3 natural resourcesbehlblog.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/2/5/122567366/ch3... · “look at that!” my...

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With a roar, oil gushed out of the new well atLeduc, near Edmonton. Five hundred people were

watching. They roared back in excitement. They hadcome out on a bitterly cold day to see the opening of thewell. It was February 1947. For many years the searchhad been on to find large deposits of oil in WesternCanada, but without luck. Then the oil crews came toLeduc. They drilled for 10 weeks but found nothing.They were about to give up when, suddenly, one of thecrew noticed a thick liquid oozing from the well. Successat last! Newspapers in Alberta and across Canadaannounced the discovery with headlines. There was ahuge oil reserve in Alberta!

C H A P T E R

3 Natural Resourcesin Your Life

ALB4SS_ch3new_F 4/27/06 2:20 PM Page 66

Alberta’s StoryAlberta is rich in natural resources. These resourcesare important in many ways to people in the province.In this chapter, you will find out how natural resourcesmeet people’s needs and help communities grow. Youwill learn how natural resources have helped buildAlberta’s identity.

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Inquiring Minds?Here are some questions to guide your inquiry for thischapter:• How do we use natural resources?

• How have natural resources helped communities in Alberta grow?

Now try to add some questions of your own about natural resources in Alberta. Look for the answers in this chapter. If you can’t find them here, explore more!

Natural resources arethings found in nature thatare useful to us. Theyinclude air, water, soil, oiland gas, minerals, forests,and animals.

words matter !

How can I organize theinformation I find? I will• make a two-column chart • print each question as a heading• make jot notes


Why Was the Leduc DiscoveryImportant?

Oil and gas were discovered in Alberta before 1947.However, the Leduc oil fields were the largest theprovince had seen. Many other natural gas reserveswere found, and oil and gas companies grew quickly.They provided many jobs for people in Alberta. Albertasoon became known as an energy province.

Energy is power, or theability to do work. We calloil and gas “energy”because they allow us todo our work, usually bygiving power to themachines that help us.

words matter !

■ How do you thinkpeople in Albertause oil and gas? Listsome ideas and thenread on to check ifyou were right.

■ Why do you thinkoil and gas createdjobs?

ThinkingIt Through

Big Changes in Our World

Karen Bower was five years old when her parentstook her out one night in 1947 to watch the

flares from the Leduc oil field.

“Look at that!” my mother said…. It looked like the skywas on fire….

“Those are flares,” my father said. He said men putbig pipes into the ground to get at the oil….

“Why are they burning up the ground?” I asked.“It looks that way, but they are really burning the

part they can’t use,” he explained. “They set it on fire toget rid of it.”

He said the oil could be made into other things likegas to make cars go, and someday it would heat housesall over Canada. I thought about that. The winter before,my blanket had frozen to the wall of my room becauseour house was so cold.…

“There’s probablyenough oil in the ground,Karen, to keep every housein Canada warm in thecoldest winter…,” he said.“This is going to make bigchanges in our world.”

ALBERTAVOICES

Oil rig workers at Leduc in 1947


How Do You Use EnergyResources?Did you turn on the light this morning? Did you travelto school by car or bus? If so, you used energyresources. Energy produces electricity for heat andlight, and it runs machines. Most of the energyresources we use in Alberta are fossil fuels. Do youremember why, from Chapter 2? Alberta has far morefossil fuels than any other province in Canada. Thechart below shows some uses of fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuel How We Use It

Oil • To make gasoline, motor oil, plastics• To generate electricity

Coal • To generate electricity

Natural gas • To heat homes• To generate electricity

This oil field is near Brooksin southern Alberta. Thesemachines are calledpumpjacks. They pump theoil out of the ground.

Siksika Oil ReservesThe oil and gas industry in Alberta has benefited many

communities. For example, oil and gas were found on lands

of the Siksika First Nation. Now the Siksika work with

companies to drill for oil.

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I’ll add this informationto my chart about howwe use energy resources.


Working on the Oil Sands

Thousands of people in Alberta work in jobs related tooil and gas. Many work on the Athabasca Oil Sandsnear Fort McMurray. The oil sands are a mixture ofsand, clay, and rock. They also contain bitumen, athick, sticky tar made of oil.

The oil sands in Athabasca are the largest oilreserve in the world. Look at the steps below to see howworkers remove oil from the oil sands.

