Western Canada
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- This article is about the region in Canada. For the school in Calgary, see Western Canada High School.
Western Canada, commonly referred to as the West, is a region of Canada normally including all parts of Canada west of the province of Ontario. From west to east, this comprises four provinces:
- British Columbia (20 July 1871)
- Alberta (1 September 1905)
- Saskatchewan (1 September 1905)
- Manitoba (15 July 1870)
The latter three are collectively the Prairie provinces, or simply the Prairies, though the term is increasingly used for Manitoba and Saskatchewan only.
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[edit] Definitions
The source of this division of regions is the division of seats in the Canadian Senate, as set out in the Canadian Constitution.
[edit] Demographics
The combined population of Western Canada as of 2005 is nearly 10 million, including approximately 4.1 million in British Columbia, 3.3 million in Alberta, just under 1.0 million in Saskatchewan and 1.1 million in Manitoba. This represents about 30 per cent of the entire Canadian population (source: Statistics Canada, April 1, 2005 estimates).
[edit] Major population centres
Census Metropolitan Areas, 2005 population estimates[1]
- Vancouver: 2,208,300
- Calgary: 1,079,310
- Edmonton: 1,034,900
- Winnipeg: 706,900
- Victoria: 334,700
- Saskatoon: 235,800
- Regina: 199,000
- Kelowna: 165,221
- Abbotsford: 162,800
[edit] Geography
Western British Columbia adjoins the Pacific Ocean but both Alberta and Saskatchewan are landlocked. Manitoba is almost landlocked but for a small coastal area of Hudson Bay on the north east border, where the port of Churchill is located.
The coast of British Columbia enjoys a moderate oceanic climate due to the influence of the Pacific Ocean, with temperatures similar to those of the British Isles. Winters are typically wet and summers relatively dry. These areas enjoy the mildest winter weather in all of Canada, as temperatures rarely fall much below the freezing mark. The Interior of the province is drier and has colder winters and substantially hotter summers.
Alberta borders the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the southern portion benefits from frequent moderate climatic conditions known as "chinooks" where warm winds raise the winter temperature sufficiently to allow a full range of winter sports and the occasional game of golf. Alberta's weather is exceptionally changeable, and short-sleeve weather can occur in January and February, or conversely it can (albeit rarely) snow in July and August.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba have a continental climate and experience extremes in weather. Winters in both provinces can be classified as harsh with Arctic winds and −40 °C temperatures possible. Winter temperatures in both provinces average between −10 °C and −15 °C. The very cold Manitoba winters have led to the capital city Winnipeg being nicknamed "Winterpeg, or Manisnowba". In contrast summers can be hot with temperatures sometimes exceeding 35 °C, although it rarely occurs. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Canada was 45 °C, observed in 1943 at the weather stations of Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan and neighbouring Cedoux.
[edit] Politics
In Canadian politics, the term "the West" is often used as shorthand for the supposedly Conservative leanings of Western Canadians, as contrasted with the supposed liberalism of Central Canada. Exceptions exist, however, in British Columbia, the cities of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Regina, Saskatchewan where the Liberal Party hold seats. The social democratic New Democratic Party had its origins on the Canadian Prairies and enjoys considerable support in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as British Columbia, although in recent years this party has made somewhat of a shift towards the centre.
As of April 2007, the British Columbia Liberal Party (much to the right of the federal Liberal Party, more akin to the Conservatives) formed the provincial government in British Columbia, the Conservatives in Alberta, and the New Democratic Party in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
The Western provinces are represented in the Parliament of Canada by 92 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons (B.C. 36, Alberta 28, Saskatchewan and Manitoba 14 each) and 24 senators (6 from each province). Of the 92 western MPs in the Commons, 66 are Conservatives, 13 are Liberals, and 13 are New Democrats. David Emerson, the current Minister of International Trade in the federal cabinet, was elected as a Liberal but crossed over to the Conservative Party shortly after the election.
The West has been the most vocal in calls for reform of the Senate, in which Ontario, Quebec, and particularly Atlantic Canada are seen as being over-represented. The population of Ontario alone (12.5 million) exceeds that of all the Western provinces combined, and the population of Quebec (7.6 million) now has significantly less population than the combined population of the west. However, the total population of Atlantic Canada is 2.3 million, and this region is represented by 30 senators. Instead, some Westerners have advocated the so-called Triple-E Senate, which stands for "equal, elected, effective." They feel that if all 10 provinces were allotted an equal number of senators, those senators were elected instead of appointed, and the Senate was a body that had actual political power (an arrangement similar to the structure of the Australian Senate and the United States Senate), then their region would have more of its concerns addressed at the federal level. The combination of all of these issues has led to the phenomenon of Western alienation, as well as calls for Western Canada independence.
Climatic and economic conditions have contributed to a net out-migration from Manitoba and Saskatchewan to Alberta and British Columbia, which have stronger economies. In fact, the current population of Saskatchewan is only slightly larger than it was in 1931. This trend of net out-migration in Saskatchewan has recently reversed due to a lower cost of living than its western neighbours, strong job growth and a vibrant economy. British Columbia is often referred to as "Beautiful British Columbia", and "Lotus Land"; Alberta as "Wild Rose Country" or "The Land of Opportunity"; Saskatchewan as "The Land of Living Skies"; and Manitoba as "Friendly Manitoba" or "Land of 100,000 Lakes".
[edit] See also
- Eastern Canada
- Northern Canada
- Central Canada
- Atlantic Canada
- List of regions of Canada
- Secessionist movements of Canada - Includes several movements in Western Canada
- History of the west coast of North America
[edit] Notes
es:Oeste de Canadá fr:Ouest canadien nl:Westelijk Canada pt:Oeste do Canadá ru:Западная Канада
