Canadian Climatic Geography Trivia Quiz

Answer: British Columbia

Except for a few small seasonal temperate rain forests located on the east coast of Canada, all Canadian rain forests are located in British Columbia. These temperate rain forests are known for their frequently mountainous terrain, wet weather, and moderate annual temperature variations.

Although most of these rain forests are located on the Pacific coast and islands, British Columbia also has the world's only inland temperate rain forest known to exist.

Answer: Ontario

About one third of Ontario's topography is classified as wetlands. Southern Ontario does have some wetlands, but many of them were drained for agricultural and urban land use. Estimates for the loss of wetlands in southern Ontario range from seventy to ninety percent. Most wetlands are therefore in northern Ontario, particularly in the western James Bay and south western Hudson Bay watersheds.

These areas are sparsely populated, and are not considered viable for agriculture, so it is unlikely these wetlands will ever be drained unless continued global warming makes these areas more desirable for settlement in the upcoming centuries.

Answer: Yukon

Whitehorse, Yukon is on average the driest city in Canada. This is due to the rain shadow effect caused by the proximity of the Coast Mountains to the west of the city. Air rises, cools, and condenses as it rises over the mountains, so the air masses to the east of the mountains are very dry. Whitehorse normally has less than three hundred millimeters of precipitation annually. Whitehorse is located north of sixty degrees latitude, but despite its rather cold winters, many people still consider it one of the best places to live in Canada at least as far as climate is concerned.

Some areas of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan experience similar rain shadow effects, which cause dry weather in the summer. Although these provinces are also affected by Arctic air masses in the winter, because of their southern location compared to Whitehorse, Yukon, the Arctic air masses pick up moisture as they move south, resulting in wetter winter conditions.

Answer: Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick

All Canadian provinces and territories have some areas of permafrost with the exception of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. These provinces do not extend north of the 46th parallel, and even their highest elevations are quite low compared to most other provinces. Since permafrost does not occur this far south except at very high altitudes, these provinces are completely free of permafrost.

Answer: Quebec

Quebec is the largest province and contains more than twenty percent of Canada's forested areas. Most of Quebec's forests are boreal as much of Quebec has both cold temperatures and acidic soil necessary for boreal forest growth. In addition to the boreal forests, Quebec does have some deciduous forests in the warmer southern areas, and mixed forests between the deciduous and boreal forest regions. Thanks to both federal and provincial concerns regarding economic and environmental sustainability, and the requirement that all harvested forests must be replanted, Quebec should maintain its reputation as the most heavily forested province by acreage in Canada.

Answer: Quebec and Ontario

In 1954, Hurricane Hazel caused massive flooding in southern Ontario. Southern Ontario is a lowland area with many rivers and streams that overflowed their banks due to heavy rainfall. Both farmlands and large urban areas were quickly flooded causing more than eighty deaths, and the loss of homes, businesses and even bridges. Damage estimates from Hurricane Hazel range as high as two billion dollars.

In 1996, heavy rains caused serious flooding in the Saguenay Valley area of Quebec. The Saguenay Valley and Saguenay River are part of the Canadian Shield and located in the Laurentian Mountains. Due to the steep mountain sides running down to the valley, and the thin soil of the Canadian Shield, the heavy rains not only brought flooding, but mudslides, rocks and even trees along with it. Ten people were killed, and damage estimates range as high as one point seven billion dollars.

Answer: Saskatchewan

Midale and Yellow Grass Saskatchewan both recorded temperatures of forty-five degrees Celsius on July 5, 1937. Saskatchewan's geographical location creates many weather extremes. The Rocky Mountains to the west block lower moisture laden air movement from the Pacific Ocean, which causes arid conditions throughout the southern prairies. Higher level winds do, however, blow in across the Rockies creating sunny skies and arid conditions, particularly in the summer.

At lower levels, prairie climate is mainly affected by Arctic air masses that are moist in the winter, but dry in the summer. Saskatchewan therefore not only experiences unusually warm weather in the summer, but extremely cold winters, and very little rainfall in the summer.

Answer: Newfoundland

Newfoundland is an island used to gale force winds and hurricanes blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, but the worst climatic tragedy recorded occurred in 1775. A hurricane bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and ocean surges estimated at fifty to seventy-six centimeters in height, wreaked havoc on the eastern coast and hundreds of fishing boats moored in the area.

After three to four days, the hurricane finally subsided, leaving an estimated three to four thousand people, mostly European fishermen, dead in its wake.

Answer: Prince Edward Island

Glen Valley has a vertical height of about 142 meters making it the highest point in Prince Edward Island, but considerably lower than the highest elevation in any other Canadian province or territory. Prince Edward Island's bedrock is mainly composed of sandstone and shale, which are easily eroded.

As a result, the province was levelled by retreating glaciers near the end of the last ice age, and wind and water continue to erode the bedrock.

Answer: Yukon

On February 3, 1947, Snag, Yukon recorded a chilling minus sixty-three degrees Celsius. Because of Snag's geographical location, milder air coming from the Pacific Ocean is blocked by mountains, so the colder Arctic air masses prevail. On the same day that Snag recorded minus sixty three degrees Celsius, several other Yukon communities reported even colder temperatures, but they were never officially verified.