Canadian Prairies Prairies canadiennes (French) | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Farm on the prairies nearHartney, Manitoba | |
 Map of the Prairie Provinces | |
| Location | Alberta,Saskatchewan,Manitoba inCanada |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,960,681 km2 (757,023 sq mi)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 3,747 m (12,293 ft) |
TheCanadian Prairies (usually referred to as simplythe Prairies in Canada) is a region inWestern Canada. It includes the Canadian portion of theGreat Plains and thePrairie provinces, namelyAlberta,Saskatchewan, andManitoba.[2] These provinces are partially covered bygrasslands,plains, andlowlands, mostly in the southern regions. The northernmost reaches of the Canadian Prairies are less dense in population, marked byforests and more variabletopography.[3] If the region is defined to include areas only covered byprairie land, the corresponding region is known as theInterior Plains.[4] Physical or ecological aspects of the Canadian Prairies extend to northeasternBritish Columbia, but that area is not included in the political use of the term.[5]
The prairies in Canada are abiome oftemperate grassland andshrubland within the prairieecoregion of Canada. This ecoregion consists ofnorthern mixed grasslands in Alberta, Saskatchewan, andsouthern Manitoba, as well asnorthern short grasslands in southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.[6] ThePrairies Ecozone of Canada includes thenorthern tall grasslands in southern Manitoba andAspen parkland, which coverscentral Alberta, central Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba.[7] The Prairie starts from north ofEdmonton and it covers the three provinces in a southward-slanting line east to the Manitoba–Minnesota border.[8] Alberta has the most land classified as prairie, while Manitoba has the least, as theboreal forest begins more southerly in Manitoba than in Alberta.[9]
The coreclimate of the Canadian prairie region is defined as asemi-arid climate and is often based upon theKöppen climate classification system.[10] This type of classification encompasses five main climate types, with several categoric subtypes based on the precipitation pattern of the region.[11] The majority of the prairie provinces experience snowy, fully humidcontinental climates with cool summers (known asGroup D), andsubarctic climate, also known as class Dfc on the Köppen climate scale.[10] The southernmost regions of the prairies tend to experience fullyhumid continental climates with warm summers, Dfb.[10] A trifling section surrounding the Alberta-Saskatchewan border has been classified as Bsk,cold semi-arid climates.[10]
Precipitation events in the Canadian prairies are very important to study as these locations make up 80% of the country'sagricultural production.[12] On average, 454 mm (18 in) of precipitation falls on the prairies each year.[13] Out of the three prairie provinces, Saskatchewan obtains the least amount of precipitation annually (395 mm [16 in]), withManitoba receiving the most at 486 mm (19 in). Most rainfall typically happens in the summer months such as June and July.[13] With the high humidity of the prairies,tornadoes are likely to occur—marking centralSaskatchewan,Alberta andsouthern Manitoba as high probability areas.[14] Approximately 72% of tornadoes in Canada are seen across the prairies[15] due to the capability of summer thunderstorm precipitation to mechanically mix with the air adjacent to the relatively flat surface of the region.[13]
| City | Province | July | January | Annual precipitation | Planthardiness zone (1981-2010)[16] | Average growing season (in days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lethbridge[17] | AB | 26 / 11 °C (79 / 52 °F) | 0 / −12 °C (32 / 10 °F) | 373 mm (15 in) | 4b | 118 |
| Calgary[18] | AB | 24 / 10 °C (75 / 50 °F) | −2 / −14 °C (28 / 7 °F) | 445 mm (18 in) | 4a | 119 |
| Medicine Hat[19] | AB | 28 / 13 °C (82 / 55 °F) | −3 / −14 °C (27 / 7 °F) | 331 mm (13 in) | 4b | 135 |
| Edmonton[20] | AB | 24 / 13 °C (75 / 55 °F) | −6 / −15 °C (21 / 5 °F) | 423 mm (17 in) | 4a | 141 |
| Grande Prairie[21] | AB | 23 / 10 °C (73 / 50 °F) | −8 / −19 °C (18 / −2 °F) | 435 mm (17 in) | 3b | 111 |
| Regina[22] | SK | 26 / 12 °C (79 / 54 °F) | −9 / −20 °C (16 / −4 °F) | 390 mm (15 in) | 3b | 114 |
| Saskatoon[23] | SK | 25 / 12 °C (77 / 54 °F) | −10 / −21 °C (14 / −6 °F) | 357 mm (14 in) | 3b | 117 |
| Prince Albert[24] | SK | 24 / 12 °C (75 / 54 °F) | −12 / −23 °C (10 / −9 °F) | 432 mm (17 in) | 3a | 113 |
| Brandon[25] | MB | 25 / 12 °C (77 / 54 °F) | −11 / −22 °C (12 / −8 °F) | 489 mm (19 in) | 3b | 122 |
| Winnipeg[26] | MB | 26 / 13 °C (79 / 55 °F) | −11 / −21 °C (12 / −6 °F) | 519 mm (20 in) | 4a | 122 |
Although the Prairie Provinces region is named for the prairies located within Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the physical geography of the three provinces is quite diverse, consisting of portions of theCanadian Shield, theWestern Cordillera and theCanadian Interior Plains.[27] The plains comprise both prairies andboreal plains forests while, with the exception offreshwater along theHudson Bay, the shield is predominantly forested.[27]
Three main grassland types occur in the Canadian prairies:tallgrass prairie,mixed grass prairie, andfescue prairie (or using theWWF terminology,northern tall grasslands,northern mixed grasslands, andnorthern short grasslands).[28] Each has a unique geographic distribution and characteristic mix of plant species. All but a fraction of 1% of the tallgrass prairie has been converted tocropland.[29] What remains occurs on the 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) plain centred in theRed River Valley in Manitoba. Mixed prairie is more common and is part of the dry interior plains that extend from Canada south to the U.S. state ofTexas.
