebuilt. The fire had cost more than $10 million in damage, led to more stringent fire safety laws, and the expansion of the city’s fire department. In 1954, a half-century later, disaster struck the city again when Hurricane Hazel brought intense winds and flash flooding. In the Toronto area, 81 people were killed, nearly 1,900 families were left homeless, and the hurricane caused more than $25 million in damage.^[26]

Toronto Harbour, 1919. Union Station can be seen under construction.

The city received new immigrant groups beginning in the late 19th century into early 20th century, particularly Germans, French, Italians, and Jews from various parts of Eastern Europe. They were soon followed by Chinese, Russians, Poles and immigrants from other Eastern European nations, as the Irish before them, many of these new migrants lived in overcrowded shanty type slums, such as “the Ward” which was centred on Bay Street, now the heart of the country’s finances. Despite its fast paced growth, by the 1920s Toronto’s population and economic importance in Canada remained second to the much longer established Montreal. However, by 1934 the Toronto Stock Exchange had become the largest in the country.

Following the Second World War refugees from war-torn Europe and Chinese job-seekers arrived. So too did construction labourers, particularly from Italy and Portugal. Following elimination of racially based immigration policies by the late 1960s, immigration began from all parts of the world. Toronto’s population grew to more than one million in 1951 when large-scale suburbanization began, and doubled to two million by 1971. By the 1980s, Toronto had surpassed Montreal as Canada’s most populous city and the chief economic hub.

Subway construction on Yonge Street, 1949

During this time, in part owing to the political uncertainty raised by the resurgence of the Quebec sovereignty movement, many national and multinational corporations moved their head offices from Montreal to Toronto and other western Canadian cities.^[27]

In 1954 the City of Toronto and 12 surrounding municipalities were federated into a regional government known as Metropolitan Toronto.^[28] The postwar boom had resulted in rapid suburban development, and it was believed that a coordinated land use strategy and shared services would provide greater efficiency for the region. The metropolitan government began to manage services that crossed municipal boundaries, including highways, police services, water and public transit. In 1967, the seven smallest municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto were merged into their larger neighbours, resulting in a six-municipality configuration that included the old, i.e. pre-1954 City of Toronto and the surrounding municipalities of East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and York. In 1998, the metropolitan government was dissolved by the Provincial Government in the face of vigorous opposition from the smaller component municipalities and all six municipalities were amalgamated into a single municipality, creating the current City of Toronto, where David Miller is the current Mayor.

The city celebrated its 175th anniversary on March 6, 2009, since its in inception as the City of Toronto in 1834.

Geography

A simulated-colour image of Toronto taken by NASA’s Landsat 7 satellite from 1985. Yonge Street can clearly be seen bisecting the city just right of centre in the image. The other prominent road, running east-west, is Highway 401.

Toronto Harbour

Main article: Geography and climate of Toronto

Toronto covers an area of 630 square kilometres (243 sq mi),^[29] with a maximum north-south distance of 21 kilometres (13 mi) and a maximum east-west distance of 43 km (27 mi). It has a 46-kilometre (29 mi) long waterfront shoreline, on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. The Toronto Islands and Port Lands extend some distance out into the lake, allowing for a somewhat sheltered Toronto Harbour immediately south of the downtown core.^[30] The city’s borders are formed by Lake Ontario to the south, Etobicoke Creek and Highway 427 to the west, Steeles Avenue to the north and the Rouge River to the east.

Climate

Late spring scene in High Park, in Toronto’s west end

Toronto’s climate is moderate for Canada owing to its southerly location within the country. It has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), with warm, humid summers and cold winters. The city experiences four distinct seasons, with considerable variance in day to day temperature, particularly during the colder weather season. Owing to urbanization and its proximity to water, Toronto has a fairly low diurnal temperature range (day-night temperature difference). The denser urban scape makes for warmer nights year around and is not as cold throughout the winter than surrounding areas (particularly north of the city); however, it can be noticeably cooler on many spring and early summer afternoons under the influence of a lake breeze. Other low-scale maritime effects on the climate include lake effect snow, fog and delaying of spring- and fall-like conditions, known as seasonal lag.