How Oil Is Taken from the Oil Sands

1. Before mining begins, all the trees in the areamust be cleared away. The topsoil, sand, clay, andgravel are also removed.

2. The oil sand is dug up by huge vehicles calledshovels. Massive trucks take the sand to thecrusher, which breaks up the lumps and removesthe rocks.

3. The oil sand is mixed with hot water. The bitumenseparates from the sand.

4. The bitumen is cleaned in several stages. Then itcan be made into different products such asgasoline, heating oil, and motor oil.

5. It is time to restore the land to its natural statewhere possible. Clean sand replaces the oil sand,and topsoil is added. Shrubs and trees are plantedon the topsoil.

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This sample of oil sandscontains bitumen, which is asticky black substance.Scientists had to find a way toseparate it from the sand.


A L B E R T AA D V E N T U R E

ALBERTA

Edmonton

Fort McMurray

Calgary

Oil SandsDiscoveryCentre

Discovering the

Oil Sands

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Then the shovels dump the sand

onto the back of a heavy hauler

truck. The tires of the truck alone

are about three metres high. That’s

about twice my size! The biggest

piece of equipment was the bucket

wheel excavator. It’s as tall as a

seven-storey building!

We visited my uncle in Fort

McMurray. While we were there,

we spent a day at the Oil Sands

Discovery Centre. The centre was

built to tell people all about the

Athabasca Oil Sands. The exhibits

show how the oil sands formed and

how the oil is removed. I saw some

of the biggest machines on Earth!

The shovels can scoop up about

100 tonnes of oil sand at a time.

Our guide said that’s about the

same weight as 58 elephants!


People in Alberta have different opinionsabout the way the oil sands are used andmined. Let’s look at what they have to say.

ViewpointsViewpoints

What Are Some Oil Sands Challenges?

72

Alana Ingram: I am an environmentalist. I work with others to care for and protect theland in Alberta. The oil sands industry is tearingup the boreal forest. The oil companies havedug deep craters wider than football fields.Animals have to find new homes.

Philip Marceau: I am a trapper. A new oilsands project near where I trap has changedthe land. There are no moose, no rabbits, orsquirrels anymore. The land is dead.

Myrtle Calahaisn: I am a Cree Elder. People have lostrespect for Mother Earth. We takeoil and gas out of the ground, butwe do not offer anything back.Whatever you take, you have toput back. Even a tree. If you take atree for firewood or shelter, youmust replace what you took.

Mining the Athabasca Oil Sands

The Athabasca Oil Sands

ALB4SS_ch3new_F 4/27/06 2:20 PM 2

Over to YOU!

1. What are some oil sands challenges? How are these challenges being met?

2. How do you think the oil sands challenges might affect you?

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The oil companiesreplace the trees theycut down.

A hauler truck at theAthabasca Oil Sands

Kahlil Jiwa: I work at the Athabasca OilSands. Before my company plans a newdig in the Athabasca area, I meet withCree and Chipewyan First Nations. Wework together to protect areas that areimportant to these Nations.

Anna Itto: I drive a minivan. I useit to take my children to school, toget to work, and to run errands. Myvan runs on gas. Mining and drillingfor oil may affect the land, but wecannot go back to the days of thehorse and carriage!

Jim Miller: I drive large trucks at the Athabasca Oil Sands.Oil companies reclaim land after it has been dug up. This means they put down new soil and plant trees toreplace the ones they took from the earth. They also bringwood buffalo to land that has been reclaimed.


Coal mining at Wabamun, justwest of Edmonton. Albertagenerates most of its electricityfrom coal.

Energy from Coal

Coal is another fossil fuel found in Alberta. It is foundin seams, or long layers of coal below Earth’s surface.Coal is mined in communities such as Grande Cache,Hinton, and Wabamun. Some of the coal is used tomake electricity in plants like the one at Sheerness,near Hanna. Some of the coal is sold in other parts ofCanada and the world.

Using coal can bring some challenges. Coal miningdisturbs the land. Burning coal to make electricity canalso harm the environment. What can miningcompanies do? They are reclaiming some of the landthey mine. They are also looking for new ways to burncoal without polluting the air.

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People in Alberta alsomine for salt, limestone,gravel, and sandstone.This old city hallbuilding in Calgary ismade of sandstone.


