All About Canada!
Environment, a map, and the Quebec Independence Movement
Environmental Issues in Canada!
Canada has been suffering from environmental issues for awhile now such as acid rain, pollution to the great lakes, extraction and use of natural resources on the Canadian shield, and their timber industry. First, let`s talk about their acid rain. Factories, cars, and trucks all release chemicals that pollute their air. When the air is polluted it causes the rain to become polluted. Since Canada`s rainfall is polluted, it is putting the polluted water in lakes causing many animals to die. That is bringing us to the next problem, the pollution of the great lakes. The great lakes have high levels of pollution because of the acid that is going into to the lakes from acid rain. This is killing or making the plants and animals have diseases. In the 1970`s you couldn't fish in the lakes because it was too dangerous. Factories dumped waste into them causing even more pollution than what was already there because of acid rain. In 1972, Canada and America both agreed to take care of the great lakes. But, the lakes are still polluted today. The next problem is extraction and use of natural resources on the Canadian shield. The Canadian shield is very important to Canada`s economy. Digging with machinery causes the land around the mine to be damaged. This is ruining the land. Most mining processes also release chemicals in the air which cause more acid rain! Canada has reduced the amount of mining allowed there and has reduced exports to try to lower the pollution. The last problem is the timber industry. Most companies cut down all of the trees in a given area. This reduces the water quality, causes erosion, and kills animals habitats. This is one of Canada`s main resources and exports so they are going to lower how much of the wood they export to lower how many trees they have to cut down. Also they are planting many seedlings in the Canadian shield to make more trees. These are all of the main pollution problems in Canada!
This is the map of Canada.
Quebec`s Independence Movement
Quebec is located in eastern Canada. 81% of the population here speaks French. Most French-Canadian families live here. Back then, most French people were Catholic and most British people were Protestant. The idea of a separate French Canada grew slowly among everyone. At first, most French- Canadians didn't think that needed independence to be French. However, during the 1960`s their thought changed. Many French-Canadians had thought of themselves as Quebecois not Canadian. Because of this change in thought, everyone's life styles changed. People stopped going to Catholic churches, no longer lived a traditional lifestyle, and English was spoken in most cities. The French were tired of being treated like second class citizens in their own country! Most people started to think that Quebec should separate from the rest of Canada! People who believed that were called separatists. Separatists wanted to protect the French language and culture, to be treated as equals with everybody, everyone to respect their cultures, and to preserve French culture for the future generations. People who were opposed to separating thought that it would result in an economic crisis, or ruin national pride and unity. Votes were taken in 1980 and 1995 to see if Quebec would separate. Both times the majority voted to stay with Canada. To keep the French happy, the government came up with some rules. They made the Constitutional act that made two official languages (French and English), and also made all government documents written in both languages. In Quebec today mostly everyone speaks French and advertisements have big French words and little English words under it. Most people are happy with these changes but others wish that Quebec would be separate from the rest of Canada.