Early winter scene at the intersection of Dundas Street and University Avenue

Toronto winters sometimes feature short cold snaps where maximum temperatures remain below −10 °C (14 °F), often made to feel colder by wind chill. Snowstorms, sometimes mixed with ice and rain can disrupt work and travel schedules, accumulating snow can fall any time from November until mid-April. However, mild stretches with temperatures in the 5 to 12 °C (41 to 54 °F) range and infrequently higher also occur in most winters melting accumulated snow. Summer in Toronto is characterized by long stretches of humid weather. Usually in the range from 23 °C (73 °F) to 31 °C (88 °F), daytime temperatures occasionally surpass 35 °C (95 °F) accompanied by high humidity making it feel oppressive during these brief periods of hot weather. Spring and autumn are transitional seasons with generally mild or cool temperatures with alternating dry and wet periods.

Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, but summer is usually the wettest season, the bulk falling during thunderstorms. There can be periods of dry weather, but drought-like conditions are rare. The average yearly precipitation is 834 mm (33 in), with an average annual snowfall of about 133 cm (52 in). Toronto experiences an average of 2,038 sunshine hours, or 44% of daylight hours, varying between a low of 27% in December to 59% in July.^[32]

Weather data for The Annex, Toronto, ON
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	16.1 (61)	14.4 (58)	26.7 (80)	32.2 (90)	34.4 (94)	36.7 (98)	40.6 (105)	38.9 (102)	37.8 (100)	30.0 (86)	23.9 (75)	19.9 (68)	40.6 (105)
Average high °C (°F)	-1.1 (30)	-0.2 (32)	4.6 (40)	11.3 (52)	18.5 (65)	23.5 (74)	26.4 (80)	25.3 (78)	20.7 (69)	13.8 (57)	7.4 (45)	1.8 (35)	12.7 (55)
Daily mean °C (°F)	-4.2 (24)	-3.3 (26)	1.3 (34)	7.6 (46)	14.2 (58)	19.2 (67)	22.2 (72)	21.3 (70)	17.0 (63)	10.6 (51)	4.8 (41)	-1.0 (30)	9.2 (49)
Average low °C (°F)	-7.3 (19)	-6.3 (21)	-2.0 (28)	3.8 (39)	9.9 (50)	14.8 (59)	17.9 (64)	17.3 (63)	13.2 (56)	7.3 (45)	2.2 (36)	-3.7 (25)	5.6 (42)
Record low °C (°F)	-32.8 (-27)	-31.7 (-25)	-26.7 (-16)	-15.0 (5)	-3.9 (25)	-2.2 (28)	3.9 (39)	4.4 (40)	-2.2 (28)	-8.9 (16)	-20.6 (-5)	-30.0 (-22)	-32.8 (-27)
Precipitation mm (inches)	61.2 (2.41)	50.5 (1.99)	66.1 (2.6)	69.6 (2.74)	73.3 (2.89)	71.5 (2.81)	67.5 (2.66)	79.6 (3.13)	83.4 (3.28)	64.7 (2.55)	75.7 (2.98)	71.0 (2.8)	834 (32.83)
Snowfall cm (inches)	38.2 (15)	26.6 (10.5)	22.0 (8.7)	6.0 (2.4)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.1 (0)	8.1 (3.2)	32.2 (12.7)	133.1 (52.4)
Sunshine hours	88	110	156	185	229	256	276	241	188	148	84	75	2,038
Source: Environment Canada[33] August 2009

Weather data for Toronto Pearson International Airport 1971−2000
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	16.7 (62)	14.9 (59)	25.6 (78)	31.1 (88)	34.4 (94)	36.7 (98)	37.6 (100)	38.3 (101)	36.7 (98)	30.6 (87)	25.0 (77)	20.0 (68)	38.3 (101)
Average high °C (°F)	−2.1 (28)	−1.1 (30)	4.1 (39)	11.5 (53)	18.8 (66)	23.7 (75)	26.8 (80)	25.6 (78)	21.0 (70)	13.9 (57)	7.0 (45)	0.9 (34)	12.5 (55)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−6.3 (21)	−5.4 (22)	-0.5 (31)	6.3 (43)	12.9 (55)	17.8 (64)	20.8 (69)	19.8 (68)	15.3 (60)	8.9 (48)	3.2 (38)	−2.9 (27)	7.5 (46)
Average low °C (°F)	−10.5 (13)	−9.7 (15)	−5.0 (23)	1.0 (34)	6.9 (44)	11.9 (53)	14.8 (59)	14.0 (57)	9.6 (49)	3.9 (39)	−0.7 (31)	−6.7 (20)	2.5 (37)
Record low °C (°F)	−31.3 (-24)	−31.1 (-24)	−28.9 (-20)	−17.2 (1)	−5.6 (22)	0.6 (33)	3.9 (39)	1.1 (34)	−3.9 (25)	−8.3 (17)	−18.3 (-1)	−31.1 (-24)	−31.3 (-24)
Precipitation mm (inches)	52.2 (2.06)	42.6 (1.68)	57.1 (2.25)	68.4 (2.69)	72.5 (2.85)	74.2 (2.92)	74.4 (2.93)	79.6 (3.13)	77.5 (3.05)	64.1 (2.52)	69.3 (2.73)	60.9 (2.4)	792.7 (31.21)
Source: Environment Canada[34] 2009-02-17
Source #2: Extremes from 1937−2002, all other data from 1971−2000[35] 2009-02-17