How Can We Meet Some EnergyChallenges?Some people believe we should reduce our use of fossilfuels. Burning fossil fuels produces gases that pollutethe air. These gases smell and can make people ill.Also, fossil fuels are non-renewable resources.This means they cannot be replaced. As you saw inChapter 2, fossil fuels take millions of years to form. Itwill take a long time to use up all of our fossil fuels. All the same, once they are gone, they will be goneforever. None will be left for future generations. Whatare some of the things we can do?

Conservation

If you said we can try not to waste energy, you are onthe right track. We can all help to conserve ourresources. This means we can use them carefully, sothat they last longer. Conservation will help toprotect our resources for the future.

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Non-renewable resourcesare resources that cannotbe replaced or renewed.

Conservation meansusing our natural resourcescarefully, so that they willnot run out.

words matter !

H O W C A N Y O U C O N S E R V E E N E R G Y ?

Home School Both

Turn off lightsand computerswhen not in use.

Write on both sidesof the paper.

Hang clothesout to dry.

Look at the chart to theleft. Identify two otherways you can conserveenergy. Make a flyer orposter to encouragepeople to save energyin these ways. Use apaint and drawprogram on thecomputer, if you can.

Skill Smart

I see that we can worktogether to discussproblems, find solutions,and save our resources.That’s a great way toimprove quality of life!

How are these students conserving energy?


What Are Other Sources of Energy?

If you said we can save fossil fuels by using othersources of energy, that’s another good idea. Scientistshave been using wind, sun, and even animal or plantwaste to make electricity! These resources are allrenewable. They won’t run out.

Super Sunshine

Energy from the sun can be collected in solar panelsthat sit on the roofs of buildings. Then the sun’s energycan be turned into electricity to be used inside thebuilding. Solar power is useful in sunny areas. Whichparts of Alberta do you think would be ideal?

Pig Power

The Iron Creek Hutterite Community, onthe Prairies south of Viking, uses pigmanure to make electricity. The manure isclosed in a concrete container, where itgives off methane gas. This gas is thenused to produce electricity.

Renewable resources areresources that can bereplaced, if they are usedcarefully.

words matter !

New solar panels on the roof of Cochrane High School

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I wonder if we use solarpower in my community.I’ll ask some people whomight know.


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ALBERTAVOICES

Land of the Piikani

It’s good to get up in themorning and see theturbines and know they’reworking to make our livesbetter.

William Big Bull—in charge ofinstalling a wind turbine on theland of the Piikani First Nation,16 km west of Fort Macleod

Wind Power

Most of Alberta’s wind farms are south, in the foothillswhere the winds sweep down from the Rockies. Windpower provides only a small amount of the energy usedin Alberta, but it is becoming more important. Why doyou think this is so?

This doesn’t mean that wind is the perfect source ofenergy. Some people think that wind turbines are ugly.The blades make a noise as they turn, and sometimesbirds get caught in them. Other people like the way theturbines look. What do you think?

Modern Windmills

Lethbridge is known forits windy days. I

remember the fun I had asa child, playing with the wind. I tookmy coat off and held it over myhead. My coat filled up with air, justlike a parachute. The wind pulledme along the field. I imagined I wasflying!

Who would have thought allthis wind would someday come inhandy? Around Lethbridge we havesome unusual farms. We call themwind farms. Driving along thehighway you can’t miss the tall,metal windmills called turbines.These turbines produce electricity.Stronger winds produce more power!

Nicole MillsLethbridge resident

ALBERTAVOICES


Alberta’s land is rich in fossil fuels, but some of theland in the province is also good for agriculture.Nearly one third of Alberta is farmland, and theprovince has about 59 000 farms and ranches! Look atthe map of natural regions on page 30. Which regionsdo you think have the most agricultural land?

How Do We Use AgriculturalProducts?Where do you get your food? People who live onranches and farms might produce some of their ownfood, but most Albertans buy their food from a store ormarket. All the same, a lot of the food we eat comesfrom the ranches and farms across the province. Lookat the table below. What other examples can you add?

Why Is Agriculture Important?

ALBERTAVOICES

Life on a Ranch

As a child, I gathered eggs,and I saw the cow grazingin the field behind myhouse become the roastbeef on our dinner table. Iate fresh vegetables fromour garden and waitedevery year to taste freshgrain seeds plucked from…a shaft of barley. I had noidea that most people onlybought their milk in bagsor cartons and never sawthe actual source.

Gina Lorinda Yagos

Agriculture includesgrowing crops and raisinganimals.

words matter !

