Canada contains large reserves of coal but it is of poor quality. Two maritime provinces namely New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and two prairie provinces namely Alberta and Saskatchewan contain most of the reserves.
Domestic consumption is about 15 million tons a year. Because of its low heating power Canada imports Appalachian coal from U.S.A. Canadian production of petroleum and natural gas is from the prairie provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Canadian Government has built a 2634 kilometer pipeline from Prudoe Bay to Edmonton. A line south from Edmonton already connects Canada with major U.S. consumption centres. Important production centres are the Turner Valley of Alberta, Lloyd minster near Saskatchewan-Alberta boundary and the Mackenzie valley near the Arctic Circle. Hydel Power provides 75% of the electric power in Canada. As the country has limited coal and oil resources, greater emphasis is on the generation of water power.
Two provinces, Ontario and Quebec are the important centres. Quebec has the largest water power resource of the country. Kemanokilimat scheme of British Columbia provides a electricity for aluminium smelting. 83% of water power is used in manufacturing and mining industries.
In the Atlantic provinces in Newfoundland the mines are yet to be explored. Iron ore is found on Bell Island in Conception Bay and Ungava Labrador region of Canadian Shield. Cape Briton Island has coal deposits. Lead and zinc are mined in Central Newfoundland. Gypsium is profusely found in- Nova Scotia. Mining is not important in the Lake Region. Both Quebec and Ontario Provinces do not have many mineral resources. There are few Petroleum wells-which produce some oil and natural gas. Canadian Shield is the store house of minerals. The eastern section of Shield has a large deposit of iron ore of high quality.
In the central part of the Shield there are copper, nickel and gold mines. The largest gold mines are at present located near the clay Belt. At Sudbury, which is North of Georgian Bay there exist several mines, which account for more than half of the nickel production of the world. This region also produces platinum and palladium. Lake Superior region of Canadian side produces iron ore of high quality. West of Sudbury lies the largest uranium deposits of Canada. The interior Plains have petroleum and gas resources. Edmonton oil field has tremendous importance and now new fields have been discovered in the west and north west of Edmonton.
Oil reserves are located in the Athabasca Tar Sands. Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan have coal reserves. Potash deposits in Saskatchewan region have improved the economy of the region. In south eastern British Columbia at Kimberley there is one of the largest lead, zinc, silver mines. Once Dawson city region was very popular for gold produc
tion. Mineral resources in the Northwest territories are still unexplored and are the hope of future.
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