Cityscape

360-degree panorama of Toronto, Canada, as seen from the CN Tower. The Toronto Islands and the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Lake Ontario are visible on the left side of the image.

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St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

City of St John’s
Top – St. John’s Skyline, Middle left – The Rooms, Bottom left – Water Street, Right – Cabot Tower
Flag
Nickname(s): “The City of Legends”
Motto: Avancez (French: “Go forward”)
Location of St John’s in Newfoundland
Coordinates: 47°34′3″N 52°42′26″W / 47.5675°N 52.70722°W / 47.5675; -52.70722
Country	Canada
Province	Newfoundland and Labrador
Census division	1
Established	August 5, 1583 by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I
Government
– Type	City Council
– Mayor	Dennis O’Keefe
– Governing body	St. John’s City Council
– MPs	List of MPs Jack Harris Siobhán Coady
– MHAs	List of MHAs Ed Buckingham John Dinn Kathy Dunderdale Keith Hutchings Lorraine Michael Sheila Osborne Tom Osborne Kevin Parsons Bob Ridgley Shawn Skinner
Area
– City	446.04 km2 (172.2 sq mi)
– Metro	804.63 km2 (310.7 sq mi)
Elevation	Sea Level 0–147 m (0–483 ft)
Population (2006)
– City	100,646
– Density	225.6/km2 (576.0/sq mi)
– Urban	151,322
– Metro	181,113
– Metro Density	225.1/km2 (556.6/sq mi)
	20th Largest metropolitan area in Canada
Time zone	NST (UTC-3:30)
– Summer (DST)	NDT (UTC-2:30)
Area code(s)	709
NTS Map	001N10
GNBC Code	ABEFS
Website	St. John’s website

Coordinates: 47°34′3″N 52°42′26″W / 47.5675°N 52.70722°W / 47.5675; -52.70722 St. John’s (pronounced /ˌseɪntˈdʒɒnz/, French: Saint-Jean) (2006 population 100,646; UA population 151,322; CMA population 181,113) is the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. St. John’s is the most populous Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) in the province,^[1] it is the second largest CMA in the Atlantic Provinces after Halifax, and 20th Largest metropolitan area in Canada with a population of 187,700.^[2] The city enjoys a long and vibrant history as the oldest English-founded city in North America.^[3]

The St. John’s CMA is the fastest growing metropolitan area in Newfoundland and Labrador and Atlantic Canada as well as the 19th fastest growing CMA in Canada.^[4] The CMA includes the neighbouring city of Mount Pearl and eleven other towns, the largest of which are Conception Bay South and Paradise.^[5]

St. John’s harbour was a frequent haven for European fishermen throughout the early 1500s, and was officially established as a community when Sir Humphrey Gilbert declared Newfoundland an English colony in 1583.^[6] While the origin of the name St. John’s is not definitively known, its first usage appears in a Portuguese map as “Rio de San Johem” by 16th century Portuguese cartographer Pedro Reinel (? – c.1542). The popular origin of the name, however, is said to have originated from the Italian discoverer Giovanni Caboto, who landed in Bonavista on 24 June 1497.^[7]

The last half of the 20th century has seen St. John’s, with a long and prosperous history in the fishery industry, transformed into a modern export and service centre, famed for its nightlife and rich musical culture. More recently, its proximity to recently discovered oil fields has led to an economic boom that has spurred population growth, commercial development and has resulted in the St. John’s area now accounting for about half of the province’s economic output.^[8]

History

Further information: Timeline of St. John’s history

St. John’s is the oldest English-founded settlement in North America.^[3] Tradition declares that the city earned its name when explorer John Cabot became the first European to sail into the harbour, on June 24, 1497 — the feast day of Saint John the Baptist.^[9] However, the exact locations of Cabot’s landfalls are disputed. A series of expeditions to St. John’s by the Portuguese in the Azores followed in the early 16th century, and by 1540 French, Spanish and Portuguese ships crossed the Atlantic annually to fish the waters off the Avalon Peninsula. In the Basque Country, it is a common belief that the name of St. John’s was given by Basque fishermen because the bay of St. John’s is very similar to the Bay of Pasaia in the Basque Country, where one of the fishing towns is also called St. John (in Spanish, San Juan).