F O O D F R O M A L B E R TA

Dairy cattle Milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream

Beef cattle, pigs, sheep, Meat for steaks, hamburgers, buffalo, chickens, bees roasts; eggs, honey

Grains such as wheat, Bread, cereals, crackers, oats, barley muffins

Canola Cooking or salad oil

Vegetables, fruits Corn, sugar beets (to makesugar), potatoes, blueberries,strawberries

This is a canola field in HairyHill. When canola plants flower,the fields turn bright yellow.Canola is used to make cookingand salad oil. In fact, its namecomes from “Canadian oil.”


Why Is Ranching Important?Alberta is sometimes called “Cowboy Country.” That’sbecause ranchers in Alberta raise more beef cattle thanany other province. Almost half of Canada’s beef isproduced in Alberta. Some cattle graze on the richgrasslands. Others are raised in pens and are givenfood at feedlots. Some ranchers also raise sheep,buffalo, llamas, and even emus.

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ALBERTAVOICES

Home on the Range

Nate is a rancher nearCochrane. Read his journal to learn how the weather andland affect his work.

5:00 a.m. Time to get up! I grab abowl of cereal before I stepoutside into the crispmorning air. The cattle stayoutside all year, even in thewinter. They can findshelter in the coulees. Thechinook winds also helpkeep the cattle warm. We bring the pregnant cows into the barnin case they have trouble giving birth.

8:00 a.m. I check the weather reports on the computer and phone theveterinarian about a young calf I am concerned about.

9:00 a.m. Every morning, I ride my all-terrain vehicle and do chores. I passa large oil derrick on my way to check on the cattle. I make surethe cattle have enough water. Fences okay? Any signs of coyotes?Our ranch has almost 13 000 hectares. Sound like a lot? Albertahas almost 7 million hectares of rangeland!

1:00 p.m. In the afternoon, I go to meetings, make phone calls, and planwhich cattle I will buy and sell.

7:00 p.m. Guess what we had for dinner tonight? Beef! Nothing tastes better. 9:30 p.m. The Web site on Alberta agriculture had interesting information

about reducing the number of calves born at night. Simple! Youfeed the cattle in the evening.

Ranching near Cochrane


Why Is Wheat Important? Have you ever noticed the picture of wheat on Alberta’sflag? Take a look at page 310. Wheat is included onthe flag and on Alberta’s coat of arms because it is partof Alberta’s identity. Wheat grows well in Alberta andis a very important crop. Page 81 shows someexamples of products made from wheat.

8080

ALBERTAVOICES

Growing Wheat

My grandpa tells me how his family has been farming wheat sincethey settled near Hanna in 1911. His eyes always dance when hetalks about working on the farm. He tells how he loved the smell ofthe moist earth in the spring because it made him feel that the earthwas coming to life again after the winter. He says he is proud to be afarmer because it is so satisfying to watch the crop coming in and toknow he had a part in making that happen.

My best time of the year is harvest time. Grandma and I alwaysload up the back of the car with a hot meal and coffee and juice totake to Grandpa and the other workers in the field. I love hitting allthose bumps and rocks as we make our way across the dusty field to

Harvesting wheat near Hanna


81

where Grandpa is working. We spread the blanketout over the stubble and get everything ready forwhen the workers stop to eat. They don’t like totake much time to eat, so I try to talk toGrandpa as much as I can while we’retogether. Harvest is very busy, so I don’t seehim much unless I get to go with Grandmato the field! Grandpa often tells us about theanimals he spots while he’s making hisrounds in the field. I especially love to hearabout the antelope!

Sometimes Grandpa lets me climb up on hiscombine and go for a ride around the field. The smellof wheat fills the air. My mom says that the dusty,sweet smell tells us “prairie kids” that fall is coming.Grandpa usually sneaks a few wheat kernels for meto chew on during my ride. He tells me if I chew longenough, it will turn to gum, but I usually losepatience. I love sitting on his knee, gazing out at theharvest moon and the stars through the big window.I’m having fun while most of my friends are at homegetting ready for bed!

Harvest doesn’t end when Grandpa gets his cropoff. Often he’ll take his machinery and help hisneighbours get their crops off, too. Grandpa says thathelping each other is an example of good citizenship.

Elisabeth Grace Marks

ThinkingIt Through

In what ways do theweather, land, andresources affect the jobsand activities Elisabethand her grandparentsdo?

Products from wheat


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Irrigation is supplying theland with water, usingdams, ditches, andsprinklers.

words matter !

