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"Prairie provinces"
Shell wants to increase oil production from the Canadian tar sands by expanding its Jackpine Mine. The company says it can do so responsibly. But opponents resist the high pace of tar sands development, demanding stronger safeguards for health and the environment in northern Alberta.
Indigenous children in Canada were traumatized and abused for many decades at residential schools meant to assimilate them into white society. A national Truth and Reconciliation Commission is traveling the country to hear testimonies about the former policy, which has been suppressed for years.
Canadian rock singer Neil Young has joined the opposition to oil sands expansion in Alberta. With his ‘Honour the Treaties’ tour, Young has drawn attention to criticism of the industry. His strong rhetoric has come under fire from supporters of the oil sands.
In Texas and other U.S. states, opposition is growing against a proposed pipeline to transport heavy crude oil from the Canadian tar sands to refineries along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Proponents of the Keystone XL project see economic growth, critics fear an oil spill and warn of pollution.
Rising world demand for food has put a spotlight on potash, a key ingredient of agricultural fertilizer. Market leader Potash Corp. remains in Canadian hands after a failed takeover bid. Although potash doesn’t have the universal visibility of oil, it is an essential source of energy. Join a tour of an underground potash mine.
Unmanned spy planes are used by the United States to keep an eye on its border with Canada, as well as the border with Mexico. The aircraft are flown along the 49th parallel, looking for signs of illegal activity. At a base in North Dakota, Predators are piloted remotely.
Canada is at the forefront of a new international trend nicknamed ‘designer immigration’. The country’s immigration system is increasingly focused on matching the supply of prospective newcomers to its own demand, particularly in the labour market. Since 1971, Canada has never attracted as many migrants as it does today.
Aboriginal people in remote parts of Canada often live in squalid conditions that you would expect to see in developing countries. In Wasagamack, a First Nation reserve in Manitoba, hardly anyone has running water. The H1N1 virus poses a threat.
In the town of Churchill, on the shore of Canada’s Hudson Bay, people and polar bears live closely together. Because of climate change, the polar bear population is under pressure. Bears that wander into the village are not killed, but captured and moved away. That’s good for polar bears and for tourism.
The Canadian oil sands are an enormous reserve of non-conventional oil. Because of the high oil price, the difficult extraction process has become economically viable. Energy companies, including Royal Dutch Shell, are investing billions of dollars. The regional economy is overheating – and opponents point to environmental damage.
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