Topography of Canada's settlements

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by esquire

Winnipeg punches way above its weight when it comes to flatness.

Seriously, we don't have the valleys that Saskatoon or Edmonton have, nor the hills of a place like Moncton. I think only Regina can give us a run for our money in sheer, pancake like flatness.

From Wikipedia:
"Unlike other planned cities in the Canadian West, on its treeless flat plain Regina has few topographical features other than the small spring run-off Wascana Creek."

Basically we have Winnipeg's flatness, without the rivers. Regina's location is an interesting discussion about land speculation and investment pressure.

I would say while Winnipeg floods, at least there are rivers to push the water through eventually. Regina is on an ancient lakebed and is situated so that a good portion of its Southern area is a swamp. If you look at Google maps around Lampman Saskatchewan you will see how an ancient lakebed can turn into a new lake relatively easily (the varying zooms around Lampman -- try around 1km for a scale and it will look like it did about ten years ago with not much of a lake, but keep zooming out and when you get to 2km out you will see the potential lake that is forming again. This is what Southern Saskatchewan is prone to.

Many residential sections are built on infill and are subject to large ground shifts resulting in dangerous situations for infrastructure including roads. I would be hard-pressed to find a less likely location to build a major settlement.

[Daveography]

Edmonton's topography is fairly uninteresting overall, but our geology and geological history is actually really fascinating. If you're into that level of nerdiness, I suggest picking up "Edmonton Beneath Our Feet" from the library (http://epl.bibliocommons.com/item/sh...neath_our_feet).

[MonkeyRonin]

Toronto & area topographic map:


http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=44809


In the city, there is of course a gradual slope upwards from the lake until the sharp rise of the old (ice age) lake shore, at which point it turn into a mix of gentle slopes and rolling hills, with the ravines and bluffs forming steeper slopes.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Toronto & area topographic map:


http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=44809


In the city, there is of course a gradual slope upwards from the lake until the sharp rise of the old (ice age) lake shore, at which point it turn into a mix of gentle slopes and rolling hills, with the ravines and bluffs forming steeper slopes.

That gives a very clear view of how much larger the ice age lake was. You can also see that K-C-W&G sit in a sort of "bowl".

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

From Wikipedia:
"Unlike other planned cities in the Canadian West, on its treeless flat plain Regina has few topographical features other than the small spring run-off Wascana Creek."

Basically we have Winnipeg's flatness, without the rivers. Regina's location is an interesting discussion about land speculation and investment pressure.

I would say while Winnipeg floods, at least there are rivers to push the water through eventually. Regina is on an ancient lakebed and is situated so that a good portion of its Southern area is a swamp. If you look at Google maps around Lampman Saskatchewan you will see how an ancient lakebed can turn into a new lake relatively easily (the varying zooms around Lampman -- try around 1km for a scale and it will look like it did about ten years ago with not much of a lake, but keep zooming out and when you get to 2km out you will see the potential lake that is forming again. This is what Southern Saskatchewan is prone to.

Many residential sections are built on infill and are subject to large ground shifts resulting in dangerous situations for infrastructure including roads. I would be hard-pressed to find a less likely location to build a major settlement.

Fascinating to see the situation near Lampman, SK on Google Maps. I had no idea.

[Denscity]

We are surrounded by mountains on all sides, with more mountains in behind them. We also have river/creek valleys to the west, north, northwest, and south. The city itself sits on river "benches" of varying elevations on both sides of the Columbia River. And we've got what are called "Roche moutones" deformed by glaciation. Little rock hills that are gradual on one side and steep on the other.

[Chadillaccc]

Calgary has really interesting topography. Valleys, foothills, prairie, and the paskapoo escarpment...


http://www.mappery.com/map-of/Calgary-Topo-Bike-Map

[ue]

Yeah, Calgary definitely has the most interesting topography of the Prairie cities.

[Airboy]

In Parts of Sherwood park you can look NW and see just how big the NS river valley truly is.

