CANADA'S NORTH MAKES UP MORE THAN 80 PER CENT OF THE COUNTRY'S LAND MASS
OTTAWA, Oct. 21 /CNW/ - Canada's North is more than just the three territories—it includes the northern portions of seven provinces, and accounts for more than 80 per cent of Canada's land mass, according to The Conference Board of Canada's The Vast North map (http://www.centreforthenorth.ca/blogs/herethenorth/thevastnorth).
"Most southern Canadians tend to think of the North as comprising the three Northern territories or the lands and waters inside the Arctic Circle. But, this map illustrates the vastness of Canada's North," said Gilles Rhéaume, Vice-President, Public Policy, The Conference Board of Canada. "If it were a country, Canada's North would be the sixth largest out of 240 in the world. It is only slightly smaller than Australia, and well over twice the size of India."
Based on the Northern Development Ministers Forum's definition of the "North", this boundary between north and south uses census divisions. Under this definition, cities as far south as Sudbury, Ontario and Grande Prairie, Alberta are considered part of Northern Canada.
Most of the maps in the Here the North series have shown that this north-south boundary is a significant one. For example, maps such as High School Confidential (http://www.centreforthenorth.ca/blogs/herethenorth/highschoolconfidential), Sleeping on the Couch (http://www.centreforthenorth.ca/blogs/herethenorth/sleepingonthecouch), and Needs Major Repairs (http://www.centreforthenorth.ca/blogs/herethenorth/needsmajorrepairs) have demonstrated marked differences between northern and southern regions of Canada.
The Vast North is the seventh map in the Centre for the North's series, designed to illustrate similarities and differences between Canada's North and South and among northern regions.
The Centre for the North (http://www.centreforthenorth.ca/home_new) is a Conference Board of Canada program of research and dialogue. Its main purpose is to work with Aboriginal leaders, businesses, governments, communities, educational institutions, and other organizations to provide insights into how sustainable prosperity can be achieved in the North. Over its five-year mandate, the Centre for the North will help to establish and implement strategies, policies and practices to transform that vision into reality.
For further information:
Brent Dowdall, Media Relations, Tel.: 613- 526-3090 ext. 448
E-mail: [email protected]
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