The Atlantic Provinces

Situated along the Atlantic coast they are: Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, & Newfoundland.

Fishing has been the most important economic activity of this region since the 1700s. The Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland, has long been one of the best fishing areas in the world (cod, haddock, flounder - камбала, herring & sole – палтус/камбала). Lobster & oysters are also important. Incomes of the people of the Atlantic Provinces have been lower than those of other Canadians (since the number of fish caught depends on the season). The Atlantic Provinces have started to diversify their economies: Newfoundland has been developing its pulp & paper industry. Hydroelectric power is being developed to supply electricity to the homes & industries. New Brunswick - pulp & paper industry (80 % of the province is covered by forests). Prince Edward Island – tourist industry (it boasts tree-covered hills & valleys making it attractive area to visit). Since 1980s the Atlantic Provinces have developed their rich mineral deposits: iron ore deposits (Labrador & New Brunswick), deposits of zinc, lead, copper (New Brunswick), coal mining (Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia). The city of Sydney on Cape Breton Island is a major iron & steel manufacturing centre. Corner Brook (Newfoundland) has one of the world’s largest pulp & paper mills. Halifax is a major Atlantic port.

The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Provinces. Ontario & Quebec provinces – political & economic heart of Canada. They account for about 80 % of the country’s industrial production & about 60 % of its population. Due to its location near resources & markets, this area is the major manufacturing& commercial region of Canada. The manufacturing area of these 2 provinces is concentrated around the Great Lakes & along the St. Lawrence River. These 2 water bodies serve as a water highway for the shipment of goods. Products are shipped to foreign markets & to eastern Canada. Wheat is shipped from the southern Prairie Provinces to flour mills in southern Ontario & Quebec, then – to the east coast & overseas. A major portion of the Great Lakes trade is made up of shipments of iron ore. This ore moves to east to steel mills along the Great Lakes. Ships returning west carry cargoes of coal & manufactured goods.

The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence system also provides a source of electrical power for Ontario & Quebec. Important places for electrical power are at Niagara Falls & Cornwall (southern Ontario). Power from these sites is shared by Ontario & the state of New York.

In addition, Ontario & Quebec have good supplies of natural resources: deposits of iron ore, wood. Quebec has important deposits of copper, gold, zinc. It produces 80 % of Canada’s asbestos (асбест). Ontario has one of the world’s major supplies of copper & nickel.

The factories of the region produce a great range of both consumer goods & products for heavy industry. The city of Hamilton (Ontario) is an important centre for making iron & steel. Windsor & Toronto (Ontario) are centres of the Canadian auto industry. Plants in Toronto also make electronic products & farm machinery. Montreal (Quebec) is important for manufacturing clothing, smelting (выплавка) & refining of metals, & petroleum refining. Quebec has petroleum & chemical plants.

There’s a well-developed agricultural base. Much of Canada’s fruit comes from the southern part of Ontario. The south-western part of the province can be considered the corn belt of Canada. The area also produces much of the country’s vegetables. Quebec province has more of a mixed farming economy. Dairy cattle & other livestock are very important. On many of the long, narrow farms of Quebec, maple syrup & maple sugar are produced from the trees. Both Toronto & Montreal are important centres of food processing.

The Prairie Provinces: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta. Have the common feature of the vast stretches of grassland. These provinces were once economically depressed. The people relied almost exclusively on farming & ranching for a living. Changing weather & poor transportation made this a difficult life. But this has changed due to the world demand for wheat. Also, large deposits of oil & natural gas have been found, mostly in Alberta. The Prairie provinces hold nearly all of Canada’s fossil fuels – those formed from organic matter (coal, oil, natural gas).The first big oil fields were discovered near Edmonton (Alberta) in 1947-48. Today Alberta produces over 85 % of the country’s coal & oil. The Prairie Provinces are rich in copper, lead, zinc, & potash (поташ, углекислый калий), a mineral used in making fertilizer.

Agriculture. The Prairie Provinces have 80 % of Canada’s farmland (major crops – wheat, barley, oats, & rye). In Saskatchewan & Alberta cattle ranching is a key economic activity. The weather is frost-free, but rainfall is slight (during good yy. – only about 30 cm of rain). Sheep ranches. The region is lightly populated: most farming areas average only 13-21 persons per sq. km.

Winnipeg is the most important transportation centre: it serves as a major collection centre for shipments heading east by truck, rail, air. Edmonton & Calgary are important service centers for the oil industry.

The Cordillera of British Columbia. British Columbia is both a province & a geographic region. The mountains somewhat isolate it from the rest of Canada. Despite the isolation, the province is a rich one. The forest industry is the most important. The mild, wet climate is ideal for tree growth. Much of the province is covered with forests of Douglas fir & hemlock. Exporting lumber is a valuable source of income. Paper & pulp are also important. British Columbia’s economy also involves mining, fishing, & agriculture. At Kimberly (south-east) is one of the world’s largest mines for lead, zinc, & silver. Fishing is another major economic activity (halibut - палтус).

Agriculture is confined to the narrow valleys of the Cordillera. Dairy farming is important in the Fraser Valley. In the valley of the Okanagan River, apples & other fruits are grown. There are also many poultry farms & truck farms, or market gardens, which raise vegetables for the city people.

British Columbia has abundant water power for hydroelectricity. The Kitimat Dam (located 600 km north of Vancouver) is a major producer of electricity. Much of the power from this dam is used to process aluminium ore that comes from Latin America.

