Canadian Prairies

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The Canadian prairies is a large area of flat sedimentary land stretching throughout western Canada between the Canadian Shield in the east and the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian prairies – the portion of the Great Plains landform that supports various grasses and shrubs – cover much of the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta — a region known as the Prairie provinces, Canadian Prairies, or simply the Prairies. (The "p" in prairie(s) is typically capitalized in political references, but not when describing landscapes.) The Prairie provinces are included among the provinces of Western Canada.

The Canadian prairies are one of the world's major farming areas. Two of the most important commodities are wheat grown in the southern prairies and beef cattle raised in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Further north, sheep are often raised.

Contents 1 Physiography 2 Recent growth 3 Economy 4 Culture and politics 5 See also 6 External links

Physiography

Three main grassland types occur in the Canadian prairies: tallgrass prairie, mixed prairie, and short-grass or fescue prairie. Each has a unique geographic distribution and characteristic mix of plant species. All but a fraction of one percent of the tallgrass prairie has been converted to cropland. What remains occurs on the 6,000 square kilometre plain centred in the Red River Valley in Manitoba. Mixed prairie is more common and is part of the dry interior plains that extend from Canada south to the US state of Texas. More than half of the remaining native grassland in the Canadian prairies is mixed. Though widespread in southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, due to extensive cattle grazing, it is estimated that only 24 percent of the original mixed prairie grassland remains. Fescue prairie occurs in the moister regions, occupying the northern extent of the prairies in central and southwestern Alberta and west central Saskatchewan (see map).

The southern Canadian prairies, supporting brown and black soil types, are semi-arid and highly prone to frequent and severe droughts. The region known as Palliser's Triangle is so arid that farming has never been successful there without government help and irrigation. The zones around the cities of Regina and immediately east of Calgary are also very dry. In an average year, southern Saskatchewan receives between 300 mm (12 in) and 510 mm (20 in) of precipitation, with the majority falling between April and June. Frost from October to April (and sometimes even early May) limits the growing season for certain crops. More than half of the prairies' precipitation falls as snow.

The eastern section of the Canadian prairies in Manitoba, is well watered with several large lakes such as Lake Winnipeg, and several large rivers. The area also gets reasonable amounts of precipitation. The middle sections of Alberta and Saskatchewan are also wetter than the south and have better farmland, despite having a shorter frost-free season. The areas around Edmonton and Saskatoon are especially notable as good crop land. However, Edmonton and Saskatoon both lie far enough north that they are surrounded by aspen parkland rather than fescue prairie.

Further north, the area becomes too cold for most agriculture besides wild rice operations and sheep raising, and is dominated by boreal forest. The Peace Region in northwestern Alberta is an exception, however. It lies north of the 55th Parallel and is warm and dry enough to support extensive farming. Like the area around Edmonton, aspen parkland is a major biome in the Peace Region. The long daylight hours in this region during the summer are an asset despite having an even shorter growing season than central Alberta. In fact, agriculture plays a major economic role in the Peace Region.

Recent growth

Some of the prairie region of Canada has seen rapid growth due to a boom in oil production since the mid-20th Century.[1] Alberta has seen a record increase in population, second only to Ontario, and Manitoba has experienced record immigration levels.

Economy

Primary industries include agriculture (wheat, barley, canola/brassica, oats), and cattle/sheep ranching. Also, natural resources such as tar sands (Fort McMurray, Alberta) and other forms of oil production can be found on the plains. Secondary industries in the consist of the refinement of oils, and agriculture processing.

Culture and politics

The Prairies are distinguished from the rest of Canada by unique cultural and political traits. The oldest influence on Prairie culture are the First Nations, who have lived in the area for centuries. The first Europeans to see the Prairies were fur traders and explorers from eastern Canada. They gave rise to the Métis, famous for their skill in bison hunting. Not until the Canadian Pacific Railway was built did widespread agricultural settlement occur. During their settlement, the prairies were settled in distinct ethnic block settlements giving certain areas a distinctively Ukrainian, German, French, or Scandinavian Canadian cultures.

Some areas also developed unique cultures around their main economic activity. For example southern Alberta is renowned for its cowboy culture, which developed when real open-range ranching was practiced in the 1880s. Canada's first rodeo, the Raymond Stampede was established in 1902. These influences are also evident in the music of Canada's Prairie Provinces. This can be attributed partially to the massive influx of American settlers who began to migrate to Alberta (and to a lesser extent, Saskatchewan) in the late 1880s due to the end of available land in the United States.

The Prairie Provinces have given rise to the famous "prairie protest" movements, such as the Winnipeg General Strike of 1919, the first general strike in Canadian history. These political movements (both of the left and right) tend to feed off of well established feelings of Western alienation, and each one represents a distinct challenge to the perceived Central Canadian elite. The Prairies continue to have a wide range of political views. While the Conservative Party of Canada enjoys widespread support throughout the region, support for the socialist New Democratic Party can be found in certain areas of Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

See also

• Dominion Land Survey

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