The earliest record of the location appears as São João on a Portuguese map by Pedro Reinel in 1519. When John Rut visited St. John’s in 1527 he found Norman, Breton and Portuguese ships in the harbour. On August 3, 1527, Rut wrote a letter to King Henry on the findings of his voyage to North America; this was the first known letter sent from North America. St. Jehan is shown on Nicholas Desliens’ world map of 1541 and San Joham is found in João Freire’s Atlas of 1546. It was during this time that Water Street was first developed, making it the oldest street in North America.

On August 5, 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed the area as England’s first overseas colony under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I. At the time, he found 16 English ships with 20 French and Portuguese vessels using the harbour; at the time, settlement had developed on the north side of the harbour.^[10] There was no permanent English settler population, however, and Gilbert was lost at sea during his return voyage, thereby ending any immediate plans for settlement. The Newfoundland National War Memorial is located on the waterfront in St. John’s, at the purported site of Gilbert’s landing and proclamation.

By 1620 the fishermen of England’s West Country had excluded other nations from most of the east coast. In 1627, St. John’s was “the principal prime and chief lot in all the whole country”. The resident population grew slowly in the 17th century, but St. John’s was by far the largest settlement in Newfoundland when English naval officers began to take censuses around 1675. Every summer the population swelled with the arrival of migratory fishermen. In 1680, fishing ships (mostly from South Devon) set up fishing rooms at St. John’s, bringing hundreds of Irish men into the port to operate inshore fishing boats.

The town’s first significant defenses were probably erected due to commercial interests, following the temporary seizure of St. John’s by the Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter in June 1665. Regardless of the identity of those who built the defenses, the inhabitants were able to fend off a second Dutch attack in 1673. The British government began to plan fortifications around 1689, and these were constructed following the retaking of St. John’s after the French admiral Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville captured and destroyed the town late in 1696. The French attacked St. John’s again in 1705 and 1708, and devastated civilian structures with fire.

The harbour remained fortified through most of the 18th and 19th century. The final battle of the Seven Years’ War in North America (the French and Indian War) was fought in 1762 in St. John’s at the Battle of Signal Hill, in which the French surrendered St. John’s to the British under the command of Colonel William Amherst.

The eighteenth century saw major changes in Newfoundland: population growth, beginnings of government, establishment of churches, reinforcement of commercial ties with North America and development of the seal, salmon and Grand Banks fisheries. St. John’s grew slowly, and although it was still primarily a fishing station, it was also a garrison, a centre of government and, increasingly, a commercial hub. St. John’s served as a naval base during both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

Shanawdithit, the last known individual of Newfoundland’s indigenous Beothuk people, died in a St. John’s hospital of tuberculosis in 1829.

The core of the city was destroyed by fire several times, the most famous of which was the Great Fire of 1892.

Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in St. John’s on December 1901 from his wireless station in Poldhu, Cornwall.^[11]

U.S. Army troops on guard in St. John’s in 1942

St. John’s was the starting point for the first non-stop transatlantic aircraft flight, by Alcock and Brown in a modified Vickers Vimy IV bomber, in June 1919, departing from Lester’s Field in St. John’s and ending in a bog near Clifden, Connemara, Ireland.^[12] In July 2005, the flight was duplicated by American aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett in a replica Vickers Vimy aircraft, with St. John’s International Airport substituting for Lester’s Field (now an urban and residential part of the city). ^[13]

During the Second World War, the harbour supported Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy ships that were engaged in anti-submarine warfare. It was also the site of a American Army Air Force base that was established as part of the “Lend-Lease” agreement between the UK and USA. The base was transferred to Canadian control in 1960 and is now known as CFS St. John’s.

Geography

See also: Neighbourhoods in St. John’s

The city is located on the northeast coast of the Avalon Peninsula in southeast Newfoundland, and on the Atlantic Ocean.^[14] It is the most easterly city in North America excluding Greenland,as well as the second largest city in Atlantic Canada after Halifax, Nova Scotia.^[15][16] The downtown area lies to the north of St. John’s Harbour, and the rest of the city expands uphill to the west, north, and east.