Most of the people live in the south-west. This is the area of mild climate & good land.

Vancouver is the major Pacific port. Through this port, coal & lumber are shipped to Japan & wheat to China & Russia. The city is the major manufacturing centre of British Columbia, with wood products being most important. A large fishing fleet is stationed in Victoria.

The Canadian Territories: Nunavut, the Northwest Territories & the Yukon Territory. The territories cover 40 % of the land surface of Canada. The population is small (about 90000 people). The native people of these areas are the Eskimos, or Inuits, and the Indians. Today they make up 2/3s of the population of the region. Some population growth is taking place due to the discovery of valuable natural resources. Deposits of copper, lead, & gold have been found. Natural gas & oil have also been discovered. Lumber is also important in the southern part of the territories. Churchill in Manitoba is a key shipping & supply centre for mining & lumber activities of the far north.

28. Characterize the political system of Canada. Parliament & the making of legislation. The federal & provincial gov-ts & their responsibilities. The main political parties. The main priorities of the present gov-t.

Canada is an independent, self governing democracy with a Constitutional Monarchy as form of gov-t which means that 1) the Canadian Constitution defines Canadian society & 2) all acts, legislation, & other business of gov-t is carried out in the name of the Monarchy.

Canada has 11 gov-ts – the federal one at the centre in Ottawa, & one in each of the ten provinces. More over, there are legislative assemblies in the Yukon, Nunavut & the Northwest Territories which also exercise real gov-t within their territory. The provinces are further divided into counties & municipal districts (each with their councils). Thus Canadians are the most governed of all peoplesJ

Historically, Canada is a fusion of different colonies, each with a distinctive social & economic tradition. Provincial flags on flagpoles as well as the Canadian maple leaf make regional loyalties evident.

The Constitution. Canada’s constitution consists of written documents & unwritten conventions. The written constitution is embodied in the Constitution Acts (1867-1982). In 1982 the Queen signed the Canada Act which gave Canada full responsibility for the Constitution & made Canada completely independent. The British North America Act of 1867 is the legal basis for the existence of the nation: it established a federal state with a parliament modelled on the British system.

The federation is composed of 10 Provinces & 3 Territories. The central gov-t, based in Ottawa, is empowered to pass legislation in areas, such as foreign policy, which affect the entire country. The provinces have powers in administration of justice, education, health care, etc. The constitution prevents either level of gov-t from encroaching on the authority of the other.

Other laws are part of Canadian’s constitution: certain statutes of the British Parliament (the Statute of Westminster of 1931), certain statutes of the Canadian Parliament (the Canada Elections Act), etc. These documents include the role of the PM in gov-t & the principle of Responsible Gov-t – meaning that power can only be exercised by elected gov-t leaders that have the support of the nation’s elected representatives. All legislation passed by parliament requires Royal Assent by the Queen’s representative in Canada, the Governor-General (merely a convention).Unwritten custom is also part of the Canadian constitution: a gov-t will always resign if it loses a vote of confidence in Parliament.

Parliament. The Parliament of Canada has the power to make laws in areas of federal responsibility. Among the areas of authority of the Parliament in Ottawa are trade & commerce, criminal law, banking & currency, defence, & external affairs. All laws passed by Parliament must be written in both English & French. The signatures show approval by the 3 elements of Parliament: the House of Commons, the Senate, & the Governor-General representing the sovereign.

The Parliament of Canada consists of the Queen, an upper House known as the Senate and a lower House, the House of Commons. Senators are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the PM. The seats on the Senate are distributed on a regional basis. There are 112 senators. The House of Commons is an elected assembly in which each member represents one of 301 electoral districts distributed according to population. General elections to the HC occur every 5 yy. But they may occur more often if the PM decides to call an election or if the party loses the support of the majority of members. Following the election, the Governor-general calls upon the leader of the party that has one the greatest number of seats to become the PM. The PM selects a Cabinet from among his fellow party members. If no party has a clear majority, the PM forms a coalition gov-t by bringing members of another party into his gov-t in return for political support. Cabinet ministers head the various executive departments of the gov-t. Senate members are also eligible for Cabinet posts, but senators usually don’t head a gov-t department since they’re constitutionally forbidden to introduce tax or “money bill” legislation. Each minister is accountable to Parliament for the operation of his department.

Canada’s Senate is composed of 112 members appointed by the Governor-General on the recommendation of the PM. They hold office until the age of 75, those appointed before 1965 are appointed for life. Senators represent all the provinces & territories. 2 restrictions: the Senate may delay resolutions of the HC up to 180 days, but it can’t defeat them; the Senate can’t initiate bills dealing with money (budgets). The main purpose of the Senate is to reconsider any rash bills that the HC may have passed.

Some traditions. At sittings of the Senate, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod leads the procession into the Chamber. He is followed by an assistant who carries the mace, then come the Speaker of the Senate assisted by a young page, & the Clerk of the Senate.

The main function of parliament is to pass laws. To become law, a Bill must be passed by a majority of members in both chambers of Parliament & be given Royal Assent by the Governor-General. A bill is given 3 readings in the HC (1) introduction of a bill, 2) debates, committee suggestions & modifications, 3) debate & final vote).

Between elections, a gov-t can be forced to resign if it loses the support of the parliament majority (this typically occurs when the party forms a minority gov-t). This happened in 1979 when a minority conservative gov-t introduced an undesirable budget.