joe b. wrote: ......With 10 provinces, 3 territories, why have 2/3 of the population chosen to live in 2 of the provinces?......
The two Provinces in question (Ontario and Quebec) got a big head start historically (French settlement in Quebec and the later American Loyalists in Ontario) and started to industrialized along with the US northeast before the move to populate the west occurred. Easy market access to the large US northeast and Midwest populations, relatively good transportation, available energy resources, raw materials and a source of labor fostered the industrialization (even today Ontario is the largest producer of light motor vehicles in North America) in these two provinces. All this economic opportunity attracted (and still attracts) the vast majority of the immigrants to Canada.
Southern Ontario is also gifted with what very well may be the best farmland in Canada as well as a comparatively favorable climate (it's well south of the 49th parallel). The first settlers in Ontario were the American Loyalists (many of whose families had lived in the American colonies for generations and the main reason today why native-born Canadians don't speak with a British accent. And notwithstanding their loyalty to Britain, they precipitated a much more representative form of government in Canada) who settled on land just across the new border, which happened to be along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River (my ancestors came directly north overland from the Albany area of New York State). Of course, the rivers and lakes also furnished transportation and water power which further fostered the industrialization mentioned above.
These historic events continue to account for the nature of Canada's population today. Quebec, and particularly Ontario, remain the economic giants although the waxing and waning energy industry has caused some shifts in recent years. Job opportunities in Ontario and other points west have encouraged people in the eastern Atlantic Provinces to move away from there. The prairie provinces remain mainly agrarian with concurrent low population densities (in fact, I believe there was some loss of population in at least one of them in recent times, although that may have changed now). British Columbia (and parts of Alberta i.e. the mountains, but I love the wheat fields of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba too) is a spectacularly beautiful Province, but due to its topography, its population is mainly concentrated in the coastal areas around Vancouver and Vancouver Island.
Lorne Ross
2003 Pleasure-Way Ford Excel TD Camped the lower 48 states and 9 provinces
Most multiple times and now on the repeat!
Hey Kopit, without checking my history I believe the Brits burned the city. I stopped at Fort Ticonderoga on my last trip to see my daughter in the Boston area. Most of my history stops, in the east, in general, are to see where different parts of the US, War for Southern Independence took place.
I do know that we were very lucky during the War of 1812, that the British were busy fighting the French for about 20 years, during the Napoleonic Wars, as known in Europe. Otherwise we would have been in a world of hurt if the Brits had been able to unleash their entire military upon us instead of the small part they sent over here. At the time the US Army had just over 12,000 regulars in the Army and Britain had just over 500,000 regulars. I remember that the Brits were shanghaiing US sailors and forced them into the British Navy. So to get even the US decided to seize Canada in retribution. In hind sight, not a real prudent move on our part, but we lucked out and didn't lose our independence over the war. Benedict Arnold became known for his part in this matter.
What fort are you thinking of that I should see?
Hmmmm, after all of this, I'm going to ask my kids school dristrict why more history about Canada isn't addressed in schools. I learned a bunch from this posting! Thanks to our Canadian friends!
The Brits burned the Capital buildings in retaliation for the burning of York (todays Toronto) the year before. British army strength during the Napoleonic wars peaked at about 255,000 in 1813 and 20% of them were colonials or foreigners. I thought Benedict Arnold died in 1801.
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edited 04/20/08 08:55pm by an administrator/moderator *
"Never trust a man who has not a single redeeming vice" WSC
How true Wilbur, we know that history better than joe, but then he lived in Alaska for donkeys years.
& Joe I said, Washington, DC & War of 1812. Yes, the White House was on the burning list.
I think things were a bit more even at the conflict around Fort Washington (actually in Maryland), but the ex-colonists still lost. I was thinking you might enjoy a day's outing at that fort on your way north some time. When I lived in D.C., we used to enjoy going out there just for a prowl, just to be out of the city. It's been since the 60s, but I believe some of the layout and the structure was a forerunner for later fortresses.
Still, going back, both Ontario and Quebec benefited from that wee conflict.
With all the editing on this Post by the "administrator/moderator", it's probable that some of the posters, are not getting their full opinion across on this interesting subject.
BTC
You are so right,as both our countries are tied together more then people generally know.Such a shame as we truly would get along even better and appreciate each other more as in some cases long lost relatives.
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edited 04/20/08 08:56pm by an administrator/moderator *
wilber1 said " I thought Benedict Arnold died in 1801".
See what I mean about the Canadians knowing their history. Wilber1 is absolutley correct about when Arnold died. He waw the Fort Ti commander earlier in history. Kopit is correct that I lived so far out in the sticks in Alaska that history hadn't made it out that far. LOL
As mentioned previously, what was - and was to become - very good farmland was the attraction for settlers all across Canada. I think what made Quebec and Ontario the main attractions was the organized manner in which land transactions were organized. The British American Land Company facilitated settlement in southern Quebec in what was to be called the Eastern Townships. Close to the U.S. border, many of these settlers came from the NE states. Danville, Quebec for example, was started by folks from Danville, Vermont. In Ontario, The Talbot Settlement was organized. It was located on the north shore of Lake Erie, south of London, ON. Further north, The Canada Company set up the Huron Tract on the east shore of Lake Huron.
Corduroy roads linked many of the Upper Canadian (Ontario) settlements together, the major one being Hwy.2 which the 401 parallels. Hwy. 2 ran (parts still do) from Windsor to Lancaster. Canals systems facilitated trade. The establishment of railways completed the transition.
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