The native vegetation is dominated by coniferous trees such as black spruce, white spruce, and balsam fir. The largest deciduous tree is white birch ; species of lesser stature include alder, cherry and mountain ash. Of introduced tree species, sycamore maple is most abundant^[17] and Norway maple is common. Blue spruce, common horsechestnut, European beech and littleleaf linden are among the other non-native species grown.

Soils in the area tend to be stony and shallow. They also are strongly acidic in most cases, and have pale leached topsoils typical of podzols. Often the topsoils are much finer-textured than the parent material (atypical for podzols).

Climate

St. John’s is known as “Canada’s Weather Champion” this is because of all major cities in Canada, St John’s is the cloudiest (only 1,497 hours of sunshine a year), snowiest (359 cm; 11.8 ft), windiest (24.3 km/h average speed) and has the most wet days per year (Environment Canada, 2005). However, St. John’s has the third mildest winter in comparison to other Canadian cities.^[18] St. John’s has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters for Canada (cold by a world standard). Average highs and lows are 20 °C (68 °F)/10 °C (50 °F) in July and -1 °C (30 °F)/-8 °C (17 °F) in January. The annual precipitation is moderate to high, with an average of 1,640 millimetres (64.6 in) per year. The city is also one of the areas of the country most prone to tropical cyclone activity, as it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, where tropical storms (and sometimes hurricanes) travel.

Weather data for St. John’s
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	15.2 (59)	16 (61)	18.3 (65)	24.1 (75)	25.6 (78)	29.4 (85)	31.5 (89)	31 (88)	29.5 (85)	24.6 (76)	19.4 (67)	16.1 (61)	31.5 (89)
Average high °C (°F)	-0.9 (30)	-1.5 (29)	1.2 (34)	5.2 (41)	10.7 (51)	15.9 (61)	20.3 (69)	19.9 (68)	15.9 (61)	10.5 (51)	5.9 (43)	1.2 (34)	8.7 (48)
Daily mean °C (°F)	-4.8 (23)	-5.4 (22)	-2.5 (28)	1.6 (35)	6.2 (43)	10.9 (52)	15.4 (60)	15.5 (60)	11.8 (53)	6.9 (44)	2.6 (37)	-2.2 (28)	4.7 (40)
Average low °C (°F)	-8.6 (17)	-9.3 (15)	-6.2 (21)	-2 (28)	1.5 (35)	5.9 (43)	10.5 (51)	11.1 (52)	7.7 (46)	3.3 (38)	-0.7 (31)	-5.5 (22)	0.6 (33)
Record low °C (°F)	-23.3 (-10)	-23.8 (-11)	-23.8 (-11)	-14.8 (5)	-6.7 (20)	-3.3 (26)	-1.1 (30)	0.5 (33)	-1.1 (30)	-5.6 (22)	-13.4 (8)	-19.7 (-3)	-23.8 (-11)
Precipitation mm (inches)	150 (5.91)	125.2 (4.93)	130.8 (5.15)	121.8 (4.8)	100.9 (3.97)	101.9 (4.01)	89.4 (3.52)	108.1 (4.26)	130.9 (5.15)	161.9 (6.37)	144 (5.67)	148.8 (5.86)	1,513.7 (59.59)
Rainfall mm (inches)	73.7 (2.9)	60.5 (2.38)	76.7 (3.02)	93.7 (3.69)	93.9 (3.7)	100.5 (3.96)	89.4 (3.52)	108.1 (4.26)	130.9 (5.15)	158.9 (6.26)	116.3 (4.58)	88.4 (3.48)	1,191 (46.89)
Snowfall cm (inches)	79.9 (31.5)	66.5 (26.2)	52.3 (20.6)	25.7 (10.1)	6.1 (2.4)	1.3 (0.5)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	2.9 (1.1)	26.3 (10.4)	61.3 (24.1)	322.3 (126.9)
Sunshine hours	72.3	91.3	108.9	116.7	158.3	177.4	215.4	195.5	139.7	105.7	71.7	58.5	1,511.5