More than half of the remaining native grassland in the Canadian prairies is mixed. Though widespread in southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, because of extensive cattle grazing, it is estimated that only 24% of the original mixed prairie grassland remains.[29] Fescue prairie occurs in the moister regions, occupying the northern extent of the prairies in central and southwestern Alberta and west-central Saskatchewan.[30]
The southwestern Canadian prairies, supporting brown andblack soil types, aresemi-arid and highly prone to frequent and severe droughts.[31]
The zones around the cities ofRegina and immediately east ofCalgary are also very dry. Most heavy precipitation quickly dissipates by the time it passesCheadle on its way heading east.[31] In an average year, southern Saskatchewan receives between 30–51 cm (12–20 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.[28]
The eastern section of the Canadian prairies in Manitoba is well watered with several large lakes such asLake 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.[32] The areas aroundEdmonton andSaskatoon are especially notable as good farmland. Both lie in the northern area of the Palliser's Triangle, and are withinaspen parkland a transitional prairie ecozone.[33][8]
Further north, the area becomes too cold for most agriculture besideswild rice operations and sheep raising, and it is dominated byboreal forest. ThePeace Region in northwestern Alberta is an exception, however.[34] It lies north of the55th parallel and is warm and dry enough to support extensive farming.Aspen parkland covers the area; 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. 16 km2 (6.2 sq mi)
| Rank | Census metropolitan area | Province | Population | Area (land) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (2021) | (2016) | Change | Density | km2 | sq mi | |||
| 1 | Calgary | Alberta | 1,481,806 | 1,392,609 | +6.41% | 290.6 | 5,098.68 | 1,968.61 |
| 2 | Edmonton | Alberta | 1,418,118 | 1,321,441 | +7.32% | 150.6 | 9,416.19 | 3,635.61 |
| 3 | Winnipeg | Manitoba | 834,678 | 783,099 | +6.59% | 157.9 | 5,285.46 | 2,040.73 |
| 4 | Saskatoon | Saskatchewan | 317,480 | 295,095 | +7.59% | 54.1 | 5,864.48 | 2,264.29 |
| 5 | Regina | Saskatchewan | 249,217 | 236,695 | +5.29% | 57.6 | 4,323.66 | 1,669.37 |
| 6 | Lethbridge | Alberta | 123,847 | 117,394 | +5.50% | 41.9 | 2,958.96 | 1,142.46 |
| 7 | Red Deer | Alberta | 100,844 | 100,418 | +0.42% | 966.5 | 104.34 | 40.29 |
In the2021 Canadian census, the Canadian prairie provinces had a population of 6,737,293 consisting of 4,262,635 in Alberta, 1,342,153 in Manitoba, and 1,132,505 in Saskatchewan, up 4.6% from 6,443,892 in 2016.[36] The three provinces have a combined area of 1,960,681 km2 (757,023 sq mi) (1,787,543 km2 (690,174 sq mi) land and 173,138 km (107,583 mi) freshwater) consisting of 661,848 km2 (255,541 sq mi) in Alberta, 647,797 km2 (250,116 sq mi) in Manitoba, and 651,036 km2 (251,366 sq mi) in Saskatchewan.[1]
Some of the prairie region of Canada has seen rapid growth from a boom inoil production since the mid-20th century.[37]
According to StatsCanada, the prairie provinces had a population of 6,443,892 in 2016. In 2021, the population had grown by 4.6% to 6,737,293[36]
In the mid 20th century, the economy of the prairies exploded, due to the oil boom, and introduced a growth of jobs. The primary industries are agriculture and services.[3]Agriculture consisting of livestock (cattle and sheep), cultivating crops (oats, canola, wheat, barley), andproduction of oil.[5]
Due to the production of oil, the service industry expanded in order to provide for the employees of the oil companies extracting the oil. In the 1950s-1970s, the explosion ofoil production increased the worth of Alberta, allowing it to become the "nation's richest province" and Canada one of the top petroleum exporters in the world.[5] Edmonton and Calgary drew in a larger population with the increase in jobs in the energy industry, causing the jobs supporting this industry to grow as well. It was through the steady economic growth that followed this explosion that the prairies region began to switch from an agriculture-based job sector to one with services included.[38][39].
