Canadian Demographics and Sustainable Development
Demographics and Population Trends
Demographics is the study of human populations. Key metrics include:
- Birth Rate: Births per 1,000 people.
- Death Rate: Deaths per 1,000 people.
- Natural Increase: Births minus deaths.
- Immigration: Moving into a country.
- Emigration: Leaving a country.
The dependency ratio compares dependents (the young and the old) to the working-age population. Canada relies heavily on immigration because of low birth rates, an aging population, labour shortages, and the need for economic growth.
Canada’s Population Distribution
Distribution refers to where people live. Common patterns include:
- Uniform: Evenly spread.
- Random: Irregular.
- Clustered: Grouped together.
Canada’s population is clustered, with most people living near the U.S. border because of a milder climate, job availability, transportation networks, and fertile land.
Population Density
Density is calculated as population ÷ land area. High density means many people live in a small area, while low density means few people are spread over a large area.
Push and Pull Factors of Migration
Push Factors
Reasons people leave a location include war, poverty, unemployment, poor education, natural disasters, lack of services, political instability, and persecution.
Pull Factors
Reasons people move to a new location include better jobs, education, healthcare, safety, improved services, a higher quality of life, political stability, and family reunification.
Immigration Classes in Canada
Canada categorizes immigrants into three main classes:
- Economic Immigrants (62%): Individuals who bring skills, businesses, or labour to Canada.
- Family Immigrants (25%): Individuals sponsored by relatives.
- Refugees (13%): Individuals fleeing conflict, persecution, or disasters.
Reception areas attract immigrants through shared language, food, culture, community support, and employment opportunities.
Sustainability and Resource Management
Sustainability involves meeting present needs without preventing future generations from meeting theirs. It is based on three pillars: environmental responsibility, economic viability, and social equity.
Environmental Footprints
- Ecological Footprint: The total amount of land and resources needed to support a person’s lifestyle. A smaller footprint is more sustainable.
- Water Footprint: The total freshwater used directly and indirectly to produce goods and services consumed by a person.
Ecosystem Limits and Resource Yields
- Carrying Capacity: The maximum population an ecosystem can support without long-term damage, depending on food, water, shelter, space, climate, and disease.
- Sustainable Yield Management: Harvesting renewable resources, such as forests and fish populations, at a rate that allows them to regenerate naturally.
- Circular Economy: Minimizing waste by reducing, reusing, repairing, and recycling materials instead of following a “take-make-dispose” model.
Urban Planning and Smart Growth
Types of Land Use
Land is categorized as residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, institutional, or recreational.
Smart Growth Principles
To improve urban living, Smart Growth focuses on:
- Mixed land use and walkable neighbourhoods.
- Public transit and multiple transportation options.
- Higher-density housing and green spaces.
- Protection of farmland and reduced urban sprawl.
- Local services located nearby.
Sustainable Living and Food Production
- Sustainable Transportation: Public transit, walking, cycling, electric vehicles, lower emissions, and energy efficiency.
- Sustainable Food Production: Crop diversity, efficient water use, erosion control, healthy soil, reduced waste, and working with natural ecosystems.
- Sustainable Living: Mixed land use, renewable energy, water management, wildlife habitat protection, recycling, reduced resource consumption, and affordable housing choices.
Protected Natural Areas in Ontario
- Ontario Greenbelt: A protected area of farmland, forests, wetlands, rivers, and lakes that protects biodiversity, cleans air and water, reduces flooding, combats climate change, and limits urban sprawl.
- Oak Ridges Moraine: Formed by glaciation, this is a major groundwater source that provides drinking water and biodiversity; it is strictly protected from development.
- Niagara Escarpment: A 725 km ridge formed by erosion. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve with rich biodiversity and ancient cedar trees.
Exam Summary and Key Concepts
- Distribution: Where people live.
- Density: How many people live there (Formula: population ÷ area).
- Push Factors: Reasons to leave.
- Pull Factors: Reasons to move.
- Sustainability: Environment + Economy + Society.
- Ecological Footprint: Impact on Earth.
- Carrying Capacity: Ecosystem limit.
- Sustainable Yield: Harvest only what can regrow.
- Circular Economy: Reuse, repair, and recycle.
- Greenbelt: Protects nature and farmland.
- Canada’s Population: Clustered near the U.S. border.
- Growth: Immigration is the main source of Canada’s population growth.