Cityscape

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Saskatchewan

Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Latin: Multis e Gentibus Vires (“Strength from Many Peoples”)
Capital	Regina
Largest city	Saskatoon
Largest metro	Saskatoon
Official languages	English (de facto)
Demonym	Saskatchewanian, Saskatchewaner[1]
Government
Lieutenant-Governor	Gordon Barnhart
Premier	Brad Wall (Saskatchewan Party)
Federal representation	in Canadian Parliament
House seats	14
Senate seats	6
Confederation	September 1, 1905 (Split from NWT) (8th (province))
Area	Ranked 7th
Total	651,900 km2 (251,700 sq mi)
Land	591,670 km2 (228,450 sq mi)
Water (%)	59,366 km2 (22,921 sq mi) (9.1%)
Population	Ranked 6th
Total (2009)	1,034,974[2]
Density	1.67 /km2 (4.3 /sq mi)
GDP	Ranked 6th
Total (2006)	C$45.051 billion[3]
Per capita	C$45,718 (5th)
Abbreviations
Postal	SK
ISO 3166-2	CA-SK
Time zone	UTC−6 (no daylight saving time) Lloydminster and vicinity: UTC−7 and does observe DST
Postal code prefix	S
Flower	Western Red Lily
Tree	Paper Birch
Bird	Sharp-tailed Grouse
Website	http://www.gov.sk.ca
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Saskatchewan (pronounced /səˈskætʃɨwɑːn/ ( listen)) is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of 588,276.09 square kilometres (227,100 sq mi) and a population of 1,034,974 (according to 2009 estimates), mostly living in the southern half of the province. Of these, 233,923 live in the province’s largest city, Saskatoon, while 194,971 live in the provincial capital, Regina. Other major cities, in order of size, are Prince Albert, Moose Jaw, Yorkton, Swift Current and North Battleford. The province’s name comes from the Saskatchewan River, whose name comes from its Cree designation: kisiskāciwani-sīpiy, meaning “swift flowing river”.^[4]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Saskatchewan

From a great scale, Saskatchewan appears to be somewhat a quadrilateral. However, because of its size, the 49th parallel boundary and the 60th northern border appear curved. Additionally, the eastern boundary of the province is partially crooked rather than following a line of longitude, as correction lines were devised by surveyors prior to the homestead program (1880–1928). Saskatchewan is bounded on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the American states of Montana and North Dakota. Saskatchewan has the distinction of being the only Canadian province for which no borders correspond to physical geographic features (i.e. they are parallels and meridians). Saskatchewan is also one of only two provinces that are land-locked, the other being Alberta.

The overwhelming majority of Saskatchewan’s population is located in the southern third of the province, south of the 53rd parallel.

Saskatchewan contains two major natural regions: the Canadian Shield in the north and the Interior Plains in the south. Northern Saskatchewan is mostly covered by boreal forest except for the Lake Athabasca Sand Dunes, the largest active sand dunes in the world north of 58°, and adjacent to the southern shore of Lake Athabasca. Southern Saskatchewan contains another area with sand dunes known as the “Great Sand Hills” covering over 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi). The Cypress Hills, located in the southwestern corner of Saskatchewan and Killdeer Badlands (Grasslands National Park), are areas of the province that remained unglaciated during the last glaciation period. The province’s highest point, at 1,468 metres (4,820 ft), is located in the Cypress Hills and is the highest geographical point above sea-level between the Rocky Mountains and Québec. The lowest point is the shore of Lake Athabasca, at 213 metres (700 ft). The province has fourteen major drainage basins^[5] made up of various rivers and watersheds draining into the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

Climate

Saskatchewan lies far from any significant body of water. This fact, combined with its northerly latitude, gives it a warm summer version of humid continental climate (Köppen type Dfb) in the central and most of the eastern part, drying off to a semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen type BSk) in the southern and southwestern part of the province. The northern parts of Saskatchewan — from about La Ronge northward — have a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). Summers can be very hot, with temperatures sometimes above 32 °C (90 °F) during the day, and humidity decreasing from northeast to southwest. Warm southern winds blow from the United States during much of July and August, while winters can be bitterly cold,^[6] with high temperatures not breaking −17 °C (1.4 °F) for weeks at a time, warm chinook winds often blow from the west, bringing periods of mild weather. Annual precipitation averages 30 to 45 centimetres (12 to 18 inches) across the province, with the bulk of rain falling in June, July, and August.^[7]

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Quebec

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This article is about the Canadian province. For the province’s capital city, see Quebec City. For other uses, see Quebec (disambiguation).