ALBERTAVOICES

Irrigation in Action

Campbell Eaglechild is the generalmanager of the Blood Tribe AgriculturalProject. He talks about the project in an interview.

What crops do you grow?

Barley, canola, wheat, and more. Wealso grow timothy grass for cattle feedand as hay for horses. The timothygrass is shipped as far away as Japan,Korea, and Taiwan.

What is the best thing the project has accomplished?

It has become one of North America’slargest irrigation systems! The projecthas also created lots of jobs. It makesus self-sufficient [able to supportourselves]. That’s really important. Theproject is a challenge every year, andwe’re meeting the challenge.

The Kainai irrigation project.Identify the dam that has beenbuilt for water, the fields that havebeen irrigated, and the land thathas not been irrigated.

How Is Dry Land a Challenge?

Periods of drought and dry land make farming andranching more challenging. Yet, people still use thegrasslands for agriculture.

How can farmers grow crops where the soil is sodry? The answer is irrigation. Farmers build channelsor use pipes and sprinklers to bring water from nearbyrivers or dams to their fields.

The people of Kainai [KI-NI] (Blood) First Nationlive southwest of Lethbridge. They worked with thegovernment to overcome the challenge of dry land. They built a large irrigation system. Now about 10 000hectares of land can be used for farming.


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SKILLPOWER

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What do you know about agriculture? In this chapter, you readabout agriculture, but how can you sort the information so youcan answer this question? A concept map might help.

First, put your question in the centre of the concept map. Putthe important topics around the question. Use simple phrases orsingle words to write your answers under each heading.

Using a Concept Map toOrganize Information

Practise the Skill

Copy the concept map above into your notebook. Now complete it byadding in the missing details. Then make a similar concept map toorganize information for the following topic: What do you know aboutfossil fuels? Look back at pages 62–63 and 69–77 for information.

Now use the information you have organized. Choose one of yourconcept maps, and use it to write a short essay on the topic.

Farming••

Land• Covers one-third of province• Rich soil

What do you know about agriculture?

Irrigation••

Ranching••


Forests cover half of Alberta. Their roots hold the soiltogether. Their branches and leaves give us shade.They are home to thousands of birds and animals.Forests provide wood that we use in many ways. Wealso enjoy hiking and camping in the forests.

Forests are called the lungs of the Earth becausethey produce much of the oxygen we breathe. Theygive us beauty and peace, too. Forests are one of ourmost valuable resources. They are part of Alberta’sidentity.

Alberta’s Forests

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A forest in Spray Valley Provincial Park in Kananaskis country

What do people valuethe forest most for?Oxygen, wood, orrecreation?

■ Survey at least 10people.

■ Use tally marks torecord responses.

■ Share your findings.

Skill Smart


How Do We Use ForestProducts?What is the paper in this book made of? What aboutthe pencil you use to make notes? How about some ofthe chairs you use at home or at school? Or the powerand telephone poles carrying the cables that bringimportant services to your home? All of these productscame from wood.

Alberta’s wood products come from trees that arelogged, or chopped down, by forestry companies. Mostof the logging takes place in two regions of theprovince: the boreal forest in Alberta’s north and thefoothills at the base of the Rocky Mountains. In manycases, the lumber is shipped to other provinces andcountries, where it is made into the products we use.Then these products are shipped back to Alberta.

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This is a lumber mill in Grande Prairie.

Logging means cuttingdown trees and taking the logs to mills. There thelogs are cut into boards orwood chips.

Lumber is wood that hasbeen cut into boards.These boards are used tomake various products.

words matter !

Some of the wood inAlberta is turned into OSB(oriented strand board).OSB is made from fibres, orstrands, taken from trees.The fibres are pressedtogether to make boardsthat are so strong they cancarry more weight thanconcrete! The boards areused for many purposes,including buildingstructures and makingfurniture and shelving.


How Should We Use the Forest?People have different opinions on how the forest shouldbe used. Consider the following points of view:• Forests are a renewable resource. If we cut them

down, they grow again.• We can’t replace the really big, old trees that have

taken many decades to grow. • Forest companies plan for the future. They replant

or reseed to replace trees that have been cut. Theyalso put limits on how many trees they can cut.

• New ways of making wood boards, like OSB, usesmall, young trees that can be replaced quickly.

• Logging can harm places that are sacred to FirstNations people.

• Logging companies are working with First Nationsgroups, who explain which areas should beavoided.

