GIS Lab #5: How does the location of Canada’s natural resources influence our energy choices?
Goal: By the end of this activity you will be able to answer the following inquiry question. To effectively
answer it you must use facts/evidence from the ArcGIS Online map and guided analysis questions below.
Background Info:
You learned in unit 2 that Canada has diverse natural regions that are a result of geologic activity in the
Canada’s past. We narrow down our vast country into 7 physiographic regions that each has a unique geologic
past. The geologic past of each region explains why we find natural resources in one place and not another. So
the question arises: what resources are located where?
Energy Sources:
Wind
Tidal
Hydroelectric
Turbines capture flowing wind
Turbines capture energy from
Rivers dammed. Flowing water
and convert into electricity
tides as they rise/lower daily
spins turbine creating electricity
Natural Gas
Diesel
Oil
Fossil fuel burned to create steam Fossil is burned to create steam that Fossil is burned to create steam that
spins a turbine, creating electricity
that spins a turbine, create energy spins a turbine, creating electricity
Coal
Nuclear
Electricity generation= heat,
Fossil is burned to create steam that
Radioactive elements release energy, water, steam spinning an
spins a turbine, creating electricity
creates steam and spins a turbine
electrical generating turbine.
Part A: Spatial Significance: What natural resources are located where?
STOP: Make sure the following layers are turned on with a check mark and click “show legend”
symbol means.
“Landform (Physiographic) Regions”
“Mines in Canada”
to understand what each
“Oil and Gas Deposit/Extraction Locations”
“Canada Outline”
1) Which physiographic regions have an abundance of certain Natural Resources?
Use the legend or click any symbol on the map and a pop up will give you information about that location. Scroll the information in
the pop up until you see what resource is extracted at that site. Fill in chart below:
Region Name
Natural Resources
Large deposits of Gold(Au), Silver(Ag), Nickel (Nu), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn) and other
metallic minerals.
Artic sub-arctic
Large deposits of Coal, Bitumen, Oil sands, Gas, Oil, Potash & Salt
Hudson Bay Lowlands
Cordillera
Small amounts of Oil & Gas. Large deposits of Limestone & Salt
Appalachian
2) Which provinces would you predict to have a lot of their energy supplied using oil, gas or coal? Why?
3) Which provinces would you predict do not obtain their energy supply from oil, gas or coal? Why?
Not all natural resources have absolute locations. Flow resources like wind, sunlight and water are tougher to
place on a map since their location is fluid and changing. However, features like rivers can tell us if a location is
fit for hydroelectric energy generation.
STOP: turn on the layer “Canada Rivers”. Feel free to turn off other layers if it looks crowded
Hydroelectric generation requires the presence of a quick moving river that experiences an elevation change.
4) Look at the location of Canada’s rivers on the map and compare that to the landform regions description to
make an educated prediction about where hydroelectric generation is likely to occur.
Region
Description
Suitability for Hydroelectric Generation
Do you think there are many hydro dams
in this region? Support your answer!
Great Lakes St
Low elevation gently rolling plains
Lawrence Lowlands
surrounding the Great Lakes.
Canadian Shield
Moderate elevation that slopes
from the interior to oceans, bays
and lakes along its margins.
Appalachian
Hilly elevation that quickly ends at
the sea
Cordillera
Mountainous with many rivers
valleys flowing to the Pacific Ocean
Interior Plains
Extremely flat prairie, gently
sloping from west to east.
Hudson Bay Lowlands Low elevations sloping moderately
from Canadian Shield to Hudson’s
Bay.
Arctic Sub- Arctic
Mixture of mountains, plains, hills
that are completely frozen
throughout the year.