Coordinates: 53°45′N 071°59′W / 53.75°N 71.983°W / 53.75; -71.983 (Quebec)

Quebec Québec
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Je me souviens (English: I remember)
Capital	Quebec City
Largest city	Montreal
Largest metro	Greater Montreal
Official languages	French[1]
Demonym	Quebecer[2], Québécois(e)[3]
Government
Lieutenant-Governor	Pierre Duchesne
Premier	Jean Charest (Liberal)
Federal representation	in Canadian Parliament
House seats	75
Senate seats	24
Confederation	July 1, 1867 (1st)
Area	Ranked 2nd
Total	1,542,056 km2 (595,391 sq mi)
Land	1,365,128 km2 (527,079 sq mi)
Water (%)	176,928 km2 (68,312 sq mi) (11.5%)
Population	Ranked 2nd
Total (2009)	7,782,561 (est.)[4]
Density	5.63 /km2 (14.6 /sq mi)
GDP	Ranked 2nd
Total (2006)	C$285.158 billion[5]
Per capita	C$37,278 (10th)
Abbreviations
Postal	QC[6]
ISO 3166-2	CA-QC
Time zone	UTC−5, −4
Postal code prefix	G, H, J
Flower	Blue Flag Iris[7]
Tree	Yellow Birch[7]
Bird	Snowy Owl[7]
Website	http://www.gouv.qc.ca
Rankings include all provinces and territories

Quebec (English pronunciation: /kəˈbɛk/ or /kwɨˈbɛk/; French: Québec [kebɛk] ( listen))^[8] is a province in east-central Canada.^[9][10] It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level. Quebec is Canada’s largest province by area and its second-largest administrative division; only the territory of Nunavut is larger. It is bordered to the west by the province of Ontario, James Bay and Hudson Bay, to the north by Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay, to the east by the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. It is bordered on the south by the U.S. states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. It also shares maritime borders with Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.

Quebec is the second most populous province, after Ontario. Most inhabitants live in urban areas near the Saint Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City, the capital. English-speaking communities and English-language institutions are concentrated in the west of the island of Montreal but are also significantly present in the Outaouais, the Eastern Townships, and Gaspé regions. The Nord-du-Québec region, occupying the northern half of the province, is sparsely populated and inhabited primarily by Aboriginal peoples.^[11]

Sovereignty plays a large role in the politics of Quebec, and the Official Opposition social democratic Parti Québécois advocates national sovereignty for the province and secession from Canada. It is supported by a wide range of voters, from large sections of organised labour to more moderate rural voters. Sovereignist governments have held referendums on independence in 1980 and 1995; the latter was defeated by a very narrow margin. In 2006, the Canadian House of Commons passed a symbolic motion recognizing the “Québécois as a nation within a united Canada.”^[12][13]

While the province’s substantial natural resources have long been the mainstay of its economy, sectors of the knowledge economy such as aerospace, information and communication technologies, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry also play leading roles. These many industries have all contributed to helping Quebec become the second most economically influential province, second only to Ontario.^[14]

Château Frontenac in Quebec City

Downtown Montréal

//

Etymology and boundary changes

The name “Quebec”, which comes from the Algonquin word kébec meaning “where the river narrows”, originally referred to the area around Quebec City where the Saint Lawrence River narrows to a cliff-lined gap. Early variations in the spelling of the name included Québecq (Levasseur, 1601) and Kébec (Lescarbot 1609).^[15] French explorer Samuel de Champlain chose the name Québec in 1608 for the colonial outpost he would use as the administrative seat for the French colony of New France.^[16]

The Province of Quebec was founded in the Royal Proclamation of 1763 after the Treaty of Paris formally transferred the French colony of Canada^[17] to Britain after the Seven Years’ War. The proclamation restricted the province to an area along the banks of the Saint Lawrence River. The Quebec Act of 1774 restored the Great Lakes and the Ohio River Valley regions to the province. The Treaty of Versailles, 1783 ceded territories south of the Great Lakes to the United States. After the Constitutional Act of 1791, the territory was divided between Lower Canada (present day Quebec) and Upper Canada (present day Ontario), with each being granted an elected Legislative Assembly. In 1840, these become Canada East and Canada West after the British Parliament unified Upper and Lower Canada into the Province of Canada. This territory was redivided into the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario at Confederation in 1867. Each became one of the first four provinces.

In 1870, Canada purchased Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company. Over the next few decades the Parliament of Canada transferred portions of this territory to Quebec that more than tripled the size of the province.^[18] In 1898, the Canadian Parliament passed the first Quebec Boundary Extension Act that expanded the provincial boundaries northward to include the lands of the Cree. This was followed by the addition of the District of Ungava through the Quebec Boundaries Extension Act of 1912 that added the northernmost lands of the aboriginal Inuit to create the modern Province of Quebec. In 1927, the border between Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador was established by the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Quebec officially disputes this boundary.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Quebec

Map of Quebec.

