So, Why should you come to the Canadian Shield?

Why should you come to the Canadian Shield? For many reasons. First the amazing tourist activities. The Canadian Shield is an extremely large area, 8,000,000 square kilometers, so there is always something to do. If you are someone who likes more winter activities, the snow, skiing etc, then Quebec is right for you. Quebec offers world class skiing and snowboarding and has 16 different resorts all within three hours drive from Montreal. And if the slopes are not your thing, their are many, other activities like, snowshoeing, hockey game, bonfires, skating are just a few. Realistically if you are a winter person, Quebec will not disappoint you. If you are more of a summer guy, Northern Ontario will never disappoint. With thousands (3,899) of lakes, there will always be a canoe trip ready for you, or a cabin/cottage to rent. There is nothing as relaxing as watching a sunset over Algonquin park. And if you are a family man, than renting a cottage with the whole family is fantastic. There are so many activities that your kids can do, its hard to keep track! Anything from camp, sailing, canoeing, swimming, bonfires, playtime, sleepovers, and even movies on rainy days, there is always something to do.

Climate

The climate of the Canadian Shield varies. In the North the temperatures are very cold with an average winter temperature of -25 degrees Celsius and a summer temperature of 10 Degrees Celsius. The growing season is only about 60 days and in the winter the sunlight hours are about 5.5 hours while in the summer 18.5 hours. In the South the average temperature in the winter is -8 degrees celsius while in the summer, 22 degrees celsius. The growing season is about 120 days while the daylight hours in the winter are about 8.5 and 15.5 in the summer. The Canadian Shield on average gets 200-300mm of rain in the summer and 1200-1500mm of snow in the winter. It is hard to make general statements about the climate on the shield as it is so large.

Vegetation of the Canadian Shield

The vegetation of the Canadian Shield is very interesting. Although the Canadian Shield is right in the middle or heart of Canada, its vegetation is quite different from the rest of Canada. Mainly the Canadian Shield is covered in trees, deciduous and coniferous. The vast forests consist of mainly Birch, Aspen, Tamarack, Spruce, Willow, Hemlock and Pine trees. The Canadian Shield region is known worldwide for its beautiful falls, where you can find leaves of any colour scattered about. Some more of the plants and trees that grow are the Jack Pine, Marsh reed grass, Swamp Laurel, Black Spruce and Bearburry. The forests are mainly Boreal or Taiga which means they are distinguished by long cold winters and short hot summers. Boreal forests are what separate the Arctic Tundra from the Canadian Shield. Also for a point of interest some of the animals that live in the region are the Black Bear, Porcupine, Moose, Dear, Great Horned Owl, and the Fox.

The Topography

The Topography of the Canadian Shield is very interesting. Mostly the Shield is an area covered with precambrian rocks, and ice. This huge region is mostly covered with forests and snow covered regions and is getting more developed daily. In the North, most of the area is undeveloped with few humans nearby, but in the South tons of the Shield is developed and factories, cities and towns have been made. The Shield area is drained by the Nelson-Saskatchewan, Churchill, Severn, Albany, flooding into the Hudson Bay. Lastly, the shield is mostly covered with thin soil on top of bedrock with many bare outcrops and thousands of lakes.

First post

The Canadian Shield is a fantastic place to visit, right in the heart of Canada. The Canadian Shield has not only amazing things to do, but cool people to meet, and great places to stay. This blog will explore all of the many possibilities of the Canadian Shield!