Activity 5: The forest territory of Abitibi-Témiscamingue

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1 Activity 5: The forest territory of Abitibi-Témiscamingue Robin Dubois passe l été en Abitibi! Mike Forrest is spending the summer in Abitibi! Mike has just finished his first semester of CEGEP. He s happy because he s found himself an unusual job for the summer: he s leaving soon to plant trees in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, a region with a large logging industry as well as vast tracts of land that need to be replanted. Mike has been hired by a large forestry company that provides its employees with a temporary camp, meals and thousands of tree seedlings to be planted every day. Mike has always wanted to visit Abitibi because he has family there. To prepare for his trip, he s asked one of his uncles to him photos of the region. Unfortunately, the photos arrived in a jumble and Mike would like to understand what they represent. Can you help him sort them out? First read the following encyclopedia entry for Abitibi-Témiscamingue:

2 Encyclopedia Abitibi-Témiscamingue (08) Source: Ville de Rouyn-Noranda Population: 145,000 people (2006) (about 2% of the population of Québec) Area: 57,700 km 2 Density: 2.5 people/km 2 Boundaries: North: Nord-du-Québec (10) East: Mauricie (04) South: Outaouais (07) West: Ontario Main municipalities: Amos, Val-d Or, Rouyn-Noranda, La Sarre, Ville-Marie Number of Algonquin communities: 7 (Information updated Nov from Statistics Canada)

3 Geography Abitibi-Témiscamingue is the fourth largest region of Québec and is divided into two areas. In the south, Témiscamingue is a hilly area covered by mixed forest; the main economic activities are livestock farming and agriculture. Abitibi, in the north, is a much flatter area covered by boreal forest; mining is one of the main economic activities of this area. In total, more than 80% of this region is covered by forest. Source: Martin Guérin, Le Québec en images Abitibi-Témiscamingue has abundant water resources, including thousands of lakes and hundreds of rivers that flow towards James Bay or the St. Lawrence River. Source: Daniel Bédard, Le Québec en images History Abitibi-Témiscamingue was the last region of Québec to be settled: its colonization only started in the 1920s. The rate of colonization accelerated in the early 1930s, when the government of Québec wanted to help working-class urban dwellers hit hard by the Great Depression. Wooded lots were offered to families who were given the task of clearing and planting the land under challenging conditions. Source: Le Québec en images

4 Economy Villages and then towns sprang up, and the proximity of a labour force soon attracted forestry companies. Forestry was thus the first industry of the region. Later, the discovery of mineral deposits also greatly contributed to the economic development of this region. [Val d'or] Source: Martin Guérin, Le Québec en images Today, Abitibi-Témiscamingue is considered a resource region. Its economy is mainly based on mining activities (copper, gold, zinc) and forest resources. These two sectors provide thousands of jobs to local residents. [Société minière La Noranda] Source: François Ruph, Le Québec en images [Woodpile, Domtar] Source: François Ruph, Le Québec en images

5 [Donohue Paper Mill] Source: Martin Guérin, Le Québec en images Source: Martin Guérin, Le Québec en images Portail régional de l Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Association Aux Arbres Citoyens,

6 Understanding the organization of Abitibi Now that you know a bit more about Abitibiti-Témiscamingue, you can explore the region virtually and help Mike sort the photos he received from his uncle. The following are four landscapes you will find in Abitibi. Select one to explore. Agricultural territory Read the following text and examine the satellite image below before continuing. During the 1920s, thousands of Québec families migrated to the United States in search of better jobs in the textile plants of New England. To counter this phenomenon, the government of Québec and the Catholic Church encouraged the colonization of Abitibi. The rate of colonization accelerated after 1929, following the economic crisis known as the Great Depression, which began in the United States. Since plants were closing and the unemployment rate had reached 30%, choosing to settle on agricultural land became an interesting viable alternative. However, for the land to be cultivated, it first had to be cleared under difficult climatic conditions. To make matters worse, after a few years, it became clear that the land was not very fertile. The harsh living conditions got the better of many colonists. This is how some of the land was eventually cleared and the forest began to be exploited.

7 Exploited forest territory Read the following text and examine the satellite image below before continuing. The forests of Abitibi-Témiscamingue have been exploited for over 150 years. Multinationals have built plants in this region to meet the growing needs of consumers, especially those south of the border. The goal of forestry companies has always been to cut as many trees as possible, as quickly as possible, to maximize their profits. People believed that the forests were so vast they were endless. Today, we know that this resource is not infinite, and people are starting to want to exploit it in a sustainable fashion. In addition, numerous examples from the rest of the world have led us to consider the importance of combining exploitation with conservation..

8 Protected forest territory Read the following text and examine the satellite image below before continuing. Thanks to technological advances and the growing needs of consumers, it is now possible to clear-cut an entire forest very rapidly. However, it is important to preserve areas where the forest remains in its natural state. To this end, wildlife reserves, national parks and other protected areas have been created to protect forests for recreational use. Today, thousands of tourists from Québec and around the world visit these natural areas in Abitibi and other regions to commune with nature. We now understand that biodiversity is part of our natural heritage and that it has educational as well as economic value.

9 Urban territory Read the following text and examine the satellite image below before continuing. The main economic activities in Abitibi are related to the exploitation of natural resources: mines and forests. For the last 150 years, as Canadian and American companies have moved in to exploit the forests of this region, urban centres have grown up around wood-processing industries (pulp and paper, lumber, etc.). Employees have settled around the plants, while businesses and services flourished nearby. Many of the workers are thus employed by these companies, most of which are not local. This is how towns such as Amos, Val-d Or and Rouyn-Noranda came into being.

10 Of all the images Mike received from his uncle, select the five that illustrate the type of landscape you chose: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T Answer the following questions about this type of territory: What feelings does this type of territory evoke for you?

11 What is the significance of human actions in this territory? How do humans organize this territory? Has the regional territory of Abitibi been subject to external economic or political influences? Compare your landscape with those of students who chose a different type of territory.