5) Which two provinces have the best conditions for creating lots of energy using hydroelectric dams? Explain
As you can tell from the map, some regions are rich with metallic minerals or water; others are rich with
energy resources like oil and gas; while some have few of these resources at all! The availability and location
of resources are just one factor that influence where our energy comes from
STOP: Turn off the layers
Turn on the layer
“Mines in Canada”
and
“Oil and Gas Deposit/Extraction Locations”
“Major regional power generating stations Canada”
Part B: Patterns & Trends
4) The layer you just turned on shows all major power generating stations in the country, colour coded by the
type of energy produced. What patterns can you find in the type of energy produced in our provinces and
territories?
Click on the border of any province/territory to reveal its name if you are unsure which is which.
Province
British Columbia
Pattern Observed
BC uses mostly hydroelectric generation but has
invested/explored renewables like wind and tidal
Nunavut
Alberta
Quebec
Ontario
5) Which province is making the biggest move to alternative and sustainable energy? Justify your choice
6) How does the type of energy generated depend on where you are in Canada? Find and discuss two large scale energy
patterns that exist across Canada.
STOP: Turn on the layer
“Output megawatts major Canadian power generating stations ”
7) This layer shows how much energy is generated at each of the generating stations as represented by orange circles.
Determine what the dominant source of energy is in the following provinces by exploring the largest stations.
Ontario
Quebec
Alberta
Part C: Interrelationships: What controls the source of my energy?
Now it is time to see how the location of our natural resources impacts the choices made by provinces to
supply its people with energy. Energy supply is a provincial responsibility, so politicians have chosen very
different energy strategies in different provinces.
8) Using the same 3 provinces as questions 7, try to explain why that source of energy is dominant in that
province. You must use the map to consider what natural resources are or are not present in the province in
order to explain why a particular source was chosen by the government.
Ontario choses to use _______________ because:
Quebec choses to use _______________ because:
Alberta chose to use ________________ because:
The Interrelationship between Population and Energy
STOP: Turn on the layers “Major Canadian Cities” & “Output megawatts major Canadian power generating stations ”
9) “A large population has a thirst for large amounts of energy”. Identify 3 relative locations in Canada where this
statement proves to be true (the locations you choose must have a cluster of many cities as well as high MW capacity
density).
10. “Sometimes energy needs have not caught up with population growth”. Identify 2 relative locations in Canada where
this statement proves to be true (the locations you choose must have clusters of many cities but lacking high MW
capacity density)
11. “The location of all that energy makes no sense! There is no one there!” Identify the ONE relative location where this
statement proves to be true (this location must have high MW capacity density but little to no cities).
This location is known as the James Bay Project. The Quebec government undertook a massive investment to harness
some of the untapped power potential of Northern Quebec Rivers. Some of this power is even used to supply New York
City!
Speaking of the quest for energy in the United States, no trip through Canada’s energy sources would be complete
without a mention of the Oil Sands in Northern Alberta which supply many countries including the USA with oil.
The Interrelationship between the Environment and Energy
STOP: Turn off all layers except for “Oil and Gas Deposit/Extraction Locations”. Change the basemap to “Imagery with labels”
In the Northeastern corner of Alberta you will notice a group of purple symbols which represent the locations
collectively known as the Oil Sands or Tar Sands. Using the measure tool located above the map, trace the outline of the
Oil Sands operation north of Fort McMurray by clicking around the entire site and ending with a double click.
12) How large is the site in km2? ___________
Slowly zoom out and notice how it is nearly visible from space. The entire undeveloped Oil sands area cover 140000km2
of northern Alberta.
STOP: Turn off all layers except for “Major regional power generating stations Canada” Keep the basemap as “Imagery with labels”
In the map search bar in the top right of your screen search “Barrage aux Outardes-3, Côte-Nord,Quebec, Canada”
13) How has the construction of a hydro dam impacted the course of the river and surrounding landscape?
Part D: Geographic Perspectives
Our provincial energy choices are intricately tied to our health, the environment, the economy and politics.
15) Answer the inquiry question “How does the location of Canada’s natural resources influence our energy choices?”
Discuss the resources and choices in at least 3 different provinces of Canada.
SUBMIT THIS QUESTION ON THE GOOGLE FORM