GEOG 2231: Geography of British Columbia 1
Assignment 5: Rural Settlements and Urbanization of
British Columbia About Assignment 5
This assignment is marked out of 100 and is worth 5 per cent of your final mark in the course. It covers the following topics:
• The historical pattern of resource development in coastal and interior regions of the province; and the persistence of First Nations and European settlement patterns in British Columbia.
• The urban/rural nature of the population distribution; the diverse ethnic character of British Columbia’s population; and the development and extent of urbanization.
• Regional character and linkages between regions within British Columbia and with other provinces, countries, and regions beyond its borders.
Part 1: Rural Landscapes of British Columbia
(25 marks)
1. Outline
the major impacts of the arrival of Europeans in the Pacific Northwest on the settlement
patterns, population, and culture of
the First Nations.
(10 marks)
2. How
can Staples Theory assist in the understanding of the growth of communities in rural British
Columbia over the last 200 years?
(5 marks)
3. Identify
the communities created by the Instant Town Act (1965) and explain how this
legislation addressed the economic and social problems associated with
company towns and other settlements in
rural British Columbia.
(10 marks)
The following websites will help you define concepts or answer questions in this part of the assignment:
BC Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation (Government of BC)
Statistics Canada, Population and Demography
Accessing these websites is not required to complete this part of the assignment successfully.
2 Assignment 5: Rural Settlements and Urbanization of British Columbia
Part 2: Urbanization of British Columbia
(25 marks)
1. With reference to examples from British Columbia, for each of the following terms, provide a brief definition:
a. Urban system (5 marks)
b. Heartland/hinterland (5 marks)
2. What are the dominant characteristics of an urban centre in (10 marks) British Columbia? Identify the six basic needs for a city to function effectively.
3. Briefly describe the function of Regional Districts in British (5 marks) Columbia.
The following useful websites will help you define concepts or answer questions in this part of the assignment:
Statistics Canada, Population and Demography
Accessing these websites is not required to complete this part of the assignment successfully.
Part 3: Regional Character of British Columbia
(25 marks)
1. On what geographical criteria do you think a regional synthesis (5 marks) of British Columbia should be based?
2. What are the dominant aspects of the physical landscape of (10 marks) the Vancouver Island/Coast region (e.g., geology, glaciation, biogeography and forests, coastal features, or resource, mineral, water, and energy resources)?
3. Define the following geographic regions, using maps if necessary:
a. Pacific Northwest (5 marks)
b. Pacific Rim (5 marks)
GEOG 2231: Geography of British Columbia 3
Part 4: Review of Unit 5
(25 marks)
Prepare an essay on ONE of the following topics. Your essay should be no longer than 500 words (one to two pages). Illustrate your essay with relevant examples, diagrams, tables, and references to the course texts and other resources.
Complete ONE of the questions below:
1. Discuss, with examples, the importance of company towns, single-resource communities, and instant towns to the regional character of rural British Columbia.
2. Evaluate the role of “blue-print planning” in developing resources, land uses, and patterns of settlement in rural British Columbia, and identify some of the resulting environmental costs.
3. Discuss, with examples, some of the important goals, strategies, and outcomes of land-use planning and resource management over the last 20 years in British Columbia.
4. Describe the key features of either (a) or (b):
a. The transportation system of the Greater Vancouver Regional District
(GVRD)
b. Capital Regional District’s (CRD) green belt strategy for Victoria and its surrounding municipalities
How to Submit Your Assignment
Remember to make a copy of your work before sending the completed assignment to your Open Learning Faculty Member for marking.
Follow the instructions in “How to Submit an Assignment Using Assignment Tool” posted within the “Assignments Overview” area.
Final Project Reminder
As you work through this last unit, it is recommended that you allocate some time to analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of material that you have gathered over the duration of the course, and to putting the final touches on your research essay.
Submit your completed Final Project research essay together with Assignment 5.
The Final Project is worth 25 per cent of your final mark.
This is the end of Assignment 5.
