Over 70 per cent of Nova Scotians live in coastal communities with half of the provincial population located in two large cities: Halifax , which is on the main peninsula, and Sydney , on Cape Breton Island to the north. The provincial coast features rocky beaches covered with massive grey stones, washed smooth after thousands of years of lapping waves. Well into the 20th century, it was not uncommon to come across rural Nova Scotian families who spoke Gaelic as their first language, and musicians like Ashley MacIsaac b.
The towering Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption's Cathedral in Moncton, a large Catholic church built in the s to service the city's French-Canadian community. The provincial capital of Fredericton , unusually, sits a somewhat distant third. With upwards of 85 per cent of the province covered by forest, logging and shipbuilding have been the traditional backbone of the New Brunswick economy, though both have steadily declined in recent decades.
Today, the New Brunswick economy is known for being significantly dominated by the family-run J. Irving corporation, which has come to control a vast array of industries, including lumber mills, gas stations, convenience stores, newspapers, and TV stations. It has long struggled to achieve national attention as a result, beyond jokes about its size.
PEI was originally little more than a floating plantation owned by absentee British landlords, who drove property values up so high no one could afford to live there. The population continued to remain low into the 20th century due to a general lack of industry beyond potato farming and fishing.
Due to its small size, virtually all of Prince Edward Island is developed and inhabited, with about a quarter of all residents living in the capital city of Charlottetown and the rest scattered about in small villages across the island.
Sprawling green plains, red sandstone cliffs, deciduous forests, and old-fashioned clapboard houses have helped turn the province into a tourist mecca for those seeking quaint Atlantic charm — which has, in turn, helped keep the provincial economy afloat. Canada's Prime Minister, Louis St. To this day, the decision remains controversial among some who consider it a betrayal of Newfoundland history. There are all sorts of conspiracy theories about the politics surrounding the deal.
The British proceeded to go to great lengths to prevent people from actually living there, preferring to use the colony as a powerful naval base through which they could control much of the lucrative American fishing industry.
In , Canada celebrated years of Acadia and it also celebrated years of the French presence on the island of Newfoundland. The Atlantic region is famous for its traditional music, heavily influenced by the folk traditions of Western Europe, but with a distinctive local twist. Music is one of the main carriers of local ethnic cultures here, and it is possible to hear both French and Scots Gaelic songs sung, on Cape Breton Island for example, despite the overwhelming use of English in daily life.
Although Celtic influences are seen throughout the region, Newfoundland's music is distinct, incorporating much of the traditions of Irish and British sailors' and fishermen's sea shanties. Newfoundland's traditional music industry is at least as strong as that of Ireland, and groups like Great Big Sea have found mainstream success on "the mainland" Canada.
While Atlantic Canada has been mostly a rural place steeped in natural resource economies, it is home to a number of historic cities that are central to the cultural life of the region. While the people of the Atlantic Provinces predominantly speak English and French, there are regional dialects of these languages that can throw off the average Central Canadian tourist, not to mention those from abroad.
Some rural communities in the Maritime Provinces have unique vernacular expressions unfamiliar to tourists. For example, "some fine" means "very good". Such expressions will not hamper a tourist's understanding of locals, but it may be a noticeable feature in certain areas. Not limited to Atlantic Canada, some of these expressions can be found in neighbouring US states. Like other Canadian French dialects, it diverged from the French of France about years ago at the time of the French colonization of the Americas, and sounds different to visiting Francophones.
Acadians and francophones from Quebec can understand each other with little difficulty. In Newfoundland, another dialect of English is found in combination with any number of local variations. It is often noted that a Newfoundlander can give away his or her home town simply by speaking. The scale of Gros Morne is mind boggling. And the outlook from Gros Morne Mountain , a nine-mile trek ascending 2, feet, is ethereal.
Oceanside views anywhere on island-province PEI are lovely, especially the vast, red-sand Argyle Shore. That said, watching the churning Atlantic from the grassy dunes of Basin Head Provincial Park is particularly delightful.