In 2014, the global market for oil fell and led to a recession, impacting the economy dramatically. Alberta still has anoil-dominant economy even as the traditional oil wells dry up; there areoil sands further north (i.e. theAthabasca oil sands nearFort McMurray) that continue to provide jobs to extract, drill and refine the oil.[5] Saskatchewan, in particular, in the early 20th century grew economically due to the Canadian agricultural boom and produce large crops of wheat.[3] It is said to have a "one-crop economy" due to such dependency on this crop alone, but after 1945 the economy took another turn with technological advancements that allowed for the discovery of uranium, oil, and potash.[3]
Marquis wheat played a decisive role in reshaping farming in the Prairie provinces, with their rich soils and long winters. Marquis wheat matured a week earlier than its predecessor,Red Fife. The ripe Marquis could be harvested before the damaging early autumn frosts hit, thus sharply reducing the risk of crop failure. It equalled the superior milling and baking qualities of its parent, Red Fife. Marquis hard red spring wheat made excellent bread flour due to its high protein and strong gluten content. This established Canada's reputation for high-quality export wheat. Per acre Marquis also gave high yields By 1920, Marquis accounted for 90 percent of the hard red spring wheat planted on the Canadian Prairies, doubling wheat production in some areas between 1906 and 1920. This opportunity attracted farmers from eastern Canada and the United states, as well as Ukraine, Germany and Scandinavia who arrived before World War I shut down travel in 1914. Hybrid Marquis Wheat thus played a central role in establishing the Prairie provinces as a major global grain-exporting area.[40][41][42][43][44]
The Prairies are distinguished from the rest of Canada by cultural and political traits. The oldest influence on Prairie culture are theFirst Nations, who have inhabited this region for millennia. This region has the highest proportion ofIndigenous people in Canada, outside of thethree territories. The first Europeans to see the Prairies werefur traders and explorers fromeastern Canada (mainly present-dayQuebec) and Great Britain viaHudson Bay. They gave rise to theMétis, who wereworking class "children of the fur trade."[5]
During their settlement by Europeans, the prairies were settled in distinct ethnicblock settlements giving areas distinctivelyBritish,Ukrainian,German,French, orScandinavian Canadian cultures. Farm family operations predominate, where families supplement their cash income with home-grown farm produce. Grain crops are the main cash crop, but mixed farming had natural advantages in the wooded areas of theparkland andboreal forest to the north. Local conditions attracted particular ethnicities. Those of Ukrainians andPolish heritage were drawn to the parkland of east north-central Alberta.
Southern Alberta is renowned for itscowboy culture, which developed when realopen range ranching was practiced in the 1880s.[5] Canada's first rodeo, theRaymond Stampede, was established in 1902. These influences are also evident in themusic 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 because of the lack of available land in the United States.
The Prairie Provinces have given rise to the "prairie protest" movements. Radical solutions are sometimes considered sound in the more open western culture. Organized farmer groups and politicized labour groups were a feature of the inter-war years. TheOne Big Union was founded on the Prairies; theWinnipeg general strike (1919) was the biggestgeneral strike in Canadian history. TheUnited Farmers of Alberta was the longest-lasting post-WWI farmer government in Canada. Monetary reform (Social Credit) elected its first government in the world, theAlberta Social Credit Party, in the1935 Alberta general election. TheReform Party of Canada (1987 to 2000), founded byPreston Manning, had its strongest support among Prairie voters.
These political movements (both of the left and right) tend to feed off of well established feelings ofWestern alienation, and each one represents a distinct challenge to the perceivedCentral Canadian elite.[45]
The Prairies continue to have a wide range of political representation. While theConservative Party of Canada has widespread support throughout the region at both federal and provincial levels, theNew Democratic Party holds seats at the provincial level in all three provinces, and takes turns with Conservatives or another right-wing party at provincial government. The NDP holdsseats at the federal level in Alberta and Manitoba. TheLiberal Party of Canada often holds seats in Alberta and Manitoba; it presently holds four federal seats in Winnipeg, while theManitoba Liberal Party holds one seat in Manitoba.
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