Quebec City seen from Spot Satellite

Located in the eastern part of Canada and (from an historical and political perspective) part of Central Canada, Quebec occupies a territory nearly three times the size of France or Texas, most of which is very sparsely populated. Quebec’s highest point is Mont D’Iberville, located on the border with Newfoundland and Labrador in the northeastern part of the province.

The Saint Lawrence River has one of the world’s largest sustaining large inland Atlantic ports at Montreal (the province’s largest city), Trois-Rivières, and Quebec City (the capital). Its access to the Atlantic Ocean and the interior of North America made it the base of early French exploration and settlement in the 17th and 18th centuries. Since 1959, the Saint Lawrence Seaway has provided a navigable link between the Atlantic Ocean and Great Lakes. Northeast of Quebec City, the river broadens into the world’s largest estuary, the feeding site of numerous species of whales, fishes and sea birds.^[19] The river empties into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This marine environment sustains fisheries and smaller ports in the Lower Saint Lawrence (Bas-Saint-Laurent), Lower North Shore (Côte-Nord), and Gaspé (Gaspésie) regions of the province.

Satellite view of three Monteregian Hills in Saint Lawrence Lowlands.

The most populous physiographic region is the Saint Lawrence Lowland. It extends northeastward from the southwestern portion of the province along the shores of the Saint Lawrence River to the Quebec City region, and includes Anticosti Island, the Mingan Archipelago,^[20] and other small islands in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.^[21] Its landscape is low-lying and flat, except for isolated igneous outcrops near Montreal called the Monteregian Hills. Geologically, the lowlands formed as a rift valley about 100 million years ago and are prone to infrequent but significant earthquakes.^[22] The most recent layers of sedimentary rock were formed as the seabed of the ancient Champlain Sea at the end of the last ice age about 14,000 years ago.^[23] The combination of rich and easily arable soils and Quebec’s warmest climate make the valley Quebec’s most prolific agricultural area. Mixed forests provide most of Canada’s maple syrup crop every spring. The rural part of the landscape is divided into narrow rectangular tracts of land that extend from the river and date back to settlement patterns in 17th century New France.

The spillway at the Robert-Bourassa generating station

More than 90% of Quebec’s territory lies within the Canadian Shield, a rough, rocky terrain sculpted and scraped clean of soil by successive ice ages. It is rich in the forestry, mineral and hydro-electric resources that are a mainstay of the Quebec economy. Primary industries sustain small cities in regions of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, and Côte-Nord. In the Labrador Peninsula portion of the Shield, the far northern region of Nunavik includes the Ungava Peninsula and consists of Arctic tundra inhabited mostly by the Inuit. Further south lie subarctic taiga and boreal forest, where spruce, fir, and poplar trees provide raw materials for Quebec’s pulp and paper and lumber industries. Although inhabited principally by the Cree, Naskapi, and Innu First Nations, thousands of temporary workers reside at Radisson to service the massive James Bay Hydroelectric Project on the La Grande and Eastmain rivers. The southern portion of the shield extends to the Laurentians, a mountain range just north of Montreal and Quebec City that attracts local and international tourists to ski hills and lakeside resorts.

The mixed forests of the Appalachian Mountains flank the eastern portion of the province, extending from New England into the Eastern Townships, northeastward through the Beauce region, and on to the Gaspé Peninsula, where they disappear into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This region sustains a mix of forestry, industry, and tourism based on its natural resources and landscape.

Climate

Quebec has three main climate regions. Southern and western Quebec, including most of the major population centres, have a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm, humid summers and long, cold and snowy winters. The main climatic influences are from western and northern Canada which move eastward and from the southern and central United States that move northward. Because of the influence of both storm systems from the core of North America and the Atlantic Ocean, precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with most areas receiving more than 100 centimetres(40 in) of precipitation, including over 300 centimetres (120 in) of snow in many areas. During the summer, severe weather patterns (such as tornadoes and severe thunderstorms) occasionally occur.

Most of central Quebec has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). Winters are long and among the coldest in eastern Canada, while summers are warm but very short due to the higher latitude and the greater influence of Arctic air masses. Precipitation is also somewhat less than farther south, except at some of the higher elevations.

The northern regions of Quebec have an arctic climate (Köppen ET), with very cold winters and short, much cooler summers. The primary influences in this region are the Arctic Ocean currents (such as the Labrador Current) and continental air masses from the High Arctic.

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