This document summarizes key aspects of Canada's core region, focusing on Quebec and Ontario. It describes the core's physical geography, history of settlement by Aboriginal peoples and Europeans, and current cultural divisions. Quebec has a unique French cultural identity and still shows remnants of the seigneurial system of land grants. Ontario developed with a mix of British and American influences and is now the economic engine of Canada. Both provinces face constraints from the environment but benefit from their location along major transportation routes.

1. CANADA’S CORE REGION (Chapter 6)

3. Canada’s Population Distribution (page 52) Core

4. Physical Geography Vegetation Mixed Broadleaf Deciduous and Needleleaf Evergreen Maple Significant Soils Overwhelmingly Spodosols Biogeography Historic haunt of the beaver

5. Introduction Relatively small size of Canada’s core, and lack of expansion Marked cultural division Location as part of North America’s larger core Location far from center of the country Importance of St. Lawrence River Lower Canada (Quebec) Upper Canada (Ontario) Production of staple products for export to Europe

6. Aboriginal and European settlement patterns Dictated by fish, furs, and trade networks (Hurons, Iroquois, and later the French) 1608: French settle in Quebec City on the St. Lawrence (Champlain) – and found their ‘New France’ End of 1600s: French farms and small towns up and down the St. Lawrence

7. Britain steps in 1763 – New France taken over by the British Loyalists from US (and others from British Isles) arrive Quebec’s population growth outpaces ‘Anglophone’ CN

9. Canada’s National Core (page 113)

10. Canada’s Population Distribution (page 52) Core

11. Limits of Canada’s Core Canadian Shield Thin soils Acidic soils Poor drainage Canadian Shield Canada’s Core

12. Limits to Canada’s Core Climate Length of growing season Moderating effect of Great Lakes in core Low temperatures, degree days (cumulative number of degrees over 42 ° F/5.5° C) Strong trade ties to Europe

13. Environmental Limits to Canada’s Core (page 115)

14. Cultural Divisions Core’s constituent provinces (southern parts) Quebec Ontario Similarities between the provinces Located on access routes from Europe to Canadian interior Urban commercial centers Rural-to-urban migration Restrictive environmental base Ties to the United States Trade Subsidiary ownership

15. Cultural Dualism: French Early farmer settlers in St. Lawrence valley Quebec and Montreal as trading centers Trappers and traders in Ohio–Mississippi–Great Lakes Strong cultural base at time of British conquest (1763) Status today: Language laws in Quebec Federal bilingualism (both French and English as official languages) Threats of Quebec to secede

16. Cultural Dualism: British 1780s: Immigration of British Loyalists after American Revolution: Maritime Provinces Upper Canada (Ontario) Additional British, American settlers Ontario: Anglo Canadian culture hearth

17. Today’s Quebec economies Primary production in some areas (farming, fishing, mining, logging) still important – But urban-industrial development dominates (largest cities = Montreal and Quebec City) Quebec -- Ile d'Orleans dairy farm

18. Languages in Ontario and Quebec, 2001 (page 118)

19. Canadian Confederation British North America Act , 1867 Upper Canada as Ontario —Anglo Canadian hearth Lower Canada as Quebec —French Canadian hearth New Brunswick Nova Scotia Federal system : Provinces (or states) under central authority but retain certain powers Accommodates regional differences (English vs. French) Today: 10 provinces, 3 territories Capital (Ottawa) on boundary between French-speaking Quebec and English-speaking Ontario

20. Ottawa

21. Overview - Quebec An ‘island’ set apart politically, culturally, and economically Dominance of French language and Catholic religion for centuries Unique landscapes

23. A political/cultural region? Quebec is the only region defined by its political status and cultural boundaries French Canadians also live in other parts of Canada (esp. New Brunswick and in St. Boniface – Winnipeg, Man.) Only about 1/4 th of the total population of Canada are ‘Francophones’

24. Figure 7-3 L’hiver (Winter)

25. Rural Landscapes: French Rang survey system: Grants of seigneuries (blocks of land) Farmstead on river bank Roture (lot) extending back, measured in arpents (192 feet) Advantages: Access to main transport line (river) Inclusion of land of all types (swamp to upland) French out-migration United States (northern New England) Cities Edges of Canadian Shield

26. Figure 7-7 Agriculture in French Canada Hay and Dairying Milk, Butter, and Cheese Truck Gardening Poultry Hogs Tobacco Apple Orchards Sugar Beets Maple Sugar and Honey

27. Forest Industries Key Locations Eastern Townships Gaspe Peninsula Appalachian Uplands Northern New Brunswick Manufacturing Activities Sawmill Pulp Mill Wood-processing Plants Figure 7-8

28. The French rang system is still visible in the rural landscape in Quebec. (page 121)

29. Figure 7-6

30. Urban French Canada: The Montreal-Quebec City Axis Quebec City Political Center and Tourism Trois Rivieres Pulp and Paper plus Other Industries Montreal Now #2 for All of Canada Eastern Townships Variety of Industries

31. Rural Landscapes: British Square or rectangular survey system Individual homesteads Land use: Wheat (early 1800s) Mixed farming (raising grain to feed livestock) Dairying Specialty crops Tobacco (middle Lake Erie shore) Fruit (Niagara Peninsula)

32. Cities and Industries: Quebec Montreal Site advantages in colonial period Defensible island at junction of Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers Rapids in St. Lawrence ( break-in-bulk point) Northern end of Hudson–Lake Champlain lowland 19 th century situation On railroad from Portland, Maine, to Toronto Links to New York via Hudson–Lake Champlain lowland French workers, British financiers Quebec City : Less bicultural

33. Montreal One of Canada’s largest and most cosmopolitan cities Began on an island in the river Today’s urban landscapes? Problems: businesses moving out, imposing French language on non-Francophone enterprises, etc. Solutions? Underground city, huge port

35. Montreal

37. About Quebec City Earliest French place Heart of French Canadian identity and culture Landscapes: cliffs, river terraces, and historic buildings Cobbled streets, walls, forts, and the Citadel (‘Upper Town’) ‘ Lower Town’ – commercial development, river connections

38. Quebec City, original wall around the city View of Quebec City, 1759.

39. Cities and Industries: Toronto, Ontario Location On Lake Ontario Good harbor Head of Toronto Passage (lowland route to Georgian Bay in Lake Huron) Early capital of Upper Canada Construction of roads, later railroads Large, productive hinterland Relations with United States Early growth along Atlantic seaboard: Montreal’s advantage Growth along Great Lakes: Toronto’s advantage

40. Toronto

41. Southern Ontario Urban Pattern “ Golden Horseshoe ” Toronto and hinterland Oshawa (east of Toronto)–Hamilton (western end of Lake Ontario)–Niagara Falls Hamilton’s iron and steel industry Iron from Lake Superior, through Welland Canal, now from Labrador Coal from Appalachia, by rail to Buffalo St. Catharines: Hydropower from Niagara Falls Southwestern Ontario Near United States Local mineral resources Cities in between: Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Brantford, London

42. The Core and the Rest of Canada Changes in advantages and disadvantages of cities’ locations Roles of core Culture hearth Political focus Center of economic structure Space economy : Links to other regions Transportation via Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system, reinforced by road, rail, and air U.S. investment in Canada

43. Quebec

44. Canada = both Anglophones and Francophones

46. Figure 7-2

47. Today’s ‘U.S. and Canada’ in the 1820s

50. Figure 7-4