Also West of St Albert and North of Spruce Grove and Stony Plain the hills (Glory Hills I believe) get quite big for the region. try rider you bike up. When I look at my Strava result it is very steep. south and SE of the city is the flattest. When you fly over and look down you can see the same patterns you see on lake bottoms near the shore line. That ripply effect is very noticeable west of Town near Acheson.

Besides the great trash hill in the Northwest part of Edmonton there is a very prominent hill in the Terwiliger White-mud creek region.As well Mount Pleasant is actually quite high as well.

[eemy]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

That gives a very clear view of how much larger the ice age lake was. You can also see that K-C-W&G sit in a sort of "bowl".

I can't know for sure what features you are looking at on the map, but the obvious high points around Lake Ontario (Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine) aren't actually the boundary of Glacial Lake Iroquois. This map gives a reasonable idea of where the edge of the lake was:

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by jeremy_haak

I can't know for sure what features you are looking at on the map, but the obvious high points around Lake Ontario (Niagara Escarpment and Oak Ridges Moraine) aren't actually the boundary of Glacial Lake Iroquois. This map gives a reasonable idea of where the edge of the lake was:

I did not know that. I always thought the moraine was the northern limit. Learned something new today.

[MonkeyRonin]

Nope, the old shoreline was the big rise between Bloor and St. Clair (in Toronto). Casa Loma would have been a lakefront property a few thousand years ago.

[Chadillaccc]

Yeah, you can really notice it driving up Avenue Road. The top of the hill there was the shoreline I believe.

[Trevor3]

Corner Brook

The city is situated in a bowl. The city's residential neighbourhoods crawl their way up the steep hillsides, some streets are incredibly steep and seemingly go straight up. The hills are continuous on 3 sides but are interrupted by the Bay of Islands which separates the city from the even steeper 4th side across the bay. It's dramatic, especially in the fall.

Photo Credit: Keith Nicol

This next photo puts it in perspective, I'm staning on the east side of downtown (Townsite) looking down toward Millbrook, the lowest point in the city (where the Esso station is), and then the street immediately inclines up the westside of the city toward Broadway and the working class neighbourhoods traditionally inhabited by millworkers and shopkeepers.
CornerBrook3

Stephenville

The town is built on a floodplain and incredibly flat. If it weren't for a bridge built up to avoid the flooding river, it would be possible to stand at one end of town and see the other end straight down Carolina Avenue/Main Street.

Here's the view adjacent to the brook looking west. We could be on the prairies in all honesty, and this is only 45 minutes down the highway from Corner Brook. Crazy island.
100_2516

But we still have our ring of mountains, just further back.
Picture 180

[Steveston]

^ Those are mountains? In BC, they would be called "speedbumps"

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Acajack! Raise your eyes! You dwell in the glorious valley of the Ottawa, embraced by the Canadian Shield and sloping gently on both sides to the mighty waterway. OK, that's a bit much, but it's quite nice from a distance.

I know, I know. I bike up and down them most days during the summer!

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I know, I know. I bike up and down them most days during the summer!

A friend of mine bikes up to the belvedere from Ottawa every Sunday during the summer. He will be 73 years old next week! Simply amazing.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

A friend of mine bikes up to the belvedere from Ottawa every Sunday during the summer. He will be 73 years old next week! Simply amazing.

Impressive. That's beyond my humble abilities for sure!

[ssiguy]

Windsor/Chatham/Sarnia are as flat as a pancake but as you head further east it get's hilly. It starts around Strathroy/402 and Dutton/401. London has quite a few hills due to being in a valley. Oxford county is surprisingly hilly as are all areas north of London.

[SignalHillHiker]

One of my favourites. Francois (pronounced France-way), on Newfoundland's south coast. It's accessible only by boat and has no roads or cars. One of the few true Newfoundland outports remaining today.

It's in a U-shaped valley surrounded by high hills that regularly cause avalanches, rock slides, etc. It's such a beautiful setting.

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