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Provinces in Atlantic Canada
- Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and PEI
- smallest population and weakest economy in Southern Canada
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Maritimes
- Atlantic Can minus Newfoundland and Labrador
- ie. NS, NB, PEI
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Major Difficulties in Atlantic Canada
- an old and used resource hinterland
- migration of young generation away from the area
- loss of culture and skills
- have-not region dependent on equalization payments
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Weather in Atlantic Canada
- effected by the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream current
- mild most of the year but severe winter storms, icebergs in June, lots of snow
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Labrador Current
- flows south from the North Atlantic which carries iceberg down to Newfoundland
- mixes with warm waters of the Gulf stream to create fog and mist
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Gulf Stream
- north-east current from the Gulf of Mexico
- mixes with cold water of Labrador Current to create fog and mist and severe winter storms
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Basic Statistics Atlantic Canada
- slow growing economy
- all provinces received equalization payments until the discovery of oil off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2009
- high rate of unemployment
- low GDP for population
- French-Speaking Acadians settled here
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Employment by Economic Sectors in Atlantic Canada
- decreases in primary and secondary sectors and increase in tertiary common to other provinces
- total number of workers has stayed constant -> stagnant economy
- out-migration and air-commuting to AB for jobs
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Economic Head Start in Atlantic Canada
- British Empire exploited cod and lumber
- NS and NB were the shipbuilding centre of the Brit Empire in 1840
- trade with Caribbean and Britain (imports, and high demand for exports)
- traded with America after industrialization post Civil War
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Slow Growth in Atlantic Canada
- historical decline, out migration, and absence of economic growth
- decline of fisheries
- lowest GDP and highest unemployment in Canada
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Fall of Exports from Maritimes
- Britain opened up free trade in 1849, and Maritimes lost guaranteed markets
- iron replaces wood in shipbuilding
- end of Reciprocity Treaty in 1866, meant no more exports to USA
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Decline of Atlantic Fisheries
- overfishing of cod in 1980s led to government restrictions on cod fishing and tighter control of all fishing licences
- Newfoundland and Labrador mainly focus on lobster and shellfish, , but very few licences are permitted
- returns per fisher are high
- the fishing industry is concentrated in smaller and smaller circles of people
- devastating to NL where it has ended a way of life
- Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans was supposed to be responsible for managing cod
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Hibernia
- an oil deposit in the Grand Banks (cod fishing area)
- specially designed off-shore platform to endure winter storms and icebergs
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Reasons for Modern Economic Difficulties in Atlantic Can
- political division into four provinces: no economies of scale, multiple government expenses
- resources: non-renewable resources are used up, and renewable resources were overexploited
- dispersed population with small markets
- distance from national and international global markets
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Hopeful Economic Future for Atlantic Canada
- offshore gas and oil discovery
- huge shipbuilding contract from Ottawa
- trade agreement in the works with the EU
- potential for hydro-power development
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Lower Churchill Project
- hydro-power project to dam the unused parts of the Churchill River in Labrador
- electricity could be sold to Maritimes and New England
- may have the ability to unite the Atlantic, since most energy connections now go through QU
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Equalization Payments to Atlantic Canada
- federal government pays 3 million to the region every year to generate fiscal capacity
- approximately 20% of federal payments
- the amount has decreased since 2006, but Maritimes are still dependent
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Out-Migration from Rural Atlantic
- rural towns and villages based in the fishing industry don’t have the workers to support them
- employment and econ growth in urban centres
- skilled workers exodus to AB, leaving few skilled workers in the region
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Population Decline in Atlantic
- loss of population predominately in smaller communities
- falling birth rate and steady death rate
- little in-migration
- massive out-migration
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The Big Commute
- people who live in the Atlantic provinces, but fly to AB for two weeks to work and then fly home for a week
- corporations provide airfare, food, and housing
- pay $100,000 a year before overtime
- influx of money to the province
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Hidden Costs of The Big Commute
- dependent on an industry on the other side of the country
- families, social structure, individual lives and values
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Urban Geography in Atlantic
- two largest cities are Halifax (13th in Can) and St. John’s (20th)
- least urbanized region (just over 50%)
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Halifax
- dominant metropolitan centre for Maritimes
- deep, ice-free harbour; major container port
- naval base
- relatively large population/market
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St. John’s, NL
- dominant metropolitan centre for NL
- offshore oil, fishing industry, government services
- Arctic marine research and resupply
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Saint John, NB
- energy hub for New England, receiving foreign natural gas from Caribbean and Middle East en route to US
- gateway to NS and PEI
- francophone population is gateway to Acadian area of NB
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Halifax Citadel
National Historic Site created by the Brits to defend the port
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LNG
liquified natural gas
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Methylmercury and Hydropower
- flooding forested areas for hydropower increases the level of methylmercury in the water and therefore in fish
- it is apparently not dangerous, except to children and women of child-bearing age (so, no big deal, right)
- especially a concern for proposed Lower Churchill project
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Forestry Industry in Atlantic
- slowly hemmoraging
- hit by housing crisis in US, high dollar increasing cost for US buyers, print newspaper decline, and rising electricity costs
- mirrored in other pulp and lumber mills across Canada
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AV Nackawic Mill
- produces rayon fabric from wood fibre from Asia
- went under in 2004
- bailed out multiple times by government-funded corporations, and government loans
- still operating in 2012, but planning on reducing labour force
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Confederation Bridge
- connects PEI to NB
- increased tourism, real estate boom
- accessibility to markets for seafood products
- increased potato growing and potato products
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PEI Potato Production
- about 1/3 of Canadian production
- fills markets for seeds, table potatoes, and processing potatoes
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Annapolis Valley
- fertile soil from marine deposits
- at sea level surrounded by rocky upland
- settled by Acadians
- best agricultural land in NS
- vineyards are replacing apple orchards
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The Tragedy of the Commons
- open access property
- many people have access to an open resource, but no one is responsible for overseeing and managing the resource
- self-interests outweighs community welfare (under capitalism)
- often leads to overuse and degradation
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Exclusive Economic Zone
- a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind.
- in Atlantic Canada, 200 nautical miles
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