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What can you do toprotect the forest?Share your ideas witha friend.

ThinkingIt Through

To get to lumbering areas, companies often have to cut logging roads through the forest.Do you think this is a problem? Why or why not?

I’ll ask three people howthey think we shoulduse the forests.


How Can We Meet Some ofForestry’s Challenges?Read about the following forestry workers. How doeseach one help make Alberta’s forests a sustainableresource?

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A sustainable resourceis one that is used onlyas much as it can bereplaced, so that it lastsfor the future.

words matter !

I am a student, and everysummer I get a jobplanting trees for theforestry company. I enjoyworking outside. I alsolearn about differentspecies of birds, plants,and wildlife that live in theboreal forest.

I am a forestry officer nearHinton. Tourists often visitthe area. Every season, myjob is to patrol the forestand keep it safe forwildlife. I love the freshsmell of the forest just afterit rains. The leaves sparklewith raindrops.

I am a park ranger at CrossLake Provincial Park. Iteach visitors differentways to protect and usethe forests. Campers enjoyhiking, listening to thebirds, and cross-countryskiing on trails.

Replanting Protecting Educating

Mapping the Land

Rita Loonskin is a mapping technician for Little Red RiverForestry. The forestry company is owned and operated by theLittle Red River Cree Nation.

Before we prepare a logging plan, people in our field servicesdepartment collect information about what is on the land. We mapout the land and resources, such as the trees, streams, and areas thatare important to wildlife. We also map sites that are important to thecommunity, such as historic cabins and medicinal plant sites.

ALBERTAVOICES


Many of Alberta’s communities have grown because ofnatural resources. Look at the diagram to find out how.

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H O W T O W N S G R O W

Towns start near places where naturalresources (e.g., rich soil for agriculture,forests, coal, and oil) are found.

More workers such as builders, store and bank clerks, doctors, nurses, andteachers come to provide services.

Workers need homes, so houses are built.

Towns grow larger.

People come to the area to find work.

Workers need services, so banks, stores,hospitals, and schools are built.

They settle, start families, and need more homes and services.

How Do Communities Form?


Where Are Alberta’s NaturalResources Found?Look at the map below to find out where the naturalresources you read about in this chapter are found.What link can you make between the natural resourcesand the natural regions? Look back to Chapter 1 forclues. Then read on to visit some communities thathave developed around natural resources.

89

ALBERTA

Edmonton

Red Deer

Jasper

FortMcMurray

Lethbridge

MedicineHat

High Level

CalgaryBanff

Cochrane

Natural Regions and Resources

Bonnyville

Legend

Livestock

Crops

Coal

Forests

Oil and Gas

Oil Sands

Canadian Shield

Boreal Forest

Foothills

Rocky Mountain

Parkland

Grassland

0 100 200

kilometres

300

GrandePrairie

Leduc

N

S

WE

Try using your computer tomake a chart similar to the onebelow. Fill in the two columnswith information from the mapand from Chapter 1.

Skill Smart

Region Resources

Boreal Forest oil sands

89

I’ll check an atlas tofind my community. I wonder how the land has helped mycommunity to develop.


90

Some Communities Built Around Natural Resources

Locate these communities on the map on page 89. Predictwhich natural resources helped each one grow. Then readthe text below to check your predictions.

Medicine Hat

“Medicine Hat is in southeastern Alberta alongthe South Saskatchewan River. It is Canada’ssunniest city. The weather and land are perfectfor growing crops. I’m a gas pipeline operator.We have so much natural gas that Medicine Hatis known as ‘Gas City.’ The city uses gas for heatand electricity. I’m proud that my job helps thecommunity meet its needs.”

Tom Ealey

Red Deer

“I live in the province’s third-largest city. It isbuilt along the banks of the Red Deer River incentral Alberta. The area near Red Deer has richsoil for farming, and oil and gas. It’s a greatplace to live. We have good hospitals andschools. We also have beautiful parks and trails.In winter, we skate on outdoor rinks.”

Joan Chin

Bonnyville

“My community borders the Athabasca OilSands, but it’s also next to Jessie Lake innortheast Alberta. Bonnyville has farmlands andnatural gas. But I think our most importantnatural resources are the wetlands, lakes, andwildlife. Residents and tourists like to fish in thelakes, walk along the wetlands trails, or birdwatch. I’m glad not all the land is used for farmsor natural gas.”