On two wheels is the best way to take in the gentle, rolling farmland of PEI. The coastal lookouts are gorgeous and there are so many historic beacons along the way. We recommend packing a lunch and touring by bike, from lighthouse to lighthouse. Drive the fabled mile, cliff-hugging Cabot Trail , but make time to cycle around , too, taking in some quiet and the natural beauty, then picnic above windswept cliffs.
Amble the wooden boardwalk that winds gently down the mountainside as the sun melts into the sea. A survey of traditional plants was completed in collaboration with the Elsipogtog Community to understand the potential impacts of climate change on their traditional resources. Several flooding scenarios integrating projections of sea-level rise and terrestrial subsidence e.
Sweetgrass is a very important plant for Aboriginal communities. It is used in ceremonies as incense, to weave baskets, as ornaments and in teas. The modelling is an extension and new application of the Thompson et al. Results show that, even under the most optimistic scenario, the flood line reached the forest, flooding all the salt marshes.
Planning is now the main focus of the community. Historically, Aboriginal people did not build permanent housing along the coast, as this habitat is very fragile and sensitive to human influence. With establishment of reserves, coastal infrastructure became more common. Under the current conditions, moving structures from the coast would require the community to acquire new lands farther inland, as the current reserve is a very narrow strip along the coast.
Any acquisition of land would mean changes in the planning and land development of the adjacent communities, such as Richibucto. Other approaches for adapting to climate change and sustaining the traditional use of resources, which were suggested in community discussions, included the following:.
Through these discussions and actions, Elsipogtog has initiated its own journey to adapt to projected climate change. Aboriginal communities have observed changes in their environments due to climate change Gosselin, The coastal locations of many communities put them more at risk to climate change. Traditionally, many Aboriginal communities practiced seasonal migration, an adaptation to changing environments. Modern settled communities, however, are vulnerable to loss of coastal land see Box 1.
Lower education levels, lower incomes and substandard infrastructure relative to national averages can impose additional difficulties for Aboriginal communities. Another climatically sensitive aspect of Aboriginal life centres on the importance of country foods. Seal, salmon, caribou, rabbit, partridge, ducks, berries and other foods offered by the land and sea all form part of the diet of Aboriginal communities Degnen, ; Hanrahan, Changes in climate and habitats that may alter the quality and quantity of these resources pose further problems.
Country foods add important nutrients, particularly in Labrador where purchased food is very expensive. The spiritual and cultural health of many communities depends upon food procurement activities. For example, Mukushan, a communal meal celebrated by Innu after a successful caribou hunt to honour the spirit of the caribou, is an important part of Innu culture.
Communal trips into the country, where families spend two or three months hunting, fishing and gathering food supplies, are a significant cultural activity for Sheshatshiu and Natuashish Degnen, ; Matthews and Sutton, Traditional knowledge is maintained by participating in such activities and by passing the knowledge on to younger generations.
Changes in the availability of country food could jeopardize this process of cultural continuance. Although climate change is just one of many concerns facing Aboriginal populations, the importance placed on protecting sources of traditional foods and medicine, and the sacred value of water, can rapidly become a priority.
The ecological diversity of Atlantic Canada is demonstrated by the number of terrestrial ecozones Figure 2 ; Environment Canada, b and ecoregions Sabine and Morrison, Climate regions range from cool humid-continental through subarctic to arctic tundra, with the influence of the warm Gulf Stream in the south giving way to that of the cold Labrador Current in the north.
Seasonal conditions reflect competing tropical and polar, continental and maritime influences. Along the Atlantic Ocean coastline, multi-decadal variability in weather systems and their effects, particularly in winter, are associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation NAO; Marshall et al.
The Gulf of St. Lawrence coast of New Brunswick forms a plain that slopes gently eastward, with long shallow embayments and salt marshes. Rolling to rugged uplands, with much terrain more than m above sea level, characterizes western New Brunswick, the margins of the Bay of Fundy and most of Nova Scotia.
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