Chantal Mitchell


91

Grande Prairie

“Grande Prairie has rolling plains and forests. A Francophone missionary called the area lagrande prairie, which means ‘the big prairie,’and that’s how we got our name. When mygrandparents were younger, many peoplewere farmers. Then a large pulp mill was setup. That’s where logs are chopped up so theycan be used to make paper products. Mymom, and lots of other people, went to workthere. My dad still works on our farm. Later, oiland gas were discovered. My cousin is amechanic in an oil company.”

Joe Breland

Fort McMurray

“I moved to Fort McMurray to work at theAthabasca oil sands. I love the scenery, fishing,and hiking trails. My job pays better than myold one did. But so many people are movinghere that houses are hard to find, and they’reexpensive. My wife and daughters stayedbehind until I found a house. It took months!The hospitals and schools are overcrowded,too. Other services haven’t kept up with thepopulation boom either. But as long as there iswork at the oil sands, the community will keepgrowing!

“One thing that interests me about FortMcMurray is that it’s a new city with an oldhistory. The Cree lived along the AthabascaRiver near here. They knew the land was richin bitumen, and they used it to waterprooftheir canoes. Fur traders once lived here too,and later there were fish plants. It’s hard tobelieve how much has changed.”

Terry Papadakis


Create a Concept Map How can responsible citizens protect or conserve natural resources? Consider energy resources, agricultural resources, and the forests. Make a concept map to organize your ideas.

Research Natural Resources in YourCommunityLook in the library or interview people to find out how yourcommunity is connected to natural resources. How do naturalresources and the land help your community grow? Keep trackof where you find your information. Make a PowerPointpresentation or give a speech to share what you know.

Talk About a Current EventIn a small group, brainstorm a list of natural resources you readabout in this chapter. Discuss some of the challenges of usingone of these resources today. Look in the newspaper, listen tothe radio, watch television, or search the Internet to finddifferent views about the way we use natural resources. Postsome of your information on the class bulletin board.

Make a Chart With a partner, pick a community from page 90 or 91. Make achart to show how the land, weather, and natural resources inthe community affect the jobs and activities people do.

Set Your Skills in Motion

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Inquiring Minds?

Look What You Have Learned!

Natural resources have helped Alberta become the province youlive in today. Many towns and cities started near natural resources.Fossil fuels provide gasoline, heat, and electricity. Farms andranches provide food such as grains, fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairyproducts, and meat. Forests provide oxygen, lumber, and placesfor recreation. Energy resources, agricultural resources, and forestsprovide goods and jobs. They are all part of the province’s identity.

Take Time to ReflectBefore you go on to the next chapter, think about what you havedone in this one. What did you learn that might help you in futureactivities? How might you improve the way you did your work?

Choose something from this chapter to save for yourAlberta Treasure Chest.

Review the inquiry questions for this chapter:• How do we use natural resources?• How have natural resources helped communities in

Alberta grow?

Show what you have learned in the form of a collage.Think about where natural resources are found inAlberta. Which communities have started or continueto grow around natural resources? Include ways peopleuse resources. Draw pictures, cut out photos from oldmagazines or calendars, or print images fromelectronic sources.


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Looking Back: Chapters 1, 2, and 3

Marc uses a web to outline what he thinks are thekey points in Chapters 1, 2, and 3.


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Share What You Know

Study the web that Marc made. Then skim through Chapters 1, 2, and3 to help you recall what you learned. Now turn to page 3 in GettingStarted. Which one of the overall inquiry questions for the book is themain focus of these chapters? Why do you think that?

Inquiring Minds?

Work in a group to givean Alberta Treasure virtualtour of one of the regionsin Alberta.

Plan to include information about• where the region is in Alberta• the landscape and any

interesting landforms• natural resources and how

they are used• the climate and how it affects

the lives of peopleYou could have different groupmembers work on each point, andthen put the information together.

Retrieve, or recall, what you’velearned about the region from thisbook. Check your projects andactivities, too.

Process, or think about, yourinformation. Select what fits withthe four points you are to include.

Create your virtual tour byorganizing your information.Combine captions, written orspoken information, and images.

Share your virtual tour bypresenting it as a slide show, or as aseries of images on a mural or in ascrapbook. Present this region asone of the many things to treasureabout Alberta.

Evaluate how well you worked in each of these steps. Then askyourself: Am I pleased with mytour? Did others seem to like it? Isthere something I would do differently next time?


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